Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-07-03

did Isaiah say7 Woe IL mo, because !
am man Of unclean lips" What did
Ezra say1 "Our iniquities are increased
over our head. and our tresspass IL grown
up into heaven And among the mil.
lions before the throne Of God tonight
not one got there until he confessed.
The coast Of eternal sorrow Is strewn
with the wreck Of those who, not taking
the warming, drove with tho cargo Of
immortal hope into the white tangled
foam OF the breakers.
Repent the voice celestial cries.
Nor longer dare delay;
The wretsh that scorns the mandate dies
And meets the fiery day.
NO SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
But analyze the publican's prayer a
step further. and find that he expected
no relief except through Gods mercy.
Why did not he say, am an honorable
man. When get $40 taxes, pay them
right over to the government. l give
full permission to anybody to audit my
accounts. appeal to thy justice, o
Godl Hermade no such plea. He threw
himself fat on Gods mercy.
Have you any idea that a man by
breaking off the scales of the leprosy can
change the disease? Have you any idea
that you can by changing your life
change your heart-that you can pur-
chase your way to heaven? Come, try it.
Come, bring all the bread you ever gave
to the hungry, all the medicine you ever
gave to the sick, all the kind words you
have ever uttered, all the kind deeds
that have ever distinguished you. Add
them all up into the tremendous aggre-
gate of good words and works, and then
you will see Paul sharpen his knife as he
cuts that spirit of self satisfaction as he
cries, by the deeds of the law there
shall no flesh be justified"
Well, say thousand men in this au-
dience, If | am not to get anything in
the way of peace from God in good
works, how am to 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 itwere stretched until it
broke, as if all expression were struck
dead at the feet of prophet and apostle
and evangelist when it tries to describe
Gods mercy.
HOPE FOR THE REPENTANT.
Oh, says some one, that is only adding
to my crime if come and confess before
God and seek his mercy. No, no! The
murderer 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 lovei
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 are throwing
open that door of mercy too wide. No,
will throw it open wider. will take
the responsibility Of saying that if all
this audience, instead of being gathered
in a semicircle, 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 of God-there is no line long
enough to fathom it; there is no ladder
long enough to scale it; there is no arith-
metic 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 ce-
lestial towers. 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 pro-
cessions to sit down. unexpressed, on a
throne overtopping all heaven-the
throne of mercy.
THE GOSPEL LIFEBoAT.
How | was affected when some one
told me in regard to that accident on
Long Island sound, when one poor wom-
an came and got her hand on raft as
she tried to save herself, 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 publican's
prayer a step further and find that he
did not expect any mercy except by
pleading for it. He did not fold his
hands together as some do, saying; III
I'm to be saved, I'll 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 cryof the text, GOD be merciful
to me, a sinnerr
It was an earnest prayer, and 1t Is
characteristic Of all Bible prayers that
they were answered-the blind man,
"Lcrd, that may receive my sight" the
leper, Lord, II thou wilt, thou canst
make me clean" sinking Peter, Lord,
save me-" the publican, God, be merci-
fnl 10 me, . sinnerr' But II you come
up with the tip Of your finger and tap at
the gate Of mercy, il will not open. You
have got 10 have the earnestness Of the
a