The Penn's Grove record., 1893-07-07

l;ua, they could oil march right through that
wide open CAT" OF mercy, "Whoseover."
syhoseover." Oh, this mercy Of God-there
Is no line long enough to fathom 1t there Is
no ladder long enough to scale 1t there is
no arithmetic facile enough to calculate it
no angels wing can fly across 1t.
Heavenly harpers, aided by ehoirs with
feet like the sun, cannot compass that
harmony of mercy, mercy. 1t sounds in the
ruinbling Of the celestial gate. / hear it in
the Ginning OF the celestial towers. see IL
flashing IN the uplifted and downcast
c]oroncts of the saved, / hear 1t In the
tread of the hammered hosts
around about the throne, n then il comes
from the harps and crowns and thrones and
professions to sit down, unexpressed, on q
throne overlapping 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 save her
self, but those who were on the raft thought
there was no room for her, and one man
and most cruelty beat and bruised her
hands until she fell off. oh, I bless God that
this lilehoat 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
prryera step further and and 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, I'll
be saved I'm to be lost, I'll be lost, and
there Is nothing for me to do" BE knew
what was wsrth having was worth asking
for hence this earnest cry OF the text, ''God
be 1nerciful to me. q sinnerP'
1t was an earnest prayer, and 1t Ia charao-
~teristic OF all Bible prayers that they were
answered-the blind man, "Lord, that 1 nav
receive my sight = tine leper, "Lord, II Thou
wilt, Thou canst make me clean . sinking
Peter, "Lord, save me = the publican, GOOD
be merciful to me, a sinner" But IL 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, dismounts
from his lathered steed and with gauntleted
pounds at the palace gate.
You have got to have the earnestness o.
the man who. at midnight, in the fourth
story, has a sense of su~ffocation, with the
house in flames, goes to the window and
to the firemen, "Helpr' Oh, unfor-
soul, if you were in full earnest I
have to command silence in the audi
tory, for your prayers would drown the voice
OF the speaker, and we would have to pause
Vi ne SlIuL . NlGNs IL ID ptCuuSo gOu 10
not realize your sin before God that you are
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 rhetorician you
cannot be saved as a scholar you cannot be
as al artist you cannot be saved as
an official. II you are ever saved at all, it
will be as a sinner. "God be merciful to me,
u sinner"
Another characteristic OF the prayer OF the
publican was, 1t had a ring OF confidence.
l: was not a cry OF despair. He knew he was
going to get what he asked for He wanted
mercy: he asked for ii, expecting It. And
you tell me, o man, that God has pro-
vided this salvation and is not going to let
YOU have 1t?
II a man build a bridge across a river,
will he not let people go over it2 II a ply
stefan gives a prescription to a sick man,
will he not let him take III II an architect
puts up n building, will he not let people in
it! II God provides salvation, will He not
let you have it, Oh, il there DO a pharisee
here, a man who says, l am all right, my
past life has been right. I don't want tho
ofthe gospel, for I have no sin 10
pardon, let me say that while that man is In
that mood there is ne peace for him, there is
pardon, no salvation, and the probability
is he will 40 Town and spend eternity with
the lost pharisee of the text.
But il there be here one who snys I want
to be better, l want to quit my sins, my life
has been a very imperfect life, how many
things have said that 1 should not nave
said, how many things | have done l should
not have done, | want 10 change my life, I
want to begin now, let me say to such asoul,
iS wgitipsr GpH 10 raaap and WON ara
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 hut he is
a Christian.
My uncle, the Rev. Samuel K Talmage. of
Augusta, Ga. was passing along h 3treets
OF Augusta one day, n he saw a man, a
black man, step from the sidewalk out into
the street, take his hat off and bow very
slowly. My uncle was not q man who de-
manded oh-sequiousness, and he said, "What
do you do that tori" "0h." says the man,
''.nassa, the other night 1 was going along
the street, andL had burden ON my shoulder.
and l was sick, and was hungry, and 1 came
10 the door OF your church, and you were
preaching about God be merciml to me,
a sinner" and | stood there at the door long
enough to hear You say that IL n man could
utter that prayer from the depth of his soul
God would pardon him and finally take him
10 heaven. Then l put my burden on my
shoulder, and | started home. l got to my
home and | sat down. and I said, God be
mereilul TO me-. asinnerr but 1t got darker
and darker, and then, massa, l got down on
my knees, and l said, God be merciful
10 me-, u sjnnerr and the burden got
heavier, and it got darker and darker. 1
knew not what 10 do. Then 1 got down
on my face. Hni | cried, God be merci-
iui TO me, a sinnerH and away of / saw a
light coming. and it came nearer and nearer
and nearer until all was bright In my nearl,
and | rose. l am happy now-the burden
Is all Gone-and l said to myself IL ever l
meet you in the street l would get clear of
the sidewalk, and l would bow down and
take my hat of before you. feel that | owe
more to you than to any other man. That IS
the reason l 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 sinner2' While l halt in the sermon,
Will you not all utter 1t? I 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
49, , Wv ~ A4tIANAihi ~ mo- u
Have You all uttered ii? No, there is one
soul hat bus not uttered it, too proud to ut.
ter it, too hard to utter it. o Holy Spirit
descend upon that one heart. Yes, he begins
to breathe ii now. No bowling OF he heac
yet, no starting tear yet, but the prayer Il
besinninc-lt is born. Col be merclful te
me, a sinner Have all uttered it2 Then ]
utter it myself, for no one in all the houst
needs 10 utter II more than my wi SOUS
Nod be mereilul to me. a sinnerl
Tile best pearls are founi on the
Ceylon coast and In the Persian Gulf.
Only two European countries,
France and Italy, now produce trufies
any considerable quantity.
Doctor Parkway Blake, a Wiscon.
Sin physician, has successfully grated
a pig ear to the stump of AN ear that
l16 hCnh 513onN ar Al ~ n