Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-06-24
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divins's Sum-
day Sermon.
Subject: "Thc Time Of Departure"

desertion OF one cCusse OF pleading Tor au-
other. Ii is used in navigation 10 describs
| the distance between two meridians passing
| through the extremities Of a course. II is
word have recently heard applied to my
| departure from America 70 Europe for a
preaching tour to last until September. In
a smaller and less significant sense than that
implied in the text eau say, The time OF
my departure is as hand
Through the printing press l address this
sermon to my readers all the worl1 over, an
when they read it will be in mi locean, aud
unless something new happens in my ma
| rine experiences | will be in no condition 10
preach. But how unimportant the word de-
| perture when applied to exchange of CONT
uents as when applied to exchange of worlds
as when Paul wrote, THE time of my de-
| parture is at hand
Now departure implies n starting place
and place OF destination. When Paul left
this world what was the starting point; IL
was scene # great physical distress. lt
wns the Tulianum, the lower dungeon OF
! the Mamertine prison, Rome Italy The top
| 1ungeon was bad enough. IL having no
means Of ingress or egres; but through an
opening in the top. Through that the prs
)ner was lowered. and through that came
all the food and air and light received. lt
was terrible place, that upper dungeon,
out the Tullianum was the lower dungeon.
and that was still more wretched the only
light and the only air coming through tue
.oof, and that roof the floor of the upper
dungeon. That was Pauis last earthly res
dence.
| was in that lower dungeon in November,
$50. 1t is made Of volcanic stone. Imeas-
lred il, and from wall to wall it was fifteen
eet. The highest OF the roof was seven feet
/ hon tho HCor md tho lotraef # ha Axra
Get seven inches. The opening in the roof
through which Paul was let down was three
ieet wide. The dungeon has a seat of rock
] wo and half feet high and n shelf OF rock
our feet high. IL was there that Paul spent
lis last days on EARTH aud it is there that |
iec him now, in the fearful dungeon, shiver-
ne, blue with the cold, waiting for that old
,vercoat which he had sent up for to Troas
md which they had not yet sent down. not
outstanding that he had written for it.
II some skillful surgeon should go into that
dungeon where Paul is incarcerated wel
night find out what are the prospects ID
Paurs living through the rough imprsor3
nent In the first place he is an old mani
)nly two years short Of seventy. At thai
;erv time when he most needs the warmth
ana the sunlight, and the fresh air he is shdt
)ut from the sun. What are those scars On
ais ankles. Why, those were got when h.
vas fsst, his feet IN the stocxs Every tTte
le turned the flesh on his ankles started
What are those scars on his back Nbu
inow he was whipped five times. each tihe
! getting thirty nine strokes-one hundred aH
linety-fve bruises on the back count theh
made with rods OF elmwoo1. each one OF ths
)ne hundred and ninety five strokes bringing
he blood.
Look at Paurs face and look at mis- ar Ins
Where did he get those bruises | thinE it
Vas when he was struggling ashore Al nil
he shivered timbers of the shipwreckA /
| zee cash i'm Paurs side Where did hf get
'hai2 think he got that in the tus3el it'll
1ehwaymen, for he had been in ped ii OF
'obbers and he had money OF his own. 4 He
vas mechanic as well as an apostle, agnd I
.hink the tents he made were a cool 4 his
sermon.
Hark, what is that shutting OF feet In the
upper dungeon Why Paul has an ifvita-
ton to a banquet. ana he is going II dine
today with the King Those shufflrA feet
are the feet of the executioners. Theyk come,
and they cry down through the hole Hof the
dungeon. Hurry up. Oh .aag,-B ONE
now get yourself ready" Why. Pail was
ready. lie had nothing To pack up. Pie hal
10 baggage 10 take. He had been feady 4
good while. | see him rising up, aud straight-
sning out his limbs. and pushing f'acS his
white hair from his creviced FOREHEAD, and
see him looking up through the hob IN the
/ roof of the dungeon into the face OF his ex-
acutioners ana hear HIM say. II am now
ready to be offered. and the time Of nay de-
parture is at hand
Then they hit him out Of the dung eon. AMI
they start with him to the place Of execution.
| They say Hurry alony. old man or you
will feel the weight OF our spear Hurry
along "how tar is - says Paul, I'VE
! have to travel Three niles.' Three
miles is a good way for an old mhu to travel
after he has been whipped aud crippled with
maltreatment But they soon get 10 the
place of execution -Acqu@ Salvia-ani he
Is fastened TO the pillar OF mariyrdom II
does not take any strength TO tle him last.
! He makes no resistance
o Paul. why not now strike foT your
! life You have great many trlentS her..
With that withered hanl jtst launch tns
thunderbolt OF the people ubon those IN
famous soldiers Mo- PaulIwas not going
to interfere with his own cofonaJiol. he
was too glad to go. see him looSing ~
in the face of his execudober. an a tu9
grim official draws the swofd Paul calm
says, 81 am now ready foibe ofere', anu
the tine of my departure rs ht hand. blo
tut my hand over my eyes. want not -
see that last struggle. Dne sharp. kesn
stroke and Paul does go) 10 the banquet,
and Paul does dine with the King.
What a transition it vat From the ma.
Iarla OF Rome to the finest climate IN all thu
universe-the zone Of et,rnal beauty AMI
health. Hisashes were put i'm the CT tao 0mb :
of Rome, but in ona uloment the air Of
heaven bathed from his sorl tle last ache.
From shipwreck. from hungeon. from thy
biting pain OF the elmweol rods. from thu
sharp sword Of the he1dsuan hs GOES intD
the most brilliant assemblage of heaven. n
king among kings, multltu les Of the saint
hood rushing out anl sttetchiny forth han Is
Of welcome for | do reallv think that as on
the right hand of God Is Christ. - on thu
right hand OF Christlis Paul. the second
great in heaven.
He changed kings likewise Before the
hour OF death aud NJ 70 toe last moment ha
was under Nero, the tkick-neckei, ths cruz
eyed, the tllthy-llppet AMI sculpturet tea-
lures Of that man bringing down 70 Us this
very day the horrible possibilities Of his
nature-selted as he was amOng picture
marbles of Egypt, hinder a roof adorned
with mother of-pcal in a dining-rOon
which by machinery was kept whirling day
and night with most bswtching magnih-
cence: his horses stan ling in stalls Of solid
gold. AMI the grounds aroun his palac9
lighted at night ~ IL, victims, who hat
been bedaubed With tar AMI pitch an thsn
set on fire 10 illua5ne the darkness. That
was Paups king
But the next moment he goes into I'M
realm OF Him whose reign is love, AMI
whose courts are plve1 with love, aud whoss
throne is set on pillars Of love ant whose
tvePter - auorneI with Jewels OF love. ant
whose palace Is lighted with love, an whose
lifetime is an eternity os love. When Paul
was leaving so much on this side the pillar
OF martyrdom 10 gain so much on the other
side, do you won Ter at the cheerful valedic.
tory OF the text, "Ihe time OF my departure
Is at handr
Now. why cannot all ths oil people hqy,
the same holy glee as that aged man had,
Charles l., when he was CO nong his halr
found gray hair, aud no sent 1t to the
queen as a great j)ke; but old age is reiiiy
no joke at all. For the last forty years You
have been dreading that wnlcn ought to
have been an exhilaration. You say you
most fear the struggle at the moment tho
soul and body part. But millions have en-
dured that moment, aud may not we as
well? They got through with It an 50 can
we.
Besides this all medical men agree in say
A. ~. -frt rln 49,