Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-09-27
"A NARROW ESCAPE"
Sunday Discourse By DR.. Chapman, the
Noted Pastor.Evargelist.
Wonderful Indeed Is the Man Of Salvation For
the Sinner, Yet Exceedingly Simple.
Trust Him Who Promises to Save.

gelist in the country and one OF the most
popular pulpit orators of New York. 1t
Is entitled "A Narrow E1cape," and was
preached from the text, "how shall we
escape, if We neglect so great salvation!'
Hebrews 2: 3.
The wonder OF wonders in this world is
the plan of salvation for the sinner
through Jesus Christ. It Is so wonderful
that the man with the greatest mind the
world has ever known has never yet been
able to think his way through it, and at
the same time it Is so simple that the
smallest child in your home can appreciate
enough of it to be saved.
The first chapter of Hebrews presents to
us the dignity OF Christ. He is at the right
hand of God; He is better than the an
gels; when the clements have melted with
q fervent heat, He still exists: when the
heavens have been rolled together as a
scroll, He shall still be the very power OF
God With such description as this in
the first chapter we come naturally to the
first part of the second chapter. There
fore we ought to give the more earnest
heed TO the things which we have heard
lest at any time we should let them slip.
A Cunard steamer was making her way
across the Atlantic Ocean when the pas
sengers were startled with 4 cry of man
overheard" Immediately every one was
filed with excitement. One man sprang
to the edge OF the vessel and shouted, Il
will give a thousand pounds TO any one
who will save the man that Is sinking. for
he is my brother" Every sailor was ready
TO throw himself into the sea il oaly he
coald win tine reward and save the man.
The captain manned the lifcboat. and soon
n cheer went up because they had laid
hands upon the sinking one. The lifeboat
came near the great steamer, ropes were
fastened around the man and the signal
was given to lift him up. just as they
a.af fhasF Il IN 10 Ia.
salvation sure the ropes slipped. and fall
ing he struck his head upon the lifcboat,
bounded into the sea and was gone for
ever. The writer OF the Epistle to the He.
brews must have had some such picture as
this in his mind when he said, I'VE ought
to give the more earnest heed lest AZ any
time we should let them slip" l have
known of people coming nearer TO the
kingdom of God than that. just one step
and they would have been saved, but they
slipped away, and then gave up hope.
There are three words around which my
thoughts would centre, Great, Escape and
Neglect.
/. 1t is great salvation because it dis
closes TO us great Saviour, shows us how
we may be saved from great sin. and also
reveals how we may be restored to great
holiness and happiness.
First, it is great in its author. The name
of an author will frequently sell book,
and the name of the author of the plan of
salvation ought to commend it to every
ne. III He is the author two things are
true. First that we need not be afraid OF
Him, For God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotIen Son."
Luther tells us of the little girl. the child
of the man who printed his first Bible
He was member of the Church OF Rome,
and the child had been taught that God
could only be approached by means OF pen.
duu ba inf.
ers Office she found little crumpled piece
OF paper which contained n. part OF this
verse. which Luther called the Gospel i'll
a NUTSHELL" all she found was, God so
loved the world that He gave" 1t
produced great impression upon her. One
day her mother heard her singing and
asked the secret of her happiness. She an
swered by showing her the little piece of
paper. and her mother said. What does it
mean:' for, she said. lit does not tell Us
what He gave" The child's reply was,
III He loved us well enough to give us
anything, we need not be afraid of Him"
Again, if God is the author, His is the
only way OF salvation. Men decide to
come to God by the way OF reformation. or
by the power OF resolution, but this profits
nothing, for reformation may touch the
present, and may possibly avail for the fu-
ture, but it cannot touch the past. Ii
man is in your debt $500 and comes to
tci YOU lIidJ ne his QSclueQ never 10 20
into debt again, you may tell him that he
Is making fine resolution, but you will
not tell him that his good resolution pays
his Indebtedness to you, for that is a trans
action OF the past. The wonderful thing
about the plan of salvation is that it pro-
vides an atonement touching the sins of
the present, makes provision for the fu-
ture, and blotting out the transgress:ons
OF the past. 1t Is great also in its sacrifice.
The way back TO God has always been
sprinkled with blood. Study the Old Tes-
lament and you will find this is true. But
when the sins OF men became so great that
the blood OF bulls and goats would not
suffice then Christ died for our sins, &C.
cording to the Scriptures.
1t was my privilege some time ago to
preach to the eonvicts in the State Peni-
Tertiary of Tennessee. i said TO them [
can give you the secret OF getting almost
any amount OF money, and their faces in
stantly were study, for the most OF them
were IN prison for trying to get money in
their own way. But this is the secret /
gave them. Take 4 piece OF paper and
write down upon 1t the amount OF money
YOU want, the length OF time you want il,
sign your name to 1t and carry ii to the
bank. But this will profit YOU nothing be-
cause You have not found the secret. 1t is
thus frequently that men stand before
God and ask 70 be saved. II YOU will take
that piece OF paper to some one whose
name stands Tor money, then have him
write his name upon the back OF it and
carry it TO the bank, you will be surprised
20 see what a different position You have,
and you will receive the money, rot be-
cause OF what you are. but because of what
your security is. 1t Is thus we have our
standing before God; our security is per-
feet, and simple faith unites US to Him.
1t Is great also III its pardon and for
glveness. Pardon means more with God
than with men. With men a pardon may
open the prison doors and seHd the guilty
one back to his home, but ii he is 4 muir
derer the chances are he will have a few
peaceful nights, and then in his dreams as
well as in his waking moments his sin will
be before him. This Is because he is par
doned and not justified. When God par
dons US He justifies freely and forever.
sfnd forgiveness means more with God
than with man. When we forgive we con-
stantly remember the one who has sinned
against us, but God forgives and remem-
bers against US our transgressions no more
forever.
A distinguished minister, in preaching
to men specially, told the story OF his own
life, how he had almost broken his moth
er's heart, made her hair gray before the
time, and made her blush to think that he
was her son. Then told how God had for
given him, and when he made his appeal
the effect was profound. His officers gath
cred around him to say kind words about
his sermon, but when they left there came
an old woman with gray hair and bent
form. She threw her arms about his neck
and said, MY son, why did YOU tel it, you
never was bad in all this world:" and this
was his mother. He had almost broken
her heart. and yet for her mothers love
she had forgotten it all This was pic