The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-08-29

.. 'o isOsiess-the captain, the helmsman.
the stoker, the man ON the lookout become
reckless, and in nino out of ten shipwrecks. h
IS found TINT some one was awfuily
10 blame. SO / have TO tell Won thnt
men are morally shipwrccked through sheer
recklessness There are thousands who do
not care where they are in spiritual things.
They do not know which way they are sail-
ing and the sea is black with piratical hulks
that would grapple them with hooks of steel
nnd blindfold them and make them 'walk
the plank" They do not know what the
next 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 nntici-
pations OF eternal felicity: but all the time
coming nearer and nearer to n dangerous
coast some OF thcm arc on fire with evil
habit, and they shall burn on the sen, tho
chnrred 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 gladness at the mouth of heavens
harbor; reckless as to where they
come out, drifting further from God. further
from early religious influences further from
happiness; and what is the worst thing about
IL Is, thcy are taking their families along
with them, and the way one goes the proba-
bility Is they will all go. Yet no anxiety. As
unconscious of danger as the passengers
aboard the Arctic one moment before the
Ncsta crashed into her. Wrapped up in the
business OF the store, not remembering that
soon they must quit all their earthly pos
sessions. Absorbed In their social po.
sition, not knowing that very soon they will
have attended the last levCe and whirlcd i'm
the last schottishe. They do not deliberately
choose 90 beruined; neither did the French
frigate Medusa aim for the Arguin banks.
httf tlpYa n wont In niaeng | xgigb 4 gnpl1
wake you up. The pcris are 50 augmented,
you will die just as certainly rs you sit there
unless you bestir yourself. Are you willing
TO become n castaway2 You throw out no
oar You take no surroundings. You watch
no compass. You are not calculating your
bearings while the wind is abaft,
and yondcr is long line OF foam
bounding ths horizon, and you will
bo pushed on toward IL, and thou
sands have pcrished there, and you are driv-
ing in the same direction. Ready about
Down helml Hard down. Man the life boat!
Pull, my lads, pull, "He that being often
reprovcd hardeseth his neck, shall be sud
denly destroyed and that without remedy"
But some Of you nre saying within your
selves: "What shall | doY Do? Dop Why,
my brother, do what any ship docs when
IL is in trouble. Lift distress signal. On
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 bundle of rags-any-
thing To catch the eye of the passing
craft. So If you want TO be taken oit
Che wreck of your sin, You must lift dis
trcss signal. The publican lifted the dis
merciful To mo n sinnerN Peter lifted tho
distress signal when he said: Lord, save
me, / pcrishm Tho blind man lifted the
distress signal when he said: Lord, that my
eyes may be opened" The jailer lifted the
distress signal when he said: what must |
do to be savedy' And help will never come
to your soul until you lift some signal. You
must mako some demonstration, give some
sign, make some heavon-piercing outcry for
help, lifting the distress signal for tho
church's prayer, lifting the distress signal
for heavens pardon. Pray Prayi Tho
voice of tho Lord now sounds in your ears
"In Me is thy help" Too proud to raise
such signal, too proud 10 be saved.
There was an old sailor humping about in
a small boat in a tempest The larger vessel
had gone down. He felt he must die. Tho
surf was breaking over the boat, and he said:
81 took of my life belt that it might soon bo
over, and thought somewhat indistnctly
about my friends ON shore and then bid
thcm good-by like, and | was about sinking
back and giving il up, when | saw a bright
star The clouds were breaking away, and
there that blessed star shono down on me,
and il seemed 10 take right hold on me; and
somehow, cannot tell how IL was, but some-
how, while ] was trying to watch that star,
IL seemed TO help me and seemed to lift me-
q, sinking SOUL SEQ you not the glmmer be-
tween the riffs of the storm cloudY That il
the star Of hope.
Deathstruck, ceased tho tide to stem
When suddenly o star arose,
IL was the star OF Bethlehem!
II there arc any here who consider them
salyaa lnf m (,nI iq Ininsr
everything to save you. Did you over hear
of Lionel Luken? fIe was the inventor Of the
insubmergiblo life boat. All honor is due to
his memory 10y scafaring men, rs well MS by
landsmen How many lives he saved by his
invention. In after days that invention was
improved and one day there was q perfect
lifo boat, the Northumberland, ready at
Ramsgate The life boat being ready, 10 test
II the crew came out and leaped ON tho gun
whale on ono side to see il the boat would
upset; il was impossible TO upset
1t. Then amid the huzzas OF OK
cited thousands, that boat was launched, and
1t has gono and come, picking up q great
many of the shipwreckod But have to tell
you now of a grander launching and from
the dry docks of heaven. Word came up
that world was beating ON the rocks. In
the presence of the potentates OF heaven tho
life boat OF the worlds redemption was
launched. IL showed off the golden sands
amid angelic hosannns The surges OF dark
ness beat against its bow, but it sailed on,
and il comes in sight of us this hour 1t
comes for you, il comes for me. Soul soul!
get into it, Make one leap for heaven. Let
the boat go past and your opportunity is
gone,
am expecting that there will be whole
families here who will get into that life boat.
In 1888, the Isabella came ashore of Hast
ings, England. The air was filed with
sounds-the hoarse sea trumpet the crash of
the axes, and the believing of the tornado
A boat from the shore came under the stern
Of the disabled vessel. There were wouea
md children on board that vessel. Some OF
the sailors jumped into the small boat and
said: "Now give us the children" A father
who stood ON deck took his first born
aud threw him 10 the boat. The sailors
caught him safely, and the next, and the
next, To the last, Still the sea rocking the
storm bowling. "Now,n said tho sailors,
''now the mother" and she leapod, and was
saved. The boat went 10 the shore; but be-
fore il got 10 the shore the landsmen were 50
impatient 10 help the suffering people that
they waded clear down into the surf with
blankets and garments, and promises OF help
and succor. So there are whole families here
who aro going 10 be saved, and saved alto
gether. Giyo us that child for Christ,
that other child, that other. Give us
tho mother give us the father, tho
whole family. They must all come in. All
heaven wades in to help you. / claim this