Three Mothers Who Prayed

T H E W O R K S O F J A M E S M I L B U R N TAY L O R

THREE MOTHERS WHO P R AY E D J A M E S M . TAY L O R

THREE MOTHERS WHO PRAYED

BY MR. James M.Taylor

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DEDICATION

good, saw nothing but good in her first child, her on­ ly boy; who followed him with her prayers; who wrestled near midnight on March 23, 1895, untU God heard and saved him; who has followed him through the years of his Who, when the world saw

no

ministry with her earnest prayers.

IWrRODUCTION.

My only excuse for writing these pages and presuming upon the public for a place in their library

for the

that I

book, is

have narrated

the incidents under several different have

seen

flags

and

gladdened, their faith boys saved by the en­

mothers' hearts

strengthened and their couragement they have received from the same.

I want to leave them on record to help mothers' faith when I have gone hence.

If after

pages you derive no help and feel your time has been wasted, I beg pardon for intruding upon you. If you receive

reading these

encouragement and your faith is strengthened, I would like to hear from you.

JAMES M. TAYLOR.

Knoxville, Tenn., March 20, 1908.

CONTENTS: PAGE

ClIAPTEIR

Frontispiece-My Mother Who Prayed, Dedication,

..

Introduction,

3

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...

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.

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•....

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I.

How Faith Is Strengthened

II.

Mother S. Who Prayed

III.

Mother

IV.

My Mother Prayed

V.

Another Mother Who Prayed

VI.

The

VII.

A Missionary's Deliverance in Finan-

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Healing of My Wife ..

Selfish Pray-ens

IX.

Hell Rock

X.

Conclusion

.

A Parting Word.

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11 21 26 29

34

..

..

7 10

C., A Woman Who Prayed..

cial Crisis

VIII.

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5

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37

41 45

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47

THREE MOTHERS WHO PRAYED. CHAPTER 1.

HOW FAITH IS STRENGTHENED.

During the years we have spent in evangelis­ tic work our faith has had a steady growth.

This strength and growth of faith has been due

things: First, a careful study of God's Word, watching the incidents recorded in the Bible where the saints of old have prayed through to God and have seen the impossible wrought; how a lone man held on to God until the to two

cloud as a man's hand rose in the heavens and a

torrent of rain drenched the land, after the heav­ ens

had been locked up, in answer to the faith of

this same man; how a faithful prophet drenched

the altar with barrels of water and called upon God, and in answer to prayer the fire fell and

licked up the very water of the trench; how that

through faith kingdoms were subdued, righteous­ ness was wrought, mouths of lions stopped, vio­ lence of fire was quenched, the edge of the sword was escaped; how strength came out of weakness, 7

Three Mothers Who Praryea.

8

the saints waxed valiant in

fight and turned to

flight the armies of the aliens.

Second, our faith has been strengthened by constant contact with

men

and women who lit­

erally walk with God. Some of these have not made a very loud profession and have been un­ known both in church and state.

We have at

digging coal; bent over the wash-tub or ironing-board; in the scheming, planning and toiling to parsonage make a small salary do double service, and, at the same time, proving the "power behind the Throne" for the pulpit.

We have gone to our room or tent after a service, knelt down with misty eyes and husky voice, to say, "Oh, Lord, that poor woman, that humble man, that unappreciated church member, walks with Thee and has learned the secret of pressing the claim interested in at the throne of grace." We have heard their testi­ monies in public, but the rule is, these kings and times found them in

a

coal mine

queens of whom we speak have had very little to say publicly of victories won; others have come to us and told all the particulars.

As

world, we

have traveled up and down this old trying to encourage the faith of others,

we

have found

it good to tell

how some

have

Three M others Who Prayed.

prayed in other places,

!J

and of these incidents

there are three we have never told but that tears

have been shed, hearts have been cheerd, faith has

strengthened and we believe, as a result of it, souls have been saved. For a long time we have

been

felt that other mothers would have their faith

strengthened and wayward boys would be saved if the great army of discouraged, disheartened, earnest, godly women over this country knew the experience of three mothers uiho prayed. Weare personally acquainted with three wayward boys, know the particulars concerning their salvation, know how that none of the three were under the influence of

a

sermon, exhortation

or

Christian

home, but were reached in direct answer to the prayer of

a

godly mother.

Three :Mothe1"s Who Prayed.

10

CHAPTER II. MOTHER

S., WHO PRAYED.

While conducting a revival in the large city of

R., a young business man asked me to dine with

him one day at a near-by restaurant.

We enjoyed

pleasant chat, and after lunch took a stroll. He told me of his affairs, how he was engaged in a very large manufacturing business; finally he said: "Bro. Taylor, would you not like to visit our fac­ tory and other places of interest in the city while a

you are with us?" I told him that since we had no services on a certain day, it would be my pleas­

accept his kind offer, which I did. After visiting various places of interest in the city, he ure

to

asked if I would like to go out to "C" and visit

prison. I thanked him, and we were soon on a car making our way to the little his­ toric city of "C." After reaching the station and on our way up the street, he stopped me as we stood near the walls enclosing the State prison and said: "Bro. Taylor, it will be necessary for me to tell you something concerning my early life which will the State

Three Mothers Who Prayed. serve as an

explanation

to things

11

that will take

place when we enter the prison. What I am about to tell you will destroy your confidence and re­ spect for me, I fear. (But it did not.) The story in short is this: "Eighteen years ago I pulled off a suit of pris­ oner's elothes and walked out of this prison a free man, having served a three-year's ter-m 'In­ side these walls. Brother Taylor, I am an ex­ convict."

