Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-07

/ ana a Boston newspaper said Of his sei
4 mon that II was one Of the most eloduer
l prayers ever offered to Boston audience
| That s the trouble-too much is give
70 the audience and not enough to tn
Lord n you go to God without fait
YOU insult Him instead of honoring Hin
Listen to me. II you believe God
able and willing to accomplish His prom
J ise, there should be no ground for doubt
: II | should ask you how many OF yol
believe that God can save you, all woult
lift UP their hands; but II I should asl
you how many of you believe that Coo
will save, not SO many would be wlllinl
TO raise their hands. The nearer you gel
to a matter OF faith. the less the re.
sponse That is the curse OF the church
today
you show me a worldly church and
will show you n church that does not
believe In God Almighty. One OF the
curses of the church today Ia unbelief.
Moody said II he could only get skepti-
clsm out Of the hearts of the people in
the church he would have no trouble in
bringing the people to Christ, and the
last six years of his life were devoted to
that end. The last sermon he ever
preached was in Kansas City. when he
prayed that the church might do her
part and come back from backsllding.
HE spent the last six years OF his life
doing that, If you believe In Gods abil-
ity to accomplish this promise there
| should remain no ground for doubt. Sup
| posing you should invite a person to
come to your home to receive from you
gift of money or clothes and suppose
| they should come and Immediately they
| should begin to question your motive In
extending the invitation or doubt your
willingness to give. would you feel like
doing anything for such a person? Then
don't believe God Almighty feels like
doing anything for you IL you come into
INa he
II wonder that God is willing to do
anything. I wonder that God Almighty
Is doing as we'll as he is with the bunch
He has to work with. God interprets a
doubt as to His willingness as He calls
for high provocation-yes, high provoca-
ton. Let me give you an illustration In
the 18th Psalm HE smote the rock that
the water gushed out. and the streams
overlooked
For 43O years the Jews had been In
bondage: ever since Joseph's brothers had
lied about him to Jacob. There had
been a famine and God had sent Moses
to lead them out of bondage and he took
OF entering the promised land they came
to the city of Kadesh Barnea.
DISCUSSED THE WAYS.
"There they stopped and then they ap-
pointed a committee-appointed COM |
mittee. Yes and the devil has been at |
that job in some respects ever since.
They appointed u and they brought
majority and a minority report. They
agreed that 1t was flowing with milk
and honey, but they said 1t was peopled
by the sons of Anak and they were as
grasshoppers in their sight, but Caleb
and Joshua said, that cuts no Ice, they
stopped at Kadesh Barnea and discussed
the ways and means and methods and
chewed the rag instead of going in.
Every age has got to recast its vo-
to preach the gospel to the
people. I am preaching for the age In
which 1 live. l am just recasting by vo-
to the people of my age instead
Of Joshun's age, Suppose Joshua had
used some of the phrases that I do-'Go |
to It, he made good up against it,
You all know what 1 mean and I will
preach the gospel in the language of
today.
I'VE don't recast the truth, so they
said. Let us go in and they wouldn't
do 1t. They returned and wandered up
and down the wilderness for 3s years
and left their bones to perish and bleach
AZ monuments of their folly. and at last
after all that time only two got back
that were grown to be men. Only two
They believed in God and that Is the
reason. Tho best way to lose out is to
De just compromiser.
DEsPIsEs A TRIMMER.
God despises trimmer; that is the
'eason so many people fail today; they
ire trimming their sails to catch pass
ng breeze of popularity; they are afraid
II that old money bags over there in
he pew, afraid they will lose a few of
he pennies, afraid of that old devil out |
here. 1 am not. That is the difference.
go TO God in faith and the Arm ex-
,ectation that God will grant you a |
privilege, John 1871. IF ye abide in mo (
md my words abide in you. ye shall ask | I
What ye will. and II shall be done unto
'ou.' / think these are the most remark
.ble verses in the Bible. IF ye abide In !
me- No system. If ye abide In me- ,
The words were either the words OF the
ION of God or an insane man. l am not !
he Son of God. i am not divine. /
wouldn't make that promise A man said
o me, Don't you think that God took a
ser I said, NO. I believe that God | I
new that great many people would Z
ot fulhll the conditions and He would s
ot be very busy answering that prayer. y
"You never keep God busy answering '
lis promises. You never miss a meal 1
( victuals to pray. You never miss any l
ocial gatherings to pray There are a 7
ons here in the same condition. II
'ere a pastor OF a church and could 4
lake a dial or an Indicator to register I
% for preaching and so for prayer; or 4
rayer 100 and preaching 80 / would 9
ather be able to pray 100 and preach 90 |
,oetor Stevens, OF New York city, said [
his late years i don't wish that had '
reached more or more often. but 1 do Il
ish that l had prayed more
FARCIcAL PRAYER MEETINGS. I
1.-THE biggest farce OF the average p
hurch Is the prayer meeting. Take the !
verage church member. The average q
nurch member pFays about three y
linutes day and the preacher prays
bout 1--WE minutes. A friend of mine
nee met an elder and said to him, walk
q down the aisle. stroking his whiskers, p
III bet the average elder doesn't pray d
ore than five minutes each day and .
70 elder replied. I think we pray more
ian that Ny friend said. 4 don't think Y
!, You look like a decent fellow. and
Il tell you what I'll do with you You :
J home and when you set down 10 pray v
ok a. your watch, ana look again when
,u stop, and then come back and tell
. how far / was wrong The fellow
d not show up for three days. And
y friend spoke TO him. He said How \
,out that elder2' The elder replied, 4 =
oksd az my watch when ] started ana =
looked al Il when / was through, and. =