Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-03-22

/ full homes ana hlglG6t style Oh rellKlQnS
md civilization. Tor Atty, years no
missionary and no Christian influence
had landed there. Why this oasis OF
light amid a desert OF heathendOm?
Sixty years before u ship had met dis
aster, and one of the sailors unable
to save anything else, went to his trunk
and took out q Bible which his mother
lad placed there, and swan ashore,
the Bible held in his teeth. The book
was read ON all sides until the rough
end vicious population We're evangel-
lied, and u church was started, ana an
enlightened commonwealth established,
| and the worlds history has no more
brilliant page than that which tells Of
the transformation of Il nation by one
hook. 1t did not seem Of much Import
ance whether the sailor continued to
hold the book in his teeth or lot 1t
fall in the breakers, but upon what
small circumstance depended what
mighty results.
Practical Inference: There are no In
significances in our lives. The minutest
thing is part of a magnitude Infinity
is made up Of intinit .,;imals.. Great
things an aggregation of small things.
Bethlehem manger pulling on q star
in the eastern sky. One book In u
drenched sailors mouth the evangelical
ton of q multitude. One boat Of pnpy
rus ON the Nile freighted with events
for all ages. The fate Of ChristendOm
in basket let down from a window
on the wall. What you do. do well.
If you make rope make it strong and
true, for you know not how much
may depend on your workmanship. If
you fashion a boat let it be water
proof, for you know not who may sail
in it. If you put a Bible in the trunk
Of your boy as he goes from home,
let it be heard in your prayers, for it
may have mission as far-ranching
as the book which the sailor carried in
his teeth to the Pitcairn beach. The
plainest mans life is an island between
two enthusiastically past ripping
against his shoulders, eternity to come
touching his brow. The casual, the
accidental, that which merely happened
so, are parts of great plan, and the
rope that let's the fugitive apostle from
the Damascus wall is the cable that
holds to its mooring the ship Of the
church in the northeast storm of the
centuries.
corded services. Who spun that rope?
led the illustrious preacher as he step
ped into it? Who relaxed not muscle
Of the arm or dismissed an anxious look
from his face until the basket touched
! the ground and discharged it's magnifi-
has come to us, but there was no work
6nno f1,of DIV IN no, IN oil
the earth compared with the import
in their agitation tied knot that could
slip? What if the sound of the mob
| at the door had led them to say: paul
must take care Of himself, and we will
take care of ourselves" No, no! They
held the rope, and in doing so did more
for the Christian church than any
thousand of us will ever accomplish.
But God knows and has made eternal
record Of their undertakings. And they
know. How eXultant they must have
felt when they read his letters to the
Romans, to the Corinthians, to the Ca
latians, to the Ephesians, to the Phil
ippians, to the Colossians, to the Thcs-
salorians, to Timothy, to Titus, to Phil
emon, to the Hebrews, and when they
heard how he walked out If phison
with the earthquake Unlocking the door
for him, and took command of the
Aexandrian corn-ship when thu sail
ors were nearly scared to death, and
preached q sermon that nearly shook
Felix off his judgment seat. hear the
men and women who helped him down
through the window and over the wall
| talking in private over the matter,
On6 vinns tGEI0vrr rr101 r hot
effected that rescue! In coming times
others may get the glory Of PauIs
work, but no one shall rob us of the
satisfaction Of knowing that we held
the rope"
There are said to be about $4,000
ministers of religion in this country
About $4,000 I warrant came from
early homes which had to struggle for
the necessaries of life. The sons of
rich bankers and merchants generally
become bankers and merchants. The
most of those who become ministers are
the sons Of those who had terrific strug-
gle to get their everyday bread. The
collegiate and theological education of
that son took every luxury from the
parental table for eight years. The
other children were more scantily ap-
pdEel1cu. LIE sui Ut COlles5e every llCue
while got a bundle from home. In it
were the socks that mother had knit,
sitting up late at night, her sight not
as good as once it was. And there also
were some delicacies from the sisters
hand for the voracious appetite of u
hungry student
The years go by and the son has been
ordained and is preaching tie glorious
gospel, and great revival comes, and
souls by scores and hundreds accept
the gospel from the lips Of the young
preacher, and father and mother. quite
old now, are visiting the son at the vii
lage parsonage, and at the close of
Sabbath Of mighty blessing father and
mother retire to their room, the son
lighting the way and asking them If
he can do anything to make them more
comfortable, saying If they want any
thing in the night just to knock on the
wall. And then all alone father and
mother talk over the gracious influ-
ences of the day and say: "Well, IL, was
worth all W. went through to educate
Il HAD l.