Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-09-07

4 UOC W tuosd WIZ swing lhloC ldubcEuS
on the beach till men crash into ruin.
Castawaysi Castaways!
BY talking with sea captains i have
heard also that some times ships come
TO this calamity by the sudden swoop Of
q tempest. For instance, a vessel is
sailing along in the East Indies, and
there Is not a single cloud on the sky;
but suddenly the breeze freshens, and
there are swift feet on the ratlines, and
the cry Is: sway, haul away there!"
but before they can square the booms
and tarpaulin the hatchways, the vessel
is grooming and creaking In the grip Of
a tornado, and falls over into the trough
| Of the sea, and broadside it rolls on TO
the beach and keels over, leaving the
crew to struggle in the merciless surf.
Castawayl Castaway! And so l have to
tell you that there are thousands Of men
destroyed through the sudden swoop Of
temptations. Some great inducement
to worldliness, o. TO s~ensuality, or TO
high temper, or TO some form Of dissipa-
ton comes upon them. II they had
time TO examine the Bible, IL they had
| time to consult with their friends, IL
| they had time to deliberate, they could
stand It; but the temptation came so
suddenly-an euroclydon Of the
Mediterranean, a whirlwind Of the
Caribbean. One awful surge Of tempta-
ton and they perish. And so we
often hear the old story: II hadn't
seen my friend in q great many years.
We were very glad to meet He said 1
must drink and he look me by the arm
and pressed me along, and filed the cup
until the bubbles ran oyer the edge, and
In an evil moment all my good resolu-
tons were swept away, and TO the out
raging of God and my own soul, 1 fell"
Or the story Is: ~ had hard work to
support my family. j thought that by
one false entry, by one deception, by
one embezzlement l might spring out
free from all my trouble; and the tempt
alton came upon me so fercely / could
not deliberate. 4 did wrong and having
done wrong once, / could not stop" O,
1t is the first step that costs; the second
Is easier; and the third; and on TO the
last. Once having broken loose from
the anchor, it is not SO easy 10 tie the
parted strands How often 1t is that
men are ruined for the reason that the
temptation comes from some unex-
pected quarter. AS vessels lie In Mar
gate Roads, safe from southwest winds;
but the wind changing 70 the northeast,
they are driven helpless and go down.
o that God woald have mercy upon
those upon whom there comes the sud
den swoop Of temptation, lest they per-
ish, becoming castaways! castaways!
BY talking with sea captains, / have
found put also that some vessels come 70
this calamity through sheer reckless
ness There are three million men who
follow the Sea for a diving. 1t is a
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 be-
come reckless--the captain, the helms
man, the stoker, the man ON the look
out becomes reckless, and in nine out OF
ten shipwrecks, 1t 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
psratical bulks that would grapple then
with hooks of steel and blindfold them
and make them ''walk the plank
They do not know what the mex
moment may bring forth. Drifting In
their theology. Drifting In their habits
Drifting in regard to all their future
No God, no Christ, no settled anticipa
tions of eternal felicity; but all the
time coming nearer and nearer to 6
dangerous coast. Some of them are or
fire with evil habit, and they shall burr
on the sea, the charred hulk tossed VI
on the barren beach. Many Of them
with great troubles, financial troubles,
domestic troubles, social troubles; but
they never pray for comfort. With ar
aggrayation of sin they pray for no par
don. They,do not steer for the light
ship that dances in gladness at the
mouth of heavens harbor; reckless as K
where they come out, drifting
further from God, further from
early religious influences, fur
Their from happiness; and what
is the worst thing about IL is, they are
taking their families along with them,
; and the Away, gees, the probability is
they viii all go. Yet no anxiety. AS
unconscious Of danger as the passengers
aboasa the Arctic one moment before
the Vests crashed into her. Wrapped
! up i'm the business of the store, not re.
membering that soon they must quit al
earthly possessions. Absorbed in their
social position, not knowing that very
I soon they will have attended the last
leyee,a and whirled In the last schottische.
They DO not deliberately choose TO be
!, ruined; neither did the French frigate
Medus& arm for the Arguin banks, but
there IL Went TO pieces. ! wish / could
wake yon up. The perils are so aug.
mentea, you will die just as certainly
as you sit there unless you bestir your
self. Apo you willing to become a cast
away? You throw ont NO ear. You
take NO surroundings. You watch nc
compass Eou are calculating your
bearings wAfle the wind is ahaft, and
yonder II . ieng line Of foam bounding
the horizon, and you will be pushed on
} toward it, and thousands have persisted
there, and you are driving in the same
direction Ready about! Down helm
n Hard down. Man the life boat! Pull
my lads, pull He that being otter
Iceproved hardeneth his neck, shall b.
suddenly Destroyed and that without
Hemedy." Bat s0me- of you are saying
, within yourselves: ssWhat shall i dor
10? Do? Why, ny brother, do wha,
any ship does when 1t 10 In trouble
LIT . distress signal. On the
sea there II cash ard . boom
Yox listen and you look. A vessel is in
trouble. The Distress gun ~ sounded,
or o rocket il sent np, or . blanket Is
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