The Brookhaven leader., 1889-09-05


stroyed through the sudden swoop OF
temptations. Some great inducement to
worldliness, Ir to sensuality, or to high
temper, or % some form OF dissipation,
comes upon them. II they had time to
examine their Bible, If they had time TO
consult with their friends, If they had
time to deliberate, they could stand it;
but the temptation came so suddenly-an
euroclydon on the Mediterranean, a
whirlwind OF the Caribbean. One awful
surge OF temptation and they perish.
And so we often hear the old story: 81
hadn't seen my friend in a great many
years. We were very glad to meet. He
said must drink, and he took me by the
arm and pressed me along, and filed the
cup until the bubbles ran over the edge,
and in an evil moment all my good reso-
lutions were swept away, and to the out
raging of God and my own soul, fell"
Or the story is: II had hard work to
support my family. | thought that by
one false entry, by one deception, by one
emoeZzlement l might spring out free
from all my trouble; and tie temptation
came upon me so fiercely | could not de-
liberate. l did wrong and having done
wrong once, could not stop"
o, it is the first step that costs; the
second is easier; and the third; aud on to
the last. Once having broken loose from
the anchor, it is not so easy to tie the
parted strands. How often it is that men
are ruined for the reason that the tempta-
ton comes from some unexpected quar-
ter. As vessels lie in Margate roads,
safe from southwest winds; but the wind
changing to the northeast they are driven
helpless and go down. o, that God would
have mercy upon those upon whom there
comes the sudden swoop of temptation,
lest they perish, becoming castaways!
| castaways!
By talking with sea captains l have
| found out also that some vessels come to
this calamity through sheer recklessness.
There are three million men who follow
the sea for a living 1t is a simple fact
that the average of human life on the sea
is less than twelve years. This comes
from tho fact that men by familiarity
with danger sometimes become reckless
the captain, the helmsman, the stoker,
the man on the lookout become reckless,
and in nine out of ten shipwrecks it is
| found out that some one was awfully to
blame. So | have to tell you that men
are morally shipwrecked through sheer
recklessness. There are thousands who
do not care where they are in spiritual
| things. They do not know which way
they are sailing, and the sea is black
with piratical hulks that would grapple
them with hooks OF steel and blindfold
| them, and make them "walk the plank"
They do not know what the next moment
may bring forth.
Drifting IN their theology. Drifting in
their habits. Drifting in regard to all OF
their future. No God, no Christ, no set
tied anticipatlons Of eternal felicity; but
all the time coming nearer and nearer to
dangerous coast. Some of them are on
fire with evil habits, and they shall burn
on the sea- the charred hulk tossed up on
| barren bea Many of them with great
troubles, financial troubles, domestic
troubles, social troubles; but they never
pray for comfort. VITA an aggravation
of sin they pray for no pardon. They do
not steer for the lightship that dances in
| gladness at the mouth OF Heavens har-
Dor; reckless as to where they come out
drifting further from God, further from
| early religious influences, further from
| happiness, and what is the worst thing
| about it is they are taking their families
along with them, and the way one goes,
the probability is they will all go. Yet
no anxiety. AS unconscious OF danger as
the passengers aboard the Arctic one
moment before the Vesta crashed into
her.
Wrapped up in the business of the
store, not remembering that soon they
must quit all their earthly possessions.
Absorbed i'll their social position, not
| knowing that very soon they will have
| attended the last levee aud whirled in the
last schottische. They do not deliberately
| 70 ha ri1ipaI. nathan did thA
French frigate Medusa aim for the Ar
guin banks, but there it went to pieces.
wish l coald wake you up. The perils
are so augmented, you will die just as
| certain as you sit there unless you bestir
yourself. Are you willing to become a
| castaway? You throw out no oar. You
take no surroundings. You watch no
compass. You are not calculating your
| bearings while the wind is abatt, and
yonder is long limo Of foam bounding
| the horizon, and you will be pushed on
| toward it, and thousands have perished
| there, and you are driving in the same
direction. Ready about Down helm !!
Hard down? Man the boat! Pull my
lads, pull!
HE that being often reproved hard
| eneth his neck, shall be suddenly de-
stroyed, and that without remedy"
But some of you are saying within your
selv es: "What shall l do:" Do? Do?
| Why. brother, do what any ship does
when it is in trouble. Lift distress sig
nal On the sea there is a flash and a
boom. You listen aud you look. A vessel
is in trouble. The distress gun is sound
| ed, or a rocket is sent up, or a blanket is
| lifted, or a bundle of rags-any thing to
catch the eye of the passing craft. SO, if
| you want to be taken off the wreck of your
| sin you must lift distress signal. The
publican lifted the distress signal when
| he cried:
"God, be merciful to me a sinnerw
Peter lifted the distress signal when he
| said: 'Lord, save me, perishv'
The blind man lifted tho distress signal
when he said: Lord, that my eyes may
be opened"
The jailer lifted the distress signal
| when he said:
What must do to be saved"
Aud help will not come to your SOU
until you lift some signal. You mus
make some demons tration, give some
sign, make some Heaven piercing out
cry for help, lifting the distress sigma
for the church's prayer, lifting the dis
tress signal for Heavens pardon. Pray
Pray! The voice of the Lord now sound
in your ears:
in me is thy help"
Too proud to raise such q signal, to
proud to be saved.
There was an old sailor thumpin
about in a small boat in a tempest Tn
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