The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-08-31
Tuesday Evening.

Tuesday evening occurred the first
of the vesper services in tent En-
deavor, which have been in the past
among the most profitable sessions of
all the week. Rev. ]. d. Mills, Penn
'04, now pastor of the Earlham church
spoke from the sixth chapter of lsiah.
He said that religion can not be dealt
with in hurry. Worship, to be the
most profitable, should be a time of
deliberation and meditation. We need
to see God. We often fail to see
things right at our hand. We some
times seek a friend in crowd and
fail to find him, even though he is
within the range of our vision; SO,
we often fail to see God, not because
He is absent, but because we are
too hurried to let our vision rest upon
Him. But the sight of God will give
us a knowledge of our own unworthi-
ness and uncleanness. This has al
ways been the experience of men, that
the contrast with one better gives a
realization of weakness. But when
we realize our own weakness and un-
| cleanliness We will find God ready to
cleanse us and make up fit for His
service.
The general meeting was opened
with time of devotion in charge of
John Fl. Hadley, Prof. H. l.. Hockett
leading the singing. Rev. Lindley A.
Wells, of Portland, Oregon, taking as
his text John 1878, preached upon
the subject of The Thirsty Soul"
He prefaced his remarks with a per-
sonal testimony stating that his con-
version was a very definite one and
that his religion continued to be of a
very definite nature.
Jesus" he said, lis the antique of
the water of life" Men will go to
greater extremes to satisfy the crav-
ing for water than for any other hui
man need. When men really need
water and are conscious of their need
no obstacle will stand in their way
if it is at all possible to find water.
When men really thirst after God and
righteousness no obstacle can stand
in their way. If men do not find God
it is because they do not desire Him.
God will not force Himself into the
citadel of single human heart" 1t
is always possible to find God, but
He makes us our own choosers. We
seldom find the Lord until we desire
Him above all things else. The pur;
pose of our praying and waiting is
not to prevail upon God, but to pre-
pare our own hearts to receive Him.
Desire is the great factor in bringing
the needy to God. Comparatively few
people have really wanted God; He
is moving without us, but how much
greater would the results be if we
gets Indifference to method. If the
spirit had its way there would be no
two meetings exactly alike. The best
preserver of good order is the pres.
ence and power of the Holy Spirit.
We can resist desire until we lose
the sense of our need. An illustration
was cited of a man on the verge of
prostration for the want of sleep whG
had not realized any feeling of sleep
mess. We can resist our desire 70:
God until we forget our need of Him.
We need the presence of the Spirit.
If Friends, discarding the outward
symbols, do not have the spiritual eX.
perience they have nothing. In clos.
ing Mr.. Wells gave his aim which was
in striking harmony with the thought
of the vesper service, to lead men to
see the Christ. In the after service,
which followed, a large number receiv-
ed special blessings.