The Wonders of Prayer Part 10

"'I am well satisfied,' answered Harris. 'Jesus will not fail me. I leave you to settle the account with him at another day. Farewell.'

"This operated so effectually on the man's conscience, that in a few days he _came and paid the debt_."

A WAGON-LOAD OF FOOD.

"A young minister and his wife were sent on to their first charge in Vermont about the year 1846. On the circuit were few members, and most of these were in poor circ.u.mstances. After a few months the minister and his wife found themselves getting short of provisions. Finally their last food had been cooked, and where to look for a new supply was a question which demanded immediate attention.

"The morning meal was eaten, not without anxious feelings; but this young servant of the Most High had laid his all upon the altar, and his wife also possessed much of the spirit of self-sacrifice; and they could not think the Saviour who had said to those he had called and sent out to preach in his name: 'Lo! I am with you always,' would desert them among strangers. After uniting in family prayer he sought a sanctuary in an old barn, and there committed their case to G.o.d;--his wife met her Savior in her closet and poured out her heart before him there.

"That morning a young married farmer, a mile or two away, was going with a number of hands to his mowing-field. But as he afterward told the minister, he was obliged to stop short. He told his hired help to go on, but he _must go back_--_he must go and carry provisions to the minister's house_. He returned to the house, and telling his wife how he felt, asked her help in putting up the things he must carry. He harnessed his horse into his wagon; put up a bushel of potatoes, meat, flour, sugar, b.u.t.ter, etc. He was not a professor of religion. The minister's wife told me there was a good wagon-load. He drove it to the house, and found that his gifts were most thankfully received. This account was received from the minister himself,--David P.--, who died in Chelsea, Ma.s.s., in Dec. 1875, and subsequently from his wife,--and communicated to a correspondent of '_The Christian_.'"

"G.o.d'S RAVEN."

"A lady who lived on the north side of London, set out one day to see a poor sick friend, living in Drury Lane, and took with her a basket provided with tea, b.u.t.ter, and food. The day was fine and clear when she started; but as she drew near Islington a thick fog came on, and somewhat frightened her, as she was deaf, and feared it might be dangerous in the streets if she could not see. Thicker and darker the fog became; they lighted the lamps, and the omnibus went at a walking pace. She might have got into another omnibus and returned; but a strong feeling which she could not explain made her go on. When they reached the Strand they could see nothing. At last the omnibus stopped, and the conductor guided her to the foot-path. As she was groping her way along, the fog cleared up, just at the entrance to Drury Lane, and even the blue sky was seen. She now easily found the narrow court, rang the number 5 bell, and climbed to the fifth story. She knocked at the door, and a little girl opened it.

"'How is grandmother?'

"'Come in, Mrs. A----,' answered the grandmother. 'How did you get here?

We have been in thick darkness all day.'

"The room was exceedingly neat, and the kettle stood boiling on a small clear fire. Everything was in perfect order; on the table stood a little tea-tray ready for use. The sick woman was in bed, and her daughter sat working in a corner of the room.

"'I see you are ready for tea,' said the lady; 'I have brought something more to place upon the table.'

"With clasped hands the woman breathed a few words of thanksgiving first, and then said, 'O, Mrs. A----, you are indeed G.o.d's raven, sent by him to bring us food to-day, for we have not tasted any yet. I felt sure he would care for us.'

"'But you have the kettle ready for tea?'

"'Yes, ma'am,' said the daughter; 'mother would have me set it on the fire; and when I said, 'What is the use of doing so? you know we have nothing in the house,' she still would have it, and said, 'My child, G.o.d will provide. Thirty years he has already provided for me, through all my pain and helplessness, and he will not leave me to starve at last: he will send us help, though we do not yet see how.' In this expectation mother has been waiting all day, quite sure that some one would come and supply our need. But we did not think of the possibility of your coming from such a distance on such a day. Indeed, it must be G.o.d who sent you to us.'

"'The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.'"

HOW THE STOLEN SLEIGH WAS RETURNED BY A THIEF.

The widow of a minister of the Gospel sends to "_The Christian_" the following instance ill.u.s.trating G.o.d's faithfulness in hearing and answering prayer:

"About the year 1829, my husband, who died January 2d, 1854, lent his sleigh and harness to a man calling himself John Cotton, to go some twenty miles and be gone three days. Cotton was quite a stranger among us, having been in our place but six weeks. During that time he had boarded with my husband's brother, working for him a part of the time, and the rest of the time selling wooden clocks, of which he had bought a number. Three days pa.s.sed, but he did not return. The fourth went by, and we began to think he had absconded. On inquiry, Mr. P. found that the clocks had been purchased on credit, and all sold for watches or money; that Cotton owed sixty dollars toward his horse, and had borrowed of the brother with whom he boarded, horse-blanket, whip, and mittens.

Now it seemed sure that he was a rogue, but what could be done? Pursuit was useless after such a lapse of time.

"My husband felt his loss severely, for we had little property then, and what we had was the product of hard labor. But he was a Christian, and, I believe, always made his business a subject of prayer.

"About three weeks pa.s.sed away. One evening, having been out longer than usual, he came in, and, with his characteristic calmness, said: 'I shall not worry any more about my sleigh and harness, I think I shall get them again.' 'Why do you think so?' His answer was: 'I have been praying to G.o.d to arrest Cotton's conscience, so that he will be obliged to _leave them where I can get them_, and I believe he will do it.'

"From this time, which was Wednesday evening, he seemed at rest on the subject. The next Tuesday morning, as he stepped into the post-office, a letter was handed him from Littleton, N.H. It was written by the keeper of a public house, and read thus:

"'_Mr. P.--Sir, Mr. John Cotton has left your sleigh and harness here, and you can have them by calling for them_.

