"I Can't Stop To Pray."
"A deacon living in a Berkshire town was requested to give his prayers in behalf of a poor man with a large family who had broken his leg. 'I can't stop now to pray,' said the deacon (who was picking and barreling his early apples for the city market), 'but you can go down into the cellar and get some corned beef, salt pork, potatoes, and butter--that's the best I can do.'"
Remarkable Healing Of A Child.
A clergyman writes that during the ministration of his labors at Battle Greek, Mich., there were several remarkable manifestations of divine power--especially in the case of a little girl, the daughter of a Mr. Smith, a child of about six years.
"In September last, she was taken very sick with spinal fever. She became much reduced, extremely nervous and helpless, excepting to move her hands. Physicians gave up the case as a hopeless one, deciding that should she live, her condition would be that of helplessness, a burden to herself and to her parents.
"But our gracious God had better things in store for that afflicted family. It was on a Sabbath afternoon, at the very hour when the crowded congregation in our house of worship were in prayer for the influences of the divine Spirit, that a holy, solemn influence came into the dwelling of Brother Smith, as if an angel had come to touch the child with healing power. The mother could not leave the bedside of her suffering child to attend the meeting, and she says that a sudden change came over her feelings, and it appeared to her that an angel had come into the house, and had shed a holy influence in every part of it. It was at that moment that the hitherto helpless child drew herself up in a sitting posture, and next rose upon her feet. She rapidly recovered to her usual habits of taking food and sleeping, and now takes the exercise of the most robust children of her age."
God Paid The Rent.--Answer To Prayer.
A poor Christian family were in distress. The husband, during a long and painful sickness, had borne his trials for months with cheerful Christian resignation; "but, on this day," said a City Missionary, "I found them, for the first time, in tears. The cause I soon learned was the want of means to pay the rent of their little home, which would come due on the following Monday, and must be paid then, or they would have to leave and go they knew not where. The amount needed, fifteen dollars, and the amount in hand but fifty cents; the future all dark, and no hope of recovery from sickness, and no hope of being able to meet their expenses--it might be of a long sickness and want--what could I do for them? If theirs had been the only case of like wants that day, I no doubt could have gone to a few friends and have collected the amount. But that would not do them the good I felt they needed. But I felt sure of a better way to get it, and lead them to trust in the Lord, and glorify God and not man.
"On the wall, at the foot of the sick man's bed, I had hung, but a short time previous, one of those precious silent comforters, a scroll of Scripture texts, printed in large type, and a different prayer for every day in the month. On the page before us for that day, after calling their attention to it, I read the following words: 'And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing, ye shall receive.' Matt. 21:22. 'Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them. Matt. 18:9; remarking, 'Are not those precious promises? Your fears, dear brother and sister, are that you will not be able to pay the rent on Monday, and may be turned out into the street, unless you get the means to pay the rent; are they not?' 'That is so,' said they. 'There are two ways: one, to try to get some one to lend you the amount until you can pay, if the landlord will not wait; another, to go and beg for it.' I have learned a better way, and wish I could lead you to do the same. Do as David did. Have you ever gone to the Lord as directed above, and found in Him, as David did, a very present help in time of trouble? Would not your faith and confidence in God's word and in his kind, overruling providence be more strengthened, if, in going to Him now and making known your present troubles and wants, He should in a way, without your making known your wants to any other person, on Monday enable you to pay all?' The answer was, 'We should.'
"After prayer and encouragement to do so, I left them, with the promise to call the following Tuesday. Doing so, I was met at the door by the wife with a countenance full of joy. 'Oh, brother, we could not wait until you came, to tell you the wonderful answer to our prayer. On Monday, the very day that we had to pay the rent, one gentleman came and handed my husband five dollars, and early in the morning Mrs. F---- called and handed me ten dollars, making in all just fifteen dollars, the amount we needed; was it not wonderful? Oh, how good the Lord is!' The same week another called and gave them an order for fifty dollars more, so that they were able to pay up all their debts, and the sudden joy soon led to a speedy restoration to health, and the husband is now one of the most active Christian workers and teachers in a mission school, and the wife and daughter are also trying to do all they can to lead others to trust in Jesus."