Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-06-13


there are always stragglers falling on
here and there. some because they arc
faint ana sick. but great many because
they are afraid 10 night and too lazy 10
march. After while the lazy men on
the road hear the booming of the guns
for hours, and they hear the shout Of
victory, and = man on horseback comes
up and says, We have won the day"
Then they hasten up. How brave they
are after the battle is over Poor ~
fighting, bat grand at s.huzzsr' So
there are strsgglers going after the
Lords host. There come days Of dark
ness and battle. Where are they? We
call the roll Of tho host. They make no
answer. bat after while there comes
day OF triumph in the church, and they
are all about. "Huzxa! huzza! Didn't
We give il TO them."
PRAYER A GREAT sTRESGTHESER-
have another word of counsel TO give
those who have inst entered Christian
life. and that Is, Be faithful in prayer.
You might as well, business man. start
out in the morning without food and ex-
pect TO DO strong all that day-you might
as well abstain from food all the week
and expect to be strong physically, as 10
be strong without prayer. The only way
TO get any strength into the soul is by
prayer, and the only difference between
that Christian that is worth everything
and that who is worth nothing is the
fact that the last does not pray and the
other does
And the only difference between this
Christian, who is getting along very fast
in the holy life, and this, who is only
getting along tolersbly, is that the
first prays more than the last. You can
graduate a mans progress in religion by
the amount of prayer; not by the num-
Der Of hours. perhaps. but by the earnest
duplication that he puts up to God.
There is no exception to the rule. Show
me Christian man who neglects this
kind Of duty, and will show you one
who is inconsistent. Show me q man
who prays, and his strength and his
power cannot be exaggerated. Why,
Just give to man this power Of prayer
and you give him almost omnipotence.
This afternoon you will see two Sab
bath school teachers. That one does not
gain the attention of her class. This one
does. What is the difference between
them, their intellects being about equal:
The FIRST thought only Of her own ap-
parel. The other came from great pros
tration before God in earnest supplica-
ton, asking that Gods mercy might
come upon the school and that in the
afternoon she might gain the attention
of those five or SIX immortals that would
be around her. The one teacher has no
control over her class. The other sits
as with the strength Of the Lord God
Almighty.
A minister comes into the pulpit. he
has a magnificent sermon, all the SEN
fences rounded according to the laws of
rhetoric and fine sermonizing, and the
truth makes no impression on the hearts
of men. People go away and say, Every
beautiful, wasnritr Aplain man comes
into the pulpit He has been on his knees
before God asking for an especial mes.
sage that day, and the hearts Of men
open to the plain truth, the broken sen.
fences strike into their consciences. and
though the people may disperse at the
close of the services seemingly without
having received any impression. that
night voices will be lifted in some house.
hold, Men and brethren, what shall we
do to be savedy Oh, this power OF
prayeri Pray! Prayi
DRINK or THE WATER OF KNOWLEDGE.
Another word Of counsel have to give
Be faithful in Bible research. A great
many good books arc now coming out
We cannot read half Of them. At every
revolution Of the printing press they are
coming. They cover our parlor tables
and sre in our sitting rooms and libra
ries. Glorious books they are. We
thank God every day for the work of the
Christian printing press. But l have
thought that perhaps the followers Of
Christ sometimes allow this religious lit
erature to take their attention from
Gods Word, and that there may not be
as much Bible reading q there ought
to Be.
How is that with your own expert
ence? Just calculate in your minds how
much religious literature you have read
during the year and then how large q
portion of the Word of God You have
read, aud then contrast the two and an
swer within your own soul whether you
are giving more attention to the books
that were written by the hand OF man o,
that written by the hand Of God. Now
you go to the drug store and you get the
mineral waters, but you have noticed
| that the waters are not 20 fresh o,
sparkling or healthful a. when you gel
theee very waters at Saratoga and
Sharon-getting them right where they
bubble from the rock.
And have noticed the same thing in
regard to the truth Of the Gospel; whil<
there 10 . good deal of refreshment and
health Of the Gospel Of God a. it comes
through good books, find it is better
when come to the eternal rock of God.
Word and drink from that fountain that
bubbles up fresh and pure to the lif,
and the refreshment and the health o.
the soul.
Read the Bible and 1t brings You int
the association Of the best people tina
ever lived. You stand beside Moses ant
learn his meekness, beside Job and lear
his patience, beside Paul and catch come
thing of his enthusiasm, beside Chris
and You feel his love. And yet hov
strange il is that great many men hsv
given their whole lives to the assaultinl
Of that book cannot understand II
Tom Paine worked against that book q
though he received large wages and wa
inspired by the very powers Of darkness
confessing that all the time he WAS writ