Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1897-03-13

voice:
Master, the tempest is raging
The pillows are tossing highl
The sky is o'ershadowed with black
ness,
No shelter or help is nigh;
''Carest thou not that we perish2
How canst thou lie asleep,
When each moment so madly is
threat'ning
A grave in the angry deep7"
Jesus rebuked the wind, and said
unto the sea. Peace be stiil.-and
know that I am God" The winds
hushed, and the waves. like little pup
pies crouched at his feet.
From the depths OF lonely, bleed
ing heart that has come to worship
here to-day. 1 hear another cry:
" Master, with anguish of spirit
bow in my grief to-day;
The depths of my heart are troubled;
Oh waken and save, l prsyl
Torrents of sin and of anguish
Sweep Ger my sinking soul:
And perish perish dear Master;
Oh, hasten and take control
We can learn about God, not only
ty. Where Is q religion that brings to
a dying world such comfort, peace.
Joy aud hope; and proves so clearly
the exis ence OF a gracious God, q
merciful Saviour as the religion Of
our Lord Jesus Christ?
Naterialism, which is nothing bat
the scum of shallow reasoning, and
has no foundation in logic or in fact !;
tells you that the soul of man is not q
spiritual substance distinct from mat
ter, but that it is the result or effect
OF the organization OF matter in the
body. This fails to give satisfaction
to the soul; not satisfied, it looks
awsy, higher, for comfort.
The starving, dying souls of men
turn to the Boodhjst religion: it teach
es that, AT distant intervals Boodh,
or diety appears to restore the world
from sta ofignorsnce end decay and
then sinks into a state of entire nom
existencs, without attributes, action,
or consciousness: and when a man
dies rs 10 Immediately born again, OF
appear in q new shape, either a bird
dog, snake, frog, or anything from a
clOd to n divinity and according to his
merit or demerit he il liable TO be born
in some one of the 1873 Buddhist bells.
| These places of punishment have n reg
ular graduation in the intensity OF the
suffering and in the length OF time the
sufferers live, the least term of life be-
ing 10, 000,0 900 years.
The soul lifts it's weeping eyes and
looks away from this. Atheism, like
the six-winged angel, hies over this
country telling men, WON and
children that there is no God and this
thing we call religion. a change OF
heart, a new birth, is as a delusion. and
the light of Nature is itself sufficient
Trembling sinners look ahead and see
death standing in their path, and an
swer back: The light of ma ure" il
not sufficient"
Oh listen. A mournful cry, cry oil
despair is heard the question is asked
what mustI do To be saved?" We
gods OF men, answer the question Now
let these idols speak. The swelterinp
nations have knelt at the feet OF the
Himslayan mountains for ages, asking
this question, and yet the mountains
made no response. and still the people
cry. Not one of those lofty peaks has
stopped down to lift up single soul
upon its shoulders into heaven. Ma
tions in darkness and in death have
, kuelt upon the beach of the Persian
Gulf. the Bengal Bay and the Caspian
Sea,-mourning OUt that question. -
~ hat must do TO be saved?"
And all the tumbling surf I'm its
round. unfolding it's briny pillows an.
} swers not. The winds Knocked, the
waves spit their spray in the face OF tn,
dying nations, yet the people CRY. SC
he cry went around the world. The
: desert was silent. the Alps spoke not
the stars were dumb, and all the cav.
erns and the seas and the hills but
a. ,,l~ h.A Il a.
must do TO be saved?' The Apostle
Paul hears the cry, and standing or
Mars Hill contrasting other religions
with Christianity, defines the actua
position not only of idolatry. but OF
the modern systems of religion, such
as rationalism, spiritualis u, so far Of
ut is religion, and all systems that
that leave out Christ and an inspired
Bible. They are pictures of the ideals
! of manhood, or expressions Of the reli.
gious hunger of men. There are in
them some faint echo from God, some
dim vision of an answer, but they
seem like one great interrogation
point written over the whole heart OF
; humanity. For man without the Cos
pei is but
, IAN infant crying in the night,
An infant crying for the light.
And with no language, but cry"
The Gospel is the answer to these
questionings and the satisfaction Of
these longings. They paint pictures o.
heaven; Christ takes us to heaven
They express our hunger of soul
Christ satisfies it. They utter oul
meanings over sin and guilt; hrisl
saves us from sin end fOrgives They
picture out what we should be; Christ
gives the new heart, and makes us what
we should be. They are the souls CRY
after God christ is the answer to the
cry.
Oh, may every one here to-day an.
swer the gospel call and say ;"Thi
God is our God. and shall be our guide
even unto death" and when all things
shall have been put under him well
, join the everlasting throng. and crow
! him Lord Of ALI -