Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-05-16

diving bell in which we 60 down into
the depths Of Gods mercy and bring W
pearls of great price" There was ar
instance where prayer made the waves
OF the Gennesaret solid as stone pave
mcnt 0, how many wonderful things
prayer has accomplished! Have you
ever tried it? In the days when the
Scotch Covenanters were prosecuted
and the enemies were after them, one
OF the head men among the Covenant
ers prayed: 20, Lord, we be as dead
men unless Thou shalt help us! Q,
Lord, throw the lap of Thy cloak over
these poor things!" And instantly a
Scotch mist enveloped and hid the per-
secuted from their persecutors-the
promise literally fulfilled: ''While they
are yet speaking l will hear"
Have you ever tried the power OF
prayer? Odd 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 1t. Do you believe that? Then
come to Him and say: 80, Lord! !
know Thou canst not lie. Thou hast
told me to come for pardon and could
get it. come, Lord. Keep thy prom
Use and liberate 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
to 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 re-
monstrances! And yet there has been
enough sin in your heart to ruin it for
ever, and you have never demonstrated
or petitioned against it. If your phys
ical health failed, and you had the
means, you would go and spend the
summer in Germany, and the winter in
Italy, and you would think it very
cheap outlay if you had to go all round
the earth to get back your physical
health. Have you made any effort,
any expenditure, any exertion for your
immortal and spiritual health?
O, 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 fami-
lies. Have you given one half day to
the working out of your salvation with
fear and trembling? You came here
with an earnest purpose, take it, as !
have come hither with an earnest pur-
pose, 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.
| remark again, you must seek the
Lord through Bible study. The Bible
is the newest book in the world. 90"
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 tell
ing 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, implore 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.
There are many people to whom the
Bible does not amount to much. If
they merely look at the outside beauty,
why, it will no more lead them to Christ
than Washington's farewell address or
the Koran of Mohammed, or the Shas-
ter 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
Iyere the most wonderfully constructed
ever saw, and could have stayed
there for whole week; but had only
/ little time, so, having glanced at the
wonderful carving on the doors,
passed in and looked at the radiant
lltars and the sculptured dome. Alas,
hat so many stop at the outside door
If Gods holy word, looking at the rhe-
;orical beauties, instead of going in
md looking at the affairs of sacrifice
md the dome of Gods mercy and sal
yation that hovers over penitent and
souls.
0, my friends! If you merely want
% study the laws of language, do not
70 to the Bible. 1t was not made for
hat. Take Howe's Elements of Criti-
.ism--it will be better than the Bible
or that. If you want to study meta
,hysics, better than the Bible will be
he writings of William Hamilton. But
( YOU want to know how to have sin
,ardoned, and at last to gain the bless
dness Of Heaven, search the Scriptures,
for in them we have eternal life.
When people are anxious about their
ouls. there are those who recommend
God books. That is all right But l /
want to tell you that the Bible is the :
est book under such circumstances. i
,axter wrote "a Call to the Uncon-
erted," but the Bible is the best call
0 the unconverted. Philip Doddridge !
7rote 'sThe Rise and Progress OF Re- .
gion in the Soul, but the Bible is the !
est rise and progress. John Angel
ames wrote 'sAdvice to the Anxious G
INQUIRER" but the Bible is the best ad- 2
ice to the anxious inquirer. G
o, the Bible is the very book you q
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