Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-07-29
REV. DR.. TALMAGH.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sum-
day Sermon.
Subject: "Thc Souls Crisis" Preached
In LOndonJ

CnrlSt Other scripture writer's excel IN
some things Ezekiel more weird. David
moro pathetic, Solomon more epigrammetic
Habakkuk more sublime but when you want
to see Christ coming out from the gates OF
prophecy in all His grandeur and glory, you
involuntarily turn to Isaiah.
So that if the prophecies in regard ID
Christ might he called the "Oratorio Of
the Messiah the writing of Isaiah is the
"Hallelujah Chorus where all the batons
wave and all the trumpets come Isaiah
was not man picked uD out OF insignifi-
canoe by inspiration. He was known and
honored. Josephus and Philo and Sirach ex-
tolled him in their writings What Paul was
among the apostles, Isaiah was among the
prophets.
My text finds him standing on mountain
of inspiration, looking out into the future,
behoidins Christ advancing and anxious
that all men might know Him, his voic ,
rings down the ages Seek We the Lord
while He may be found" "Oh,n SAYS some
one, "that was for olden times" No, my
nearer. If you have Travelled in other lands
YOU have taken a circular letter of credit
from some banking house in London, and in
st. Petersburg or Venice OF Rome or Ant
werp or Brussels or Paris you presented that
letter and cot financial help Immediately.
And want you to understan3 that the text
instead of being appropriate for one age or
for one land is a circular letter for all ages
and for all lands, and whenever it is pre-
sented for help, the help comes. seek ye
the Lord while He may be foun J."
come to-day with no hairspun theories
of religion, with no nice distinctions, with
no elaborate disquisition. but with plain
talk on the matters OF personal religion. /
feel that the sermon preach this morning
will be the SAVIOR OF life unto life OF death
unto death. In other words, the Gospel of
Christ is powerful me licins; it either kills
CT cures. There are those who say: 81
would like TO become a Christian. / have
been waiting a good while for the right
kind OF influence to come" And still you
are waiting. You are wiser in worldly
things than you are in reli gious things. And
vet there are men who say they are waiting
TO get to beaven-waiting, waiting, but not
with intelligent waiting, or they would get
on board the line OF Christian influences
that would bear them into the kingdom OF
God.
Now you know very we'll that to seek a
thing is to search for it with earnest enieav-
or. Ifyou want TO see a certain man in
Lonlon, and there is matter Of much
money connected with your seeing him, AMI
YOU cannot at first fin him, you DO not
give I'D the search. You look in the direct
orv, hut cannot find the name; you go in
circles where you think perhaps he may
minge, and, having found the part OF the
city where be lives but perhaps MOI knowing
tins street, you 90 through street after street
and from block 70 block, an you keep on
searching for weeks and for months.
You sag, ut is a matter Of 10000
whether l see him OF not On, that msn
were as persistent in seeking for Christ
rrof1lf
LONG ago have foun1 Him who is the joy OF
the forgiven spirit. We may pay our de It,.
we may attend church, we may relieve the
pcor. we may be{ublic banefactors, AMI yet
ali our lie diso5ey the text. never seek Col.
never gain heaven. Oh, that the spirit OF
God would help this morning while try to
show you, in cTrryiug out the idea OF my
text. first. bow TO se.S the Lord. AMI in tbs
next place, WIEN 10 seek Him. Seek ye tbs
Lori while He may be found"
| remark, in tn. first place, you are to
seek the Lori through earnest and believing
PRAYER God Is not al auto rat or despo5
seated on 4 throne, with His arms resting on
frazsn lions and a sentinel pacing up AMI
down at the foot OF the throne God 10
father seated in a bower waiting for HIS
children 10 come AMI Climb on Hls knee ana
ret Ills his, and His bene lic.ion. Prayer Is
the CuO WIFI NiitIn " z ~ ~ W. t~t- ~ 80
of living uater" and dip up reirsshnolt for
our thirsty soul. Grace does not come 10
the heart as We set a Cask OF water TO eaten
the rain in the shower. Il is pulley fast
ened 10 thc toroue Ct Col, which we pu'l,
br nging the blessing.
TO not care so much what posture you
take in PRAYER nor how large an amount OF
vo;ce vcu ne. You might get down on your
face Before Col, il you did not p"ay rlSn5
inwardf, and there would be ~ response.
You might cry at the top OF your voice, and
unless you had a believing spirit within,
your cly would not 60 farther up than tue
shout Of o plowooy to his oxen. Prayer
must be believing, earnest loving. You are
in Your house some sumner DAY, ana a
shower Zones up, AMI a bird aifrlgotet darts
into the window, and wheels around tne
room. You seize il. You smooth It's ru.-
fed p,umage. You feel its Alttering heart.
You say, Poor thing, poor thing" Now
pra, q. goes cut # the sorm OF this world IN
10 tie win low of Gods mercy, AMI lie
catches it AMI He feels its Auttering nulse.
and He uuts it in His own bosom Of affection
and safety.
Prayer is warm, ardent, pulsating exer.
else. 1t is the electric battery which, touched
thrills to the throne Of God. 1t is the diving
bell in which we 20 down into ths depths o.
Gods mercy AMI bring up pearls OF great
price" There is an instances where prayer
made the waves OF Gennesaret solid as
granite pavement. Oh, how many Won Ter
ful things prayer has accomplished. Have
you ever tried it? In the days when the
Scotch CovenanteTs were prosecute ana tue
enemies were after them one of the head
men among the Covensnters prayed: ~
Lord. we be as dead men unless Thou shalt
helm us. q Lord, throw the lap OF Thy cloak
over these moor things" And instantly a
Scotch mist enveloped and hid the prosecuted
from their persecutors-the promise literally
fulfilled. "While they are yet speaking
will hear"
Oh. impentant soul, have you ever tried
the power OF prayer: God says: 'He Is
loving and faithful and patient" Do yoI
believe that You are told that Christ came
10 save sinners. DO you believe that YOU
axe told that all you have 10 do to get the
pardon of the Cos pei is t. ask for it. D.
YOU believe that Then c)ns to Him AMI
say: 20 Lord. l know Thou canst not lie.
Thou hast told me to CO ne for pardon, AMI
could get it. 1 come, Lord. Keep Thy
promise and liberate my captive soul"
Oh, that you might have an altar in the
parlor. in the kitchen, in thu store, in tae
barn for Christ will be willing to cone
again to the ma1gsr to hear prayer. he
will come in your pace OF bu1n sss as de
confronted Matthew the tax commissioner.
liza measure slould CO ne before Congress
that YOU thought would ruin the Nation,
how you woul send in Petitions AMI remon-
strauces. And yet there has been enough
sin in you, heart to ruin it forever. aud you
have never demonstrated or petitioned
against it. Ii your physical health failed
and you had the mems, you would go AMI
spcnd the summer in Germany AMI the win
ter in Italy, and you would tank 1T very
cheap outlay if you had TO 20 all around the
earth to get blck your physical health.
Have you ma lie any effort, any expenditure,
| any exerton fer your immortal and spiritual
health? No, you have not taken one STEP
Oh, that you might now begin to seen
after God with earnest prayer Some OF you
have been working for years and years iol
tne support OF your families. Have yo'
given one-half dav to the working out o
your salvation with fear AMI trembling
You came here this morning with an earnes
purpose, I take it. as / have come hitner
with an earnest purpose. AMI We meet fac,
to face. and tell Won, first o. all, IL yor
want to ini tine Lord you must pray aud
pray an6 pray.
remark again. you must seek the LORI
through Bible STUDY. The Bible is the new.
est book in the world. "Oh," you say, II