The Russellville Democrat., 1890-05-15
NARROW ESCAPES
Sermon by Rev. T. Dewitt Tall
mage from Homely Text.
Its Application to Mans Experiences
Troubles May Overwheim You, but
the way or Escape Is Open to
All who Seek 1t.

=
Brooklyn Academy OF Music, from the
text:
lam escaped with the skin Of my teeth
job xix. 20. NN
Job had 1T hard. What with boils
and bereavements and bankruptcy, and
fool of wife, he wished he was dead;
and do not blame him. His flesh was
gone, and his bones were dry. His
teeth wasted away until nothing but
the enamel seemed left. He cries out:
II an escaped with the skin of my
teeth" There has been some differ
ence Of opinion about this passage St
jerome and Schultens, and Drs Good
and Poole and Barnes, have tried all
their forceps on Jobs teeth. You deny
my Interpretation, and say: What
did job know about the enamel Of the
teeth?" He knew every thing about it.
Dental surgery is almost as old as the
earth. The mummies of Egypt, tthou-
sands Of years old, are found to-day with
gold filling in their teeth. Ovid and
Horace and solomon and Moses wrote
about these important factors of the
BODY. To other provoking complaints,
job. / think, has added an exasperat-
ing toothache, and, putting his hand
against the inhamed face, he says: II
am escaped with the skin OF my teeth"
A very narrow escape, you say. for
Jobs body and soul; but there are thou
sands of men who make just as narrow
e>cape for their soul. There was time
when the partition between them and
rnin was no thicker than tooth's
enamel; but as Job finally escaped, SO
have they. Thank Godl thank Godi
Paul expresses the same idea by a
different figure when he says that some
people are saved as by fire" A vessel
at sea is in flames. You go to the stern
of the vessel. The boats have showed
off. The flames advance; you can en-
dure the heat no longer on your face.
You slide down on the side of the yes
sci, and hold ON with your fingers, until
the forlSed tongue of the fire begins to
lick the back of your hand, and You feel
that you must fall, when one of the life
boat comes back and the passengers say
they think they have room for one
more The boat swings under you-you
drop into it You are saved. So some
they are partially consumed, but after
all, get Off saved as by fire." But l
like the figure of Job a little better
than that of Paul, because the pulpit
has not worn it out; and | want to show
you. if God win help, that some men
make narrow escape for their souls, and
are saved as with the skin of their
| teeth"
| 1t is as easy for some people to look
| to the Cross as for you TO look to this
pulpit Mild, gentle, tractable, loving,
| you expect them TO become Christians.
| You go over to the store and say:
"Grandon joined the church yesterday"
Your business comrades say: THAT is
| Just what might have been expected;
he always was of that turn of mind. {"
In youth, this person whom / describe
was always good. He never broke
things, lie never laughed when it was
improper TO laugh. At seven, he could
sit an hour in church. perfectly
quiet, looking neither to the right hand
nor to the left, but straight into the
eyes of the minister. as though he I'M
| derstood the whole discussion about the
eternal DEGREES. He never upset things
nor lost them. He floated in the King
dom of God SO gradually that it is un-
certain just when the matter was de-
| cided.
Here is another one, who started in
! life with an uncomfortable spirit He
kept the nursery in an uproar. His
mother found him walking on the edge
Of the house roof to see If he could bal
ance himself There was no horse that
be dared not ride--no tree he could not
climb His boyhood was long series
OF predicamen<s; his manhood was reck-
less, his mid-life maynard. But now
he is converted, and you go over to the
store and say: cartwright joined the
church yesterday" Your friend says:
at is not possiblel You must be iok-
ing" You say: mo; l tell you the
truth. He joined the church" Then
they reply: "There is hope for any of
us II old Arkwright has become Chris
tian.' In other words, we viii admit
that it is more difficult for some men to
accept the Gospel than for others
may be preaching to some who have
cut loose from churches and Bibles and
Sundays, and who have come in here
with no intention of becoming Chris
tians themselves, but Just to see what
is going on; and yet you may find your
self escaping, before you leave this
house, as with the skin of your teeth"
do not expect to waste this hour.
have seen boats go off from Cape May
or Long Branch, and drop their nets,
without having caught single fish.
II was not a good day, or they had
not the right kind of net But we
expect no such excursion to-day. The
water is full of fish, the wind is in the
right direction, the Gospel netis strong.
Oh Thou who didst help Simon and An
drew to fish, show us today how TO cast
the net on the right side of the ship!
Some of you, in coming TO God, win
have to run against skeptical notions.
IL is useless for people 10 say sharp and
cutting things to those who reject the
Christian religion. can not say such
things by what process OF temptation
or trial or betrayal you have come TO
your present state, know not There
are two gates TO your nature: the gate
Of the head and the gate OF the heart.
The gate of your head Is locked with
otis and bars that an archangel could
! not break, but the gate of your heart
swings easily on its hinges. II | as
saulted your body with weapons, you
would meet me with weapons, and II
! would be sword-stroke for sword-stroke,
and wound for wound, and blood for
blood; but II l come and knock at the
door OF your house, you open 1t and
give me the best seat in your parlor.
II | should come at you now with an
| argument, you would answer mo with
an argument; il with sarcasm, you
would answer me with sarcasm; blow
for blow, stroke for stroke; but when !
come and knock at the door OF your
heart you open and say: Come in,
my brother, and tell me all you know
about Christ and Heaven"
Listen 20 two or three questionss Are
you as happy as you used to be when
/ Won beIieyed In the truth of the Chris