The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-07-29
God, which we pull, bringing the bless

you did not pray right inwardly, and
there would be no response. You might
cry at the top of your voice, and unless
you had believing spirit within, youl
cry would not go farther up than the
shout of ploughboy to his oxen. Pray
err must be believing, earnest, loving.
You are in your house some summer
SAY, and a shower comes up, and bird
Lffrighted darts into the window, and
wheels around the room. You seize it,
You smooth its ruffied plumage. You
feel its futtering heart. You say,
Poor thing, poor thing" Now pray
er goes out of the storm of this world
into the window of Gods mercy, and he
catches it and he feels its fiuttering
pulse, and he puts it in his own bosom
of affection and safety.
Prayer is warm, ardent, pulsating
exercise. 1t is the electric battery which,
is the diving bell in which we go down
into the depths of Gods mercy and bring
up ''pearls of great price" There is an
instance where prayer made the waves
of Gennesaret solid as granite pavement.
Oh, how many wonderful things prayer
has accomplished! Have you ever tried
it? In the days when the Scotch Cove
nanters were prosecuted and the enemies
were after them one of the head men
among the Covenanters prayed: 80
Lord, we be as dead men unless thou
shalt help us. o Lord, throw the lap of
thy cloak over these poor things" And
instantly Scotch mist enveloped and
hid the prosecuted from their persecu-
tors - the promise literally fulfilled.
"While they are yet speaking I will
hear"
Oh, impenitent soul, have you ever
tried the power of prayer? God says,
''He is loving and faithful and patient. u
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: go Lord,
| know thou canst not lie. Thou hast
told me to come for pardon, and could
get it. come, Lord. Keep thy prom
Use and liberate my captive SOUL"
THE PLACE FOR PRAYER.
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 will come in your place of business
IS he confronted Matthew, the tax com
missioner. If measure should come
hnrora thaf fhn11uht yyp1116
ruin the nation, how you would send in
petitions and remonstrances. And yet
there has been enough sin in your heart
to ruin it forever, and you have never
demonstrated or petitioned against it.
If your physical 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 made any effort any
expenditure, any exertion for your i'm
mortal and spiritual health? No, you
have not taken one step.
Oh, that you might now begin to seek
after God with earnest prayer! Some
years for the support of your families.
Have you given one half day to the work
ing out of your salvation with fear and
trembling? You came here this morn
ing with an earnest purpose, take it, as
| have come hither with an earnest pur-
pose, and we meet face to face, and l
tell you, first of all, if you want to find
III ,1o+ on1 md
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."
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, 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.
hClC u1O blbAAy BSCPAN ~ "AhCA-A -AAN
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 address or the
Koran of Mahomet or the Shaster of the
Hindoos. 1t is the inward light of Gods
Word you must get or die. l went up
to the church of the Madeleine in Paris
and looked at the doors, which were the
most wonderfully constructed l ever
saw, and / could have staid there for
a whole week: but l 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. Alas! 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 hovers
over every penitent and believing soul!
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
Oh, 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"
t. ..-,,,1I H. than he Ds1,1a Co..