The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-27

|
their mission stations all around the
world. Ask their hundreds of thousands
already assembled to join their founder,
who would have perished but for the living
stairs of peasants shoulders.
An English ship stopped at Pitcairn
island, and right in the midstof surround
ing cannibalism and squalor the passengers
discovered a Christian colony of schools
and beautiful homes and highest style OF
religion and civilization. For fifty years
no missionary and no Christian influence
had landed there. Why this oasis OF light
amid desert OF heathenism? Sixty years
before, a ship had met disaster, and one OF
the sailors, unable to 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 population were evan
| gellzed, and a church was started and an
enlightened commonwealth established,
| brilliant page than that which tells of the
| transformation of nation BY one book.
| IL did not seem OF much importance
whether the sailor continued TO hold the
book in his teeth or let it fall in the break
depended what mighty results!
Practical inference: There are no in
signiicances in our lives. The minutest
thing is part OF a magnitude. lntinty is
made up OF inhnitesimals. Great things
an aggregation OF small things. Bethle-
hem manger pulling on star in the
eastern sky. One book in a drenched
sailor's mouth the evangelization OF null
titude. One boat of papyrus on the Nile
ireghted with events ior all ages. The
fate of Christendom in basket let down
from window on the wall. What you
do, do well. Ii you make a rope make it
strong and true, for you know not how
much may depend on your workmanship.
II you fashion boat let il be water proof,
for you know not who may sail in Il. II
| you put Bible in the trunk OF your boy
as he goes from home, let il he heard in
your prayers, for it may have u mission as
far-reaching rs the book which the sailor
carried in his teeth TO the Pitcairn beach,
The plainest mans life is an island be-
tween two eternities s-eternity past rip
pling against his shoulders, eternity 10
come touching his brow. The casual, the
accidental, that which merely happens so,
are parts OF great plan, and the rope
that lets the fugitive apostle from the
Damascus wall is the cable that holds to
its moOring the ship Of the church in the
northeast storm OF the centuries.
Again, notice unrecognized and unre-
corded services. Who spun the rope?
Who tied II TO the basket2 Who steadied
the illustrious preacher rs he stepped into
III Who relaxed not muscle OF the arm
or dismissed an anxious look from his face
until the basket touched the ground and
| discharged It's magnificent cargo2 Not one
OF their names has come 10 us, but there
was no work done that day in Damascus
or In all the earth compared with the inn
portance OF their work. What il they had
in the agitation tied knot that could slip?
| What II the sound OF a mob at the door
had led them 20 say: paul must take
care OF himself, and we will take care Of
ourselves" No, mol They held the rope,
and in doing 20 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 cxultant they
must have felt when they read his letters
10 the Romans, 10 the Corinthians, 10 the
Galatians, 10 the Ephcsians, 10 the Philip.
plans, TO the Colossians, TO tho Thessalo-
mans, 10 Timothy, TO Titus, 10 Philemon,
10 the Hebrews; and when they heard how
he walked out Of prison With ~; ""rih;
quake unlocking The door for him, and
took command Of tho Alexandrian corn.
ship when the sailors were nearly scared
TO death, and preached n sermon that
nearly shook Felix of his judgment seat.
/ hear the men and women who helped
/ him down through the window and over
the wall, talking in private over the mat
ter, aud saying: GLOW glad | am that We
/ effected that rescued In coming times
Others may get the glory OF Paul's work,
but no one shall rob Us OF the satisfaction
OF knowing that we held the rope"
There are said 10 be about $1,000 minis.
tens OF religion in this country. About
$4,000 warrant came from early homes
which had 10 struggle for the nccessaries
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 n terrific
struggle 10 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 n bundle
from home. In ii were the socks that
mother hal knit, sitting up late at night
her sight not as good as once II was.
| Aud there were also some delicacicl
from the sisters hand for the yomciou'
appetite OF hungry student The father
swung the heavy cradle through the
wheat, the sweat rolling from his chin, be-
dewing every step Of the way, aud thcr
sitting down under the cherry tree Al
noon, thinking 20 himself: ~ am ieariully
tired but II will pay II | can once see thai
boy through college, and II ] can know
that he n preaching the gospel after au
dead" The younger children want Il
know why they cant have this and that a
Others do, and the mother says "Bc pa
tient, my children, until your brolhe
graduates, and then you shall have NOR
Injuries, but We must see that DO!
through"
The yean 90 by, and the son has beer
ordained aud Is preaching tho gloriou
gospel, and n great revival comes, ans
souls by scores and hundreds accept th,
gospel from the lips Of that young preacher
and father and mother, quite old now
are visiting the son at the village panon
age, and at the close OF Sabbath q
mighty blessing, father and mother reiir
20 their room, the son lighting the wa
and asking them II lac could do anythIn
20 make them more comfortable, saying
they want anything In the night Just Z
knock on the wall. And then all al0n
father and mother talk over thc glOriou
influences Of the day, and say. ."Well,
was worth all we went through 70 educil