The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-07-13
cargo of immortal 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 aualyzc the publcan's prayer
a STEP further. and | find that he expect
ed no relief through Gods mercy. Why
did not he saw | am an honorable mau.
when get $40 taxes pay them RIGHT
over to the government. | give full
permission to anybody to audit my &c.
counts. appeal to thy justice, o God!
He made no such plea. He threw him
self fiat on Gods mercy.
Have you anv idea that man by
breaking off the scales OF the lcprosy
can change the disease? Have YOU any
idea that you can by changing your life
change your, heart that you car pur-
chase your wav to heaven? Come, try 1t.
Come. bring all the bread you eve 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 bnye ever distinguished YOU. Add |
them all up into the tremendous agGrc-
gate of good words and works, and then
you will see Paul sharp his kniie as
he Gu that spirit of self satisfaction. az
he cries, by the deeds OF the law there
shall no flesh be justified"
Wcn say a thousand men in this audi
encc, it | 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, omnipotcnt
mercy, everlasting mercy. why, it
seems i'll 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 tcet of prophet and
apostle and evangelist when it tries to
describe Gods mercy.
Oh, says some one, that ls only add
ing To my crime if | come and confess
before God and seek his mercy. No,
no! The murderer has come, aud 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!
Aud the soul that has wandered OIL 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, saws some one, you are throwing
open that door Of mercy too wide. No,
| | VIII throw it open wider. | will take
the responsibility Of saying that it all
this audience, instead OF being gathered
in semicircle, were placed side by side
in ono long line they could all march
right TIN ough that wide open gate of
mercy. "Whosoevcr," "whosOevcr.'
Oh, this mercy OF God. There ia no line
long enough To iathom it; there is no
ladder long enough to scale it; there is
no arithmetic tacilc enough to calculate
1t; no angels wing can fly across IT.
Heavenly harlGrst aided by chOirs
with icet like the sun, cannot compass
that harmony OF mercy, mercy. 1t
sounds IN the runbling OF the ccle stial
gate. hear il IN the Ginning OF the
celestial towers. | see it llashlug in the
uplilted and downcast coroncts of the
saved. hear il in the laundering tread
OF the hammered host round about the
throne, and then it comes from the harNs
and crowns and thrones and proccssIons
to sit down, uncXprcsscd, on throne
overlapping all heavcn-the throne OF
mercy.
How | was affected when some one
told me III regard to that accident on
Long Island sound, when one poor wO-
man came and got her hand on raft as
she tried to save herself, but those who
were on the raft TN ought there was no
room Tor her, and one man came and
most cruelty beat and bruised her hands
until she fell Off. Oh, | bless God that
tins iitcbOat of the gospel has room
enough for the sixteen hundred millions
of the racc-rOOm for one, room for all,
and yet there is room!
push this analysis OF The publcan'a
prayer Il step further and find that he dd
not expect any mercy except by plead
IN" for it. He did not fold his hands to-
Scthcr AS some do, saying, "lt Pm to
be saved, l'll be saved; if Pm to he lost,
Ill be lost, and there is nothing for me
TO do" He knew what was worth hav-
ing was worth asking for; hence this
earnest cry of the text. "God be merci-
lul To me, slnnei!"
1t was an earnest l..ayer, and 1t is
characteristic OF all Bible prayers that
they were answered. The blind man,
"l.0rd, that | may receive my sight,"
the lepcr, "L0rd if thou wilt, thou canst
make me clcan;" sinking Peter. "Lord
save me-" the publican, "God be merci.
tul to me, sinner!" But you come up
with the tip otyour finger and tap at the
gate OF mercy it will not open. You
nave got 10 nave the carneStness Of the
warrior who, defeated and pursued, dis
mounts from his lathcred steed and with
%auntlctcd lists pounds at the palace
gate.
You Lave got 10 have the earuestness
OF the man who at midnight in the fourth
story has sense of sutfocatiOn with the |
house in flames, goes to the window and
shouts to the tiremen, "IIelp" Oh,
soul, If you were in full earn
est might have to command silence in |
the auditory, for your prayers would
drown the voice of the speaker, and we
would have to pause in the great SER
vice! 1t Is because you do not realize
your sin before God that you are not this
moment crying mercy, mercy, mercy.
Tins prayer Of the publican was also |
an humble prayer. The pharisee looked |
up, the publican looked uown. You |
cannot be saved as a metaphysician or
as rhetorician; you cannot be saved ns