The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-08-28

edge, and In an evil moment all my Boou
were swept away, and to the out
raging Of God and my own soul, Ifell." Or {
the story Is: ~ had hard work to support
my family. Thought that by one false entry,
by one deception, by one embezzlement l
might spring out free from all my trouble;
and the temptation came upon me so fierce
ly could not deliberate did wrong and
having done wrong once, could not stop ~
o. IL 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 to tie the parted strands,
How often II is that men are ruined for the
reason that the temptation comes from some
unexpected quarter. As vessels lie in Mar
gate Roads, safe from southwest winds;
but the wind changing to the northeast
they are driven helpless and go down.
that God would have mercy upon those upon
whom there comes the sudden swoop OF
temptation, lest they perish, becoming cast
awaysl castawaysl ~ |
By talking with sea captains Ihave found |
out that some vessels come to this calamity |
through sheer recklessness. There are
three million men who follow the sea for
living. II Is simple fact that the average
of human life on the sea Is twelve years
This comes from the fact that men by Ia
miliarity with danger sometimes become
reckless-the captain, the helmsman, the
stoker, the man on the lookout, become reck-
less, and 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, and the
sea Is black with piratical hulks that would
grapple them with hook OF steel and blind
fold them, and make them ''wallr the plank"
| They do not know what the next moment
may bring forth. Drifting in their theol-
ogy. Drifting in their habits. Drifting In
regard TO all their future No God, no
| Christ, no settled anticipation OF eternal fe-
| licity, 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 pardon. They don steer
for the lightship that dances in gladness at
the mouth Of Heavens harbor; reckless
as TO where they come out, drifting
further from God, further from early relig-
ious Influences, further frCm happiness;
and what Is the worst thing about 1t Is, they
are taking their families along with them,
and the way one goes, the probability Is
they will all 20. Yet no anxiety. As uncoa-
scious Of danger as the passengers aboard the
Arctic one moment before the Vesta crashed
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 position, not know
ing that very soon they will have attended
the last levee and .whirled In the last schot-
tische. They do not deliberately choose to
be ruined; neither did the French frigate
Medusa aim for the Arguin banks, but there
II went TO pieces. wish could wake you
up. The perils are so augmented, you will
die Just as certainly as you sit there unless
you bestir yourself. Are you willing to be-
come castawayi You throw out no oar.
You take no surroundings. You watch no
compass. You are not calculating your
bearings while the wind is sbaft, and yon-
der Is long line Of foam bounding the
horizon, and you will be pushed on toward
Il, and thousands have perished there, and
you are driving In the same direc-
tion. Ready aboutl Down helml Hard
down. Man the life boat Pull, my
lads, pull "He that being often
reproyed hardcneth his neck, shall be sud
denly destroyed and that without remedy"
But some Of you are saying within your
selves "What shall dot" Dot Dot Why,
my brother, do what any ship does when in
trouble. Lift distress signal On the sea
there is fash and boom. You listen and
you look. A vessel is in trouble The dis
. tress gun Is sounded, or q rocket is sent up,
or a blanket is lifted, or bundle Of rags
anything TO catch the eye Of passing
craft. SO II you want 10 be taken OF
the wreck Of your sin, you must lifi
distress signal The publican lifted
. the distress signal when he cried: "God
be merciful 10 me, q sinnerl" Peter lifted
, the distress signal when he said: Lord
J save me, perishT' The blind man lifted
, the distress signal when he said: "Lord
that my eyes may be opened" The iailel
, lifted the distress signal when he said
I "What must do to be savedi" And helI
will never come 10 your soul until you hf
some signal You must make some demon
I stration, give some sign, make some Heaver
! piercing outcry for help, lifting the distress
| signal for the church's prayer, lifting th'
distress signal for Heavens pardon. Pray
/ PRAY The voice Of the Lord now sounds II
| your ears: SIN Me is thy help" Too prout
| TO raise such signal, too proud to be saved
There was an old sailor humping abou
In small boat In o tempest. The large
I vessel had gone down. He felt he must die
: Tha aurf was breaking over the boat AM
. he said: ~ took of my life belt that !
z might soon be over, and thought somewha
indistlnctly about my friends on shore, AM
Z then bid them goodbye like, and i wa
Q about sinking back and giving IL up when
4 saw bright star. The clouds were break
0 ing away, and there that blessed star shon
s down on me, and II seemed TO take righ
r hold Of me; and some how, can not tell hov
1 IL was, but somehow, while was trying 3
z watch that star, II seemed 10 help me an
4 seemed 10 lift me-" o, sinking soul, Sc
4 you not the glimmer between the riffs o
I the storm cloudi That Is the star OF hope
4 Deathstruck, ceased the tide to stem,
Q When suddenly star arose,
K TWAS the star Of Bethlehem
Q II there are any here who consider them
: selves castaways, let me say God is doinI
= every thing TO save you. Did you eve
q hear Of Lione. Lukeni He was the invento
b Of the insubmergible life boat All homo
is due 10 his memory by searfaring men, q
a well as by landsmen. How many lives h
/ saved by his invention In utter days tina
r invention was improved, and one day ther
4 was a perfect life boat, the Northumber
q land. ready at Ramsgate. The life boa
| Ia tA.. 80,