Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-09-03

T. historical Iaith and Faith In the Rock
of Ages-T'he Lamp Above the Grave.
n-ooKLYN, Sept. 2.--Rev. DR.. Tai
nee, who is still absent in the south
.r.fc, has selected as the subject of
la, g sermon through the press 1.-The
scno," tho text chosen being Acts
4. g. "Believe ON the Lord Jesus
list, and thou shalt be saved. -
Jails are dark, dull, damp, loathsome
hoes even now, but they were worse in
,o anostolic times. 1 imagine today we
c standing in the Philippian dungeon.
y You not feel tho chill? Do you not
artho groans of those incarcerated ones
&llo for 10 years have not seen the sun
Nglt and the deep sigh of women who
&Inember their fathers house and
n,ou1n over their wasted estates? Listen
Rrain 1t is the cough of a consumptive
81 The struggle of ono in the nightmare
IA great horror. You listen again and
tcar a culprit, his chains rafting as he
nblls over in his dreams, and you say,
RGod, pity the prisoner" But there is
another sound in that prison. 1t is the
song of Joy and gladness. What place
lo sing inl The music comes winding
through the corridors Of the prison, and
ID all the dark wards tho whisper il
heard: whats that? What's that?'
X Tt is the song of Paul and Silas. They
tannot sleep They have been whipped
Every badly whipped. The long gashes
l,n their backs are bleeding yet. They
lie fiat on the cold ground, their feet
fhst in wooden sockets, and of course
hey cannot sleep But they can sing.
1hiler, what are you doing with these
feople? Why have they been put in
here? Oh, they have been trying tc
make the world better. Is that all? That
n all A pit for Joseph. A lions cave
fnr Daniel. A blazing furnace for Shad-
Nsch. Clubs for John Wesley. An
onathema for Philip Melanchthon. A
dnngeon for Paul and Silas.
An Earthquake Shock.
But while we are standing in the
Nloom of the Philippian dungeon, and
We hear the mingling voices Of sob and
roam and blasphemy and halleluiah,
eaddenly an earthqualel The iron bars
0f the prison twist, the pillars crack off,
lhe solid masonry begins to heave, and
az the doors swing open. The jailer,
foeling himself responsible for these
dfisoners and believing, in his pagan
zfnorance, suicide to be honorable
Aince Brutus killed himself, and Cato
Hiiled himself, and Cassius killed him
s4lf-puts his sword to his own heart,
f]foposing with one strong, keen thrust
~ put an end to his excitement and agi-
tafion But Paul cries out: 'Stop. stop!
ID thyself no harml We are all herep'
Then see the jailer running through
HE dust and amid the ruin Of that pris-
iii, and / see him throwing himself
Aown at the feet of these prisoners, cry
tin out: "What shall do? What shall
ao?'' Did Paul answer: "Get out of
this place before there is another earth
nuake Put handouts and hopples on
t|i8ee other prisoners lest they get
aWay?" No word of that kind. His
ceanpact, thrilling, tremendous answer,
a;iswer memorable all through earth
aad heaven, was, "Believe ON the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. "
Well, we have all read Of the earth
anake in Lisbon, in Lima, in Aleppo
and in Caracas, but we live in lati-
t4ae where in all our memory there has
n6t been one severe volcanic disturb
6sIce. And yet we have seen 80 earth
fnakes. Here is man who has been
t,iiiding up large fortune. His bid ON |
tEe money market was felt in all the |
6]ties He thinks he has got beyond all |
l~s1 ifaf fro6o and hn |
b himself, "Now / am free and safe |
Qin all possible perturbation. But in |
1857 OF in 1878 a national panic strikes |
[he foundation of the commercial world, |
md crash goes all that magnificent bust |
ness establishment
Here is man who has built upa very |
Et8utiful home. His daughters have
inst come home from the seminary with
Niplomas of graduation. His sons have
started in life. honest, temperate and
1pre When the evening lights are
struck, there is a happiness and un-
lxoken family circle. But there has been
a. accidenE down at Long Branch The
Y6ung man ventured too far out in the
surf. The telegraph hurled the terror
up 10 the city. An earthquake struck |
under the foundation Of that beautiful
home.
Trust and Believe.
Tho piano closed; the curtains drop |
ped; the laughter hushed. Crash go all
those domestic hopes and prospects and
t4pectations. So, my friends, we have
al felt the shaking down of some great
ffonble, and there was time when we
xlfe as much excited as this man OF the
toxt. and we cried out as he did: "What
shall / do? What shall DOR The same
ttnIy that the apostle made TO him is
1loropriate to us, Believe on the Lord
1esns Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
There are some documents OF SO little
|nportance that yon do not care to put
Anf more than your last name under
io1m, or even your initials, but there
st1 some documents of so great impor-
'af.oe that you write out your full name
',o lhe Saviour IN some parts OF the |
GIN|o is called Lord, and in other |
I.||s Of the Bible he is called Jesus, "