Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1889-08-31


IN trouble. The disir,ss gun is sound
cd. or u rvckct is sent up. or blanket
is lifted. or u bundle Of rags-any-
thing to catch the eye Of the passing
craft. 81 IL you want 10 10 taken of
the wreck Of your sin. you must lift q
distress signal. The publican lifted
the Distress signal when hc cried /:
God, be meriful 10 me a sinncr!''
Peter lifted the Distress signal when
he said: Lord. save me, perish Z
The blind man lifted the Distress sig.
nal when he said: Lord, that my
eyes may be opened" The jailcr lift.
cd the Distress signal when hc said
What must do TO be savcdf" And
help will never come To your soul un-
Ill you lift some signal. You must
make some demonstration, give some
sign. make some heaven piercing out
cry for help. lifting the distress signal
for the cliurch's prayer. lifting the dis
trcss signal for heavens pardon.
Pray! Pray! The voice OF the Lord
now sounds in your ears: I'm mo is
thy help" Too proud to raise such a
signal. Too proud to be saved.
THE STAR OF HOPE.
There was an old sailor humping
about in small boat in a tempest.
The larger vessel Ind gone down. lie
felt lie must die. The surf was break.
ing over the boat. and he said: ~
took of my life belt that IL might soon
DO over, aud | thought somewhat in.
distinctly about my friends on shore
aud then bid them gGpd-by like. and
was about sinking back aud giving
it up. when saw bright star. The
clouds were breaking away. and there
that blessed star shonc down on
me. and il seemed To take right hold
Of me; and somehow. | cannot tell
how il was, but somehow, while was
trying TO watch that star, il seemed To
help me aud seemed Ia lift me-" o,
sinking soul. see you not the glimmcr
between the riffs Of the storin cloud
That is the star Of hope.
Dca; hs,r,,ck. ceased tho tide to stem.
When suddeply o star arose.
II WAS the star VI Bethlehem.
II there arc any here who consider
themselves castaways. let me say God
is doing everything 10 save you. Did
you ever hear Of Lionel Lukcui lie
was the inventor of the insubmcrgible
life boat. All honor is due TO his
memory by seafaring men, ms well us
by landsnen. How many lives he
saved by his invention. Ia after days
that invention was improved, and one
day there was perfect life boat, the
Northumberland ready at Ramsgatc.
The life boat being ready, 10 test il
the crew came out and leapcd on the
gunwalc on one side 10 see il the boat
would upset; il was impossible to up.
set il. Then. amid the huzzas Of cx-
cited thousands. that boat was launch
al. and il has gone and One. picking
up u great many Of Y sliipwsrckcd.
But have 10 tell yon now 81 u grand.
or launching. and from the dry docks
Of heaven. Word came up that "a
wo:Ii was beating OH the rocks. In
IL" presence of the potentates Of heav-
en- the life boat of the worlds rcdemp-
ton was launched. II showed off the
golden sands amid angelic hosanna.
The surgcs ~ darkness beat against its
bow, but il sailed on, and il comes in
sight Of us this hour II comes for
you, il comes for me. Soul. soul
get into il. Make one leap for heaven
l.nt that boa, go past aud your oppor.
;unity is gone.
GET INTO TIE LIFE BOAT.
am expecting that there will b.
whole familics here who will get into
that life boat. Ia iS:,3. the Isabella
anne ashore oil Hastings. England.
flo air WA, filled with sounds the
'.oarso SRA trumpet, the crash Of the
axes. and the believing Of tho iorna-
do. y bout from the shore came un-
der the stern Of the disabled vessel.
There were women and children ON
board that vessel Some Of the sailors
jumped into the small boat and said /:
Now give us the children" \ father
who STOOD on deck took his first born
and threw him Ia ia" boat. The sail.
orr. = '-'ln him safely. aud the next,
aJ io,!.c last. Sill the SCI.
ri brm bowling Now
Sih> a. s;f,riis. nov the mother;"
and she lcapcd, and was saved. The
boat went Ia the shore; but before il
got To tho shore. the lan,lsncn were
SO impatient To help the suffering pco-
pie that they wa,lcd clear down into
the surf with blankets and garments,
and promises Of help aud succor. So
there are whole families here who arc
going Ia be- saved. and saved alto
gctlicr. Give us that Child for Christ,
that other child. that other. Give US
the mother. give us the father, the
whole family. They must all come
in. All heaven wales in to help you.
claim this whole audience for God.
| pick not out one man here nor one
man there; claim you all. There
are some Of you who, thirty years ago,
were consccrltcd Ia Christ by your
parents in baptism. Certainly ] am
not stepping over the right bound
when claim you for Jesus Then
there are many here who have been
seeking God for good while, aud ann
| no right in claiming you for Jcsusf
Then there arc some hero who have
been further away, and you drink.
aud you swear, aud You bring up
your families without any God 10 take
care Of them when you av dead. And
claim you. my brother; l claim all
Of you. You will have to pray some
time: why not begin now, while all
the ripe and purple cluster Of divine
promise bend over into your cup.
rather than postpone your prayer until
your chance is past. and the night
drops. aud tho SEA washes YOU out.
aud the appalling fact shall he an.
nounccd that Notwithstanding all
your magnificent opportunities. you
have become II c;lstaway.
The Chinese have barbarous way
Of taking CLAUS. which often grow 10
an enormous size in the western Pa.
cite ocean. some weighing twenty
bounds Dcr clam. moi including the