Democratic messenger., 1888-09-01
No InSisnifCanCeS.
GREAT RESULTS MAY DEFEND or
SMALL ENDS.
DIR. Taimagc breaches Isis Last Summer
Absence Sermon ON the Camp Ground
Rt Grin,sby, Canada-The
story Of Paul's Escape
From Damascus.

I. Dewitt Talmagc. ID. d., Of Brooklyn,
preached on the camp-ground this place
to-day. All Canada was represented In
the immcncc throng assembled. Dr. Tai.
mage has preached at Grimsby many sum.
mers. He has preached In, lecturcd
and visited ID States of the Union this
summer, his audiences numbering 10000
and $1,000 people The subject Of his
sermon here to-day was "Great Results
May Dcperd on Small Events" DR.. Tai.
mage took for his text: Through win.
dow, in basket, was let down by the
wall.'-II. Cor. H., 30. He said.
Damascus is a city OF white and glisten.
ing architecture, sometimes called "thc
eye of the East" sometimes called "a pearl
surrounded by emeralds," at one time dis.
tinguished for swords of the best material
called Damascus blades, and upholstery
Of richest fabric called damasks. A horse.
man by the name of Paul, riding toward
this city, had been thrown from the sad.
die. The horse had dropped under flash
from the sky, which at the same time was
so bright ii blinded the rider for many
days, and, ! think, so permanently injured
his eyesight that this defect Of vision be.
came the thorn In the flesh he afterward
speaks Of lie started for Damascus to
butcher Christians. but after that hard
fall from his horse he was changed man,
and preached Christ in Damascus ill the
city was shaken to It's foundation.
The mayor gives authority for his ar
rest. and the popular cry is: "Kill him!
Kill him. The city is surrounded by
high wall. and the gates are watched by
the police lest the Cilician preacher es
cape Many Of the houses are built on
the wall, and their balconies projected
clear over and hoverc'l above the gardens
outside. II was customary TO lower
baskets out Of these balconies and pull up
fruits and flowers from the gardens. To
this day visitors at the monastery of
Mount Sinai are lincd and let down in
baskets. Dcc,iycs prowlcd around from
from house To house looking for Paul, hut
his friends hid him now In one place. now
in another. lie Is no coward, MS 30 Incl.
dents in his life demonstrate. But he feels
his work is NOT done yet, and so he eyadcs
assassination. "ls that preacher here:"
the ioaming mob shout nj one house door.
is that frantic here" the police shout at
another house door. Sometimes ON the
street incogaito he passes through crowd
of clcnchcd fists and sometimes he secrctes
himself on the housc.iop. At last the in.
furia,e populacc get on sure track Of him.
They have positive evidence that he is in
the house Of one of the Christians, the
balcony of whose home reaches over the
wall Here he is. Here he isw The
vociicration and blasphcmy and bowling
Of the pursucrs are at the front door.
They break in. Fetch out that Gospel.
yer, and lei us hang his head on the city
gate. Where is he!" The emergency
was terrible Providcntially there was
good stout basket in the house. Pauls
friends fastened rope to the brsket.
Paul steps into Il. The basket is lifted to the
edge of the balcony ON the wall. and then
while Paul holds on TO the rope with both
hands cautiously, slowly but surely further
down and further down, until the basket
strikes the earth and the apostle steps out,
aud afoot and alone starts on that famous
missionary tour, the story Of which has
astonishcd earth and Heaven. Appro-
pirate entry in Paurs diary of travels:
Through window, in basket. was
let down by the wall"
WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED.
Observe, first, on what slender tenure
great results hang. The ropemaker who
twisted that cord fastened To that lower
ing basket never knew how much would
depend on the strength Of II. How if II
had broken: What would have become
of the Christian Church All that
magnificent missionary work in Pamphil.
ia, Cappadocia Galaiia, Macedonia, would
never have been accomplished. All his
writings that make up so Indispensable
and enchanting part Of the New Tcsta-
ment would never have been written.
The story of resurrection would never
have been So glOriOusly told us he told II.
That example oi heroic and triumphant
endurance at Philippi, In the Mediterran-
can euroclydon, under ilagellation aud at
his bchcadng, would not have kindlcd
the courage Of ten thousand martyrloms.
Bu, that rope holding that basket, how
much depended on Il. So, again and
again. great results have hung on what
seemed slender circumstances.
Did ever ship of many thousand tons
crossing the sea have such important pas.
sengcrs as had once boat of leaves, from
iailrail To stern only three or four feet, the
vessel made waterproof by coat of btu.
men and floating on the Nile with the
in iant lawgiycr of the Jews ON boari.
What II some crocodile should crush Il.
Vessels Of war sometimes carry 10 guns
looking through the portfolios, ready to
open battle. But that tiny cran on the
Nile seems 10 be armed with all the guns
of thunder that bombartled Signal at the
law giving. On how fragile craft sailed
how much historical Importance
The parsonage At Epworth. England. IA
ON fire in the night and the father rushed
through the hall for the rescue Of his chill.
dcn. Seven children are out and safe ON
the ground. hut one remains In the con-
suming building. That one wakes. and,
finding his bed ON fire and the building
crumbling comes to the window. and two
peasants make ladder Of their bodles. one
standing on the shoulder Of the other. and
down the human ladder the boy descends
John Wesley, llf you would know how
much depended ON that ladder Of peasants
ask the millions Of MeihodIsts on both sides
of the sen Ask their mission stations all