Connecticut western news., 1892-06-16

first prays more than the last You can graduate 8 mans progress in religion by the amount of prayer; not by the num- Der of hours, perhaps, but by the earnest supplication that he puts up to God. There is no exception to the rule. Show me Christian man who neglects this kind of duty. and will show you one who is inconsistent. Show me a man who prays, and his strength and his power cannot be exaggerated. Why, just give to man this power of prayer and you give him almost omnipotence.
 This afternoon you will see two Sab bath school teachers. That one does not gain the attention of her class. This one does. What is the difference between them, their intellects being about equal: The first thought only of her own ap- parel. The other came from great pros tration before God in earnest supplica- tion, asking that Gods mercy might come upon the school and that in the afternoon she might gain the attention of those five or six immortals that would be around her. The one teacher has no control over her class. The other sits as with the strength of the Lord God Almighty.
 A minister comes into the pulpit. He has 8 magnificent sermon, all the sen tences rounded according to the laws of rhetoric and fine sermonizing, and the truth makes no impression on the hearts of men. People go away and say, ''Very beautiful, wasn'titF Aplain man comes into the pulpit. He has been on his knees before God asking for an especial mes sage that day, and the hearts of men open to the plain truth. the broken sen tences strike into their consciences, and though the people may disperse at the close of the services seemingly without having received any impression, that night voices will be lifted in some house hold, "Men and brethren, what shall we do to be savedY' Oh, this power of prayer! Pray! Pray!
 DRINK OF THE WATER OF KNOWLEDGE.
 Another word of counsel have to give. Be faithful in Bible research. A great many good books are now coming out. We cannot read half of them. At every revolution of the printing press they are coming. They cover our parlor tables, and are in our sitting rooms and libra ries. Glorious books they are. We thank God every day for the work of the Christian printing press. But 1 have thought that perhaps the followers of Christ sometimes allow this religious lit erature to take their attention from Gods Word, and that there may not be as much Bible reading as there ought to be.
 How is that with your own experi- ence? Just calculate in your minds how much religious literature you have read during the year and then how large portion of the Word of God you have read, and then contrast the two and an- swer within your own soul whether you are giving more attention to the books that were wri -tal by the hand of man or that written by the hand of God. Now, you go to the drug store and you get the mineral waters, but you have noticed that the waters are not so fresh or sparkling or healthful as when you get these very waters at Saratoga and Sharon-getting them right where they bubble from the rock.
 And have noticed the same thing in regard to the truth of the Gospel; while there is 8 good deal of refresh1nent and health of the Gospel of God as it comes through good books, find it is better when I come to the eternal rock of Gods Word and drink from that fountain that bubbles up fresh and pure to the life and the refreshment and the health of the soul.
 Read the Bible and it brings you into the association of the best people that ever lived. You stand beside Moses and learn his meekness, beside Job and learn his patience, beside Paul and catch some- thing of his enthusiasm, beside Christ and you feel his love. And yet how strange 1t is that great many men have given their whole lives to the assaulting of that book. I cannot understand it. Tom Paine worked against that book as though he received large wages and was inspired by the very powers of darkness, confessing that all the time he was writ ing he did not have the Bible anywhere near him. How many powerful intel lects have endeavored to destroy it. Hume, Bolingbroke, Voltaire have been after 1t. Ten thousand men now are warning against the truth of Gods Word. What do you think of them? I think it is mean and will prove it. will prove 1t is the meanest thing that has ever been done in all the centuries.
 There is ship at sea and in trouble. The captain and the crew are at their wits end. You are on board. You are an old seaman. You come up and give some good counsel, which is kindly taken. That is all right. But suppose, instead of doing that, in the midst of all the trouble you pick up the only compass that is on board and pitch it over the tafrailt Oh, you say, that is dastardly.
 But is it as mean as this? Here is the
 vessel of the world going on with sixteen hundred millions of passengers, tossed
 and driven in the tempest, and at the
 time we want help the infdel comes and he takes hold of the only compass and
 he tries to pitch it overheard. It is con-
 temptible beyond everything that is con
 temptible. Have you any better light?
 Bring it on if you have. Have you any
 better comfort to give us? Bring it on
 if you have. Have you any better hope?
 Bring it on if you have, and then you
 may have this Bible and shall never
 want it again.
 LEAN ON THE STAFF OF THE GOSPEL. But can think of a meaner thing than
 that, and that is an old man going along on the mountains with staff in one hand
 and lantern in the other. Darkness
 has come on suddenly. He is very old,
 just able to pick his way out amid the
 rocks and precipicess leaning on his staff
 with one hand and guiding himself with | the light in the other. You come up and say: Father, you seem to be lost. You | are long way from home" "Yes," he
 replies. And then you take him by the
 hand and lead him home That is very
 kind of you. But suppose instead of