Democratic messenger., 1888-09-01
No InSiSnifCanCeS.
(Contiawsd From First Pagc.

(ContiaH,d F'rom First PycA
gers discovered Christian colony OF
churches and schools and beautiful homes
and highest style OF religion and civiliza.
ton. For so years no missionary and no
Christian Influence had landed there. Why
this oasis oflght amid desert of hcathen.
dom? Sixty years before ship had me,
disaster. and one Of the sailors, unable Ia
save anything else, went TO his trunk and
took out Bible which his mother had
placed there and swan ashore, the Bible
held in his teeth. The book was read on
all sides until the rough and vicious pop.
nlation were evangelical, and church
was started, and an enlightened common
wealth established, and the worlds history
has no more brilliant page than that which
tells of the transformation of u nation by
one book. II did not seem of much impor.
tancc whether the sailor continued 10 hold
the book in his teeth or let il fall in the
breakers, but upon wha, small circum.
stances depended wha, mighty result!
THERE ARE M INsiGNiFICANcEs.
Practical inference: There are no In.
signiiicances in our lives. The minutes
thing ispart of II magnitude. Infini,y is
made up Of infinitcsimals. Great things
an aggregation OF small things. Bc,hlem
manager pulling on star in the eastern
sky. One book in drcnchcd sailors
mouth the eyangelizaiion of multitude.
One boat ofpapyrus on the Nile freightei
with events for all ages. The fate Of
Christendom in basket let down from n
window on the wall What you do
do II well. II you make rope make il
strong and true, for you know no, how
much may depend on your workmanship.
II you fashion boat let Il be waterproof,
for you know not who may sail in il, II
You put n Bible In the ,rank Of your hoy as
hc goes from home, let Il be heard in your
prayers. for II may have mission ~ far.
reaching as the book which the sailor car
ried in his teeth 10 the Pitcairn beach
The plaincst mans life Is an island be.
tween two enthusiastically fast rip
pling against his shoulders, eternity To
come touching his brow. The casual, the
accidental, that which merely happens
80, are parts Of a great plan, and the rope
that let's the fugitive apostle from the Da-
mascus wall Is the cable that holds To It's
mooring the ship Of the church In tho
northeast storm Of the centuries
Again, notice unrccognizcd and un-
recorded services Who spun the rope ,
Who tied Il "a The basket. Who sieadied
the illusirious preacher as he stepped into
itt Who relaxed not u muscle Of the arm
or dismissed an anxious look from his face
until the basket touched the ground and
discharged It's magnificent cargo. Not
one of their names has come Ia us, but
there was no work done that day ia Da-
mascus or In all the earth compared with
the importance Of their work. What II
they had In their agitation tied knot
that could slips What II the sound of a
mob at the door led them TO say; "Paul
must take care Of himself and we will take
care OF ourselvesg" No. no. They held
the rope, and In doing so did more for
the Christian Church than any thousand
Of ms will ever accomplish. But God
knows and has made eternal record Of
their undertaking. And they know. How
exuliant they must have felt when they
read his letters TO the Romans. TO the
Corinthians. To the Galatlons, TO the
Ephesians, to the Philippians, to the
Colosians. 10 the Thessalonians, 10 Timo-
thy. TO Titus. To Philemon. TO the He
bTews. and when they heard how he walk.
ed out Of prison with the earthquake
unlocking The door for him, and took COM