The Wonders of Prayer by Various

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LIGHT GIVEN TO A BLIND CHILD.

"A missionary visiting one of the mission schools of Brooklyn, was
introduced to a remarkable child. He was brought into the school from
the highways and hedges, and young as he was, he had been taught of God.
One day he was playing with powder, and putting his mouth to the match
to blow it, it exploded, and the whole charge went into his face and
eyes. He became totally blind, and the physician gave but little hope of
recovery. But the little sufferer was patient and calm, and even
hopeful; sitting through the dark days meditating on what he had learned
at the mission Sabbath-school, and repeating passages of Scripture and
many a beautiful hymn.

"One evening after the physician had spoken discouragingly, and his
parents, as he perceived, were in deep distress, he was absorbed on his
knees in a corner of the room in earnest prayer. His voice, though
subdued almost to a whisper, was indicative of intense feeling. His
parents inquired what he had been praying so earnestly for. Why, said
he, that _Jesus Christ would open my eyes. The doctor says he can't, and
so I thought I would ask the Savior to do it for me. God honored his
faith. In a few days his sight came to him; and the prayer was answered.
He can now see clearly_."

ASKING THE LORD TO HELP HIM IN HIS LESSONS.

"A little boy was at school, he was diligent, and determined to succeed,
but found that parsing was rather hard.

"One day he went to his mamma for a little help in analyzing some
sentences. She told him the proper manner of doing it, and he followed
her directions; but he was much troubled that he could not understand
the whys and wherefores himself.

"His mamma told him it was rather hard for him then, but that after he
had studied a little longer, it would be quite easy.

"Johnnie went into another room to study alone, but after a little came
back, his face perfectly radiant with joy. He said: 'O mamma, I want to
begin again. I asked Jesus to help me, and now I think I see just how it
is. He always helps us when we ask him;' and with unspeakable delight he
with his mamma went over his lesson again."

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD.

"The _American Messenger_ tells the story of Johnny Hall, a poor boy.
His mother worked hard for their daily bread. 'Please give me something
to eat; I am very hungry,' he said one evening. His mother let the work
upon which she was sewing fall from her knee, and drew Johnny toward
her. Her tears fell fast as she said: 'Mamma is very poor, and cannot
give you any supper to-night.' 'Never mind, mamma; I shall soon be
asleep, and then I sha'n't feel hungry. But you will sit and sew, and be
so hungry and cold. Poor mamma,' he said, and kissed her many times to
comfort her.

"'Now, Johnny, you may say your prayers;' for dearly as his mother loved
him, she could ill afford to lose a moment from her work. He repeated
'Our Father' with her until they came to the petition, 'Give us this day
our daily bread.' The earnestness, almost agony, with which the mother
uttered these words, impressed Johnny strongly. He said them over again:
'_Give us this day our daily bread_.' Then opening his blue eyes, he
fixed them on his mother, and said: 'We shall never be hungry any more.
God is _our Father_, and he _will_ hear us.' The prayer was finished and
Johnny laid to rest. The mother sewed with renewed energy. Her heart was
sustained by the simple faith of her child. Many were the gracious
promises which came to her remembrance. Although tired and hungry, still
it was with a light heart she sank to rest.

"Early in the morning a gentleman called on his way to business. He
wished Johnny's mother to come to his home to take charge of his two
motherless boys. She immediately accepted the offer. They were thus
provided with all the comforts of a good home. Johnny is a man now, but
he has never forgotten the time when he prayed so earnestly for his
daily bread.

"_God will hear prayer_ is his firm belief. In many ways has he had the
faith of his childhood confirmed. He looks to God as his Father with the
same trust now as then.

GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF ME.

"When the yellow fever raged in New Orleans, the pestilence visited a
Christian household, and the father died. Then the mother was suddenly
seized, and knowing that she must die, she gathered the four children
around her bed, the oldest being only about ten years of age, and said
to them that God was about to take her home to heaven. She urged them to
have no fears, and assured them that the kind, heavenly Father who had
so long provided for them would surely come and take care of them. The
children, with almost breaking hearts, believed what the dying mother
had told them.

