The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-09-26
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
"A MARROW ESCAPE"
Wonderful Indeed 10 the Plan Of Saliva
ten For the sinner. Yet Exceedingly
simple-ro Have christ save ts We
Must Believe In Him.

gelist in the country and one of the most
popular pulpit orators OF New York. IL
Is entitled "A Narrow Escape" and was
preached from the text, How shall we
escape, II We neglect so great salvatlon!
Hebrews 2: 3.
The wonder of wonders in this world is
the plan of salvation for the sinner
through Jesus Christ. IL Is so wonderful
that the man with the greatest mind the
world has ever known has never yet been
able 20 think his way through II, and az
the same time it is so simple that the
smallest child in your home can appreciate
enough OF II 10 be saved.
The first chapter of Hebrews presents 20
US the dignity OF Christ. He Is at the night
hand of God: He Is better than the an
gels; when the elements have melted with
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 20 the
first part of the second chapter. There
fore sac ought 20 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 cry OF man
overheard" Immediately every one was
filed with excitement. One man sprang
10 the edge OF the vessel and shouted, Il
will give a thousand pounds 10 any one
who will save the man that IS sinking, for
he is my brother Every sailor was ready
10 throw himself into the sea If only he
could win the reward and save the man.
The captain manned the lfeboat and soon
a cheer went up because they had laid
hands upon the sinking one. The hfeboat
came near the great steamer, ropes were
fastened around the man and the signal
was gwen TO lift him up. Just as they
l -. fhats ha IL 90. f.ul
salvation sure the ropes slipped, and fall
ing he struck his head upon the llieboat,
| bounded into the sea and was gone for
/ ever. The writer OF the Epistle 10 the He
| brews must have had some such picture az
! this in his mind when he said, we ought
! 20 give the more earnest heed lest at any
| time we should let them slip i have
/ known of people coming nearer 20 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 a great salvation because IL 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, II Is great IN its author. The name
! OF an author will frequently sell a book,
and the name of the author of the plan of
salvation ought TO commend 1t 10 every
one. Ii He - 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 begotten Son"
! Luther tells Us Of the little girl, the child
of the man who printed his first Bible.
He was a member of the Church of Rome,
and the child had been taught that God
could only be approached by means OF pen
! "A nv Il. -, . h. f
er's Office she found a little crumpled piece
of paper which contained a part of this
verse, which Luther called the Gospel in
a NUTSHELL" all she found was, God so
loved the world that He gave 1t
produced a 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 II
meanY for, she said, 1T does not tell Us
what He gave" The chld's reply was,
IF 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 "a
come TO God by the way of reformation, OF
by the power Of resolution, but this profits
nothing, for reformation may touch the
present, and may possibly avail for the fu
ture, but 10 cannot touch the past. II a
man IS in your debt $500 and comes 20
tell you that hc has decided never 20 90
into debt again, you may tell him that he
Is making a fine resolution, but you will
not tell him that his good resolution pays
his Indebtedness 90 you. for that IS a trans
action OF the past. The wonderful thing
about the plan of salvation is that 1t pro
vides an atonement touching the sins OF
the present, makes provision for the fu
ture, and blotting out the transgressions
OF the past II IS great also in It's sacrifice
The way back TO God has always been
sprinkled with blood. Study the Old Tes
lament and you will find this ~ true. But
when the sins OF men became 30 great that
the blood Of bulls and goats would not
suffice then Christ died for our sins, ac
cording 10 the Scriptures
| IL was my privilege some time ago q
preach 10 the convicts in the State Peni
tentiary OF Tennessee. | said 20 them
| can give you the secret OF getting almost
any amount of money, and their faces IN
stanty were a study, for the most Of them
were IN prison for trying 10 get money m
their own way. But this is the secret
gave them. Take a piece OF paper and
write down upon il the amount OF money
you want, the length OF time you want ~
| sign your name TO II and carry II to the
bank. But this will profit you nothing, be
cause you have not found the secret. IL u
thus frequently that men stand before
God and ask 20 be saved. II you will take
]
n<ne stands for money, then have him
write his name upon the back OF II and
carry ~ 20 the bank. you will be surprised
20 see what different position you have
and you Will receive the money, not be
cause OF what you are, but because OF what
your security ~. IL Is thus we have Oui
standing before God; our security is per
feet, and simple faith unitcs us 20 Him.
IL - great also IN It's pardon and for
giveness. Pardon means more with God
than with men. With men a pardon may
open the prison doors and send the guilty
one back TO his home, but II he s a mur
derer the chances are he will have a few
peaceful nights, and then IN his dreams az
well az in his waking moments his sin vii
be before him. This IA because he u par
doned and not justified When God par
dOns ms He IustIhcs freely and forever
: And forgiveness means more with God
than with man When We forgive we con
stantly remember the one who has sinnec
against Us, but God forgives and remem
bers against Us our tFansyressions no more
forever.
A distinguished minister, in preaching
% men specially told the story Of hs Owr
life. how he bad almost broken his moth
ers heart, made her hair gray before th'
time, and made her blush % think that ht
was her son. Then told how God had for
gwen him, and when he made his appea
the effect was profound. Hs officers gath
erCd Ground hiu % say kind words abou
his sermon. but when they left there came
an old woman with gray har and ben
form She threw her arms about bis necl
and said M s0n. why did YOU tel 10; yOf
never was bad in an this w0rId' and Thu
was his mother. lie had aimos. broker