The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-05-05
UNAPPRECIATED ACTS.
Hev. DR.. Talmage Talks Upon Ap-
parently Trivial Things
Una. Frequently Lead to Great Results
Inc Conversion OF Paul and tho
means Used In It's Accomplish
ment-Other Instances.

Wnile absent on a visit to the south
nev- I. Dewitt Talmage made selec.
ton of sermons to be sent out to his
great congregation throughout the
world of newspaper readers. The fol.
lowing discourse is based on the text:
through window In a basket was let
Gown by the wall-I Corinthians III. g.
Damascus is a city of white and glis-
tening architecture sometimes called
''the eye of the east" sometimes "a
pearl surrounded by emeralds," at one
time distinguished for swords of the
best material called Damascus blades,
and upholstery of richest fabric called
damasks. A horseman called by the
name of Paul, riding toward this city.
had been thrown from the saddle. The
horse had dropped under fash from
the sky. which at the same time was SO
bright it blinded the rider for many
days, and think SO permanently in
jured his cyesighG that this defect OF
vision became the thorn in the flesh he
afterward speaks of. He started for
Damascus to butcher Christians. but
after that hard fall from his horse he
was .. changed pan and preached
Christ in Damascus TIL the city was
shaken to it's foundation.
The mayor gives authority for his ar
rest, and the popular cry is: Kill him!
Kill him!" The city is surrounded by q
high wall, and the gates are watched
by the police lest the Cilician preacher
escape. Many of the houses are built
on the wall, and their balconies pro-
iccted clear over and lowered above
the gardens outside. 1t was custom
AIRY to lower baskets out of these bal
comics and pull up fruits and flowers
from the gardens. To this day Wis
itors at the monastery of Mount Sinai
are lifted and let down in bas-
kets. Detectives prowled around
from house to house looking for
Paul, but his friends hid him now in
one place, now in another. He is no
coward. as fifty incidents in his life
demonstrate. But he feels his work is
not done yet, and so he eyades assas-
sination. rs that preacher hereT'
door. Is that fanatic here?" the po-
lice shout at another house door. Some
times on the street incognito he passes
through crowd of clinched fists.
and sometimes he secretes himself
on the house-top. At last the infuri-
ated populace get on sure track of him.
They have positive evidence that he is
in the house of one OF the Christians, the
balcony of whose home reaches over
the wall Here he is! Here he isr'
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 gate. Where is
hep" The emergency was terrible.
Providentially there was a sgood
stout basket in the house. Paul's
friends fasten a 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 to
the rope with both hands his friends
lower away, carefully and cautiously,
slowly but surely. further down and
further down, until the basket strikes
the earth and the apostle steps out,
and afoot and alone starts Oh that ia
nous missionary tour, the story OF
which has astonished earth and Heav-
en-. Appropriate entry in Panl's diary
of travels: Through window in a
basket was let down by the wall. ]"
Observe, first, on what a slender ten
ure great results hang. The rope
maker who twisted that cord fastened
to that lowering 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 mag
!. nificent missionary work in Pamphylia,
Cappadocia. Galatia, Macedonia would
never have been accomplished. AL
his writings that make up SO indis
spensable and enchanting part o.
the New Testament would never have
been written. The story of resurrec
ton would never have been so glori
ously told as he told it. The example
of heroic and triumphant endurance al
Philippi, in the Mediterranean euro
clydon, under Negotiations and at his
beheading would not have kindled the
courage of ten thousand martyrdoms.
But the rope holding that basket,
how much depended on it! So agar
and again great results hare hung OF
what seemed slender circumstances.
Did ever ship of many thousand ton'
crossing the sea have such importan
passenger as had a boat OF leaves
afrom taffrail to stern only three o.
four feet. the vessel made waterproof
8 by coat of bitumen and floating OF
the Nile with the infant lawmaker o
the Jews on board? What il SONS
crocodile should crunch it? What i
some of the cattle wading in for |
drink should sink it? Vessels of wa
sometimes carry forty guns looking
through the portfolios, ready to opel
battle. But that tiny craft on TIL
Nile seems TO be armed with all tn
guns of thunder that bombarde'
Sinai at the law-giving. On hov
fragile craft sailed how much of his
torical Importance
The parsonage at Epworth, England
Is on FIRE in the night, and the fathe
PUSHES through the hallway for the res
cue of his children. Seven childre'
are out and safe on the grounds bu
one remains in the consuming build
ING. That one wakes. and finding nj
he'd on fire and the building crum
A. ~. ~xyspdoxv and ty