Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-01-08


other pulpits are in accord with our.
Power from on the level when the religious
and secular press forward our Christian
undertakings. But power from on thu
level is not sufficient. Power from on high
is what we need to take possession Of u.
Power straight from God. Supernatural
power, omnipotent power, all conquerine
power Not more than one out of thou.
sand of the ministers has it continuously
Not more than one out Of ten thousand
Christians has it all the time. Given in
abundance, these last ten years Of the Nine
teenth century would accomplish more for
God, and the church, and the world than
the previous ninety years Of this century
MORE POWER FROM ON HIGH NEEDED.
A few men and women in each age Of
the world have possessed it. Caroline Fry
the immortal Quakeress, had it, and three
hundred of the depraved and suffering OF
Newgate prison, under her exhortation
repented and believed. Jonathan Ed
wards had it, and Northampton meeting
house heard the outburst of religious emo
ton as he spake of righteousness and jude
ment to come. Samuel Budget. the Chris.
tian merchant, had it, and his benefactions
showered the world. John Newton had
it. Bishop Latimer had it. Isabella Ora
ham had it, Andrew Fuller had it, The
great evangelists Daniel Baker and Dr.
Nettleton aid Truman Osborn and Charles
G. Finney had it. In my boyhood | saw
Truman Osborn rise to preach in the vii
lage church at Somerville, n. j., and be
fore he had given out his text or uttered
word people in the audience sobbed aloud
with religious emotion. 1t was the power
from on high All in greater or less de-
gree may have it.. Once get it and moth
ing can stand before you. Satan goes
down. Caricature goes lown. Infidelity
goes down. Worldliness goes dowl. All
opposition goes down.
TIgEs OF BLESSING.
Several times in the history of the church
and the world has this power from on high
been demonstrated. In the Seventeenth
century. after great season OF moral de-
preston, this power from on high came
down upon John Tillotson and Owen and
Flayel aud Baxter and Bunyan, and there
was deluge OF mercy higher than the
tops of the highest mountains of sin. In
the Eighteenth century, in England and
America, religion was at a low water mark
William Cowper. writing of the clergy 0.
those days said;
Except u few with Ellis spirit best,
Hophni and Phineas may describe the rest
The infidel writings of Shaftesbury and
Hobbies and Chubb had done their work
But power from on high came upon both
the Wesleys and Lady Huntington on the
other side the Atlantic, and upon William
Tenant and Gilbert Tenant and David
Brainerd on this side the Atlantic, and
both hemispheres felt tie tread Of par
doning God Coming to later date, there
may be here and there in this audience an
aged man or woman who can remember
New York in 1881, when this power from
on high descended most wondrously. 1t
came upon pastors and congregations and
theatres and commercial establishments
Chatham Street theatre, New York, was
the scene of most tremendous religious
awakening
A committee OF Christian gentlemen
called upon the lessee of the theatre, and
said they would like to buy the lease of the
theatre. He said, .'What do you want ii
fors" They replied, For a church" 'Foi
wh-a-ati' said the owner. For a church"
was the reply. The owner said, You may
have it, and will give you a Thousand
dollars to help You on with your work"
Arthur Tappan, man nightly persecuted
in his time. but man, as | saw him in bis
last days, as honest and pure and good al
any man ever knew, stepped on the stage
of old Chatham theatre as the actors were
closing their morning rehearsal and said,
"There will be preaching here tonight on
this stage;" and then gave out and sang
with such people as were there the old
hymn:
The voice Of free grace cries. escape to the
mountain,
For all that believes Christ has opened fountain
The barroom Of the theatre was turned
into prayer room, and eight hundred per
sons were present at the first meeting Fol
seventy successive nights religious services
were held in that theatre, and such scenes
of mercy and salvation as will be subjects
Of conversation and congratulatiOn among
the ransomed in glory as long as heaven
lasts. But | come to later time-lS0'-
remembered by many who are here. ! re.
member it especially. as had just entered
the Office of the ministry. 1t was year Of
hard times. A great panic had flung hun
dreds of thousands of people pennies.
Starvation entered habitations that had
life in many cases became "A tragedy. Sui
eide, garroting. burglary, assassination
were rampant What an awful day that
was when the banks went down. There
has been nothing like it in thirty years,
and pray God there may not be anything
like it in the next thirty centuries. Ialk
about your Black Fridaysl 1t was Black
Saturday, Black Sunday, Black Monday
Black Tuesday, Black Wednesday, Black
Thursday as well as Black Friday.
This nation in its extremity fell helpless
before the Lord and cried for pardon and
peace, and upon ministers and laymen the
power from on high descended. Engine
houses. ware rooms, hotel parlors, muse
ums, factories, from IL to o'clock, while
the operatives were resting. were opened
for prayers and sermons and inquip
rooms, and Burton's old theatre on Cham
bers street, where our ancestors used 70
assemble to laugh at the comedies, and all
up and down the streets, and out on inc
docks and on the decks of ships lying az
the wharf people sang. "All hail the power
of Jesus name" while others cried iot
mercy A great mass meeting OF ChIls
tians on a week day, in Jayne's hall, Phils