SUNDAY READING.

Shannon News, 28 November 1924, Page 4

SUNDAY READING.

READY FOB ACTION.

Texf "I saw the seven angeis which stood Wore God; and e eiven seven trumpets."—Rev. vin, These leven angles mentioned in our tex* received the trumpet; from, the messenger sent from God. " »™* given after the Book was. Sler the seals had been broken an after the contents of revelation had been pealed. Their mission was to Mow Strumpet that they received to sound out the troth, to make known to the people which had been sealed with seven

B6 My purpose this morning is to conthe preparation for the.use of the trumpet. These seven angels were preparing themseves to sound. There ffm that word "prepare" -jmetbtag deeper thjtn simply lifting the.trumpet and putting it to their lips. In verses 2-6 we find that Preparation It is the preparation of the Christian worker for delivering, the message whether from the pulpit or front the Sreet-corner, or in the Sunday-school class. There is a certain which we need for imparting, God s message unto others. The °ne Purpose, of the Christain messenger ought to be not to express himself, but to express the revelation of God in such a way that the people shall see it, realise it, feel it, incarnate it, make it a very part of their lives. We find in this preparation four important th i nS First, a right attitude, toward

God—"l saw the.seven angels whicn stood before God.» They^wer^in AN ATTITUDE OF READINESS. They recognise themselves as messengers of God. They were to sound the trumpet as God commanded, when He commanded, and where He commanded. They were standing before God ready for action, in an attitude to do God's bidding, and do it at once. It that your attitude this morning? Are you ready to sound the trumpet as He may wish? . Are you standing ready for the open-air campaign, ready to go to China, ready for the burden, for the criticism, for the pain I that may come /through your loyalty to Jesus Christ? Are you waiting for orders, or have you forgotten you are a messenger? Are you willing to go and do as the angels of heaven? If so, you are prepared to sound the trumpet. _ . _ ,

2. The second is worship. The angei took the censer, and with much incense he swung it before God's throne. The incense ascended before God, Ana wherever you find the censer in the old Testament Scriptures you find the reference to worship. Do you know what it is to worship? Worship is foand in the soul looking into God's face, the soul absorbed in God, pleased with God, taken up only with God. l-..., 3. The necessity of prayer. With this worship went up prayers, the prayers of ali the saints, ascending befoi-e the throne. The worship is giving, the praying is asking that we may receive. The worship is dealing with God, the praying is asking God \ to deal with us. Worship is the up-

/ ward look, bestowing - what it can; prayer is the upward peed, receiving from God. The incense of worship, and ,the attitude of the soulin petition should never be divorced. I stood, some time ago. on a very sacred spot, in the city of Leyden, in Holland. There, in the centre of that city, I saw in. my imagination what \ took place on October S, 1574. The Dutch people were beseiged within its walls by the Spaniards, who were there for the destruction of the Protestants. The edict had gone forth that all the Protestants should be destroyed unless they recanted. The people were starving; SEVEN OR EIGHT THOUSAND OF THEM DIED

during the siege. They had not strength even ,to bury the dead;~and some of the mothers and the weakest ones came to the burgomaster, Van de Wert, and said: "Deliver us to the Spaniards; we would rather be killed •than starve to death." The burgomaster took out his sword, and extended it towards the soldiers, and )said: "Here is my sword. You can kill,me and,eat my body, but I shall be true to'my oath. I shall not surrender to the Spaniards." Days passed; the dead were multiplying; the city was full of mourning. But the Christians met and prayed. They looked to God for help, and they would climb to the top of the churchItower and look over the sea, watching for the relief of King William the Silent which he had promised. No help came. William the Silent, on his bed of sickness and fever, decided to cut the dykes and let the water in. The dykes were cut, and the water surrounded the city of Leyde-x But not deep enough. It would take three feet more to bring in the vessels that were laden with supplies, waiting outside the dykes. Still the people prayed, and on October 3„ God sent a. storm. The God of the winds, who sent '

THE STORM AGAINST THE SPANISH ARMADA, sent a storm cfo the ocean that drove up the high waves into the fields. The (Spaniards* fled before the waves, and .the ships of William the Silent, bearing the food, came through the fields right up to the walls of the city. The people were supported, and the city was saved. The next day they met In the church that still stands there,

and tried to pray. But they could not sing or pray; they just sat there a"id wept out their hearts in gratitude £0 God. On October 3 of each year fthe inhabitants gather about the j statue of the burgomaster and give , praise' to God. That is the great day in Leyden, the day of relief. One of the greatest relics we found in the ■ ciity was a broken piece of one of the vessels that brought in the food across the flooded fields in a'nswer to prayer. When learn the secret of prayer —that God Himself is equal to any and can control the storms ;in history as well as the storms in atmosphere—and are ready to do