The west Tennessee star. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1888, 1888-09-07

recorded services. Who spun the roper
Who tied it to the basket? Who steadied
the illustrtous preacher AS he stepped
into it? Who relaxed not a muscle of
the arm or dismissed an anxious look
from his face until the basket touched
the ground and discharged its magnificent
cargo2 Not one Of their names has come
to us, but there was no work done that
day in Damascus or in all the earth COM
pared with the Importance of their work.
What If they had in the agitation tied a
knot that could slip? What If the sound
of a mob at the door had led them to says
paul must take care of himself and We
viii take care Of ourselves" No, mol
They held the rope, and in doing so did
more for the Christian Church than any
thousand Of us will ever accomplish. But
God knows and has made eternal record
Of their undertaking. And they know.
How exultant they must have felt when
they read his letters to the Rom ans, to
the Corinthians, to the Galatians, TO the
Ephesisns, to the Philippians, to
the Coloss1ans, to the ThessaIonians,
to Timothy, to Titus, to Philemon, to the
Hebrews, and when they heard how he
walked out of prison with the earthquake
unlocking the door for him and took COM
mand of the A1exandrian corn ship when
the sailors were nearly scared to death,
Felix of his Judgment seat, I hear the
men and women who helped him down
through the window and over the wall
talking in private over the matter, and
saying:
GLOW glad I am that we effected that
rescued In coming times others may get
the glory of Paul's work, but no one
should rob us of the satisfaction of know
ing that we held the rope"
- }, -
thousand ministers Of religion in this
country. About fifty thousand warrant
came from early homes which had to
struggle for the necessaries of life.
The sons of rich bankers and merchants
generally become bankers and merchants.
The most of those who become ministers
are the sons of those who had terrific
struggle to get their everyday bread.
The collegiate and theological education
of that son took every luxury from the
parental table for eight years. The other
children were more scantily appareled.
The son at college every little while got a
bundle from home. In it were the socks
that mother had knit, sitting up late at
night, her sight not so good as once it
was.
And there also were some delicacies
from the sisters hand for the voracious
appetite of hungry student. The father
swung the heavy cradle through the
wheat, the sweat rolling from his chin,
believing every step of the way, and then
sitting down under the cherry tree at
noon thinking to himself:
81 am fearfully tired, but it will pay If
can once see that boy through college,
and if can know that he will be preach
ing the Gospel after I am dead"
The younger children want to know
why they can't have this and that as
others do, and the mother says:
ABE patient, my children. until your
brother graduates, aud then you shall
have more Injuries, but we must see that
boy through"
The years go by, and the son has been
ordained, and is preaching the glorious
Gospel, and a great revival comes, and
souls by scores and hundreds accept the
Gospel from the lips of that young
preacher, and father and mother, quits
old now, are visiting the son at the VIII
| lage parsonage. and at the close of a
Sabbath of mighty blessing, father and
mother retire to their room, the son
| lighting the way and asking them If he
could do any thing to make them more
comfortable, saying If they want any
thing in the night just to knock on the
wall. And then all alone father and
mother talk over the gracious influences
Of the day, and say;
swell, it was worth all we went through
to educate that boy. 1t was a hard pull
but we held on till the work was done.
The. world may not know it, but, mOthe r,
we held the rope, didn't we?'
And the voice, tremuIous with Joyful
| emotions, responded:
ayes, father, we held the rope; I feel
my work Is done. Now. Lord, lettest
Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for
mine eyes have seen Thy salvation"
''Pshaw p says tbs father, 81 never felt
so much like living in my life as now.
want to see what that fellow is going Oh
to do, he has begun so WE'LL"
! Something occurs to me quite personal
I was the youngest of large family of
| children. MY parents were neither rich
nor poor; four of the sons wanted col.
| legiate education, and four obtained it
but not without great home struggle. We
| never heard the old people say once that
they were denying themselves to effect
this, but remember now that my parents
always looked tired. don't think that
they ever got rested until they lay down
| in the Sommerville Cemetery. Mother
would sit down in the evening, and say:
-''Well, I don't know what makes me
feel so tiredi"
Father would fall Immediately to sleep
seated by the evening stand, overcome
| with the days fatigues. One of the fou1
/ hlboT pE6dUuIuR Juo GO6poA ~
about fifty years, entered upon his Heav'
emily rest. Another of the four is now OF
the other side of the earth, missionar.
OF the cross. Two of us are in this 1ap'
in the holy ministry, and / think all o
us are willing 20 acknowledge our obli
CATION to the old folks at home. Abou
| twenty two years ago the one, and abou
twenty.four years ago the other, pm
down the burdens OF this life, but the.
still hold the rope.
o, men and women here assembled, yoJ
brag sometimes how you have tough
your way in the world, but think Their
have been helpful influences that yoI
never fully acknowledged. Has there no
been some influence in your early o
present home that the world can not see
Does there not reach to you from amoni
the Canadian hills, or Western prairie
or from Southern plantation, or from En-
glish or Scottish or Irish home, a cord O
influence that has kept you right whel
you would have gone astray, and which
after you had made a crooked track, re
called your The rope may be as long a
thirty years or five hundred miles long o
three thousand miles long, but hand
that went out of mortal sight long ag
still hold the rope. You want yer
swift horse, and you need TO rowel hiI
with sharpest spurs, and to let the rein
lie loose upon the neck, and to give
shout TO a racer, If you are going to rid
out of reach OF your mothers prayers
Why, q ship crossing the Atlantic i
seven days can't sail away froI
that. A sailor finds them o.
the lookout as he takes his place, an
finds them on the mast as he climbs tn
ratlines to disentangle q rope in th
tempest, and finds them swinging on tn
| hammock when he turns In. Why not b
frank and acknowledge 1.-THE most OF u
would long ago have been dashed to piece
had not gracious and loving hands stead
} lily and lovingly and nightly held tn
l pona