I turned to him and said: don't mean to tell me that!"

He replied:

''Why, B. S., you

"I know you will never have any

respect for me again, but it is true."

I said : "No, sir, I have all the more respect

for you and confidence in you to see how you have

spite of a past record of the kind, and have planted your feet on the solid rock and made risen in

a success

in life."

Then he eontinued :

�'Bro.

Taylor, the most

precious spot to me on earth is a certain cell �'n this prison. I was a young man in tIDy teens and

fell into bad company; I got in with a crowd of boys older than myself who were experienced in crime.

It was only a little while until I was

engaged with

them in a job of

housebreaking.

12

Three Mothers Who Prayed.

God in tender mercy saw to it that I was caught

I was tried, found my first job. sentenced to three years in this prison. on

guilty and

"I was in a large cell with two hardened crim­

sitting on the stone floor play­ ing cards; I was pacing the floor of the cell, think­ ing of what I would do when I got out, when suddenly there came over me a solemn and fear­ ful awe and a voice seemed to speak to me say­ inals who

were

ing, 'Confess your sins and pray or you are eter­ nally lost.' I fell on my knees, threw up my hands and began crying to God with all my might for salvation.

"The boys who were playing cards became ex­

cited and remarked to each other, 'Look, B. has gone

crazy; watch

him.'

But I

continued

to

_pray. God heard my prayer, had mercy on me, the burden rolled away and I was saved that night. I took part in the chapel services dur­

inaugurated a prayer meeting among the prisoners.' (I met the old white-haired chaplain who verified the broth­ er's statement and seemed as delighted to meet him as if he had met his own child. TIe spoke of their good seasons together during his term ira the prison.) ing

my three

years'term

and

ThJree Mothers Who Prayed.

13

'�d

kept me during those three years and used me in the salvation of other souls. Finally that glad day rolled around which I shall never forget, when the officer came to me and said, 'B., would you like to go home?' All broken up with emotion, I told him I would. He said, 'Get up early in the morning and I will furnish

you with leave.'

a

suit of citizens' clothes and you can

"I slept little that night, but Soon a

arose

early and

..

ttired, I for the first time in three years in

citizens' clothes, told my fellow-convicts and the officers good-bye and started for my home. I fin­

ally reached the station and found my way to the

old home from which sin had taken me.

door; she fell on my neck and said, 'Come in, my boy.' I made her wait until I asked her forgiveness. 'Mother,' said 1, 'I am coming to you an ex-convict; it breaks my heart to bring this shame on you, but I am com­ ing back a. saved boy. God has forgiven my sins.

Mother said, 'B., let me tell you about it. One night the burden had grown so heavy I simpiy could not bear it longer, ana. I went to my neigh­ bor's home and said, 'Mrs. my boy is in prison, but he is my boy; I cannot give him up.

"Mother met

me

at the

,

Three Mothers Who Prayed.

1-1:

The burden is more than I can bear, but God can

my boy. Won't you pray with me for him:' We prayed, and while I was praying God rolled

save

the burden off my heart and gave me the witness

of the

Spirit that the ·Nork was done. I know tha t is the night G od reached your heart and saved

you from sin.'"

B. turned and looked through misty eyes at me my tears away and said: Taylor, that was the night God saved me. as

I brushed

"Bro.

I fell

in my cell, while the boys were playing cards, because mother was on her knees, and I knew it

not; I wept my way through to God because moth­ er was

praying.

She could not talk to me; I was

not under the sound of a sermon; I had no Bible

read; no Christian people WHe ex­ horting me, but mother prayed.n As I listened to his story I said, "By the grace with

me

to

of God I must use this incident to encourage the

faith of world.

discouraged mothers all over this old I have only to say, mother, if your boy 16

wayward, PRAY. God, as

The God of Mrs. S. is your and He will surely hear your prayers just

He did hers.

Three Mothers Who Praged.

15

CHAPTER III. MRS.

C., A WOMAN OF PRAYER.

I would not give the particulars of this

chap­

ter but for the fact that I have found mothers

all over the land whose experiences are very much

C.'s, and I believe that by relating the unwavering earnestness, prayer and faith of Mrs. C. some other mother will be encouraged to hold on to God, never doubting, and thus see her boy like Mrs.

saved.

I met Mrs. C. in Pennsylvania, in a little town

about ten miles from the railroad.

During a for­

mer revival which my faithful wife and I

had held

in a nearby town, her son H. had been gloriously

saved, and when we reached the town in which

she lived we found her praying earnestly for an­ other son.

many other mothers over the land, had very little encouragement to live for God. Her husband was a wicked man and had Mrs.

C., like

not been

to church

saved she had no

home.

The

for years.

Until

H.

was

encouragement whatever in the

other

son

for whom she was pray-

Three Mothers Who Prayed.

16 mg

not

was

only

a

wicked

sinner, but

was

skeptical. He was a Universalist in belief. What made it harder, he was away from home in alum ber camp where there were no religious influ­ ences about him, and she had no reason to expect ...

him home for weeks

or

months.

