Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-03-30

OiUSieS, huu III tue DiDlo ulCtlOuuIlec,
and all the maps of Palestine. and all
tho international series Of Sunday
school lessons And if that is all you
will not understand the deeper and
srander meanings Of tho Bible SO we'll
as that Christian mountaincer who.
Sunday morning. after having shaken
down the fodder for the cattle, comes
into his cabin, takes up his we'll worn
Bible, and with n prayer that stirs the
heavens asks for tho Holy Ghost to un-
fold the book.
No more unreasonable would I be- IL
l should take up Tho Novoe vremya Of
ST. Petersburg. all printed in Russian.
and say, There is no sense in this
for cannot understand one
limo of all its columns. than for any
man to take up tho Bible. and without
getting Holy Ghost illumination as to
its meaning say: This Book insults my
sense. cannot undcrsfand it.
Away with tho incongruityl" No one
but the Holy Ghost. who inspired the
can explain the Scriptures
Fully realize that. and you will be rs
lover Of tho old book as
my venerable friend who told me in
last week that he was read
ing the Bible through the fifty-ninth
time, and il became more attractive and
thrilling every time he went through it.
In tho saddlebags that hung across my
horse's back rs l rode from Jerusalem
down to the Dead sea and up to Damas-
Gus had all tho books about Palestine
that l could carry, but many man On
his knees. in the privacy Of his room.
has had flashed upon him moro vivid up.
probation OF tho word Of God than
many man who has visited all the
scenes of Christ's birth, and Paul's clo-
Quencc, and Peter's Imprisonment, and
Joshua's prowess. and Elijah S ascension.
l do not depreciate any of the helps for
Bible study. but do say that they all
together come infinitely short without
direct communication from the throne
Of God in response to prayerful solioita-
tion. We may find many interesting
things about tho Bible without especial
rs how many horses Solo,
mon had in his stables. or how long was
Noah's ark. or who was the only woman
whose full name is given in the Scrip
lures. or which is the middle verse Of
tho Bible, and all that will do you no
more good than 10 be able 70 tell how
many beanpoles there arc in your neigh
bor's garden
The learned Earl Of Chatham heard
tka fn,,n,,o (sa,tl v,rannh about tho
Holy Ghost and said to friend on the
way homo from church: II could not
understand it. aud do you suppose any.
body understood it?" "Oh, yes" said
his Christian friend, there were uned-
ucated women and some little children
present who understood it." warrant
you that tho English soldier had under
supernal influence read the book, for
after the battle Of Inkermann was over
ho was found dead with his hand glued
to tho page Of the open Bible by his own
blood. and tho words adhered to his
hands rs they buried him. ~ am tho
resurrection and the life; he that be-
lieveth in me. though dead. yet shall no
live"
~ anu oOtaFS-
Next consider the Holy Ghost rs q
human reconstructor. We must be made
over again. Christ and Nicodemus talk
cd about il. Theologians call it regencr-
alton. do not care what you call il.
but we havo TO bo reconstructed by tho
Holy Ghost We become new creatures,
hating what We once loved and loving
what wo onco hated. II sin wero q lux
ury. il must become detestation. II we
preferred bad associations. we must pre-
fer good associations In most cases it is
such n complete change that tho world
notices the difference and begins TO ask:
"What has come over that man? Whom
has he been with? What has SO affected
him: What has ransacked his entire ma
ture? What has turned him square
about?" Take two pictures OF Paul-one
on the road to Damascus to kill the dis
ciplcs of Christ, the other on the road to
Ostia 10 die for Christ. Come nearer
homo and look ut the man who found
his chief delight in low class OF club
rooms. hiccoughing around card table
and then stumbling down tho front steps
after midnight and staggering home
ward, and that samo man, ono week aft
erward. with his family ON tho way to
q prayer meeting. What has done il? It
must be something tremendous. Itmust
be God. IL must be- the Holy Ghost.
Notice tho Holy Ghost as the solacer
Of broken hearts. Christ calls him the
Comforter. Nothing does the world 80
much want as comfort The most people
have been abused, misrepresented, cheat
cd. lied about, swindled, bereft. What
is needed is balsam for the wounds. lam
tern for dark roads. rescue from malign.
ing pursuers. lift from the marble slab
of tombstones Life to most has been
They have not got what they
wanted. They have not reached that
which they started for. Friends betray.
Change Of business stand loses old Gus
tom and dots not bring enough custom
to make up for the loss Health becomes
precarious when one most needs strong
muscle and steady nerve and clear
brain. Out of this audience Of thousands
and thousands, If should ask all those
who have been unhurt in the struggle
of life TO stand up. or all standing to
hold up their right hands. not one would
move. Oh. how much we need the Holy
Ghost as comforter, He recites the sweet
gospel promises to the hardly bestead.
He assures Of mercy mingled with the
severities. He consoles with thoughts
of coming release. He tells of heaven
where tear in never wept and burden is
never carried and injustice is never suf.
fered. Comfort for all tho young people
who are maltreated at home. or receive
insufficient income. or are robbed Of their
schooling. or kept back from positions
they earned by the putting forward Of
others less worthy Comfort for all these
men and women midway in the path OF
life, worn ont with what they have al
ready gone through. and with no bright
ening future Comfort for these aged
ones amid many iniirmities and who feel
themselves to he i'll the way in the home
or business which themselves establitb-
ed with their own grit
Tho Holy Ghost comfort. think, gen.