The New York herald., 1873-12-08
TALMAGE AT THE ACADEMY.

be the decree OF governmental authority we, rs a
people, might be true to our country's interests.
TALMAGE AT THE ACADEMY.
The Tragedy OF the Vile du Havre and
It's Lessons-Appaliing Guilt Some
whcre-The Responsibility of Those
Who Have Human Life in Their
Keeping.
The tragedy OF the Vile du Havre was the theme
of Mr. Talmage's morning discourse. The Academy
was crowded from orchestra to amphitheatre, and
many persons who arrived after the services had
opened were unable to obtain even standing
room.
After briefly commenting upon the perils OF the
sea in oden times and at the present day. the
preacher launched forth upon his subject as fol-
lows:-
Only a few days ago the Loeb Earn, vessel OF
1900 tons with bowsprit steel plated, weighed an
chor in English waters. Only few days ago the
Vile du Havre was ready to sail from New York.
The usual warning was given on deck, "All ashore
who are not goingl' Then the gangways were
cleared and the planks hauled In, and there was
the usual farewell wavings. and, as though FORE
boding evil, young man stood on deck and waved
never YER see me again on this side Of the watero It
seemed almost impossible that two vessels starting
IRON s1ch dstaas ona even tSav c ca eae ON
through day and night, and darkness and storm,
and fog and sunshine, approxinating, as though
A PLACE AND TINE FOR MEETING.
The Loeb Earn sometimes took a different tack.
and the Vile du Havre changed sometimes its
course, but nevertheless approXimatng all the
while the hour for their meeting coming very soon
1t is twelve O'Clock at night The bells have rung.
1t is one O'Clock in the morning. 1t Is two
tue rigging, the helmsman is at the wheel, the
fremen down at the furnaces the watch passing
the lookout the passengers asleep IN the oertbs
and cabins when crash came the Loeb Earn amld.
the stalrcases ran to to the decks, and mariners
and passengers ran wild and some stark mad and
there was rusn ior the nieboats anu a cry 70 God
servers. No time TO sound the minute gun OF dis
tress across the sea. There they kneel IN prayer;
yonder leap into the wave. Here stand in Wild
horror. The thought OF home and loved ones far
away comes over them and they ieel as IL they
cannot must not die. But already
THE STEAMER HAS BEGUN TO SINK
Pull away there in The lifeboats lest you be sucked
be lost. Pull away there in the lifeboatsl The
mzzenmast crashes over upon some OF the liie-
boats and they are gone, and the steamer sinks
down lower until the deck is even with the
waves--the combined the unearthly, the stupen:
dous shrek OF 2l2 passengers rends the air OF
| earth and heaven with the catastrophe.
| cannot, as a minister OF Christ and as a lover
out learning ior myself and learning for you three
| or lour lessons And first, | learn the RESPONSE
billty OF those VINO hold ,r the ves OF the propery
to the marine authorities to say who were to
blame; but 1t is certain that there Is wckedness
somewhere. No fog, no storm-clear starlight;
and yet 500 perhaps 1000, families in this country
and in Europe are whelmed in bereavement TO.
day. | viii not say who Is to blame. do not
| know who is to blame; but the two continents
have been empanelled as coroner's jury and have
APPALLING GUILT SOMEWHERE,
| The commanders OF steamers, the engineers OF
locomotives, the conductors OF rail trains, the
architects OF buildings, the pilots or steamboats,
have in their hands and on their SHOULDERS very
great responsibility. God will hold them to ac-
souls OF men. 1t may nave seemed a very nsig-
nilcant thing connected with this disaster that
bottom of the sea; but do not think 1t was at all
insignificant when there are so many starving Tor
bread. The world could not afford to waste $4,000
bushels OF wheat.
Ilearn also from this disaster that when we part
| from friends reunion Is uncertain. My counsel
to you s that II you have any duty TO perform
towards your friends, in regard to their eternal
interests, you had better perform that duty before
they take steamer or rail tram Ii there were any
impenitent ones who persisted in this wreck how
do you suppose their unlaithful friends feel to-day
] believe there are hundreds OF thousands now
away from Christ simply because their friends do
not do their duty.
Another lesson is that elegant surroundings are
no security from the last foe. Iceberg, storm and
| collision can see no difference between magnin-
| cent steamship and Nantucket whaler with
on the Vile du Havre could have exchanged their
money for life, would not they have gwen 1t 7 On,
yes; but
DEATH CANNOT BE BRIBED
He comes with muddy Ieet from walking amid
the upturned earth OF new made graves, and
bunders the finest carpet and sets his spade
against the headboard OF rosewood bedstead.
| Ihs disaster also showed that some Christians
are nearer glory than they think. Many OF these
passengers when they went TO sleep that night did
! not know they were so near the jasper sea and q
reunion with friends gone before. Ii they did
! they would not have slept a wink. Some OF them
| ministers OF the Gospel, and the same Jesus
they had preached stood by them on the parting
| on one side, the Lord Jesus Christ walked the
water on the other side. Those men OF God did
not know they were going from one Evangelical
! Alliance to another; but the one here Is nothing
compared with that beyond. THIS is SO with
! some OF you you are nearer heaven than you
/ think. There IL q Loeb Earn somewhere that is
making towards you ana you aware you
Will open your eyes on raptures eternal. | con-
graduate You that 1t IL SO.
Again, learn rom this disaster that the world
| has not yet been persuaded OF
THE NONSENSE or PRAYER,
The report to us from this ship that they all
! prayed. They had probably read that prayer was
unscientlfc and useless, but they were not per-
sSeptcs Of NE World had been there tnes Wv would
have prayed too. though lear not with the calm
ness OF the woman who prayed aloud on the deck,
| for their hope would not have been 50 good.
In conclusion Mr. Tamage said that this
catastrophe showed the importance OF always
being ready for transition. The longest time
spoken OF between the collision and the plunge is
| IL minutes. Alas, for the impenltent people
the work OF a lifetime and prepare for countless
| ages OF eternity. ! think they took 10 OF them In
hoping they could escape Only two minutes left
minute TO look over their wasted lie and the other
4 TO look forward 10 the great eternity. What a
short time, you say; but do not you realize that
you may not be so fortunateY Much Of the history
OF the Hudson River, the Erie and the Pennsyl-
vania railroads is tue hurting OF men and women
unprepared into an unknown eternity. ain such
day and In sucn an hour as yc think not the Son Of
/ Man cometh."
SCHERMERH0RN STREET FRIENDS MEET
ING.
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