The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-25

tuelut one OF bOe mead men hInouk bne
covenenters prayed: 20 Lord, we be az
dead men unless thou shalt help US
Lord, throw the lap OF thy CLOAK over thest
poor things" And instantly Scotch mist
enveloped and hid the prosecuted from their
persecuto-s-the promise literally fulfilled
"While thew are vet speaking, will hear y
o impenitent soul, have you ever tried
the power OF prayeri God says: He il
loving and faithful and patisnt.n Do you
believe that You are told that Christ
came TO save sinners. Do you believe that
You are told that all you have to do TO get
she pardon Of the gospel, is to ask for il.
Do you believe thati Then come TO him
and say: 40 Lord, know thou canst not
lie. Thou hast told me to come for par
don, aud l could get it l come, Lord.
Keep thy promise, and hberate my captive
souln
o that you might have an altar In the
parlor, in the kitchen, in the store, in the
barn. for Christ will be willing TO come
again 20 the manger 60 hear prayer. He
would come in your place of business as
he confronted Matthew the tax commits
sioner. If measure should come before
congress that you thought would ruin the
nation, how you would send in petitions
and circumstances. And yet there has
been enough sin in your heart TO ruin 1t
forever, and you have never demonstrated
or petitioned against IL II your physical
health failed, and you had the means, you
would go and spend the summer In Ger
many, and the winter 10 Italy, and you
would think it very cheap outlay IL you
had to go ell around the earth to get back
your physical health. Have you made any
effort, any expenditure, any exertion for
your immortal and spiritual healthi No,
you have not taken one step.
so, that you might now begin 10 seek
after God with earnest prayer. Some OF
you have been working for years and years
for the support OF your families. Have you
given one half day to the working out Of
your salvation with fear and tremblingi
You came here this morning with an
earnest purpose, take it, as l have come
hither with an honest purpose. and
We meet face to face, and tell you, first Of
all, If you want to find the Lord you must
pray, aud pray and pray.
remark, again, you must seek the Lord
through Bible study. The Bible is the new
est book in the world. co." you say lit
was made hundreds Of years ago, and the
learned men of King James translated 1t
hundreds of years ago. | confuto that
idea by telling you that ID is not five minutes
old, when God, by his blessed spirit retrans-
lates it into the heart. II you will. 10 the
seeking of the way Of life Through script
ure study, implore Gods light to fall upon
tie 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 10 whom the Bible
does not amount to much. II they merely
look at the outside beauty, why 1t will no
more lead them to Christ than Washington's
farewell address or the Koran OF Mahomet
or the Shas;er of the Hindoos. 1t is the in
ward light OF Gods word you must get or
die. / went up to the Church of the Made
leine in Paris and look at the doors which
were the most wonderfully constructed l
ever saw, aud l could have stayed there for
a whole week; but / had only little time,
so, having glanced at tine wonderful carving
on the doors, passed in and looked at the
radiant affairs, and the sculptured dome.
Alas, that so many stop at the outside door
OF Gods holy word. looking at the rhetor-
icsl beauties. instead OF going in and look
ing at the affairs of sacrifice and the dome
of Gods mercy and salvation that hovers
over every penitent and believing soul
o, my friends, II you merely want to
study the laws OF language do not go to the
Bible. 1t was not made for that Take
"Howe's Elements of Criticism" IL would
be better than the Bible for that. II you
want to study metaphysics, better than the
Bible will be the writings OF William Ham
ilton. But If you want 10 know how to
have sin pardoned and at last to gain the
blessedness Of heaven search the scriptures,
''for in them ye have eternal life"
When people are anxious about their
souls-and there are some such here to-day
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 Unconverted." but the Bible
is the best call TO the unconverted. Philip
Doddridge wrote The Rise and Progress
of Religion ia the Soul" but the Bible is
the best rise and progress. John Angel
James wrote advice to the Anxious In
Quirer." but the Bible is the best advice to
the anxious inquirer.
o the Bible is the very book you need
anxious and inquiring soul A dying SOL
der said 20 his mate: "Comrade give me q
DROP The comrade shook up the oanteen
and said: There is not drop of water in
the csnteen.n 10, i" said the dying soldier,
''thats not what want; feel in my KNAPP
sack for my Bible, and his comrade found
the Bible and read him few OF the gra-
cious promises, and the dying soldier said:
''Ah, that's what want There isn't any
thing like the Bible for dying soldier, is
there, my contradict" blessed book while
we live. Blessed book when We die.
remark. again, we must seek God
through church ordinances. What say
you, cant man be saved without going
TO churchT reply. there are men, | sup
pose, in glory who have ne yer seen a church;
but the church is the ordained means by
WHICH VIC are 10 DC DrOuRut 70 GfOQs ana IL
truth affects US when We are alone, it affects
us more nightly when we Hre in the assem-
blythe feelings of others emphasizing our
own feelings. The great law of sympathy
comes into play and q truth that would
take hold only with the grasp Of a sick man,
beats nightly against the soul with thou
sand heart throbs.
When you come into the religious circle,
come only with one notion, and only for
one purpose-to find the way TO Christ.
When | see people critical about sermons,
and critical about sermonic delivery they
make me think of man in prison. He is
condemned TO death, but An officer of the gov
eminent brings a pardon and puts it
through tho wicket Of the prison and saws:
Here is your pardon. Come and get it. ~
What! Do you expect me to take that
pardon offered with such a voice as you
have, with such an awkward manner as
you havel would rather die than so COM
promise my rhetorical notionsl" Alb, the
man does not'say that; he takes IL 1t is his
life. He does not care how it is handed 10
him. And If, this morning, that pardon
from the throne OF God is offered to our
souIs, should we not seize IL, regardless of
all criticism, feeling that 1t 10 a matter Of
heaven or hell!
But come now 10 the last part OF nv
text. 1t tells us when we are to seek the
Lord. while he may be found" When
is that : Old agel You may not see old
age. Tomorrow You may not see to-