The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-11-27
THANKSGIVING
Or. J. WILDER Chapman's Sermon Ap.
propriatc to the Day.



Church in this city in order to devote him.
self to evangelistic work, has prepared the
following Thanksgiving sermon for the
press. 1t is entitled Three Meetings OF
The Saviour" and is founded on the text,
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will
pray" Psalm 55: H.
1t Is quite the custom on Thanksgiving
Day to render thanks and praise unto God
for material gifts and material prosperity.
We are accustomed to measure the har.
vests and to try to count out earthly bless.
ings, and then make an effort to put into
language some adequate expression OF our
appreciation OF Gods goodness. ] leave
this task to other ministers. while l in
their name and behalf express my grateful
thanks to God for the greatest of all gifts,
namely His Son, Jesus Christ, and it is
my hope that may present Him in such
a way in this message that all may see that
it is their privilege to come in closest fel,
lowship with Him. With this thought in
mind | use the text, Evening, aud at
morning, and at noon, will pray" The
Psalmist determines to pray frequently, at
least three times he will be on his knees:
he determines to pray fervently, for he will
cry aloud unto God. The text does not
run as we would like it to, for we always
reverse the order and say at morning, at
noon, and at evening, but the Hebrews be-
gan the day with the evening and closed
it with noon. We always begin II with the
morning, and one day we shall reach a
morning which shall never end The
Psalmist means that he will pray more
than three times. He is simply saying that
he will begin and continue, and end the
day with God. He takes the natural di-
vision of the day and at each point he de-
termines to set up an altar. Mr.. Spurgeon
says he lays a line straight through the day
and tracks the sun with his petitions. It
used to be said in. olden times that we
should pray three times at least, at even
ing, because Christ was on the cross, in
the morning because He rose from the
dead, and at noon because then He ascend
ed. If our bodies need nourishing three
times. why not our souls? We have fire.
quent Old Testament illustrations Of this
habit, notably Daniel. "Now. when Daniel
knew that the writing was signed he went
into his house, and. his windows being
open in his chamber toward Jerusalem. he
kneeled upon his knees three times a day
and, prayed, and gave thanks before his
God as he did 'aforetlme." Daniel @: 10.
We have the early members of the church
IN the New Testament presenting us an ex.
ample. and il we study the Acts of the
Apostles we find the disciples many times
in prayer. but always morning, noon and
night For Jesus to be with us is one
thing, and we are all the time in His
thought; He has promised never to leave
us and never to forsake US. out for us to
be with Him in our contemplation is quite
another thing, and it is that we may learn
this lesson that | speak the words of the
text. The result of this fellowship will be
cause for thanksgiving. These three times
are suggested because the morning is the
time of feasting, the noon is the time OF
questioning or resting, while the evening
Is the time for the settling of accounts,
and ] have changed the order Of the text
for the reason that we are living in the
new dispensation.
The morning. "But when the morning
was come" John 81: A. Johns gospel
might properly have closed with the Goth
chapter. The 3lst verse of that chapter is
most significant and gives the object and
aim of the gospel. But these are written,
that We might believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son Of God, and. that believing
ye might have life through His name"
But John adds this 2lst chapter because
he gives us another beautiful picture OF the
Lord, and records the only miracle worked
after the resurrection. May this not be
typical and did we but live in touch with
our Lord might it not be possible in these
days to have filed nets and multitude
about us of the saved
The disciples had returned to their
homes in Galilee after the events men.
toned in the previous chapter. They were
probably in the house of Zebedee. They
were doubtless talking of the past. They
might have called to mind their first meet
on the glory OF His life. They might have
spoken in whispers of the disappointment
of His death. and then with shining faces
have recalled the account OF His resurrec
ton and His personal appearing to them.
Doubtless Peter was of the company once
again. They are back amid the familiar
scenes of their old life; the boats are lying
ha f,aha
their nets and these seven, five of whom
are named and two unnamed, doubtless
stand together. There is a boat pushing
out from the shore. and the women are
wishing their husbands and boys good
speed, while the men answer with words
OF cheer. Fishing is always fascinating,
and so l can imagine Peter with flashing
eye and twitching nerves and quick beat.
ing heart looking about the busy scene us-
I'll he can stand it no longer, and then he
says, 1 go a-fishing' Instantly they are
all ready to go and they push off from the
shore. II is most beautiful sea in itself,
and as their oars flashed in the light oil
me setting sun as they are away to the
OLD scenes of other days, the vision is fas-
cinating. But it really was perilous po-
sltion, Tor though the sea is always treach.
erous, the boat might have been cid and
mere are these representative leaders OF
the cause of Christ. What if they had
might be asked concerning Moses when a
chld in the ark What if one of the waves
OF the Nile should submerge the little ark
or the crocodile should crunch it? But such
questions are idle and useless. Moses is
not safer to-day than then, and so these
early disciples were safe. because their
nope was centred upon One whose eyes
are ever upon His own by night. They
tolled and took nothing Every old de-
wee was used to charm the fish. hut every
Time the net was drawn no they knew by
Ihe tug OF it that they had failed. AS the
srlght ls breaking they are about 100 yards
from from the shore. They hear a voice saying
LADS; have ye any meat%' and they an.
swer No" Cast the net on the right
sue says the stranger. and l53 fish was
sne result OF obedience The disciples
snout, 1T is the Lord" and Peter. jump.
ins INTO the waves swims ashore, aud in
""p%edienee to the command OF the Master
Sonle and dine" they all sit with Him
auDut aI the hre and ate May | suggest sew
''al uaily lessons for the morning hour?
tney knew not that it was Jesus He is all
Mays nearer than we think, and He has
peeh waiting every morning since that day
" oegin the day with His own disciples,
iou must begin every day with Him.
peace
Il have Friend so precious,
80 very dear TO me,
lie loves me with such tender love,
lie loves so faithfully,
could not live apart from Him,
love to feel Him nigh;
And SO we dwell together,
My Lord and l"
10 mere an Is such a thing as being too busy