Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-01-10

laugh at the comedies, and all up and down
the streets, aud out on the docks and on the
decks of ships lying at the wharf people sang,
"All hail the power of Jesus's name, while
others cried for mercy. A great mass meet
ing OF Christians on week day. in Jayne's
Hall, Philadelphia, telegraphet 20 Fulton
Street Prayer Meeting in New York, saying,
"What hath God wrought" and telegram
went back saying, "fwo hundred souls
saved at our meeting today" A ship came
through tae Narrows into our haroor, the
captain reporting that himself and all ths
crew mad been converted to God between
New Orleans aud NeS YORK.
In toe busiest mars Of our busiest Amer
lean cities, where the worshipers of Mann
mon had been counting their golden beads,
men began to calculate, What shall it pro-
fit man if he gain the whole world and lose
his souls' The waters III restaurants after
the closing of tn sir days work knelt among
tae tables where they had served. Police
men asked consent Of the Commissioner OF
Police to be permitted to attent religious
meetings. At Albany members OF the New
York Legislature assembled In the room OF
the Court of Appeals at half past eight
O'Clock in the morning for prayer and praise.
Printed invitations were sent out to the fire.
men Of New York saying, Come as suits
your convenience best, whether in fire or
citizens dress. but comet Gomez Quarry
men knelt among the ROCKS. Fishermen
knelt in thoir boats. Weavers knelt among
the looms. Sailors kneit among the ham
mocks. Schoolmasters knelt among their
classes. A gentleman travelling said there
was line OF prayer meetings from Omaha
to Washington City, and he might have
added a line Of prayer meetings from the
Atlantic to the Pacific coast, and from the
st Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico.
In those days what songs, what sermons,
what turnings 10 God, what recital of thrill
ing experiences, what prodigals brought
home, what burning tidings Of souls saved,
what serfdom OF sin emancipated, what
wild rout of the forces of darkness, what
victories for the truth What millions on
earth and In heaven are now thanking God
for 1857, which, though the year of worst
financial calamity. was the year Of Amer
ica's most glorious blessing. How do you
| account for 1857, its spiritual triumphs
on the heels Of its worldly misfortunef
Il was what my text calls the power from on
| high.
| That was thirty-thre, years ago, and
! though there have been in various parts of
! the land many STRINGS of the Holy Ghost,
| there has been no general awakening.
| Does it not seem to you that we ought to
have and may have the scenes of power i'll
| 1857 eclipssd by the scenes OF power in 1891?
! The circumstances are somewhat similar.
! While we have not had national panic and
universal prostration as in 1857, there has
been a stringeacy in the money market that
has put many of the families of the earth Ia
their wits end. Large commercial inteEests
colapsing have left multitudes of employees
without means OF support The racGe1
brains of BUSINESS men have almost or ell
tirely given way. New illustrations all over
lse land, of the fact that riches have not only
test, on which they walk slowly as they com-,
! but wings on whica they speed when they
| go. Eternal God + hou knowest how cramped
| and severe and solemn a time it is with mauy.
And as the business rum OF 1857 was fol-
lowed by the glorious triumphs of grace, let
the awful struggles of 1890 bs followed by
the halleiujahs OF a nation saved in 1891.
Brethren in the Gospel ministry il wo
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
power from on high as we never had it Private
membership of all Christendom! if We spent
half as much time in positive prayer for this
inauenceas we do in thinking about it and
talking about it, there would not be secre-
taries enough to take down the names of
those who want to give in their names for
en- istment.
As the power from on high in 1857 was
more remarkable in AGA lemieS of music AM
lyceum halls and theatres than in churches
why not this winter of 1891 in these two
academies of music, places of secular enter
tainment where we are during the rebuilding
OF our Brooklyn Tabernacle, so grandly an /
graciously treated by the owners and lessons
and lessees; why not expect and why NOT have
the power from on high, comforting power,
Gfousing power, convincing power convert
ing power, saving power omnipotent pow er?
