From Bad Habits.
A victim of licentiousness and sensuousness, who often, amid his sinful
pleasures, had the memory of Christian parents before him, felt his was
indeed a life of shame. But the downward steps had destroyed his will,
his self-control, his manliness, his virtue. He had no power to resist,
all was wickedness, irresolution, constant yielding. In vain he hung
back, and tried to save himself from the cursed appetite; at last he
could not stand such a waste of life. "What a miserable life. What
wicked ways, what wicked thoughts; how I wish I was pure; O, that I
might get free; I do not love this sin any more, I don't want it, but I
can't stop it. O, I wish I could be a Christian, and wholly free."
Such were his constant thoughts. In mercy, the Lord who had been reading
his thoughts, sent him a great reverse in business, and in agony of
heart, he knew not where to turn but to the Lord, and pray for relief.
His prayer, too, asked to be emancipated from his wickedness, and his
strength and health restored. "_Lord, save me and I will_ be thine
forever. I am lost unless thou wilt come and save."
By gradual degrees, in the absorption of his thoughts over other
distresses, his mind was diverted from his usual ways and thoughts of
sinful living; gradually the habits of lust grew less and less strong,
and finally ceased altogether. But the body still remained under
excessive weakness. But faith that the Lord who had saved others, could
save him too, led him to pray, not only for the destruction of the
habit, but entire recovery from its evil effects. His perseverance was
persistent, and met with a _triumphant reward_. After a long; time, he
felt himself wholly healed. New strength, new life, came back to him.
"It seems as if my life had been put back again ten years, and I was
young again." "I never have any more wicked thoughts or imaginations,
while I was once full of them. Since I learned to seek the Lord and love
his Bible, I have never had such peace, or purity. I love the name and
tender mercies of my God." If in a few months, prayer saved that man's
life, and so wholly changed it from a foul blot to a thing of purity,
what can it not do again. _No sin can ever be conquered until in
humility either saint or sinner_ gets down upon his knees, and implores
the love and power of the Lord in _never ceasing prayer_, to wholly
emancipate him from the control of the evil habit. _The Lord will surely
hear it_. He can as truly deliver the body from the most persistent and
enchaining habit, as he can wholly convert the mind and heart. The
result is not always instantaneous; more often gradual, but _always
sure_ if the sufferer _always prays_.
It is simple enough for the sinning one to believe that the _Lord can_,
and seeking the Bible _for the Lord's own promise that he, will; to
cling to it and never surrender_.
The sin may be repeated when you can not resist it, and do not desire
for it, but take all pains to avoid; still pray though you often fail;
still try, still trust the Lord to loose your chains and remove your
desire, and deliverance is sure to come at last.
More
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Better Than We Expected.
"We asked your prayers; they have been answered. They were answered more and better than we had hoped or dreamed they could be." ... Bishop Simpson's Recovery.
Bishop Bowman gives the following instance from his own experience: "In the Fall of 1858, whilst visiting Indiana, I was at an annual conference where Bishop Janes presided. We received a telegram that Bishop Simpson was dying. Said Bishop Janes... Blessings Amid Calamities.
"The roof of one of our houses having caught fire from a spark from a neighbor's chimney, it was mostly destroyed; some of the furniture, and the whole home badly damaged by water. All hearts thanked the Lord the circumstances were no worse. In th... Bread To The Hungry.
"God was pleased to deprive me totally of my hearing in early boyhood. By the late war I lost all of my earthly possessions. I have a wife and family totally dependent on me for a support. A man employed to attend to my little manufacturing busine... Buying A Cow.
"Our father going away abroad, he sold one of our two cows, and took the proceeds with him. (He, the father, was a reckless spendthrift, idle, and fond of the public inn.) A rich neighbor directly offered to loan us money enough to buy another; th... Cast Out Into The Street, Yet Not Forsaken.
A piteous wail was heard on the street one day, and a poor Scotchman crossed over to see the trouble. A widow and three children sat on their few articles of household furniture. Put in the street, when they could no longer find five dollars for t... Casting All Your Care On Him.
"Once, soon after the death of my husband and the loss of all his large property, I had a bill of _fifty dollars_ to pay, and was notified two weeks beforehand that not a day's grace would be given. Besides what I was earning by my pen, I had due ... Chains Broken At Last.
"Long months, week by week, I have asked you to pray that my husband might be saved from the eternal doom of a drunkard. God has mercifully given him strength to break the fetters that bound him fast." ... Changing The Course One Point.
