The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-02-26

nations. He that believe.h and is bap.
tized shall be saved, and that believeth
not shall be damned"
Mighty gospel, let the whole earth
hear it! The story of Christ is to re.
generate the nations; it is to eradicate
all wrong; it is to turn the earth into a
paradise. An old artist painted the
Lords Supper" and he wanted the
chief attention directed to the face OF
Christ. When he invited his friends
in to criticise the picture, they admired
the chaGces more than they did the
face, and the old artist said,. 'This
picture is failure" and he dashed
out the picture of the cups and said
II shall have nothing to detract from
the face of the Lord. Christ is the all
of this picture.
Another powerful sickle for the
reaping of this harvest is Christian
song. I know in many churches the
whole work is delegated to a few peo-
pie standing in the organ loft. But,
my friends, as others cannot die for us
we cannot delegate to others the work
of singing for US. While few drilled
artists shall take the chants and exc
cute the more skillful music, when
the hgmn is given out let there be
hundreds and thousands of voices
uniting in the acclamation. On the
way to grandeurs that never cease and
clories that never die let US sing. At
the battle of Lutzen general came to
the king and said: ''Tbose soldiers
are singing as they are going into bat
tie. Shall stop themG" mo" said
the king. "Men that can sing like that
can fight" Oh, the power of Chris
tan song When I argue here, you
may argue back. The argument you
make against religion may be more
skillful than the argument make in
behalf of religion. But who can stand
before the pathos of some uplifted song
like that which we sometimes sing:
Show pity, Lord; o Lord. forgive!
Let repenting rebel live!
Are not thy mercles large and free?
May not sinner trust In thee?
Another mighty sickle for the reap
ing of the gospel harvest is prayer.
What does God do with our prayers2
Does he 90 on the battelments of heav-
en- and throw them off? No, What do
you do with gifts given you by those
who love you very much? You keep
them with great sacredness. And do
you suppose God will take our pray
ers, offered in the sincerity and love
of our hearts, and scatter them to the
winds9 Oh, no! He will answer
all in some way. Oh, what a mighty
thing prayer is! It is not long rig
marole of "ohs" and 'ahs" and 'for
ever and ever, amens." 1t is a breath
ing of the heart into the heart of God.
Oh, what a mighty thing prayer is!
Elijah with it reached up to the clouds
and shook down the showers. With
it John Knox shook Scotland. With
it Martin Luther shook the earth.
And when Philip Melanchthon lay
sick unto death, as many supposed,
Martin Luther came in and said,
"Philipp, we can't spare you" "Oh," J"
said he, Martin, you must let me go!
I am tired of persecution and tired of
life. I want 10 60 to be with my God.
mo" said Martin Luther, you shall
not 60. You must take this food, and
then I will pray for you" mo, Mar
tin," said Melanchthon, ''you must let
me CO." Martin Luther said you
take this food, or will excommunicate
you" He took the food, and Martin
Luther knelt down andprayed as only
he could pray, and convalescence
came, and Martin Luther went back
and said to his friends, "God has saved
the life of Philip Melanchthon in
direct answer to my prayer" Oh, the
power Of prayer! Have you tested it2
DR.. Prime of New York, in his beati-
full book entitled around the World, :"
described mausoleum in India which
it took 90, 900 men 90 years to build
that and the buildings surrounding
and he says, standing in that mauso.
leum and uttering word, it is echoed
back from a height of $50 feet-not an
ordinary echo, but a prolonged music,
as though there were angels lowering
in the air." And every word of earn
est prayer we utter has an echo not
from the marble cupola of an earthly
mausoleum, but from the heart of
God and from the wings of angels as
they hover, crying, Behold, he
prays!n Oh, test it! Mighty sickle
for reaping this gospel harvest, the
sickle of prayer!
It does not make so much difference
about the posture you take, whether
you sit, stand or kneel or ]ie on your
face OF in your physical agonies lie on
your back. 1t does not make any diff
ference about the physical posture, as
was shown shown in a hospital, when
the chaplain said as he looked over the
beds of the of suffering; ''Let all those
wounded men here who would like to
be prayed for lift the hand" Some
lifted two hands; others lifted one
hand; some with hands amputated
could only lift the stump of the arm.
One man, both his arms amputated,
give no signal except to say: me!
Mew Oh, it does not make any diff
ference about the rhetoric of your pray
ers. 1t does not make any difference
about the posture. 1t does not make
any difference whether you can lift
hand or have no hand to lift God
is ready to hear you. Prayer is an
swered. God is waiting to respond.
"Lift up your eyes upon the fields.
for they are white already to harvest.
How many have you reaped for Coda
Do you ask me how many [ have re-
aped for God2 I cannot say. Now,
can you say how many you have re-
aped? I hope there are some who
hara hoar, hroll nht into the nndom