The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-04-04
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.- :
SUNDAYS SERMON IN THE NEW
YORK ACADEMY OF MUSIC.
Subject: "Thc Gospel Ship"

TEXT. "Thou shalt come into the ark.
thou an thy sons and thy wife and thy sons
wives with thee. ."-Genesis vi, 1s.
In this day OF the steamships I.ucanio md
Majestic aud the Paris ] will show YOU shin
that in some respects eclipsed them all and
which sailed out, an ocean underneath and
another ocean falling upon IL. Inndel scien-
fists ask us 10 believe that I'm the formation
OF the earth there have been half dozen de-
luges. and yet they are not willing to be-
lleye the Bible stsry Of one deluge
In what way the catastrophe came we know
not whether by the stroke of n comet or by
flashes of lightning, changing the air into
water. or by n stroke Of the hand OF God, like
the stroke OF the aN between the horns the
OK the earth staggered. To meet the catas-
trophe God ordered n great ship built. IL
was to be without PROV, for il was 20 sail to
no shore. Il was to be without helm, for no
human hand should guide IT,. II was n vast
structure. probably as large as two or three
modern steamers. II was the Great Eastern
81 olden time.
The ship is done. The door is open. Tho
|liznrds crawl In. The cattle wink in. The
|eras-hoppers hop In. The birds nv In. The
Invitation goes forth TO Noah. "Come thou
| and all thy house into the ark" Just ono
Human family embark ON the strange vow
Iage. and hear the door slam shut. A great
| |storm sweeps along the hills and bends
| the cedars until all the branches snap in the
/ gale. There IS moan in the wind like
|unto the moan OF diving world. The
|blarkness OF the heavens Is shattered by
/ tho flare Of lightnings, that look down into
4 the waters and throw ghastliness on the
|face Of the mountains. How strange it looks
How sunocating the air secmsl The big
kdrors OF rain begin 20 plash upon the up.
burned faces OF those who are watching the
|tenpest. Crash! so the rocks in convulsion.
{B5on' 30 the bursting heavens. Theinhabi-
iau,s ot the earth instead OF flying to house
bop and mountain top. as men have fancied,
kit down In dumb. white horror to die. For
when God grinds mountains TO pieces and
Diets the ocean slip its cable there l. no place
Boz men to fly to. See the ark pitch aud tum-
bic In the surf. while from It's windows the
passengers look out upon the ahipwreck OF a
race and the carcasses Of dead world. Woe
10 the mountainsl Woe TO the sea!
| am no alarmist When on the Goth of
September, after the wind has for three dnys
been blowing from the northeast, you proph-
Iesy that tho equinoctial storm IL coming, YOU
timply state u fact not TO be Disputed
Neither am l an alarmist when / say that n
ktorm is coming, compared with which Noah's
Ideugo was but AN April shower. and that IL is
jwisest and safest for you and for mo TO get
kfaieiy housed for eternity. Tho invitation
hat went forth to Noah sounds in our ears,
'Come thou and all thy house into the ark. 4"
Well. how did Noah and his family come
tnto the ark? Did they climb in at the win
How, or come down the roof? No; they went
through the door. And Just 80. II we get in
10 the ark Of Gods mercy. it will be through
Chnst, the door. The entrance to the ak OF
pld must have been n very large entrance
We know that IL was from the fact that .here
were monster animals in the earlier ages.
nnd in order to get them into the ark. two
hnd two, according TO the Bible statement
the door must have been very wide and very
high So the door into the mercy of God is n
barge door. We go in. not two and two. but
by hundreds, and by thousands and by mill
ions. Yea. all the Nations OF the earth NAV
10 in, 10, ,000, 900 abreast
The door of the ancient ark was I'm tho
Fide. SO now 1t is through the side of Christ
1.-The pierced side, the wide open side the
heart side-that we enter. Aha, the Roman
foldier, thrustipg his spear into the Saviour's
Fide, expected only TO let the blood out, but
be opened the way to let all the world in
ph, what broad gospel to preach IL n
nan Is about to give an entertainment. he
esues 200 or 800 invitations, carefully put up
nd directed to the particular persons whom
wishes TO oentertain. But God, our Father,
axes banquet and goes out TO the front
Por OF heaven and stretches out His hands
Ter land and sea. and with voice that
Pnetrates the Hindoo jungle. and the Green
10 ice castle, and Brazilian grove, and Eng
h factory. and American home, cries out.
Come, Tor all things are now ready I" IL
wide door The old cross has been
ken apart, and its two pieces are stood up
the doorposts. so far apart that all the
prld can come in. Kings scatter treasures
Gays ol great rejoicing. So Christ our
ng, comes and scatters the Jewels OF heaven.
towland Hill said that he hoped to get
20 heaven through the crevices OF the
Por. But he was not Obliged thus TO 20 in.
Ter having preached the gospel in Surrey
apei. going up toward heaven, the gate
eper cried, Lift up your heads. We ever
funS gates. and let this man come in"
dying thiel went IN. Richard Baxter
Robert Newton went in. EuroDe, Asin
ica North and South America may vet
through this wide door without crowd
Ho! every One-all conditions, all
lk', AL people! Luther said that this
tA was worth carrying on ones knees
pm Rome to Jerusalem, but Think il worth
rrying all around the globe and all around
heavens, that God 50 loved the world
~ lie gave His only begOtten Son, that
osoeyer belicyeth in Him should not
tlsh, but have everlasting lie" Whosoevcr
u let MIN como through the large door.
chinedes wanted II fucrum on which to
zee his lever, and then he said he could
4 the cross Of Christ Is the lever. and by
power all Nations shall yet be lifted.
urther. 1t Is II door that swings both
Us. do not know whether the door of
ancient ark was lifted or rolled on
Asrs, but this door of Christ opens both
". IL swings out toward all our woes; IL
ihss IN toward the raptures of heaven. 1t
ls' IN TO let us in it swings out to let our
hlslering ones comes out. All are one in
nst Christians on earth AMI saints in
nyen.
one army Of the living God,
AZ His command we bow
Part Of the host have crossed the food,
Aud part are crossing now.
Swing in, o blessed door. until all the
IN shall go IN and live. Swing out until
ory.
1nt, further II Is n door with iastenings.
Bible says OF Noah, "rhc Lord shut him
vessel without bulwarks or doors
ulu not be safe vessel to go in. When
~ and his family heard the fastening OF
door OF the ark, they were very glad.
tsi these doors were fastened the nrss
IVY surge OF the sea would have whelmed
~, ami they might rs well have per-
d outside the ark as inside the ark.
no Lord shut him in" Oh, the per-
safety of the ark The surf OF tho