The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1892-09-17
200, thinos. And instantly a Scotch

from their persecutors-the promise
literally fulfilled: while they are yet
speaking viii hear"
Oh, impenitent soul, have you ever
tried the power of prayer? God says:
HE is loving and faithful and pa
tient" 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 Gospel is to ask for it. Do you be-
lieve that? Then come to Him and
say: sOh, Lord! l know thou canst not
lie Thou hast told me to come for par
don, and could get it. / come, Lord.
Keep Thy promise and iberate my
captive SOUL
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 Manager to hear
prayer. He would come in your place
of business as He confronted Matthew.
the tax commissioner. If measure
should come before congress that you
thought would ruin the nation, how
you would send in petitions and re-
monstrances. 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 phys
ical 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 phys
ical health. Have you made any eff
fort, any expenditure, any exertion for
your immortal 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 for
the support of your families. Have you
given one half day to the working of
your salvation with fear and trem-
bling? You came here this morning
with an earnest purpose, take it, as l
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
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. sit was made hundreds of
years ago, and the learned men of King
James translated 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 the
seeking of the way of life through
Scripture study, implore 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. 1t is the inward light
of Gods word you must get or die.
went up to the Church of the
Madeleine in Paris, and looked at the
doors, which were the most wonder
fully constructed ever saw, and i
could have stayed there for whole
week: but had only a little time, So
having glanced at the wonderful carv-
ing 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, look
ing at the rhetorical beauties, 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!
o 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 Criti-
cism." 1t would be better than the
Bible for that. If you want to study
metaphysics, better than the Bible will
be the writings of VIM. 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
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 Reli-
gion 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 adj
vice to the anxious inquirer.
o, the Bible is the very book you
need, anxious and inquiring soul! A
dying soldier said to his mate: Com
rade, give me drop!' The comrade
shook up the canteen, and said: There
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
gracious promises, and the dying sol
der said: "Ah, that's what want.
There isn't anything like the Bible for
. dying soldier, is there, my comrade?"
o blessed book while we live. Blessed
book when we die.
l remark again, we must seek God
through church ordinances what, !"
say you, cant a man be saved with
out going to church," reply there
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