venu £513 Conf Pam 12mo #513 ' >No. 65. WE PRAY FOR YOU AT HOME. BY REV. JOHN A. BRQADUS, D, I"'.. OF S. C. Wlicii we meet for worship in the Church whdrc you et with u we mites you tliere at the place in which you loved to sit, and which for all try months has I :anl Ah! manj a mail- ing to our number, and many a deep, full tone to the bai mony of th< | we < i ii-.-<> r. But we who remain fith all of true affection, blended with : ness of solemu worship, pray then for you. Ami as the heart-felt petitions are uttered, tears are in every imi subdued sobs are heard here, and there, wliile ►ur .forth oiir tils in supplication for our country and fi happy and hopeful, we feel encouraged to pray ; when depressed and auxioug, all the more are We Un 1a compelled, to pray. Sometimes we remember, ■'• wliile we worship, with the Sah,- bath-day stillness all around, you may be in the terriSap shock of batttle, amid all its wild commotion and its 2 dreadful danger. Stirred by such a thought, we do not fall down and tremble j but, thanking God anew that he permits us to pray, we lift our beseeching, ■ agonizing cry- to Him in your behalf. When we gather our now broken circle for family pray- er. Then all things remind us of the absent, and every heart in the little group, younger and older, bond and free, throbs when our petitions are for you. It is a topic of prayer that does not grow old, but, like the mercies of (rod, it is new every morning and fresh every evening. Recall the memories of that scene ; remember us not as we were in days of prosperity, when the heart grew slug- gish and the prayer was tame, but as in a season when some one was very ill, and we cried to God that he would not take the loved one away— -and you may partly under- stand with what earnestness of soul we pray for you. When alone with our beating hearts and our God, in secret devotion. Like the dew-drops that have gathered all night, and in the morning exhale, so the thoughts of affection and anxiety that have been gathering for hours about our hearts turn now to prayer, and mount up as in- cense before the Lord. And this is no general supplica- tion, such as others may share in, but the yearning spirit pleads for one alone — for one whose dear image rises in i\ moment to view, whose voice, associated with the fondest recollections of other days, can almost be heard now in the stillness of the closet, whose present condition and wants are from the latest tidings anxiously inferred and conjec- tured — with all the particularity of personal affection, one prays for one ; and that kind Father on high, who formed them for mutual love, is beholding both at the same mo- ment, and often, no doubt, though they are widely sever- ed, at the same moment turns the rising prayer of the one 8 into showers of blessing upon tfie, .other-. Who can tell liu\vm;iii\ sue and wide over our land, the angels look down upon from heaven, the loving Saviour sees, who on earth was wont to wrestle intensely in solita- ry prayer, and whose mild eye rests now in human sympa- thy and in Divine mercy upon every praying disciple. And not merely at set time.-, byt often, by day or by night, our Extent ejaculations ate heard by Him, who amid the wide tumuli of earth's voire- of business and suffering, of folly and Crime, misses no word of prayer, no sigh of supplication. < tften, amid the fatigm - of out-door work or the bustle ol domestic duties, our thoughts fly away to you and then fly up to Heaven. Often, when we awake ;tt night, it is to you our spirits turn; and tears on tin.' pillow could sometimes we pray for you. We pray for the ca just and glorious cause in which you so nobly straggle— thai it may please God to make you triumphant, that we may have independence and peace. We do no1 delude ourselves with the idea that a righteous <■ inly prevail ; in some instances, for wise reasons; ■ • ra those who are iw the tigh( to be overwhelmed. Bui Wc believe thai it is never in vain humbly and earnestly to cry to the merciful Uuler of all, who will grant just what we ask, or something which he sees to be better, Ami trying to realize that there is pow- er in prayer, and seeking trulyto humble ourselves before lain, we pray God to grant in dfiving our ene- mies hack, till the lasl Po.otstep of iiwasion shall have passed from our borders, and oui.now darkened and suffering land shall be radianl with the sunshine of peace and prosperity. We canWl -' trials and perils in the camp and the battle, but I'm- yon; iur