But every time

Mrs. C. led in prayer she prayed for her "way­ ward son." Every time I gave an opportunity for

Christian people to request prayer for the unsaved

she was on her feet and would say, "Friends, please

pray for

camp."

my wayward boy who is in a lumber When I gave opportunity for testimonies

and asked people to praise the LOTd for what he

had done for them she would always testify, but failed

before

taking her seat, "Friends, do please pray for my wayward boy in a lumber camp."

I doubt if there was a single service during that meeting when this mother did not either pray audibly for him or request the never

to

say

prayers of others in his behalf. She reminded me forcibly of the willow who continually came to the

unjust judge and by her importunity won the boon she craved.

Scores of people had been saved; other mothers

had rej oiced over the sal va lion of their sons, and it seemed

necessary to close

the

meeting

in

Three Mothers Who Prayed.

1 "I

to go to other appointments.

The interest was so great that the pastors of the town

order for

us

.

decided to continue the services a few days and an­

nouncements were made accordingly.

Sister C.'s son H.

was to

about ten miles -away.

take us to the depot

We were in the

carriage

and just about ready to start when H. reached in

pocket, pulled out a note and handing it to me, said: "Bro. Taylor, there is a note mother

his

you and Mrs. Taylor." As we drove down the road we read the note which was as fol­

sent

to

lows:

"Dear Brother and Sister

gone and my

Taylor, you are

wayward boy in a lumber camp near Pittsburg is not yet saved. Please con­ tinue to pray for him, for God must save him."

city of C. where we were to take the train, and as we were driving down the street, H. stopped his horses, and reach­ ing out to shake hands with a young man, said, "\Ve1l, hello! What are you doing down here?

Brother Taylor, shake hands with my brother; Mrs. Taylor, this is my brother from Pittsburg."

We drove

on

to the little

His brother turned to

the preacher?"

if

we

me

and

said, "Are you

I told him I was, and he asked

had closed the meeting'.

I said we were

Three llf. others Who Praued.

18

lea ving,

although the services were to continue.

After a moment he said, "I am sorry of that; I

trying to get there before the meeting closed.

Can I see you, Mr. Taylor, before you leave the town ?" I replied that it was some time before the train was due, and if he should come to the depot was

I would talk with him.

He soon called for me

there and asked me to take a little walk with him,

which I did.

only gone a few paces together when turning to me, and putting his arm in mine, he said: "Mr. Taylor, I am the most miserable man out of hell. For two or three days I have felt like I would die if I did not get right with God; this morning when I awoke I was so strongly impressed We had

that if I went to work I would be killed and go to

night that I told the foreman I had some important business to attend to at home and caught the first train coming in this direction.

"I was trying to reach home for the service this morning. I must get right; I have been a

hell before

Universalist, but I cannot live like this. Please tell me in the simplest way you can how a man may get right with God."

I talked with him until nearly train time, and he said, "�fr. Taylor. I will get right before

Three Mother» Who Prayed.

night, God helping me."

19

He drove home with

his brother and wen t to the first meeting.

Dur­

ing the testimony service he got up and asked for prayer, saying that he must get right with God. He pressed his way down to the front and forced an altar service upon them during the testimony meeting.

Only a few weeks later, we were changing trains in Wheeling, West Virginia, and were met in the station by a man who approached me and shook hands. I told him he had the advantage of me, that I did not recognize him. He explained that he was Mr. C. who, with a long face and a look of distress, had met me in the city of C. while he was on

the hunt for Jesus.

In answer to the pray­

mother, God had lifted the load, rolled his guilt away and he was now rejoicing in the knowledge of sins forgiven.

Mother, perhaps your boy is "in the army," or "gone West;" oat least he is away from home. But

ers

of his old

let me tell you that the same God to whom Mr6.

C. prayed to reach her boy a hundred miles from

home in

lumber camp, and who brought him home to get salvation, is able to reach your boy a

while you are reading this book, though he be thousand miles away from you.

a

But be sure you

20

Three Mothers Who I'rasjed,

manifest the

same

earnestness

faith that Mrs. C. exercised.

and

unwavering

If you will do that,

and are right with the Lord, then your prayer will

be

answered, f-or the promise is: "According to your faith be it unto you."

Three 111. others W Ito Prayed.

21

CHAPTER IV. MY MOTHER PRAYED.

(Mrs. R. O. Taylor, Knoxville, Tenn.)

"My mother is the best mother on earth." Of course, I understand we all feel that way in regard to

our

mothers.

Poor

unfortunate, indeed, who

cannot say this. But we know there

whose children could not

are

truthfully

mother is the best mother on earth."

mothers

say: "}Iy And yet I

have repeatedly said, and say it again, that no mat­

ter how far from God she may live, however deep

in sin she may have sunk, my hat is off to the wo­

who has gone down into the valley of the shadow of death to give birth to a child.

Few man

children really appreciate their mothers or under­

stand what the name "mother" really means, un­

til they have become parents and know the pangs

of travail themselves; until they have been up and

down a dozen or twenty times during a night ana

have kept this up for weeks or even months.

I re­

having read this remarkable statement from a fine 'physician and surgeon. He said: "It is not the suffering of child-bearing that kills the member

Three J[others- Who Prayed.

