Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-09-19
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvIYE'S sun.
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The Rescue"

TEXT: ''Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved."-Acts xvi, 81.
Jails are dark, dull, damp, loathsom,
places even now, but they were worse II
the apostolic times. imagine to-day WI
are standing in the Philippian dungeon
Do you not feel the chilli Do you ,o
hear the groans OF those incarcerated one:
who for ten years have not seen the srn
light and the deep Sigh OF women who
remember their fathers house and mourr
over their wasted estates? Listen again. II
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 culprit
his chains rattling as he rolls over in hi:
dreams. and you say, "God. pity the prison.
err But there ia another sound in that
prison. II is the song OF 10Y and gladness.
What place to sing int The music comes
winding through the corridors OF the prison
and in all the dark wards the whisper Is
heard, "What's that? What's that?"
II fs the song of Paul and Silas. 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 WOO len
But they can sing. Jailer. what are you do
ing with these people? WIZ have they been
put in here2 Oh, they have been trying to
make the world better. Is that all2 That
Is all. A pit for Joseph. A lions cave for
Daniel. blazing furnace for shadrach.
Clubs for John Wesley. An anathema for
Philip Melanchthon. A dungeon for Paul
and Sias.
But while we are standing in the gloom OF
the Philppian dungeon. and we hear the
minging voices Of sob and groan and bias
phemy and hallelujab, suddenly an earth-
quake! The iron bars OF the prison twist,
the pillars crack off. the solid masonry be-
gins 10 heava, and all the doors swing open.
The Iailer, feeling himself responsible for
these prisoners an believing, In his pagan
IL
Brutus killed himself. and Cate killed him.
self, and Cassius killed himself-put HIS
sword to his own heart, proposing with one
strong. keen thrust to put an end to his e1.
element AMI agitation. But Paul cried out {:
"StoP, stop! Do thyself no harm! We are
all herer'
Then 1 see the jailer running through the
dust AMI amid the ruin of that prison. and I
sec him throwing himself down at the feet
ofthese prisoners, crying out: "What shall
/ do? What shall do?' Did Paul answer .
"Get out OF this place before there Is another
earthuuaka Put handouts and hobbies on
these other prisoners lest they get away?"
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 De
saved"
Well, we have all read of the earthquake
IN Lis on, In Lima, in Aleppo and In Cara.
cas-. but we live in latitude where in all our
memory there has not been one severe vol
canic disturbance. AMI yet we have seen
ffty earthquakes. Here is a man who has
been building up large fortune. His bid
on the money market was felt in all the
citiea He thinks he has got beyond all an
noying rivalries in trade, and he says to him.
self. "Now I am free and safe from all possi-
BILE perturbation" But in 1857 or In 1873 q
national panic strikes the foundation of the
commercial world, and crash goes all that
magnificent business establishment.
Here is a man who has built up a very
beautiful home. His daughters have just
come homo from the seminary with diplo-
mas Of graduation. His sons have started
in life, honest, temperate and pure. When
the evening lights are struck, there is hap
piness and unbroken family circle. But
there has been an accident down at Long
Branch. The young man ventured too far
put in the surf. The telegraph hurled the
terror up TO the city. An earthquake struck
under the foundation OF that beautiful
home.
The piano closed: the curtains dropped !;
the laughter hushed. Crash go allthose do
mestic hopes and prospects and expecta-
tions. So, my frends, We have all felt the
shaking down OF some great trouble, and
there was n time when We were az much ex-
cited as this man OF the text. and we cried
out rs he did: ''What shall do? What shall
! do?" The same reply that the apostle
made to him is appropriate to US, "Believe
saved"
There are some documents OF so little i'm.
portnnce that you do not care to put any
more than your last name under them, or
even your initials, but there are some docu-
men,s of so great importance that you writs
out your full name. So the Saviour in some
parts ofthe Bible Il called 'Lord," and in
other parts OF the Bible He is called Jesus" !"
and In other parts of the Bible He is cal:el
"ChrIst," but that there might be no mis-
t., .,ti .
together-"the Lord Jesus Christ"
Now, who Is this being that you want me
TO trust In and believe In? Men sometimes
come TO mo with credentials and certificates
OF good character, but cannot trust them.
There Is some dishonesty in their looks that
makes me know that shall be ch Gated If
confde in them. You cannot put your
hearts conn lcnce in a man until You know
what stuff he is made OF. and an unreason-
able when l stop TO ask you who this Is that
you want me TO trust inp No man would
think of venturinS his life on vessel going
ont to sea that had never been inspected.
No; you must have the certificate hung
amidships, telling how many tons 1t carries,
and how long ago 1t WAS built. and who
built II, AMI all about ii. And you cannot
interests on board any craft till you tell me
what 1. is made Of, ar.r where It was made,
and what 1t is.
When. then, ask you who this is you want
r,a 10 trust in. you tell me He IS very at
tr,r i've person. Contemporary writer's de-
s.ribe His whole appearance as being re-
snlendent. There was no need Tor Christ to
ten the children to come to Him. "Suher
little children to come unto Me" was not
spoken to the children. 1t was spoken to
the disclples The chill ireu came readily
enough without any invitation. No sooner
did Jesus appear than the little ones jumped
from their mothers arms IN avalancne 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 look at Christ was
Just to love Him. How attactive HIS manner
WHY when they saw Christ coming
along the street, they rIn into their houses,
and they wrapped up their invaltds as quics
as they could and brought them out that de
might look at them. Oh, there was some
thing so pleasant, so inviting, so cheering 10
everything He did, in His very loosl When
these sick oues wera brought out, did Ife
say: "Do not bring before Ne these sores,
Do not trouble NJ with these leprosiesT No
mo-. there was a kind look there was ge d
tie word there was healing touch. 4hsI
could lot keep away IRON Him
..I think there are many under the innc
ence of the Spirit OF Col who are saying
'T will trust Him if you will only tell M
how" And the great question askei b,
many fs. "How, how?" And while I answe
sour question l look up and utter the praye
which Rowland Hill 50 often uttered IN fh'
midst of his sermons, "Master, help?' How
are you TO trust in Christ?
Just as you trust any ona. You trust you'
partner in business with important things
If commercial house gives you a note pay
able three months hence, you expect th'
payment OF that note at the eni o thre'
months. You have perfect confidence IL
their word and in their ability. Or, again
YOU go home to-day. You expect there will
be food on the table. You have conf ienc'
In that. Now, 1 ask you TO have the sam
confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. Fl,
says, 'tYou believe; 1 take away your sins.
and they are all taken away. "What I!
you say, Hbefore I pray any more2 Be
lore I read my Bible any more2 Before
cry over my sins any more?' Yes, this mo-