The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-08-03
WISHED HEWAS DEAD
AND REV. DR.. TALMAGE DOES NOT
BLAME JOB FOR IT.

of Life.
BROOKLYN, July 29.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage has selected as the subject for his
sermon for today through the press
marrow Escapes, the text being TAX
on from Job xix, 20. II 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 vast
ed away until nothing but the enamel
seemed left. He cries out, II am escap-
ed 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 interpre-
tation 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 mum
mics of Egypt, thousands of years old,
are found today with gold filling in
their teeth. Ovid and Horace and Solo,
mon and Moses wrote about these i'm
'portant factors of the body. To other
provoking complaints Job, think, has
added an exasperating toothache, and
putting his hand against the infiamed
face he says. II 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
q time when the partition between
them and ruin was no thicker than a
tooth's enamel; but, as Job finally es-
capped, So have they, Thank Godl
Thank God sssssss- .s.ss.c:.szssasa..
With Gods Help.
Paul expresses the same idea by
different figure when he says that some
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 en-
dure the heat no longer on your face.
You slide down on the side of the yes
sci 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
lifeboats comes back, and the passen-
gers say they think they have room for
one more. The boat swings under you;
you drop into it; you are saved. So
some men are pursued by temptation
until they are partially consumed, but
after all get off, saved as by fire. "
But like the figure of Job little bet
ter than that of Paul, because the pull
pit has not worn it out, and want to
show you, if God will help, that some
men make barrow 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, loving,
you expect them to become Christians.
You go over to the store and say,
"Grandon joined the church yesterday. "
Your business comrades say: THAT is
just what might have been expected. "
He always was of that turn of mind. |
In youth this person whom describe |
was always good. He never broke
things He never laughed when it was
improper to laugh. At he could sit an
hour i'll church, perfectly quiet, looking
neither to the right hand nor to the left,
but straight into the eyes of the minis |
ter, as though he understood the whole |
discussion about the eternal DEGREES.
He never upset things nor lost them.
He fioated into the kingdom of God so
t is uncertain just when
the matter ,,.S decided.
IL the Unconverted.
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
If the house roof to see if he could bal
ance himself. There was no horse he
Jared not ride, no tree he could not
climb. His boyhood was long series
If predicaments; his manhood was reck.
ess; his midlife very hayward. But
low he is converted, and you go over to
he store and say, "Arkwright joined
he church yesterday" Your friends
Jay: st is not possiblel You must be
oking." You say: "No; tell you the
ruth. He joined the church" Then
hey reply, "There is hope for any of
is if old Arkwright has become Chris
ian. -
In other words, we all admit that it
S more difficult for some men to accept
he gospel than for others.
/ may be addressing some who have
nut loose from churches and Bibles and
sundays and who have at present no
of becoming Christians them
elves, but just to see what is going on.
And yet you may find yourself escaping
,efore you hear the end. as with the
kin of your teeth" do not expect to
waste this hour. have seen boats go
fl from Cape May or Long Branch and
rop their nets and after awhile come
shore pulling in the nets without hav-
ng caught a single fish. 1t was not
God day, or they had not the right
ind of net But we expect no such
today. The water is full of
sh; the wind is in the right direction;
he gospel net is strong. o thou who