"She was buried. The three youngest soon followed her, although they
received every necessary attention from friends during their sickness.
The oldest, a boy, was also seized by the pestilence, and in an
unguarded moment, under the influence of delirium, wandered from his
sick-bed out into the suburbs of the city, and lying down in the tall
grass by the roadside, looked steadfastly up, murmuring, incoherently at
times, 'Mother said God would come and take care of me--would come and
take care of me!' A gentleman happening to pass at the time, and hearing
the unusual sounds, went where the lad was lying, and rousing him, asked
him what he was doing there. Said the little fellow in reply: '_Father
died; mother died; little brother and sisters died. But just before
mother went away into heaven, she told us to have no fear, for God would
come and take care of us, and I am now waiting for him to come down and
take me. I know he will come, for mother said so, and she always told us
the truth_.'

"'Well,' said the gentleman, whose kindliest sympathies were stirred by
the little fellow's sad condition and his implicit confidence in his
sainted mother's pious instructions, '_God has sent me, my son, to take
care of you_.' So he had him carried to his home, and kindly nursed and
cared for by his own family. He recovered, and to-day is one of the most
useful Christian young men in the far West, where he has fixed his
home."

LAURA HEALED.

"A Christian teacher, connected with a Southern Orphan Asylum, writes
_The Christian_, that often when the children were sick, and most of
them came to me more or less diseased, I cried to the Lord for help, and
He who 'bore our infirmities, and carried our sicknesses,' healed them.
Oh it is so good to trust in the Lord! How much better to rely on Him
'in whom we live, and move, and have our being,' than to put confidence
in man, even in the most skillful physician. To confirm and strengthen
the faith of the doubting, I send you the following account of the
healing of one of our orphans.

"Laura was one of a large orphan family, living on Port Royal Island,
S.C. When her mother died, she went to live with a colored woman who
made her work very hard, 'tote' wood and water, hoe cotton and corn, do
all manner of drudgery, rise at daybreak, and live on scanty food. Laura
suffered from want, exposure and abuse. The freed-women of the
plantation looked with pity into her eyes, and desired her to run away.
But she replied, 'Aunt Dora will run after me, and when she done cotch
me, she'll stripe me well with the lash; she done tell so already.'

"One morning, however, when Laura went to the creek for crabs, a good
aunty followed her, and throwing a shawl over the poor child's rags,
said, 'Now, Laura, put foot for Beaufort fast as ever you can, and when
you get there, inquire where Mrs. Mather lives: go straight to her; she
has a good home for jes sich poor creeters as you be.' Laura obeyed,
hastened to Beaufort, seven miles distant, found my home, was made
welcome, and her miserable rags exchanged for good clean clothes. In the
morning, I said, 'Laura, did you sleep well last night?' She replied,
'O, missis, my heart too full of joy to sleep. Me lay awake all night,
thinking how happy me is in dis nice, clean bed, all to myself. Me never
sleep in a bed before, missis.'

"Laura, then about thirteen years old, came to me with a hard cough, and
pain in her side. I put on flannels, gave her a generous diet, and
hoped, that with rest and cheerful surroundings, she would soon rally as
other children had, who came to me in a similar broken-down condition.
Still the cough and pain continued. I dosed her with various
restoratives, such as flax-seed, and slippery elm, etc., but all were of
no avail. She steadily grew worse. Every week I could see she declined.
Her appetite failed; night sweats came on; and she was so weak that most
of the day she lay in bed. The children, all of whom loved Laura, she
was so patient and gentle, whispered one to another, 'Laura is gwine to
die; dere is def in her eye."

"One evening in mid-winter, the poor child's short breath, fluttering
pulse, and cold, clammy sweat alarmed me, and I felt sure that unless
the dear Lord interposed in her behalf, her time with us was very short.
I lingered by her bed till near midnight in prayer for her recovery. I
could not give her up. Again in my own room I poured out my soul in
prayer for the child, and then slept. About two o'clock, I suddenly
awoke, and heard what seemed a voice saying to me, '_Go to Laura; I can
heal her now; the conditions are right; you are both calm and
trustful_.'

"I arose quickly, hastened to her room and said to her, 'Laura, do you
want to get well?' 'O, yes, missis, me wants to get well.' 'Do you
believe Jesus can cure you?' She replied, 'I know he can if he will.'
'Well, Laura,' I said, 'Jesus has just waked me out of a sound sleep,
and told me to go and tell you that he _will cure you now_. Do you
believe he will, Laura?' 'Yes, missis, me _do believe_,' she replied
earnestly. She then repeated this prayer. 'O, Jesus, do please to make
me well; let me live a long time, and be a good and useful woman.'

