Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-07-25
sod. which we pnll. bringing isls Llees,

you take in prayer, nor how large an
amount Of voice you use. You might
get down on your face before God, If
you did not pray right inwardly, and
there would be no response. You might
cry at the top of your voice, and unless
you had believing spirit within, your
cry would not go farther up than the
shout of ploughboy to his oxen. Pray
er must be believing, earnest, loving.
You are in your house some summer
day, and a shower &C les up, and bird
affrighted darts into the window, and
wheels around the room. You seize it.
You smooth its ruffied plumage. You
feel its futtering heart. You say,
Poor thing, poor thing" Now pray
er goes out of the storm Of this world
into the window of Gods mercy. and he
catches it and he feels its futtering
pulse. and he puts it in his own bosom
Of affection and safety.
Prayer is a warm, ardent, pulsating
exercise. 1t is the electric battery which,
touched thrills to the throne Of God. 1t
is the diving bell in which we go down
into the depthsof Gods mercy and bring
up "pearls of great price" There is an
instance where prayer made the waves
Of Gennesaret solid as granite pavement,
Oh, how many wonderful things prayer
has accomplished Have you ever tried
it? In the days when the Scotch Cove
nanters were prosecuted and the enemies
were after them one Of the head men
among the Covenanters prayed: 80
Lord, we be as dead men unless tho1
shalt help MS. o Lord, throw the lap Of
thy cloak over these poor things" And
instantly Scotch mist enveloped and
hid the prosecuted from their persecu-
tors - the promise literally fulfilled.
"While they are yet speaking | 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 thatg 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: 80 Lord,
[ know thou canst not lie. Thou hast
told me to come for pardon, and l could
get it. come, Lord. Keep thy prom
ise and liberate my captive soul"
THE PLACE FOR PRAYER.
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 manger to hear prayer.
He will come in your place of business
rs he confronted Matthew, the tax COM
missioner. IL 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
10 ruin it forever, and you have never
or petitioned against it.
II your physical health failed, and you
lad the means, you would go and spend
he summer in Germany and the winter
n Italy, and you would think it very
heap outlay if you had to go all around
he earth to get back your physical
health. Have you made any effort, any
any exertion for your i'm
Mortal and spiritual health2 No, you
lave not taken one step.
Oh, that you might now begin to seek
lfter God with earnest prayer! Some
# you have been working for years and
,ears for the support of your families.
lave you given one half day to the work
ng out of your salvation with fear and
You came here this morn
ng with an earnest purpose, take it, as
have come hither with an earnest pur-
,ose, and we meet face to face, and
ell you, first of all, if you want to find
he Lord you must pray and pray and
,ray.
remark again, you must seek the
4ord through Bible study. The Bible is
he newest book in the world. "Oh,"
'ou say, sit was made hundreds of years
go, and the learned men of King James
translated it hundreds Of years ago."
onfute that idea by telling you it is not
i've minutes old, when God, by his |
'lessed spirit, retranslates it into the
leart. II you will, in the seeking of the
way of life through Scripture study, i'm
lore Gods light to fall upon the page,
'ou will find that these promises are
lot one second old and that they drop
traight from the throne of God into
our heart.
There are many people to whom the
Bible does not amount to much. If they
merely look ut the outside beauty, why
will no more lead them to Christ than
farewell address or the
Koran OF Mahomet or the Shaster of the
iindoos. 1t is the inward light of Gods
Word you must get or die. | went up
0 the church Of the Madeleine in Paris
nd looked at the doors, which were the
lost wonderfully constructed | ever
aw, and l could have staid there for
whole week; but / had only a little
me, so, having glanced at the wonder
NJ carving on lhs doors, passed in and
'oked at the radiant affairs and the
,ulptured dome. Alas! that so many
top at the ontside door of Gods holy
Vord, looking at the rhetorical beau
es, instead of going in and looking at
no altars of sacrifice and the dome of
+od's mercy and salvation that hovers
yer every penitent and believing soul!
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
Oh, my friends, if you merely want to
udy the laws of language, do not go to
10 Bible. IL was not made for that.
AXE "Howe's Elements Of Criticism"
would be better than the Bible for
lat. If you want to study metaphysics,
'tter than the Bible will be the writ
gs of William Hamilton. But if you
ant TO know how to have sin pardoned,
I'd at last to gain the blessedness of
'aven search the Scriptures. "for in
em ye have eternal life."
When people are anxious about their
there are some here today