My opinion is that in this cluster of cities by
the Atlantic coast, there ate five hundred
thousand people now ready to accept the
Gospel call, if, freed from all the convention
aiities OF the church, it were earnestly and
with strong faith presented to them.
In these brilliant assemblies there are hun
dreds who are not frequenters of church IS
and who do not believe much If at all in min
listers OF religion or ecclesiastical oryanize-
tons. But God knows you have struggles in
which you need hep, and bereavemeuts il
which you want solacs, and prosecutions in
which you ought to have defense, and per-
plexities in which you need guidance, and
vita profound thougAtfuiness you stand by
the grave of the old year, and tho cradle OF
the young year, wondering where YOU will be
and what you will re when trolling years
shall cease to move" Power from on high
descend upon theml
Men OF New York and Brooklyn, / offer
You God aud heaven! From the day YOU
came to these cities what a struggle you have
had! can tell from your caTaTorn couute-
nances, and the tears in your eyes and the
, deep sigh you have just breath Il that you
want reinforcement and here it is, greater
I than Butcher wnen ne re-cnforced yelling
ton; greater than the Bank OF England when
| last month it re-enforcei the Bariugs-name-
~, the God who through Jesus Christ. IS
ready to pardon all your sin, comfort all YOUR
scrrows, scatter all your doubts, and swing
all the shining gates Of heaven wide open
before your redeemed spirit. Come into the
kingdom of Godl Without a half second of
delay come in!
Many of my hearers to-day are what the
world calls, and what l would call splendid
fellows, and they seem happy enough, and
are jolly and obliging, and il I were in
trouble l would go to them with as much
confidence as would to my father, if he
were yet alive. But when they go to their
rooms at night, or when the excitements of
social and business life arc off, they are not
content, and they want something better
than this world can offer. | understand
them SO well | would without any fear of
beng thought rough, put my right hand on
their ono shoulder and my left hand on their
| other shoulder and push them into the
kingdom of God. But 1 cannot. Power
from on high, lay hold Of theml
/ at the first communion after the dedica-
ton of our former church three hundred and
tweaty-eight souls stood up in tho aisles and
/ publicly espoused the cause OF Christ. At
/ another Tins four hundred souls; at another
{ tine five hundred; and our four thousand
{ five hundred membership ware but a small
| part OF those who within those sacred walls
] TOOK upon themselves the VOWS OF the
! Christian. What turned them What
/ saved then9 Power from the level, No.
Power from on high
I But greater things are to be seea if ever
/ these cities and ever this world is to be taken
for God. There is one c.ass of men and
women in all these assemblages in whom
/ have especial interest and that is those who
{ had FgOl faith srS and flnpthars lint how
/ are dead. WHAT multitudes of us are Or
{ phaus! Wemay be 40 50, 50 years old, but
[ we never get used to having father aud
inorner gone. Oh, how often we have had
troubles that we would like to have told them,
and We always felt as long as father and
/ mother were alive we had some one to whom
/ we could go Now would like TO ask if ycu
! think that all their prayers in your behalf
nave oesn answered. No" You say, but
it is too late; the old foiss are CONS now"
1 must cOurteouSly contradict YOU It is
not too late. Ihlve friend in the ministry
who was attending the last hours OF an aged
Christian, and my friend said to tile old
Christian, is there no trouble on your
mind" The old msn turned his face to the
wall for a few moments and then said:
"On'y one thing. hope Tor the salvation Of
my ten children, but not one of them is yet
saved. Yet l am sure they will be. God
means TO wait until am gone" So he died.
When my friend told of the circumstances
eight Of the ten had found tie 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 hoIr descend in
power from on high.
Oh, unanswered prayers of father and
motner where are you? In what room Of
the old homestead have they hiddens Oh.
unanswered prayers rise in mist of many
tears into a cloud and then break in a shower