Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-09-22

They put down only what God dictated he
signed It afterward. He has been writing his
name upon it all through the yicissitudes Of
centuries.
But I come to the height OF my subject
when say the way to REINFORCE our faith is
TO pray for it. SO tbs disciples in my text
got their aboun ling faith. Lori, increass
o n faith" Some on, su ;ges.s, DO you
really think that prayer amounts TO any.
thiny?" [ might as we'll ask YOU is there a
line Of telegrIpiic poles fro New York to
Washington, Is there line OF telegraphic
wires from Manchester to London, from
Cologne to Berlin2 All the people who have
sent and received messages on those lines
know OF their existence. SO there are mill
ions OF souls WHO have been in constant COM
munication with the capital Of the universe,
with the throne OF the Almighty, with the
great God Himself, for years and years and
years.
There has not been day when supplica-
tions did not flash up and blessings
did not fash down. Will some igno-
ramus, who has never received d telegram or
sent one, come and tell US that there Is no
such thing as telegraphlc co nmuucation2
will some one who has never offered prayer
that was heard and answered come and tell
bs that ihef5 Il nothing in prayer II may
hot come as we expect 1t, but as sure az an
honest prayer goes up mer,ifdl dnswer will
come down.
During the blizzard OF four or five years
ago. you know that many OF tho telegraph
wires were prostrated aud l telegraphed to
Chicago by way OF Liverpool and the answer
after awhile came round by another wide
circuit, and so the payer we offer may come
back in a way we never imagined, AMI II we
ask to have our faith increased, although 1t
may come By a widely different process than
that which we expected our conf lenee will
surely be augmented.
Oh put 1t in every prayer you ever make
between your next breath and your last gasp
nI,ord, Increase our faith"-;aith in Christ
rs our personal ransom from present guilt
and eternal catastrophe faith In the onnipo-
tent Holy Ghost faith in the Bible, the truest
Volume ever dictated or written or printed
or read faith in adverse prOyidences, har-
monizsd for our best welfare faith in a
judgment day that will set all things right
which have for ages been wrong.
Increase our faith not by fragile adj
dition but by an infinitule OF recuperation.
Let Va do as we saw it done in the country
while we were yet In our teens, at the old
farmhouse after a long drought. AMI tho
well hid been dried; and the cattle moaned
with thirst at the bars; AMI the meadow
brook had ceased to run. and the grass
WTnfTtl. Uul lur tDin wa ouAAf0iDA hfi
and one day there was a grOwl OF thunder,
and then a congregation OF clouds on the
say. aud then a startling FASH AMI then 4
drenchng rain. and father AMI mother put
barrels under every spout at the corners OF
the house and set pals AMI bu,Gets AMI
tubs and pans AMI pitchers to cat,h a
much as they could o.. the shower. For in
many o. Ou- souls there has been long
drought OF confidence AMI in many no faith
ut all. Let rs set ont all our affections. all
our hopes. all orr contenplations, all our
prayers, 10 catch a mighty shower. lord
increase our faith.
like the way that the ministers widow
did in Elisha time, when. after the family
being very un 'Ortunate. her two sons wer0
about TO be sold for DEBT. and she had moth
ing in the house but pot Of oil. and at
Elisha's direction sha borrowed from hef
neighbOrs all the vessels she could borrow
ana then began TO pour ont the oil into thos5
vessels and kept on pouring until tdey werj
all full. AMI she became an oil merchant with
more assets than liabilities. and when she
cried, Bring me yet a vessel the answer
came There is not a vessel more. SO let
MS take what oil OF faith W have anl use it
until the supply shall be miraculously multi
piled. Bring on your empty vessels. AMI by
the power OF the Lori Col Of Elisha they
Slall ne ullel until lueN 'tA uDlu NJ iuOAc ~
jubiant. all inspiring and triumphant faith.
What frghtful time We had a few days
ago down On the coast OF Long Island. where
| have been stopping. That archangel OF
tempest which. with its awful wings, swept
the Atlantic coast from Florida 10 NewiOund-
land did not spare oar region. few miles
away. at Southampton. | saw the bodies OF
four men whom the storm had slain and the
sea hal cast up. As | stool there among the
dead bodies | sadtO myself, AMI said aloud
"Thes1 men represent homes. What will
mother and father and wife and children say
when they know thisF
Some OF the victims were unknown. Only
the first name Of two Of them was found out
Charley and william. IwOn Tered then and
wonder now IL they will remain unknown
and IL some kindred far away may be waiting
for their coming AMI never hear OF ths rough
way Of their going ] saw also ons Of tho
three who hal come in alive. but more dead |
than alive The ship had become helpless |
six miles out. AMI as on wave swept the |
deck and went dOyl on th3 furnlees till |
they Kissed and went out tho cry was, ION. |
my God. we are lost Then the crew put |
on life preservers. one Of the slilors saying |
10 the other. I'VE will meet again on the |
shore. and il not, well, " must all go somo |
time"
vi the lWful -AlllNh lhNAA ntAN lNN "a ~ D
life ureservers. only three liys1 to reach the /
beach. But what a scene it WAS ~ the good /
and kind people OF Southampton, led on by 4
Dr. Thomas. tine great and good surgeon Of /
New York. stood watching the sailors strug-
Cling in the breakers. "Are you still aiye?'
shouted DR.. Thomas 10 ono oil them out IN
the breakers. and he signaled yes AMI then 1
went into Inconsistencies. Who should do |
the most for the poor fellows and how t. |
them were the questions that ran
up and down the beach at southampton.
How the men and women on the shorestood /
wringing their hands. impatiently waiting
for the sufferers to come within reach, and
then they were lifted up and carried indoors |
and waited on with rs much kindness AMI
wrapped as warmly as though they had been
the princes Of the earth. Are they alive?
Are they breathing?' "Do you think they
will uyeY What can We do for them?
were the rapid and intense qu ,stioas ASKED
and so much money was INT for the cloth
ing and equipment Of the untortunates that
DR.. Thomas had to makea proclamation that
no more money was nee led. In other words,
all that day It was resuscitation.
And this is the appropriate word for Us
this morning rs We stand and LOOK OF upol
his awful sea ofdOl5t an1unoeliet on wlicl
hundreds are this moment being wrecked.
some OF them were launched by Christian
parentage on smooth seas and with promise
Tor prosperous voyage. but Notaire cyclone
struck them on one side, and 4 Ton Paine
,yclone struck them on the other side, ana
rad habit cyclone struck them on all sides,
md they have founderel far away from shore,
lar away from God, and they have gone down
Or are washed ashore with no spiritual lie
left in them.
But. thank God, there aro many here 20
DAY with enough faith left to encourage us
In the effort at their resuscitatioo. All hands
10 the beach, With a confidence in God that
lakes no denial, let US lay hold OF them
Fetch them out OF the breakers Bring COS,
pei warmth and gospel stimulus and gospel
life to their freezing souls Rasuscitation