Year: 1873

Christ Our Refuge-A Democratic Saliva


tion-Candtdatcs for Imperial Splen-
doris from ELM Street.-The Exclusive


Heaven for Aristocrats--They Must


Humble Themselves with the Rest or


stay Out Altogether.


Mr.. Talmage, always metaphorical in his dis
courses was more than usually SO yesterday morn
Ing. The subject OF his sermon was "Jesus our
Only Refuge and Salvation" which theme he DIS
cussed for nearly one hour, holding the attention
OF his great audience throughout.


In the first place, said he, Jesus is safe refuge
Why, there is not any fort that have heard Of
that has not been or cannot be taken. Fort Sum-
ter, that was considered impregnabe. was taken
nrst by one army and then by the other. Fort
Pulaski was taken Fort Donelson was taken, Sc
pastapol was taken-ay. Gibraltar was taken,
and there never has been fortress built by human
hands, north, south, east or west, on any conti-
nent, but 1t might be captured or destroyed. Oh !
want to tell you Of Christ, the refuge into
which the righteous run and are saved.


THE BATTERING RAMS OF HE'LL


cannot smite down these walls. The sappers and
miners cannot explode this fortress. No storming
party OF hell can leap on these towers. The
weapons with which this castle Is defended are
omnipotent, and hell shall unlimber its great guns
Of death only to have them dismounted. When
Christ comes to us He pardons our SINS The ocean
cannot SO easily drown NJ as the ocean Of Gods
mercy can swallow up and oyerwhelm our trans
gressons. He is able to save even unto the utter
most Or as Solomon hath said it in the Canticles,
''His legs are legs OF brass" implying that He can
carry anything, and that when He gets under the
burden OF our crime He lifts it, oh. ye VINO have
been in hand to hand fight with "the world, the
flesh and the devil" come up into this tower OF
Christ's defence aud Christ's mercy. Satan may
storm up the steep and may shout "Forwardw to
the battalions OF darkness; but standing in that
castle you are safe. Trouble may come on with


LONG WAGON TRAINS OF CARE


and annoyance, and you may hear in It's tramp the
bereavements that once broke your heart; but
Are you this morning sale in the refugeS The fires
OF the last day Will only illumine its towers, and
the tnunders Of the Judgment win be only the salyo
Everything depends upon having the fortress near
In the day OF battle. want to tell you to-day the
glorious truth that 1t Is no long march to our
refuge We can get on from the worst earthly de-
feat into Its strength 1t Is only just one step from
the pattie INTO the castle: You know it IS custom
rails, so we have Fort lafayette and Fort Washing.
ton. The fortress into which invite you to-day is
Fort Jesus have seen men pursued by sins that
came with lightning feet. have seen men pur.
ey that with n
nos ns nave II snee near N ong rsse penanss xSa


THE vEsTIBULE OF GODS MERCY.


Why stand and be ridded and sheed In the
bombardment OF perdtion when one moments
faith would place you In that castleS Again,
Christ Is very large fortress. There ls room ior
the whole race In that refuge. II men had their
own way, 1t would not have been that way. There
are some people who would have said, .Let us
have this salvation all ourselves; let t not be for
the publicans and the lazzaroni ana the common
people and the abandoned Don't nave 1t for
them. Let us ride to Heaven on q snorting
charger with fOur 1eet in golden stlrrups."
Heaven would have been glorifed Windsor
Castle or Tuiieries or Vatican-a Few aristocrats in
tie golden streets forever and forever. But glory
be to God this Is


A DEMOCRATIC SALVATION.


In other words, 1t invites all. Lazarus went up
and Dives went down. and there are candidates
for imperial splendOr In Elm street and by the peat
fire OF the Irish shanty. Christ has swung the
door OF Heaven open SO wide that all the gentle and
refined and educated may 60 In II they repent, and
all the scoundrcs OF the universe they repent. Ay
can go and snatch the knife OF the murderer's
hand while that knife is yet dripping with the
blood Of the VICTIM and say, "Come back, muir
derer Believe, and in that fountain Of Saviour's
mercy even your red hands can be washed clean.n
Some one says, ~ don't want to go to Heaven
with such horrible setn Then stay out. Unless
the Lord by HIS holy spirit, makes you humble
enough to sit at the banquet OF His mercy with
anybody and everybody, you will never SIT there
at all.


In conclusion Mr.. Talmage spoke OF Christ as
the only refuge, and exhorted all to seek Him at
once, before 1t would be too late