The Penn's Grove record., 1896-01-24

he inHdel, "NoS you pray The inHdel re
| pied, II cannot pray. / have no God t.
| pray to Let me go! Let me gor" Tn
spectators, who expected fun, found moth
lug but oy~erpower1ng solemnity, and a re
/ vival started, IN among the first who wer
brought in was the infdel. That prayer di
L. In all our lives there AVE been time
when We fe't that prayer was answered. The
ct US say 80.
There fingers on this side OF the river tina
divides earth and heaven, ready at any tim
20 cross over. the apostle OF prayer for thi
century, Jeremiah Calvin Lanphier, tn
founder of the Fulton street prayer meeting
and u he should put on his spectacles an,
read this / salute him as more qualified tina
any man since Bible times in demonstratinI
what prayer can do. Dear Brother Ian
ohier! The hign heavens are full OF hi
anne. Having announced a meeting for /
o'clock, September %, 1887, he sat in tn
upper room on Fulton street, New York
Waiting for people to come. He waited 70
half hour, and then q football was hear
IN the steps, Inc after awhile in all six per-
IONS arrived, but the next day twenty, and
he next day forty and from that time to this,
or over thirty-eiRht years, every day. Sab
bath excepted, that Fulton street prayer
meeting has been a place where people have
asked prayer and answers to prayer have
oeen announced, and the throS Of that great
heart of supplication has thrilled not only
INTO the heavens. but clear around the world,
more than any spot GU earth. That has been
he place where the redeemed Of the Lord
aid SOL
Let the same outspoken ness be employed
oward those by whom W. hav been person
lily advantaged. We wait until they are
lead before we say SO. Your parents have
planned for your best interests all these
Tears. They may sometimes, their nervous
Iystem used up by the cares, the losses. the
lisappointments, the worriments of life, be
more irritable than they ought to be, and
hey probably lave faults which AVE be-
come oppressive as the years go by. But
hose eyes, long before they took on spec
,acles, were watching for your welfare, and
heir hands, not as smooth and much more
ieepiy lined than once, have done for
fou many a good days work. Life has been
o them more of a struggle than you will
sver know about, n much Of the struggle
las been for you, n how much they are
wrapped upin your welfare you will never
appreciate.
Have you by word or gift or behavior ex.
fessei your tbanks2 Or II you cauaot quite
set up to say 1t face to face, have you written
I In some holiday ~salutation2 The time will
Ioon pass, and they will be gone out of your
light, and their ears will not hear, and their
Eyes will not see. II you owe tnem any
tindness Of deed or any words of apprecIa-
ion, why do you not say SOP How much
Ne might all of us save ourselves In the
natter of regrets If we did not delay until
90 late an expression Of obligation that
would have made the last years Of earthly
fife more attractive. The grave is deaf, and
,pitaphs on cold marble cannot make re-
,aration.
In conjugal life the honeymoon Ia soon
pasr, and the twain take it for granted that
zach is thoroughly understood. How Deepen.
lent on each other they become, and the
years go by, and perhaps nothing is said to
make the other fully understand that sense
,f dependence. Impatient words sometimes
som forth, and motives are m~isinterpreted,
and it is taken as a matter CT course that the
Two will walk the path of life side by side
antil about the same time their journey shall
90 ended. but some sudden and appalling ill
aess u~nloosens the right hands that were
,lasped years at before the altar Of orange
blossoms, the parting takes place, and amon9
he worst of all the sorrows is that you did
aot ~oftener, II you ever did at all, tell her or
.ell him how Indispensable she was or how
Indispensable he was to your happiness, and
hat in some plain, square talk long ago you
lid not ask for forgiveness for infirmities
and neglects, and by some unlimited utter
snce make 1t understood that you fully ap-
oreciared the fidelity and Reinforcement OF
A0hy yOhtIs h'ho " lAoh SoSh NOW "
lament the rest OF their lives. "oh, II l had
,nly said So"
MY subject takes a wider range. The LORD
las hundreds Of thousands Of people among
hose who have never Joined His army be
,ause Of some high ideal Of what a Christian
should be or because of a fear that they may
lot hold out or because of a spirit OF pro-
~,rastination. They have never publicly
orofessed Carist. They have as much right
n fha aarra napfC and ma mnnh FiVht 10 all
he privileges OF the church as thousands
who have for years been enrolled In church
membership, and yet they have made no
positive utterance by which the world may
know they love Goo and are on the road to
heaven. They are redeemed of the Lord and
ret do not say SO. Oh. what an augmenta-
ion 1t would be II by some divine impulse
all those outsiders should become insiders.
ell you what would bring them to their
right places, and perhaps nothing else will
lays of persecution. II they were compelled
10 take sides as b~etweenIChrist and His enc
mics, they would take the side Of Christ, and
the fagots and the instruments Of torture
and the anathemss Of all earth and he'll
would not make them blanch. Martyrs are
made out Of such stuff as they are. But let
them not wait for such days as ! prnyto God
may never come. Drawn by the sense Of
fairness and justice and obligation. let them
show their colors. Let the redeemed oil the
LoId say SO.
This chapter from which I take my tex
mentions several Glasses Of persons who
ought to be ~outspoken, among them all those
who go on q journey. What an opportunity
you have, you who spend so much OF your
lime on rail trains or on shipboard, whether
on lake or river or sea. Spread the glory OF
Gods goodness and your own redemption
wherever you go. You will have many q
long ride beside some one whom You will
never see again. some one who Is waiting Tor
one word of rescue or consolation. Make
every rail tralnland steamer a moving palace
Of saved souls. Casual conversations havf
harvested a great host for God.
There are many Christian workers in pull
,its, In mission stations, Sabbath schools. in
lnheari Of places who are doing their best
Tor God and without any recognition. They
go and ONE, and ~ one cheers them. Per-
haps all The reward they get is harsh critic
ism, or repIlse, or sheir own fatigue. II you
have ever heard Of any good they have done,
let them know about il. II you find some
ons benefited by their aims, or their prayers,
or their cheering word, go and tell them.
They may be almost ready to give Up their
mission. They may be almost in despair be-
sause of the seeming lack OF results. One
word from you may be an ordination that
will start them on the chief work OF their
lifetime. A Christian woman said to her
pastor! my usefulness Is done. 1 10 moi
NOW why my life is spared any longer, be-
cause 1 can do no good" Then the pastor
replied. ''You do me great good every Sab
oath." She asked; How do l dc you any
yood?'' and he replied: "In the first place,
you are always in your seat in the church.
and that helps me-, and in the secont place
you are always wide awake and alert, look
ng right up into my face. and that helps me,
and In the third place l often see Gears run.
aing down your cheeks. and that helps me-
What a good thing he did not wait until shs
was dead before he said sol
There are hundreds OF ministers who ave
hard work to make IN because no one
expresses any appreciation. They are afraid
of making him vain. The moment The
5enedictiou is pronounced they turn on then
heels aud go out. Perhaps it WAS u subiee'
N which he had put especial pains. b
ought for the right text, and then did hi
lest to put the old thought INTO some new
hape. He had prayed that It might go <
he hearts OF the people. He had added z
he argument the most vivid illustrations d.
| souid think OF. He had delivered all witt
/ power that left him n~ervously hauste
rive hundred people may have been blessed
" II and resolved upon a higher life enC
iobier purposes. Yet all he hears Is thu
| flank Of the pew door. or the stunning o
set in the aisle, or some remark about tn
| Weather, the last resort OF inanity. Whl
| ia not that man come up and say frankly
| sr..th--. lzun - .aAAcb Univ MA M