The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-09-27
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Hmall Events Sometimes Prolific of
Great Results.
Helpful Influences in Every day Life that
Rarely Receive Full Credit-Inci-
dents In Our Lives that Have
Shaped Our Destinies.


Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage delivered the
following sermon at Grimsby, Canada, on
recent Sabbath. 1t is not a new one,
having been delivered elsewhere within
the past two years. 1t is good one, how.
ever and will bear repeating. His text
was:
Through window. in basket, was let
down by the wall.-IL. Cor. IT,, 80.
Damascus is city of white and glisten-
Ing architecture, sometimes called "the
eye of the East" sometimes called ga
pearl surrounded by emeralds," at one
time distinguished for swords of the best
material called Damascus blades, and
upholstery of richest fabric called
damasks. A horseman 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 1t 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. He started for Damascus to
butcher Christians. but after that hard
fall from his horse he was changed
man and preached Christ In Damascus
till the city was shaken to its founda-
ton.
The mayor gives authority for his ar
rest, and the popular cry Is: ''Kill himi
kill him!" The city is surrounded by a
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 lowered above the gardens
outside. 1t was customary to lower
baskets out of these balconies and pull
up fruit and flowers from the gardens.
To this day visitors at the monastry Of
Mount Sinai are lifted and let down in
baskets. Detectives provided around from
house to house looking for Paul. but his
friends hid him now in one place, now in
another. He is no coward. as fifty incl
dents in his life demonstrate. But he
feels his work is not done yet, aud so he
evades assassination.
rs that preacher heres" the foam ing
mob shouts at one door.
rs that fanatic here? the police shout
at another house door, Sometimes on
the street inoognito he passes through
crowd OF clenched fists. and sometimes
he secretes himself on the house tops.
AT last the infuriated populace 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 isl" The moderation and BIAS
phemy and bowling of the pursuers are
ut the front door. They break in. "Fetch
out that Gospelizer and let us hang his
ha <,v,f ,if 10 g. 1.
The emergency was terrible. Provi-
dentially, there was a good stout basket
in the house. Paul's friends fasten a
rope to the basket. Paul steps into it.
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, his
friends lower away, carefully and eau
tiously, slowly but surely, further down
and further down, until the basket strikes
the earth and the apostle steps out, and,
afoot and alone, starts on that famous
missionary tour, the story of which has
astonished earth and Heaven. Appro-
pirate entry in Paul's diary of travels:
Through window, in basket, was let
down by the wall.
Observe, first, on what slender tenure
great results hang. The rope maker who
ing basket never knew how much would
depend on the strength of it. How If it
had been broken and the apostles life
had been dashed out? What would have
become of the Christian Church? All
that magnificent missionary work in
Pamphilia, Cappadocia, Galatia, Mace
don1a would never have been accom-.
plished. ALI his writings that make up
SO indispensable and enchanting a part
OF the New Testament would never have
been written. The story of resurrection
would never have been SO gloriously told
as he told it. That example of heroic and
triumphant endurance at Philippi, in the
mediterranean euroclydon, under f1agel-
iation, and at his beheading would not
have kindled the courage of tea thous and
martyrdoms. But that rope holding that
basket, how much depended on It'll 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
passengers as had once boat of leaves.
from tatfrail to stern only three or tour
feet, the vessel made waterproof by a
coat OF bitumen and floating on the Nile
with the infant Law giver of the Jews on
board? What If SONS crocodile should
crunch it? What if some of the cattle
wading in for a drink should sink it?
vessels of war sometimes carry forty
guns looking through the PORTFOLIOS.
ready to open battle. But that tiny craft
on the Nile seems to be armed with all
the guns of thunder that bombarded
Sinai at the law-giving. On how fragile
craft sailed how much of historical i'm.
portance!
The parsonage at Epworth, England. is
on fire in the night and the father rushed |
through the hallway for the rescue of his
children. Seven children are out and
safe on the ground, but one remains in |
The consuming building. That one wakes
aud, finding his bed on fire and the build |
Idg crumbling, comes to the window, and |
Two peasants make ladder of their |
bodies, one peasant standing on the |
shoulder OF the other, aud down the hu-
man ladder the boy descends-John Wes- |
ley. II you would know how much de-
Ponds on that ladder of peasants ask the |
millions OF Methodists on both sides Of |
she sea. Ask their mission stations all |
around the world. Ask their hundreds of |
thousands already assembled to join their |
'ounder, who would have persisted but for |
he living stairs of peasants shoulders,
An English shipstopped at Pitcairn ISL |
md and right in the midst of surrornd