The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-09-12
TIE DIVINE RESCUE.
Salvation without Money-Desth Robbed
OF It's Terrors.

BROOKLYN, Sept. 2,-RsV. DR.. Tai
mage, who is still absent in the south
Pacific, has selected as the subject o:
todaY's sermon through the press ''The
Rescue the text chosen being Acts
XVI. 81, believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved"
Jails are dark, dull, damp, loathsomf
places even now, but they were worse
in the apostolic times. imagine TO-DAY
we are standing in the Philpplan Gun
eeon, Do you not feel the chlll? Dc
you not hearthe groans Of those incarce,
rated ones who for 10 years have uo'
seen the sunlight and the deep sigh o.
women who remenb Der their fathers
house and mourn over their Wastec
estates? Listen again. II Is the cougr
of a cgnsumptive or the struggle OF one
ia the nightmare Of a great horror. You
listen again and hear culprlt, his chains
rattling as he rolls over in his dreams,
and you say, "God, pity the prisoner" "
But there is another sound IN that prl'
son. II is the song of joy and gladness'
What a place tc sing in! The music
comes winding through the corridors o.
the prison, and IN all the dark wards the
Whisper is heard: "What's thai? What's
that?'
1t is the song Of Paul and Silas. They
cannot sleep. They have been whipped
very badly whipped. The long gashes
on their backs are bleeding yet. Theyllle
fiat on the old ground, their feet fast IN
wooden sockets, and Of course they cam
not sleep. But they can sing. Ja1er,
what are you doing with these people:
Why have they been put in here: On,
they have been trying to make the world
better. Is that all? That is all. A
pit for Joseph, a lions cave for Daniel,
blazing furnace for Sdadrach, clubs Tor
John Wesley, an anathema for Phllpp
Melanchthon, q dungeon tor Paul and
Silas.
But while ne are standing IN the gloom
of the Philippian dungeon, and We hear
the mingling voices of sob and groan
and blasphemy and halleluah, suddenly
an earthquake! The iron bars OF the
prison twist, the pillars crack of, the
solid masonry begins to heave, and all
the doors swing open. The jaller, feel
ing himself, responsible for these prison.
ers and believing in his pagan ignorance
suicide to be honorable-since Brutus
killed himself and Cato killed himself,
and Cassius killed himselE-puts his
own heart, proposing with one st-ong
keen thrust to put an enc to his excite
ment and agitation. But Paul cries out:
s'Stop, stop! DO thyself no harm. We
are all here"
Then soc the iailer running through
the dust and amid the ruin of that pri:
SON, and I see him throwing himself
down at the feet of these prisoners, cry,
ing out: ''What shall I do? What shall
do?" Die Paul answer: "Get out OF
this place before there is another earth
quake. Put handouts and hopples on
these other prisoners, lest they get
awav?" No word of that kind. His
compact, thrilling, tremendous answer,
memorable all through earth and heaV-
en-, was, "Belleve on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved"
Well. we have all read of the earth.
quke in Lisbon. in Lima, in Ale ppo and
in Caracas, but we live in latitude
where IN all our memory there has not
been one severe volcanic disturbance.
And yet We have seen so earthquakes.
Here is man who has been building up
a large fortune. His bid on the money
market was felt in all the cities. He
thinks be has got beyond all annoying
rivalres II trade, and he says to himself
snow am free and safe from all posi-
bic perturbation" But in 1857 or in
1873 national panice strikes the tounda-
ton of the commercial world, and crash
goes all that magnificent business estao
hsement.
Here is man who has built up very
beautiful hons. His daughters have
just come home from the seminary with
diplomas of graduation. His sons have
started in life, honest, temperate ano
pure. When the evening lights are
struck, there is happy and uubroker
family circle. But there has been an
accident down at Long Branch. The
young man Yentured too far cut IN the
surf. The telegraph hurled the terror
up to the city. An earthquake struck
under the foundation of that beautiful
home.
The piano closed; the curtains drop.
ped; the laughter hushed. Crash 60 all
those domestic hopes and prospects anC
expectations! So nay friends, we have
Sll felt the shaking down Of some great
trouble, and there was time when, We
were as much excited as this man ofthe
text, and we.cried out as he did
"What shall I do? What shall l do?'
The same reply that the apostle made
10 HIM is appropriate to Us, "BelieVe
on the Lord Jesus CHRIST, and thou shalt
be saved"
There are some documents of so little
importance that you do not care to put
any more than your last name under
them, or even your initials, but there
are some documents of so great import
ance that you write out your full name;
So the Saviour in some parts of the Bl
BILE is called "Lord," and in other part,
of the Bible he Is called Jesus" anC
ID OLQSr parIS VI tuo DIDIS He Is CAALel
"Christ," but that there might be nc
mistake about this passage all three
names come together, lord Jesu;
Christ"
Now, who is this being that you want
me to trust ii and believe n? Mer
sometimes come to me with credentials
and CERTIFICATES of good character, but
I cannot trust them. There is some
dishonesty in their looks that makes ne
know that shall be cheated if coniide
in them. You cannet put your hearts
confidence in man until you know what
stuff he is made of, and am l unreason
able when stop to ask you who this Is
that you want me- to trust in? No mar
would think Of yenturing his lie on 6
vessel going cut to sea that had neyel
been inspected.
No; you must have the certificate
hung amidships, telling how many tons
it carries and how long ago it was built
and who built it, and al about it. Anc
you cannot expect me to llsk the cargo
of my mortal interests On board any
craft till you tell me what it is made Of