“The Curse of the Granted Prayer.” A widowed mother had an only child—a darling boy. Her heart was wrapped up in him. At one time he was taken very ill. The doctor thought he would die. She prayed earnestly that his life might be spared. But she did not pray in submission to the will of God. She said she did not want to live unless her child was spared to her. He was spared. But, he grew up to be a selfish, disobedient boy. One day, in a fit of passion, he struck his mother. That almost broke her heart. He became worse and worse; and, at last, in a drunken quarrel, he killed one of his companions. He was taken to prison; was tried—condemned to be hanged—and ended his life on the gallows. That quite broke his mother’s heart. Now God, in his goodness, was going to save that mother from all this bitter sorrow. And would have done so if she had only learned to say—“Thy will be done.” She would not say that. The consequence was that she brought on herself all that heart-breaking sorrow. And then we ought to learn submission to the will of God—_because, whatever he takes away from us—he leaves us so many blessings still_! Here is a good illustration of this part of our subject. Some years ago, in a town in New England, there was a minister of the gospel who was greatly interested in his work. But he was attacked with bleeding of the lungs and was obliged to stop preaching and resign the charge of his church. About the same time his only child was laid in the grave; his wife, for a time, lost the use of her eyes; his home was broken up, and his prospects were very dark. They had been obliged to sell their furniture and take boarding at a tavern in the town where they lived. But, under all these trials, he was resigned and cheerful. He felt the supporting power of that precious gospel which he had so loved to preach. His wife had not felt as contented and cheerful under their trials as he was. One day, as he came in from a walk, she said to him: “Husband dear, I have been thinking of our situation here, and have made up my mind to try and be patient and submissive to the will of God.” “Ah,” said he, “that’s a good resolution. I’m very glad to hear it. Now, let us see what we have to submit to. I will make a list of our trials. Well, in the first place, we have a comfortable home; we’ll submit to that. Secondly, we have many of the blessings of life left to us; we’ll submit to that. Thirdly, we are spared to each other; we’ll submit to that. Fourthly, we have a multitude of kind friends; we’ll submit to that. Fifthly, we have a loving God, and Saviour, who has promised to take care of us, and ‘make all things work together for our good;’ we’ll submit to that.”