"The burden had rolled off my heart; I returned to my room and slept
sweetly. In the morning, Tamar, Laura's attendant, met me at the door,
exclaiming joyfully, 'O, I'se so glad! Laura is a heap better, Missis.
She wake me up long time before day and begged me to get her something
to eat, she so hungry.'

"From that night Laura rapidly recovered. Her cough abated, her appetite
was restored, her night sweats ceased, and in less than a month she was
strong and well."

A LITTLE SLAVE'S FAITH.

A missionary in India, passing one day through the school room, observed
a little boy engaged in prayer, and overheard him say, "O, Lord Jesus, I
thank thee for sending big ship into my country and wicked men to steal
me and bring me here, that I might hear about Thee and love Thee. And
now, Lord Jesus, I have one great favor to ask Thee. Please to send
wicked men with another big ship, and let them catch my father and my
mother, and bring them to this country, that they may hear the
missionaries preach and love Thee."

The missionary in a few days after saw him standing on the sea-shore,
looking very intently as the ships came in. "What are you looking at,
Tom?" "I am looking to see if Jesus Christ answers prayer."

For two years he was to be seen day after day watching the arrival of
every ship. One day, as the missionary was viewing him, he observed him
capering about and exhibiting the liveliest joy.

"Well, Tom, what gives you so much joy?" "_O, Jesus Christ answer
prayer. Father and mother come in that ship_," which was actually the
case.

A GOOD REASON FOR PRAYING.

A little girl about four years of age being asked, "Why do you pray to
God?" replied: "Because I know He hears me, and I love to pray to Him."

"But how do you know He hears you?"

Putting her little hand to her heart, she said, "I know He does, because
there is something _here_ that tells me so."

MY HEART TALKED.

A child six years old, in a Sunday school, said: "When we kneel down in
the school-room to pray, it seems as if my heart talked."

WHY, SIR, I BEGGED.

A little boy, one of the Sunday school children in Jamaica, called upon
the missionary and stated that he had lately been very ill, and in his
sickness often wished his minister had been present to pray with him.

"But, Thomas," said the missionary, "I hope you prayed." "Oh, yes, sir."
"Did you repeat the collect I taught you?" "I prayed." "Well, but how
did you pray?" "Why, sir, I begged."

A LITTLE CHILD'S PRAYER FOR HEALING.

A very little child, who had but recently learned to talk, and the
daughter of a Home missionary, had been for weeks troubled with a severe
cough, which was very severe in its weakness upon her. At last her
father said to her, "Daughter, ask Jesus, the good Lord, to heal you."

Putting up her little hands as she lay in bed, she said, "_Dear Jesus,
will oo please to cure me, and do please tell papa what to give me_."

The father, who was listening, thought several times of "_syrup of
ipecac_" but did not connect it immediately with the prayer. At last the
thought came so often before him, that he felt, "Well, it will do no
harm, perhaps this is what the Lord wants me to give her." He procured
it, administered it, and in three hours the little child's cough had
wholly ceased, and she was playing on the floor with the other children.
A most singular feature is the fact that the same medicine was
administered at other times and had no effect in relief.

* * * * *

THE BLESSEDNESS OF GIVING

"_Blessed is he that considereth the poor; the Lord will deliver him in
time of trouble_."

"_Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all
thine increase, so shalt thy barns be filled with plenty_."

"_There is that scattereth and yet increaseth; and there is that
withholdeth more than is meet, but it lendeth to poverty_."

"_The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth shall be
watered also himself_."

"_He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which
he hath given will He pay him again."_

"_Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry
himself, but shall not be heard_."

"_He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he giveth of his
bread to the poor_."

"_He that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat_."

"_He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack; but he that hideth his
eye shall have many a curse_."

"_Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shall find it after many
days_."

"_If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted
soul, the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in
drought, and make fat thy bones. And thou shall be like a watered
garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not_."

"_He which soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully_."

"_Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not
grudgingly, nor of necessity, for_

GOD LOVETH A CHEERFUL GIVER.

* * * * *

HOW THE LORD BLESSES THOSE "WHO GIVE LIBERALLY TO HIS CAUSE.