22

mother, that gradually puts her in the grave, so much

as

it is the thousand and

for the child after it it! born.

one

little

cares

She picks it up off

the floor; gets its rattle when out of reach of the

little hand; gets its bottle, and innumerable other

attentions she gives the child."

The reader

can

remember that during a conversation of just a few

minutes while others sat still, the mother in the group of friends was up and down with her child a half dozen times.

In addition to all that "mother" means, in addi­ tion to all that my good mother is; in addition to

all that a good mother ought to be, I can make my

boast in the Lord and say that my mother was not

only a good mother, but a good praying mother.

My conversion, like the other two mentioned in this book, was a very remarkable one. I was not saved during a revival meeting; had heard no ser­ mon preached that night; was not associated with Christian people; was not under the influence of Christian surroundings. I was away from home in a wicked city, and my mother did not know w here I was, I was in a place of vice engaging in sin; my associates were sinners.

But on that memorable night, March 23, 1895,

between ten and twelve o'clock, there came

over

Three Mothers Who Prayed.

23

peculiar feeling that 1 must get right with God, and that to delay was to be lost eternally.

The impression grew deeper and the suspense was awful; I felt something had to be done. Nothing unusual had taken place, but the still small voice me a

continued to argue; my heart grew faint.

Tremb­

ling with fear, 1 made my way to the street; the sound of my foot-falls seemed to cry "Lost;" the

clatter of horses' hoofs on the paved streets seemed to ring out "Lost."

All about me seemed a pic­

despair, and a voice clear and distinct rung through the chambers of my soul, saying, "1 have followed you long and constantly with deep conviction; this is my last call. Seek Me to-night ture of

or

in a week you will be in hell."

I finally reached my room

in the

hotel

and

God, 1 repented, 1 confessed, I forsook. I had a hell-scare and godly sorrow; I gave up everything and in tender mercy God, for Christ's sake, forgave my sins. there alone with

In about four weeks He sanctified my soul, and

the call to preach, which had been on my heart for

clearer than ever, and I soon began preaching the gospel. But my experience was al­

years,

was

ways a puzzle to me; I could not understand that strange occurrence on that memorable night; I un-

Three M others Who Prayed.

24

effect, but what was the cause? I understood God did it, but why that night? Why just then? Why at that particular time?

After a few years in the ministry I was prepar­ ing a little book for the press, and one day my sister, in looking over the manuscript, saw where I had related my experience and noting that I did not understand why I had that strange experience at that particular time, she said: "Brother, I can explain it to you. The night of which you speak derstood the

Pa was away from home preaching; we had retired

for the night when we heard Ma get out of bed and lie on the floor sobbing.

was

When we asked what

the matter she replied, C(Oh, Jimmy is living

sin; he is somewhere tonight, I do not know where, but I know he is in sin. I have waited as long as I can; God save him; God must hear my in

prayer; I will not put it off longer. on to sleep."

You girls go

She told me how myoId mother lay on the floor

wrestling, Jacob-like, with the Almighty One while He was wrestling with me in another city where I was engaged in sin; she pulled on heaven and heaven pulled on me. She finally prayed through; the burden rolled off and God seemed to say, "It is enough, my child; thy prayers and

Three Mothers Who Prayed.

25

thine alms have come up to me for a memorial."

God heard her prayer; her boy was reached; she did not know where he was, but she knew that he was

somewhere and that God was everywhere. She

prayed to the God who was everywhere and her boy was saved that night.

What God did in answer to the prayers of my

mother He will

do in

answer

to your prayers,

reader, if you will "have faith in God."

26

Tlvree Mothers Who Prayed.

CHAPTER V. ANOTHER MOTHER WHO PRAYED.

I heard a minister relate the following incident

about another mother who children saved.

prayed and saw her

At the close of the sermon, when

the altar call had been made, an aged mother, with

unsteady step, pressed her way down the aisle to­ ward a well-grown son who was living in sin. As the mother approached him he broke for the door and left the building. She turned with an aching heart and tear-dimmed eyes toward

a

second son

in the congregation to invite him to Jesus, but as she drew

near

this son, he also took to his heels

becoming more than she could bear, but she turned again, undaunted by the cold-hearted, sin-loving, devil-serving, ungrate­

and left.

ful

sons

The load

was

and started for her third

seated in the congregation.

boy who was

But he followed his

brothers, and they all three made their es­ cape, as they supposed.

Full of courage, filled with the Holy Ghost and faith, the old mother Lurned, with her step grow;l steady, and made her way to the altar saying, two

Three Mothers Who Prayed.

27

"Lord, they are gone; they do not want me to talk to them; I am not strong enough to follow them, but Thou must go after them. I am going to re­ main at this altar on my knees until by Thy Spirit Thou hast found them, brought them back and saved them from sin."

There she knelt in spite of age, in spite or in­

firmities, in spite of aching bones, for an hour crying to God. As she pulled on heaven her God pulled on the heart-strings of those boys. She was pleading with a God who had said, "Ask and ye shall receive; seek and ye shall find; knock and it

shall be opened unto you."

She remembered His

promise that if she would delight herself in the Lord He would give her the desires of her heart.

She could not forget the promise that whatsoever we ask we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight; she remembered the chal­ lenge her Lord had given her in the picture of the unjust judge, approached by a widow woman, who continued to plead and supplicate until he finally said, "Though I fear not God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me I will avenge her

lest by her continual coming she weary me."

