The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1893-07-20
| aeIlst 1nhen II tries to describe aods, mercy


, mercy, and his soul has been white in Gods
pardoninr 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. 1 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,"
whatsoever" 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 fy across it.
Heavenly harpers, aided by choirs with
feet like the sun, cannot compass that
harmony of mercy, mercy. II sounds in the
rumbling of the celestial gate. l hear it in
rne 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 a
throne overlapping all heaven-the throne
OF mercy
HOW was affected when some one told me
in regard 70 that accident on Long Island
sound, when one poor woman came and got
her hand on raft as she tried to save her
self. bat 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 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 If I'm to be saved, TIL
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 nerciful TO me. sinner ~
1t was an earnest prayer, and it is charac-
teristic of all Bible prayers that they were
answered-the blind man, Lord, that | may
receive my sight > the leper, Lord. if Thou
wilt, Thou canst make me clean = SIM king
Peter, Lord. save me !" the publican, "God
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 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 a sense of suffocation, with the
house in flames, goes to the window and
shouts to the fremen, 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 God that you are
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 a rhetoriciarA you
cannot be saved as a scholars you cannot be
saved as an artist you cannot be saved as
an official. If you are ever saved at all, 1t
will be as a sinner. "God be merciful to me,
a sinner -
Another characteristic of the prayer of the
publican was, it had a ring of confidence.
1t was not cry OF despair. He knew ne 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-
yided this salvation and is not going to let
you have it,
If a man build a bridge across a river,
will he not let people 60 over it? ii a ply
will he not let him take it? II an architect
puts up a 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 | 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 pharisee of the text.
But if there be here one VINO says | want
to be better I want to quit my sins my life
has been a very imperfect life, how many
things have 1 said that l should not have
said, how many things | have done | should
not have done, I want to change my life, 1
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, l consecrate myself to the Lord
Jesus Christ who died TO redeem me no man
from the depth of his soul says that but he is
| already Christian.
My uncle, the Rev. Samuel X. Talmage, OF
Augusta, Ca, was passing along the streets
| OF Augusta one day, and he saw a man, q
| black man, step from the sidewalk out into
| the street, take his hat off and bow very
| slowly Ny uncle was not a man who de-
|
| do you do that for?" son" says the man
( "massa the other night l was going alone
| the street, and l had burden on my shoulder
and | was sick, and was hungry and CANT
to the door OF your church, and you wer'
preaching about God be merciful to me
a sinner " and | stood there at the door lone
enough to hear you say that if "a man coult
utter that prayer from the depth of his sou
| God would pal don him and finally take hin
TO heaven. Then | put my burden on my
shoulder. and l started home. l got to my
home and | sat down, and 1 said, God b
merciful to me- sinner but it got darke
and darker, and then, massa, 1 got down OIL
my knees, and I said, God be mercifu
to me, a sinner and the burden go
heavier, and it got darker and darker.
knew not what to do. Then / got dow
on my face, and / cried God be merci
full to me, a sinner! and away of l saw
light coming, and it came nearer and neare
and nearer until all was bright in my heart
and l rose. 1 am happy now-the burde
is all gone-and / said to myself if ever
meet you in the street l would get clear Of
the sidewalk, and | would bow down an
take my hat off before you. [ feel that | ow
more to you than to any other man, That
the reason bow before you
Oh, are there not many now who can ute
this prayer, the prayer of the black man, tn
Y,rayrpr of tha p1Ib1icat s.Cro1 ba Inaroif,,l =