368
Life Sketches of Ellen G. White
The Prayer
Elder M. C. Wilcox, of Mountain View, Cal., petitioned the throne
of grace:
“Gracious God, our heavenly Father, we are glad that there is no
trial of earth so great but that Thou hast comfort and strength for Thy
children. We are glad that we can come to Thee this morning and
know that Thou art our Father; glad for the great love wherewith Thou
dost love us even in our sinful, mortal condition, not because we are
lovable, but because Thou art love.
“We thank Thee for the gift of Thine only-begotten Son; that He
died in our behalf, and that in Him Thou canst take such unworthy
mortals as we are, and fit them for the glorious inheritance of which
we have been hearing.
“We thank Thee that Thy power is so great that Thou canst subdue
and conquer all in us that is unlovely; that Thou canst take the poor,
base alloys of our human nature, and make them the genuine gold of
God.
[466]
“We thank Thee for all the precious promises and assurances of
Thy word; for all its faithful warnings; for all its holy precepts; for the
blessed hope of our Lord’s coming which lies just before us, when He
shall take this earth and change it by His own power for an everlasting
home for all His children.
“We thank Thee, our Father, for what Thou hast done for us in
this last great gospel movement. We thank Thee for the work Thou
hast wrought through Thy handmaid, our sister, who lies before us this
morning; for all the counsel and instruction Thou hast given by her;
for all the work Thou hast wrought through her; for the institutions
she has helped to establish; for the mighty message she has borne.
“And while our hearts are inexpressibly sad this morning, our
Father, still we praise Thee for what Thou hast done in taking poor,
feeble humanity and making such an instrument for the building up of
Thy work.
“Come near to the hearts that are torn this morning. Pour into them
the balm of Thy Spirit, of Thy healing goodness. Fill all the vacancies
that are made by death, with Thine own precious presence. Help them
that mourn, to look beyond this time to the glorious morning which
lies just before us, when the Lord Jesus Christ shall heal every wound