Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-07-14

good words and works. and then You will see
Paul sharpen MS knife as be cuts that spirit
of self satisfaction a. he cries. BY the deeds
of the law there shall no flesh be justified.
Well say thousand men in this audience.
il am not TO get anything in the way of
peace from God in good works. how am 10
be saved: By mercy. Here stand to tell
the story mercy, mercy. long suffering
mercy; sovereign mercy. infinite mercy,
omnipotent mercy, everlasting mercy. Why.
it seems in the Bible as if all language were
exhausted, as if It were stretched until it
broke, as if all expression were struck dead
at the feet of prophet and apostle and evan
geI1st when It tries TO describe GODS mercy.
Oh. says some one. that is only adding to
my crime If | come and confess before God
and seek His mercy. No, no. The muir
derer has come. and while he was washing
the blood of his victim from his hands,
looked into the face of God and cried for
mercy. and his soul has been white in Gods
pardoning love. And the soul that has
wandered off in the streets and down TO the
very gates OF hell has come back TO her
Fathers house, throwing her arms around
His neck, and been saved by the mercy that
saved Mary Magdalen.
But, says sOme one. you arethrowing open
that door of mercy too wide. No, will
throw it open wider / will take the re-
sponsibility of saying that if all this audi
ence, instead of being gathered in semi
circle. were placed side by side, in one long
line, they could all march right through that
wide open gate of mercy. ''Whoseover,
''whoseover." oh. this mercy ofGod-there
is no line long enough to fathOm it there is
no ladder long enough to scale it there is
no arithmetic facile enough to calculate it,
no angels wing can fly across it.
Heavenly harpers, aided by choirs with
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. 1 see it
flashing in the uplifted and dOwncast
coronets Of the saved. [ hear it in the
laundering tread of the hammered hosts
around about the throne, and then it comes
from the harps and crowns and thrones and
professions to sit down, uneXpressed. on
throne overlapping all heaven-the throne
of mercy.
How I 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 Oh 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 IifebOat 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
I push this analysis Of the pu5lican's
prayer step further and find that he did
not expect any mercy except by pleading for
it. He did not fold his hands together as
L Ill
be saved. If I'm to be lost I'll be lost. and
there is nothing for me to do" He knew
what was worth having was worth asking
for, hence this earnest cry Of the text, God
be mercifui to NE, a sinner"
1t was an earnest prayer, and it is charac-
terstic Of all Bible prayers that they were
ansWered-the blind man, Lord. that may
receive my sight :; the leper, Lord, ii Thou
wilt. Thou canSt make me clean - sinking
Peter Lord save - the DubiicaO Good
be merciful to me, a sinner !" But if 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 VINO, defeated and pursued, dismOunts
rom his lathered steed and with G5auntieted
fist pounds at the palace gate.
You have got to have the earnestness o.
the man who. at midnight, in the fourth
story has a sense OF SuffOcatIOn with the
house in flames. goes to the window and
shouts to the tiremen, Help :" Oh. unfOr-
given soul if YOU were in iull earnest
might have to command silence III the audi
tory. for your prayers would drown the voice
OF the speaker, and we would have TO pause
in the great service. It is because YOU dc
not realize your sin before God that you
not this moment crying, Mercy, mercy,
! mercy
This prayer Of the publican was also an
! humble prayer. The pharisee looked up the
| publican looked down. You cannot be saved
| as a metaphysician or as rnetOrician you
| cannot be saved as a scholar you cannot be
saved as an artist you cannot be saved as
| an official. If you are ever saved at all, it
| will be as a sinner. God be merciful to me-
| a sinner -
Another characteristic of the prayer OF the
| publican was. it had Il ring Of confidence.
It 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. man, that God has pro
vided this salvation and is not going to let
| you have it?
If man build a bridge across a river.
will he not let people go over it? II {. ply
sician gives a prescription to a sick man
will he not let him take it? If architect
puts up building, will he not let people il
| it? If God provides salvation, viii! He not
let you have it? Oh. if there be a pharisee
here, man who says. [ am all right. my
past life has been right. I don't want the
pardon Ofthe 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 probability
is he will go down and spend eternity with
the lost pharisae Of the text.
| But if there be here one VINO says | want
TO be better. | want to quit my sins. my life
has been a very imperfect life, how many
things have [ said that | should not have
said. how many things | have done should
not have done. [ want to change my life.
want to begin now. let me say to such aSOul.
God is waiting. God is ready, and you are
| near the kingdom, rather you have en-
tered it. for no man says [ am determined to
serve God and surrender the sins OF my life
here now. l consecrate myself to the Lord
Jesus Christ who died to redeem me mo man
from the depth of his soul says that but be is
already Christian.
NV uncle. the Rev Samuel K. TaImage. OF
Augusta. Ga, was passing along the streets
of Augusta one day. and he saw man. q
49, il IL 80