The Penn's Grove record., 1897-08-27
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.

Job Had Boils, bankruptcy and a Fool
Wits, But He Finally Escaped, Body
and soul, FROM His Troubles-Thou-
sands Of Others May Be Similarly Saved
Tsxr: II am escaped with the skin OF
my teeth."-Job XIX, 20.
Job had 1t hard. What with bolls and
bereavements and bankruptcy and q fool
Of q wife he wished he was dead. and l do
not blanc him. His flesh was gone, and
his bon were dry. His teeth wasted
away until nothing but the enamel seemed
left. He cries out, II am escaped 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 Interpretation
and say, what did job know about the
enamel OF the teeth2" He thew every
thing about 1t. Dental surgery is almost
as old as the earth. The mummies of
Egypt thousands Of years old arc found to-
day with gold filling in their teeth. Ovid
and Horace and Solomon and Moses wrote
about these important factors of the body.
To other provoking complaints Job, I
think, has added an exasperating tooth
ache, and, putting his hand against the
inhamed face, he says, 81 am escaped with
the skin OF my teeth"
A very narrow escape, you say, for Jobs
body n soul, but there are thousands Of
men who make Just as narrow escape for
their soul. There was a time when the
partition between them and ruin was no
thicker than a tooth's enamel, but as Job
finally escaped so have they. Thank Godi
Thank Godl
Paul expresses the same idea by a differ-
emit 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 ves-
sci. The boats have showed offS 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, n
you feel that you must fall, when one Of
the lfeboats comes back, n 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
partly consumed, but after all get OIL
Saved as by fre."
But l like the figure Of Job o little better
than that of Paul, because the pulpit has
God will help, that some men make narrow
escape for their souls n 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
tuem 10 pecOulo Nnrl5tiunS. lou go over
to the store and say, "Grandon Joined he
church yesterday Your business com
rades say: THAT Is just what might have
been expected. He always was Of that
turn Of mind" Inyouth this person whom
| describe was always good. He never
broke things. He never laughed when 1t
was improper to laugh. At seven he could
BIT an hour in church, perfectly quiet, look
Ing neither to the right hand nor the left,
but straight into the eyes of the minister,
as though he understood the whole dis
cussion about the eternal DEGREES. He
never upset things nor lost them. He
ioated into the kingdom Of God so gradually
that It ls uncertain just when the matter
was 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 Of the house roof
to see II he could balance himself. There
was no horse that he dared not ride, no tree
he could not climb. His boyhood was a
long series OF predicaments, his manhood
was reckless, his midlife very Maynard.
But now he Is converted, and you go over
20 the store and say. cartwright Joined the
church yesterday" Your friends say: at
Is not possible; You must be joking. You
say; mo; l tell you the truth. He Joined
the church." Then they reply, "There is
hope for any Of us II old Arkwright has be-
come q Christian" In other words, we
will admit that 1t is more difficult for some
men to accept the gospel h for others.
may be preaching to some who have cut
loose from churches and Bibles and sun
days, and who no intention Of becoming
Christians themselves, and yet you may
find yourself escaping before you leave this
house as with the skin of your teeth" I
do not expect to waste this hour. I have
seen boats go OF from Cape May or Long
Brapchs lands pthair Nets aua after awhile
eJle ash0re, pallng nj the nets without
having caught a single fish. 1t was not a
good day, or they had not the right kind Of
. net. But we expect no such excursion
to-day. The water is full Of fish, the wind
y IN the right direction, the gospel net is
strong. o thou who didst help Simon and
Andrew to fish, show us how to cast the net
on the right side of the ship!
Some Of you in coming to God will nave
to run against skepticaI notions. It is use
less for people to say sharp and cutting
things to those who reject the Christian re-
lgion. ! cannot say such things. By what
process Of temptation or trial or betrayal
you have cometoy 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 its hinges. II assaulted
your body with weapons, you wouldmee me
with weapons, and II would be sword stroke
tor sword stroke and WOUND for wound and
blood for blood, but IL / come and knock at
The door of your house you open 1t and
give me tho best seat In your parior. II I
should come ct you now with al argument.
q you would answer me with an argument;
& L with sarcasm you would answer me with
\ iarenSm-blow for blow, stroke for stroke
but when I come and knock at the door
1ef your heart youopen It and say. Come
b my brother, and tell me all you know
about Christ and heaven"
Listen to two or three questions. Are
you as happy as you used to be when you be-
feved In thetruth of the Christian religion?
1 Would yoa like to have your childr1 N travel
in the road In which you are r.ow travel
30 IN You had a relative who frofessed to
~ vi Christian and was thoroughly consist
Y tn& living and dying In the faiti ofthe gos-
VEN Would you not like to livs the same
pt life and die the SAINT peaceful death?
petl9 d In my hand q iette... sent me by one
lete l5has rejected the Christian religion. 1t
I & II am old enough to know that the
: highland pleasures Of lite are evanescent
I wnoHo realize the fact that 1t must be com
Epat i*ble in old age to believe In something
'I{eaetve to the future and to have q faith
Il, be system that roposes to save. /
~ Pc to confess that I would be happier
Am$uld exercise thes simple and beautiful
v3$that Is possessed by many whom /
m / AM not willingly out Of the church
tkss 3ofthe faith. Mystate of uncertainty
tkt III unrest. Sometimes 1 doubt my
| men Atty and look upon the deathbed as
p4Liitng scene, after which thereis moth
, al shall / do that I have not
: = th1Ah, skepticism Is a dark and dole
INPeah4 Let me say that this Bible is either
- tni4lse. II It be false, we are as well
j pneaspS ~; II 1t be true, then which OF US Is
. yt.9paHalso ask whether you trouble has
/ X ,sAAr ofhat you c~onfounded Christianity
- b inconsistent character OF some
less it? You are a lawyer. In your
~ Sp1fssn there are mean and dishonest
chd hat anything against the law7
"a doctor. There are unskilled and
o .Esaqbtible men In your profession. Is
VI Dfthing against medicine2 You are
liant. There are thieves and de-
anh in your business. Is that anything
Observation-Disclosures? Behold, then, the
$ssM Iss OF charging upon Christianity
az yedness OF its disciples. We admit
<SS-the charges against those who pro-
SNu gIon. Some OF the most gigantic
~ j Of 1.-THE present day have been car
by members of church.
are men standing in the front rank
uhhnrohes who would not be trusted