THE GARLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3555, 2 May 1922, Page 55

THE GARLAND.

FOR THE QUIET HOUR. No. 453. By Duncan Weight, DunediuHOME MISSIONARY HYMN, By "A Lady of Virginia.” A prize of £2O was -awarded by the committee' appointed by the editor of the Rocky Mountain Presbyterian -to the writer of this hymn, who, however, required as a condition of accepting th-e- award, that her name should not be given to t-lre public, but that the hymn, if published,tjehould be announced as by a “Lady of Virginia.” Saints of God! the dawn is brightening, Token of our coming Lord; O’er the earth the field is whitening; Louder rings the Master’s word, —■ “Pray for reapers In the harvest of the Lord.” Feebly now they toil in sadiness, Weeping o’er the waste around, Slowly -gathering grains of gladness, While the-ir echoing cries resound, — “Pray that reapers In God’3 harvest may abound.” Now, O Lord! fulfil thy pleasure, Breathe upon thy chosen band, And, with penteccstal measure, Send forth reapers o’er our land.— Faithful reapers Gathering sheaves for Thy right hand. Ocean c-alleth unto ocean, Spirits speed from shore to shore, Heralding the world’s commotion; Hear the conflict at our door, —- Mighty conflict, — Satan’s death-cry on our shore! Bread the shadow of our nation, Eager millions hither roam; Lo! they wait for thy salvation; Come, Lord Jesqs, quickly cornel By Thy Spirit, Bring Thy ransomed people home. Soon shall end the time of weeping, Soonp the reaping time will come, Heaven and earth together keeping God’s eternal Harvest Home: Saints and Angels! Shout the world’s great Harvest Home. THE MINISTRY OF HEALING. The following is an extract from an article in The International Review of Missions entitled “Divine Healing, a Record of Missionary Study and Experience,’’ by the Right Rev. Herbert Pakenham Walsh, D.D., Bishop in Assam. The article gives the result of ten years’ study and experience : “.\ot possessing so far as I know any physic power or charisma of healing, I have ventured to exercise a ministry of healing as an ordained minister and where possible in conjunction with other presbyters. I have striven to prepare the sick persons, so that they may come to the llealer of soul and of body for all their needs, in penitence and in faith. Then at an appointed time 1 have held a. service of anointing either in Hie church or in the sick person’s house, gathering for

intercession the friends of the patient and otaers who know tne power of prayer. “I have accepted ail cases where faith ana penitence were present, so far as 1 could juage, not stmuKiug irom tne most terrible or incurable of organic diseases, with the soie exception of cates where recovery would to my mind involve a creative and not merely a curative act —as, tor instance, wnere a lnnb or an organ had been destroyed. “1 have found in almost every case spiritual blessing, generally very marked, a new life, a new devotion to Christ, a new realisation of spiritual things. 1 have constantly found healing, and that, so far as 1 Know, in cases of organic and hopeless disease as well as of functional disease ; it has sometimes been instantaneous, often rapid, more often gradual. “I have left the patient entirely free as to the use or otherwise of medical means, and several times after anointing healing has come as the result of a new diagnosis or treatment. Doctors have welcomed my ministry, and in one case the doctor has knelt beeiae me as I prayed. It has generally been very serious or very chronic cases that have come to me, and the instances of complete healing have averaged roughly one in three. “The ministry does not exhaust me, but gives me joy, and the service is always a great uplift to the patient and his friends.” THE OLD CHURCH REVISITED. [ln strong protest against the admission of young children to cinema shows, and in deep sorrow for the Glasgow' churches that have been submitted to degradation.] Sir,' — There, in that pew, I sat when I was ten. I ’speet I slept the sermon through, but then Myemother’s furs were soft, and smelt so cool. And it was quiet, and all the church was full. Years passed. Here—blissful day—l found my bride Here, in the light, a radiance at my side. A font was there where angels used to peep, And Christ himself was there to hold and keep. Now, on this wall, infernal crimes are seen In moving .pictures. Fest’ring souls unclean, And leering, passion-haunted faces grin To hurl to the dark their code of sin. On sunny afternoons, instead of play, The children hurry here to spend the day. And thus one generation passes on Its best and worthiest lessons to its son! —Allan Ogilvie. “When I look over my congregation on a Sunday morning,” savs a minister, “I ask myself, W T here are' the poor? But when I see • the offertory counted in the vestry I say. Where are the rich?” The weary ones had rest, the sad had joy. That day, and wondered “How.” A ploughman, singing at his work, had prayed, “Lord, help them now.” Away in foreign lands they wondered how Their simple word had power. At home the Christians, two or three, had met To pray an hour. Yes, we are always wondering, wond’ring “how,” Because we do not see Some one, unknown perhaps, and far away, On bended knee. An American editor received a letter from a minister telling him that hie church was in financial strains, the congregations were small, the interest in home and foreign missionary work was very feeble the prayer-meetings had practically ceased on account of non-attendance, and altogether things were in a bad way. They had tried popular concerts, literary and dramatic societies, whist drives, bazaars young people's socials, and weekly Cinder’ cila dances. “Would he be so kind as to help us by suggesting some new method of arousing enthusiasm and drawing the people together?” The editor replied on a post card : “Why not try religion?”

