The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-03
TALNACE ON The RESCUE.
The Text Of His Sermon Taken From
Acts xvi, 81.


Are Utterly Broken Down by Be
reavement He Suggests the Eternal
Balm of Heaven.
Brooklyn, Sept. Rev DR. Talmage,
who is still absent in the South Pacific
has selected as the subject of to-day's
sermon through the press. 1.-The Rescue, 8"
the text chosen being Acts 16: 81: BE
lieve on the Lore Jesus Christ and thou
shalt be saved"
Jails are dark, dull, damp, loathsome
places even now; but they were worse
in the apostolic times. | imagine, today,
we are standing in the Philippian dun
geon. Do you not feel the chill? Do
you not hear the groan Of those incarce-
rated ones who for ten years have not
seen the sunlight, and the deep sigh of
women who remember their fathers
house, and morn over the wasted estates?
Listen again. 1t is the cough OF com
sumptive, or the struggle of one in the
nightmare of a great horror You listen
again, and hear culprit, his chains rat
ting as he rolls over in his dreams, and
you say: God pity the prisoner" But
there is another sound in that prison. 1t
is the song of Joy and gladness What a
place to sing in2 The music comes wind
ing through the corridors of the prison,
and in all the dark wards the whisper
is heard: Whats that WHATS that?"
1t is the song of Paul and Silas. They
cannot sleep. They have been whipped,
very badly whipped. The long gashes on
bafV
fat on the ground, their feet fast in
wooden sockets, and, of course, they can
not sleep. But they can sing. Jailer
what are you doing with these people?
Why have they been put in here. Oh,
they have been trying TO make the world
better. Is that all That is all A pit
for Joseph A lions cave for Daniel. A
blazing furnace for Shadrach. Clubs for
John Wesley. An anathema for Philip
Melancthon. A dungeon for Paul and
Silas
But while we are standing in the gloom
of the Phillippian dungeon, and we hear
the mingling voices of sob and groan and
blasphemy and halleluiah suddenly an
earthq uake The iron bars of the prison
twist, the pillars crack off, the solid ma
sorry begins TO heave, and all the doors
swing open. The jailer, feeling himself
responsible for these prisoners, and be-
be honorable Brutus killed him
self, and Cato killed himsel, and Cassius
killed himself-puts his sword to his own
heart, proposing with one strong keen
thrust to put an end to his excitement and
agitation. But Paul cries out, Stop!
stop Do thyself no harm. We are all
here"
Then 1 see the jailer running through
the dust and amid the ruin of that prison
/ oxHriY, >
the feet of these prisoners, crying out,
What shall l doc What shall | dog"
Did Paul answer, Get out of this place
before there is another earthquake; put
handouts and hobbies on these other prls-
oners lest they get awayY' No word of
that kind. His compact, thrilling, ire
mendous answer, answer memorable all
through earth and heaven, was, believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt
be saved"
Well, we have all read of the earth
quake in Lisbon, in Lima, in Aleppo, and
in Caracas; but we live in a latitude
where in all our memory there has not
been one severe volcanic disturbance.
And yet we have seen fifty earthquakes.
Here is man who has been building up
large fortune. His bid on the money
market was felt in all cities. He thinks
he has got beyond all annoying rivalries
am free and safe from all possible per-
turbation." But in 1857 or in 1878 a ma
tional panic strikes the foundation of the
commercial world, and crash goes all that
magnificent business establishment.
Here is man who has built up a very
beautiful home. His daughters have lust
come home from the seminary with diplo-
mas of graduation. His sons have
started in life, honest, temperate, and
a
struck, there is a happy and unbroken
family circle. But there has been an &C
cident down at Long Branch. The Young
man ventured too far out in the surf The
telegraph hurled the terror up to the city.
An earthquake struck under the founda-
ton of that beautiful home.
The piano closed; the curtains dropped
the laughter hushed. Crash go all those
domestic hopes and prospects and eXpec-
tatlons. So, my friends, we have all felt
the shaking down of some great trouble,
and there was time when we were as
much excited as this man of the text, and
we cried out as he did: What shall |
dol What shall do2" The same reply
that the apostle made to him is appro-
pirate to- US: believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thoI shalt be saved"
There are some documents of so little
importance that you do not care to put
them, or even your initials but there
! are some documents of so great impor.
lance that you write out your full name
So the Saviour in some parts of the Bible
is called Lord, and in other parts of the
Bible he is called Jesus" and in other
parts OF the Bible he is called Christ; ~
but that there might be no mistake about
/ this passage, all three names come
/ together-''The Lord Jesus Christ. y
/ Now, who is this being that YOU want
me to trust in and believe in2 Men some.
times come to me with credentials and
/ certificates of good character, but | can
not trust them. There is some dishon,
esty In their looks that makes me know
/ that l shall be cheated if | coutide in
them. You cannot put your hearts con
| hdence In man until you know what
/ stun he is made of, and am | unreason.
able when l stop to ask you who this is
/ that you want me 10 trust in No mar
would think of venturing his life on a
! vessel going out to sea that had never
| been inspected.
No, you must have the certificate huns
amidships, telling how many tons it car
rles, and how long ago it was built. auC
who built II, and all about it, And Vol
. cannot expect me TO risk the cargo of my
immortal interests on board any craft til
you tell me what il is made of, and wher,
II was made. and what IL is
When, then, ! ask you who this is vol
want me TO trust in, YOU tell me he is
very attractive person. Contemporary
writer's describe his whole appearance a.
/ being reSDlendent There was no need foi