The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1893-07-27

can not be saved as a metaphysician;
You can not be saved as a scholar; yoH
can not be saved as an artist; you can
not be saved as an official. If you are
ever saved at all, it will be as sinner.
Another characteristic of the prayer
of the publican was, it had ring of
confidence. 1t was not cry of despair.
He knew he was going to get what he
asked for. He wanted mercy. He
asked for it, expecting it. And do You
tell me, o man, that God has provided
this salvation and is not going to let
you have it?
If a man builds bridge across a riv-
er, will he not let people go over it? If
a physician gives a prescription to a
| sick man, will he not let him take it?
If an architect puts up building, will
he not let people in it? If God provides
salvation, will he not let you have
it? Oh, if there be pharisee here,
man who says: l am all right. My
past life has been right. don't want
the pardon of the Gospel, for have no
sin to pardon, let me say that while
that man is in that mood there is no
peace for him, there is no pardon, no
salvation, and the proba bility is that
he will go down and spend eternity
withe the lost pharisees of the text.
But if there be here one who says,
I want to be better; want to quit my
sins; my life has been very imperfect
life; how many things have l said that
l should not have said; how many
things l have done l should not have
done; l want to change my life; l want
to begin now; let me say to such a soul,
God is waiting, God is ready, and you
are near the kingdom, or rather you
have entered it, for no man says, am
determined to serve God and surrender
the sins of my life; here, now, l conse-
crate myself to the Lord Jesus Christ
who died to redeem memo man from
the depth of his soul says that he is al
ready Christian.
My uncle, Rev. Samuel K. Talmage,
of Augusta, Ga, was passing along the
streets of Augusta one day, and he saw
a man, a black man, step from the side
walk out into the street, take his hat
off and bow very lowly. My uncle was
not a man who demanded obsequious-
ness, and he said, What do you do
that for?" ''Oh," says the man, ''massa,
the other night l was going along the
street, and l had a burden on my
shoulder, and l was sick, and 1 was
hungry, and | came to the door of
your church, and you were preach
ing about God be merci-
full to me, sinnerr and I stood there
at the door long enough to hear you
say that if man could utter that
prayer from the depths of his soul God
would pardon him and finally take him
to Heaven. Then l put my burden on
my shoulder, and l started home.
got to my home, and 1 sat down, and
said, God be merciful to me, sinner"
but it got darker and darker, and then,
massa, / got down on my knees, and
said, God be merciful to me, a sinnerr
and the burden got heavier, and it got
darker and darker. knew not what
to do. Then l got down on my face,
and cried, God be merciful to me,
sinnern and away off l saw light
coming, and it came nearer and nearer
and nearer until all was bright in my
heart, and / arose. / am happy now
the burden is all gone-and l said tc
NY Sell IL ever uleG you III the StroeI
l would get clear off the sidewalk, and
l would bow down and take my hat off
before you. l feel that l owe more to
you than to any other man. That is
the rea son l bow before YOU"
Oh, are there not many now who can
utter this prayer, the prayer of the
black man, the prayer of the publican,
God be merciful to me, sinner!'
While l halt in the sermon, will you
not all utter it? I do not say audibly,
but utter it down in the depths of your
souls consciousness Yes, the sigh goes
all through the galleries, it goes all
through the pews, it goes all through
these aisles, sigh after sigh-God be
merciful to me, sinner!
Have you all uttered it? No, there is
one soul that has not uttered it-too
proud to utter it, to hard to utter it. o
Holy Spirit, descend upon that one
heart! Yes, he begins to breathe ii
now. No bowling of the head yet, but
the prayer is beginning-itis born. God
be me merciful to me, sinner Have
all uttered it? Then l utter it myself.
for no one in all the house needs il
more than my own soul-God be inent;
| full to me, a sinneri
as a