Walking across Palace Square in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with an American ship-master, (says a correspondent of the _Watchman_) he invited me to accompany him to his hotel. While there he showed me a very large gold medal he had received from the B... Church Troubles Quelled.
"I might mention a dozen instances in which church troubles were gathering, and trials between members appeared certain, when all my tactics failed, and the wisdom of brethren was of no avail; my last resort was to ask God to send help and deliver... Commendable Examples.
The Methodist Missionary Society mention one of their donors who, for twenty years, has used the power given him of getting wealth, for his Lord, in which time he has been enabled to appropriate to benevolent purposes _more than thirty thousand do... Compound Interest.
_The Christian_ tells of a minister in Ohio, who in 1860 was engaged to statedly supply a congregation who were in arrears for a whole year's salary to their former pastor, and were only able to promise their 'supply' five dollars a Sunday till th... Concurrent Testimony Of The Value Of Prayer.
A request was published by the _Illustrated Christian Weekly,_ asking that all who could report positive facts as direct results of prayer, and thus, tend to show that _"God does answer prayer,"_ should communicate them. Very many were communicate... Consumption Instantly Healed.
"At a meeting in the Chapel of the Consumptive's Home, held March 7, 1876, public prayer was offered for a young man in Florida, who was apparently gone in consumption; an interested friend had previously written him that prayer would be offered f... Cured Of Cancer.
A lady came to the Consumptive's Home with a cancer in the cheek, which had attained the size of a filbert. It had a very red and angry appearance. After prayer for her healing she went into the country, when some one remarked, 'E. thinks that fai... Cured Of Catarrh.
"I have been afflicted with catarrh for over twenty years. I had consulted many physicians and used many remedies--all failed to help me. In the Spring of 1874, I grew so much worse that life became a burden; I suffered from dizziness and great pr... Cured Of Epilepsy.
"I wrote you to aid me by your prayers, that my afflicted son, who was troubled with epilepsy, might be cured. Thanks be to the Heavenly Father, he is better." ... Cured Of Neuralgia.
A lady of East Cambridge writes, "For nineteen years I have been afflicted with neuralgia; added to this, of late years a combination of diseases has rendered life an intolerable burden, and baffled the skill of every physician to whom I have appl... Cured Of Severe Fits.
"Once again, one of my brothers had a fit brought on through fright. It was a most violent and painful attack, and we were greatly alarmed. This time, also, our father was out; and our mother said to us, I know this fearful illness, my children; i... Cured Of Spine Disease.
Dr. Cullis thus speaks of a signal answer to his prayer. "While at the home of L.R. in England, I was asked to pray with his daughter, who had spinal curvature. Subsequently L.R. writes, 'We. are full of thankfulness and praise about E. She is qui... Cured Of St. Vitas' Dance.
"Very early in childhood, I was seized with a nervous trouble, something like St. Vitus' Dance. As I grew older it did not pass off, but settled into a disease of the muscles. It became a terrible affliction. It was usually under my control, but I... Cured Of The Small-pox.
"Even when I had the small-pox, and became blind, no doctor was sent for, and no one was told of it. Our father was not at home (he, father, most unfortunately, was not a religious person); and when our mother asked him to come, telling him how il... Cured Of Tobacco Appetite.
"A little more than a year has elapsed since I left off the use of tobacco. This further time has more fully developed the thoroughness of the case spoken of and the completeness of the victory over an evil habit. I am filled with wonder, for I ex... Deliverance Of Daniel Loest.
John Daniel Loest, a celebrated German tradesman of Berlin, Germany, was, by the aid of the Lord, so prospered in his worldly circumstances, that by steady industry, he raised himself to rank with the most respectable tradesmen of Berlin, where he... 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,... Dr. Newman Hall's Testimonies To The Value Of Prayer.
Dr. Newman Hall, of London, in his wide experience has met with many incidents of answered prayer, and thus relates several: ... Drunkards Reformed.
"Return thanks to God for two men signing the pledge, about one month ago, who have been enabled to keep it through great temptation. _They were drunkards for over twenty years_. Their reformation was in answer to a praying mother's prayers, and t... Employment Found.
A man and wife were out of employment, and in very great trouble. Mr. H. (missionary) had added his efforts to theirs, and sedulously sought among the families he knew, for positions for them. After two weeks' fruitless endeavor, he said to the ma... Evil Averted.
A correspondent of the _Guide to Holiness_ says: "We remember a poor woman who had had a life of sore vicissitude which she bore with remarkable Christian cheerfulness; and after a time of the suspension of trial, a bad prospect came in sight. She... Exactly Eighty Dollars.--"they Are Safe That Trust In Thee."
