West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-08-08
THE EARTHQUAKE.
ONE WAY OF ESCAPE Is OPEN
a Midnight Scene I'm n Prison ano
the Lesson IL Teaches.

TEXT: "Beiieue on The Lord Jesus Chris.
and thou shalt be sdred. Acts xvi, 81.
Jaiis are dark, dull damp, loathsome places
even now; but they were worse in tho apos-
tohc times. i imagine to-day we are stand
lng IN the Philippian dungeon. Do you not
ieel the chill2 DO you not hear tho groan OF
those incarcerated ones who for ten years
nave not seen the sunlight, and the deep sigh
oil women who remember their fathers house
and mourn over their wasted estate? Listen
again. IL Is the cough of a consumptive or
tho struggle of one in the nightmare
OF great horror. You listen again and hear
a culprit his chains rafting as he rolls over
IN bis dreams, and you says: ''God pity tho
prisoner" But there is another sound In
that prison. 1t is song Of Joy and gladness.
what place to sing I'M Tho music comes
winding through the corridors OF the prison,
and in all the dark wards tho whisper Is
heard: whats thatf What's thatT'
IL IS the song of Paul and Silas They
cannot sleep. They have been whipped very
badly whipped. Tho long gashes ON their
cold ground, their feet fast In wooden SOCK
cts, and OF course thcy cannot sleep. But thoy
can sing Jniler, what are you doing with
these people3 Why have they been put in
heref Oh, they have been trying to make
the world better. Is that ALP That is all.
a pit for Joseph. A lions cave for Dan
iei. A blazing furnace for Shndrach.
Clubs for John Wesley. An anathema
Tor Philip Melancthon. a dungeon
Tor Paul and Silas. But while we are stand
ing in the gloom OF the Philippian dungeon,
and we hear the mingling voices of sob and
groan and blasphemy and hallelujah, sud-
denly an earthqualle The iron bars Of tho
prison twist, the pillars crack of, tho solid
masonry begins TO heave and oil tho doors
swing open. Tho jailer, feeling himself re-
sponsible for these prisoners, and believing,
IN his pagan ignorance, suicide to DO honoras
ble- since Brutus killed himself and
cato killed himself, and Cassius killed
hlmself-puts his sword to his own heart,
put an end to his excitement and agitation.
But Paul cries out: 'sStopl Stopl Do thy-
self no harm. We are all here" Then 1 SEQ
tho Jailer running through the dust and amid
the ruin OF that prison, and L see him throw
ing himself down at tho feet of these prison.
ers, crying out: "What shall 1 do? Whca
shall dor Did Paul answer: Get out of
this place before there is another earthduake;
put handouts and hopplos ON these
other prisoners, lest they. get awayr
pact, thrilling, tremendous answer, an
swer memorable all through earth and
heaven, was: believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be savedn Well, wo
nave all heard of tho earthquake in Lisbon,
An Lima, in Aleppo, and in Caracas, but we
live in latitude whore severe volcanic dis
eurbances are rars. And yet we have seen
nifty earthquakes Here Is a man who has
peen building up n large fortune. His bid on
tho money market was felt in oil the cities.
lie thinks no has got beyond all annoying
rlyalries in trade, and he says to himself:
NOW i am free and safe from oil
possible perturbation" But in 1887, or
In 1857, or in 1873 a national pnnic
strikes the foundations of the commercial
world, and crash goes all that magnificent
business establishment. Here is a man who
has built up q very beautiful home. His
daughters have Just come from the seminary
with diplomas of graduation. His sons have
startcd in life honest, temperate and pure.
When the evening lights are struck there is
happy and unbroSen family circle. But
there has been an accident down at Long
Branch. Tho young man ventured too far
out in the surf. The telegraph hurled the
terror up to the city. An earthquake struck
under the foundation Of that beautiful home
The piano closed; the curtains dropped: tho
laughter hushed Crashl go all those domes-
TIC hopes and prospects and expectations So.
my friends, we have all felt the shaking
down OF some great trouble, and there was
tine when we were as much excited as this
man of the text, and we cried ont as Inc did:
What shall do? What shall DOR The
same reply that tho apostle made to him il
appropriate to us: believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved"
mere arc some documents Cd so little inn
portance that you do not care 10 put any
more than your last name under them, or
oven your initials; but there are some docu-
ments of 50 great Importance that you write
Out your full name. So the Saviour in some
parts or tho Bible is called Lord" and i'm
other parts of the Bible Heis called "Jes1s. -
and in other parts Of the Bible He is called
'Chrlst;" but that there might be no mistake
about this passage, all three names come to-
gether-',The Lord Jesus Christ"
Now, who is this being that Won want mo
10 trust in aud believe in? Men sometime
come to me with credentials and certifcateg
on good character, but / cannot trust them.
There is some dishonesty in their looks that
makes me know shall be cheated ii I con-
me lsta IN them. GU cannot put your hearts
commence IN man until you know what
STUN he Is mado OF, and am
unreasonable today when / stoD a.
ask you who this is that You want m,
70 trust inI No man would think Of venture
ing hts life on a vessel f-oin, oub 70 aoa ti,,t
had never been inspected. No. Won ron-t
nave tho certificate hung amiiships. telling
now many tons it carries and how lone NJ
AZ was built, and who built IL. and all abont
~ And you cannot expect me to risk
tne cargo OF my immortal interests
on board any craft till you tell rae
what It is made Of, and where it was made
and what 1t Is. When, then, / ask you who
TINS IS you want me TO trust in, YOU ten rne
ne was very attractive person. Contem-
porary writer's describe His whole onneor-
ance as being resplendent. There Ms no
need Tor Christ TO tell the children TO coma
70 Him Suffer little children TO coma
unto Me, !" was not spoken 10 the children. h
was spoken 70 the disciples. The children
came readily enough without any Invitation
NO sooner did Jesus appear than tho littIe
ones jumped from thoir mothers arms m,
aVaioneho OF beauty end love. into Ills
Zap. Christ did not ask John % put his hoaI
uoWn on His boom, John could not helm but
PuI hlS mead there. suppose to look mt Christ
was 70 love Him. Oh. how attractive Tns
manner. Why, when they saw Christ COM
lhB olOng the street they ran into their house
ana thcy wrapped up their invalds as quict
as they could, and brought them ous that
lie might look at them There was gorps-
thing - pleasant. SO inviting. 60 choeriu., i'm
everything 10 did. I'm His very loot 1Vbeo
the5s sick on9s were brought ont did Tia eg.y.
do not bring lie these sores: do not troub,o
Ne with thoso leprOsesf' No. no. tlcrs wa
Kind look, there was rerCe word tbero
was healing touch. Thoy could not keog
away from Him
Ia addition 60 this softnee7 az cftaracf-7.
tnero was fiery momentum. How the kfo.ss
~ the earth turned pale. Hero is "a rioI,
men with few sailors no hs back co-5ip-
OF tio see OF 8aliice, going uD tg tIe ue'acs
oI Jno Caesnrs. making that palace ouake ID
tho ioundatOnz md utterfny n vyy~1 of
t4tefcy ana Kindness which fhrole fa~gugb ,ft
tne earth and through all the haovep~ anJ
IfDu4h OH ages. Oh. He wac "a l0vio0 Cbri.t
BuJ lt was not cf1eminacy or inaDi.Iifv III
sii4fe cDert % was accompanied with ma iasf,,
lguh,te nnd omnip1tcrt lest f.4 e.orLi
bhoulu not realize Els c1rnestncs-. tlis C,i,riet
mounts the crga4 '''' 30