The Portland daily press., 1892-10-08

bank where the fish cannot see him,
ana ha 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 our
Christian work, why do we not go
where che fish are? 1t is not so easy to
catch souls in church, for they know
that we are trying to take them Ii
you can throw your line out into the
world, where they are not expecting
you, they will be captured. Is it fair to
take men by such stratagem? Yes. l
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-
verified, he cannot take care of himself,
l am not going to take care of him. II
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
illness, 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 trout led 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 Cfl,aa a,1I offov- fbor1 II,
with the gospel net.
go 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 garrett 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 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
sea. [ should like to persuade you to
launch out into the great deep of Gods
mercy. l am a merchant. 1 have
bought cargo of spices in India,
l have, through bill of exchange,
paid for the whole cargo. You are
ship captain. 1 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" and
you find everything all right. You do
not stop to pay the money yourself. 1t
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 stop
and say, 81 cannot pay for my redenp-
tion?" God does not ask you to pay.
Relying on what has been done, launch
out into the deep.
The Bibles promises to join hands,
and the circle they make will compass
all YOUR sins, and all your temptations,
and all your sorrows. The round table
of King Arthur and his knights had
room for only thirteen banqueters; but
the round table of Gods supply is large
enough for all the present inhabitants
of earth and heaven to sit at, and for
the still mightier population that are
yet to be.
Do not sail coastwise along your old
habits and old sins Keep clear of the
shore. Go out where the water is deep
est. o, for the mid-sea of Gods mercy!
"Be it known unto you, men and
brethren, that through this man is
preached unto you forgiveness of sins -
Ipreach it with as much confidence to
the eight-year-old transgressor as to
the maiden. Though your sins were
blood-red, they shall be snow white.
The more ragged the prodigal, the
more compassionate the father. Do you
say that you are too bad? The high
water mark of Gods pardon is higher
than all your transgressions. "The
blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from
all SIM" Do you say that your heart is
Hdru! suppose III were Ten times
harder. Do you say that your iniquity
is long continued? Suppose it were ten
times longer. Do you say that your
crimes are black? Suppose that they
were ten times blacker. Is there any
lion that this Samson cannot stay? Is
there any fortress that this Conqueror
cannot take? Is there any sin this Re-
deemer cannot pardon?
It is said that when Charlemagne's
host was overpowered by the three
armies of the Saracens in the pass of
Roncesvalles, his warrior, Roland, in
terrible earnestness seized a trumpet,
and blew it with such terrific strength
that the opposing army reeled back
with terror, but at the third blast of
the trumpet it broke in two. I see
your soul fiercely assaulted by all the
powers of earth and hell. put the
mightier trumpet of the gospel to my
lips, and [ blow it three times. Blast
the first, "Whosoever will, let him
come" Blast the second, Seek we the
Lord while he may be found Blast
the third, Now is the accepted time;
now is the day of salvation" Does not
Al &c ell