She remembered how God had said, "Shall not

Three ]If others Who Prayed.

28

God avenge His own elect which cry day and night

unto Him though He bear long with them.

you that He will avenge them speedily." tinued to cry and continued to plead.

I tell

She con­

Finally one of these strong-hearted, God-reject­ ing sons staggered down the aisle and fell at the altar crying, "Oh, mot.her, pray for me for I am going to hell." Her God had answered, the son was

saved.

In about half an hour

a

second son

rolled down the aisle under awful conviction, beg­

ging for prayer; he also repented of sin and moth­ er's God blotted out the past,

She was not weary,

but continued to plead until the third son was ar­

rested by the Holy Ghost in answer to the prayers

of the mother who would not take "no" for an ans­ She saw the three

hard-hearted

gra­ oiously saved before she left the altar of prayer, all

wer.

because she had

a

sons

God who hears prayer, and she

would have an answer.

Three Mothers Who Prayed.

29

CHAPTER VI. THE HEALING OF MY WIFE.

The prayer that is answered must be in har­ mony with God's will. In other words, we must

know God's will concerning the thing we are pray­

ing about, and then pray according to His will.

The reader will remember how Jesus prayed in the garden the night of His betrayal, saying, "Let this cup pass from me," but immediately added, "Nevertheless, Thy will, not mine, be done."

There are things we pray for and about which we

know His will. In the case of a sinner we know

it is God's will that he should repent and be saved,

it is God's will to convict him for his sins, so we

always pray for the conviction of sinners-except when one has committed the unpardonable sin.

But there are other things about which God's will may be different in different cases. This seems

strange statement, but it is true nevertheless.

Take, for instance, the healing of the sick. There are times when it is God's will to heal, while there a

are

other times when it is not God's will to do so.

Again, take the question of business and finances.

Three Mothers Wlw Prayed.

30

There are times when it is God's will to give deliv­ erance

in

a

financial crisis,

and there are other

times when He will get more glory for the deliver­ ance

not to come, and it is not His will, therefore,

to give it.

So when we pray for the salvation of

sinners and the sanctification of believers, the rule

should be to search to know His will in the mat­ ter.

It is a mistake to recklessly rush into the pres­ ence

of God and say, "'0h, Lord, heal this man, or

heal this woman," for God may have a purpose in

taking that one out of the world at that time. In such cases we must tarry before Him for a spirit of prayer concerning the object for which we are to pray. If He does not give what we ask, the mere multiplication of words is foolishness, if not profanity I have never forgotten a memorable July Sun­ day which stands out in my life, home and expe­ ..

rience

as

one

of those real landmarks which

we

Baby was nearly two weeks old; wife's condition had grown more perilous from day to day; her temperature had been going up until it was more than 103 degrees; her strength learn to prize.

had been failing until she could not raise a hand and could only speak in a faint whisper. I was in

Three Mothers Who Prayed. another room trying to

care

31

lor the child which

seemed doomed to be motherless. Three physicians had done their best.

It seemed as if hope were

gone.

I called the nurse to the room where I was alone with our little one and asked her if there was any

hope whatever.

She simply answered with a pro­

fessional way of putting people off and left the room.

I will never forget the moment when a

spirit of desperation swept over me. I called some one to care for the child, then crossed the street to a neighbor's home and asked for the use of the par­ lor that I might have a season alone with God. After I was stretched on the floor, I did not say, "Lord heal my wife," but I searched for HiB will in the matter. My first prayer was, "Oh, Lord, I want to know Thy will in this matter." I then searched my heart and was finally able to say, "Father, if it is Thy will to take wife from me,

I want her to go; if it is Thy will for my little

Paul Milburn to grow up a motherless boy, if it is

Thy will for the woman who has encouraged my heart, who has stood by me in dark hours, who has urged me on, when discouraged, whose voice has beep used in song to lead so many to Thee, if 3t is 'rhy will for her to go, please do not allow her

32

Th"ee Mothers Who Prayed.

to get well.

If this is Thy will and I am to know

that because of my pleading with Thee as Moses did with the children of

Israel, that Thou wilt

change Thy plans, then spare her to me; neverthe less I do want Thy will done. But if the devil is trying to rob me of my wife and take the mother of my baby away, please give me a spirit of prayer for her healing. In this way let me know Thy will; I must know it before I get off of my face."

I can never forget, though I have had a spirit of prayer thousands of times, how He came upon me

..

in groanings which could not be uttered for the

healing of my noble wife, the mother of my child, and it seemed my lips could not deal out words as rapidly as the Spirit put them upon my heart for her healing. I cried, I pleaded, I really travailed in spirit. Finally that relief came which I trust the reader has experienced many times.

I sprang to my feet, took my neighbors by the hand and said, "Bless God, I have found His will.

It is her healing, He has answered my prayer and healed her body."

I hurried back to her room to be met by the nurse, who said: "Mr. Taylor, there is a remarka­ ble change in your wife; since you left the room her temperature has dropped over a degree." And

Three M others Who Prayed.

33

mark you, reader, this was in the afternoon when

her temperature would naturally have been high­

By Monday morning her temperature was a little below normal; Tuesdav it reached normal and Wednesday it was steady at normal.

We packed our grip and left for a camp meeting in est.

Louisiana.

God had answered. my prayer, and had done what physicians were unable to do. To

God be all the glory.

