The Penn's Grove record., 1894-09-07
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE'S SUM-
DAY SERMON.
subject: "The Rescue.''

and thou shalt be saved."-Acts xvi, 81.
Jails are dark, dull, damp, loathsome
places even now, but they were worse in
the apostolic times. I imagine to-day we
are standing In the Philippian dungeon.
Do you not feel the chilli Do you not
hear the groans OF those incarcerated ones
who for ten years lave not seen the sun
light and the deep sigh of women who
remember their fathers house int mourn
oyer their wasted estates2 Listen again. IL
Is the cough OF a consumptive or the strug-
gle OF one In the nightmare of a great hor-
ror. You listen again and hear a oulprit,
his chains rattling as he rolls over In his
dreams, and you say, "God, pity the prison.
err But there is another sound in that
prison. It is the song Of Joy and g%ladness.
What a place to sing INF The music comes
winding through the corridors OF the prison,
and in all the dark wards the whisper is
heard: "what's that2 What's that2"
II lie the song of Paul and Sllas. They
cannot sleep. They have been whipped
very badly whipped. The long gashes on
their backs are bleeding yet. They lie fat
on the cold ground. their feet fast in wooden
sockets, and of course they cannot sleep.
But they can sing. Jailer. what are you do
ing with these people? Why have they been
put in here2 oh, they have been trying to
make the world better. Is that all? That
ia all. A pit for Joseph. A lions cave for
Daniel. A blazing furnace for shadrach.
Clubs for John Wesley. An anathema for
Phillip Melanchthon. A dungeon for Paul
and silas.
But while we are standing in the gloom OF
the Philipplan dungeon. and we hear the
mingling voices OF sob and groan n bias
phemy and hallelujah, suddenly an earth
quakei The iron bars of the prison twist,
the pillars crack off, the solid masonry be-
gins to heave, and all the doors swing open.
The jailer, feeling himself responsible for
these prisoners and believing, in his pagan
ignorance, suicide to be honorable-since
Brutus killed himself, and Cate killed him
self, and Cassius killed himself-put his
sword to his own heart, proposing with n
strong, keen thrust to put an end to his ex-
element and agitation. But Paul cried out 4:
"stop, stop! Do myself no harm! We are
all herem
Then I see the jailer running through the
dust and amid the ruin Of that prison, and 1
sec him throwing himself down at the feet
ofthese prisoners, crying out "What shall
/ do? What shall I do2' Did Paul answer !.
ttGet out OF this place before there is another
earthquake. Put handouts and hobbies on
these other prisoners lest they get away2"
No word Of that kind. His compact, thrill
ing. tremendous answer memorable all
through earth and heaven, was, "Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved"
Well, we have all read of the earthquake
in Lisbon, In Lima, In Aleppo and in Cara
cas-, but we live In q latitude wherein all our
memory there has not been one severe vol
canic disturbance. And yet we have seen
fifty earthquakes. Here is a mar who has
been building up a large fortune. His bid
on the money market was felt In all the
cities. He thinks he has got beyond all an
moving rivalrles In trade, and he says to him
self, "Now I am free and safe from all posi-
BILE perturbation" But in 1857 or In 1873 a
national panic strikes the foundation of the
commercial world, and crash goes all that
magnificent business establishment.
Here is a mar who has built up a very
beautiful home. His daughters lave just
come home from the seminary with diplo-
mas of graduation. His sons lave started
IN life, honest, temperate and pure. When
the evening lights are struck, there is a hap
piness and unbroken family circle. But
there has been an accident down at Long
Branch. The young man ventured too far
out In the surf. The telegraph hurled the
terror up to the city. An earthquake struck
under the foundation Of that beautiful
home.
The plano closed the curtains dropped /;
the laughter hushed. Crash go allthose do
mestic hopes and prospects and expecta-
lions. 30, my friends, We have all felt the
shaking down OF some great trouble, and
tQeE0 WHd " llIlt Wu6u VIC WtTo d5 uluCh y
cited Bs this mar OF the text, and we cried
out as he did "What shall Ido2 What shall
I dot" The same reply that the apostle
made to him Ia appropriate to us, believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved"
There are some documents OF so little Inn
portanee that you do not care to put any
more than your last name under them, or
even your initials, but there are some docu-
ments OF 80 great importance that you write
out your full name. Sc the Saviour In some
parts ofthe Bible Is called 'Tord," and in
other parts OF the Bible He is called Jesus"
and In other parts Of the Bible He Is called
"Chrlst," but that there might be nc mis-
take about this passage allthree names come
together-''the Lord Jesus Christ"
Now, who Is this being that you want me
to trust In and believe In? Men sometimes
come to me with credentials and certificates
OF good character, but I cannot trust them.
There Is some dishonesty In their looks thai
makes me know that I shall be oh Gated II I
confide In them. You cannot put your
hearts confidence in a man until you know
what stuff he Is made OF, n am I unreason.
able when I stop to ask You who this Is that
you want me to trust IMP No man would
think OF venturing his life on a vessel going
out to sea that had never been inspected.
No; you must lave the certificate hung
amidships, telling how many tons 1t carries,
and how long ago 1t was built, and who
built 1t, and all about II. And you cannot
expect nae to risk the cargo Of my immortal
interests on board any craft till you tell me
what Il Ia made Of, and where 1t was made,
and what 1t IL.
When, then, I ask you who this is you want
me to trust In, you tell me He Is q very at-
tractive person. Contemporary writers de-
scribe His whole appearance as being re-
~splendent. There was no need for Christ to
1 All A. .1flduoN 20 anpna 20 Him gf9nf9aN
little children to come unto Me" was not
spoken to the children. 1t was spoken to
TIE disciples. The children came readily
enough without any invitation. No sooner
did Jesus appear than the little ones jumped
| from their mothers arms, an avalanche of
beauty and love, into His lap. Christ did
| not ask John to put his head down on His
bosom. John could not help but put his
head there. suppose a look at Christ was
Just to love Him. How atsactive His manner !
why, when they saw Christ coming
along the street, they ran into their houses,
| and they wrapped up their invalids as quick
as they could and brought them out that He
| mightlook at them. Oh, there was some-
thing 30 pleasant, so inviting, so cheering In
everything He did, in His very looki When
these sick ones were brought out, did He
| say: s'Do not bring before Me these sores.
Do not trouble Me with these leprosiesT" No,
NO: there was a kind look there was a gen-
tie word there was a healing touch. VhsY
could not keep away from Him.
'I think there are many under the inhc'
ence of the Spirit of God who are saying,
81 will trust Him If you will only tell me
how" And the great question asked by
many is. "How, how2" And while I answer
your question l look up and utter the prayer
which Rowland Hill so often uttered in the
midst of his sermons. "Master, helpg' How
are you to trust in Christ?
Just as you trust any one. You trust your
partner in business with important things.
II a commercial house gives you q note pay
able three months hence, you expect the
payment of that note at the end Of three
months. You have perfect confidence in
their word and in their ability. Or, again,
you go home to-day. You expect there will
be food on the table. You nave confidence
In that. Now, I ask you to have the same
confidence In the Lord Jesus Christ. Ha
says, ''You believe; 1 take away your sins"
and they are all taken away. "What !"
you say, "before I pray any more2 Be-
fore I read my Bible any more7 Before
l cry over my sins any mors?" Yes, this mo-
ment. Believe with all your heart. and you
are saved. Why, Christ is only waiting to
get from you what you give to scores Of peo-
pie every day. What Is that? Confidence. II
these people whom you trust day by dRy are