Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-21

! SOlho loln Oi ulShlphLoHt CulucS upuH
them. II they had time TO examine their
Bible, II they had time to consult with
their friends, il they had time 10 delib-
| crate, they could withstand It.; but the
| temptation came so suddenly--e euro
! clydon on the Mediterranean,
! whirlwind of the Caribbean. One
surge OF temptation and they
| perish. And SO we often hear the old
story, 81 hadn't seen my friend in
| great many years. We We're very glad to
meet. He said must drink, and he took
! me by the arm and pressed me along, aud
| filled the cup until the bubbles ran over
the edge, and in an evil moment all my
/ good resolutions were swept away, and,
/ TO the Outraging of God and my own soul,
! fell" Or the story Is, 81 had hard work
| TO support my family. l knew that by
| one false entry, by one deception, by one
embezzlement, might spring out from
all my trouble; but the temptation came
! upon me 50 tiercely could not think. l
! did wrong, and, having done wrong once,
! l could not stop" Oh, It is the first step
that costs; the second is easier, and the
| third, and on to the last, Once having
broken loose from the anchor, ii is not so
easy to tie the parted strands. How often
1t Is that men perish for the reason that
the temptation comes from some uneX-
! pected quarter as vessels lie in MarEate
wind changing to the northeast, they are
driven helpless, and so down. Oh, that
God would have mercy upon those upon
whom there comes the sudden swOop OF
temptation, that they perish not, becom-
ing, for this world and the world 10 come,
castaway! castaway!
BY talking with sailors l have found
out also that some vessels come TO this
calamity through their Tecklessness.
All
| the sea for living. IL is simple fact
that the average Of human life on the sea
is less than twelve years. This comes
from the fact that men, by familiarity with
| danger, sOmetimes become reckless-the
captain, the helmsman, the st0ker. the
! man on the lOOkOut--becOmer reckless, and
in nine out Of ten shipwrecks 1t Is found
out that some one was awtully to blame.
So l have to tell you that men lose their
souls TIN ough sheer recklessness. There
are thousands OF my friends in this house
tonight who do not care where they are
in spiritual things. They do not know
whether they are sailing toward heaven
or toward hell. and The sea is black with
piratical hulka that would grapple them
with hooks Of steel, and blindt0d them,
and make them "walk the plank" They
do not know what the next moment may
bring forth. Drifting in their theology.
ing in regard to all the
future. No God, no Christ, no settled an
ticipations of eternal felicity, but all the
time coming nearer and nearer TO a dan
gerOus coast. Some Of them are on fire
with evil habit, and they shall burn on the
sea, the charred hulk tossed upon the
barren each Of the lost world. Many OF
them with great troubles-hnaneial
! troubles, domestic troubles, social
troubles; but they never pray for comfort.
With an aggravati0n OF sin that stirs up
the ire OF God, tney pray for no pardon.
They do not steer for the lightship that
dances in gladness at the mouth Of heav-
| ems harbOr RECKLESS as to where they come
| out, drifting farther from God, farther
from early religious influence, farther
from their present happiness, farther from
heaven. And, what is the worst
thing about it Is, that they
are taking their families along
with them, and if one perish perhaps
they will all perish; and the way one goes
the probability Is they will all go. Yet
no anxiety. As unconscious OF danger
as the passengers on board the Arctic
one moment before the Vesta crashed into
her. Wrapped up in the business OF the
store, not remembering that soon they
must quit all their earthly possessions.
Absorbed in their social position, not
knowing that very soon they will have at
tended the last levee, and whirled In the
last schOttische. They do not deliberately
choose TO be ruined; nor did the French
frigate Medusa aim for the Arguin
banks, but there it went TO pieces. o ye
reckless souls! l wish that tonight |
could wake you up with some great per-
turbatiOn. The perils are so augmented,
the chances OF escape are 80 few;
you will die just as certain
ly as you sit there, unless
you bestir OuIself. | fear, my brother,
You are becoming castaway. You are
making no effort, you are putting forth
no exertion for escape. You throw out
no oar. You take no sOundings. You
watch no compass. You are not calcu-
lating your bearings while the wind is
a0aft, and yOnder is long line OF foam
bounding the horizon, and you Will be
pushed on toward IT, and thousands have
perisned there, and you are driving In the
same direction. Ready about! Down
helmi Hard down! or In the next five
minutes, or four minutes, or three min
utes, or two minutes, or one minute, you
may be a castaway.
o unf0rgiyen souli IL you could see
your peril before God tonight on account
/ OF your lifetime sin and tTansgressiOn.
there would be htty men who would rush
through that aisle crying for mercy, and
they would be as men are when they rush
across the deck Of laundering ship, and
there would be thousands Of arms tossed
up from the galleries, and as these
| Christian men rose up 10 help them IL
would be as when a vessel drives on the
rocks and on the shOre-the command IL
"Man the lifeboat! Man the lfebOatl
Pull, my lads, pulp A steamer with
two hundred on board making
the last plunge. Why does your
cheek turn pale and your heart
pound until, listening, you hear
10? 10 Is because, my dear brother, you
realize that, owing 10 your lifetime sin
and rejection OF Gods mercy, you arc IN
peril, and really believe there are thou
sands Of people IN this house this moment
saying within themselves, Nv hat shall
do? do? do? Why, my brother, do what
any ship does when II is In trouble. Lift
n DISTRESS signal. There is fash and a
boom. You listen and you look. A yes
sci IL In trouble. The distress gun is
sounded, or a rocket Is sent up, or blan-
ket is lifted, or q bundle ofrags- anything
70 catch the eye OF the passing craft. So,
II you want 20 be taken on the wreck OF
your sin, you must llft distress signal.
Rise Lit your handl Cry out for mercy
The publican lifted the distress signal
when he cried, "G0d be merciful 10 me a
I sinner.V Peter lifted the distress signal
when he said. "LOrd save me, ] perlshW
The blind man lifted the distress signal
I trfhnu ha aafd o. ord that nv oVpg mnV