Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-01-23


spent half as much time in prayer as we dc
i'm the preparation of our sermons nothing
could stand before US. We would have the
ipower from on high as we mover had it. Private
membership of all Chr;stendom! il we spent
half as much time in positive prayer for this
Influence as we do in thi4klIg about il and
talking about it, there wCIld not be score
Ftaries enough to take down the names Of
those who want to give in their names tor
enlistment.
As the power from on high in 1857 was
more remarkable in academies OF music and
llyceum halls end theatres than In churches,
why not this winter of 1891 in these two
academies of music, placeS,of secular enter
Itainment where we are during the rebuilding
of our Brooklyn Tabernacle so grandly and
'graciously treated by the owners and lessons
and lessees; why not expect and why not have
the power from on high, comforting power,
Iarousing power, convincing power, convert
ing power, saving power, onnipOtent power!
My opinion is that In this cluster Of cities by
the Atlantic coast, there are five hundred
thousand people now ready to accept the
Gospel call, if, freed from all the convention
alities of the church, it were earnestly and
with strong faith presented to them.
In these brilliant assemblies there are hun
dreds who are not frequenteTs of churches,
and who do not believe much If at all in min.
listers of religion or ecclesiastical OrganiZa-
tions. But God knows you have struggles in
which you need help, and bereavements in
WHICH you want SOlaCe, ana pSTSeCuLlOQS III
which you ought to have defense, and per.
plexities in which you need guidance, and
with 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 rolling years
shall cease to move" Power from on high
descend upon theml
Men of New York and Brooklyn, I offer
you God and heaven! From the day you
came to these cities what struggle you have
had! can tell from your careworn counte-
Dances, and the tears in your eyes, and the
deep sigh you have just breathed that you
want reinforcement, and here it is greater
than Butcher when he REINFORCED Yelling
ton; greater than the Bank of England when
last month it REINFORCED the Barings-name-
ly, the God who through Jesus Christ is
ready to pardon all your sin, comfort all YOUR
sorrows, 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!
world calls, and what I would call splendid
fellows, and they seem happy enough, and
are jolly and obliging, and if l were in
trouble I would go to them with much
were yet alive. But when they go to their
rooms at night, Or when the excitements Of
social and business life are off, they are not
content, and they want something better
than this world can offer. [ understand
them so we'll would, without any fear of
being thought rough, put my right hand on
their one shoulder and my left hand on their
other shoulder and push them into the
kingdom of God. But l cannot Power
from on high, lay hold Of them
At the first communion after the dedica-
ton of our former church three hundred and
twenty-eight souls stood up in the aisles and
publicly espoused the cause of Christ. At
another time f0ur hundred SOlljS. AFT another.
time five hundred; and our four thousand
five hundred membership were but a small
part of those who within those sacred walls
took upon themselves the VOWS of the
Christian. What turned them? What
saved them? Power from the level? No.
Power from on high.
But greater things are to be seen if ever
these cities and ever this world is to be taken
for God. There is one class of men and
women in all these assembiages in whom
have especial interest and that is those who
had good fathers anG mothers once, but they
are dead. What multitudes of US are or
phansl We may De 40, 50, so years old, but
we never get used to having father and
mother gone. Oh, how often we have had
troubles that we would like to have told them,
and we always felt as long father and
mother were alive we had some one to whom
we could go! Now I would like to ask if you
think that all their prayers IN your behalf
have been answered. NO" you say, but
IL
l must courteously contradict you. 1t is
not too late. Ihave friend in The ministry
who was attending the last hours Of an aged
Christian, and my friend said to the old
Christian. us there no trouble on your
nind?' The old man turnel his face to the
wall for a few moments, and then said:
'Only one thing. hope for the salvation Of
my ten children, but not one OF them is yet
saved. Yet | am sure they will be. God
means to wait until am gone" So he died.
When my friend told Of the circu msta noes
eight of the ten had found the Lord, and
have no doubt the other two before this have
found Him. Oh, that the long postponed
answers to prayer for you, my brother. for
you, my sister, might this hour descend in
power from on high.
Oh unanswered prayers of father and
mother, where are you? In what room of
the old homestead have they hidden? Oh,
prayers, rise in mist of many
tears into cloud, and then break in a shower
which shall soften the heart OF that man
who is so hard he cannot cry, or that womsn
who is ashamed to pray! Oh, armchair Of
the aged, now empty and in the garnet among
the rubbish, speak out! Oh, staff Of the pill
grim who has ended his weary journey, tell
of the parental anxieties that bent over thee!
Oh, family Bible, with story Of births and
deaths, rustic some of thy time worn leaves,
and let US know of the wrinkled hands that
once turned thy pages, and explain that spot
where a tear fell upon the passage: .Oh,
my son, my son, would God had
died for thee"
Good and gracious God what will become
of us, if after having had such devout and
praying parentage, we never pray for our
selves! I've will pray. We will begin now.
Oh, for the power from on high, power to
move this assembla9e, power to save BROOK
lyn and New York, power of evangelism that
s1all sweep across this continent like an ocean