The wonders of prayer

by Unknown

In the Fall of 1858, H----, a student in the Theological Seminary at Princeton, N.J., was in great need of a new pair of boots. His toes were sticking out of his old ones, and he had no money to purchase new ones. All the money he could command was barely enough to pay his fare to his home, where be had promised a dear friend to be present on the approaching communion Sabbath.

H---- was a man of great faith, and was accustomed to carry all his wants to God in prayer. To God he carried the present emergency, and earnestly importuned Him, that He would send him a pair of boots, and that He would do it before the approaching Sabbath. He was persuaded that God heard, and would answer his petition, yet his faith was sorely tried. Saturday morning came and still there was no answer; he resolved, however, to go to his home, fully persuaded that God would in good time grant his request. He took the morning train at the Princeton depot, and reached home about eleven o'clock. It was a hard trial for him to go to "Preparatory Lecture" with his boots in the condition they were in; yet at two o'clock he went, still praying that God would send him a new pair of boots. During the service, a merchant in the town took a seat in the same pew with him, and at the close of the service, without a word being spoken on the subject, the merchant, after shaking hands with H---- and inquiring of his welfare, asked him if he would do him the favor of going down town to a certain boot and shoe store and select from the stock as good a pair of boots as he could find, and, said the merchant, "have them charged to me." It was, as, H---- said to me on his return to the seminary, a direct answer to prayer. Indeed, it might be said of H---- that he went through college and seminary on prayer. He laid all his plans before God, pleaded his promises, and never was disappointed.

Under Garments In Answer To Prayer.

Among the students in the Theological Seminary at Princeton, N.J., in 1860, was my intimate friend L----. He was at the time poorly clad, but was a devoted Christian, and is at present a successful foreign missionary.

One day when on the Seminary campus, I heard two of the students very thoughtlessly criticising the exceeding shabbiness of L----'s wearing apparel, his short pants, old shoes, and socks with no heels in them. At almost every step L---- took when playing ball, his bare heels could be seen. That day, after evening prayers, I took L---- by the arm, for a walk to "Orthodox point," a tree about a mile distant from the Seminary. During our walk, I gently told him of the criticisms I had heard, and learned more fully than I had ever done of his destitution of wearing apparel, especially of under garments. I offered him a share of mine, or the loan of money, so as to meet his present wants, but this he declined to receive, saying, that he "would take it to the Lord in prayer," and that God would in good time supply all his wants. I, too, bore his case to the throne of grace. The next day after this, on going into his room, he laid before me an empty envelope, and a five dollar bill, and asked me the question, "Did you throw that envelope with that bill in it, through that ventilator?" I assured him that I did not. "Well," said he, "when I came in from recitation a short time ago, I found this envelope on the floor and that five dollar bill in it. It has evidently been thrown in through the ventilator." We both recognized God's hand in the provision made and mentally gave thanks to our Heavenly Father. Soon after this, "a missionary box" was sent to the Seminary, and my friend was therefrom well supplied with under garments. Frequently afterward did he say to me, in substance, "Prayer is the key to God's treasury. Trust in Him and the Lord will provide."

Unexpected Relief.

Henry Badgerow was a man about seventy years of age at the time of the incident, and a resident of Steuben county, State of New York. This was in the year about A.D. 1830-31. He had been for many years an invalid--so much so that he couldn't walk--the result of a horse running away with him. In a forest, isolated from neighbors, the old man resided alone with an aged wife. They were quite poor, and wholly dependent upon the labor of a son who worked away from home for others. This son was at length taken sick with a fever, and unable to minister to his parents' wants. This was in mid-winter, when storms were frequent and the snows deep and lasting. One evening when the storm was at its highest, this old couple found themselves without a particle of food in the house. Matters were desperate with them. They could see but starvation staring them in the face. They resolved upon prayer, having a firm trust in their Heavenly Father, whom for many years they had been humbly serving. They did not retire, but continued in fervent prayer that God would send them food. About two and a half miles distant lived a young married man in comfortable circumstances, by the name of Joseph Clason (the author of the story). He was not at this time a Christian, although it was not long after this he was converted, and has since lived an eminently active and godly life. About 12 o'clock on the night of the snow storm above mentioned, young Clason awoke. His first thoughts were of old Mr. Badgerow and his condition in that storm. His mind became so impressed with the thought of him, and so wrought upon that he could not again go to sleep, although trying so to do. At length he awakened his wife, told her that he was in trouble about Mr. B., for fear he and his wife were starving. She replied that if he would get right up and make a light, she would prepare something, and that he had better take it right down. Young C. did so, taking with him a pail of provisions. After a jaunt through the storm and snow in the dead hour of night, he reached the old man's cabin. There he found a light burning. He knocked; the door was opened by the wife. The old man was fervently praying; but when he saw young C. with the pail of provisions, he held up both hands and said, "Now I know that God heareth prayer. Not one mouthful have we in the house to eat. I know that God sent you here." Young C. staid with the old couple until daylight. The conversation revealed that about midnight the old man perceiving that a storm had arisen, and that unless relief came, which was not likely, they would starve, resolved to appeal to his Heavenly Father, saying that God who sent the ravens to feed Elijah would feed him if he went to him in faith, and now God had heard his prayer, and he blessed God that he could do so in all trouble and trial.

The old man having asked C. how he came to visit them, he replied he didn't know, but supposed God had sent him, as he had awoke and couldn't again sleep on account of thought of him.

The incident made a serious and lasting impression on young C's mind.

In the morning, as C. was returning home, he came by his father's house; his mother, espying his pail, wished to know where he had been. He replied, "To feed the hungry." His father spreading the incident, the neighbors all turned out and brought in enough provision to last them during several weeks, the old man being greatly loved and respected by his community, on account of his sterling Christian life and character.