The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-03-28

earthquake unlocking the door for him ant
took command OF the Alexandrian corn shiI
when the sailors were nearly scared to deatt
| and preached a sermon that nearly shooE
Felix off his judgment seat hearthe mel
aud women who helped him down through
the window and over the wall talking in
private over the matter, ard saying, "How
| glad am that we effected hat rescue In
| coming times others may get the glory o!
Pauls work, but no one Shall rob Us OF the
satisfaction OF knowing that we held the
rope"
There are said to be abou 60, 900 ministers
OF religion In this country. About $4,000, /
warrant, came from early homes. which had
to struggle for the necessaries OF life. The
sons Of rich bankers and merchants gener-
ally become bankers and merchants. The
most of those who become ministers are the
sons of those who had terrific struggle 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 scant-
ily apparelad. The son at college every lit
tie while got a bundle from home. In 1t
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 de-
licacies from the sisters hand for the vora-
cious appetite Of hungry student.
The years 60 by and the son has been or
dained and Is preaching the glorious gospel
and O great revival comes, and souls by
scores and hundreds accept the gospel from
the lips OF that young preacher, and father
and mother, quite old now, are visiting the
of Sabbath of mighty blessing father and
mother retire to their room, the son lighting
the way and asking them II he can do any
thing to make them more comfortable, say
ing II they want anything in the night Just
to knock on the wall.
And then all alone father and mother talk
over the gracious influences Of the day and
say: swell, It was worth all we went through
to educate that boy! 1t was hard pull, but
We held on till the work was done. The
world may not know 1t but, mother, we held
the rope, didn't we?" And the voice, tremu-
lous with joyful emotion, responds ''Yes,
father: we held the rope / feel my work Is
done. Now, Lord, lettest Thou Thy servant
depart In peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy
salvation" "Pshaw!" !" says the father. "I
never felt 80 much Like living In my life as
now. want to see what that fellow is going
on to do, he has begun so WELL"
Oh, men and women here assembled, you
brag sometimes how you have fought your
way In the world, but think there have
been helpful influences that you have neve,
fully acknowledged. Has there not been
some influence In your early or present home
that the world cannot see? Does there not
reach to you from among the New England
hills, or from western prairles. or from south.
ern plantation, or from English or Scottish
or Irish homes, q cord Of infuer CO that has
kept you right when you would have gone
astray, and which, after you had made a
crooked track, recalled your The rope may
have been as long as thirty years, or 500
miles long or 5000 miles long, but hands that
Gent.o OF mortal sight long ago still hold
the rope.
You want a very swift horse, and you need
to rcwel him yith sharpsst spurs, and to let
thereins lie lo6se upon the reck and to gfvea
shout to a racer II you are going to ride out
of reach Of your mothers prayers. Why, a
ship crossing the Atlantic In seven days can't
sail away from them! A sailor finds them
on the lookout as he takes his place, and
finds them on the mast as he climbs the rat
lines to disentangle rope In the tempest.
and finds them swinging on the hammock
when he turns in. Why not be frank and ac-
knowledge it2 The most Of us would long
ago have been dashed to pieces had not
gracious and loving bands steadily and low
ingy and nightly held the rope.
But there must come time when we shall
find out who these Damascenes were who
lowered Paul In the basket and greet them
and all those who have rendered to God and
the world unrecognized and unrecorded
services. That Is going to be one Of the glad
excitements of heayen-the hunting up and
picking out Of those who did great good Oh
earth and got no credit for It. Here the
church has been going on nineteen GEN.
turies. and this is probably the first sermon
ever recognizing the services OF the people in
that Damascus balcony. Charles G.. Finney
said to dying Christian, "Give my love to
st. Paul when you meet him." When you
and meet him, as we will, shall ask him
70 introduce me to those people who got him
out of the Damascene peril.
Once for thirty-six hours we expected
every moment to 60 to the bottom OF the
ocean. The waves struck through the sky
lights, and rushed down into the hold Of the
ship, and hissed against the boilers. It was
an awful time, but by the blessing of God
and the faithfulness Of the men In charge we
came out Of the cyclone, and we arrived at
home. Each one, before leaving the ship,
thanked Captain Andrews. l do not think
, there was q man or woman that went off
that ship without thanking Captain Andrews
AMI when years after heard Of his death
was impelled to write letter OF coincidence
to his family in Liverpool.
Everybody recognized the goodness, the
courage, the kindness OF Captain Andrews,
but 1t occurs to me now that we never
thanked the engineer. He stood away down
in the darkness amid the Kissing furnaces
doing his whole duty. Nobody thanked the
engineer, but God recognized his heroism,
snd hts continuance, and his fidelity, and
there vii, he just as high reward for the en-
gineer who worked out Of sight as the cap
tain who stood on the bridge Of the ship in
the midst of the bowling tempest.
u Unrrseun woman was seem gong along
the edge OF wood every eventide, and the
neighbors In the country did not understand
how a mother with so many cares and ANKLE
ties should waste so much time as to be idly
sauntering out evening by evening. It was
found out afterward that she went there to
pray for her household, and while there one
evening she wrote that beautiful hymn,
famous In all ages for cheering Christian
hearts:
/ love to steal awhile away
From every cumberlng care
And spend Ie hours OF setting day
In humble. grateful prayer.
Shall there be no reward for such nnpre
tending yet everlasting service?
We go into long sermon to prove that we
will be able to recognize people In heaven,
when there Is one reason we fail to present,
andthat Is better than all-God will intro.
duce US. We shall have them all pointed
out. You would not be guilty OF the impo-
liteness of having friends in your parlor not
introduced, and celestial politeness will de.
mand that We be made acquainted with all
the heavenly household. What rehearsal OF
old times and recital Of stirring reminis-
cences.
If others fail to give introduction, God will
take rls through and before our first twenty