News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1893-07-06
THE HUMBLE PRAYER.

This prayer of the publican was also
an humble prayer. The pharisee looked
up; the publican looked down. You can
not be saved as metaphysician or as q
rhetorician; you cannot be saved as a
scholar; you cannot be saved as an art
ist; you cannot be saved as an official.
If you are ever saved at all, it will be as
sinner. "God be merciful to me, sin
ner!''
Another characteristic of the prayer
of the publican was, it had ring of con-
fidence. 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 tell me, G
man, that God has provided this saliva
ton and IS not going to let you have it?
If man build bridge across a river
will he not let people go over it? If q
physician gives prescription to a sick
man, will he not let him take it? If an
architect puts up building, will he not
let people in it? If God provides saliva.
ton, will he not let you have it? Oh, il
there be pharisee here, man who
says, am all right, my past life has
been right, l don't want the pardon OF
the 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 proba-
bility is he will go down and spend eter-
nifty with the lost pharisee of the text.
THE GRATEFUL NEGRO.
But if there be here one who says
want to be better, want to quit my
sins, my life has been very imperfect
life, how many things have l said that
should not have said, how many things
| have done l should not have done,
want to change my life, want to begin
now, let me say to such soul, God is
waiting, God is ready, and you are near
the kingdom, or rather you have en-
tered 1t, for no man says l am deter
mined 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 a
Christian.
My uncle, the Rev. Samuel K. Talmage
of Augusta, Ga, was passing along the
streets of Augusta one day, and he saw
man, black man, step from the side
walk out into the street, take his hat off
and bow very lowly. My uncle was not
man who demanded obsequiousness,
and he said, 'What do you do that for?'
"Oh," says the man, ''massa, the other
night / was going along the street, and /
had burden on my shoulder, and l was
sick, and | was hungry, and came to
the door of your church, and you were
preaching about God be merciful to me,
sinner! and | stood there at the door
long enough to hear you say that if a
man could utter that prayer from the
depths of his soul God would pardon him
and finally take him to heaven. Then /
put my burden on my shoulder, and |
started home. got to my home, and /
sat down, and | said, God be merciful
to me, sinnerp but it got darker and
darker, and then, massa, | got down on
my knees, and | said God be merciful
to me, sinnerr and the burden got
heavier, and it got darker and darker. |
knew not what to do. Then / got down
on my face, and | cried, God be merci-
full to me, a sinnerp and away off | saw
light coming, and it came nearer and
nearer and nearer until all was bright in
my heart, and arose. am happy now
the burden is all gone-and / said to
myself if ever met you in the street /
would get clear off the sidewalk, and l
would bow down and take my hat off
before you. | feel that | owe more to
you than to any other man. That is the
reason bow before YOU"