We would not have the reader believe

one

we

are

of those professional faith, or divine, healers,

who always see their prayers answered and the sick

healed, for our experience has been that there are cases where we simply can not get a spirit of pray­ er f01" their healing, and thonzh we go through the form of praying and anointing, there is nothing accomplished and we are not in His will.

Three Jlothe1's lrlw Traijcd.

34

CHAPTER VII. A

MISSIONARY'S DELIVEJUNCE IN A FINANCIAL CRISIS.

I t is our opinion that very few of us, as Chris­

people, have half way learned the secret of tnking God into our business relations. We be­ lieve that if men would get so fully saved from greed and selfishness in business and really run their business to the glory of God, the results which could be wrought along business lines in tian

answer

to prayer would be simply marvelous.

"" e

pray for the Lord to bless us in our business, but He so often sees that if He answers the prayer and the business prospers our heart will be set on our

prosperity and we will forget to honor God as He honors us.

We have a very worthy friend who for several years has done missionary work in the foreign field.

He spent several months on one occasion in

raising money with which to build a much-needed and much-prayed-for taber­ the United States

nacle to accommodate those who flocked to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

He had raised a few

thousand dollars and was ready to return to the

field, had taken passage for himself and missionary

Three J10thers W[l,o Prayed.

35

party back, the day of sailing was set, when 10, the bank in which all of

his

money was

closed its doors.

The first word given out

was

be able to pay about 25 cents

deposited

that they would

the dollar; the next was that the President of the bank had skipp­ on

ed out to France and they did not know that they

could do anything.

We had letters from him urg­

ing us to pray that God's will might be wrought in. the matter, and finally, in this hour of extreme testing, he wrote us asking for a loan of money to get him and his party to the field. We replied at once telling him what we would be able to do in the

matter, but before our letter reached him he

felt rebuked for coming to man for help and wrote us as

follows z

more over a

loan.

"Dear Bro. Taylor: After praying

it, I am sorry I wrote to you asking for

I call it off.

I will trust God.

If the

money does not come until the day of sailing, I am going to New York, trusting God. If the ship goes off and leaves us in New York, God is re­ sponsible and not 1. It was His money and not

mine.

I have it entirely committed to Him, and

I know He will answer and give deliverance."

He was to sail on Wednesday or Thursday.

On

the last Sunday night in America he went out to

Three At others Who Prayed.

36

a

little church to preach.

If

we

remember

cor­

rectly, there were only seventeen people present; it was a very bad evening. Just before he took his text the pastor slipped a piece of paper into his

hand, saying, "A brother in the congregation asked me to give you this before you preach."

My friend unfolded the piece of paper to find that it was a check for one hundred dollars.

He

wept, thanked the Lord and proceeded to preach.

He referred to the check in the sermon, how it was in answer to prayer, and then told of his money all being tied up in the bank.

After his

brother who gave him the check came to him and said, "You come sermon

the

same

to my office tomorrow, sign over your bank ac­ count to me, and I will give you a check for the

entire amount."

money. ance.

Of course he went.

He got the

He trusted God and God gave deliver­ The Lord saw that it was absolutely tor

His glory.

We doubt not that many financial failures might

be averted if

only we would learn the secret of

running our business absolutely for God, so that in such a time we could ask help in Jesus' name, knowing it was for His glory and have the God of Deliverance give it to us.

Three Mothers Who PrOY!J8d.

37

OHAPTER VIII. SELFISH PRAYERS.

In our next chapter we mention the matter of

selfishness as being something to guard against in

praying.

It is our personal conviction that more

this point.

In James 4 :3 we find: "Ye ask and re­

than

eight-tenths of the praying done is lost at

«eive not because ye ask amiss that ye may con­ sume it upon pleasures"-margin. The reader will

surprised to carefully note the things prayed for that are for the purpose of bringing self-pro­ motion, selfish pleasure or selfish interest to the front. Watch that mother with two boys, neither

be

of them converted.

One of them is a moral, order­

ly-walking, kind-hearted lover of home and moth­ er ; while the other is a drunkard, a gambler, a liar, a reprobate, in fact, he is the black sheep or the flock. She is praying, or she is asking others to pray.

Notice how the burden of her prayers,

the burden of her requests for others to pray, id for

that wayward son; she wants the people to pray for her drunken, reckless, wayward boy, but how sel­

dom she prays for the moral son, how seldom she

Three Mothers Who Prayed.

38

asks prayer for him.

"Oh" she says, "if my other

boy was just as good as this one," and then often

adds, "All this one lacks is just to unite with the church;" and yet neither of them has ever been Should they

converted,

die, the Word of God is

very clear that in hell they would both lift up their eyes being in torment.

There is as much hope for her drunken son as

for her

self-righteous son.

Why is she so dis­

tressed for the one and not the other?

Is it that

might consume it upon her pleasures? She would be happier, and home would be more pleas­ she

aat, if the one were not the reckless character he is.

How often we hear a minister pray for a young man or a. young lady and say: "Oh, Lord, his mother would be so happy; the home would be so

much brighter; his father is a corner-stone in the

church; give him to his mother; give him to his father

as

mother's

a

Christian son;

save

him for his old

sake," asking that it may be consumed

upon their pleasures.

