“’Before I rose from my knees, there was a sound of a rushing, mighty wind.  I looked out, and lo! the heavens were black; that cloud was rolling up, and soon the rain fell in torrents, two full hours.’

“The writer, (Professor Cowles,) himself remembers how that cloud lay over the lake; how it drove him, also, to his closet; and that soon and signally the prayers of that hour came back to us in mighty rain.”

LUTHER’S MIGHTY PRAYER AND PROPHECY.

At one time in the life of Luther, there was a critical moment in the affairs of the Reformation.  Bitter persecution prevailed with extraordinary power, and threatened every one.  They were the dark days when faith could only cling.  There were but few friends to the reformers, and these were of little strength.  Their enemies were every where strong, proud, arrogant.  But Luther relied on his God, and at this moment, with his favorite hymn in his heart, “A strong fortress is our God,” he went to the Lord in prayer, and prayed that omnipotence would come to the help of their weakness.  Long he wrestled alone with God in his closet, till like Jacob he prevailed.  Then he went into the room, where his family had assembled, with joyous heart and shining face, and raising both hands, and lifting his eyes heavenward, exclaimed, “We have overcome, we have overcome.”

This was astonishing, as there was not the slightest of news which had yet been heard to give them hope of relief.  But immediately after that, the welcome tidings came that the Emperor, Charles V., had issued his Proclamation of “Religious Toleration in Germany.”  In Luther’s prayer was fulfilled the remarkable promise of Proverbs, 21:  I. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water; he turneth it whithersoever he will.”

JOHN KNOX AND HIS PROPHETICAL PRAYER.

“John Knox was famous for his earnest prayers.  Queen Mary said that she feared his prayers more than she did all the armies of Europe.  One night, in the days of his bitterest persecution, while he and his friends were praying together, Knox spoke out, and declared that deliverance has come.  He could not tell how. Immediately the news came that Queen Mary was dead.”

MELANCTHON’S LIFE SAVED FROM DEATH IN ANSWER TO LUTHER’S PRAYER.

The most powerful tribute to the efficacy of prayer, was the answer to Luther’s prayer which the Lord sent.  A messenger was sent to Luther that Melancthon was dying.  He found him presenting the usual premonitory symptoms of death.  Melancthon roused, looked in the face of Luther, and said, “O Luther, is this you?  Why don’t you let me depart in peace.” “We can’t spare you yet, Philip,” was the reply, and turning around, he threw himself upon his knees, and wrestled