The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-08-17
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
How Some Are Saved as BY the
Skin Of Their Teeth.
Some Find It More Difficult to Accept the
Gospel than Others--The Battle
with Business Perplexfties,
Evil Passions, Etc.

Rev. I. Dewitt Talmage selected IL
following sermon for the perusal I
his reading congregation this weel
1t is entitled Marrow Escapes" and
based on the text:
] am escaped with the skin Of my teeth.
Job xix, 20.
Job had it hard. What with boil
and bereavements, and bankruptcy
and fool of a wife, he wished he wa
dead; and / do not blame him. Hi
flesh was gone, and his bones were dry
Z His teeth wasted away until nothin
but the enamel seemed left. He erie
out: 81 am escaped with the skin O
my teeth"
There has been some difference O
opinion about this passage. st. Jerom
and Schultens and Drs. Good ant
Poole, and Barnes, have all tried thei
forceps on Jobs teeth. You deny m,
Interpretation and say: "What die
Job know about the enamel of the
teeth?" He knew everything abou,
1T. Dental surgery is almost as old as
the earth. The mummies of Egypt
thousands of years old, are found to-
day with gold-filling in their teeth.
Ovid and Horace and Solomon and
Moses wrote about these important
factors of the body. To other provoke
ing complaints, Job, think, has added
an exasperating toothache, and, put
ting his hand against the infla:1ed
face, he says: 81 am escaped with the
skin of my teeth"
very narrow escape, you say, for
Jobs body and soul; but there are
thousands of men who make Just as
narrow escape for their soul There
was time when the partition between
them and ruin was no thicker than a
tooth's enamel; but, as Job finally es-
capped, so have they. Thank God!
Thank God!
Paul expresses the same idea by
different figure when he says that some
people are saved as by fire." A vessel
at sea is in flames. You go to the stern
OF the vessel. The boats are showed off.
The flames advance; you can endure
the heat no longer on your face. You
slide down, on the side of the vessel,
and hold on with your fingers until the
forked tongue of the fire begins to lick
the back of your hand, and you feel
that you must fall, when one of the
life boats comes back, and the passen-
gers say they think they have room
for one more. The boat swings under
you-you drop into it-you are saved.
so some men are pursued by tempta-
lion until they are partially consumed, |
put after all get off-"saved as if by |
ire" But 1 like the figure of Job
little better than that of Paul, because
he pulpit has not worn it out; and l
want to show you, if God will help,
hat some men make narrow escapes
or their souls, and are saved as with
he skin of their teeth
1t is as easy for some people to look
the cross as for you to look to this
ulpit. Mild, gentle, tractable, loving,
on expect them to become Christians.
'ou go over to the store and say,
Grandon joined the church yester-
ay." Your business comrades say,
That is just what might have been
expected; he always was of that turn
mind" In youth, this person whom
describe was always good. He never
roke things. He never laughed when
was improper to laugh. At seven, he
'uld sit an hour in church, perfectly
niet, looking neither to the right
and nor to the left, but straight into
lie eyes of the minister, as though he
nderstood the whole discussion
bout the eternal DEGREES. He
ever upset things, nor lost them.
e foated into the kingdom of
cd so gradually that it is uncertain
st when the matter was decided.
Here is another one, who started in '
lie with an uncomfortable spirit. He
opt the nursery in an uproar. His
other found him walking on the edge
the house roof to see if he could bal
Ice himself. There was no horse he
lred not ride-no tree he could Lot
lmb. His boyhood was long series a
predicaments; his manhood was a
clxless; his mid life very hayward. '
ut now he is converted, and you go
'er to the store and say, cartwright a
ined the church yesterday" Your
lends say, '1t is not possible! You '
ust be jokingr' You say, "No; tell /
u the truth. He joined the church"
hen they reply, There is hope for +
" of us if old Arkwright has become
Christian!" ?
In other words, we all admit that it
more difficult for some men to accept Il
e Gospel than for others.
may be addressing some who lave h
t loose from churches, and Bibles, s
ID Sundays, and who have at present l
intention of becoming Christians v
emselves, but just to see what is go C
g on; and yet youmay find yourself C
Gaping, before you hear the end. as y
With the skin of your teeth" do y
It expect to waste this hour I have o