The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1890-02-20

AlNtANhf Nnt-ls blAt NCdIltN NOEu StEtHCAltu
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 our
rescue. There comes a time when a
man is surrounded. WHAT'S that in the
front door Of his soul? 1t is the threat
enings Of the future. What is that in
the back door of his soul? 1t is the
sins of the past. He can not get out OF
either of those doorways. IL he at
tempts it he will be cut to pieces. What
shall he do? Escape through the win
low of Gods mercy. That sunshine
has been pouring in for many day:
Gods inviting mercy. Gods pardoning
mercy. Gods all-conqucring mercy.
Gods everlasting mercy. But, you say,
the window is so high. All, there is a
rope, the very one with which the cross
and it's 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
the life that is to come. Escape now
through the win low. But" you say,
that cord is too small to save me; that
salvation will never do at all for such
sinner as l 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 al
tentative. 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 scar
let line, and it will bear you away in
safety. Do you notice what a 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 out?
They came out of the window. They
went up by the stairs of stone; they
came down on a slender thread. And
so, my friends, we 60 easily and una
bashedly in sin, and all the doors are
open; but if we get out at all it will be
by being let down over precipices, wrig-
Cling and helpless, the strong grip above
hctDluH lEOlIl DClIlS udoHtU VII viz
rocks beneath. 1t is easy to get into
sin, young man. 1t is not easy to get
out OF it.
A young man goes to the marble cOun-
ter of q hotel. He asks for brandy
smash-called so, / suppose, because it
smashes the man that takes 1T. 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 bad road. Years have passed
on, and / see that young man after he
has gone the whole length of dissipa-
ton. 1t is midnight, and he is in
hotel-perhaps the very one where he
took the first drink. A delirium is on
him. 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
Waterman finds his disfgured body un-
recognizable, on the pavement. Oh, 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
one jump-and was gone.
A minister of Christ was not long ago
dismissed from his diocese for intOxica-
ton, and in public meeting he gave
this account of his sorrow. He said:
Il had beautiful home once, but
strong drink shattered it. had beau
tiful children, but this fiend of rum
took their dimpled hands in his and led
them to the grave. | had wife-to
know her was to love her; but she sits in
wretchedness tonight while | wander
over the earth. Ihad mother, and the
pride of her life was 1; but the thunder
bolt struck her. / now have scarcely a
friend in the world. Taste of the bit
ter cup have tasted, and then answer
me as to whether l have any hatred for
the agency of my ruin. Hate it! l hate
the whole damning traffic. ! would to
God tonight 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 neighbours lips"
That minister of the Gospel went in
through the broad door of temptation;
he came out of the window. And when
l see the temptations that are about us
in all countries, and when l know the
proclivities of sin in every mans heart,
l see that if any of us escape it will be
a very narrow escape. Oh, if we have,
nv 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 ia
tally 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
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 stretch it across the
window of households. When the Is
raelitish army came up against Jericho,
they said: What is that in the win
dow?" Some one said: THAT is scar
let line" TO-" 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 conspicu-