The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-03-21
MOMENTOUS TRIPLES.
REV. OR. TALMAeE breaches AN IN
TEREsTlNG SERMON IN MOBILE.

..Unappreciated Services Taken as the
Subject of the Text-Little Things OF
Great Results-Nothing Is Insignificant.
The Escape In a Basket.
MOBILE, March 1l.-Rev. T. De Witt
Talmage, D. D., who is now visiting the
south, selected as the subject Of today's
ermon :Unappreciated Services" the
text being taken from II Corinthians II,
IS, .eThrougha window, in q basket. was
I let down by the wall"
Damascus is a city of white and ghs-
tening architecture sometimes called
ssthe eye Of the east sometimes called
"apearl surrounded by emeralds," at one
time distinguished for swords of the best
material, called Damascus blades, and
upholstery Of richest fabric, called dam
asks.
A horseman Of the came of Paul, rid
ing toward this city, had been thrown
from the saddle. The horse had dropped
under g flash from the sky, which at the
same time was so bright it blinded the
rider for many days, and I think so per
manently injured his eyesight that this
defect Of vision became the thorn IN the
flesh he afterward speaksof. He started
for Damascus to butcher Christians, but
after that hard fall from his horse he
was a changed man and preached Christ
in Damascus till the city was shaken to
It's foundation.
CRY OF THE MOB.
The mayor gives authority for his ar
rest and the popular cry is: XIII him!
Kll himl" The city is surrounded by
high wall, and the gates are watched by
the police lest the Cilician preacher es-
CAPE. Many Of the houses are built on
the wall, and their balconies projected
clear over and lowered above the gar
dens outside. It was customary to
lower baskets out Of these balconies
and pull up fruits and flowers from the
gardens. To this day visitors at the
monastery of Mount Sinai are lifted and
let down In baskets.
Detectives prowled around from house
to house looking for Paul, but his friends
hid him, now in one place, now in n
other. He is no coward, as SO incidents
in his life demonstrate. But he feels his
work is not done yet, and so he eyades
assassination. s1s that preacher here"
the foaming mob shout at one house
door. sis that fanatic here" the police
shout at another house door. Sometimes
on the street incognito he passes through
a crowd of clinched fists, and sometimes
he secretes himself on the housetops. At
last the imfuriated populace get on sure
track Of him.
They have positive evidence that he IS
in the house of oneof the Christians. the
balcony Of whose home reaches over the
wall. .Hereheisi Here he Is" The vo-
~ciferation and blasphemy and bowling
of the pursuers are at the front door.
They break in. s.Fetch out that gospel
ixer and let us hang his head on the city
gate. Where is he?' The emergency was
terrible. Providentially there was good
stout basket in the house. Panl's friends
fasten q rope to the basket. Paul steps
into it. The basket is lifted to the edge
Of the balcony on the wall. and then
while Paul holds on tothe rope with both
hands his friends lower sway, carefully
and cautiously, slowly, but surely, far
Their down and farther down, until the
basket strikes the earth and the apostle
steps cut, and afoot and alone starts on
that famous missionary tour, the story
ofwhichh has astonished earthand heaven.
Appropriate entry in Paurs diary oftrav-
els, .sThrougha window, in a basket, was
I let down by the wall"
SLENDER THREADS.
Observe first on Whist q slender tenure
great results hang. Theropemaker who
twsted that cord fastenedto that lower
ing basket never knew how much would
depend on the strength Of it. How If it
had been broken, and the apostles life
had been dashed out? What would have
become Of the Christian church? All
that magnificent missionary work in
Pamphyha, Capadocia, Galatia, Mace
donna, would never have been accom-
plished. All his writings that make up
so indispensable and enchanting q part
Of the New Testament would never have
BEEN wyitten. The story Of resurrection
would never have been 80 gloziously told
ss he told it. That example of heroic
and triumphant endurance at Philippi,
in the Mediterranean euroclydon, under
fagellation and at his beheading would
not have kindled the courage Of 10000
martyrdoms. But the rope holding that
basket, how much depended on it! So
again and again great results have hung
on what seemed slender circumstances.
Did ever ship of many thousand tons
crossing the sea have such important pas
senger as had once q boat Of leaves, from
taRraii to stern only three or four feet,
the vessel made waterproof by a coat of
bftumen and floating on the Nile with
the infant lawgiver Of the Jews on board?
What If some crocodile should crunch it?
wha II some Of the cattle wadin0 in