HINTS FOR THE PRAYER-MEETING. “Lord, teach us how to prav,” was the petition of the disciples, and the Lord gave . them a model, which shows the propriety of having method in our prayers. 1. If you propose to prav or speak in the meeting, where it is' left to the brethren, you need not wait for others because you are younger, or esteem yourself less qualified. It will not be’ considered any want of modesty in you if you should be first. This is one of the occasions when the least mav be first and the older and moro experienced mav properly wait. . 2. Let your prayer be short, especially if there he a number to take a 3. And definite. You do not come to pray for everything at this time. “If two of you agree as touching anything, it shall be done.” Observe the singleness of that praver of the disciple : “Thou, Lord which knowest the hearts of all men show whether of these two thou hast chosen.” The subject may he appointed for the occasion, as at a montblv concert : or semp obiect mav be suggested ; or the portion of Scripture read may lead the mind to some point. 4. Worship has its natural order. Tf you prav first, von will naturallv s eelt the promised presence of the Lord Jesus; and the closing praver is somewhat summary. Both of these mav he short. Do lot indulge in much repetition. 5 Tt is not necessary that either of the prayers should be brought to a close with inv eons'derahle formula, referring to the finishing of our work on earth the close of life, the end of the world and the eternal future. 6. Do not prav for yourselves principally. The Spirit of grace and supplication is poured out on those who pray for others. T t me- he that the prevalence of prayer

at certain large meetings is due to their pr&ying there definitely for others, rather than for themselves. 7. You may direct your prayers often to the Lord Jesus. His sympathy will warm your heart. And he said of the Comforter : “I will send Him unto you.” 8. net the voice be natural except that the tone of it will be modified by solemn and tender emotion. 9. Remember that the great qualification for the services of the prayer-meeting is the gift of the Holy Spirit, which you will do well to seek before you go to the meeting. Face to face we met, The Christ and I, With tears His cheeks were wet, Bitter His cry. “Oh, why these tears,” I cried—- “ This agony?” “These tears,” the Lord replied, “Are all for thee; “For thee these wounds, this blood” I saw His side—- “ These hands”—the crimson flood His garments dyed. For me? O Love Divine! I clutched his feet; He put His hands in mine: O love complete! Face to face we talked, p— My Lord and I; Side by side .we -walked, — His tears were dry. THE SECRET OF CONTENT. Self-seeking rather than Christ-seeking is the source of misery and discomfort. It is the man who throws self out entirely and makes the way and will of Christ his law who knows the secret of peace. “If we wished to gain contentment,” said Dr l’usey, “we might try such rules as these : “1. Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even of the weather. “2. Never picture thyself to thyself under any circumstances in which thou art not. “3. Never compare thine own lot with that of another. “4. Never allow thyself to dwell on the wish that this or that had been or were otherwise than it was or is. God almighty loves thee better and more wisely than thou dost thveelf. “5. Never dwell on the morrow. Remember that it is God’s, not thine. The heaviest part of sorrow often is to look forward to it. ‘The Lord will provide.’ ’’