WHO does not know the use of autumn leaves, and yet how often are they treated as of no value! They are gathered by the children to make bonfires. They are burned in heaps to obtain their ashes. They are valuable for soil when decayed. In some places they are used as bedding for cattle.
In our lives there may be some autumn leaves of the past which might be made quite as useful, in spite of the scripture which says, “Forgetting those things which are behind” (Phil. 3:1313Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (Philippians 3:13)), which does not mean that God’s dealings with us, His chastening’s or His mercies, are ever to be forgotten. Oh no! for “thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee” (Deut. 8:22And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. (Deuteronomy 8:2)).
Circumstances brought to notice lately a few such withered leaves, which may yet yield some freshness for us—literally leaves they are, half and quarter sheets of notepaper fastened into the empty cover of an old book. They are the records of requests for prayer sent into a village prayer meeting long ago. Ah me! what histories they recall!
So much has been said and heard and written of late about prayer and the need of it, that an echo from the past may not be unfraught with blessing for us on such a subject.
As many of us are aware, the great Irish revival took place about 1859. Many crossed over from this country to share in the blessing—among them a gentleman long accustomed to the service of the Lord both in preaching to and visiting all classes. He was deeply moved by what he saw, and impressed, too, with the fact that it is not enough to preach or even pray: God would have us look for result and count on Him for it. He fraternized with the preachers, helped them in their work, and returned to his distant home in a country village overflowing with a sense of God’s pardoning grace to sinners.
His wife, his children, his servants were all aroused. Soon the contagion spread. Those now alive can remember copying out some of the Irish revival hymns in childish hands on sheets of notepaper—for the hymn-book had hardly been completed, or at all events was not in cheap form. Scraps of song, such as―
“Happy day, happy day,
When Jesus washed my sins away,”
or—
“Here o’er the earth as a stranger I roam,”
began to be heard even before the day when household and villagers were invited to listen to the account of the Irish revival at a meeting convened for the purpose, and to learn the hymns. That night there were evident tokens of blessing, and at the weekly preaching’s which succeeded this one, the tokens increased.
After this the mother gathered together farmers’ daughters and others every week to read aloud to them further accounts received from Ireland and elsewhere, and some were reached in this way who would not come on Sunday.
But the prayer meeting must not be forgotten. Preaching is good, but unless accompanied and preceded by prayer, is not likely to lead to great results. “So the Lord was entreated for the land” (2 Sam. 21:14, 24:25), we read.
The prayer meeting at Jerusalem to which Peter and John resorted (Acts 4:23-3323And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 32And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:23‑33)) was productive of enormous results; so was the tiny one of “two” in the prison at Philippi (Acts 16:25, 2625And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. (Acts 16:25‑26)), and so probably are many more in our own day, could we draw back the curtain of the future and see.
So a village prayer meeting was begun. At it were used the hymn sheets written by the children, and some can still recall the pleasure of joining in―
“I’m a pilgrim,”
but especially―
“There is rest for the weary,
There is rest for you,”
and others—time-worn, but blest to hundreds.
Those meetings were beautiful. Through the deep-set lanes we groped our way, regardless of mud, following generally on the heels of the lantern-bearer, and softly singing some favorite refrain. Little groups from different directions would converge and meet in the old-fashioned cottage with its flagged floor and rough backless benches. And then the prayers! Most who prayed are in heaven now.
The careful hand of one long since with Christ has preserved for us the identical scraps of paper on which the requests for prayer sent in by one and another were written.
Let us look at some of them. The first is dated 2nd November 1860, and the last 11Th April 1863: ―
“Prayer is requested for a young person long anxious about her soul, but unable to believe that the promises are for her. Pray that she may be delivered from the devil who she feels holding her fast.”
This prayer was answered.
November 9th 1860: —
“In dependence upon that promise— ‘Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full,’ an aunt asks that prayer may be made for the conversion of her three nieces.”
These three girls were all converted within a few years.
On the same occasion as the foregoing was the following, written by a young girl―
“Prayer is earnestly requested for a youth who has not given himself to Jesus. Pray that he may feel his need of a Saviour.”
This is labelled, “Answered.”
Again on the same day―
“Prayer is earnestly desired for a sister who is at times anxious about her soul that she may at once give herself to Jesus.”
In pencil are added the words, “Prayer answered.”
Then we come to―
“A wife, who herself rejoices in Christ as her Saviour, earnestly prays for the conversion of her husband, and asks the prayers of others on his behalf.”
A few weeks later we find―
“The wife who requested prayer for her husband is encouraged to hope that the Lord is working in his soul. Do pray for him tonight that he may not rest till he has found Jesus as his Saviour.”
The following year we read―
“A young person in distress of soul desires prayer to be offered for her that she may receive forgiveness of sins.”
This was followed by―
“A young person who was prayed for under deep distress of soul asks you to join in praising God for hearing prayer and giving her peace in Jesus that same night.”
Further on is recorded—”
A girl of fourteen years of age, anxious about her soul, desires that she should be prayed for.”
The same hand adds―
“The girl left the village 25th March, converted.”
Once more and it is enough―
“Earnest prayer is asked for a son and daughter both unconverted. Also for a young man in a dying state, who is awakened but has not yet found peace.”
The last entry in the book says―
“Praise and thanksgiving are desired to be offered to the Lord for His great mercy in giving peace to that dying young man for whom prayer was asked two weeks ago.”
Some who were prayed for thus are still alive, and have been in their turn blessings to many others.
No one who realizes that each one of these requests concerned the eternal welfare of an immortal soul could be weary of reading such a record, nor grudge the time spent on a theme which occupied the attention of heaven. There was “joy in the presence of the angels of God” over each of those souls saved so long ago in that hillside village. God grant that we may none of us be less earnest than we were in those youthful days. Revival were possible then, some of us have seen them, and they are possible still, but this kind of thing can only (Mark 9:2929And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. (Mark 9:29)) come of prayer and fasting. Self-indulgence, lack of prayer, worldly ways, all these effectually hinder the work of God in our midst. So let us remember that “now it is high time to awake out of sleep.” M. F. C.