The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-12-09


iitical economy" Taking up the Bible
do We ask ourselves what II means t.
teach? It means to do Just one thing
Get the world converted and get us al
to heaven. That 10 what 1t proposes I,
do. But instead Of that we go into tn,
Bible as botanists to pick flowers. OF
We 60 as pugilists to get something tt
fight other Christians with, or We &c
as logicians trying to sharpen our men
tai faculties for better argument, ant
We do not like this about the Bible
and we do not like that. and We do moi
like the other thing. What would yor
think of man lost on the mountains.
Night has come down. He cannot f!nc
his way home, and he sees light in
mountain cabin. He goes to It; he
knocks at the door. The mountaineei
comes out and finds the traveller and
says: well, here I have lantern.
You can take 1t. and It will guide you
on the way home" And suppose that
traveller should say: 81 don't like that
lantern. don't like the handle Of 1t.
There are 10 or Is things about It
don't like. II you can't give me bet.
ter lantern than that, l won't have
any!"
Now. God says this Bible is to be a
lamp to our feet and a lantern to our
path. to guide us through the midnight
OF this world to the gates OF the celes.
tial city. We stop and say we do not
like this about 1t, and we do not like
that. and we do not like the other
thing. Oh, how much wiser we would
be II by its holy light We found our
way to our everlasting home! Then
we do not read the Bible as we read
other books. We read it perhaps four
or five minutes just before we retire
at night. We are weary and sleepy,
so somnolent we hardly know which
end OF the book is up. We drop our
eye perhaps on the story OF Samson
and the foxes or upon some genealo-
gical table, important in its place but
stirring no more religious emotion
than the announcement that somebody
begat somebody else and he begat
somebody else, instead OF opening the
book and saying, Now must read for
my immortal life; my eternity is in
volved in this book"
How little we use common sense In
prayer! We say. 20 Lord. give me
this" and 20 Lord, give me that"
and 20 Lord. give me something
else" and we do not expect to get it.,
or, getting 1t, we do not know we have
1t. We have no anxiety about it. We
do not watch and wait for It's coming.
AS a merchant. you telegraph or you
write to some other city for bill of
goods. You say, Send me by such ex-
press or by such steamer or by such
a rail train" The day arrives. You
send your wagon to the depot or to
the wharf The goods do not come
You Immediately telegraph: What Is
the matter with these goods? We
haven't received them. Send them
right away. We want them now or we
don't want them at all" And you
keep writing and you keep telegraph
ing and keep sending your wagon to
the depot or to the express Office or
to the wharf until you get the goods.
In matters OF religion we are not so
wise Us that. We ask certain things
to be sent from heaven. We do not
know whether they come or not. We
have not any special anxiety as to
whether they come or not. We may
get them and may not get them. In
stead Of at o'clock in the morning
saying, Have got that blessing?" at
IL o'clock, MONDAY, asking, Have
got that blessing?" at o'clock in the
evening saying. Have l received that
blessing?" and not getting it, pleading,
pleading-begging, begging-asking,
asking until you get 1t. Now, my
brethren, Is not that common sense?
II we ask thing from God, who has
sworn by his eternal throne that he
will do that which We ask. is it not
common sense that we should watch
and wait until we get it?
But l remark again, We want more
common sense in doing good. Oh, how
many people there are who want to do
good and they are dead failures! Why
is it? They do not exercise the same
tact, the same ingenuity, the same
stratagem, the same common sense
in the work of Christ that
they do In worldly things. Otherwise
they would succeed in this direction as
we'll as they succeed in the other.
There are many men who have an ar
rogant way with them, although they
may not feel arrogant in their soul. Or
they have a patronizing way. They
talk to man Of the world in a man
ner which seems to say: Don't you
wish you were as good as I am? Why,
l have to look clear down before can
see you, you are SO far beneath me-"
That manner always disgusts. always
drives men away from the kingdom Of
Jesus Christ instead of bringing them
in.
When l was a lad. was one day in a