Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1892-07-30

-diTlguteU udIS luCO CQe W1llOOW, anu
wheels around the room. Yon seize it.
You smooth its RULED plu1nagc. You
feel its luttering heart. You say.
Poor thing, poor thing! Now Il pray
er goes out of the storm of this world
into the window of Gods mercy. and he
catches it and he feels it's tluttering
pulse. and he puts it in his own bosom
of affection and safety.
Prayer is a. warm, ardent, pn!sating
exercise. 1t is the electric battery which,
Touched thrills to the throne OF God. 1t
is the diving bell in which we, go down
into he tleptlisof Gods mercy aud bring
up pearls # great price" There isln
instance where prayer made the waves
Of Gennesaret sclit as granitepavement.
Oh. how many wonderful Things prayer
has accomplished. Have you ever tried
it, In the days when the Scotch Cove
nanters were persecutesl and thcenemies
were after them one of the head men
among the Covenanters prayed: 20
Lord, we be as dead men unless thou
shalt helpns. o Lore, tlIrow the lapof
.thy:cloak: ovor % poor things. And
instantly Scotch mist envelopedsand
hid the prosecuted from their persecu-
tors = the promise literally fulfilled.
While they ARE yet speaking | will
hear -
Oh. impenitent soul, have you ever
tried the power of prayer? God,says;5
...He is. loving and faithful and patieut.s
Do you believe that? You are told that
Christ came to save sinners. D0syou
believe that? You are told that all you
have to do ito get the pardon of the Cos
rel is to ask for it. Do you believe that?
Then come to him and say: so Lord.
( know thou canst not lie. Thou hast
told me to come for pardon, and could
get it. come, Lord. Keep thy prom
Use anu liberate my captive soul. -
THE PLACE FOR PRAYER.
Oh. that you might have an altar in
tile parlor. in the kitchen, in the store
in the barn! for Christ will be willing to
come again to the manger to hear prayer.
He will come in your place of business
rs he confronted Matthew. the tax COM
missioner. If measure should come
before congress that you thought would
ruin the nation. how yon would send Ill
petitions AMI remonst1ances. And yet
there has been enough sin in your heart
to ruin it forever, and you have never
demonstrated or petitiuned against it.
If your physical health failed, and yon
had the means, you would go and spend
the summer in Germany and the winter
in Italy. and you would think it a very
cheap Outlay if you had to go all around
the earth to get back Your physical
health. Have,you made any effort, any
expenditure, any exertion for your i'm
mortal and spiritual health? No, you
have not. taken ore step.
Oh. that you might now begin to seek
after God with earnest prayer! Some
of you have been working, for years and
years far the support Of your families.
Have you given one hall. day to the works
ing out of your salvation with fear and
trembling? You came here tliismorn-
ing with an earnest purpose, take it, as
have come hither with an earnest pur-
pose, and we meet face to face. and Il
tell you, first of all, if you want to find
the Lord you must pray and pray and
remark again, you must seek the
Lord through Bible study. The Bible is
the newest book in the world. Oh
you say, ..it was made hundreds of years
ago, and the learned men of King James
translated it hundreds of years ago." !
confute that ide; by telling you it is not
five minutes old, when God, by his
blessed. spirit, retranslates it into the
heart. If you will, in the seeking of the
way of life through Scripture study, i'm
plore Gods light to fall upon the page.
You will find that these promises are
not one second old and that they drop
straight from the throne of God into
your heart.
There are many people to whom the
Bible does not amount to much. If they
merely look ut the outside beauty, why
it will no moro lead them to Christ than
Washingtoll's farewell address or the
Koran of Mahomct or the Shaster of the
Hindoos. 1t is the inward light of Gods
Word you must get or die. went up
to the church Of the Madeleine in Paris
and looked at the doors, which were the
most wonderfully constructed ever
saw, and could have staid there for
a whole week; but had only little
time, so, having glanced at the wonder
full carving on the doors, passed in and
looked at the radiant affairs and the
sculptured dome. Alasl that so many
stop at the outside door Of Gods holy
Word, looking at the rhetorical beau
ties. instead of going in and looking at
the affairs of sacrifice and the dome of
Gods mercy and salvation that hoyers
over every penitent and believing soul!
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
Oh, my friends, if you merely wantto
study the laws of language, do not go to
the Bible. It was not made for that.
Take ..Howes Elements of Criticism. "
1t would be better than the Bible for
that. If you want to study metaphysics.
better than the Bible will be the writ
ings of William Hamilton. But if you
want to know how to have sln-pardoned,
and at last to gain the Llessedness of
heaven search the Scriptures, "for in
them We have eternal life"
When people are anxious about their
souls-;lnd there are some here today
there are those who recommend good
books. That is all right. But ! want to
tell you that the Bible is the best book
under such circumstances. Baxter wrote
"a Call to the Unconyerted," but the
Bible is the best call to the, unconyerted.
Philip Doddridge wrote The Rise and
Progress of Religion III the Soul, but
the Bible is the best rise and progress.
John Angel James wrote advice to
the Anxious Inquirer" but the Bible is
the best advice to the anxious inquirer.
Oh, the Bible is the very book YOU