St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-09-25
TALMAGE'S SERMON.

4 Discourse Fun Of encouragement
for the Downcast.
Many Lives Are Saved Like Job with the
SKIN OF Their Teeth "-Hsppioeas In
Christian Eaith-God Not Re.
sponsibIe for Troubles.
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, in the fol-
lowing sermon, presents words of en-
eouragement for those who consider
themselves in . hopeless condition.
The text is:
am escaped with TIC skin Of my teeth--Job
XIX. %
Job had it hsrd. What with boils,
and bcreavements, and bankruptcy,
An6 fool of a wife, he wished he was
dead; and I do not blame him. His
.1esh was gone, and his bones were dry.
His teeth wasted away until nothing
but the enamel seemed left lie cried
ont: Il ann escaped with the skin Of
NY teeth
There has been some difference of
opinion about this passage. St. jerome
and ScLultens, and Doctors Good. and
Poole, md Barnes. have all tried their
forceDs on Jobs teeth. You deny my
Interpretation, and say: ''What did
Job know about the enamel of the
tcethy lie knew every thing about it.
Dental surgery is almost as old as the
earth. The mummies of Egypt. thou
sands of years old, are found to-day
with gold filling in their teeth. Ovid,
and Horace. aud Solomon, and Moses
wrote about these important factors of
the body. To other provoking com-
plants, job, think, has added an ex-
asperating toothache. and putting his
hand against tho inilain ID face, he says:
Fl 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 = time when the partition be-
tween them and ruin was no thicker
than . tooth's enamel; but, as Job
finally escaped. so have they. Thank
God: thank Coll
different figure when he says that
~sG1ne people are saved rs by fire." A
vessel ut sea is in flames. The boats
have showed of. The na1Des 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 fin-
gers until the forked tongue OF ere
begins t. lick the back of your hands,
and you feel that you must fall, when
ono Of the lifeboats comes back. and
Ahe passengers say they think they
rave room for one more. The boat
swings under you-you drop into it
you are saved. So some men are pur-
sued By temptation until they are par
italy Consumed, but after all get of
sssaved rs by fire."
l1ut 1 like the figure Of Job q little
better than that of Paul. because the
pulpit has not worn it out; and want
70 show you, il God will help, that
some men make narrow escape of their
oouls, and are saved as with the skin
OF their teeth"
II IS easy for some people to look to
thescross as for You to look to this pull
pat Mild, gentle, tractsblc. loving.
you expect them to become Christians.
You 90 over to the store and say:
sGraudon joined the church yester-
day" Your business comrades say:
.sThat Is just what might have been
expected: he was always of that turn
Of mind" In youth this person whom
Idescribe was always good. He never
= n4.r,lr> Hhsnrc Ia ncra.. In nh~d xy hon
it was improper to laugh. At seven.
he could sit an hour in church, per-
1ectly quiet looking neither to the
right hand NOR to the left, but straight
Into the eyes. Of the minister, -
thoagh he understood the whole dis
cnssion about the eternal decrccs. He
never upset things nor lost them. He
0oated into the kingdom of GoI %
gradually that it's uncertain just when
The matter was decided.
Herr Is another ono, who started in
lie with m uncontrollablc spirit He
kept the nursery in an uproar. His
mother found him walking on the edge
q the housc-roof to see If he could
tAlance himself. There was no horse
1het he dared not ridc-1o tree that he
eunld not climb. His boyhood was q
Ie0g series Of predicaments; his man
hnod reckless; his midlife very way
yard. But now he is converted, and
Nn0 70 over to the store and say:
cartwright joincd the church yester-
day" Your friends say: 1T 10 not
possible; you must be joking" You
eay: NO; tell you the truth. He
otned the church." Then they reply;
There is hope for any of US If old
Arkwright has become Christianm In
1ehcr words, we will admit that it is
1jore difficult for some men to accept
ttc Gospel than for others.
may be preaching to some who
have cut loose from churches, and
6otca, and Sundays, and who have NO
lqtention OF becoming Christians them
6elveA and yet you may find yourself
escaping. before you leave this house,
with the skin Of yonr teeth" l dc
1 0ot expect to waste this hour. have
- boats go OF from Cape May OF
oag branch, and drop their nets. and
Mr. awhile come sshore. pulling in
- nets without having caught single
-. L was not = good day, or they
~ not the right kind of net But
expcct no such excursion to-day.
The water is full of fish, the wind j.
the right direction. ths Gospel mel
strong. .. Thou who didst help
MOA and Andrew to fish. chow rs
- % cast the net on the right side
~ the ahip.
IS eDme Of Jon, in coming to God. will
1axe 10 run against skepeical notions