Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1853-01-12
o. rig nEw YEsn.
speak unto the children u isreal that they 60
rarw.ppw Exodus i4c. l5y

..speak unto the children II Izresl that they 60
roEwARpv Exodus IA c. l5y.
The historical portions Of Scripture are val.
ualle to US rs lessons for our coUduct---a and
thew are SO intended Here were the chosen
people Of God taught IN the first great strait
IN which Gods providence permitted them to
be placed, with the army Of their late task
master, commanded by their fierce king, NJ
their rear-and tie Red Sea in front, and
beyond 1t the arid desert, what was their du-
ty' and every mans duty, IN like cases
They saw the faces Of their late raster and
oppressors behind them, the deep sea before
them, and 'they were sore afraid, and they
reproached their great prophet for bringing
them out of Egypt. as if''there were no graves
there = to die ia the desert ana even he,
their inspired leader, tho fc quailed not. and
encouraged them TO fear not, yet coGld not
know hoic they were to fiad deliveranec from
this perilous position, and told them to stand
still and SEQ the salvation which should be
wrought By the hand of God--hut what said
their hIaker-'Go forward" $50 forward,
your faith must be active, afford no miraea
lous relief to the passive. the fearful. or the
helpess = Go forward, and trust that when
you 60 thro' the deep waters they shall not
overflow you. And so He speaks to us,
and to all, let us read the lesson Alright. -
Are we no. bemmed in to. day? Behind us
is the past year with It's broken VOWS of
amendment, lis crowd Of sins, its wasted
hours. pursuing US, crying for vengeance;
before us, this wilderness world the untrod-
den future the untried New Year How
snail we get through shall we all see the
further confines of this uatravelled track Of
time. shall VIC all be here this time next year,
God only knows there were some in these
seats year ago who have gone to their last
account; in all human probability next New
Years day may find some seats untenanted
that are now filed Then what shall we do
Let us go forward. Bat how /? There is Que
thing That we are placed here for, the wider
ness of the lsraelites is type of lifc-God
gave them duties to perform. duties to Him,
to their leader, duties to be sternly performed
for themselves and towards others.
Duty is the great purpose Of life. we all
have this to perform the old, the middle aged,
the young every man. woman and child who
hears me. has serious, imperative duties to
perform.
There are two classes Of persons in this
world, the word of God makes the classical
tion and |, his miuistering servant, adopt it:
1st Those who are IN Christ
I'd, Those who ar. OUT Of Christ
| thank God that ] have right to hope
that some of us are in the first class
fear that some of us are in the latter.
But we who profess TO be in Christ how shall
we 90 forward. The christian life is race.
We mus. press forward or we must 90 back
ward. There is no standing stillin this cause,
there is goal to be reached, there is prize
to be won, we must press forward or we. Use
the high reward. It's a conflict if we ground
our weapons or let fall our arms we perish,
for our adversary allows no truce no breath
ing time. Brethren, our armor is proof, we
have tho breastplate of righteousness, the
sword Of the spirit (Which is the word of
God y we are shod with the preparation of
the Gospel, and We can carry before us the
shield of Faith; our armor is proof, say,
for it was forged BY no human hands, God
has given it to us to wear it, and to use it,
the defensive and the offensive. as bis true
aud faithful soldiers, to fight on. till our lies
end. We profess to be in Christ, then we
must put on the whole armor of God, and keep
it on, and faint not in the conflict, we must
make progress, we must occupy positions in
front of US. it is not enough that we keep our
ground. for the goal, the reward the crown is
ahead of us. Let us 90 forward then.
BY PRAYER, God has said ihat He will
hear prayer; We may puzzle ourselves if we
leave revealed truth for specalations, by won
dering how an Interchangeable God can vary
His designs to answer our prayers Oh,
brethren. Gods ways are not our ways, the
highest and most exaltiug glimpse which the
can have. in this life, of the Divine
Government, is the wonderful manifestation
Of how He directs events orersules occur
rcnces. to the unbeHeviug !eye, accidental
10 His high and Holy purposes lie makes
even the wrath OF man to praise Him; He
makes good out of our evil Yes, He hears
prayer, lie is a prayer hearing God, "Seeh |
aud ye shall find, ASK aud ye shall receive"
perhaps not as 10 your blindness you may ex-
poet, but in His g Cd time and in the mode
best for us, 'for the fervent, effectual prayer !
IF the righteous man" shall avail, and the I
universal testimony of the righteous in all
'gcs is that it doth avail, yea availctb much
"a. Another means Of grace, (for God |
works BY means, is his Word, that bles-
'ed word given for our instruction, to be
amp to our feet, and light to our path
IBIS is the pillar of cloud by day and Of fire
BY night to guide us torward in this wilder
hess world search the Scriptures. for in I
hem we have cternal life. and there are they /
which testify of Christ. our pattern and per-
'cct erample in all moral duty, oar surety |
md daysman betwixt Sod and US; our infal- |
ible prophet, whose spirit is promised to abide
IN us, to enliehten US: our great high peieSt I
who still liyith to make intercession for us /;
Dur glorious king, who shall reign until all |
things are put under Ills feet Yes, if this !
DO the word Of God. read il, not as you read
the works OF man regard it as you would
living voice from heaven, as IT, at this mo-
ment, as on the mount o. TRANSPORTATION, there |
came an audible voice from the great glory, I
saying to each one of you. This is my be- |
1 = 4 4 u l.