The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-10-04

determination, ana new plans, anu new
expectations launch out into the deep.
POINTERS TO FISHERMEN.
The text is appropriate to all who are |
engaged IN Christian work. The church |
of God has been fishing along the
shore. We set our net in good, calm
place. and in sight of fine chapel, and /
we go down every Sunday to see if the
fish have been wise enough to come into
our net, We might learn something
from that boy with his hook and line.
He throws his line from the bridge-no
fish. He sits down on a log-no fish.
He stands in the sunlight and casts the
line. but no fish. He goes up by the
mill dam. and stands behind the bank,
where the fish cannot see him, and he
has hardly dropped the hook before the
cork goes under. The fish come to him
RS fast as he can throw them ashore.
In other words, III our Christian work
why 90 we not go where the fish are: 1t
is not so easy to catch souls i'll church,
for they know that we are trying to
| take them. If you can throw your line
! out into the world, where they are not
! expecting you, they will be captured. Is
it fair to take Wen by such stratagem:
Yes. l world like to cheat five thousand
souls into the kingdom.
The whole policy of the church of GOD
is to be changed. Instead of chiefly
looking after the few who have become
| Christians our chief Efforts will be for
those outside. If after man is con-
yerteG lie cannot take care of himself L
am not going to take care of filn. If he
thinks that l am going to stand and pat
him on the back, and feed him out of an
elegant spoon, and watch him so that
he does not get into draft of world
illness, he is much mistaken. We have
in our churches a great mass of helpless.
inane professors, who are doing nothing
for themselves or for others, who want
us to stop and nurse them. They are so
troubled with doubt as TO whether they
are Christians or not. The doubt is SET
tied. They are not Christians. The best
we can do with these fish is to throw
them back into the stream and go after
them again with the Gospel net.
600 into the world and preach the
Gospel says Christ-into the factory.
the engine house, the clubrOom; into the
houses of the sick; into the dark lane;
into the damp cellar; into the cold gar
ret; into the dismal prison. Let every
man. woman and child know that Jesus
died, and that the gate of heaven is wide
: open. With the Bible in one pocket,
and the hymn book in another pocket
and loaf of bread under your arm
,, launch out into the great deep of this
worlds wretchedness.
The text is appropriate to all the I'M
; forgiven. Every sinner would come tc
: God if he thought that he mightcome Jusl
as he is. People talk as though the par
! don of God were a narrow river, like the
Kennebec or the Thames, and that then
sins draw too much water to enter Ii
No; it is not a river nor bay, but sea
e [ should like to persuade you to launcl
out into the great deep of Gods mercy.
am a merchant. 1 have bought cargo
of spices III India. have, through bill o.
- exchange, paid for the whole cargo. You
= are ship captain. 1 give you the ORDER
= and say, Bring me those spices" You
land in India. You go to the trade
and say. Here are the orders" and YOU
= find everything all right. You do no
stop to pay the money yourself. 1t /
not your business to pay 1t. The al
|, rancenents were made before yol
: started. So Christ purchases your par
- don. He puts the papers, or the prom
: ! ises, into your hand. Is it wise to sto
: and say, Il cannot pay for my re
- demption?' God does not ask you t
x pay. Relying on what has been done
- launch ont into the deep.
-,e The Bibles promises join hands, an
: the circle they make will compass a
your sins, and all your temptations. an
q all your sorrows. The round table c
=" King Arthur and his knights had ROOF
- for only thirteen banqUeters, but tn
Il round table of Gods supply is larS
enough for all the present inhabitant
= of earth and heaven to sit at, and fo
u u the still mightier populations that are yt
to be.
. KEEP AWAY FROM THE REEFS.
Do not sail coastwise along your oil
" habits and old sins. Keep clear of tn
u shore. Go out where the water is deel
u est Oh. for the mid sea of Gods mere.
- 6Be it known unto you, men and brett
~ rem. that through this man is preache
"a unto you forgiveness of sins" l preac
-. - it with as much confidence to the eight.
Va vear-old transgressor as to the maidel
~ Though your sins were blood red the
"' shall be snow white. The more ragge
'. the prOdigal, the more congressional
y the father. Do you say that you are tC
us bad? The high water mark of God
~ pardon is higher than all your tran
nc gressions. THE blood of Jesus Chri
cleanseth from all gin"
" " Do you say that your heart is har
~ Suppose it were ten times harder. L
nc you say that your iniquity is long CO.
N tinued? Suppose it were ten tim
~ longer. Do you say that your Grim
VI are black? Suppose that they were tt
-; times blacker. Is there any lion tn
"a "a this Samson cannot Stay? Is there al
~ fortress that this Conqueror cannot tax
a. Is there any sin this Redeemer cam
W pardon.
a. 1t is said that when Charlemagnt
a, host was overpowereG by the three a
e mics of the Saracens in the pass of Ro
~, cesvalles his warrior, Roland, in terrib
earnestness seized a trumpet and BILE