Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-10-19
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THE MOODY AND sANKEY MEET
sNaS.

The second week of the labOfS OF the Evan
gelsts opened Sunday, with no anate-
ment in the Attendance, and with Increased
solennity and interest in the meetings.
THE MORNING PRAYER MLATiAG
was held at 9 o'clock in the WInoo>ki
Avenue Congregational church. Though
the morning was lowering and wet, the
church was well filled. Mr.. Moody read
from the IIth chapter of John the account
of the raising of Lazarus. Directing at
tention to the fact that Christ directed
Others to take away the stone irom the
sepulchre of Lazarus, Mr.. Moody remarked
that We see from this passage that while
God was willing To do his part, the disciples
also had something to do. He who could
raise Lazarus from the dead could, of
course. have rolled away the stone; but lie
directed Ills followers to do that. There
are stones to be rolled away IN this
town, before the dead in stu Will he raised
God, il We ask Him, will ehUw Us the stone,
and it Is for Us to take 1t away. Men ask g.
Can t God create II revival and convert souls
without all these meetings and this tals !
Yes. If He chose lie could, rs 1t were. stand
on one of our mountain tops and convert
the whole State OF Vermont IN day But
that is not His way Of working. lie always
uses human agencies In all my experience
| have never known soul To be converted
without some human influence and agency.
One asks: why does God not convert my
Maynard son, or my drunken husband !?
~. -. f.rn "a hn "a KpT
away. The members of the church have
got to shake oil pride, ambition and impure
desires, as Paul shook of the viper at
Melita Ii We regard inquiry in our hearts
the Lord will not hear W.
There are many Christians whom the
Lord cannot use for his work. They. per-
haps, have characters all rounded out save
in some one part. but there is Il defect fatal
to their influence. Let us each of us ask
what it is which keeps back the blessing
here One trouble is uubeliei; it is Il great
stone on the sepuchre. Let Us ASK for
strength to roll it away. Another obstacle
is prejudice. Many people have prejudice
against religion, against Christians, against
the Bible. They tell YOU of men who
pretended to be Christians. and who often
turned out bad. Yes. there are such eases
but men do not refuse to Join political
parties because they contain some bad men
We ought to love our Lord the more be-
cause many hate and some betray him
Another obstacle is sectarian feeling,
Christians ask, Will this movement build
up our church? Let US rise above such Il
harrow thought, and say, Let souls be saw
ed and brought into some church. 1t re
quires mightier power to raise dead soul
than dead body hut God can do it and
if we go to Him in humility and faith, and
ask Him to revive His work, lie will do 1t.
Mr. Moody then prayed earnestly for th e
removal OF prejudceS and obstacles and Tor
greater faith in Gods people.
Remarklng that it WAS not always the
best meeting at which there was the most
talking, Mr.. Moody then asked the con-
gregation to spend few moments in silent
waiting and prayer that God would show
to each what was wanting.
MI. Sankev then prayed, making Il special
request in behalf OF sister, who had ask
ed prayer for brother in a distant city
A lady offered short and earnest prayer.
Brother Geo. f. Davis briefly urged
Christians not to stand IN the doors and
keep sinners from coming in. Brother
Huntington offered an earnest prayer.
The meeting closed with the singing by
Mr. Sankey OF the by INN 30, to he moth
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