Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1893-10-28
UNSAFE LIFEBOATS.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE STILL FINDS NEW
SUBJECTS AND NEW THOUGHTS.

I'll. Recent Yacht Importance Of
the Lifeb"sts That Can Live In
Any Sea-A Sure Refuge In the storm
Of Life.
BROOKLYN. Oct. 80 After preaching
on nearly 1000 different subjects and
being closely followed by the printing
press for about - years Rev. DIR Tai
mage still seems to find new subjects
that have never been preached on. This
forenoon he chose for his subject I'm
safe ifeboass." tho text being Acts
xvii, 3s, Then the soldiers cut off the
ropes Of the boat and let her fall off"
While your faces ara vet somewhat
bronZed by attendance on the interna-
tioIal boat contest between tho vigilant
and the Valkyric address you. Good
things when there is no betting or tiissi-
patton, those outdoor sports. We want
more fresh air and breeziness in our
tempcramcnts and our religion. A stale
and slow and lusuhrious religion may
have done for other times. yet will not
do for these. But my text calls our at
tention To- boat Of different sort. and
instead of the Atlantic il is the Mediter-
rs the crews Of the Vigilant and Valky-
rio the other day complained. there is
too much wind and tho swoop Of Eu-
roclytlon.
am not calling your attention so
much To the famous ship ON which Paul
was the distinguished passenger. but to
the lifcboat If that ship which no one
seems to notice. For n fortnight the
main vessel had been tossed and driven.
For that two weeks, the account says.
the passengers had continued fasting"
suppose the salt water. dashing over.
had spoiled tho sea biscuit. and the pas
sengers were scasick anyhow.
The sailors said. at is no use: this ship
must 20 down." anj they proposed
among themselves To lower the lifeboat
and get into il aud take the chances for
reaching shore. although they pretended
they were going Ia get over the sides of
the big ship and down into the lifeboat
only to do sailors duty That was not
sailorlike, for the sailors that | have
known were all intrepid fellows and
would rather go down with the ship
than do snch mean thing rs those Jack
Tars of my text attempted.
When on the Mediterranean last June
the Victoria sank un.ier the ram of he
Camperdown. the most majestic thing
about that awful scene was that all the
sailors staii at their posts doing their
j,,t,, .1.sa al .,r.r Alan
ors are valorous. hut these sailors Of the
text were exceptional and pretended tn
do duty while they were really preparing
for flight in the lifeboat. But these ma
rines" on boards sol,licrs--lIad in es-
pecial charge u little missionary who
was turning the world upside down. and
when thes" marines saw III" trick the
cutlasscs from the :.irlle and chop! chop!
went thos" cutlass.s int" the ropes that
held the lifehoat. and splash. it dropped
into tho sea.
Nv text describes it. The soldiers cut
off the ropes of the boat and let her fall
off" As that empty lifebuat dropped
and was capsize,l ON u sea where for two
MttkS NifiIS lttlti ItlifNS Usttt B'tH Ill
battle | think that many on board tn.
main vessel felt their last hope If ever
reaching home had vanished. In that
temIestuous sea y small boat could not
have lived five minutes.
Nv subject is Unsafe l.ifebnats."
We cannot cxa.srraic the Importance If
tho lifcboat. All honor To- the memory
Long Acre, London. who invented the
first lifeboat, and | do not blame him for
ordering put upon his tnnl,ton. in Kent
the inscription that y"u may still read
there:
This Lionel Lukin was the first who
built lifcboat and was tho original in
ventor Of that principle of safety by
which many lives and much property
have been preserved from shipwrcck,
and no obtained for it the kings patent
in the year 1885,"
WORD OF CAUTION.
All honor to the memory of Sir Will
liam Hillary. who. living in tho isle of
Man. and after assisting with his own
hand in the rescue of 305 lives of the
shipwrecked. stirred the English parlia-
ment to qui,.; action i'm the construction
of lifeboats. Thanks to God for the
sublime and pathetic and divine mission
of the lifebont. No one will doubt its
important mission who has read If the
wreck of the Amazon in the bay of Bis
cay, of the Tweed running on the reefs
Of the gulf Of Mexico. or If the Ocean
Monarch on the coast IF Wales. or of tho
Birkenhead ON the Cape of Good Hope.
or of the Royal Charter on the coast of
Anglesea. or Of the Exmouth on the
Scotch breakers. or of the Cambria on
the Irish coast. or Of the Atlantic on tho
rocks of Nova Scotia. or Of the Licking
ton on Long Island sound.
To add still further 10 the Importance Of
the lifeboat, remember there are Mt least
=. 1000. 600 men following the sea. to say
nothing of the uncounted millions this
moment ocean passengers. We land
lubbers," as sailors call MS. may not
know tho difference between % MARINE
spike and ringbolt. or anything about
heaving n log. or rigging ont a flying
jibboom. or furling topsail. hut we all
realize Ia greater ar less extent the inn
portance Of lifehoat in every marine
equipment.
But do wa feel tho importance of n
lifeboat in the matter Of the souls rescue?
There are times when we all feel that we
are ont mt SEA. and as many disturbing
and anxious questions strike us as waves
struck that vessel against the sides of
which the lifrboat Of my text dangled.
Questions about the church Questions
about the world. Questions about tod.
Questions about our eternal destiny.
Every thinkn. man and woman has
these questions. and in proportion as
they nv" thinking people do the>" ,Iucs
tions arise
There is no wrong in thinking. II God
had not intended rs 10 think and keep
Specimen Cases.
5. H. Clifford N.w CrSscl Wis was