The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-11-20
TALMAGE IN ITALY.
He breaches a Sermon About a
Mediterranean Voyage.
How Paul Was shipwrecked by the Ter
rible Euroclydon Long Ago-Lessons
to be Learned by the Fury Of
the Tempest.


preached recently at the Italian port of
Brindisi. His subject was, "a Medit-
erranean Voyage" and he took for his
text Acts xvii, A: Sand so it came to
pass that they escaped safe to land"
Following Is the sermon a q
Having visited your historical city,
which we desired TO see because 1t was
the terminus Of the most famous road Of
the ages, the Roman Appian Way and
for its mighty fortress overshadowing
city which even Hannibal's hosts
could not thunder down, we must to-
morrow morning leave your harbor, and,
after touching at Athens and Corinth,
voyage about the Mediterranean to
Alexandria, Egypt. / have been read
Ing this morning In my New Testament
Of o Mediterranean voyage in an Alex
andrian ship. 1t was this very month Of
November. The vessel was lying in
port not very far from here. On board
that vessel were two distinguished pas
Bengers: one, Josephus, the historian, as
. we have strong reasons to believe; the
other, convict, one Paul by name, who
was going to prison for upsetting things,
or, as they termed 1t, turning the
world upside down" This convict had
gained the confidence of the captain.
Indeed, think that Paul knew almost
as much about the sea as did the cap
tain. He had been shipwrecked three
times already; he had dwelt much Of his
life amidst capstans, and yardarms, and
cables, and storms, and he knew what
he was talking about. Seeing the equi-
noctial storm was coming, and perhaps
noticing something unseaworthy In the
vessel, he advised the captain to stay in
the harbor. But hear the captain and
the first mate talking together. They
say: 1--WE can not afford to take the ad-
vice of this landsman and he a minister.
He may be able to preach very we'll, but
don't believe he knows q marlinespike
from luff tackle. All aboard Cast offl,
Shift the helm for headwayi Who fears
the Mediterranean" They had gone
only little way out when q whirlwind,
called Euroclydon, made the torn sail
Its turban, shook the mast as you would
brandish,a spear, and tossed the hulk
into the heavens. Overheard with the
:argol 1t Is all washed with salt water
and worthless now, and there are no
marine insurance companies. All hands,
ahoy, and out with the anchorsl
and passengers. The sea monsters snort
In the foam, and the billows clap their
hands in glee OF destruction. In the
lull Of the storm hear chain clank.
Il is the chain Of the great apostle as he
walks the deck, or holds fast to the rig
King amidst the lurching Of the ship
the'spray dripping from his long beard
as he cries out to the crew: "1Now /
exhort you TO be Of good cheer, for there
shall be no loss OF any mans life among.
you, but Of the ship. For there stood
by me this night the angel Of God,
whose I am, and whom serve, saving,
fear not, Paul thou must be brought be-
fore Cesar; and 10, God hath given thee
all them that sail with thee"
Fourteen days have passed and there
Is no abatement Of the storm. 1t Is mid
night. Standing on the lookout, the
man peers sintD the Darkness, and, by
fash OF lightning, sees the long white
line OF breakers, and knows they must
be coming near to some country, and
tears thatfin afew moments the vessel
VIII be shiyered on the rocks. The ship
aies like chaff IN the tornado. They
drop the sounding line, and by the light
d the lantern they see 1t is twenty
iathoms Speeding along little farther
the drop the line again, and by the light
OF the lantern they see 1t Is fifteen
iathoms Twohundfed and seventy-six
sotls within few feet OF awful ship
wrecki The managers Of the vessel,
pret6ndinR they want to look over the
side OF the ship and undergrad 1t, get
into the small boat, expecting In It to
escape; but Paul sees through the sham,
and ne tells th6fn that II they 20 of In the
boat Il win be the death Of them. The
yeseel strikesi The planks springl The
timbers cracki The vessel parts In the
laundering surgel o, what wild strug-
Ring for lifef Here they leap from
from plank 10 plank. Here they 20
under as II they would never rise, but,
catching hold OF timber, come floating
and, painting omit TO the beach. Here,
strong swimmers spread their arms
through the waves until their chins
plow the sand, and they rise up and
wiring out their wet locks on the beach.
When the roll OF the ship Is called two
hundred and seventy-six people answer
10 their names. land So" says my
text, at came to pass that they escaped
all safe to,land." egy MA !, ref g
learn from this subject:
First, that those who get us into
trouble will not stay TO help us out.
These shipmen got Paul out OF Fair Ha-
yens into the storm; but as soon as the
tempest dropped upon them they wanted
10 20 of in the small boat, caring moth
Ing what became OF Paul and the pas
Bengers. All mel human nature is the
same in all ages. They who get us into
trouble never stop to help us out. They
who tempt that young man into a life OF
dissipation will be the first 10 laugh at
his imbecility, and TO drop him out OF
decent society. Gamblers always make
fun OF the losses OF gamblers They
who tempt you into the contest with
ests, saying. ~ will back you," will be
the first TO run. Look over all the pre-
iicamerts OF your life, and count the
names OF those who have got you into
those predicaments, and tell me the
name OF one who ever helped you out.
They we're glad enough to get you out
from Fair Havens, but when, with dam
aged rigging, you try to get into harbor,
lid they hold FOR you plank or throw
you rope? Not one. Satan has got
thousands Of men into trouble, but he
would not hide the goods or bail out the
defendant. The spider shows the fly the
way over the gossamer bridge into the,
,,obweb; but II never shows the fly the
way out Of the cobweb over the gossa-'
mer bridge. ! think that there were
plenty Of fast young men TO help the
prodigal spend his money; but when he
had wasted his substance in riotous liv-
Ing, they let him 90 10 the swine past
ures, while they betook themselves TO
some other new conner. They who take
Paul out OF Fair Havens win be OF no
help to him when he getsinto the break
ara NJ Malta lFf It