Yours, etc., J--N N----N.'

"He returned home with the letter, and started for L----; went there the same day, some forty miles; found sleigh and harness safe, with no enc.u.mbrance. The landlord informed him that, a few nights before, at twelve o'clock, a man calling himself John Cotton came to his house, calling for horse-baiting and supper; would not stay till morning, but wished to leave the sleigh and harness for Mr. S.--- P.--- of Marshfield, Vt. He said he could not write himself; and requested the landlord to write for him, saying he took them on a poor debt for Mr.

P., in one of the towns below! He started off at two o'clock at night, on horseback, with an old pair of saddle-bags and a horse blanket, on a saddle with one stirrup and no crupper, on one of the coldest nights of that or any other year. He took the road leading through the Notch in the mountains, left nothing for either of those he owed, and we have never since heard from him."

"NONE OF THE LORD'S CHILDREN LEFT DESOLATE."

"_The Christian Era_ tells of a Dutch preacher who held a meeting one evening in a strange city. While he was preaching, and enforcing upon the hearts of his hearers the doctrine of the Cross, a police officer came into the room and forbade him to go on. He even commanded him to leave the city. As he was a stranger in the place, and the night was dark, he wandered around the city gates. He was not, however, without consolation; for he remembered Him who had said, 'Lo, I am with you always. I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.'

"He had long been in the school of Christ, and had learned to watch for the slightest intimations of His will. While he was thus wandering around, suddenly he saw a light in the distance. 'See,' he said to himself, 'perhaps the Lord has provided me a shelter there,' and, in the simplicity of faith, he directed his steps thither. On arriving, he heard a voice in the house; and, as he drew nearer, he discovered that a man was praying. Joyful, he hoped, that he had found here the home of a brother. He stood still for a moment, and heard these words, poured forth from an earnest heart: 'Lord Jesus, one of thy persecuted servants may, perhaps, be wandering, at this moment, in a strange place of which he knows nothing. O, may he find my home, that he may receive here food and lodging.'

"The preacher, having heard these words, glided into the house, as soon as the speaker said, 'Amen.' Both fell on their knees, and together thanked the Lord, who is a hearer of prayer, and who never leaves nor forsakes His servants."

THE NEW COAT THAT FITTED EXACTLY.

"A few years since, a young preacher in the State of Ma.s.sachusetts, who was laboring in a field which yielded no great pecuniary returns, had laid aside the sum of fifteen dollars from his scanty income, with which to purchase himself a coat, of which he stood in need. Before he had time to obtain it, there was presented to him a certain charitable object which seemed to demand a portion of his little store. After some consideration as to whether it was his duty to give as much as the ten dollars, which first presented itself to his mind as the proper sum to bestow, he concluded to follow his convictions, and thus a.s.sist one who was more needy than himself, and trust in the Lord to provide the coat.

"Within two or three days afterwards, he was visiting at the house of his mother, in another town, and she, as mothers will, noticed that his coat had arrived at that condition which usually affords the preacher of the Gospel evidence that he is shortly to have a new one, and she made some remarks about its worn appearance, saying, 'It seems to me you need a new coat.' 'I know it,' he replied, 'and I shall get me one as soon as I get the means.' She said, 'There is a coat up stairs which your brother had made for him not over two weeks ago, which he never has worn but once, because it was _made too small_, and he said that you might have it, if you wanted it.'

"The coat was accordingly brought down and tried on, and it fitted exactly. The young man gladly accepted the coat, wondering a little at the wisdom of the Lord in clothing him at the expense of his brother, who was not particularly interested in the Lord's work, and who was so much larger than he was, that nothing short of the wisdom of Providence could have made a coat that was measured for one of them ever to fit the other."

This was the return that G.o.d made to him for his sacrifice to the Lord.

_Never withhold from the Lord_.

PRAYING TO STOP THE WIND AND THE SAILING OF A VESSEL.

The late aged and venerable Rev. Dr. Cleaveland, of Boston, relates the following incident:

"In a revival of religion in the church of which he was pastor, he was visited one morning by a member of his church, a widow, whose only son was a sailor. With a voice trembling with emotion, she said, 'Doctor Cleaveland, I have called to entreat you to join me in praying _that the wind may change_.' He looked at her in silent amazement. 'Yes,' she exclaimed, earnestly, 'my son has gone on board his vessel; they sail to-night, unless the wind changes.' 'Well, madam,' replied the doctor, 'I will pray that your son may be converted on this voyage; but to pray that G.o.d would alter the laws of His universe on his account, I fear is presumptuous.' 'Doctor,' she replied, 'my heart tells me differently.

G.o.d's Spirit is _here_. Souls are being converted here. You have a meeting this evening, and, if the wind would change, John would stay and go to it; and, I believe, if he went he would be converted. Now, if you cannot join me, I must pray alone, for he must stay.' 'I will pray for his conversion,' said the doctor.

"On his way to the meeting, he glanced at the weather-vane, and, to his surprise, _the wind had changed_, and it was blowing landward. On entering his crowded vestry, he soon observed John, sitting upon the front seat. The young man seemed to drink in every word, rose to be prayed for, and attended the inquiry meeting. When he sailed from port, the mother's prayers had been answered; he went a Christian. The pastor had learned a lesson he never forgot. The Lord had said, 'O, woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee, even as thou wilt.' G.o.d answered that prayer because the mother was seeking to advance His own kingdom.

G.o.d always hears a prayer that will in any way bring a soul to the Lord."

INSANITY CURED AND SUICIDE PREVENTED.

"_Augusta Moore_, writes _The Christian_, of a young lady called home by the illness of her widowed mother, who died before she could reach her.

This alone was a terrible shock to the delicate daughter, who, having been reared in luxury, was ill-fitted for firm endurance of calamity.