A clergyman somewhat advanced in years recently related to a correspondent of _The Messenger_ an incident in his own life, which well illustrates the provident care of our heavenly Father over his children. "His first church was at V----, and, t... Experience Of A Saddler.
Normand Smith, a saddler of Hartford, Conn., after practicing for years an elevated system of benevolence, bequeathed in charity the sum of ... Extraordinary Care Of The Lord In Answer To Prayer.
"The scenes of the riots in New York, at the time of our civil war, are of national celebrity; but few, however, know that one of the most atrocious acts of cruelty attempted to be perpetrated by the malefactors, and which utterly failed of its pu... Faith Cured Her.
This incident was related by the lady herself in a public meeting in Boston, where it was heard by the sorrowing wife of an afflicted husband, whose statement is as follows: "I was first confined to my house with a violent cold. I lost my voice ... Faith In God's Liberality.
A clergyman, himself an exponent of God's bountiful dealings with men, was called upon in test of his own principles of giving to the Lord. Preaching, in the morning, a sermon on Foreign Missions, an unusually large contribution was taken up. In... Feneberg's Loan To The Lord.
"A poor man with an empty purse came one day to Michael Feneberg, the godly pastor of Seeg, in Bavaria, and begged three crowns, that he might finish his journey. It was all the money Feneberg had, but as he besought him so earnestly in the name o... Found Employment.
"God has answered our united prayers, and given employment to his child." ... From Bad Habits.
A victim of licentiousness and sensuousness, who often, amid his sinful pleasures, had the memory of Christian parents before him, felt his was indeed a life of shame. But the downward steps had destroyed his will, his self-control, his manliness,... From Wealth, To Poverty.
A lady of superior culture and refinement, fell from opulence to extreme poverty, within four years. No less ready when at the bottom of fortune's ladder, than at the top, to do good as she had opportunity, she paid another poor woman's way to a n... Give And It Shall Be Given.
"'Cheerful giving,' writes an aged minister, 'is what enriches the giver and brings down a blessing from above. A poor clergyman attended one of Zion's festivals in a distant city. The railroad company supplied him with a return ticket, and though... 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 fr... Given Up By Man, But Rescued By The Great Physician.
"The writer was himself raised up by prayer, from the gates of death, offered by the heart and lips of one who is now a sufferer. _Two of the most skillful physicians in the land had given me up_." ... Given Up.
"Our pastor, after four months' sickness, preached to us last evening the most solemn sermon I ever heard, and says he was raised up in answer to prayer. The physicians gave him up several times, and say they have never known such an instance of r... Giving Blessed.
A merchant of St. Petersburg, at his own cost, supported several native missionaries in India, and gave liberally to the cause of Christ at home. On being asked how he could afford to do it, he replied: "Before my conversion, when I served the w... Giving Her Last Dollar To The Lord.
A poor woman, sitting in a little church, heard the minister make an urgent appeal for money enough to pay a debt of two hundred dollars, contracted by the church the previous Winter. She had one dollar in her pocket; half drew it out; thought of ... Giving Her Last Money To The Lord.
"'The first money the Lord gives me I will send to you,' were the last words I said to my old father, as I stood waiting for the train to bear me to distant friends. So the weeks passed on, but I remembered my promise and waited patiently for the ... Go To The Post-office.
A correspondent of "_The Guiding Hand_" relates this incident: "In the year 18--, having a brother living in the city of R., I went to see him. Going to the store where he had been at work, I found that the firm had suspended, and that he was th... God Always Answers Believing Prayer.
"Your prayers asked on several occasions have all been graciously answered. Return thanks unto the Lord that sendeth mercy." ... God Cared For Me.
At a meeting a young man in broken English, said: "If any man ought to believe in prayer, I ought to. My friends turned me out of my home, because I was seeking for Christ. I was too much Christian my landlady said. I told her I wished I was all C... God Careth For You.
"Nearly forty years ago I was given up by the doctors for a dying man from consumption. I had a wife and five children dependent on me, and for many months was unable to provide for them by my own labors. All our earthly resources were gone, and o... God Keeps Hold Of The Other Hand.
A little boy with his mother was returning from a visit; the night was very dark, and little could be seen ahead. She led her little boy, by the hand, who trustingly walked by her side. He had only just begun to learn and remember the stories of t... God Knows The Bottom Of The Barrel.
