The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-08-10

and the enemies were after them, one
of the head men among the Covenan-
tiers prayed: 30, Lord, we be as dead
men unless thou shalt help us. o, Lord,
throw the lap of the cloak over these
poor things" And instantly Scotch
mist enveloped and hid the prosecuted
from their persecutors-the promise lit
orally fulfilled: while they are yet
speaking, will hear"
o, impenitent soul, have you ever
tried the power of prayer? God says:
''He is loving and faithful and patient"
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 the pardon of the Cos
pei is to ask for it. Do you believe that?
Then come TO him and say: so, Lord,
know Thou cans't not lie. Thou hast
told me to come for pardon, and l could
get it. come, Lord. Keep Thy prom
Use and liberate my captive soul.
Oh, 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 to the manger to hear
prayer. He would come in your place
of business as He confronted Matthew,
the tax commissioner If measure
should come before congress that you
thought would ruin the nation, how you
would send in petitions and remon-
strances. And yet there has been
enough sin in your heart to ruin it for
ever, and you have never demonstrated
or petitioned against it. If your physi-
cal health failed, and you 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 ever made any effort,
any expenditure, any exertion for your
immortal and spiritual health? No,
you have not taken one step.
| o, that you might now begin to seek
after God with earnest prayers. 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 trembling? You came here this
morning with earnest purpose, take
it, as have come hither with an earn
est purpose, and we meet face to face,
and l tell you, first of all, if you want
to find the Lord, you must pray, and
pray and pray.
remark again, you must seek the
Lord through Bible study. The Bible
is the newest book in the world. "Oh,"
you say, SIT was made hundreds of
years ago, and the learned men of King
James translated it hundreds of years
ago." l confute that idea 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, implore 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 at the outside beauty,
why, it will no more lead them to
Christ than Washington's farewell ad-
dress or the Koran of Mohammed or the
Shaster of the Hindoos 1t is the in
ward light of Gods word you must get
or die. went up to the church of the
Madeleine, in Paris, and looked at the
| InnrC which tha ,rAn1a,--
fully constructed l ever saw, and /
could have stayed there a whole week;
but had only a little time, so, having
glanced at the 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, look.
ing at the rhetorical beauties, instead
of going in and looking at the affairs of
sacrifice and the dome of Gods mercy
and salvation that hovers over every
penitent and believing SOUL
O, my friends, if 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. "
1t would be better than the Bible for
that. If you want to study metaphy-
sizes, better than the Bible will be the
writings of William Hamilton. But il
you want to know how to have sin par
doned, and at last to gain the blessed
ness of Heaven, search the Scriptures.
For in them We 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 Uncon
verified" but the Bible is the best call tc
the uncouverted. Philip Doddridge
wrote The Rise and Progress of Relig
ion in 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 ad.
vice to the anxious inquirer.
O. the Bible is the very book you
need, anxious and inquiring soul! A
dying soldier said to his mate: 'Com
rade, give me a drop" The comradG
shook up the canteen, and said: There
isn't n drop of water in the canteen.
"Oh," said the dying soldier, that's not
what I want; feel in my knapsack fol
my Bible" And his comrade found the
Bible and read him few of the gra
cious promises, and the dying soldier
said: "Oh. that's what | want. There
isn't anything like the Bible for dying
soldier, is there, Yy colnrade?" o.