Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-07-30

cry Mt the top of your voice, and unless
you have believing spirit within your
cry would go no farther up than the
shout of plowboy to his oxen. Prayer
must be believing, earnest, loving.
Prayer is warm, ardent, pulsating
exercise. It is the electric battery
which, touched, thrills to the throne of
God. 1t 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 D, how many wonderful
things prayer has accomplished! Have
you ever tried it2 In the days when
the Scotch Covenanters were prosecuted
and the enemies were after them one of
the head men among the Covenanters
prayed: 20 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 persecutors-thc promise lit
orally fulfilled "While they are yet
speaking will hear"
o, impenitcnt 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 be-
lieve that? You are told that all you
have to do to get the pardon Of the gos-
pei is to ask for it. Do you believe that?
Then come to Him and say: 20, Lord, 1
know Thou canst not lie Thou hast
told me to come for pardon, and i could
get it. come, Lord, keep Thy promise
and liberate my captive soul"
o, 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 a measure
should come before congress that you
thought would ruin the nation, howyou
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
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.
l remark, again, you must seek the
Lord through Bible study. The Bible
is the newest book in the world. TO-"
you say, lit was made hundreds of
years ago, and the learned men of King
James transla ted 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 seek
ing of the way of life through Scripture
study, implore Gods light to fall upon
the page you will find that these prom
Uses 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. 1t is the inward light
of Gods word you must get or die.
Omy friends If you merely want to
study the laws of language do not go to
the Bible. 1t is not made for that
Take Howe's Elements of Criticism. 1t
would be better than the Bible for that.
If you want to study metaphysics bet
ter than the Bible will be the writings
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, ''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 l
want to tell you that the Bible is the
best book under such circumstances.
Baxter wrote, "a Call to the Uncon-
verted," but the Bible is the best call
to the unconverted. Philip Doddridge
wrote, 1.-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 the
best advice to the anxious inquirer.
remark again, we must seek God
through church ordinances. "What,"
say you, cant n man be saved with
out going to church," reply there
are men, suppose, in glory. who have
never Been q church: but the church is
the ordained means by which we are to
be brought to God; and If truth affects
us when we are alone, itaffects us more
when we are in the assembly