The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-14

] manly OF tue lamlllG5 OF Tic edTIn 10 lnclI
wits end. Large commercial interests
coilapsing have left multitudes OF en-
ployes without means of support. The
racked brains of business men have al
most or entirely given way. New illustra-
tions all over the land of the fact that
riches have not only feet IN which they
walk slowly as they come, but wings on
which they speed when they 90. Eternal
God! Thou knowest how cramped, and
severe, and solemn a time 1t is with
many. And, as the business ruin of 1857
was followed by the glorious triumphs OF
grace, let the awful struggles OF 1890 be
followed by the hallelujahs of a nation
saved in 1891.
Brethren in the gospel ministry! Ii we
spent half as much time in prayer as we
do in the preparation of our sermons
nothing could stand before us. We would
have'the pow er from on high as we have
never had it. Crivate membership OF all
Christendoml If we spent half as much
time in positive PRAYER for this influence as
we do inthinkingabout 1t and talking about
il, there would not be secretaries enough
to take down the names for enlistment.
We would have hundreds of cases like
those recently reported when a man said
to an evangelist: Il am a lost sinner.
Pray for me. My wife has been a pro-
fessor OF religion for years, but | know
she did not enjoy religion, and | said II that
was all there was in religion, L did not
want it. But for the last few days she has
looked and acted in such an elevated and
glorious spirit that l cannot stand 1t, away
from God. ] want the same religion that
inspires her" Come! Come! All through
the United States. and all through Chris
tendon, and all around the world, let us
join hands in holy pledge that we will call
upon God for power. Oh, for the power
from on high, the power that came on
Pentecost; yea, for ten thousand Pente-
costs. Such times will come, and they
will come in our day, if we have the faith
and the prayer and the conservation.
As the power from On high in 1857 was
more remarkable in academies OF music
and lyceum halls and theatres than in
churches, why not this winter OF 1891 in
these ACADEMIES of music, places OF secu-
lar entertainment where we are, during
the rebuilding of our Brooklyn tabernacle,
SO grandlv aud graciously treated by the
owners and lessons and l~essees; VIII Y not
expect. and why not have the power from
on high. comforting power ,arousing power,
convincing power, covering power, saw
ing power, Omnipotent power? My opln-
ion is that in this cluster of cities by
the Atlantic coast, there are 5OO,OUO
people now ready to accept the gospel
call if. freed from all the conventionallties
of the church, it were earnestly and With
strong faith presented to them. In these
brilliant assemblies, there are hundreds
who are not %frequenters )f churches, and
who do not believe E4uch, if at all, in
ministers of religion or ecclesiastical or
CARNATIONS. But God knows you have
= rYorla- IN which UnrI wQDt GOI1PR and
prosecutions in which you ought to have
defense, and perplexities in which you
need guidance, and, with a profound
thoughtfulness, you stand by the
grave of the old year, and the
cradle OF the young year, wondering
where YOU will be, and what you
will be when "%roliing years shall cease to
move" Power from on high descend upon
themi Men of New York and Brooklyn,
| offer you God and heaven! From the
day YOU came to these cities, what a strug-
gle YOU have had / can tell from your
care-worn c~ountenances, and the tears in
your eyes, and the deep sigh you have
Just breathed that you want re-enforce-
ment, and here it is gTeater than Butcher,
when be re-enforced Wellington; greater
than the Bank of England, when
last month it REINFORCED the Bar
ings; namely, the God, who,
through Jesus Christ, is ready to
pardon all your sin. comfort all your sor-
rows, scatter all your doubts, and swing
all the shining gates of heaven wide open
before your redeemed spirit. Come into
the kingdom of God Without a half
second of delay, come in!
Many OF my hearers today are what the
world calls, and what 1 would call, SPLEEN
did fellows, and they seem happy enough,
and are Jolly and obliging. and if | were
in trouble l would 90 to them with as
much confidence as | would TO my father,
if he were vet alive. But when they go to
their rooms at night, or when the excite
ments of social and business life are of,
they are not content, and they want some
thing better than this world can offer. /
understand them so well L would, without
any fear OF being thought rough, put my
right hand on their one shoulder anu my
lett hand on their other shoulder, and
push them into the kingdom of God.
But | can not. Power from high, lay
hold of theml Years ago at the close of a
religious service in BrOoKlyn tabernacle, a
gentleman most distinguished in appear-
ance, and with remarkable cerebral devel-
| Opment, came forward with his wife and
daughter, and said to me in a most courte-
GUS ana elegant Way. Let me lHlTOuuco
o to my wife and daughter who wish
some counsel in regard to religious mat
tiers" and the three sat down. After /
had conversed with the wife and daughter
/ turned to the gentlemen and
said: Perhaps you have ONE interest
yourself in these matters? ?" None
whatever" was the reply, polite yet firm.
But before the meeting had closed | saw
his hand lifted to his forehead, and his
eyes closed, and l said: ''Sir, have you
not changed your mind and are you not
thoughtful on this subject" He said, Il
am, since coming to this seat | have
sought and found Christ as my Savior, and
/ rave but one desire more, and that is,
before | leave this house to join my wife
and daughter in making profession of the
Christian religion. l have been known
as on the wrong side long enough" What
was it that had come upon him? 1t was
power from on high.
At the first communion after the dedi-
cation of our former church, 32S souls
stood up in the aisle5 and publicly es-
poused the cause of Christ; at another
time 400 souls at another time 500 souls,
and OUR $500 membership were but q
small part of those who, within those sa-
cred walls, took upon themselves the VOW
of the Christian. What turned them =?
What saved them? Power from the devil?
No. Power from on high.
But greater things are to be seen il ever