Connecticut western news., 1892-07-28

1E In the days when the Scotch Cove nanters were persecuted and the enemies were after them one of the head men among the Covenanters prayed: 70 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 enveleped and
 hid the persecuted 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"
 Do you believe that2 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: 70 Lord,
 I know thou canst not lie. Thou hast
 told me to come for pardon, and I could
 get it. I come, Lord. Keep thy prom ise and iberate my captive soul" THE PLACE FOR PRAYER. Oh, that you might have an altar in the parlor, in the kitchen, in the store.
 
 come again to the manager to hear prayer. He will come in your place of business as he confronted Matthew, the tax com missioner. If measure should come before congress that you thought would 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 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 inn 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 of you have been working for years and 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 I have come hither with an earnest pur- pose, and we meet face to face, and 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, ''it 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, inn 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 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. It is the inward light of Gods Word you must get or die. I went up | to the church of the Madeleine in Paris and looked at the doors, which were the most wonderfully constructed I ever saw, and I could have staid there for whole week; but I had only little time, so, having glanced at the wonder full carving on the doors, I passed in and looked at the radiant altars 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 altars 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. It was not made for that Take "Howe's Elements of Criticism. |" l It would be better than the Bible for | that. If you want to study metaphysics, better than the Bible will be the writ 1 ings of William Hamilton. But if you want to know how to have sin pardoned, | and at last to gain the blessedness of
 heaven search the Scriptures, flor in | them ye have eternal life."
 When people are anxious about their | souls-and 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 Unconverted," but the Bible is the best call to the unconverted
 Philip Doddridge wrote ''The Rise and
 Progress of Religion 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 l the best advice to the anxious inquirer Oh, the Bible is the very book you
 need, anxious and inquiring soul! A
 dying soldier said to his mate, "Com-
 rade, give me dropr' The comrade
 shook up the canteen and said, "There l isn't drop of water in the canteen." :"
 "Oh," said the dying soldier, "that's not
 what want; feel in my knapsack 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 I want. There
 isn't anything like the Bible for dying
 soldier, is there, my comradep' Oh,
 blessed book while we live. Blessed
 book when we die
 remark, again, we must seek God
 through church ordinances. "What," :"
 say you, "can't man be saved without
 going to churchP I reply, there are
 men, suppose, in glory, who have never
 seen church; but the church is the or
 dained means by which we are to be
 brought to God; and if trsth affects us
 when we are alone, it affects us more
 nightly whan we are in the assembly
 the feelings of others emphasizing our
 own feelings. The great law of sympa-