A disciple of the Lord Jesus, poor in this world's goods, but rich in
faith, became greatly perplexed in regard to the meaning of the
forty-second verse of the fifth chapter of Matthew. The words are: "Give
to him that asketh thee; and from him that would borrow of thee turn not
thou away." After a season of prolonged mental inquiry, as to whether
the language was to be regarded as literal or not, she suddenly paused
and exclaimed: "It is easy enough to find out; test it and see."

It was Saturday. Her money, all but two dollars, had been expended in
providing for the Sabbath. The amount left, which was absolutely needed
for the following Monday, she put in her pocket, and went out.

On the street, a friend, whose husband had been for some time out of
business, met her and stated their distresses, and asked if she could
lend them _two dollars to last over the Sabbath_.

She was surprised. The test had come sooner than she expected, but,
without hesitation, the money was "_lent to the Lord,"_ and the now
penniless believer went home to wait and see.

Now mark the result. Monday came, and with it the needs to be supplied.
While pondering what course to pursue, a knock was heard, and, on
opening the door, a lady, with a bundle in her hand, inquired if she
could do a little work for her. Replying in the affirmative, and naming
the price, the lady took from her pocket-book two dollars, and handed it
to her, saying: "It is more than you ask, but you might as well have
it." "I was never more astonished," said this true disciple, "and
literally shouted for joy. I had tested and proved that the promises of
God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus. Glory to God. I have never doubted
since; and though often in straits, I have always been delivered."

Would it not be well for Christians to "test" where they cannot
understand? "Ye are my friends," said the blessed Lord, "if ye do
whatsoever I command you." Obedience will solve difficulties that
reasoning cannot unravel. Try and see.

DIVIDING WITH GOD.

A merchant, in answer to inquiries, refers back to a period when, he
says, "In consecrating my life anew to God, aware of the ensnaring
influences of riches, and the necessity of deciding on a plan of charity
before wealth should bias my judgment, I adopted the following system:

"I decided to balance my accounts as nearly as I could, every month; and
reserving such a portion of profits as might appear adequate to cover
probable losses, to lay aside, by entry on a benevolent account,
one-tenth of the remaining profits, great or small, as a fund for
benevolent expenditure, supporting myself and family on the remaining
nine-tenths. I further determined, that when at any time my net profits,
that is, profits from which clerk-hire and store expenses had been
deducted, should exceed $500 in a month, I would give twelve and a half
per cent.; if over $700, fifteen per cent.; if over $900, seventeen and
a half per cent.; if over $1,100, twenty per cent.; if over $1,300,
twenty-two and a half per cent.; thus increasing the proportion of the
whole as God should prosper, until at $1,500, I should give twenty-five
per cent., or $375 a month. As capital was of the utmost importance to
my success in business, I decided not to increase the foregoing scale
until I had acquired a certain capital, after which I would give
one-quarter of all net profits, great or small; and on the acquisition
of another certain amount of capital, I decided to give half; and on
acquiring what I determined would be a full sufficiency of capital, then
to give the whole of my net profits.

"It is now several years since I adopted this plan, and under it I have
acquired a handsome capital, and have been prospered beyond my most
sanguine expectations. Although constantly giving, I have never yet
touched the bottom of my fund, and have been repeatedly astonished to
find what large drafts it would bear. True, during some months I have
encountered a salutary trial of faith, when this rule has led me to lay
by the tenth, while the remainder proved inadequate to my support; but
the tide has soon turned, and with gratitude I have recognized a
heavenly hand more than making good all past deficiencies."

PROSPERITY AND LIBERALITY.

A London correspondent of the _Western Christian Advocate_, writing some
years ago of raising a fund for the extinction of debts on chapels,
gives the following incident:

"A gentleman named Wilkes, who was promised a subscription of one
thousand guineas to this fund, has a history so remarkable as to be
worth relating across the Atlantic. Seven years ago he was a journeyman
mechanic. Having invented and patented some kind of a crank or spindle
used in the cotton manufacture, and needing capital to start himself in
the business of making them, he made it a matter of earnest prayer that
he might be directed to some one able and willing to assist him. In a
singular and unexpected manner he fell in with an elderly Quaker, a
perfect stranger, who accosted him with the strange inquiry: 'Friend, I
should like to know if a little money would be of any service to thee.'
Having satisfied himself as to Wilkes' genius and honesty, the Quaker at
once advanced him the required amount. The praying mechanic started in
business on his own account, and everything he has touched of late
appeared to prosper.

