The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-05-02
TIME FOR SALVATION
SEARCH FOR THE LORD
nr Taimaee Points Out Three Ways in
which He May Be Found Out

found. Isaiah iv., 6.
Iaalah stands head and shoulders above
,be other Old Testament authors in vivid de-
srriptiveness OF Christ. Other prophets Give
an outline Of our Saviour's features. Some
Of them present, as II were. the side face OF
Christ. others n bust Of Christ. but Isaiah
,ives us the full length portrnit of Christ
Other Scripture writers excel in somo things
Ezekiel more weird. David more pathetic.
solomon more epigrammatic, Habakkuk
more subllme-but when you want TO see
Christ coming out from the gates of prophe-
cyin all His grandeur and glory you invoIun-
,a-ily turn to Isaiah, 80 that II the prophe-
cie. in regard TO Christ might be called the
"Oratorio of the Messiah" the writing of
Isaiah IL the "Halleluiah Chorus" where all
the batons wave and all the trumpets come
in Isaiah was not n man picked up out of
insignihcance by inspiration. He was known
and honored. Josephus and Phio and
srach extolled him In their writings. What
Paul was among the apostles Isaiah was
among the prophets.
Nv text finds him standing on noun
tain Of inspiration, looking out into the fu-
ture. behOlding Christ advancing and anN-
jous that all men might know Him. His
voice rings down the ages. "Seek We the
Lord while He may be found" ooh" saws
some one. "that was for olden times" No.
nv hearer. II you have travelled in other
credit from some banking house in New
York and in ST. Petersburg or Venice or
Rome or Melbourne or Calcutta YOU pre-
sented that letter and got financial help i'm
nediatoly. And want you to understand
that the text, instead OF being appropriate
for one age or Tor one land, is q circular let
ter for all ages and for all lands, and where
ever 1t is presented for help the help comes
"Seek ye the Lord while He may be found"
| leone to-day with no hair spun theories
Of religion, with no nice distinctions, with
no elaborate disquisltion but with an urgent
call to personal religion. The gospel OF
Christ IL q powerful medicine. II either
kills or cures. There are those who say: ''I
. would like TO become n Christian. I have
| been waiting good while for the right
| kind Of influences to come" and still you
are waiting. You are wiser in worldly
| things than you are in religious things. II
| YOU want to get to Albany. you go the Grand
| Central Depot or 10 the steamboat wharf.
| and having got your ticket YOU do not sit
1 down on the wharf or sit in the depot. You
get aboard the boat or train. And yet there
are men who say they are waiting TO get 60
heaven. waiting, waiting. but not with in
telligent waiting, orthey would get on board
the line OF Christian influences that would
bear them into the kingdom Of God.
Now, you know very well that to seek n
thing Is to search for IL with earnest endeay-
this city, and there is a matter of $4,000
connected with your seeing him. and YOU
cannot at first find him, you do not give up
the search. You look In the directory, but
cannot find the name. You 90 in circles
where you think perhaps he may minge. and
having found the part of the city where he
lives, but perhaps not knowing the street
you so through street after street and from
block to block, and you keep on searching
for weeks and for months.
You say, "lt is n matter of $40, 900 whether
SEQ him or not" Oh, that men were IA
persistent in seeking for Christi Had you
one-half that persistence you would long ago
have found Him who Is the Joy of the for
given spirit. We may pay our debts, we may
attend church, wo may relieve the poor, we
may be public benefactors. and yet all our
life disobey the text, never see God, never
gain heaven. Oh, that the Spirit of God
would help me, while | try to show you, I'm
carrying out the idea of my text first how 10
peek the Lord and in the next place when to
seei Him.
Iremark. in the first place, you are TO seek
the Lord through earnest and believing
prayer God Is not an autocrat or a despot
seated on a throne, with His arms resting on
orazen lions and sentinel pacing up and
down at the foot OF the throne. God IL a
iaiher seated In bower, waiting for His chill
dren 10 come and climb on His knee and get
~
pup with which we 90 the fountain of living
water and dip up refreshmcnt for our
lhlrsty soul. Grace does not come TO the
heart rs We set Il cask at the corner of the
pouse to catch the rain in the shower. II Is
pulley fastened TO the throne of God, which
pull, bringing the blessing.
| do not care so much what posture you
lake In prayer nor how large an amount OF
Hoiee you use. You might get down on
our face before God, II you did not pray
ght inwardly there would be no response.
ol might cry at the top Of your voice, and
Fnless you had believing spirit within your
would not go further up than the shout
plowboy to his oxen. Prayer must be
(elieying earnest, loving You are In YOUR
0ase some summer day and II shower comes
and bird, affrighted, darts into the
hdow and wheels about the room. You
tNe II. You smooth its ruffled plumage
ou Ieel Its fluttering heart. You say Poor
hing, poor thing! Now, a prayer goes out
the storm OF this world into the window
Gods mercy, and He catches it, and He
els its huttering pulse. and He puts il In
own bosom OF affection and safety
ayer Is warm, ardent, pulsating exercise
Is an electric battery which, touched,
nils to the throne OF God. 1t Is the diving
tlin which we go down into the depths OF
ods mercy ana bring up pearls OF great
nee There was an instance where prayer
"4V 'uc waves OF tne benheSaret solid as
one pavement. oh, how many wonderful
lhgs prayer has accomplished! Have you
ef tried III In the days when the Scotch
Nenanters were prosecuted and the enemies
ere after them one Of the head men among
: Coyenanters prayed: "Oh, Lord, we be
dead men unless Thou shalt help us! oh,
10, throw the lap Of Thy cloak over these
or things" And instantly Scotch mist
'eloped and hid the prosecuted from their
sscltors-the promise literally fulfilled,
nile they are yet speaking will hear"
nave you ever tried the power Of prayer?
says. "He is loving and faithful and pa
l Do you believe that You are told
y Christ came to save sinners. Do you
leye that? You are tol that all you have
lo to get the pardon OF the gospel is to
ior II. Do you believe that? Then come
hlm and say; 30 Lord, 1 know Thou
: ~ not lie. Thou hast told me to come
=, pardon and could get it. come, Lord.
Thy promise and liberats my captive
y ~ that you nigh. have an altar in the
nor, In the kitchen, in the store, In the
%, Tor Christ will be willing to come again
Tue manger 20 hear prayer. He would
le TO your place OF business as He con-
lat th..,.. tI,. ,.,. ,,,,,