The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-05-03

literally fulfilled: while they are yet
speaking l will hear"
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: ''Oh, Lord. l
know Thou canst not lie. Thou hast
told me to come for pardon and l could
get il. l come, Lord. Keep Thy
promise, and liberate nay 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 remon-
strances. And yet there has been
enough sin in your heart to ruin it for
ever, and yet you have never remon-
strated or petitioned against it. If
your physical health failed, and you
had the means, you would go and spend
the summer in Germany. and the win
ter in Italy. and YOU would think it
very cheap outlay if YOU had to go all
around the earth to get back your
physical health. Have you made any
effort, any expenditure, any exertion
for your immortal and spiritual 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 honest purpose,
take it, as | have come hither with an
earnest purpose, and we meet face 70
face, and | tell you first of all. if you
want to find the Lord, you must pray,
and pray and pray.
l 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" l confute that idea by
telling you that it is not five minutes
old, when God, by His blessed spirit,
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.
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
cism"-it will be better than the Bible
for that If YOU want to study meta
physics. better than the Bible will be
the writings of William Hamilton.
But if you want to know how to have
sin pardoned, and at last to gain the
blessedness of Heaven search the
Scriptures, ''for in them We have eter-
nal 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 Uncon-
verted" But the Bible is the best call
to the uncouverted. Doddridge wrote
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 Inquirer" but
the Bible is the best advice to the
anxious inquirer.
Oh. the Bible is the very book you
need. anxious and inquiring soul, A
dying soldier said to his mate: Com
rade. give me a 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 nv Bible" And his comrade found
the Bible and read him 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
a dying soldier, is there, my comrade?'
Oh, blessed book while we live. Blessed
book when we die!
remark, again, we must seek God
through church ordinances. What"
saw YOU, cant a man be saved with
out going to church?" I reply, there
are men, l suppose. in glory, who have
never seen a church; but the church is
the ordained means by which we are to
be brought to God; and if truth affects
us when we are alone, it affects US more
nightly when we are in the assembly
the feelings of others emphasizing
our own feelings. The great law of
sympathy comes into play, and truth
that would take hold only with the
grasp of a sick man, beats nightly
against the soul with thousand heart
throbs.
When you come into the religious
circle, come only with one notion, and
only for one purpose-to find the way
to Christ. When l see people critical
about sermons, and critical about tones
of voice, and critical about sermonic
delivery, they make me think of man
in prison. He is condemned to death,
but an officer of the government brings
pardon and puts it through
the wicket of the prison, and
says: Here is your pardon. Come
and get it" What! Do you expect me
to to take that pardon offered with
such voice as you have. with such an
awkward manner as you have? l
would rather die than so compromise
my rhetorical notionsr An, the man
does not say that; he takesit 1t is his
life. He does not care how i is handed