Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-03-12
MOMENTOUS TRIPLES.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE breaches AN I'M
TERESTING SERMON IN MOBILE.

Subject of the Text-Little Things of
Great Misunderstanding Is Insignificant.
The Escape In a Basket.
MOBILE, March 11.-Rev. T.. De Witt
Talmage, d. D., who is now visiting the
south, selected as the subject Of today's
sermon "Unappreciated Services" the
text being taken from II Corinthians XII,
80, Through a window, in a basket, was
I let down by the wall"
Damascus is a city of white and glis-
tening architecture sometimes called
1.-THE eye of the east" sometimes called
"a pearl 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 name of Paul, rid
ing toward this city, had been thrown
from the saddle. The horse had dropped
under a flash from the sky, which at the
same time was so bright it blinded the
rider for many days, and [ think 50 per
manently injured his eyesight 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 a changed man and preached Christ
in Damascus till the city was shaken to
its foundation.
CRY OF THE MOB
The mayor gives authority for his ar
rest, and the popular cry is: Kill him!
Kill him!' The city is surrounded by a
high wall, and the gates are watched by
the police lest the Cilician preachercs-
cape Many of the houses are built on
the wall, and their balconies projected
clear over and lowered above the gar
dens outside. 1t 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 an
other. He is no coward, as 80 incidents
in his life demonstrate. But he feels his
work is not done yet, and SO he evadcs
assassination. 'Is that preacher here?'
the foaming moi shout at n house
door. rs 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 S~ecretes himself on the hOuSetOps. At
last the Infatuated %populace get on sure
track of him.
They nave 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 is!' The vo-
ciferation and blasphemy and bowling
of the pursuers are at the front door.
They break in. Fetch out that gospel
izer and let us hang his head on the city
gate. Where is he?" The emergency was
terrible. Providentially there was a good
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, far
ther down and farther down, until the
basket strikes the earth and tho apostle
steps out, and afoot and alone starts on
that famous missionary tour, the story
of which has astOnished earthand heaven.
Appropriate entry in Paul's diary Of tray
els. Through u window, in q basket, was
] let down by the wall"
SLENDER THREADS.
Observe first on what q slender tenure
great results hang. The ropemaker who
twisted that cord fastened TO that lower
ing basket never knew bow much would
depend on the strengthen it. How if it
had been broken, and the apostles life
had been dashed out? What would nave
become of the Christian church? All
that magnificent missionary work in
Pamphylia, Capadocia, Galatia, Mace
donia. would never have been accom-
plished. All his writings that make up
so indispensable and enchanting q part
of the New Testament would never nave
been written. The story of resurrection
would never have been so gloriously told
as he told it. That example Of heroic
and triumphant endurance at Philippi,
in the Mediterranean euroclydon, under
fagellation and at his ~beheading would
not nave kindled the courage of 10000
martyrdoms. But the rope holding that
basket, how much depended on it! So
again and again great results nave hung
on what seemed slender circumstances.
Did ever ship of many thousand tons
crossing the sea have such important pas
senger as had once a coal of leaves, from
taffrail TO stern only three Or four feet,
the vessel made waterproof by a coat Of
bitumen and floating on the Nile with
the infant lawgiver of the Jews on board?
What if ON crocodile should crunch it?
What if some of the cattle wading in
for a drink should sink it? Vessels of
war sometimes carry 40 guns locking
through the portfolios, ready to open bat
tie. But that tiny craft on the Nile
seems to be armed with all the guns of
thunder that bombarded Sinai at the
lawoivino On how FRAGILE craft sailed