The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-01-24
Rev. Pow1oK,s sRRMoN.


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A Discourse Suitable to the Present Re
vival Season.
The sermon in the NJ +. church on Sunday
evening was on Seeking God, !" Isaiah 1867:
seek ye the Lord while He may be found,
call We upon Him while He is near: lot the
wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous
man his thoughts, and let him return unto
the Lord and He will have mercy upon him
and 10 our God for He will abundantly
pardon" The Bible declares that "All we,
like sheep, have gone astray" and that
"Christ Jesus came into the world to seek
and TO save that which was lost"
But as it also teaches that God is every
where present and that He knowcth all
things the question may arise 'in what seLse
docs Jesus seek that which was lost and in
what sense is the sinner to seek God2" The
separation alluded to is not that which re,
suits from the Intervention or space but from
the alienation Of the affections. Space can
not separate true friends. Their souls are
knit" like those Of David and Jonathan
But though you Join hands with one you
AldAI gUh hIG III Nllb llhN't oDnoN ~ A''A Nf'
as the poles. The sinner is separated from
| God by the alienation of his affection. And
| the text exhorts him TO return to the Lord by
restoring those affections To seek the Lord is
| to pause in our mad career to consider our
ways and the claims of God and by peni-
tence and faith to implore His forgiveness
| and renew our allegiance.
The text seems to distinguish between the
wicked" and the 'unrighteous" But this is
in condecension to human notions. Every
body admits the need of the wicked to
forsake his way-the drunkard, liar iber
tine, prostitute, thief-must forsake their evil
ways if they want to be saved. We have no
trouble in convincing them of their need to
Seek the Lord" But there is another clas.
| of respectable sinners who are no less otlen'
sivo to God though they boast Of theiI
morality and no less in need of His pardon
ing mercy though like the Pharisee they may
thank God they are not as other men are
nor even as this publican. This is that large,
and, to men, respectable class who are faithful.
to their fellow-meu and shamefully negligent
Of their God. They think God ought to save
them because they deal honestly and CHART
ably with their fellows though they take no
account Of the duty of prayer and praise to
their Creator. They arc not wicked in the
usual sense of the word but they are un-
righteous, and the Bible says that the "un-
righteous shall not inherit the kingdom Of
God" And although they may have no
wicked ways to forsal1e they have to forsske
some very wicked thoughts" if they are
ever to be savoj. The sum total Of human
character, as God judges it, includes our
thoughts as well as our deeds. And if the
archives of hell could be searched it would
doubtless be found that the blasphemous
thoughts of respectable skeptics and moralists
are responsible for the damnation of as many
seuls as the filthy words and vicious conduct
of the outrageously proiane.
God delights to have mercy upon those
who seek Him. He does not dole out a mig
gardly pardon in grudging spirit, but He
will abundantly pardon. a. even l, am He
that blotteth out thy transPessions and will
not remember thy sins" Casting them be-
hind my back and drowning them in the
depths Of the sea are expressions used to de-
note the abundance Of the pardon God be.
slows upon those who truly seek Him. But We
must seek Him ,Dhile lie may be tound and call
upon Him lOhile He is near. This implies a
time when He may not be found. The power
to repent is of God. Men may so grieve the
spirit of God that He will forsake them.
When this occurs they are beyond the reach
of mercy. Let us heed the counsel Of the
wise man Because l have called and ye re-
fused, have stretched out My hand and no
man regarded, but ye have set at naught all
my counsel and would none of my reproof, |
also will laugh at your calamity, l will mock
when your fear cometh. Then shall they call
upon Me but ! will not answer, they shall
seek Me early but they shall not find Me-"
At the close of the sermon eleven persons
came forward for prayer.