The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-06-09

OF the farmhouse. Let me get out of
The wagon aud open the gate while you
drive TIL ough. Here is the arbor under
which those boys and girls many years
ago used to play. But 1t is quite out of
order now, tor the property is IN other
hands, 9onder is the orchard where
they used to thrash the trees for apples,
sometimes before they were quite ripe.
There Is the NOW where they hunted
Tor eggs before Easter. There is the
doorslli upon which they used to sit.
There is the room in which they had
family prayers and where they all kuclt
tho iather there, the mother there
aud the boys and girls there.
we have got to the fountain of pious
and gracious influences at last. That is
the place that decided those seven
earthly and immortal destinies. Be.
hold! Behold! That is the secret place
OF thunder. Boys are seldom more
than their fathers will let them be,
''rls are sCii"S.G@iiIiii more than their moth
! urs will let them be. But there come
times when it seems that parcnts can
not control their children. There come
times in a boys life when he thinks he
knows more than his father does, and l
remember now that l knew more at fif-
Lecn years ofagc than have ever known
since.
There come times in girls life when
she thinks her mother is notiOnal and
does hot understand what is proper and
best, and the sweet child says, sob,
| pshaw!" and she longs for the time
when she will not have to be dictated to
and she goes out of the door or goes 10
tuIt 1, ti,,f, ,,,1
! crS remember for themselves that they
knc " more at fourteen years age than
they have ever known since. But tath-
CT and mother do not thiuk you have
lost your influence over your child.
You have resource of prayer that puts
the sympathetic and omnipotent God
into your parental undertaking. Do not
waste your time i'll reading timsy books
Go into the secret place of thunder.
The reason that we ministers do not
accomplish more is because others do
not pray enough for us and we do not
pray enough for ourselves. Every min
lister could tell you thrilling story of
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. haSty and i'm
promptll, because of funerals and sick
beds and annoyanceS in the parish; yet
those sermons harvesting many souls
for God. And then of sermons prepar-
ed with great care and research and toll
uninterrupted; yet those sermons fall
ing Hat or pOWerless. Or of the same
sermon nightly blessed on one occasion
and useless on another.
Oh, pray for us, Poor sermons In the
pulpit are the curse of God Oh a prayer
less parish. People say: "What is the
matter with the ministers in our time?
SO many Of them seem dissatisfied with
the Bible and they are trying to help
Moses and Paul and Christ out of in
conSiStencleS and contradictions by fix
ing up the Bible" AS we'll let the mu-
Sicians 60 to work to fix up Haydn's
"Crcation,' or lIandels "lsrcal in
Egypt" or let the painters go to fixing
up Raphael's TRANSPORTATION" or
architects go to liking up Christopher
Wrcn'S st. Pauls.
But will tell you what is the matter.
| There are too many uncOnVerted min
ters. Their hearts have never been
changed by the grace of Ged. a mere
intellectual ministry is the dcadest fail
ule this side Of perdit,on. Alas for the
Gospel Of lcicleS. From apologetics
ami Etrmeneutics and dogmatics good
Lord deliver us! They are trying to
gel from transcendental theology, or
from profound eXegcSiS, or from the
art Of splitting hairs between north and
northwest side, inst cad Of getting their
poWcrtrOm the secret place Of thunder
| We want the power 4 man gets when
he IS alone, the door locked; OH his
knees; ut midnight; with such Il burden
OF souls upon hlm that makes him cry
ON, first III lamentatiOn and then in
rdptuIeS.
Let all the Sabbath school teachers
and Bible class instructors, and all re.
formers and all evangelists, and all
ministers know that diplomas and die
tl0narleS and encyclopedias and treat,
lSeS aud libraries are not the source OF
moral and spiritual achievement, but
that the room Of prayer, where no one
but GOD Is present and no one but God
hears, lS the secret place Of thunder
Secret? All, yes. SO secret that com
paratlNely few ever find it. At Bosc"bel
England we visited a house where a
king was once hid. Ne one, unless it
We're pointed out to him, could find the
door in the floor through which The
king entered his hiding place.
When there hidden the armed purSu-
erS looked in yam for him, and after
ward through an underground passage,
TAR out in the fields, he came OFT in the
open air. So this imperial power of
spiritual influence has Il hiding place, q
'NNi'O PlutC " "IIlSll 10" hHON, anu III
comes forth sometimes in strange and
mysterious ways, and far OF from the
place where it was hidden you can find
1t only by diligcnt searching. But you
will find il, and | wish you might all
find it, the secret place of thunder.
At nine o'clock Wednesday morning,
June l0 next, on the steamer City Of
New York, | expect to sail for Liver
pool, to be gone until September. 1t is
in acceptance Of many invitations that
am going on preaching tour. eX-
pect 10 devote my time to preaching
the Gospel III England. Scotland, Ire
land and Sweden. | want to see how
many souls can gather for the king.
dom of God. Those countries have Tor
many years belonged to my parish, and
| go to speak to them and shake hands
with them. | want to visit more thor
| ouRhly than before those regions from
| which my ancestors came, Wales and
81 Jtland.
! Will make it campaign for God
and eternity, and hope to get during
this absence Il baptism of power that
VIII make me of more service to you
4