The Forrest City times., 1890-05-10
MARROW ESCAPE FOR SOULS.
Ths Rev Dr. Talrsgs oa Salvation as by Miracles

Miracles
 Many People Saved as With the Skin of Their Teeth"--More Difficulty Found by Some in Accepting the Gospel Than by 0thers
 Dr. Talmagc preached last Sunday on "Narrow Escapes taking as his text Job, Xix, % ''l am escaped with the skin of my teeth" Following is his sermon in full
 Jop had it hard. What with toils and bcrcavemonts md bankruptcy, and fool Of a wife, he wished ho was dead, and l do not blanc him His flesh was gone, and his bones were dry. His teeth wasted aw y until nothing but the en amel seemed lefl. He cries out "I am escaped with the skin of my teeth There has been some difference of opinion about this passage St. Jerome and Schu.tons, and Doctors Good and Poole and Barnes, have ali tried their forceps on Jobs teeth. You deny my interpretation and say, "What did Job know about the enamel of the teethin He know everything about it Dentsl sur gerry is almost as old as the teeth. The mummes of Egypt, thousands Of years old, are found today with gold filling in their teeth. Ovid and Horace and Solomon and Moses wrote about those important factors or tho body. To other provoking com plaints. Job, think, has added an exas perating toothache, and, putting his hand against tho infamod face, he says; 'I am escaped with the skin or my tcsth.i very narrow escape, you say, for Jobs body and soul; but thero arc thousands of men who make just as narrow escapes for their souls. Thero was a time when tho partition between them and ruin was no thicker than tooth's enamel, but as Job finally escaped, so have they. Thank God ! thank God
 Paul expresses tho same idea by diffor- ent figure when he says that some people arc saved as by fre' A vessel at sea is in flames. Yoa 20 to the stcrn of the vessel The beats havc showed of. The 1 flames advance; you can en iuro the he 1t no longer on your face You slide down on the side of tho vessel, an hold on with your Fingers, until the forked ton su, Of tho fro begins to lick the back Of your han |, and you feel that you must fall, when one of tho ifeboats comes ha k, anl the pas sengers say they think they have room for one moro. Tho boat swings under you you drop into it-y1u are saved.
 So some men arc pursued by temptation until they are partially consumed, but,
 
 l ike the figure of Job little better than that Of Paul, because the pulpit has not worn 1t out; and want to show you, II God will help that some men mako narrow escape for their souls and arc saved as with tue skin of their teeth
 lt isas easy for some people to look to tho cross as for you to look 10 this pulpit Mild, gentle, tractsbl, loving, YOU expect them to become 1hristiaus. You go over to the store and say, "Grandoa joined the church yesterdayn Your business co nraIcs say. That Is iast what might have beea ex- pccted; he always was ol that turn of nind.N In youth thls person whom 1 do. scribe was always good. He never broke things. He never l,ughei whea 1t was 1 improper ta lauA; :. At : h. could sit an hour in church. perfectly quiet, looking neither 10 the right q laa nor 10 the left, but straight into the eyes ot tho minister, as though he anderstood the " ole discas. slen about ,o eternal aeereos He nev Ter upset things nor lost the,n, tie tioaioi into tha Kingdom ol God so se lda tllv taat it is uncertain just when lhs matter was do clded.
 Hero IS another one. who stnrtei ia iifa with an uacen,roll aole spirit He kept tho nursery in an uproar. His mother fogni him walking on tao edge of the house roof to 500 Il ho toaid balance fnself Thero was no horse that ha dars not r.da-no trea ha eoald not clImb His hoyhooi was a long sercs of predieamonts; bis manhoal
 was reckless; hls md life very waywari. But new he is converted. and yGa 20 over to the storo and say, "Arkwrighi ioined tho church yesterday." Your friends saf. "It is not pcssib9oi loa must ba tokIng.a You say, No 1 tell you tho truth flo .t There is hone for any of Us fl old Arx. wright has become a ChristlaaH la other words, we will admit that st Is more din. cult for some men 10 accept the Gospel than others
 may bc preaching 10 some who have cut sooso from churches aud Bibles and S -ndays and who haye cone in haya with no intent Of oacomlng Christians them selves, but just 70 see what k going on, ana ye. you may find yourself escaping before you leave this house, ''as with the skin of your teeth" l do not expect 10 waste this hour l have seen boats go of from Caps May or Long Branch and drop their nets, and after awhile come ashore pulling in their nets without having caugat 2. single nsh. IL was not good day. or they had not the right klnd O, net Bui we expsct no such excursion today. The water is fali of fish tho wind is ia the right direction, the Gospel net is strong. q, thou wao d dst i help simon aud Andrew to tish, show us to- day how 10 casi the not on tho ris ht side Of the sAip,
 Some of you, in coming to God, will have to run against sscp;ical notions. IL is use. less for people to say sharp and cutting things to those who rciaot tho Christian religion. l can not say such things. Ky what process Of temptation or trial or be. trayal yoa have como to your present state, know not There are two ea.es to your nataro--,hc gate Of the head and the gate Of tho heart Tho gate os your head is locked with bolts and bars that an arch. angel could not break, but tho gate Of vour heart swings easily uu It's hinges. II as. sau'tod your body with weapons. you would meet me with weapon. and 1t would bc sword stroke Tor sword stroke, aud wound for wound, and blood. for blood but If come and knock at the door of your honse you opea it and eiye It e tho best seat in your parlor. If should como n, you now with an arg ment, you would an swer me with m argument, If with sar- casul, you would answer Iue with sarcasm, blow Tor blow stroae for stroke but when ! come and knock Ut tho door of your heart you open It and s4y, 'Come in, my brother, and tell ma ail you know about Christ and heaven"
 Listen ,o two or threo questions: Are you as happy as you used to bs when you believed in the truth of the Christian re. l lglon! Would you like 10 havo vour chil. drep travel In The road in which you arc now 'rayclings You had n relative who professed to tc Christian. and was thor. onghly consistent living md dying in the faith of the gospel. Would you not lilse to live the same quiet life, aud die the same peaceful deathl 1 have letter, sent me by one who has rejected tho Christian religion lt says; ''l am old enough to know that the joys and pleasures of life arc evan cscont, and 10 realize the tact that 1t must he comfortable in old age to believe in something relative to the future, and 10 have faith in some system that proposes 10 save. am free to confess that would be happier If l could exercise tho simple and beautiful faith that Is possessed by maoy whom l know. l am not willingly out of tho church or out of he faith. My