The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-11-29
PLAN OF SALVATION
SUBSTANCE OF REV. MR. CHAPMAN's
SERMON LAST NIGHT.
Last Appearance of the Evangelist mt
Seventh Presbyterian Church
Church's Capacity Taxed.

terrain Church, and the wide scope of his
work in this locality has been evinced by
the large number of inquiries received by
the pastors of hat church and Edwin Ray,
from persons who have attended the meet
ings and left them thinking calmly to them
selves of the things they had heard. AT
last nights meeting Mr.. Knox. pastor OF
the Seventh Church, announced that the
cards received by him were OF such a num-
Der that il would be impossible for him
to visit all of the inqufrers in person. and
he would be in his study from 3 to 4 o'clock
this afternoon and receive every person
who felt enough interested to come. The
pastor Of Edwin Ray, Mr.. Rawls, will be
at his home between the same hours and
receive such persons as desire to call On
him.
DIR. Chapman spoke again last night to a
house containing just as many people as
the church would hold. In announcing his
text he said 1t was one that was hardly
less familiar to the congregation than the
one made the basis of his discourse the
night previous. The text for last night was
a part of the second chapter OF Hebrews,
'Fo how shall we escape if we neglect
so great salvation%' He spoke with that
sort of calm and impressive elaboration
which is characteristic Of him and which
is largely responsible for the good results
of his efforts. He spoke last night, in sub
stance, as follows:
The wonder Of all wonders is Gods
plan Of salvation. 1t is SO wonderful that
the greatest minds in all the world cannot
fully comprehend it and grasp its every
meaning. At the same time it is so simple
that the merest child can be saved by 1T.
Paul meant by his letter to the Hebrews
that it was possible for a man to know
Christ and know Him well and not &C
cept Him; that it was possible for him to
know the way of life and not live it
I remember reading of a man falling over
board at sea. You probably read the arti-
Gle yourselves, for It was an Associated
crossing the Atlantic when the cry rang
out On board the ship Man overboard!"
Almost instantly a man sprang to the gun
vale and In a very excited manner cried
out, I'll give a thousand dollars to the
man that saves his lifer The man over
board was a brother OF the man who made
the offer. All the sailors were ready to
risk their lives to save the man and gain
the reward. A boat was quickly lowered
Cling in the waters. He was picked up and
the boat pulled alongside of the ship. Ropes
were lowered and the mar was being raised
on board; The crew was almost ready to
take hold OF him and draw him on board
when the rope broke and the man fell.
striking as he fell on an object protruding
from the ships side. He again dropped into
, the waters. disappeared and was lost. Men
have come even nearer than this to the
have come so close to it that they could
hear the voices of the angels and yet never
| enter into it.
There are three words in the text that
I want to emphasize; They, are the words
great, escape and neglect God. in
His Word, picks out the worst types of
humanity as examples. persons like Mary
| Magdalene. whose sins are deep and flag
rant. This is to show that there is no sin
Il ton 1aop 70 hn a onhn64 hy Cn1.S rlaa Of
| salvation. The salvation is great because
it restores us to perfectness. There is no
such thing as being complete without laying
salvation is great, because it saves us
from the great sins of which | have been
| speaking during these meetings"
In illustration of this point, pr. Chapman
recounted the experiences of Jerry Nc
Cauley. of New York. He told of the time
thief and was serving his third. term in
the penitentiary. One day thes prison was
She was much impressed by the detected
manner OF McCauley, sitting with his face
buried in his hands. She stopped and spoke
was so touched that he listened to what she
had to say and was converted. 1t was not
q permansnt conversion sion, how, however, When
nothing for him to do but return to his
old haunts and old habits. One night. a
passed an alley where McCauley sat crouch
ing and shivering In the cold. The mission
airy handed him a tract and McCauley tore
give me your coat instead of your tract
he growled at the missionary. The mission
airy, was thinly. clad. but he stopped
McCauley. The wharf thief was so i'm
pressed by the act that he again accepted
Snfls. d befo ai b 5he d eiay k = few hi Yaaa and af hls
that evening. He was taken into DIR. Tay-
lor's church and the house was crowded
of Jerry McCauley. Then the poor of the
city came and looked upon the calm, placid
features in the casket- Flowers were
| brought in and lain on the coffin till they rose
| In heaps upon 1t. Then they dropped down
on the floor. but still came those who re-
membered him with their floral offerings
and left them at the coffin till the casket
was literally buried In flowers.
The plan of salvation is great because
God is the author of it," Continued the
speaker. There is no other way but Gods
way to get salvation. You will never get
1t by good resolutions and repentance alone.
| Good resolutions do not wipe out the past.
The past is still the past. regardless
| of any good resolutions. Resolutions are
o offsct TOT III ehe present ana future and DO not not
and was to come and tell you ne had re-
solved never TO go into debt again.. you
would probably say that 1t was a good res
| %olution, but you would not say that it can
celled his debt to you. The past must be
met, and by Gods salvation 1t is all atoned
for and wiped out. God being the author of
1t, no man need fear it."
Again, the point sought to be impressed
Il OpCA NiC PCOPic WI Dy Il SLOTN.
1t was of a little girl who had been around
the printing Office, where the first Bibles
were being printed and found a scrap of
paper on which were the words, For God
so loved the world that he gave" Here
| 1t ended, and when the girls mother asked
her what II was God gave she answered
she did not know. but IL God loved the
world enough to give anything they ought
to accept it. Gods plan is also great i'm its
sacrifices. From Genesis to Revelation the
| Bible is a very red book" went on the
evangelist. There is but one way to come
| to Christ and that is to be blood sprinkled.
1t is not through any righteous thing you
may do that you are going to be saved. 1t
is not a question as to who you are, with
| God. 1t is great in its pardon and forgive
| ness. God says If you believe in Him He
will cast your sins behind Him. The He
brew words literally translated mean the
| deepest of depths. There are some parts of
the sea that have proven unfathomable and
God meant into depths like these He would
| cast your sins. Again, He says they shall
| be removed from you as far as the east is
from the west. A professor i'm mathematics
told me a short time ago that this was i'm
| measurable. But the best of all Gods prom
ises in this regard is that L will remember
your transgressions against you no more,
forever
Then DR.. Chapman called on those who
felt they were not accepting Gods saliva
of persons held up their hands. Then he
asked for those who had known Christ for
fifty years or more to stand. and a half
dozen people arose. Then those who had
| known him forty years were called for;
then thirty wears. twenty Years. fen yaar