The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1901-04-05

with the ordinary modes of PRAYER. sa,
in substance: 20 Lord Jesus. this is
strange thing for me 10 do. know
nothing about the formulas of reli
gion. These Christian people have beer
talking so long about what thou cansi
co for me ! am ready TO Go whatever
thou commandest NE. lfthere be an,
power in religion. as these people say.
let me have the advantage ofit" viii
You not try that experiment?
do not now say there is ANYTHING
in religion. Do not take my counsel
or the counsel Of any clergyman. for
you may dislike clergymen. PERHAPS
we may talk professionally. Perhaps
we may be prejudiced in the matter.
Perhaps our advice is not worth TAX
ing. Then take the counsel of some
very respectable layman. as John Nil.
ton. the poet; as William Wilberforce.
the emancipator; as Isaac Newton. the
astronomer; as Robert Boyle. the phil
osopher; as Locke. the metaphvsician:
as Morse. the telegrapher; as Washing
ton. the statesman. They never
preached or pretended to preach. vet.
putting down one his telescope and an
other his parliamentary scroll and
another his electricians wire came
forth and commended the religion Of
Christ as the best thing for the cure
of the worlds woes. If you will not
take the recommendation of ministers
of the Gospel, take the recommendation
Of highly respectable laymen.
Oh, men, skeptical and struck
through with unrest! / beg YOU TO
come off that great Sahara desert of
doubt into the bright and luxuriant
land of Gospel hope and peace. You
do not want your children 10 come
up in that skepticism. If you do not
believe in anything else. you believe
in loye-a fathers love, mothers
love, wife's love, a child's love. Then /
let me tell you that God loves Won |
more than all these together. The /
great heart of Christ aches to have
YOU come in. and lie looks into your /
eyes this moment, saying: "Other
sheep | have which are not of this
fold"
Again, ! remark that the Heavenly
shepherd is going to find a great
many Of the sheep among those who
have been full of evil habit. They
we're all cheated into sin. The spider
loes not say to the fly: "Come into
he web where | kill insects" Oh.
no. The spider says: Dearest fly.
.ome and talk a morning walk with
ne on this suspension bridge of gos-
amer glittering with diamonds of
lew" DO not be hard on those gone
STRAY. 1t makes me sad to see Chris
ian people give up a prodigal as lost.
here are those who talk as though
he grace of God were a chain of 40
r 50 links and that when they had
un out there was nothing left to-
ouch a bad case. If they were hunt
lg and got of the track of the deer.
hey would look longer among the
rakes and bushes for the lost game
han they would look for that lost
oul
They talk about the catacombs Of
'aples and the catacombs of Rome
nd the catacombs of Egypt. the
reat burial places under the city
here is the dust of many genera
ons passed on. but tell You New
ork has its catacombs and Washing
ln its catacombs and all our cities
heir catacombs. They are under
round liquor dives, full of dead mems
ones and all uncleanliness. There is
D need Of going into the art gallery
} see in skillful sculpture that won I
srful representation Of man and
IS sons wound round with serpents
here are families represented here
'-day that are wrapped in the mar
'rdom of fang and scale and venom, ,
living LAGOON of ghastliness and &
)rror. 4
There is only one class Of persons I
)out whom | am disheartened and .
icy are the Gospel hardened. They p
I'VE been faithful in attendance at o
urches for 20. 30 and 40 years, yet b
,yer have surrendered themselves 10 =
ID. As Christ says: "Publicans and 4,
riots 60 into the kingdom Of heav- p
before them" They have resisted q
the importunity of divine mercy
I'd have gone through most power =
! earthquakes of religious feeling. i
ID they are farther away from God !,
an ever. After awhile they will lie \.
wn sick, and some day il will be -
Id that they are dead. No hopel -
But ] turn to outsiders with an ex- =
citation that thrills through me, ~
dy and soul. "Other sheep have.
lich are not Of this fold" You are -
{ Gospel hardened. You have not -
ard many sermons during the last
v years. You feel the Holy Ghost ."
Is moment in your heart You do
{ weep. but the tear is not far of. y
"a sigh, and you have noticed that =.
ere is always a sigh in the wind be- =
e the rain falls. There are those ~
re who would give anything If they ~
nd find relief in tears. They say: :"
b. my wasted lifel Oh, the bitter -
ST. Oh. the graves over which I y,
We stumbled. Whittier shall ] hy? j"
Is. for the future! Everything is
dark so very dark. God help mel
d pity mel' Thank the Lord for
It last utterance. You have begun a,
pray. and when a man begins 10 ii
ition. God steps in and beats back
hounds Of temptation 10 their o.,
mel and round about the poor =,