On one occasion we asked all wives present who

wanted their husbands saved and would be willing to challenge God by saying, "Lord, I want my hus­

band saved so Jesus will be glorified.

If you must

Three Mothers Who Praqed,

39

take his property, take it, but save him and glorify

J esus ; if you must take me, let me die, but save him and glorify Jesus; if you must take my hus­

band, take him from me, but before he dies save his soul and glorify Jesus"-I asked such to come would pray for God to their husbands and thus glorify His Son. to the altar and

Not

a

we

woman

save

presented herself at the altar,

though there were Christian wives in the audience

whose husbands were unsaved.

At the close of the

service three of these wives

approached us, say­ ing, "We want you to know, Bro. Taylor, we are interested in our husbands; we are praying for them and want them saved, but that proposition ''Why,'' we replied, "what was you made! !!" wrong with the proposition ?" One of them quo� ted w ha t I had said. "Well," we replied, "sisters, why do you want your husbands saved? Is it not fact you want them saved

you will have a happier home, life will be more pleasant, they will a

so

go to church with you and encourage you in spirit­ ual things?" They were asking, but they received

not because they asked amiss that they might con­

pleasures.

To us there are f�iV pictures so sad as to see a revival in progress, prayers going to God, sermons sume it upon their

40

Three Mothers Who Prayed.

being preached, efforts put forth, and seemingly the main issue simply that of adding men and wo­ "We want men to some particular denomination. a revival so our church will be built up."

We once had a letter from a preacher who said his church was in debt, and the best way he knew of getting the debt paid off was to have a revival.

In other words, he wanted to ask God to save sin­ ners so they would join his church and help him payoff his church debt.

Three Mothers Who Prayed.

41

CHAPTER IX. HELL ROCK.

Observation, experience

and

the

teaching

or

God's Word have shown us that there are condi­ tions laid down and made we can

perfectly clear, which

meet, which, when met, will result in our

prayers being answered Word or God is true.

as

certainly as that the

The following incident serves to illustrate this

point in regard to prayers being answered.

York harbor

is known the world

over as

New

Hell

Gate. We have been informed, we suppose reliably

so, that it gets its name, "Hell Gate," from "Hen

Rock," which, for so many years, was the dread of all sailors who entered New York harbor. Ships

would strike Hell Rock and go down in sight of

Great cargoes of life and property would continually be lost. Millions of dollars were spent land.

with the hope that Hell Rock might be destroyed,

but all efforts were futile until finally a large sum

of money was offered to any man or business firm

that' would destroy it.

contracting engineer examined the rock, fig­ ured on it, visited the officers in charge and told them that for the sum offered he could destroy the A

Three ]I others Who Prayed.

42

Bonds

lock.

were

made for the destruction of

Hell Rock on the one side and for the payment of the money on the other

..

Finally, work was begun.

The engineer put his men down on one side of the

rock, drilled and worked by the week and then put in explosives; they would "spring" the hole, drill and work again until a great cavern was opened up which he packed with the most powerful explo­ sives he could

secure.

Then

on

another side of

the rock he carried out the same plan until, on all

sides, explosives were packed in, caps were ad­ j usted, wires places, and all of them connected with one wire which was taken into the contractor's

office in the city, where a button was placed at the

end of the wire.

It was announced that on a certain day at high noon

Hell Rock would be blown out of N ew York

harbor. or

The contractor took his little girl of five

six summers, sat her on the table and asked if

she could tell him when it was twelve o'clock; she

replied that she could. Then he told her that ex actly at twelve o'clock he wanted her to press the little button on his desk with her finger and blow

..

lIell Rock out of New York harbor.

She did as

she was bidden and the results were satisfactory.

The secret to it all

was

that the connections

Three M others Who Prayed. were

43

made, conditions were met, all that was nec­

essary was to press the button and turn current.

on

the

If the reader has studied the Book, has had ex­

perience and watched the lives of others, it has all been convincing argument that just as the impos­

sible Hell Rock was blown out of N ew York har­

bor when the proper conditions were met and con­

nections made, so the impossible may be wrought in the spiritual world when we have met the con­

ditions, when we ask according to the Word, when

we

have lived the life He approves, if we simply

press the button which is, "in Jesus' it."

name

I ask

A number of prominent difficulties in the way

of our prayers being answered might be enumera­

First, we would suggest that the praying must be done by one who has given up sin; we can ted here.

not continue in sin and have our prayers answered.

"He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law even his prayer shall be abomination."

Provo

28:9.

Second, prayer must be offered by those who are living up to all the light they have, and if carnali­ ty has been exposed to them with the privilege of its being removed, this must be done also before

Three Mothers Who Prayed.

44

they can expect Him to answer their prayers. "If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me."

Psalms 66 :18.

Third, it must be an unselfish prayer. In this world of sin, men and women are growing more and more selfish and narrow until they allow this

spirit unconsciously to slip into their prayers. The mother prays for God to save her boy because he is

breaking her heart, he is bringing disgrace on the family, he is squandering his money, or he is going to wind up in the penitentiary. Again, we say the

prayer must be unselfish, "Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon

your lusts (pleasures)." James 4 :3.

Fourth, it must be in Jesus' name, for

glory.

His

So many prayers have other motives in But our only hope of reaching the Father

them.

is "in the name of J €Sus we want it, so He will be

glorified." "Verily, verily I say unto you, whatso­ ever ye ask the Father in my name He will give it you." John 18 :23.

