The Progress., 1894-03-17

millions OF MClhOUlStS on buJu N'NtH co /
the sea. Ask their mission stations all +
round the world Ask the hundreds /
of thousands already assembled to join
their founder who would have per |
ished but for the living stair Of peas.
ants shoulders.
An English ship stopped at Pitcairn
Island, and right in the midst of sur
rounding cannibalism and squaior the
passengers discovered Christian col
ouv of churches and schools and beau
tiful homes and highest STYLE of re.
ligion and civilization. For fifty years
no missionary and no Christian inilu-
ence had landed there. Why this OASIS
of lirht amid desert Of heathcndor.
Sixty years before, a ship had met dis
astcr, and one of the sailors, unable 30
save ANYTHING else. went to his trunk
and took out Bible which his mother
had placed there and swan ashore,
the Bible held in his teeth. The book
was read on all sides until the rough
and vicious population were evange'
Lied. and church was started, ana
an enlightened commonwealth cStab'
lishcd, and the worlds history has no
more brilliant page than that which
tells of the transformation of nation
bv one book. 1t did not seem OF much
Importance whether the sailor con
tinucd to hold the book in his teeth or
let it fall in the breakers, but upon
what small circumstance depended
what mighty results!
Practical inference: There are no
insigni6cances in our lives, The min
utest thing is part OF Il magnitude
lnfinitv is made up of infinitesimals.
Great things an aggregation of small
things. Bethlehem manger pulling on
a star in the eastern sky. One book
in drenched sailors mouth the
evangelization of multitude. One
boat Of papyrus on the Nile freighted
with events for all ages. The fate OF
Christendom in basket let down from
a window on the wall What you do, dc
well. If you make a rope make 1t
strong and true, for you know not
how much may depend on your work
manship. If you fashion boat let il
be waterproof, for you know
not who may sail in it. /
you put Bible in the trunk of you
boy as he goes from home, let it BE-
heard in your prayers for it may have
mission as far-reaching as the booi
which the sailor carried in his teetl
to the Pitcairn beach. The PLANES
mans life is an island between tw
eternities eternity past ripping
against his shoulders, eternity to com
touching his brow. The casual, tn
accidental, that which merely haE
pened so, are parts of a great plan, an
the rope that lets the fugitive apostl
from the Damascus wall is the cabl
that holds to its mooring the ship {
the church in the northeast storm {
the centuries
!, Again, notice unrecognized and Ill
!, recorded services. Who spun tina
rope? Who tied it to the basket
Who steadied the illustrious preacht
as he stepped into it? Who relaxe
> not a muscle of the arm or dismisse
an anxious look from his face unit
the basket touched the ground ar
. discharged it's magnificent cargo? N
i one of their names has come to us, bv
there was no work done that day
; Damascus or in all the earth compare
J with the Importance of their wor
. What ff they had in their agitatic
% tied a knot that could slip? What
the sound of the mob at the door hi
. led them to say: Paul must tai
10 care of himself, and we will take ca
&c OF ourselves" No, no! They held t
'e rope, and IN doing so did more for t
= Christian church than any thousand
~ us will ever accomplish. But God llno'
III and has made eternal record of the
undertaking. And they know, How c
IL ultant they must bave felt when tn
read his letters to the Romans, to t
D. Corinthians, to the Galatians, to t
e. Ephesians, to the Philippians, to t
ed Colossians, to the Thessalonians,
w Timothy, to Titus, to Philemon, to t
he Hebrews and when they heard he
IN he walked out of prison with
On earthquake unlocking the door
'e- him, and took command Of the Alexi
III drian corn ship when the sailors WI
In nearly scared to DEATH and preach
e. sermon that nearly shook Felix
III his judgment seat. hear the n
up and women who helped him do
lrt through the window and over the W
er talking in private over the matter q
es- saying: How glad am that we
SO fected that rescue! In coming tir
'N- others may get the glory of Pa
IN work. but no one shall rob us Of
err satisfaction of knowing that we h
on the rope.
I'VE There are said to be about 90,
no ministers of religion in this count
ng About $4,000 ! warrant came fl
on early homes which had to struggle
Its the necessaries of life. The sons
Ter rich bankers and merchants gener;
become bankers and merchants.
nd most of those who become minis
inn are the sons of those who had teri
nnt nI,...nserln AZ, crnt thnir aue1.ulau hrf