The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-08-01


Narrow Escapes" the text being taken
from Job xix, 20, II am escaped with the
skin OF my teeth"
job mad II. hard. What with boils and
bereavements and bankruptcy and a fool
OF a 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. lie cries out. "I am escaped
with the skin OF my teeth
There has been some difference Of opln-
ion about this passage ST. Jerome ana
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 teeth2" lie knew every
thing about H. Dental surgery Is almost
as old as the earth. The mummles Of
Egypt. thousands OF years old. are found
today with gold hlling in their teeth.
Ovid and Horace and Solomon and Moses
wrote about these important factors OF
the body. To other provoking complaints
job. / think has added an exasperating
toothache. and putting his hand against
the infiamed face ne says, Il am es-
capped with the skin OF my teeth"
very narrow escape. you say. for
Jobs body and soul. but there are thou
sands OF men who make just as narrow
escapes from their soul. There was a
time when the partition between them
and ruin was no thicker than n tooth's
enamel. but AS job finally escaped 50
have they. Thank God Thank God!
saved AZ ny Fire.
Paul expresses the same idea by a
people are saved as by fire" 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 forked
tongue OF the fire begins to lick the back
Of your hand, and you feel that you must
fall when one OF the lfeboats comes
back, and the passengers say they think
they have room for one more. The boat
swings under you; you drop into II; you
are saved. So some men are pursued by
temptation until they are partially con-
sumed, but after all get of. saved as b.
fire" But j like the figure OF Job a little
better than that OF Paul. because the
pulpit has not worn II out. and | want
70 show you, If God VIII help, that some
men make narrow escapes FOR their
souls and are saved as with the skin Of
their teeth"
II is as easy for some people TO look
10 the cross as for YOU 20 look 20 this
pulpit. Mild. gentle. tractable. loving.
YOU expect them to become Christians.
You ~ over To- the store and say, Gran
don Joined the church yesterday" Your
business comrades say: THAT Is just
what might have been expected He al
ways was OF that turn OF mind" In
youth this person whom / describe was
always good. He never broke things.
lie never laughed when It was improper
To laugh. Al he could sit an hour in
church perfectly quiet, looking neither
90 the right hand nor To the left. but
straight into the eyes Of the minister.
rs though he understood the whole dis
cussion about the eternal DEGREES. He
never upset things nor lost them. lie
Hoated into the kingdom OF God SO grad
ually that IL Is uncertain just when the
matter decided.
Here is another one. who started in
life with an uncomfortable spirit He
Kept the nursery in an uproar His
mother found him walking on the edge
or the house roof 10 see If he could bal
ance himself There was no horse he
dared not ride. no tree ne could not
climb. His boyhoOd was q long series
or predicaments. His manhood was
reckless: his mid-life very hayward. But
now he is converted. and YOU go over
10 the store and say. "Arkwrght Joined
the church yesterday" Your friends
say: 1T is not possible! You must be
joking You say: NO. / tell you the
truth He Joined the church Then
they reply. There is hope for any Of us
II old Arkwright has become a Chris
tian!'
ny the skin of Your Teeth.
In other words. we all admit that it is
more difficult for some men to accept the
gospel than for others.
4
cut loose from churches and bibles and
Sundays, and who have at present no in
tention Of becoming Christians them
selves. but just to see what is going on,
and yet you may find yourself escaping.
before you hear the end as with the
skin OF your teeth" / do not expect to
waste this hour. 1 have seen boats go
of from Cape May or Long Branch and
drop their nets and after awhile come
ashore, pulling in the nets without hav-
ing caught single fish. Ii was not a
good day. or they had not the right kind
OF net. But we expect no such excur-
sion today. The water is full of fish:
the wind is in the right direction; the
gospel net is strong. o Thou who didst
help Simon and Andrew to fish, show us
today how to cast the net on the right
side Of the shipl
Some Of you in coming to God will
have to run against skepticaI notions 1t
Is useless for people To say sharp and
cutting things TO those who reject the
christian religion. cannot say such
things. By what process of temptation
or trial or betrayal you have came 10
your present state I know not. There
are two gates TO your nature-the gate
Of the head and the gate Of the heart
The gate Of your head is locked with
bolts and bars that an archangel could
not break, but the gate Of your heart
swings easily on it's hinges. II I as
saulted your body with weapons YOU
would meet me with weapons and it
would be sword stroke for sword stroke
and wound for wound, and blood for
blood, but If 1 come and knock at the
door Of your house you open It and give
me the best seat in your parlor If
should come at you today with an arglI-
ment; IL with sarcasm, you would an
swer me with sarcasm, blow for blow.
stroke for stroke, but when I come and
knock at the door of your heart you
open it and say. "Come In, my brother.
and tell me all you know about Christ
and heaven"
Three Questions.
Listen to two or three questions: Are
you as happy as you used to be when
you believed in the truth Of the Christian
religion? Would you like to have your
children travel on in the road In which
you are now travelling? You had reIa-
tive who professed TO be a Christian and
was thoroughly consistent living and