Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-09-04

Barnegat lighthouse, the Fastnet light
house, the SheIryvore lighthouse, the Long
ships lighthouse, the Hollyhead lighthouse
han to put out Gods great ocean lamp
the Gospel. Woe to those who swing false
lanterns on the beach till men crash into
ruin. Castaways! Castawaysl
By talking with sea captains 1 have heard
also that sometimes ships come to this ca
lamlty by the sndden swoop of tempest.
For instance. vessel is sailing along to the
East Indies, and there is not single cloud
on the sky; but suddenly the breeze fresh
ems, and there are swift feet on the ratlins,
and the cry is: SWAY, haul away there"'
but before they can square the booms and
tarpaulin the hatchways, the vessel is groan-
ing and creaking in the grip of torando,
and falls over into the trough of the sea,
broadside it rolls on to the beach and keels
over, leaving the crew to struggle in the
merciless surf. Castawayi Castaway! And
so lhave to tell you that there are thou
sands of men destroyed through the sud-
den swoop of temptations. Some great in
ducement to worldiness, or to sensuality,
or to high temper, or to some form of dis
sipation, comes upon them. If 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 80 suddenly--an
euroclydon on the Mediterranean, whirl-
wind 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 great many years. We were
very glad to meet. He said I must drink
aud be took me by the arm and pressed ms
along. aud filed the cup until the bubbles
ran over the edge, and in an evil moment
my good resolutions were swept sway, and
to the outraging of God and my own soul,
| fell" Or the story is: 81 had hard work
to support my family, 1 thought that by
one false entry, by one deception, by one
embezzlement, might spring out free from
all my trouble; and the temptation came
upon me SO fiercely could not deliberate.
| did wrong and having done wrong once I
could not STOP" o, it is the first step that
cost S; the second is easier; and the third;
and on to the last. Once having broken
loose from the anchor, it is not so esay to
tie the parted strands. How often it is that
IA en- are ruined for the reason that che temr-
tstion comes from some unexpected quar-
ter. As vessels lie in Margate Roads safe
from southwest winds; but the wind chang
ing to the northeast, they are driven help
less aud go down, o that God would have
mercy upon those upon whom there comes
the sudden swoop of temptation, lest they
perish, becoming castaways castdways!
By talking with sea captains, have found
out also that some vessels come to this Ca
lsmity through sheer recklessness. There
are three million men who follow the sea
for living. 1t is simple fact that the
average of human life on the sea is less
than twelve years. This comes from the
fact that men by familiarity with danger
sometimes become reckless-the captain,
the shelmsmal, the stoker, the man on the
lockout, become reckless, aud, in nine out
of ten shipwrecks, it is found 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, aud the sea is
black with piratical hulks that would Crap
pie them with hooks of steel and b!indfold
them, and make them ''walk the plank" !"
They do not know what the next moment
may bring forth. Drifting in their theclo
gy. Drifting in their habits. Drifting in
regard to all their future. No God, no
Christ, no settled anticipations of eternal
felicity; but all the time coming nearer and
nearer to Dangerous coast Some of them
are On fire with evil habit, and they shall
burn on the sea, the charred hulk tossed up
on the barren beach. Many of them with
great troubles, financial troubles, domestic
troubles, social troubles; but they never
pray for comfort. With an aggravation of
SIN they pray for no pardon. They do not
steer for the lIghtship that dances in glad
ness at the mouth Of heavens harbor, reck-
less as TO where they come out, drifting
further from God, further from early rei-
gious 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 probabili-
ty is they will all go. Yet no anxiety. As
unconscious of danger as the passengers
aboard the Arctic one moment before the
Vesta crash ed into her. Wrapped up in
the business Of the store, not remembering
that soon they must quit all their earthly
possessions. Absorbed in their social posi-
tion, not knowing that very soon they will
have attended tde last levee, and whrled
in the last schottische. They do not delib-
French frigate Medusa aim for the Arguin
banks, but there it went to pieces. l wish
l could wake you np The perlls are so
Augmented, you will die just as certainly as
you sit there unless you bestir yourself
Are you willing to become a castaway?
You throw out no oar. You take no sur
roundings. You watch no compass. You
are not calculating your bearings while the
wind is abaft, and yonder is long line OF
foam bounding the horizon, and yoa viii lbe
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 life-boatl
Pull, my lads, pull she that being often
reproved hardeneth his neck, shall be sud
denly destroyed and that without remedy"
But some of you are saying within your
selves: "What shall do? Do? Why, my
brother, do what any ship does when it is
in trouble. Lift a distress signal. On the
sea there is a flash and boom. You listen
and you look. A vessel is in trouble. The
distress gun is sounded, or rocket is sent
up, or blanket is lifted, or a bundle of
rags--anything to catch the eye of the pass
| ing craft. So if you want to be taken off
the wreck of your sin, you must lift dis
tress singal. The publican lifted the dis.
tress signal when h. cried: ''God, te merci-
ful to mo snner!'' Peter lifted the dis
tress signal when he said: sLord, save me,
| perishp' The bl md man lifted the distress
signal when he said: ''Lofd, that my eyes
may be opened" The jaiIer lifted the dis
tress signal when he said: "What must
do to be saved?" And help will never come
to your soul until you lift some signal. You
must make some demonstration, give some
sign, make some heaven piercing outcry
for help, lifting the distress signal for the
church's prayer, lifting the distress signal
for heavens pardon. Pray! Pray! The
voice of the Lord now sounds in your ears:
SIN me is thy help" Too proud to raise
such signal, too proud to be saved.
! There was an old sailor humping about
I in small boat in tempest. The larger
vessel had gone down. He felt he must
die. The surf was breaking over the boat,
and he said: 81 took off my life belt that it
might soon be oyer, and l thought some
what indistinctly about my friends on shole,
aud then bid them good bye like, and
was about sinking back and giving it up,
when l saw bright star. The clouds were
breaking away, and there that blessed stal
shone down on me, and it seemed to take