Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-04-28

was about half 2 minute. Time them
by your watch, and you will find
my estimate accurate, by which l do
rot mean to So that sermons ought to
be only I6 minutes long and prayers
only half a minute long. Christ had
such infinite power Of compression that
he could pat enough into his l6 minute
ermon and his Ealf minute prayer to
keep all tho following ages busy III
thought and action. Noone buta Christ
could afford to Pray or preach as short
as that, but he meant to teach US COM
preston.
Chr:sts Sermons.
At Selma. Ala, the Other day I was
shown O cotton press by which cotton
was put in such shape thst it occupied
in transportation erly enc car where
three cars weTa formerly necessary, and
n ship where three ships had been re-
quired, and 1 imagine that we al need
to compress ouraerEaons and cur prayers
into smaller spaces.
and his sermons were so lovely for
sentiment and practically and simplic-
ity end illustration. The light Of cam
die, the crystal of the salt, tho cluck of
a hen fer her chickens, the hypocrite's
dolorous physiognomy, the noth in tho
clothes closet, the black wing CT a raven,
the snowbank Ct white lilies, our ex-
treme botlor2tion about the splinter of
iinpcTfectiol i'll some one clsc's charac-
ter, the swine fed on the pearls, wolves
dramatizing sheep, and the peroration
made up CT q cycloEe in which you hear
the crash OF @ tuinbling house unwisely
constructed. No t~eehricalitics, no split
ting OF hairs between north and north
west side, 70 ~dog1natics, but a great
Christly throb Of %helpfulness. 1 do rot
wonder at tho record which says,
when he wa come down from the
mountain, great multitudes followed
him" They had but one fault to find
with his sermon. 1t was too short. God
help all OF US il Christian work to get
down of our stills and realize there is
only Il thing VIC have to do-there is
the great wound Of the worlds sin and
sorrow, and here is the great healing
plaster Of the gospel. What you and /
want to do is to put the plaster on the
wound. All sufficient Is this aosnal If II
is only applied. A minister preaching
to an audience Of sailors concerning the
ruin by sin end the rescue bv the eosnel
accommodated himself TO sailors YER
n~acular and said, This plank bears
Many years after this preacher was
called to see a DIVING sailor and asked
him about his hons and rot the suggest
i've reply. ssTilis rlark Eeare."
An Appeal Ter Love.
Yea, Christ was lovely il lis chief
lifo's work. There wcra n ,bo1eopd
things for Lin to do. but his GREET work
was to ret Cur shinwree,,ed world ont
Of tho breakers. That be came To do and
that ho did, end b did itin fbrec years.
He took so wears to I'm that
three years activity. From I2 to no
years OF ace We hear nothing abont him
That Intervening IS wears | think he
was in India. But lie came back to Pal.
estine and crowded eyervth;ug into threa
ycars-three winters, three springs,
three summers, three cutumns. Our life
is short, but would God we might see
how much we could do il three years.
Concentration! In~tcnsifcationi Three
years Ct Kind words! Three years of liv-
ing for others! Three years Of self eacri-
fee! Let US s7y it.
Aye, Christ vas lovely in lis domise.
He had a right that last hour to deal III
anathematization. Never had any Il
been so raeanly treated. Cradle Of straw
among goats and camels-that was the
worlds reception Of himi Rocky cliff,
with hammers pounding spikes through
tortured nerves-that was the worlds
farewell salutation! The slaughter Of
that scene sometimes hides the lowell.
ness of the sufferer. Under the satura.
ton CT tears and blood We sometimes
fail to see the sweetest face of earth and
heaven. Altogether lovely! Can coldc-t
criticism find an rnkind word he ever
or an unkind action that he ever
performed, or an unkind thought that he
harbored?
What a marvel it is that all the ma
lions of earth do not rise up in raptures
of affection for himl l must say it here
and now. lift my right hand in solemn
attcstation. love him, and the grief of
my life is that I do not love him more.
Is it an impertincEco for no to ask. Do
you, my hcarcr-you, nay reader, love
him? Has he become a part Of your ma
ture? Have you committed your children
on earth into his keeping, as your chill
dren in heaven are already in his bosom?
Has he done enough to win your conf
dence? Can you trust him, living and
dying and forever? Is your back or your
face toward him? Would you like to
his hand to guide you, his might
to protect you, his grace to comfort you,
his sufferipgs to atone for you, his arms
to welcome you, his love to encircle you,
his heaven to crovn you?
Grand Thought.
Oh, that we might all have something
Of the great German reformer's love for
this Christ which led him to say, IF any
9ne knocks at the door of my breast and
says, Who lives there?' my reply is.
Iesuc (,bricf livoc hove ,a+ Mt.