The Penn's Grove record., 1889-04-13

written to discuss that question: "Who
was Juniusp" "Who wrote the letters
Of Junius2" Well, 1t is an interesting
question to discuss, but still, after all,
1t makes but little practical difference
to you and to me who Junius was,
whether Sir Philip Francis or Lord
Chatham, or John Horne Tooke, CT
Horace Walpole. or Henry Grattan. or
any one Of the forty-four men who
were seriously charged with the au-
thorship. But 1t is an absorbing ques-
ton, it is a practical question, 1t Is
AN OVERWHELMING QUESTION
to you and to me, the authorship of
this Holy Bible-whether the Lord
God OF heaven and earth or a pack of
dupes, %scoundrels or impostors. We
cannot afford to adjourn that question
a week or a day or a hour, any more
than a sea-captain can afford to say:
swell. this is a very dark night. !
have really lost my bearings; there is a
light out there; 1 don't know whether
it is q lighthouse or a false light on the
shore. 1 don't know what it is; but III
just 40 to sleep and in the morning I'll
find out" In the morning the vessel
might be on the rocks and the beach
strewn with the white faces of the
dead crew. Oh, my friends, l want
you to understand that In our delibera
ton, about this Bible we are not at calm
anchorage, but we are rapidly coming
toward the coast, and 1 must know
whether it is going to be harbor or
shipwreck, ..
l was so glad to read in the papers Of
the fact that the steamship Eddm had
come safely into harbOr. A week be-
fore. the Persian Monarch, blowing its
way toward the NaIrows, a hundred
miles out, saw the signals Of distress,
bore down upon the vessel, and found
it vas
THE STEAMSHIP ''EDAM."
She had lost her propeller. She had
two hundred passengers OF board. The
merciful captain Of the Persian Mon
arch ~endeavOred to bring her in, but
the t0w-line broke. He fastened it
again, but the sea was rough, and the
tow-line broke again. Then the night
came on, and the merciful captain
of the Persian Monarch ''lay to-"
thinking In the morning he could
give rescue to the passengers. The
morning came. but during the
night the steamship Edam had dIsap-
peared, and the captain OF the Persian
Monarch brought his vessel Into harbor
say ing how sad he felt because he could
not give complete rescue to that lost
ship. 1 am glad that afterward another
vessel saw her. and brought her into
safety. But when I saw the story
OF that steamship Edam, drifting.
drifting, drifting, l do not know
where. but with no rudder, no light
house, no harbor, no help, I said:
THAT is a sceptic, that is an in6del,
drifting, drifting. drifting, not know
ing where he drifts" And then when
I thought of the Persian Monarch
anchored In harbor, 1 said:
"THAT is A CHRISTIAN.
that is a man who does all he can on
the way crossing tie sea to help others,
coming, perhaps. through a very rough
voyage into the harbor, there safe and
safe forever" Would God that there
might be some one to-day who would
go forth and bring in these souls that
are drifting. In this assemblage, how
many-a score, shall I say, OF a hum
dred, or a thousandf-not quite certain
about anything. Drifting, drifting,
drifting. Oh, how 1 would like to
tow them inl l throw you this
cable. Lay hold Of that cable
Of the Gospel Lay hold of it! l invite
you all In. The harbor Is wide enough,
large enough for all the shipping.
Come in, o you wanderers of the deep
Drift no more, drift no more. Come
into the harbor. See the glorious light
house of the Gospel. "Peace on earth,
good will to men," Come into the har-
Dor. God grant that it may be said OF
all Of you who are now drifting in your
unbelief as 1t might have been SAID of
the passengers of the steamship Edam,
and as it was said centuries ago of the
wrecked corn-ship Of Alexandria, SIT
came to pass that they all escaped safe
to land"