The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-07-06
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINES SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: ''The Time of Departure.n

TEXT: "Ihe time of my departure is q
hdnd. Ill Timothy iv., =.
Departure! That is word used oul,
twice in all the Bible But it is a word oftel
used IN the courtroom and means tn
oeserSicn OF one course Of pleading for an
other. 1t IS used III navigation to describ
The distance between two meridians passing
through the extremities of course. It is 6
word have recently heard applied to my
departure from America to Europe for 6
preaching tour to last until September. II
smaller and less significant sense than tina,
implied In the text can say, The time oi
my departure is as hand"
. Through the printing press I address this
sermon to my readerSall the world over, and
when they read it will be in midocean, and
unless something new happens in my ma
rlne experiences will be in no condition to
preach. But how unimportant the word de-
parture when applied to exchange of CONT
nents as when applied to exchange OF worlds
as wnen Paul wrote, The time of my de-
parture is at hand"
Now departure implies q starting place
and place of destination. When Paul left
this world, what was the starting point? 1t
was scene of great physical distress. 1t
was the TullianuT, the lower dungeon of
the Mamertine prison, Rome, Italy. The top
dungeon was bad enough, it having no
opening in the top. Through that the pris-
oner was lowered, and through that came
all the food and air and light received. 1t
was terrible place, that upper dungeon,
but the Tulllauum was the lower dungeon,
and that wos still more wrstched, the only
light and the only air coming through the
roof, and that roof the floor Of the upper
dungeon. That was Paul's last earthly res
idence.
was in that lower dungeon in November,
1859. 1t is made of volcanic stone. Imeas-
ured it, and from wall to wall it was fifteen
feet. The highest OF the roof was seven feet
from the floor and the lowest Of the roof five
feet seven inches. The opening in the roof
through which Paul was let down was three
feet wide. The dungeon has seat Of rock
two and half feet high and a shelf Of rock
four feet high. 1t was there that Paul spent
his last days on earth, and it is there that
see him now, in the fearful dungeon, shiver-
ing, blue with the cold, waiting for that old
overcoat which he had sent up f or to Troas
and which they had not yet sent down, not
withStandins that he had written for it.
If some sEillful surgeon should 60 into that
dungeon where Paul is incarcerated we
might find out what are the prospects Of
PaurS living through tho rough imprison-
ment. In the first placs he is an old man,
only two years short Of seventy. At that
very time when he most needs the warmth,
ana the sunlight, and the fresh air he is shut
out from the sun. What are those scars on
his ankles? Why, those were got 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 thirty mine strokes-one hundred and
ninety-tve bruises on the back count them y
made with rods Of elm wood, each one of the
one hundred and ninety five strokes bringing
the blood.
Look at Paul's face and look at his arms.
Where did be get those bruises? I think it
the shivered timbers Of the shipwreck. l
see cash in Paurs side. Where did he get
that? think he got that in the tussel with
highwaymep. for he had been in peril Of
robbers and be had money Of his own. He
was mechanic as well as an apostle, and
think the rents he made were as good as his
sermon.
Harkl what is that shufing of feet in the
upper dungeon? Why, Paul has an invita-
ton to q banquet. ana he is going to dine
to-day with the King. Those shutting feet
and they cry down through the hole of the
dungeon: Hurry up. old man. Come
now; get yourself ready" Why, Paul was
ready. He had nothing to pack up. He had
no baggage to take. He had been ready
good while. l see him rising up, and straight
ening out his limbs, and pushing back his
white hair from his creviced forehead, and
,see him looking up through the hole in the
roof OF the dungeon into the face OF his e3-
IecutionerS and hear him say, u am now
ready to be offered. and the time of my de-
:parture is at hand"
; Then they lift him out of the dungeon, and
they start with him to the place Of execution.
They say: Hurry along, old man, or you
will feel the weight OF our spear. Hurry
along" "Row far is IT," says Paul. I'VE
have to travel" Three miles" Three
miles is 4 good wsy for an old man to travel
after be has been whipped and crippled with
maltrcatnent. But they soon get to the
place Of execution-Acqu@ Salvia--and he
Is fastened to the pillar or martyrdom. 1t
does not take any strength to tie him fast.
He makes no resistance.
y Paul! why not now strike for your
life? You nave great many friends here.
With that withered hand just launch the
famous soldiers. No! Paul was not going
to interfere with his own coronation. He
was too glad to so. see him looking up
in the face of his executioner, and, as the
grim official draws the sword, Paul calmly
says, 81 am now ready to be offered, ana
the time of my departure IS at hand. bu'
i put my hand over my eyes. Iwant not to
see that last struggle. One sharp, keen
stroke. and Paul does 60 to tbs banquet
and Paul does dine with the King.
What a transition it was, From the ma.
laria Of Rome to the finest climate in all the
universe-the zone Of eternal beauty anG
e,oAa, - 49, l.
OF Rome, but in one moment the air OF
heaven bathed from his soul the last ache
From shipwreck. from dungeon, from thl
biting pain Of the elmwood rods, from tht
sharp sword Of the headsman, he goes into
the most brilliant assemblage Of heaven. o
king among kings, multitudes of the saint.
hood rushing out and stretching forth hands
= of welcome, for do really think that as or
the right hand Of God is Christ, so on tn.
right hand OF Christ is Paul, thu second
great in heaven.
He changed kings likewise Before tn.
hour Of death and up to the last moment he
was under Nero, the thick-neckei, the cruel
eyed, the tilthy-lippe1 and sculptured fea,
lures Of that man bringing down to us this
very day the horrible possibilities of his
nature-seated as he was among pictured
marbles Of Egypt, under roof adorned
with mother. of-pearl. in dining-roon
which by machinery was kept whirling day
and night with most bewitching magnif.
cence, his horses staniing in stalls of solid
gold. and the grounds srounl his palacs
lighted at night by its victims, VINO had
been bedaubed with tar and pitch and then
set on fire to illumine the darkness. That
was Paups king.
But tine next moment he goes into the
realm OF Him whose reign is love, and
whose courts are paved with love, and whose
throne is set on pillars OF love. AMI whose
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