Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-07-14
line. thew could all march right through that


4 feet like the sun, cannot compass that
| harmony of mercy, mercy. 1t sounds in the
rumbling Of the celestial gate. hear it in
| the Ginning Of the celestial towers. see it
flashing in the uplifted and downcast
coronets of tho saved. hear it IA the
laundering tread OF the hammered hosts
around about the throne, and then II comes
from the harps and crowns and thrones and
professions to sit down, unexpressed, on a
throne overlapping all heayen-the throne
| of mercy.
How / was affected when some one told me
In regard to that accident on Long Island
sound, when one poor woman came and got
her hand on raft as she tried to save her
self, but those who were on the raft thought
| there was no room for her, and one man
came and most cruelty beat and bruised her
hands until she fell off. Oh, bless God that
this lifeboat of the gospel has room enough
for the sixteen hundred millions of the race
room for one, room for all, and yet there
| Is room
/ push this analysis OF the puSlicans
| prayer step further and find that he did
hot expect any mercy except by pleading Tor
it. He did not fold his hands together as
some do, saying IF I'm to be saved, I'll
be saved. If I'm to be lost, I'll be lest, AMI
there is nothing for me to do" lie knew
what was worth having was worth asking
for hence this earnest cry OF the text, GOD
be merciful to me. sinner"
IL was an earnest prayer, and 1t is charac-
teristic Of all Bible prayers that they were
answered-the blind man, lord, that l may
receive my sight : the leper, "Lord, if Thou
wilt, Thou canst make me clean !" sinking
Peter, "Lord, save me !" the publican, "God
be merciful to nc, sinner" But II you
come up with the tip of your finger and tap
at the gate Of mercy. it will not open. You
have got to have the earnestness Of the war
rior who, defeated and pursued, dismounts
from his lathered steed and with gauntleted
fist pounds at the palace gate.
You have got to have the earnestness OF
the man who. at midnight In the fourth
story, has sense OF suffocation, with the
house in flames, goes to the window AMI
shouts to the firemen, Help" Oh, unfor-
given soul, if you were in full earnest
might have to command silence in the audi
tory, for your prayers would drown the voice
of the speaker, and We would have to pause
in the great service. 1t is because you do
not realize your SIN before Goa that you are
not this moment crying, "Mercy, mercy,
mercyw
This prayer of the publican was also an
humble prayer. The pharisee looked up the
publican looked down. You cannot be saved
as metaphysician or as a rhetorician you
cannot be saved as scholar you cahnot be
saved az en- artist you cannot be saved as
an official. If you are ever saved at all, ii
will be as a sinner. "God be merciful to me,
sinnerr'
Another characteristic of the prayer OF tho
publican was, it had ring Of confidence,
1t was not a 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 pro-
utA Tod ro1x ia fo LOT
you have it?
If man build a bridge across a river
will he not let people so over it2 II ply
stefan gives prescription to 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 a pharisee
here, a man who says l am all right, my
past life has been right, / don't want the
pardon ofthe gospel, for I have no sin 10
pardon, LET ME say that While that man IS n
That mood there is no peace for him, there is
no pardon, no salvation, and the probability
is he will go down and spend eternity with
the lost pharisee OF the text.
But if there be here one who says L want
to be better, 1 want to quit my sins, my life
has been very imperfect life, how many
things have said that l should not have
said, how many things l have done should
not have done, want TO change my life, l
want to begin now, let me say to such asoul,
God is waiting God is ready, and you are
near the kingdom, or rather you have en-
tered it, for no man says am determined TO
serve God and surrender the sins Of my life;
here, now consecrate myself to the Lord
Jesus Christ who died to redeem me mo man
from the depth of his soul says that but he is
already Christian.
Ny uncle, the Rev. Samuel K. Talmage, Of
Augusta, Ca, was passing along the streets
of Augusta one day. and he saw a man,
black man, step from the sidewalk out into
the street take his hat off and bow very
slowly. My uncle was not man VINO de-
manded obsequiousness. and he said, "What
do you do that for?" "Oh," says the man,
"massa, the other night L was going along
the street, and had burden onmy shoulder.
and was sick, and was hungry, and l came
to the door of your church, and you were
preaching about God be merciful to me,
a sinner and stood there at the door long
enough to hear you say that If man could
utter that prayer from the depth OF his soul
God would PAL don him and finally take him
to heaven. Then 1 put my burden on my
shoulder. and started home. I got to my
home and / sat down, and I said, God be
merciful to me, asinner but it got darker
and darker, and then, massa, l got down on
my knees, and 1 said, God be merciful
to me, sinner and the burden got
heavier, and it got darker and darker. |
knew not what to do. Then l gOr down
on my face. and 1 cried, God be merci-
full to me. sinnerr and away off saw a
light coming. and it came nearer and nearer
ana nearer until all was bright In my heart
and l rose. l am happy nov the burden
is all gone-and 1 said to myself II ever 1
meet you in the street l would get clear off
the sidewalk, and would bow down and
take my hat off before you. feelthat owe
more to you than to any other man. That is
the reason I bow before YOU
Oh, are there not many now who can utter
thig 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? 1 do not say audi
bly,, but utter it down in the depths OF your
souls consciousness. Yes, the sigh goes all
through the galleries, 1t goes all through the
pews, it goes all through these aisles, sigh
after sigh-God be merctful to me, sinner
Have you all uttered it? No, there is one
soul that has not uttered it, too proud to ut
ter it, too hard to utter it. o Holy Spirit
descend upon that one heart. Yes, he begins
to breathe it now No bowling OF the head
yet. no starting tear yet, but the prayer is
beginning--it is born. God be merciful 10
me, sinner Have all uttered it? Then /
utter it myself, for no one in MI tho house
needs to utter it more than my own SOUL
God be merciful TO me. sinner