We could multiply these ways of asking and run them into the dozens, but we have felt that these

four are very essential things in praying and the

lack

of

prayers.

them very

prominent

in

unanswered

Three M others Who Prayed.

45

CHAPTER X. CONCLUSION.

If this book falls into the hands of

a

mother

who has lived, labored and prayed for the salvation

of her child and the end seems to be drawing near,

your sun seems to be setting and deliverance has not come, and it seems will not come, let us en­

courage your heart, mother, by the following inci­

dent:

wealthy farmer. He lived within three miles of the city where he held his membership in the First Methodist Church. We Bro. Woods was

a

revival in this church and God gave UB a gracious sweep of victoroy. Bro. Woods' heart held

a

moved; he had a burden for those living in his community and determined to have a church in that community. He told his neighbors to pay what they would toward it, help him all they wanted to, but he was going to build a church.

After the church was completed he sent to his pastor in the city and asked him to secure our ser­ vices to hold a revival, and said that at the close of the revival they would organize a Methodist ‰ was

Y

Three Mothers Who Prayed. ↑

46

⑪Church and dedicate the

building. We were in the revival and God was giving us a gracious sweep of victory when at one service an old, white-haired conviction hobbled out of the man under deep church, leaning on his cane. We stepped to Broth­ er Woods and said, "Go and get that old father and bring him back, He must be saved." We both We caught him before he had 'went after him. gone far, and after an earnest appeal he came 샤 back, went to the altar, sought and found the -

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On the closing Sabbath of the revival, we were

organizing the church, receiving

↑etc.,

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and asked the candidates for membership, as ∅

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practice of the Methodists, what mode of baptism they desired, whether sprinkling, pouring … or immersion.

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"Why," said the pastor, "I do not understand 「

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"Doctor, it was not Bro. Tay­ lor's preaching nor your prayers that 'brought me to Christ; 'but seventy-one years ago when I was a baby one year old, my old mother, who has been in heaven forty years, carried me down the aisle, Then he replied:

Three Mothers Who Prayed.

stood in front or the ^

47

pulpit and took the vows

which a Methodist parent takes when the child is Δ

'

She there gave me to God. She kept her vows and held on to God for me, and though

baptized.

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As we heard the ⑪story we said, "That ought to

encourage the heart and faith or praying mothers who are nearing the end of their journey with ∅

children who are yet sinners and without Christ." '

'

'

A PARTING WORD.

booklet, these inci­ dents, these exhortations, have proven a blessing to you; if your faith has been strengthened, your heart comforted, I would be glad to have a card or Dear reader, if

this little

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your 'boy, mother, I am a friend or the young man; ∅

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I want to see him saved

THE END.

ON MULfBACK THROUGH CENTRAL AMERICA

By James M. Taylor, Missionary Evangelist.

θ

Insplratton, entertainment pasttme.

of lntormatfon,

BODk ful.l

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and

"O� MULEBACK THROUGH CENTRAL AMERICA" is un­ ㅣ like all other bDDks written on tours, campaigns, travels, etc. " T,be author covers .the entire Central Amerioau campaign land "every page ts fasclna ting, Jot.is IIlDt tells or the great vlctortes, ∴ written as a "report" .of the but every Incident, accident, trtp, l ' … .is taken up in a separate y vdctory or failure, scene Dr coudttton, 롯 itself. chapter, so eaoh one Is entirely complete Ln

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JAMES M. TAYLOR,

Missionary Evangelist.

"THE JUDG}IENT ."

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"THE WRATH OF GOD."

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"YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT."

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These sermons, preached by the author in camp meetings and revivals throughout the United States

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They are now put in book form to answer the call of Christian workers for "cheap booldets to put in the hands of the unsaved."

Address

J

ames Milburn Taylor was born July 27, 1873 in Blount County in Eastern Tennessee. In 1887, at a camp-meeting, Taylor experienced salvation and became involved in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In January of 1895 he had his sanctification experience and became a part of the Holiness Movement as an active evangelist. He preached throughout Tennessee and Kentucky through the early 1900s, while making Knoxville, Tennessee his main center of operations. He became associated with William Godbey and other Holiness figures, publishing a number of booklets independently for his ministry. Many of these were published by H.C. Morrison’s Pentecostal Publishing Company.

In the early 1900s Taylor was involved with the Interdenominational Missionary Prayer League and the Holiness Union of the South, which helped sponsor Taylor on an evangelistic tour of the West Indies in 1906 and 1907.

This included St. Thomas, St. Croix, Dominica, Antigua, Barbados, the British Guianas, and Surinam among other islands, making him one of the pioneer missionaries of the English-speaking Caribbean. In 1912, Taylor, along with S. W. Edwards of the Holiness Union of the South did an evangelistic tour of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Panama. This was one of the earliest Holiness missions to Central America. From January to June of 1914, Taylor did an evangelistic tour of South America including Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.

By 1917, Taylor had become the Secretary for Missionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church Board of Foreign Missions and made missionary tours to Mexico and Asia, including Japan, Korea, China, India, Malaysia, Burma, and the Philippines. In 1921 Taylor became president of Taylor University, a position which he held for six months until he left under a scandal. Taylor then went on the Chautauqua circuit speaking about his many travels, at least till 1926, before finally disappearing from the pages of history.