Praying for What We Don't Expect.
I happened once to be staying with a gentleman—a long way from here—a very religious kind of man he was; and in the morning he began the day with a long family prayer that he might be kept from sin, and might have a Christlike spirit, and the mind that was also in Christ Jesus; and that we might have the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us. A good prayer it was, and I thought, What a good kind of a man you must be. But about an hour after, I happened to be coming along the farm, and I heard him hallooing and scolding and going on finding fault with everybody and everything. And when I came into the house with him he began again. Nothing was right, and he was so impatient and so quick-tempered. " 'Tis very provoking to be annoyed in this way, Daniel. I don't know what servants in these times be good for but to worry and vex one with their idle, slovenly ways." I didn't say anything for a minute or two. And then I said, "You must be very much disappointed, sir." "How so, Daniel? Disappointed?" "I thought you were expecting to receive a very valuable present this morning, sir, and I see it hasn't come." "Present, Daniel?"—and he scratched his head, as much as to say, "Whatever can the man be talking about?" "I certainly heard you talking of it, sir," I said quite coolly. "Heard me speak of a valuable present. Why, Daniel, you must be dreaming. I've never thought of such a thing." "Perhaps not, sir, but you've talked about it; and I hoped it would come whilst I was here, for I would dearly love to see it." He was getting angry with me now, so I thought I would explain. "You know, sir, this morning you prayed for a Christlike spirit, and the mind that was in Jesus, and the love of God shed abroad in your heart." "Oh, that's what you mean, is it?" and he spoke as if that weren't anything at all. "Now, sir, wouldn't you be rather surprised if your prayer was to be answered? If you were to feel a nice, gentle, loving kind of spirit coming down upon you, all patient and forgiving and kind? Why, sir, wouldn't you come to be quite frightened like; and you'd come in and sit all in a faint, and reckon as you must be a going to die, because you felt heavenly-minded?" "He didn't like it very much," said Daniel, "but I delivered my testimony and learned a lesson for myself, too. You're right, Captain Joe; you're right. We should stare very often if the Lord was to answer our prayer."—Daniel Quorm and his Religious Notions.