Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-03-12

MOBILE, March li,-Rey. T. De Witt Tai
mage D, D., who is now visiting the south.
selected US the subject Of todny's sermon
"Unappreoiated Services the text being
taken from II Corinthians xi, 80, urhroush
a window, in a basket, was Let down by
the WALL
Damascus Is city Of white and gliston
ing NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. called athe
eye OF the east, sometimes called "a pearl
surrounded by emeralds.p at one time dis
tinguished for swords of the best material,
called Damascus blades, and upholstery OF
richest fabric, called damasks.
a horscman Of the name Of Paul. riding
toward this city, had been thrown from the
saddle. The horse bad dropped under a
fash from the sky, which at the same time
was so bright It blinded the rider for many
days, and, ! think, so permanently injured
his cyesight that this defect OF vision be-
came the thorn in the lesh he afterward
speaks Of lie started for Damascus to
butcher Christians, but after that hard fall
from his horse he was changed man and
preached Christ in Damascus till the city
was shaken 10 its foundation.
The mayor gives authority for his arrest,
and the popular cry IS; xiii hint Xiii
himW The city Is surrounded by n high
wall, and the gates are watched by the DO
lice lest the Cilician preacher escape. Many
of the houses are built on the wall, and
their balconies projected clear over and
lowered above the gardens outside It was
customary to lower baskets out Of these
balconies and pull mp fruits and flowers
from the gardens. To this day visitors at
the monastery OF Mount Sinai are lifted
and let down in baskets
Detectives provided around from house to
house looking for Paul, but his friends hid
him now in one place, now Ia another. lie
is no coward, as 80 incidents in his life
demonstrate. But he feels his work Is not
done yet, and so lie evndes assassination
is that preacher here" the foaming mob
shout at one house door. as that fanatic
hereW the police shout Mt another house
door. Sometimes on the street be passes
incognito through crowd OF eliuched fists,
and sometimes he secretes himself on the
house top At last the Infatuated populace
get on sure track Of him.
PAUL's ESCAPE.
They have positive evidence that he Is In
the house OF one Of the Christians, the bal
cony Of whose home reaches over the wall.
"Here he Isl Here he Isl" The vociferation
and blasphemy and bowling Of the pursuers
are at the front door. They break In.
Fetch out that gospelizer, and let us hang
his head on the city gatel Where is hey
The emergency was terrible. ProvidentiAl
ly there was r good stout basketin the house
Paul's friends fasten rope to the basket
Paul steps into it. The basket Is lifted t
the edge of the balcony on the wall, ant
then while Paul holds onto the rope witt
both hands his friends lower away, care
fully and cautiously, slowly, but surely
farther down and farther down, until tn
basket strikes the earth, and the npostl
steps out and afoot and alone starts on tina
| famous missionary tour, the story Of whicl
has astonshed earth and heaven. Appro
pirate entry In Paul's diary of travels
Through a window, IN basket, was le
down by the wall"
Observe frat on what slender teuur
| great results hang. The ropemaker WHIT
twisted that cord fastened to that lowering
| basket never knew how much would de
pend on the strength Of 1t. How II II haI
been broken and the apostles life had beer
dashed outf What would have become o
the Christian church, All that magnid
cent missionary work in Pamphylia, Cap
padocia, Galatia, Macedonia, would nevei
have been accomplished, All his writing
that make up soindispeusable and enehaut
inp part Of the New Testament woult
never have been written. The story of res
direction would never have been so glori
ously told as he told 1t. That example o
| t..i ,rd .ri,,,nnhunt endurance Mt Phi
linui In the Mediterranean euroclydon, un
der flapellation and at his beheading woul'
not have kindled the courage OF 10000 mar
tyrdoms But the rope holding that haske
how much depended on iti SO again AIT
again great results have hung on wba
seemed slender circumstances.
THE BOAT NOSES LAY Is.
Did ever ship OF many thousand ton
crossing the sea have such important pas
senRer as had once a boat Of leaves iron
-. #s.sHsa Loot 10