Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-05-03

its huttering heart You say, Poor
thing, poor thingW Now, a prayer goes
out of the storm Of this world into the
window of Gods mercy, and he catches
it, and he feels its huttering pulse, and
he puts it in his own bosom Of affection
and safety. Prayer is a warm, ardent,
pulsating exercise. 1t is an electric bat
terry which, touched, thrills to the
throne of God. 1t is the diving bell in
which we go down into the depths of
Gods mercy and bring up pearls of
great price. There was an instance
where prayer made the waves Of the
Gennesaret solid as stone pavement. Oh,
how many wonderful things prayer has
accomplished Have you ever tried it?
In the days when the Scotch Covenant
ers were prosecuted and the enemies
were after them one of the head men
among the Covenanters prayed: 80
Lord, we be as dead men unless thou
shalt help usl o Lord, throw the lap
Of thy cloak over these poor things !"
And instantly Scotch mist enveloped
and hid the prosecuted from their perse-
cutors-the promise literally fulfilled,
"While they are yet speaking will
hear. "
The Power OF Prayer.
Have you ever tried the power Of
prayer? God says, HE is loving and
faithful and patient. " Do you believe
that? You are told that Christ came to
save sinners Do you believe that? You
are told that all you have to do to get
the pardon of the gospel is to ask for it.
Do you believe that? Then come to him
and say: go Lord, know thou canst
not lie. Thou hast told me to come for
pardon and could get it. l come,
Lord Keep thy promise and hberate
my captive soul "
Oh, that you might have an altar in
the parlor, in the kitchen, in the store,
in the barn, for Christ will be willing
70 come again to the manger to hear
prayer. He would come TO your place
Of business as he confronted Matthew,
the tax commissioner. If a measure
should come before congress that you
thought would ruin the nation, how you
would send in petitions and remon-
strances. And vet there has been enough
sin in your heart to ruin it forever, and
you have never demonstrated or petit
toned against it. If your physical
health failed and you had the means,
you wonld 60 and spend the summer III
Germany and the winter in Italy, and
you would think it very cheap outlay
if You had TO 90 all round the earth to
get back your physical health. Have you
made any effort, any expenditure, any
exertion, for your immortal and spirit
ual health?
Oh, that You might now begin to seek
after God with earnest prayer Some OF
you have been working for years and
years for the support Of your families.
Have you given one-half day to the
working ont of your salvation with fear
and trembling? You came here with an
earnest purpose, l take it, as have
come hither with an earnest purpose,
and we meet face to face, and tell you,
first Of all, if you want to find the Lord
you must pray and pray and pray.
I remark again you must seek the
Lord through Bible study. The Bible is
the newest book in the world. "Oh, "
you say, lit was made hundreds Of years
ago. and the learned men Of King James
translated it hundreds of years ago" /
confute that idea by telling you it is
not five minutes old when God by his
blessed spirit retranslates it into the
heart. If you will, in the seeking Of the
way Of life through Scripture study, i'm
plore Gods light to fall upon the page,
you will find that these promises are not
one second old, and that they drop
straight from the throne Of God into
| your heart.
The Book of Books.
There are many people to whom the
Bible does not amount 10 much. If they
merely look at the outside beauty, why,
! it will no more lead them TO Christ
than Washington farewell address, or
the Koran of Mohammed, or the Shaster
Of the Hindoos. 1t is the inward light Of
Gods word you must get. went up to
the Church of the Madeleine in Paris and
looked at the doors, which are the most
wonderfully constructed ever saw, and
I could have staid there for whole
week. but had only little time. So,
having glanced at the wonderful cary
ing on the doors, passed in and looked
at the radiant altars and the sculptured
dome. Alas, that so many stop at the
outside door of Gods holy word, look
ing at the rhetorical beauties instead Of
going in and looking at the altars OF
sacrifice and the dome of Gods mercy
and salvation that hovers over penitent
and believing souls
Oh, my friends, if you merely want
to study the laws of language, do not
90 to the Bible 1t was not made for
that. Take "Howe's Elements of Crit
icism." 1t will be better than the Bible
for that. If you want to study metaphy-
sizes. better than the Bible will be the
writings Of William Hamilton. But II
YOU want to know how to have sin par
doned and at last to gain the blessed
ness of heaven search the Scriptures,
"for in them We have eternal life. "
When people are anxious about their
souls, there are those who recommend
good books. That is all right. But
want to tell you that the Bible is the
best book under such circumstances.
Baxter wrote "a Call to the Unconvert-
ed, " but the Bible is the best call to the
unconverted Philip Doddridge wrote
1.-THE Rise and Progress Of Religion In
the Soul" but the Bible is the best
rise and progress, John Angel James
wrote advice to the Anxious lnqur-
er," but the Bible is the best advice to
the anxious inquirer.
Oh. the Bible is the very book you
need, anxious and inquiring soull A
dying soldier said to his mate, Com
rade, give me n drop!" The comrade
shook up the canteen and said, There
isn't a drop Of water in the canteen. "
"Oh, " said the dying soldier, "that's
not what l want Feel in my knapsack
for my Bible, and his comrade found
the Bible and read him a few Of the