The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-11-07
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
"A NARROW ESCAPE"

Die and helpful sermon ~ by ghe ANtF' III
j. Wilbur Chapman, the best known evan
zelist In the country and one OF the. most
popular pulpit orators Of New York. 1t
h entitled q Narrow Escape" and was
preached from the text, How shall we
escape if we neglect so great salvation
Hebrews 2: 3. "a,
The wonder Of wonders in this world is
the plan of salvation for the sinner
through Jesus Christ. 1t is 30 wonderful
that the man with the greatest mind the
world has ever known has never yet been
able to think his way through II, 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
rs the dignity of Christ He is az the right
hand Of God; He Is better than the an
gels: when the elements have melted with
a 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 a description as this IN
the first chapter we come naturally TO the
FIRST part Of the second chapter. There
fore we ought 10 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
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 If only he
could win the reward and save the man.
The captain manned the Hfeboat, 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 given to lift him up. just as they
were reaching out their hands to make his
salvation sure the ropes slipped, and fall
ing he struck his head upon the lifeboat,
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 at any
time we should let them slip" / 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
Ne87ct.
I? It is a great salvation because it dis
! closes to us a 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 a book
and the name of the author of the plan o.
salvation ought to commend it to every
one. If He is the author two things art
true First that we need not be afraid o
Him, "For God so loved the world that Ht
gave His only begotten Son"
Luther tells us Of the little girl, the chile
of the man who printed his first Bible
He was a member of the Church of Rome
and the child had been taught that Coz
could only be approached by means OF pen
ance and sacrifice. One day in the print
er's Office she found little crumpled piec
of paper which contained a part OF thu
verse, which Luther called the Gospel i
a NUTSHELL" all she found was, God s
loved the world that He gave"
produced great impression upon her. On
day her mother heard her singing an
asked the secret Of her happiness. She ar
swered by showing her the little piece {
paper, and her mother said, what does
mean?" for, she said, "it does not tell L
what He gave" The child's reply wa
"If He loved us well enough to give |
anything, we need not be afraid of Him. y
! again, II you Is INC dublOl3 Ills - VI
only way of salvation. Men decide I
come to God by the way of reformation, {
by the power Of resolution, but this profit
nothing, for reformation may touch III
present, and may possibly avail for the Il
ture, but it cannot touch the past. II
man is in your debt $500 and comes
tell you that he has decided never to 8
into debt again, you may tell him that
is making fine resolution but you wi
not tell him that his good resolution pa!
) his Indebtedness to you, for that Is tran
action of the past. The wonderful TIM
about the plan of salvation is that it pr
vides an atonement touching the sins
the present, makes provision for the I
r ture, and blotting out the transgresslol
. of the past 1t is great also in its sacritC
The way back to God has always be-
+ sprinked with blood Study the Old Tt
lament and you will find this is true. j
, when the sins Of men became so great tn
the blood Of bulls and goats would n
> suffice then Christ died for our sins, &
e cording to the Scriptures.
Il 1t was my privilege some time ago
preach to the convicts in the State Pei
Tertiary Of Tennessee. / said to them
n can give you the secret of getting almC
/. any amount of money, and their faces
4 stantlv were a study, for the most of tn
were in prison for trying to get money
o their own way. But this is the secret
4. gave them. Take piece Of paper a
write down upon it the amount Of MOI
you want, the length of time you want
sign your name to it and carry it to
err bank. But this will profit you nothing,
ie cause you have not found the secret. II
thus frequently that men stand bel
at God and ask to be saved. If you will t
n that piece of paper to some one VIII
ST name stands for money, then have
- write his name upon the back of it
le carry it to the bank, you will be surprl
ed to see what a different position you ha
lis and you will receive the money not
he cause of what you are, but because OF W
nc your security is. 1t is thus we have
rt standing before God; our security is
or feet, and simple faith unites us to HIM.
m 1t is great also in its pardon and
:, giveness. Pardon means more with
81 than with men. With men a pardon
80