The Power of Prayer

Samuel I. Prime

9. Prayer-Meeting At 'Hell Corner' - An Invitation On The Mississippi - A Daughter Converted And Driven Out Of Her Father's House - The Whole Family Converted - Hungry Children Ask A Blessing - An Only Son - The Camp-Meeting...

‘There is a locality’, said a strange gentleman in the Fulton street prayer-meeting, ‘in New Hampshire, concerning which I wish to state a few facts of recent occurrence, which go to prove that the Holy Spirit can work with means or without them, according to his sovereign will and pleasure. In the locality of which I speak, there are about twenty families living isolated, and cut off from all association with the surrounding neighbourhoods. They have no communication with anybody beyond themselves. These families are distinguished for their profanity, wickedness, gambling, and almost every vice. They have no respect for religious institutions. They are shut out from all means of grace. They are a reckless, hardened set of people. On a late occasion one of these men was at a neighbour’s house, and while there indulged in the most horrid oaths. The woman of the house said to him:

“If you don’t stop swearing so, I am afraid the house will fall down over our heads.”

“Well, I should think”, said the man, “that you are getting very pious, from what you say.”

“Well, I should think it time for some of us to be getting religious.”

“If you feel that way, suppose we have a prayer-meeting in your house,” said the man.

“Yes, we will have a prayer-meeting; we will have a prayer-meeting,” chimed in many voices.

And a prayer-meeting was agreed upon, and the time was fixed. They got a man to lead the meeting - the only man living in the neighbourhood who had ever been a professor of religion. He was a notorious backslider, and of course answered their purposes all the better for that; for all this was meant as a burlesque upon prayer meetings.

The time came for the meeting, and all assembled. The backslider undertook to lead the meeting, but broke down in his prayer and could not go on. They undertook to sing, and could not make out anything at that. They determined not to give it up so. They appointed another prayer-meeting, on the next Sabbath, at 5 o’clock P . M. They sent to a deacon of a church living three miles off, saying that there was to be a prayer-meeting at Hell Corner - the common name by which the place was known - on next Sabbath afternoon, and wanted him to come down and conduct it. The good deacon did not dare to go. He thought it was either a hoax or a plan to mob him. He however spoke to a neighbour about it and asked:

“Had I better go?”

“Go, by all means, and I will go with you,” said the neighbour.

So on the next Sabbath afternoon they went to the prayer-meeting at Hell Corner. All were assembled, preparing to give solemn and serious attention to the services.

“I had not been there but a few minutes,” said the deacon, “before I felt that the Spirit of the Lord was there.” Four or five of these hardened, wretched men were struck under conviction at this first meeting. Another meeting was held, and more were converted. ‘These prayer-meetings are continued,’ said the speaker, ‘and many of those who were convicted have since become converted, and have become praying men and women. The work is going on with amazing power. At the last meeting heard from, more than one hundred were present. Here was a case where God’s Spirit went before the desires of the people in the region that was blessed. God heard the prayers of his children in other places, or it pleased him in his sovereign mercy to pour out his Holy Spirit upon this wicked community, and turn sinners from the error of their ways unto himself.’

A gentleman said at the prayer-meeting at the Globe Hotel, that six months ago, as he was standing on the west bank of the Mississippi River, a handbill was put into his hand, inviting him to attend a prayer-meeting in the city of New York. It was the Fulton street prayer-meeting. ‘You can scarcely imagine the influence of such a little event as that upon the feelings, decisions, course, conduct and eternal well-being of an individual. I was invited when one thousand miles away to attend a noonday prayer-meeting of business men — I, a business man, in this great city of business, where time is money — surely there must be something in the religion of these men of business that amounts to something like a reality.’ He said that on coming to the city, he complied with that invitation, which he had still in his pocket and intended to keep, and he should always have reason to be thankful that he ever attended one of those meetings. He had been on further East, to the cities east of us, and he everywhere found the daily prayer-meeting.

He then went on to speak of revivals in places at the West. He spoke of one in particular of great interest. In a neighbourhood where there was a large population but no church, the people built a large school-house, and when it was finished, they resolved to hold in it union meetings for prayer. They were commenced and were largely attended. And when all who came could not get in, they would crowd around the windows to hear. The Lord poured out his Spirit in great power and many were converted.

Living in the neighbourhood of that school-house was a very wealthy, proud, infidel, irreligious man. Some of his family were inclined to go to the prayer-meeting. He called his family together, and told them that if any of his family went to that prayer-meeting and ‘got religion’, as he called it, they were to be disinherited and banished from the house. His wife was included with the children. She had been, and so had his oldest daughter, which put him in a rage. The daughter continued to go to the prayer-meetings and soon found peace in believing in Jesus. When an opportunity was given for those who had a hope in Christ to make it known — she meekly arose and spoke of the ‘great change’ in her heart, and her humble hopes of salvation through a crucified Saviour.

There were those standing at the window outside who immediately went and told the father of this young lady of the professions she had made. When she went home that night, she met her father standing in the doorway with a heavy quarto Bible in his arms.

‘Maria,’ said he, ‘I have been told that you have publicly professed to-night that you have got religion. Is that so?’

‘Father,’ said the girl, ‘I love you, and I think I love the Saviour too.’

He opened his Bible to a blank leaf, and pointing with his finger, he said:

‘Maria, whose name is that?’

