The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-02-14

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capital stands where. by its locality
and its political influence, it stretches
forth one hand toward the north and the
other toward the south, and mighty
work of grace starting here would
probably be a national awakening.
Georgia would clasp the hand of New
Hampshire, and Maine the hand of
Louisiana, and California the hand of
New York, and say, Come, let us go
up and worship the God of nations, the
Christ of Golgotha, the Holy Ghost of
the pentecostal three thousands" 1t
has often been said that the only way
the north and the south will be brought
into complete accord is to have a war
with some foreign nation, in which
both sections, marching side by side,
would forget everything but the foe to
be overcome. Well, if you wait for
such a foreign conflict, you will wait
until all this generation is dead, and
perhaps wait forever. The war that
will make the sections forget past con-
troversies is war against upright
eousness, such as a universal religious
awakening would declare. What we
about 40, 900, 600 northerners and south
erners shall be on the same side, and
shoulder to shoulder. In no other city
on the continent can such a war be de-
clared so appropriately. for all the
other great cities are either northern
or southern. This is neither, or rather,
it is both.
Again, it would be especially adj
vantageous if mighty work of grace
started here, because more representa-
tive men are in Washington than in
any OTTER city between the oceans.
| OF course, there are accidents in poll
tics, and occasionally there are men
who get into the senate and house of
representatives and other important
places who are fitted for the positions
in neither head nor heart; but this is
exceptional, and more exceptional now
than in other days. There is not
drunkard in the national legislature,
although there were times when Ken
lucky, Virginia, Delaware, Illinois,
New York and Massachusetts, had men
in the senate and house of representa-
tives who went maudlin and stagger-
ing drunk across those high places.
Never nobler group of men sat in sem
ate or house of representatives than
sat there yesterday, and will sit there
tomorrow, while the highest judiciary,
without exception, has now upon its
bench men beyond criticism for good
morals and mental endowment. So in
all departments of official position,
with here and there an exception, are
to-day the brainiest men and most hon.
orable men of America. Now, suppose
the Holy Ghost power should fall
upon this city, and these men from all
parts of America should suddenly be-
come pronounced for Christ! Do you
say the effect would be electrical?
More than that; it would be Omnipo-
tent! Do you say that such learned
and potent men are not wrought upon
by religious influence? That shows
! that you have not observed what has
been going on. Commodore Foote,
representing the navy; Gen. Grant and
Robert f. Lee, representing the north
ern and southern armies; Chief Justice
Chase, representing the supreme court;
the Frelinghuysens, Theodore and
Frederick, representing the United
States senate; William Pennington and
scores of others, re presenting the house
of representatives, have surrendered
to that gospel, which before this
winter is out, will, in this capital of
the American nation, if we are faithful
in our prayers and exertions, turn into
the kingdom of God men of national
fhair
of eloquence becoming the tongues of
fire in another PentecOst. There on
wonder hill those who by the grace of
God will become John Knoxes, and
| Chrvsostoms, and FenelOns, and Bour-
deleaus, when once regenerated.
There is an illusion l have heard in
PRAYER meetings and heard in pulpits
that a soul is soul-one soul worth as
much as another. / deny it. The soul
of a man who can bring thousand or
ten thousand other souls into the king
dom of God is worth a thousand times,
or ten thousand times, more than a
soul who can bring no one into the
kingdom. great outpouring of the
Holy Spirit in this capital, reaching
the chief men of America, would be of
more value to earth and Heaven than
in any other part of the nation, be-
cause it would reach all the states,
cities, towns and neighborhoods of the
continent Oh, for the outstretched
arm of God Almighty in the salvation
of this capital.
Some of us remember 1857, when, at
the close of the worst monetary dis.
distress this country has ever felt, COM
pared with which the hard times of
the last three years were boom of
prosperity, right on the heels of that
complete prostration, came an awak-
ening in which 500. 600 people were con-
verted in different states in the union.
Do you know where one of the chief
powers was demonstrated? In Wash
ington. Do you know on what street?
This street. Do you know in what
church? This church.
1 believe that the mightiest revival
of religion that this city has ever seen
is yet to come, and the earth will
tremble from Capitoline hill to the
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