cause, for vmiv '•L'iintry and ours God he thanked that we can rj 4 We pray for your precious life — that if it be our Fath- er's will, you may be spared to come back to your home and to us. We know that the Ytivy hairs of your head are numbered, and that nothing, however serious or how- ever slight, can feefai'l you without his knowledge and his permission ; and we delight to edinmcrid you to his powerful protection, his tender care. In the hour of hardship and Sanger; in the season of- weakness pain, we, alas! are Par away; but we pray Chat Sic, who is ever near, will shield you, and strengthen and soothe. From all the missiles oP the foe*, and Prom the stealthy approaches of disease, may }ia raerdifully deliver you; and 0! may he soon bring you back, with the glow of health on your sun-burnt ebeck, the grace of the soldier in your step, and the joy of victory in your heart, to b:e the light of our eyes at home. " Thou Being, all seeing, O bear - dot fervent prayer; Bull ta.ke him, and make him Thy most peculiar care. 77 We pray for your soul. Ah! what shall it comfort u Sj and what shall it profit you, if yon gain the noblest earthly triumphs, the most abiding earthly fame, yea ever; that earth can give, and lose your soul ! If we continually beseech the Lord that vour mortal life may be preserved and made happy, with what absorbing, agonizing earnest- ness must we pray for your immortal soul, that it may be delivered from the eternal degradation and wietchedncss which are the wages of sin. and be brought to know the sweetness of God's service here, the rapture of his presence hereafter. We know it must lie hard tor you, amid the 5 distractions of •amp-life, the alternate excitement and ennui, the absence of home-influences and of the associa- tions of the sanctuary, to fix mind and hear! oh things above. We donol doubt thenubleness oJ your tinpuL* the sincerity of jour frequent resolutions to do right, nor would we exaggerate the tei life. i! ;.• no reproach on ion of Buperi >rity on our part, to utter the mournful truth spiritually man is always and i .. rywln ■■ woakj thai you tin rt outnumbering and overpowerin We pray that you may -be inclined and eommit your sou] to the Divine Saviour, who died to re- deem ns, and ever lives to intercede for us. and who with yearniwglove it ing, "tJome tin •• me.' V. that the Holy Spirit may thoroughly change your heart, bringing yon truly to hate sin, and love ho graciously strengthen you to withstand temptation, and give \ou more and more the mastery over yourself, and the victory over every enemy of your eoul. Whether il. be appointed you to fall soon in battle, or years hence to die at home, may God in mercy forbid <■'■ should live in ifnpeftltence, ana die in your sins. Whether w to sit with you again around our own lire side, aud - l take Bweet eounsel together aa to^hehouae of God in company," or are to meet you no more on earth, may God in mercy save us fi =n ! [f accustomed to prny youn von p;ay for us. Blessed privilege! siystical channel of com munion between those who arc parted; for not only may our loving thoughts fly to greet each other, (i Like rays of stare that meet in space, And mingle in a bright embrace, " — I I : L C i 3 I 6 but when you pray for us. and we for you, the far distance melts away, and^we are kneeling .side by side before the mercy-seat of God.. And if you have been neglecting this sublimcst privilege of earthly life, will you not now begin to pray, for your- self and for us? Unworthy, do you say, tempted and erring, engrossed with cares, ensnared by sinful pleasures? Flee, nee to him who came to •' save his people from their sins." He has offered himself an atoning sacrifice, and " his blood eleanseth from all sin." He stands ever ready to plead for them " that come unto God through him." Apart from him, there is no hope for you or for any one; but asking in his name, you shall not ask in vain. Three times over he has said it, and again three times, that trembling hearts may have no room for fear, he has re- peated the assurance, ( ' Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you : for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seekcth findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall b# open- ed." Encouraged by the Saviour's precious Words, and relying simply on the Saviour's merits, bow just as you are before the Lord, begin at once to pray. •And however sorely tempted to give over, -from this time "cry day and night unto him : "