The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-10-19

odhh NHtte tue uSn cannot sc MN,
and he has hardly dropped the hook be-
fore the cork goes under. The fish
come to him as fast as he can throw
them ashore. In other words, in orr
Christian work, why do we not 60
where the fish are? 1t is not so easy to
catch souls in church, for they know
that we are trying b take them If
you can throw your line out into the
world, where they are not expec ting
you, they will be captured. Is it fair to
take men by such stratagem? Yes. |
would 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-
verted, he cannot take care of himself,
am not going to take care of him. If
he thinks that am going to stand and
| pat ON the back, and feed him out of an
elegant spoon, and watch him so that
he does not get into draught of world
lincss, he is much mistaken We have
in our churches great mass of help
less, insane 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 settled. 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.
60 into all the world and preach the
the gospel" says Christ; into the fac
tory, the engine house, the club-room,
into the houses of the sick, into the
dark lane, into the damp cellar, into
the cold garnet, 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 hymnbook in an
other pocket, and a 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 to
God if he thought that he might come
just as he is People talk as though the
pardon of God Were narrow river like
the Kennebec or the Thames, and that
their sin draws too much water to enter
it. No, it is not river, nor bay, but
a sea. should like to persuade you tc
launch out into the great deep of Gods
mercy. | am a merchant. | have
bought cargo of spices in India,
have, through bill of exchange
paid for the whole cargo. You are
ship captain, l give you the
orders and say: Bring me those spices
You land in India. You go to the trader
and say: Here are the orders" anC
you find everything all right. You dc
not stop to pay the money yourself. i
is not your business to pay it. The
arrangements were made before YOU
started. So Christ purchases your par
don. He puts the papers, or the prom
ises, into your hand. Is it wise to stol
and say, Il cannot pay for my redemp
n tion?" God does not ask you to pay
Z lsReiying on what has been done, launcl
out into the deep.
The Bibles promises to join hands
and the circle they make will compass
all your sins, and all your temptations
of King Arthur and his knights hat
room for only thirteen banqueters; bu
the round table of Gods supply is large
enough for all the present inhabitant
of earth and heaven to sit at, and 70
the still mightier population that ar,
yet to be.
Do not sail coastwise along your OLE
habits and old sins. Keep clear of the
shore. TO out where the water is ,eep
est. O, for the mid-sea of Gods l4ercy
''Be it known unto you, men anc
brethren, that through this man i
preached unto you forgiveness of sins
preach it with as much confidence t.
the eight-year-old transgressor as t,
the maiden. Though your sins were
blood,red, they shall be SNOWY white
The more ragged the prodigal, th,
more compassionate the father. Do 20,
say that you are too bad? The higl
9 water mark of Gods pardon is highe
than all your transgressions. 9TH
, blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth iron
all SIM" Do you say that your heart i
hard? Suppose it were ten time
harder. Do you say that your iniquit.
, is long continued? Supposed it were tel
times longer, Do you. say that you
crimes are black? Suppose that the.
were ten times blacker. Is there an
: lion that this Samson cannot Stay? l
, there any fortress that this Conquero
I cannot take? Is there any sin this Re
deemer cannot pardon?
1t is said that when CHI 'lemagne'
. host was overpowered by .he tire
p armies of the Saracens ir the pass c
| Roncesvalles, his warrior, Roland, i
terrible earnestness, seized a trumpet
q and blew it with such terrific strengt
f that the opposing army reeled bac
/, with terror, but at the third blast c
the trumpet it broke in two sc
+ your soul fiercely assailed by all tn
D powers of earth and hell. put til
n mightier trumpet of the gospel to m
Y lips, and l blow it three times. Bla.
h the first, 'Whosoever will, let hii
y come" Blast the second, ''Seek we tn
t Lord while he may he found" Bias
s the third, Now is the accepted tim
u now is the day of salvation" Does n,
d the host of your sins fall back? Br
q the trumpet does not like that of r
t land break in two, As it was handle
h down to us from the lips of our father
d we hand it down to the lips of our chi
p dren. and tell them to sound it when W