Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-02-14

acrosS the window of our rescue. There
comes time when man is surrounded.
What is that in the front door of his soull II
is the threatenings of the future. What is
that in the back door Of the soul. 1t is the
sins 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 doc Escape
through the window of Gods mercy. That
sunshine has been pouring in for many
day. Gods inviting mercy. Gods par
doning mercy. Gods all conqueriug
mercy. Gods everlasting mercy. But
you say the window is so high. Alb,
there is a rope, the very one with
which the cross and its victim wore
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,n you say, that cord is too small to
save me- that salvation will never do at al,
for such a sinner as | have BEEN / SUPPOSE
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
JutJ scarlet me- anu II VIII Dear you away
in safety. Do You notice what very
narrow escape those spies had3 | suppose
they came with flustered cheek and with ex-
cited heart. They had very narrow es-
cape They went in the broad door of sin;
but how did they come outl 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 un-
abashedly into sin, and all the doors are
OPEN but if we get out at all it will be by
being let down over prccipces, wrigglng
and helpless, the strong grip above keeping
us from being dashed on the rocks beneath.
1t is easy to get into sin, young man. 1t is
not so easy to get out of it.
THE FIRST STEP.
A young man goes to the marble counter
of a hotel He asks for brandy smash
called SO, | suppose, because it snashes the
man that takes it. There is no intoxication
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 "a
bad road. Years have passed on, and sec
that young man after he has gone the whole
length of dissipation 1t is midnight, and he
is in "A hotel-perhaps the very one where he
took the first drink. \ deirum is on him.
He rises from the bed and comes to tho
window, and it is easily lifted so he lifts
it. Then he pushes back the blinds ana puts
his foot on the window sill Then he gives
one spring, and the Waterman finds his dsiig-
ured body, unrecognizablc, on the pavement
o, if he had only waited 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 ono jump, and was
gone \ minister of Christ was not long ago
dismissed from his diocese for intOxication
and in public meeting he gave this account
of his sorrow. He said: Il had u beautiful
home once: but strong drink shattered it,
had beautiful children; but this ticnd of rum
took their dimpled hands in his and led them
to the grave | had wlfe--to know her
was to love her; but she sits in wretchedness
tonight, while | wander over the earth
had mother, and the pride of her life was | :
but the thunderbolt struck her. now have
scarcely friend in the world. Taste
of the bitter cup l have tasted, and
then answer me as to whether
have any hatred for the agency of nv ruin
Hate it. | hate the whole damning traffic.
l would to God tonight that every distillery
was in flames, for then in the glowing SKY [
to him that putteth the bottle to his neigh.
boris lipsr" That minister of the Gospel went
i'll through the broad door of temptations; he
came our of the window. And when | see
the temptations that are about US in all coun-
tries, and when | know the proclvites to SIN
in every mans heart, | see that if any of us
escape 1t will be very narrow escape. O, if
we have, my friends, got off from our sin,
let us tie tho scarlet thread by which
We have been saved across the win
dow. 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 Internal
storming party attempting to take our soul
this rope twisted from these words, "The
blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin, .
viii hurl them back defeated forever
PROTECT YOUR HOUSEHOLD.
Still further, we must take this red cord OF
the text and stretch it across the window of
our households When the lsraelitish Amy
came up against Jericho, they said: "What
is that il the Window Some one said
That is a scarlet line" "Oh, said some one
| spared Don't touch it." That line was thick
enough, and long enough, and conspicuous
enough to save Rahab, her father her mo-
Their, her brothers and her sisters-the entire
/ family. Have our households as good pro
tectionl You have bolts on the front door
and on the back, and fastening, TO the win
| dow, and perhaps burglar alarms, and per
haps an especial Waterman blowing his
whistle at midnight before your dwell
ing; but all that cannot protect your
| household. Is there on our houses the
! sign of Saviour's sacrifice and mercy
! Is there q scarlet line in the window
Have your children been consecrated tC
Christi Have you been washed in the blood
OF the atonementi In what room do you have
| family prayersl Show me where it is you
are accustomed to kneel. The sky is blacA
with the coming deluge. Is your family in
side or outside of the arkl 1t is u sad thing
for man to reject Christ; but to lie down in
the night OF sin, across the path to heaven, sc
that his family come up and trip over him