Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-06-30
TALMAGE DEPARTS,
The Reverend Gentleman Leaves for
a Preaching Tour in the Old
World,
BUT Before Leaving He Dictated a
Sermon to Be Read By His
Many Readers.

the 18th. for Liverpool, for preach
ing tour in England, Scotland, Ire
land and Sweden. Before visiting
Sweden, DR.. Talmage will go to Rus
STA, there to witness the reception and
disposition OF the cargo OF breadstuffs
on board the Christian Herald Relief
steamship Leo, which sailed recently
for st. Petersburg. Previous to his
departure he dictated to his steno-
grapher the following farewell sermon.
He took his text from II. Timothy
w., 6: 1.-THE time Of my departure is
at hand"
Departure. That is q word used
only twice in all the Bible. But it is
O word often used in the court room
and means the desertion of one course
of pleading for another. tbs used in
navigation to describe the distance
betweentwo meridians passing through
the extremeties OF course. 1t is q
word have recently heard applied to
my departure from America to Eu
rope for a preaching tour to last I'M
til September. In q smaller and less
significant sense than that applied in
the text can say "The time OF my
departure is at hand" Through the
printing press address this sermon
to my readers all the world over, and
when they read it will
be mid-ocean, and unless
something new happens in my
marine experiences will be in no con
dition to preach. But how unimpor-
tant the word departure when applied
to exchange of continents as when APP
piled to exchange of worlds US when
Paul wrote, ''The time of my depart
ure is at hand" Now, departure i'm
plies a starting place and a place of
destination. When Paul left the
world, what was the starting point?
1t was a scene OF great physical dis
tress. 1t was the Tullianum,
| THE LOWER DUNGEON
of the Mamertine Prison, Rome, Italy.
The top dungeon was bad enough, it
having no means ofingress or egress but
through an opening in the top.
Through that the prisoner was
lowered, and through that came all
the food and air and light received.
1t was O. terrible place, that upper
dungeon, but the Tullinum was the
lower dungeon, and that was still
more wretched, the only light and the
only air coming through the roof, and
that roof the floor Of the upper dun
geon. That was Paul's last earthly
residence. was in that lower dun
geon in November, $50. 1t is made of
volcanic stone. measured it, and
from wall to wall it was Is feet. The
highest OF the roof was feet from the
| floor, and the lowest of the roof feet
7 inches. The opening in the roof
through which Paul was let down was
three feet wide. The dungeon has a
seat OF rock 2h feet high, and O. shelf
| of rock 4 teet high. 1t was there that
Paul spent his last days on earth,
| and it is there that see him now, in
the fearful dungeon, shivering; blue
with cold, waiting for that old over
coat which he had sent for up to
Troas, and which they had not yet
sent down, Notwithstanding he had
written for it.
Ii some skillful surgeon should
20 into that dungeon where Paul
is incarcernted, we might find out
what are theprospects ofPaul's living
through the rough imprisonment. In
the first place he is an old man, only
two years short Of 70. At that very
time when he most needs the warmth
i and the sunlight and the fresh dir, he
is
SHUT OUT FROM THE sun.
What are those scars on his ankles?
Why, those were gotten when he was
fast, his feet in the stocks. Every
time he turned, the flesh on his ankles
started. What are those scars on his
back? You know he was whipped five
times, each time getting 80 strokes
1875 bruises on the back count them!
made by the Jews with rods OF elm
wood. each one OF 1875 strokes bring
inc the blood. Look at Paul's face
and look at his arms. Where did he
oct those bruises? think it was
When he was struggling ashore amidst
the shivered timbers Of the shipwreck.
Where did he get that? think he got
that in the tussle with high waymen,
for he had been in peril OF robbers,
and he had money OF his own.
Oh, worn-cut, emaciated old man!
surely YOU must be melancholy; no
constitution could endure this and be
cheerful But press my way through
the prison until l come up close to
where he is, and by the faint light that
streams through the opening / see on
his face supernatural Joy and bow
before him, and l say, aged man,
how can you keep cheerful amidst gil
this gloom?" His voice startles the
darkness OF the place as he cries out;
II am now ready to be offered and
the time OF my departure is at hand
Hark! what is that shutting OF feet IN
the upper dungeon? Why, Paul has
an invitation to banquet, and ne is
| going to dine today with the king n.y.
Those shutting feet are the feet OF the
executioners. They come and they
/ crv down through the hole OF the dun