The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-07-19

What did David say? 81 will confess
my transgressions unto the Lord"
What did Isaiah say? 'Woe is me, be-
cause l am man of unclean lips"
What did Ezra say? sour iniquities
are increased over our head, and our
trespass is grown up into heaven.
And among the millions 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
warning, drove with the cargo of i'm
mortal hope into the white tangled
foam of the breakers.
Repent! the voice celestial cries,
Nor longer dare delay;
The wretch that scorns the mandate dies
And meets the fiery day.
But analyze the publican's prayer
step further, and find that he expected
no relief except through Gods mercy.
Why did he not say, am an honorable
man. When get $40 taxes, l pay them
over to the government. l give
full permission to anybody to audit my
accounts. l appeal to thy justice, o
God! He made no such plea. He threw
himself fat on Gods mercy.
Have you any idea that 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 ire
mendous aggregate 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 mer-
cy. Here l stand to tell the story
mercy mercy, long suffering mercy,
sovereign mercy, infinite mercy, omnip-
otent mercy, everlasting mercy. Why,
it seems in the Bible as if all language
were exhausted, as if it were stretched
until broke, as if all expression were
struck dead at the feet of prophet and
apostle and evangelist when it tries to
describe Gods mercy.
Oh, says some one, that is only add
ing to my crime If I come and confess
before Sod 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 love
And the soul that has wandered of
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
l will throw it open wider. will take
the responsibility of saying that if all
this audience, instead of being gathered
in semi-circle, were placed side by
side in one long line they could al
march right through that wide open
gate of mercy. whatsoever" ''whoso
ever" 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 arithmetic facile enough
to calculate it; no angels wing can fly
across it.
Heavenly harpers, aided by choir!
with feet like the sun, can not compass
that harmony of mercy, mercy. L
sounds in the rumbling of the celestia
gate. / hear it in the Ginning of tn,
celestial towers. | see it flashing il
the uplifted and downcast coronets o
the saved, l hear it in the laundering
tread of the hammered host round abou
the throne, and then it comes from tn,
harps and crowns and thrones and pro
cessions to sit down, unexpressed, on
throne overlapping all Heaven-th,
throne of mercy.
How ! was affected when some on
|
Long Island sound, when one poo
woman came and got her hand on
raft as she tried to save herself, bu
those who We're on the raft though
there was no room for her, and one NAL
came and most cruelty beat and bruise,
her hands until she fell off Oh, l bles
God that this lifeboat of the gospel ha
room enough for the sixteen hundre,
millions of the race-room for one
room for all, and yet there is room.
push this analysis of the publican
prayer step further and find that h
did not expect any money except b
pleading for it. He did not fold hi
hands together as some do, saying: 81
I'm to be saved, I'll be saved; I'm t
| be lost, I'll be lost, and there is nothin
for me to do" He knew what wa
worth having was worth asking fol
hence this earnest cry of the text
God, be merciful to me, a sinner"
1t was an earnest prayer, and it
, characteristic of all Bible prayers tina
they were answered. The blind mar
. Lord, that l may receive my sight;
the leper, Lord, if thou wilt tho
canst make me clean;" sinking Peter
Lord, save me-" the publican, Goo
be merciful to me, sinnerr' But
you come up with the tip OF your fnge
and tap at the gate of mercy it will nc
: open. You have got to have the cal
nestness of the warrior, who, defeate
: and pursued, dismounts from his latf
, cred steed and with gauntleted fist