"Hearing of a field in Ireland offered for sale, in which was a deserted
mine, he went over to see it; bought the field for a small sum,
recommenced working the mine, and it now turns out to yield abundance of
excellent copper. For the year 1852, he promised to give the Missionary
Society a _guinea a day_; but such abundance has poured in upon him
during the year, that he felt that to be below his duty, and has,
therefore, enlarged his subscription for the present year seven-fold. He
is actually giving to that noble cause seven guineas daily, or upwards
of $10,500 a year, during this year, 1853; in addition to which he has
just given one thousand guineas to the fund above referred to." "It is
pleasing to add," says the writer, "that this remarkable man retains the
utmost simplicity."

Would that liberality and prosperity might ever go hand in hand. Often,
as wealth increases liberality is starved out, and the rich give far
less than the poor in proportion to their means and ability.

THE DEACON'S SINGING SCHOOL.

"I am going out to see if I can start a singing school," said a good
man, as he stood buttoning up his overcoat, and muffling up his ears,
one bitterly cold Winter night.

"A singing school," said his wife, "how will you do that?"

"I have heard of a widow around the corner a block or two who is in
suffering circumstances. She has five little children, and two of them
down sick, and has neither fire nor food. So Bennie Hope, the office boy
tells me. I thought I would just step around and look into the case."

"Go, by all means," said his wife, "and lose no time. If they are in
such need we can give some relief. But I cannot see what all this has to
do with starting a singing school. But never mind, you need not stop to
tell me now; go quickly and do all you can for the poor woman."

So out into the piercing cold of the wintry night went the husband,
while the wife turned to the fireside and her sleeping babes, who, in
their warm cribs, with the glow of health upon their cheeks, showed that
they knew nothing of cold or pinching want. With a thankful spirit she
thought of her blessings, as she sat down to her little pile of mending.
Very busily and quietly she worked, puzzling all the time over what her
husband could have meant by starting a singing school. A singing school
and the widow--how queer! What possible connection could they have?

At last she grew tired of the puzzling thought, and said to herself, "I
won't bother myself thinking about it any more. He will tell me all
about it when he comes home. I only hope we may be able to help the poor
widow and make her 'poor heart sing for joy.' There," she exclaimed,
"can that be what he meant? The widow's heart singing for joy! Wouldn't
that be a singing school? It must be; it is just like John. How funny
that I should find it out!" and she laughed merrily at her lucky guess.
Taking up her work again, she stitched away with a happy smile on her
face, as she thought over again her husband's words, and followed him in
imagination in his kind ministrations. By-and-by two shining tears
dropped down, tears of pure joy, drawn from the deep wells of her love
for her husband, of whom she thought she never felt so fond before. At
the first sound of footsteps she sprang to open the door.

"Oh, John! did you start the singing school?"

"I reckon I did," said the husband, as soon as he could loose his
wrappings; "but I want you to hunt up some flannels and things to help
to keep it up."

"Oh, yes! I will; I know now what you mean. I have thought it all out.
Making the widow's 'heart sing for joy' is your singing school. (Job.
xxix:13.) What a precious work, John! 'Pure religion and undefiled is to
visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.' My own heart has
been singing for joy all the evening because of your work, and I do not
mean to let you do it alone. I want to draw out some of this wonderful
music."

IT PAYS TO GIVE TO THE LORD.

"A clergyman states, that soon after he dedicated himself to the service
of Christ, he resolved, as Jacob did, 'Of all that thou shalt give me, I
will surely give a tenth unto thee.' Of the first $500 he earned, he
gave $130, and in such a way that it incited a wealthy friend to give
several hundreds more, including a donation of $100 to this clergyman
himself. For four years, the clergyman says, 'My expenses were small, my
habits economical, and the only _luxury_ in which I indulged was the
luxury of giving. In the two first of these years I was permitted to
give $500.' 'On a review of my ministry of about sixteen years,' he
adds, 'I find God has graciously permitted me to give to the cause of my
Redeemer nearly $1,200, by which amount about forty life memberships
have been created in various evangelical societies. During all these
years God has prospered me; has given me almost uninterrupted health;
has surrounded me with sweet domestic ties; and my congregation, by
means in part perhaps of a steady example, have given _more in these
sixteen years_ than in all their long previous history."

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