Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-09-07

- edIlseus ana his AQVOcauOn OF Gods
Word Thereafter is Something Beyond
Parallel.
GRISfsBY, CANADA, August 2e.-The RevT.
Dewitt Talmage, D. D., of BROOKLYN, preach
ed on the camp ground This place, to day.
All Canada is represented In the immense
throngs assembled DR.. Talmags has
preached at Grimsby many summers This
closes his summer absence. He has preach ed,
lectured and visited in thirteen states of the
Union this summer, his audiences numbering
ten and fifteen thousand prOple. The sub
1ect OF his sermon here today was Great
Results May Depend on Small Events" Dr.
Talmage took for his text: Through a win
dow. in basket, was 1 let down by the
wall. Ill Cor. On. 2, V. 80. He said:
Damascus is city of white and glistenIng
architecture some times called ''the eye Of the
East" sometimes called "a pearl surround
ed by emeralds," at one time distinguish ed
for swords of the best material called Da-
mascus blades, aud upholstery Of richest
fabric called damasks a hOrseman BY the
name OF Paul, riding toward this city, had
been thrown from the saddle. The horse
had dropped under a flash from the sky, which
az the same time was so bright it blinded the
rider for many days, and, think so perma-
nently injured his eyesight that this defect
OF vision became the thorn in the flesh he
afterward speaks Of He started for Da-
inascus To butcher Christians, hut after that
hard lall from his horse he MAS a changed
man and preached Christ in Damascus
III the city was shaken to its foundation.
The mayor gives authority for his arrest and
the popular cry is, xii himl Kill him pa
The city Is surrounded by a high wall and
the gates are watched by the police lest the
CLiciau preacher escape. Many of the
houses are built on the wall and their balcO-
MES projected clear over anG lowered above
the gardens outside. IL was customary to
hang baskets out Of these balconies and pull
up fruits and flowers from the gardens To
this day visitors at the monastery of Monnt
Sinai are lifted and let down in baskets.
Detectives prOwled 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 incidents in his life
demonstrates. But he feels his work is not
done yet and 60 he eVades assassination. 'tIs
That preacher hereP' The fOsmiug mob shout
at one house door. Is that fanatic hereg'
lie police shout at another house door.
Sometimes on the street IncOpnitO he Dassed
through crowd Of cleuched fists and some
times he secretes himself on the hOuse-Uop.
At last the luIurate pOpulace get on sure
track or him They have positive evidence
mat ne IS In the house OF one of the Chris
tlans, The balcony OF whose home reaches
over the wall Here he isl Here he is %
Ihe VociIeration and bluspheny and bowling
OF the pursuers are at the front door They
break IN. Fetch out that GOspeliZer and
let US hang his head on the city gate. Where
j. hes" The emergency was terrible. Provi-
uehLmIIy there was a good stout basket in
the house. PauPs friends fastened rome to
the basket Paul steps into it. The basket
is lifted 10 the edge Of the balcony on the
wall, and then while Paul holds on 10 tue
rope with both hands b friends lower away,
carefully and cautiously slowly but
surely, further down and further down
until the baskets strikes the earth
and the apostle steps out and ufOOt and
alone starts on that famous missionary tour
me story OF which has astonished earth and
heaven. Appropriate entry in Paups diary of
travels: Through a window, in a basket
was Ilet down b. the wall"
observe, first on what q slender tenure
great results hang The rOpelnaller who
twisted That cord fastened to that lowering
basket never knew how much would depend
on the strength OF IL. How If it had been
broken and the apostles life had been dashed
ouLl What would have become of the Christ
Ian Churchf All that magnificent missionary
work In Pamphlia, CappadOcia CFalatia
Macedonia would never have been accom-
plished. All hls writings that make uD so
indispensable and enchanting a part of the
New Testament would never have been
written The story Of resurrection would
never have been so gIOriOusly told as he told
it. That example OF heroic and triumDhant
endurance at PhiliDpi, in the Mediterranean
eurOclydOn, under 1agelatiOn and at his be-
heading would not have kindled the COURAGE
OF ten thousand .martyrdOms. But that rome
holding that basket now much depended on
II! so again and again great results have
hung on what seemed slender circums tauces
Did ever ship Of many thousand tons cross
ing the sea have such important passenger as
had once a boat of leaves from taffruu to
stern only three or four feet, the vessel made
waterproof by coat OF bllumen and floating
on the Nile with the infant Iawgfver of the
Jews on bOard4 What If some of the cattle
wading in for drink should sink ft} VesseIs
OF war sometimes carry forty guns looking.
through the portfolios, ready to omen batlIe
But that tiny craft on the Nile seems 10 be
armed with all the guns of thunder that
DomOarded SINAI at the law-givlng On how
fragile craft sailed how much Of historical
importance!
The parsonage at Epworth. England is on
fire IN the night, and the father rushed
through the hallway Tor the rescue of his
children. Seven children are out and safe on
the ground, but on yemalns in the cOnsum-
ing building. Tina one wakes, and. finding
his bed on ire and the building crIlra blfnG
comes to the window, AID TWO peasants uis e
ladder OF their bodies, one peasant standing
on the shoulder of the other, and down HE
human ladder the boy descends-,JOhn Yves.
ley. II you would know how mEch depended
on that ladder OF peasants ask the millions Of
MethOdists on both sides of the sea Ask
their mission stations all around the world
Ask their hundreds of thousands already as
ceuded To Join their founder, who would have
shoulders.
An English ship stopped at Pitcairn Island.
and right in the midst OF surrounding caDnL
balism aud squalOr, the passengers discovered
a Christian colony OF churches and schools
and beautiful homes and highest STYLE of re-
ugiOn and civilization. For fifty wears no
missionary and no Christian influence had
landed there. Why this oasis Of light amid
a desert Of heathendOmg Sixty wears before
a ship had met disaster and one OF the sail
ors, unable 20 save ANYTHING else went TO his
trunk ana took out a Bible which his mother
had placed there, and swan ashore. the Bible
held In his teeth. The Book was read on am
sides until the rough and vicious population
were evangelical, and q church was
started, and an enlightened common
wealth established and the worlds his
tory has no more brilliant page than
that which tells Of this transformation
of a nation By one book. 1t did not
seem Of much importance whether the sailor
continued TO hold the book in his teeth or let
81 fall iutO the breakers, but upon what small
Circumstance depended what mighty results I