Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-07-19

that door OF mercy too wide. No, L will
throw it open wider. I will take the re-
sponsibility of saying that II all this audi
ence, instead of being gathered in a 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 of tGod-there
IS no line long enough to fathom 1t 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 ike 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. Isee 1t
flashing in the uplifted and downoast
coronets of the saved. / hear it in the
laundering tread of the hammered hosts
around about the throne, and then il comes
from the harps and crowns and thrones and
professions to sit down, uneIpressed, on a
throne overtopping all heaven-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 a raft as she tried to savo her
self, but those who were on the raft thought
there WAS no room for her, and ono man
came and most cruelty beat and bruised her
hands until she fell of. oh, 1 bless God that
this lifebOat of the gospel has roor, enough
room for one, room for all, and yet there
is roomi
L push this analysis OF the publican'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
soIae 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 max nS for me to do" He knew
what was worth having was worth asking
for; hence this earnest cry OF the text, ''God
be merciful to me. a sinnerF'
II was an earnest prayer, and it IL charac-
teristic OF all Bible prayers that they were
answered-the blind man, "Lord, that NAV
receive my sight = the leper, "Lord, II Thou
wilt, Thou canst make me clean :" sinking
Peter, Lord, save me p the publican, ''God
be merciful to me, q sinnerl" But II YOU
come up with the tip OF your finger and tap
at the gate of mercy, 1t will not open. You
have got to have the earnestness of the war
rior who, defeated and pursued, dlsmounts
from his lathered steed and with gauntleted
list pounds at the palace gate.
You have got to have the earncstness o.
the man who. at midnight, in the fourth
story, has sense OF sufrocation, with the
house in flames, goes TO the window and
shouts to the firemen, "Helpw 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 vo co
OF the speaker, and we would have to pause
III inc SEtdt SeENlct. II Is because YOU do
not realize your sin before God that you are
not this moment crying, "Mercy, mercy,
mercyr
This prayer OF the publican was also an
humble prayer. The pharisee look ed up the
publican looked down. You cannot be saved
rs metRphysician or as = rhetorician YOU
cannot be saved as Il scholar YOU cannot be
saved as an artist you cannot be- saved rs
an official. If you are ever saved at all, it
will be as sinner. "God be mercilul TO me-
a sinnerp'
Another Characteristic OF the nraver of the
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 tel me, o man, that God has pro
vided this salvation and is not going to let
you have it?
will he not let people go over it? If phy-
sician gives prescription to = sick man,
will he not let him take it2 II an architect
puts up n building, will he not lot people in
It? If God provides salvation, will He not
let you have it? Oh, II there DO a pharisee
here, n man who says, I an all right, my
past life has been right, l don't want tine
pardon ofthe gospel, for l have no sin TO
pardon, let me say that while that man is in
taat mood there is ne peace for him, there is
no pardon, no salvation. and the probability
is he will so down and spend eternity with
the lost pharisee OF the text.
But there be here one who says ! want
TO be better, l want to quit my sins, my life
has been a very imperfect life, how many
things have l said that l should not have
said, how many things have done l should
not have done, l want to change my life, |
want to begin now, lot me say to such soul
God is waiting. God Is ready, and you arc
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 10 redeem me mo man
from the depth OF his soul says that but he IS
already Christian.
My uncle, the Rev. Samuel Taimage. OF
Augusta, Ga. was passing along the streets
OF Augusta one day, and he aaw a man, a
black man, step from the sidewalk out into
the street, take his hat of and bow very
slowly. My uncle was not man who de
manded obsequiousness, and he said, "What
do YOU do that for?" "Oh," saws the man.
"massI, the other night L was going along
the street, and l had a burden on my shoulder.
and l was sick, and was hungry, and 1 came
to the door OF your church, and you We're
a sinner = and stood there at the door long
enough to hear you say that If a man could
utter that prayer from the depth OF his soul
God would par don him and finally take him
to heaven. Then 1 put my burden on my
shoulder. and started home. l got to my
home and sat down, and said, God be
merciful to me, sinnerF but it got darker
and darker, and then, masss, l got down on
my knees and l said, God be merciful
to me- a sinnerr and the burden got
heavier, and 1t got darker and darker. L
knew not what TO do. Then l got down
on my face. and l cried, God be merci-
full to me, a sinnerr and away of saw a
light coming, and 1t came nearer and nearer
and nearer until all was bright IN my heart,
and 1 rose. l am happy now-the burden
is all gone-and L said to myself II ever
meet you in the street 1 would get clear off
the sidewalk, and l would bow down and
take my hat of before you. feelthat owe
more TO you than to any other man. That is
the reason 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. a sinner" While halt in the sermon,
will you not all utter it2 l do not say audi
bly,, 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 merctful to me, a sinner
Have you all uttered it2 No, there is one
-oul that has not uttered il, too proud to ut
ter it, too hard to utter it. o Holy Spirh
descend upon that one heart. Yes, he begln
to breathe il now. No bowling OF the heac
yet, no starting tear yet, but the prayer II
beginning-it is born. God be merclful tC
me, sinnerl Have all uttered it? Then J
utter it myself, for no one in all the nous.
needs to utter il more than my cxn SOUL
God be merciful to me. sinnerI
"A recent invention is a triple pen
which rules the three lines of a cash