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PRENATAL CULTURE. 



Born Preachers* 



Dedicated to 

 God's Service. 



sands of children might have been born with 

 strongly religious tendencies. 



It has long been observed that the most devout, 

 natural preachers strongly resemble their mothers. 

 Martin Luther is said to have received his de- 

 votional spirit from maternal impressions. Sev- 

 eral years ago, at a Chautauqua assembly, I heard 

 one of America's great preachers say, "Next to 

 my God, I owe my success in the ministry to my 

 consecrated mother, who, before I saw the light of 

 day, ordained me to God's service." 



Many now engaged in the ministry have thus 

 been dedicated to the cause of Christianity by 

 the prayers of devoted, spiritual mothers. Some 

 years ago while traveling in the West a dear old 

 lady, with tears of joy flowing down her cheeks, 

 told me of her boy preacher. It seems that she 

 and her husband had been nominal church mem- 

 bers for years, during which time four children 

 had blessed their home. Before the birth of her 

 youngest son she attended a series of revival meet- 

 ings and became thoroughly awakened in her 

 spiritual life. She said : "I never was so happy 

 Her Boy Would in all my life. It just seemed that the Holy 

 Ghost had taken possession of me and I felt like 

 shouting and praising the Lord all the time. My 

 boy, born three weeks after the meetings closed, 

 never was like his brothers; we always had to 

 drive them to Sunday-school and Church, but 

 we could not keep Sam away. He began to 

 preach when he was seven years old, was licensed 

 as an exhorter at seventeen, and I praise the Lord 

 he is preaching yet!" 



Several pages might be filled with the recital 



Preach* 



