The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-27
The Subject, Great Results May
Depend Upon Small Events"
The Story of the Escape of the
Apostle Paul Well Told.
Through a Window in a Basket
Was Let Down the Wall"
All the Ages of Time and Eternity
Affected by the Basket Let
Down from Damas-
Gus Balcony.

GRiMsBY, Canada, Aug. 26.-The Rev.
1. Dewitt Talmage, d. D., OF Brooklyn,
preached on the camp ground, this place,
today. All Canada is represented in the
Immense throng assembled. DR.. Talmage
has preached at Grimsby many summers
This closes his summer absence. lie has
preached, lectured and visited in thirteen
States OF the Union this summer, his au.
diences numbering 10000 and 10, 900 peo-
pie. The subject of his sermon here today
was Great Results May Depend on Small
Events" DIR. Talmage took for his text:
Through a window, in basket, was /
let down by the wall. III Cor. c. ii, C.
80. He said:
Damascus is city OF white and glisten-
ing architecture, sometimes called "the
eye OF the east" sometimes called "a
pearl surrounded by emeralds," at one
time distinguished for swords OF the best
material called Damascus blades, and up
holstery OF richest fabric called damasks.
A horscman by the name OF Paul, riding
toward this city, had been thrown from
the saddle. The horse had dropped un-
W. " hs'oh hVAh Aht NlllNil di Nilt
time was so bright il blinded the rider for
many days, and, think so permanently
injured his eyesight that this defect OF Wis
ion became the thorn in the flesh he after
wards speaks OF. lie started for Damascus
10 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 foundation.
The mayor gives authority for his arrest
and the popular cry is, "Kill himl Kill
him." The city is surrounded by high
wall and the gates are watched by the POI
lice lest the Ciciian preacher escape
Many OF the houses are built on the wall,
--and their balconies projected clear over
aud hovered above the gardens outside. II
was customary 10 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 lifted and let down in baskets. Detec-
Nvcs prowled around from house 10 house
booking for Paul, but his friends hid him
how in one place, now in another lie Is
no coward, rs fifty incidents in his life
demonstrate. But he feels his work il not
done yet, and 10 he eyades assassination.
sis that preacher here?" the loaming mob
shout at one house.door. "ls that fanatic
here?' the police shout at another house.
door. Sometimes on the street incognito
ho passes through a crowd Of clcnched
fists aud sometimes he sccrctcs himself on
the house-top. At last the iniuriatcd pop
ulaco get on euro 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. "llere hc Is! Here
he is." The vociicration and blasphemy
and bowling Of the puBucrs are at the
front door. They break in. Fetch out
the Gospoizcr and LET us hang his head on
the city gate. Where is he?' The emer-
goncy was terrible. Proyidentially there
was good, stout basket In the house
Paul's friends iasten a rope 10 the has.
kct. Paul steps into II. The basket Is
lifted 90 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 cautiously, slowly but
surely, further down and further down,
until the basket strikes the earth and the
apostle steps out, and aioot and alone
starts ON that famous missionary tour, the
story Of which has ast0nished earth and
heaven. Appropriate entry In Pauls
diary Of travels Through q window, In
n basket, was LET down by the wall
Observe, first, on what n slender tenure
great results hang. The rope maker who
twisted that cord fastened 10 that lowering
basket never knew how much would de-
pend upon the strength Of H. How II Il
had been broken and the apostles life
had been dashed out2 What would have
become Of the Christian church, All
that magnificent missionary work In Pam
philin, Cappadocia, Galatia and Macedonia
would never have been accomplished. All
his writings that make up 70 indispensable
and enchanting a part Of the New Tcsla-
mcnt would never have been written. Tho
story OF resurrection would never have
been 10 gloriousy told as he told Il. That
example Of heroic and triumphant en-.
durance at Philippi In the Mediterranean
ouroclydon, under aagellaion and NJ bis
bchca1ing, would not have kindlod the
courage oi 10000 martyrloms. But that
rope holding that basket, how much de.
pended on ~ SO again aud again great
results have hung on what seemed slender
circumstances.
Did ever ship Of many thousand tom
crossing the sea have such important pas.
Rengcr as had once a boat Of leaves, FROM
tanrai 10 stern only three or four feet the
vessel made waterproof by coat OF bitu'
men, aud floating on the Nile with the In
iant lawgiycr OF the Jews on board2 What
n some crocodile should crunch iR What
II some Of the cattle wadng In for a drink
should sink it2 Vessels OF war sometime.
carry forty guns looking through port
holes, ready 20 open battle. But that tiny
craft on the Nile seems 10 be armed with
all the guns Of thunder that bombardod
Sinai at the law-gying. On how fragile
craft sailed how much Of historical im
porianccl
The parsonage At Epworth, England. Il
on fire In the night, and the father rushct
- through the hallway for the rescue Of hi
children. Seven children are out safe OF
the ground, but one remains In the con
suming building. That one wakes, and
finding his bed on fire and the building
crumbling, CONES 70 the window, and tw'
peasants make n ladder Of their bodies
one peasant standing on the shoulder q
the other. and down the human ladde
the boy descends-John Wesley. II yol
,,ould knoW how much dcpeudcl on tha