‘It is my name, sir.’

‘Did I not tell you that I would disinherit you if you got religion?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Well, I must do it. You cannot come into my house.’ And tearing the leaf out of the Bible, ‘There,’ said he ‘do I blot out your name from among my children. You can go.’
She went to the house of a pious widow lady in the neighbourhood, and heard no more from her father for three weeks. One morning she saw her father’s carriage driving up to the door. She ran out and said to the driver, ‘What is the matter, James?’

‘Your father is very sick, and thinks he is going to die; and he is afraid he shall go to hell for his wickedness, and for the grievous wrong he has done you in disinheriting you and turning you from his house. He wants you to jump into the carriage and come home as quickly as possible.’

She found her father sick, sure enough, on going home; but she soon saw that he was only sin sick. She talked with him; she prayed with him; she endeavoured to lead him to Christ. In three days the father, mother, two brothers, and a sister, were all rejoicing in hope, making the whole family, all made heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, to the heavenly inheritance. How faithful God is to those who put their trust in him.

The disinherited was made the honoured means, in the hands of the Holy Spirit, of unspeakable blessings to all her father’s household, by going straight forward in her heavenly Master’s service. What a glorious crown of rejoicing will be hers in the great and trying day, when the Lord comes to reckon up his jewels!

At another prayer-meeting, one of the speakers said it had been noticed that something was the matter with four little children, from the same family, in one of our public schools. One of the teachers inquired what the matter was, and she ascertained that these lovely little children were suffering for lack of food; that all they had to eat for days was a crust of bread and water. They had come to school with no better. They were German children, and their parents were unable to obtain food for them.

This teacher, who had ascertained the facts, went to the head teacher and communicated them to him. He sent home immediately, and had a good dinner prepared for them. He then took them to his own house. On arriving there, the youngest refused to go in. He said he did not know what kind of a house it was, and he did not like to go into a house without his mother knowing and approving of it. Finally, after very much persuasion, they got them all into the house. They took them to the parlour; there was an abundant meal set out. They seated them at the table; they urged them to eat: they could not persuade them to touch a mouthful. Finally it was resolved to leave these little children alone; perhaps they would eat then. The lady of the house paused at the door, and looking through the crack, what was her surprise to see the oldest little boy put up his two little hands together, and say grace - asking for God’s blessing, and thanking him for his mercies. ‘May we not all learn a lesson’, said the speaker, ‘from these little children, who, though they were starving, refused to eat till they had first acknowledged God’s hand in the food provided?’

When these facts were related, there were not many dry eyes in the assembly.

An only son, unconverted, was prayed for in his presence. He became very angry, and so much incensed, that he resolved to sell his farm and go West, away from his relatives, who were praying for his salvation. They continued to pray, and he finally sold his farm, and was going to start for Albany, on his way to the West. He passed the prayer-meeting, on his way to the cars, and having some time to wait for the train, thought he would just go in to pass the time away, and see what was going on. He went in, and was hopefully converted before he left the meeting.

A gentleman arose in the back part of the room. He said he was from the mountainous lumbering regions of Pennsylvania. ‘We hear of your meetings through the medium of the religious papers. We love to know what the Lord is doing among you. All through the mountains of Pennsylvania the Lord has been pouring out his Spirit, and among these thoughtless, wicked men, as they are in our country, he has brought many to repentance. For forty-nine years, I lived the life of an impenitent man. It is not more than three months since I commenced a religious life. I went to a Methodist camp-meeting in our neighbourhood. I did not go to it at the beginning. I thought I had so much to do that I would not go. I went toward the close of it. As soon as my pious wife saw me come upon the ground, she said, “You must come into the praying circle.” I went with great reluctance. It pleased the Lord to awaken me at that meeting. But it closed, and I found no relief. I went on from day to day in great anxiety about my soul. I heard of another meeting, and I went more than a hundred miles to attend it. I sought but I did not find. I was made the subject of prayer. It came to the last day of the meeting, and I was afraid I should have to go away without any change of heart. When near the time of closing the meeting, it was proposed to spend a little time in the tent for prayer. Some said it was unseasonable. Some said they had a little season that might thus be occupied; and I was invited to read a portion of Scripture and pray. It took me by surprise. I opened the Bible to the chapter about the talents. I read. I was tempted to hide my talent as did the slothful servant. I resolved I would not do it. And I kneeled down to pray. The Lord met me in that prayer. He led me to make a complete surrender. The burden was gone. The anxiety was taken away. I felt that my sins were forgiven. I find peace and joy in believing. I am always happy, and happy to be in such a meeting as this especially. I feel it my privilege and duty to bear testimony for Christ. I love him much. I have had much to be forgiven. I have been greatly blessed since I first loved the Saviour. I intend to bear my cross and do my duty everywhere, at all times, and on all occasions.

The Lord is doing a great work among the mountains. Whole neighbourhoods are turning to the Lord. The preaching of the gospel wins its way to the hearts of sinners, and many are coming out on the Lord’s side.’

The speaker’s manner was earnest, hearty, having great simplicity and deep feeling, which found its way to every heart. Then a stanza of the beautiful hymn:

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains
was sung with deep emotion, in which all seemed to join in delightful harmony. Two or three prayers followed, and all those were earnestly and cordially remembered who had sent in their petitions to the throne of grace