Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-05-04

i
and safety. Prayer is q warm, ardent,
pulsating exercise. 1t is an electric bat
terry which, touched, thrills to the
throne of God. Il is the diving bell in
which we go down into the depths of
Gods mercy and bring up pearls of
great price. p" There was an instance
whore prayer made the waves of the
I Gennesarct solid rs stone pavement Oh,
how many wonderful things prayer has
accomplished Eave yoa ever tried it?
In the days when the Scotch Covenant
ers were prosecuted and the enemies
were after them ere Of the head men
among the Coyenanters prayed: 30
Lord, We he as dead men unless thou
shalt help US! o Lord. throw the lap
of thy cloak over these poor things!'
And instantly a Scotch mist enveloped
and hid ihe persecutcd from their perse-
cutcrs--the promise literally fulfilled,
"While they are yet speaking will
hear
Tho Power of Prayer.
Have ycu ever tried the power of
prayer? Gcl gays, He is loving and
faithful and Patient" Do ycu believe
that? Yen 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 eff the gospel is to ask for it.
Do you believe that? Then come to hiln
End say: 80 Lord, / know thou canst
not lie Thou hast told ne to come for
pardon and could get it. / como,
Lord. Keep thy promise and kberate
my captive soul
Oh, that You might have an altar in
the parlor, in the kitchen, il the store,
i'll the barn, for Christ viii be willing
to come again to the 1nanger to hear
prayer. He would come to your place
of business Is he confronted Matthew,
! the tax commissioner. If q measure
should come before congress that you
4 thought would ruin the nation, how you
would send in petitions and remon-
strances. And yet 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 would go and spend the summer in
Germany and the winter in Italy, and
you would think it q very cheap outlay
if you had to 60 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 Gcd with earnest prayer Some of
You have been working for years and
years for the support of your families
Have you given cne-haf day to the
working out CT your salvation with fear
and trembling? You came here with an
earnest purpose, l take it, as l have
come hither with an earnest purpose,
andwc 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 stady. The Bible is
the newest book in the world "Oh,
| you say, sit was made hundreds Of years
ago, and the learned men Of King James
translated it hundreds Of years ago." I
cOnfute that idea by telling yol it is
not five minutes old when God by his
! blessed spirit retranslates it into the
heart, If you will, i'll the seeking of the
way of life through Scripture study, i'm
plore Gods light to fall upon the page,
You viii 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 to much. If they
merely lcoll at the outside beauty, why,
it will no moro lead them to Christ
than Washington's farewell address, or
the Koran Of MCharmed, or the Shaster
of the Hindoos. 1t is the inward Light Of
Gods word you must get. 1 went up to
the Church Of the Madeleine in Paris and
looked at the doors, which are the most
wonderfully constructed ever saw, and
! could have staid there for whole
week, bat had only little time So,
having glanced at the wonderful cary
ing on the doors, passed in and looked
at the radiant affairs and the sculptpred
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 affairs Of
sacrifice and the dome Of Gods mercy
alld salvation that hovers over penitent
and believing souls!
Oh, my friends, if you merely want
to study the laws of language, do not
go to the Bible. 1t was not made for
that. Take "Howe's Elements Of Crit
icism. " 1t will be better than the Bible
fer that. If you want to study metaphy-
sizes, better than tho Bible will be the
writings Of William Hamilton But if
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 ye have eternal life "
When people are anxious about their
souls, there are those who recommend
good books. That is all right But l
want to tell you that the Bible is the
best book ,nder such circumstances.
Baxter wrote "A Call to tie Unconvert-
ed, " bit 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 Angcn James
wrote Advice to the Anxious Inquir-
er, " but the Bible is the best advice to
the anxious inquirer.
Oh, the Bible is the very book you
need, anxious and inqairing soull A
dying soldier said to his mate Com
rale, give iGc a drcp!" The comrade
shook up TIE cantcoa and said, There
isn't a drop Of wa.cr in the canteen. "
"Oh, said the dyng soldier, that's
not what l want Feel in my l.napsack
for my Bible, " and his comrade found
the Bible and read him a few of the
gracious promises, and the dying sol
der said: "Ah, that's what l want.
There isn't anything like the Bible for
u dying soldier. is there. my COM
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