The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-01

and seek my face, and turn from their
wicked ways, then will I hear from heav-
en-, and will forgive their sin, and will
heal %ss their r do..,hl, Chr :, q a Mi.
t,ken identity as to whom this text ap-
plies. For 1t 10 "My people which are
called by my name.h 1t could not be
| palmer II addressed to county, state city,
with street address, and name In full.
God says he will do three things for his
people on condition that they do three
things. The first requirement of God
from the people is that they humble them
selves on account OF their ain. But the
people do not do this except they be ar.
raigned for theirssin, and their sin spec
ialized, and this the bible never fails to do.
The prophets arraigned the people to
whom they were sent for their sin; they
saw no humbling of the people until they
had done this.
See how our Lord brought his bill of
particulars against the Pharisees. See
again how John the Baptist arraigned
his hearers for their besetting sins accord
ing to classification, whether multitude,
publicaDs, or soldiers. Remember the
frequency with which In the epistles you
come upon that list Of sins Of q dozen or
more repeated over and over with some
variation as applied to tho hearers Of
Peter, Paul and John. No less do the
peoples sins of the membership of the
church need to be specialized to day in
order that there may be humbling OF
themselves under the hand Of God. There
ISL shocking worldiness, II not to say
godlessness, manifest on the part OF pro-
Tossing Christians, In spirit, in word, in
deed, they have In too many cases been
conforIned to the God OF this world. They
have allowed the world to set the cue aud
they have fallen into line. Many are
seen following the world in goddess fashion
and amusement.
1.-THE people called after my NAME" are
to be seen In dancing halls, whist parties,
wine suppers and what not. Even in the
bosom of so-called Christian homes there
Is the guilt of q sin that is unnamable in
this presence to-day. So called Christian
business men have allowed the world to
establish the ethics of trade, and too many
Of them follow it. Sharp practices, tricks
OF trade, are winked at, and the love Of
greed has SO taken possession of some
OF them that all energy, and time at their
command are given to it, and there is
nothing LETT but o collapsed part Of their
moral self for their Lord. Deeper dyed
yet is the record of many church mem
Der in political and civic life, Many have
allowed themselves to be led by the lowest
and dirtiest of the scum element of their
party, until political bribery and colrup-
ton from this country is reaching high
Heaven.
There is wanted to-day prophet of God
to scatter the thuDderDolts of His wrath
among the people until like Ninevab OF
old they get down before The Lord in sack
cloth and ashes. Never have felt so much
like doing as Jonah of old when he rcfus
to go with the message Of the Lord but
ran away in another direction.
The next thing God requires Of the peo-
is tn lin,
IN prayer. Think Of people seeking every
thing and everywhere rather than the
Lord. The passage bcspeaks an entire
change Of direction Of life. This Is pray
ing to God under the humbing power of
his Judgments A praying with q sense
OF sore need; with profound sense of
u lworthiness, and in great agony Of soul.
like that Of the Publican who smote
upon his breast and dared not 50 much
as to lift his eyes. and said, God be-
merciful to Inc a slnnec."
The final requirement by G ID from the
people Called by his name" is that they
turn from their evil way This is the
Important question Of the n0Ir Nomourn
ing 1Gr SIN nor mere praying bout it, nor
preaching about 1t will hello Gods re-
qulremen in Sam Jones quaint phraseoI.
ogy is Z lit your Ineanness
Turn rom 3our evil ways" says God.
Are you the worldly Christian bringing a
repr0ach upon the cause If your Lord and
sapplng away your spirituality, then turn
from your evil wayf Are you the bust
ness man reS0rting 70 questionable prac-
tees. or at least allowing business it
drlyel up your very soul with worldi.
mesa, then turn from 1t; Ale you thepro
Tossing christian who has repudiated the
grocer's or the butchers bills, Turn from
evil Ways Are you the Church mem.
Der who is in the horrible mre of political
bribery and corruptionf Turn fran
your evil way"
Now for three things that God says he
will do: First, He will hear prayer, Don't
expect him to hear prayer until you hum
BILE yourself i'll repentance. God regards
all your praying before you do this in ut
ter adherence. Read what he says to those
called his people in the first Chapter of
Isaiah. Their observance of new moon
feasts and their outstretchcd hands in
prayer were an determination to him so
long as they were not pepiteut for their
SINS. HOW much praying there must be
which is an abomination to the Lord
Much OF it right among you at the table 1T
your bedside, at your family altar, and in
your prayer meeting.
The next thing that God says he will do
is to forgive the sins OF his people. He for
gives them when they for.ake siu, never
WHY tneJ Gohtlnue III IL. ASklng Gll
to forgive sin while continuing in sin
against him is the sin of presumption.
The final hing God promises TO do is to
heal their land. This is the cure for the
hard times. This was Gods one remedy
for The bard times Of that ancient peOlle
everywhere and all the ti1se
DO yon suppose thu1 nc has any other for
the nation ye:. and are part Off ex-
pee there were some wise men in that
rs ct M .,f hn ff.i
the country, who were studying the case
OF the lUcnsJ5, which were destroying tho
crops. They would have said get rid of
lhl, pest, II we can find some way to drive
them off we shall have good times. Some
uthei wise men were doubtless studying
the pcstilenc which had fallen upon tho
people, would effect u cure. or how to
quarantine against it. Gods remedy said
nothing about locusts or pcstilence He
says repent, pray, fUrsthe and ] will heal
your land. - sara s.,s-s
50 let it 10 remembered thai now, not
by policies, nor politics, not by elections,
nor congressional measure, but by repent
anCe by prayer, by forsaking your evil
ways will the good times come. Then,
,Wili heal your land Not through
tho Introduction of mans law. but the IN.
forcemento of Gods law will put the money
in circulation, will set tho wheels OF trade
in motion, will start up the shops and in.
tloduce the era Of prosperity. Let all be
abstemious, industrious, praycrful and
trust in God, and they will prosper as the
Psalmist remarked: II have been young
and now am old, yeb have not seen the
righteous forsakeh nor his seed begging
bread
Mn shaitton >qniDs,
The Marshallton Iron 4, Steel Company
is running part of their works.