Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1898-06-25

our frayer-mectinS>. and cur churches 20
Tue simple fact l.. the people are firrd Of
the humdrum OF religfonfsts Religious
huudrum Is the worst OF all humdram
You say over and over again. Come TO
Jesus. until the phrase means absolutely
nothing. Why do you not tell them n story
which viii make them come TO Jesus in ave
minutesP
Again I remark that sanctuary help
ough, 10 come through the prayers OF all
the people. The door OF the eternal store
house Is hung on one hinge a gold hinge.
the hinge OF prayer. and when the whole
audience lay hold OF that door. IL must
come open. There are many people
spending their first sabbath after some
great bereavement. What will your
prayer do for them? How will IL help the
tomb In that mans hearts Here are peo-
pie who have not been i'm church for ten
yeSrs. what will your prayer do for them
hv rolling over their soul HOLY memories
Here are people in crises % awful <apNR-
tiou. They are on the verge OF s.-d9ir' or
Wild laundering. or theft or suicide. What
will your prayer do for them in the way OF
giving them strength 20 resist?
In most Of cur churches we have three
prAyers-the opening prayer. what IL
called the long prayer" and the closing
prayer. There are many people who
spend their first prayer in arranging their
apparel after entrance. and spend the Sec
ond PRAYER the long prayer" In wishing
IL were through. and spend the last
DrRyer IN preparing 10 start FOR home.
The most Insignificant part Of every 70
liCious service Is the sermon The more
important parts are the Scripture lesson
and the prayer. The sermon l. only a man
talking 20 a man. The Scripture lesson IS
God talking 20 man. PRAYER T. man talk
inS - God. oh. II we understood the
grandeur aud the pathOS OF this exercise
We would imagine that the room was full
OF divine and angelic appearances.
But nv friends. the old style church will
not do the work. We might Rs well now
try 20 take All the passengers from Wash
inCton 60 New Y OK hv stage coach. or all
the passengers from Albany 20 Buffalo hv
canal boat. or do all the battling % che
world with bow and arrow. as with the ola
stvle ~ church 90 meet the exiccncies o.
this fav Unless the church in our tav
will aiR7; itself 20 the time. u will become
extinct The PEOPLE reading newspapers
and books an tho week ia alert. pictur-
] es1ue and resoundirC style will have NJ
/ patience with sabbath hnmtrum.
But while halt % the doors 90 the church
sre TO be- set open toward this world. the
J other half % the doors OF TIE church must
/ be set open toward the next. You and I
tarrv here only a brief space We want
somebody 20 teach uS how 20 get
out % this life NJ the right time
and Ga the right wav. Some fan out 90
f life. some G. stumbling ont - lie. some
60 croaning out % lie. some 60
cursinc ouJ % life. We want % 80
\ singing rising rejoicing triuwp hinC.
, We want hair the doors 90 the church set
I in that direction. We want half the pray
4 e. thai wav. half the sermons that way
4 We want % know bow % get ashore from
I the tumult % this world into the land a
everlasting peace. We do not want e. stand
4 doubling aud -hivering when we 60 away
. from this world. We want our anticipation
aroused 90 the highest pitch. We want 60
have the collaboration ~ diving child 40
f England. the father telling me the story
| when be said 20 her. Is the path mar
4 row" she answered. The path T. narrow,
. IL is 50 narrow that I can not walk arm I'm
arm with Christ. 50 Jesus goes ahead. and
T He saws Mary. follow Through the
2 -hurch gate set heavenwart how MANY 81
your friends and mine have gomez Th'
/ last tine they wcre out % the house the,
. came 10 church. The earthly pilgrmac'
ended az the pillar % public worship. and
4 then they marched out 20 bigger an,
brighter asserhlazr- some - them were s,
old they could not walk without cane o
two crutches. now they have eterna
| iuvcre- or they We're 80 y0unl
f they could not walk except as the ma
ternal hand guided them. now they ooun'
wiki the hilarlties celestial. The last tlrl'
we saw them they were wasted with mala
rlal or prlmontc disorder. hut now the'
have no fatigue. and no di0 Guilty g r-S
Tiration DO the pure air % heaven. How
wonder when YOU AMI 1 will cross over
Some q YOU have had abont enough 70 th
humping and failing 90 this life.
draught from the fountains ~ heave'
would 10 YOU good. Complete reiease yoI
could stand very We'll. II YOU got CA o.
other side and hal permission - com
back. Won would nor come. Though yo'
were invited 20 come back and join YOU
friends on earth. Won would say. "No. Del
me- tarry here until they come: shall no
risk going back n q man reaches D"ave
De had better STAY herr
on. Join hands with YOU in THAI upliii
"a -UIen1Or
n Freyb0urc. Switzerland. there b. n
trllx % tree four hundred year, ODD
That tree was planted 20 commemorate o.
. event About ten miles from the clty "a
Swiss conquered the Burgundlans. and
young mal wanted % take the tlding- Z
the city. he took a tree branch and "a
with such speed the ten miles. tnat wne
De- reached the city waving the ire
branch be had only strength 20 CRY. "Ni'
: tory. and dropped dead. Thetr~e hranc
: thai De- carried was planted. and % grew
q 81 "a great tree twenty feet in cirrumiel
. eDee, and the remains % % are there
( this day. Nv nearer. when YOU h1N
3 fought Your last battle with sin aud deaf
: and he'll and they have been routed Ia Oh
, conflict. II viii be- JOY worthy % crl-br'
e ton. You Will ny 10 the city and "a
: victory and drop az the feet ~ the gre'
King Then the palm branch ofthe earth
race will be planted % become the on
branching tree d everlasting rejoicing.