The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-03-22
THE ESCAPE OF PAUL.
Or, TALMAGE DESCRIBES IT IN HIS
MOBILE SERMON.

Slender Threads. Many Helpful InAu-
ence Never Acknowledged.
MOBILE. March l1.--Rev. u. De.
Witt Talmage, d. D., who is now visit
ing The south. selected as the SUBJECT OF
today's sermon "Uuappreciated Ser
vices" the text being taken from II
Corinthians Xi33, "Through window
in basket, was | let down by the wall.'
damascus is city OF white and glis
tening archltec,ure--someti called
''tbe eye Of tho east" sometimes called
"a pearl sourrouuded by emeralds," a
ono time distinguished Tor swords OF the
best material, ,tcalied Damascus bladsc
and upholstery OF richest fabric, called
damasks.
A. horseman Of the name of Paul, rid
Ing toward this city, had been thrown
from the saddle. The horse had drop.
ped under q flash from the sky, which al
the same time was 80 bright it blinded
the rider for many days, and, think,
80 permanently injured his eyesight
that this defect Of vision became the
thoron in the flesh he >atterward speaks
of. He started for Damascus to butcher
Christians, but after that hard fall rom
his horse he was Il changed man and
preached Christ in Dlmaecus till the
city was shaken to its foundation.
The mayor gives authority ior his or.
rest, and hcpopular cry is: Kill him!
Kill himW The city Is surrounded by
high wall, and the gates are watched by
the police lest the Ciliclan preacher
escape. Many ofthe houses arc built on
the wall, and their balconies projected
clear over and hovered above the gar
dens outside. Itwus customary TO low er
baskets out of these balconies and pull
up fruits and flowers ftom the gardens.
To this day visitors at the monastery Of
Mount Sinai arc lifted and let down in
baskets.
Detectives prowled around from house
TO house looking for Paul, but his trends
hid blm now in enc place, low IN
another. He iS no coward, rs
SO incidents in his lfo demon
strate. But he feels his work is not
done yet, and so he cvades aesassina
tion. us that preacher here?" tho foam.
ing mob shout at one house door. "Is
That fanatic hcre?" the police shout at
another house door. Sometimes on the
street he passes iucognito through q
crowd Of clnched fists, and sometimes
he secretes himself on the house top. AT
last the iniuriated 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 homo reaches oycl
the wall. "IIere he IS! Here he ISL
The vociieration and blasphcmy nnt
bowling Of tho pursucrs arc at .hc front
door. They break IN. "Fetch out tina,
Rospellzer, and let us hang his head on
tho city gate! Where is he?" The cmcr-
gencY was terrible. Providenlially there
was good stout basket in tho house.
Faul's friends fasten rope to the bas-
ket. Paul steps into it. The basket is
lifted TO the edge of the balcony Oh the
wall, and then while Paul holds ont3
the rope with both hands his friends
lower away, carefully and cautiously
slowly but surely, farther down
and farther down, until the
basket strikes the catrh, and tho
apostle steps ont and afoot md
alone starts Cn that famous missionary
tour, the story OF which has astonished
earth and heaven. Appropriate entry
In Paul's diary OF travcls-''Thro Il
window, in basket, WAS | let down by
the wall"
Observe first On what q slender tenure
great results hang. The ropcmakcr who
twisted that cord fastened to that lower
ing basket never know how much would
depend on the strength Of it.. How If it
had been broken and the APOSTLES lie
had heen dashed Out? What wonld have
become Of the Christian church? All
that magnificent missionary work in
PamphYlia, Cappadocia Galatia, Mace.
donla, would never have been accom-,
p|ished. All his writings that make up
80 indispensable and enchanting a part
OF the New Testament would never have
been written. The story Of resurrecL Lion
would never have been 80 gloriously tolt
as he told. That example of heroic IN
triumphant endurance at Philippl, III The
Mediterranean euroclydon, unuer nagel
lation and at bis beheading, would no
have kindled the courage of 10, 900 mar
tyrdoms. But tho rope holding tina,
basket-how much depended on il! Sc
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
passenger as had once boat of leaves,
from tadrai) TO stern only three or four
feet, the vessel made waterproof by a
coat OF bitumen and floating on tie Nile
with the infant lawgiver Of the Jews on
board? What ifs0me crocodile should
crunch il? What if some of the cattle
Wadlng IN for drink should sink il?
Vessels of war sometimes carry 40 guns
looking through the portfolios, ready to
open battle. But that tiny craft on the
Nile seems TO be aimed with all the
guns OF thunder that bombarded Sinai at
the lawglvlng. On how fragile craft
sailed how much Of historical import.
ance!
The parsonage at Epworth, England,
is on fire in the night. and the father
rushes through the hallway for the res.
cue OF his children. Seven children are
out and safe on the ground, but one re-.
mains IN the consuming building. That
one wakes, and finding his bed on fire
and the building crumbllng comes to the
window, and two peasants make lad
uer OF their bodies, one peasant standing
On tne shoulder of the other, and down
Inc me human ,H ladder the boy descends-
John Wesley. If you would know how
much depended on that ladder Of neos.