Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-08-02


mage has selected as the subject for
his sermon for to- day, through the
press: Marrow Escapes" the text
being taken from Job 10: Xxx, VI
am escaped with the skin of my
teeth"
Job had it hard. What with boils,
and bereavements, and bankruptcy,
and fool of wife, he wished he was
dead; and do not blame him. His
flesh was gone, and his bones were
dry. His teeth wasted away until
nothing but the enamel seemed left.
He cries out II am escaped with the
skin of my teeth"
There has been some difference Of
opinion about this passage. st.
Jerome and Schultens, and Drs. Good,
and Poole, and Barnes have all tried
their forceps on Jobs teeth. You
deny my Interpretation, and say,
What did Job know about the enamel
of the teeth?" He knew everything
about it. Dental surgery is almost as
old as the earth. The mummies Of
Egypt, thousands of years old, are
found to-day with gold filing in their
teeth. Ovid, and Horace, and Solo
mon, and Moses wrote about these
important factors of the body To
other provoking complaints, Job, l
think, has added an exasperating
toothache, and, putting his hand
against the ipflamed face, he says, Il
am escaped with the skin of my
teeth"
A 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 be-
tween them and ruin was no thicker
than a tooth's enamel: but, as Job
finally escaped. so have they. Thank
God. Thank God!
Paul expresses the same idea by a
different figure when he says that
some people are saved as by fire. y"
A vessel at sea is in flames. You go to
the stern of the vessel. The boats
have 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 forlled 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 passengers say they think
they have room for one more. The
boat swings under you-you drop into
it-vou are saved. SO some men are
pursued by temptation until they are
partially consumed, but after all get
off-''sayed as by fire" But like
the figure of Job a little better than
that of Paul, because the pulpit has
not worn it out: and | want to show
YOU, if God will help, that some men
make narrow escape for their souls,
and are saved as with the skin OF
their teeth.
1t is as easy for some people to look
to the Cross as for you to look to this
pulpit. Mild, gentle, tractable. low
ing, you expect them to become Chris
tians You go over to the store and
say, "Grandon joined the church yes
,erday." Your business comrades say,
That is just what might have beer
expected; he always was Of that turr
# mind" In youth this person whom
describe was always good He never
laughed when it was improper t.
laugh At :, he could sit an hour il
church, perfectly quiet, looking
neither to the right hand For to thu
left but straight into the eyes of thu
minister, as though he understood thu
whole discussion about the eternal de
crees. He never upset things, nor los
them He fioated into the kingdom
of God so gradually that it is uncer
tain just when the matter was de
cided.
Here is another one. who started il
life with an uncomfortable spirit Ii
kept the nursery in an uproar. Hi
mother found him walking on tn
edge of the house roof to see if h
could balance himself There was n
horse he dare not ride-no tree h
could not climb His boyhood was
long series of predicaments; his mar
hood was reckless; his midlife yer
wavward. But now he is converted
and you SO over to the store AID say
cartwright joined the church yester
day." Your friends say, 1T is nc
possible! You must be joking" 70
say, No; ] tell you the truth. II
Joined the church" Then they repl.
There is hope for any of us if oil
Arkwright has become Christian"
In other words, we all admit that
is more difficult for some men to a
cept the Gospel than for others
may be addressing some who hay
cut loose from churches. and Bible
and Sundays, and who have at preser
no intention of becoming Christian
themselves, but just to see what is g
ing on; and yet you may find yourse
escaping before you hear the end, i
with the skin of your teeth" 1
no, expect to waste this hour hay
seen boats go off from Cape May
Long Branch, and drop their nets, ar
after while come ashore, pulling
the nets without having caught
single fish. 1t was not good day,
they had not the right kind of ne
But we expect no such excursion t
day. The water is full of fish; Il
wind is in the right direction; Il
Gospel net is strong. O, thou, wi
didst help Simon and Andrew to fiS