Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-20

Lord Jesus Christ manages His ser
wants this way II there are forsy
standing around, and He wants an or
rand done, He bids the one closest 70
Him to do it. If Christ don't call on
you to 90 an errand it is because there
are others closer to Him. lfyou want
q Job Just get close to Him, and lie
viii give you one before midnight TO-
day.
.Thou hast loosed my bonds" That
is what is the matter with us. Weare
bound. A man bound can't walk, or
work either; but turn him loose and
he is a sight. In Columbia church
one Of the leading men Of the town came
to meeting and tried his best to "get
faith +" and get happy" and he didn't
get along very we'll. Finally he came
to meeting and said: Z" am
afraid these meetings will leave
me where they found me- lie prayed
and got to work and " feeling" came
as consequence. And if you want
feeling in the sense ! speak of it, you
can get it quite as easy as you get per-
spiration. Just 60 to work and you
don't have to ask it to come. 1t just
oozes out. Oh God, let us pray to-
day to get these shackles off our hands
and feet. Give us liberty of tongue,
liberty Of hands and feet. Il am thy
servant, the son of thy handmade. Thou
hast loosed my bonds. "" Well, I'VE say,
81 am little and Insignificant" Brother,
there is but one way in the world to
grow, and that is to exercise. | put
my arm in a sling and carry it that
way six months, and cannot llft a
pound. could not lift my arm, much
less any weight. can take that arm
and for six months WELD with it the
hammers in a blacksmith shop, and my
arm is almost omnipotent.
A man down on his knees praying for
faith. Oh, / would just as soon pray
for sweet potatoes. Now, you say |
am a heterodox. / am by your dox,
but not by my dox. You say the dis
ciple said If you have faith like a
grain OF mustard-seed you could say to
this mountain, q" BE you removed" In
other words, don't you pray for faith,
but use what you have. Well, l
pray for sweet potatoes, but l
get them at the end Of a hoe.handle.
Some people pray for faith as though it
were really something like hat-rack
or a something you can take
hold of and say: 81 have got it,"
Faith is something you just open the
door and let it come in. You pray
God to open the door for you, and you
have the door locked and the key in
your pocket. Just put that key in the
socket and the Lord will come in.
Brother, how much did you ever get
in answer to prayer? What did you
do with it? Where did you put it?
What did it accomplish? Faith is
throwing the doors open and letting
Christ come in. He says: d" | stand at
the door and knock" What does lie
knock for? So that the Lord may be
able to come in? No. He is knocking
so that you may let Him in. The SUI
perintendent had before him in
row four little wharf.rats from
the mission school. He said Hen
~, you may have this" He said :;
" Jake, you may have it," He
Just stood and grinned, and said to
John: "You may have it." And
John Just took it and put it in his
pocket, and the other fellows burst out
CRYING. Well, that is faith. 81 will
obey my vows in the Lord" David
struck a keynote there. My Lord, let
US brush the tombstones off from where
they are buried, dig them up, uncoilin
them, strip off the grave-clothes from
their body, and my VOWS shall be
living, walking promises to God all the
rest of my life. If we have made a
promise to God, let US redeem it.
III was a member Of the church in
this house and wanted my bonds loosed,
would say, "If God Almighty helps
me, will never stick my head in a the
atre again il God Almighty lets me
live to enter my door again, into the
CRATE shall 60 the cards" If | had
ever had a dance or german, or dressed
my daughter for any such place, would
settle it right here, and say, "God
being nv umpire, will die before do
any such thing" If had neglected
the poor | would go home and take
what / did not need-not what
you can't spare; you can't spare
anything give it. Many a
woman has turned the dress in after
wearing it out, and then kindly donated
it. ! often wonder how she will look
racking around in heaven with that sort
of dress on. Many an old soul has
sat down and painted religiously,
lone more old dress laid up in hea-
ven." When you are dressed up that
way in glory going out to big meeting
you will be ashamed of that sort Of
conduct.
The most of the change most Of you
have laid up in heaven will be copper
cents. About the only circulating
mSuluh lVu VIII Ha'C up III hCa'Oh
will be coppers. have no idea you
will find any penny papers or penny
cakes or penny beer up there.
Invent to tell you a while ago about
man coming to meeting back
sliding Methodist. He said: Z" have
been seeking blessing at all your
meetings and can't get it," We'll
what do you want with it?" Il want
to feel good" said /" / don't sup
pose you will find it. ! am glad the
Lord knows whom to bless, and ain'i
wasting any blessings on YOU"
Do you want the right sort Of bless
ing? "Yes, l do" Well, tonight
you 90 to your pastor and say
Brother, have been member of this
church ten years, but have done nothing
for Christ or for you, but il you want
me now take my name; if you wan
any money check on me; If you wan
any woman to visit the sick, there i
my wife," You do that, and if you
don't get blessing it will be becaus,
: the Lord is asleep, and He will atten(
to it as soon as He wakes up.
A railroad man never fires up his en-
J CINE unless he intends that engine to g