Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-02-13

of the cross, that it is as red as that
with which the spies were lowered; and
IL once our souls shall be delivered, then,
the scarlet chord stretched ACROSS the
window of our escape, We may defy all
bombardment, earthly and Satanic.
In the first place, carrying out the idea
of my text, we must stretch this scarlet
cord across the window of cur. rescue.
There comes time when man is sur
rounded. What is that in the front door
of his soul? It is the threatenings Of
the future. What is that in the back
door of his soul? II is the sin of the
past. He cannot get out of either of
those doorways. If he attempts it he
will be cut to pieces. What shall he dor,
Escape through the window of Gods
mercy. That sunshine has been pour
ing in for many a day. Gods inviting
mercy. Gods pardoning mercy. Gods
all conquering mercy. Gods everlasting
mercy. But, you say, the window is so
high. All, there is rope, the very one
with which the cross and its victim were
lifted. That was strong enough to hold
Christ and it is strong enough to hold
you. Bear all your weight upon it, all
your hopes for this life, all your hopes
for the life that is to come. Escape
now through the window. But, you
say, shat cord is too small to save me;
that salvation will never do at all for
such sinner as ! have BEEN" sup
pose that the rope with which Rahab
let the two spies to the ground was not
thick enough; but they took that or
nothing. And, my dear brother, that is
your alternative. There is only one
scarlet line that can save you. There
have been hundreds and thousands who
have been borne away in safety by that
scarlet line, and it will bear you away in
safety. Do you notice what very mar
row escape those spies had? suppose
they came with fustered cheek and with
excited heart. They had a very narrow
escape. They went in the broad door of
sin; but how did they come out9 They
came out of the window. They went up
by the stairs of stone; they came down
on slender thread. And so, my friends,
we go easily and unabashedly into sin,
and all the doors are open; but if we
get out at all it will be by being let
down over precipices, wriggling and
helpless, the strong grip above keeping
us from being dashed on the rocks be-
meath. 1t is easy to get into sin, young
man. It is not SO easy to get out of it.
A young man goes to the marble
counter of hotel. He asks for brandy
smash-called so, Isuppose because 1t
smashes the man that takes it. There
is no intqxication in it. As the young
man receives it he does not seem to be
at all excited. 1t does not give any
glossiness to the eye. He walks home
in beautiful apparel, and all his pros
poets are brilliant. That drink is not
going to destroy him, but it is the first
step on bad road. Years have passed
ON, and see that young man after he
has gone the whole length of dissipa-
tion. 1t is midnight, and he is in a
hotel-perhaps the very one where he
took the first drink. He rises from the
bed and comes to the window, and it is
easily lifted; so he lifts it. Then he
pushes back the blinds and puts his
foot on the window sill. Then he gives
one spring, and the watchman finds his
dis6gured body, unacceptable, on the
pavement. O. if he had only waited a
little--if he had come down on the
scarlet ladder that Jesus holds from the
wall for him, and for you, and for me;
but no, he made one jump, and was
gone.
A minister of Christ was not long ago
dismissed from his diocese for intoxica-
tion, and in public meeting he gave
this account of his sorrow. He said:
Il had beautiful home once, but strong
drink shattered it. I had beautiful
children; but this fend of rum took
their dimpled hands in his and led
them to the grave. I had wife to
know her was to love her; but she sits in
wretchedness tonight while wander
ovei the earth. had mother, and the
pride of her life was /; but the thunder
bolt struck her. Inow have scarcely q
friend in the world. Taste of the bitter
cup have tasted, and then answer me
as to whether have any hatred for the
agency of my ruin. Hate it! 1
hate the whole damning traf-
fic. 1 would to God to-
night that every distillery was in flames,
for then in the glowing sky would
write in the smoke of the ruin: @Woe
to him that putteth the bottle to his
neighbors lips" That minister of the
Gospel went in through the
broad door of temptation: he came out of
the window. And when / see the
temptations that are about us in all
countries, and when know the pro
clivities to sin in every mans heart, !
see that if any of us escape it will be q
very narrow escape. U, If we have, my
friends, got off from our sin, let us tie
the scarlet thread by which we have been
saved across the window. Let us do it
in praise of him whose blood dyed it
that color. Let it be in announcement
of the fact that we shall no more be
fatally assaulted. There is now no
condemnation to them that are in Christ
Jesus" Then let all the forces of this
world come up in cavalry charge, and
let spirits of darkness come on an in
fernal storming party attemptingto to take
our souls, this rope twisted from these
words, "The blood of Jesus Christ
cleanseth from all sin, will hurl them
back defeated forever.
Still further: We must take this red
cord of the text and stretchit across the
window of our households. When the
Israelitish Army came up against Jeri-
cho, they said: What is that in the
Window" Some one said: That is a
scarlet lire. 20" said some one else,
that must be the house that was to be
spared. Don't touch it. That line was
thick enough, and long enough, and
conspicuous enough to save Rahab, her
father, her mother, her brothers and her
sisters the entire family. Have our
households as good protection? You
| have bolts on the front door and on the
back, and fastenings to the window, and
perhaps burglar alarms, and perhaps
an especial watchman blowing his
whistle at midnight before your dwell
ing; but all, that cannot protect your
household. Is there on our houses the
sign of Sayiours sacrifice and mercy?
| Is there scarlet line in the window?