"Mother, I think God always hears when we scrape the bottom of the barrel," said a little boy to his mother one day. His mother was poor. They often used up their last stick of wood and their last bit of bread before they could tell where the next... God Never Failed Her.
An aged colored woman, lived that life of faith which shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. Born a slave, on Long Island, she was never taught to read, never enjoyed any social privileges; but the God of the widow of Sarepta, who had ... 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... God Saved A Family Mercifully.
One morning a Christian farmer, in Rhode Island, put two bushels of rye in his wagon and started to the mill to get it ground. On his way to the mill he had to drive over a bridge that had no railings to the sides of it. When he reached the middle... God Sent Supplies.
"When I had been three weeks out of employment, I found a new place, and after pawning all my best clothes to pay expenses, when the cart set us down at the new home on Monday morning, I had the total sum of _ten pence half-penny left,_ to provide... God Sent The Bag Of Flour.
In about the year 1830, in Central New York, there was a time of great scarcity of provisions. Grain was very high, and difficult to be obtained at any price; and, of course, families of limited means were very much straitened. In one family, the ... God Takes Away The Snow.
"In the Winter the Lord sent a very deep snow, which lay a considerable time on the ground. We were brought into great straits, as our wheat was now of no use to us, and we could obtain no wood, the landlady saying that as the snow was likely to l... 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 onl... God With Us.
An old woman was taking home' some sewing the night before, and passing through a narrow and dark street, was knocked down by a runaway horse. Taken up senseless and unknown, she was carried into the house of a kind family who sent for a physician... God's Care For Little Children In Little Wants.
"I was early taught that God cares for His children, even to regard their _little_ daily wants. An illustration of my implicit confidence, which I do not remember ever to have been betrayed, occurred when I was about ten years of age. I was accust... God's Care Over His People--the Praying Widow
A young widow with two children was living in the city of Berlin. She was a Christian woman, and trusted in Jehovah-Jireh to take care of her. One evening she had to be away for a while. During her absence a man entered her house for the purpose o... Hating The Accursed Drink.
A brother rose in the meeting and said, "I believe it is God's will that I should tell you how He saved me, about two years since. I came into the meeting when it was held in the old church, and was at the time under the influence of liquor. The m... He Did Not Keep His Promise, But God Did.
A remarkable instance of how God keeps his promises and is faithful, and how man often forgets to keep his, and at last receives deserved punishment for his thanklessness to God, was recently related in the Fulton Street prayer-meeting. A very ... He Forgetteth Not The Cry Of The Humble.
A City home missionary has told us of the case of a poor colored family, the husband nearly one hundred years old, totally incapacitated for work, and confined to his room by sickness nearly twelve years. Although very often in straitened circum... He Gave All The Money He Had.
At one time he attended a missionary meeting near Harrowgate. "We had a blessed meeting," said Samuel, "I was very happy and gave all the money I had in my pocket." After the meeting was concluded, he mounted his horse to return home. No one had o... He Gave His Last $5 To The Lord.
A missionary agent thus relates this incident in the life of a poor physician: "I preached a missionary sermon in the town of -----, and a physician subscribed and paid five dollars. A gentleman standing by told me that the five dollars was all... He Healeth The Sick.
"The wife of Deacon W. was sinking rapidly with pneumonia. Friends gave up all hope of her recovery, and even the hopeful physician felt that he was hoping against hope. In his despair the husband bore the case directly to God; he sought the praye... He Shall Direct Thy Paths
"I am a teacher by profession, and, a few years ago, I found myself placed in a school whose every surrounding was utterly repugnant to my tastes, and to all my ideas of right and wrong and what good teaching should be. At first, I kept hoping that ... Healing Of Soul And Body.
"I have reason to rejoice that I have been greatly blessed in answer to your prayers. Two young lady friends of mine have been enabled to claim the blessed promise of full salvation, not only to the healing of the soul, _but the body also_. My ... Healing.
"For over three years, I was troubled with frequent raising of blood from my right lung, which physicians failed to cure. Of this I prayed to be relieved; after which, the soreness healed, and for several years it has ceased to trouble me." ... Hearts Made Glad.
"We return most hearty thanks for the answer to prayer given. I wrote more than a year ago last August of our low state. Last Winter twenty young persons were converted, and continue to work faithfully." ... Help At The Very Last Moment. Faith Rewarded.
A clergyman in the State of New York, through the influence of a disaffected member, was unfairly and precipitately deprived of his pulpit, which involved a large family in necessity. At supper the good man had the pain of beholding the last morse...