Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-03-28
nd, without getting Holy Ghost illum-


| congruity" No one but the HOLY
Ghost, who inspired the Scriptures, car
explain the Scriptures. Fully realize
that, and you will be as enthusiastic q
lover of the old Book as my venerable
friend who told me in Philadelphia last
week that he was reading the Bible
through the fifty-ninth time, and 1t be-
came more attractive and thrilling
every time he went through it. In the
saddle-bags that hung across my horses
back as 1 rode from Jerusalem down to
the Dead sea, and up to Damascus,
had all the books about Palestine that
1 could carry; but many a man on his
knees in the privacy of his own room.
has had flashed upon him more vivid
appreciation of the Word of God than
many a man who has visited all the
scenes of Christ's birth, and Paurs elo-
quence, and Peters imprisonment, and
Joshua's prowess, and Elijah's ascen-
sion. 1 do not depreciate any of the
helps for Bible study, but do say that
they all together come infinitely short
without a direct communication from
the throne of God in response to prayer
full solicitation. We may find many
interesting things about the Bible with
horses Solomon had in his stables, or
how long was Noah's ark, or who was
the only woman whose full name is given
in the Scriptures, or which is the middle
verse of the Bible, and all that will do
you no more good than to be able to tell
how many bean poles there are in your
neighbours garden. The learned Earl
of Chatham heard the famous Mr.. Ce-
noh oh he IDl N
said to a friend on the way home from
church, Il could not understand 1t; and
do you suppose anybody understood
it?' "Oh, yes" said his Christian
friend, there were uneducated women
and some little children present who
understood it," I warrant you that the
English soldier had under supernal in
huence read the Book, for after the
battle of Inkermann was over he was
found dead with his hand glued to the
page of the open Bible by his own blood,
and the words adhered to his hands as
they buried him: II am the Resurrec-
ton and the Life, he that believeth in
me, though dead yet shall he live
AS a Human Reconstruction.
Next consider the Holy Ghost as a
human reconstructor. We must be
made over again. Christ and Nico-
demus talked about it. Theologians
call 1T Regeneration. / do not care what
you call it, but we have to be recon-
by the Holy Ghost. We be-
come new creatures. hating what we
once loved, and loving what we once
hated. If sin were luxury, it must be-
come new creatures, hating what we
associations, we must prefer good as
soclations. In most cases it is such
complete change that the world no.
tees the difference, and begins to ask,
What has come over that MANI Whom
has he been with? What has so affected
MIN? What has ransacked his entire
nature? What has turned him square
ABOUT? Take two pictures of Paul:
one on the road to Damascus to kill the
disciples of Christ; the other on the
road to Ostia to die for Christ. Come
nearer home, and look at the man who
found his chief delight in a low class Of
hiccoughfng around the
card-table, and then stumbling down
the front steps after midnight and stag
ser1ng homeward; and that same man,
one week afterward, with his family
On the way to a prayermeeting. What
has done it? 1t must be something ire
nendous. 1t must be God. 1t must be
he Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost comfort, think, gen.
orally comes in the shape of a soliloquy.
You find yourself saying to yourself
We'll, L ought not to go on this way
about my mothers death. She had suf-
cred enough. She had borne other peo-
Pies burdens long enough. l am glad
hat father and mother are together in |
heaven, and they will be waiting to
greet us, and it will be only a little |
While, anyhow, and God makes no mis- |
axes or you soliloquize, saying, 1T |
S hard to lose my property. 1 am sure |
worked hard enough for it. But God |
VIII take care of US, and as to the chill |
tren, the money might have spoiled |
hem, and we find that those who have |
urn out best, and it will all be we'll if |
his upsetting of our worldly resources
eads us to lay up treasures in heaven"
Or you soliloquize, saying, 1T was hard |
o give up that boy when the Lord took |
him. I expected great things of him, |
md, oh, how we miss him out of the |
house, and there are so many things |
come across that make one think of
linn, and he was such splendid fellow; |
rom the temptations and sorrows |
which come to all who grow up. and 1t |
s a grand thing to have him safe from |
LII possible harm, and there are all |
hose Bible promises for parents who |
lave lost children, aid we shall feel a |
lrawing heavenward that we could not |
AVE otherwise experienced" And after |
'ou have said that you get that relief |
which comes from an outburst of tears. |
lot cry. God pity people in trouble |
Who have the parched eye-ball, and the |
Try eye-lid, and can not shed a tear |
That makes maniacs. To Gods people |
ears are the dews of the night dashed |
With sunrise. l am so glad you can
weep. But you think these things you
Jay to yourself are only soliloquies.
No, no. They are the Comforter, who is
he Holy Ghost.
The Light of Heaven.
In 1857 the electric telegraph bore
strange messages. One of them read,
My dear parents will rejoice to hear
that 1 have found peace with God"
Another read: Dear mother, the work
continues, and I, too, have been con-
verified" Another read: "At last, faith
and peace" In Vermont a religious
ing and Watching for Me-" The song
rolled out on the night air, and a man
halted and said, II wonder if there
will be any one waiting and watching
for me?" 1t started him heavenward.