The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-08-21
REV. DIR. TAIMAGE.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject; "Man Overheard"

TEXT: 80 the shinmaster came to HIM ana
said unto him: What meanest thou, o
sleeper? Arise. call upon thy God, il so be
that God will think upon US, that we perish
not. t.'"-Jonah j., G.
God told Jonah to 90 to Nineveh on an un-
pleasant errand. He would not go. He
thought TO get away from his duty by putting
to sea. With pack under his arm find him
on his way to Joppa, a seaport. He goes
down among the shipping and saws to the
men lying around on the docks. (which of
these vessels sails to-iay?" The sailors an
swer, "Yonder is a vessel going to Tarshish.
think if you hurry you may get on board
her." Jonah steps on board the rough craft,
asks how much the fare Is. and pays 1t.
Anchor is weighed. sails are hoisted, and the
rigging begins to rattle in the strong breeze
harbor, and it does not take long for the ves-
sci to get on the broad sea. The sailors like
what they call a spanking breeze" and the
plunge of the vessel from the crest Of TALL
wave is exhilarating to those at home on the
deep. But the strong breeze becomes gale,
the gale hurricane. The affrighted passen-
gers ask the captain if he ever saw anything
like this before. -.
"Oh. yes" he says. "This is nothing"
Mariners are slow to admit danger to lands
men. But after awhile crash goes the mast.
and the vessel pitches so far "abeam's end"
there is q fear she will not be righted. The
captain answers few questions. and orders
the throwing out OF boxes and bundles and
Of so much of the cargo as they can get at.
The captain at last confesses there Is but lit
tie hope and tells the passengers that they
had better so to praying. 1t is seldom that
a sea captain is an atheist. He knows that
there is God. for he has seen Him at every
point Of latitude between Sandy Hook and
~ Nop oil m nHinr
the Cuba OF the Cunard line. at Sunday SER
vice led the music and sang like Methodist.
The captain Of this Mediterranean craft.
having set the passengers to praying, goes
around examining the vessel at every point.
He descends into the cabin to see whetherin
the strong wrestling Of the waves the vessel
had sprung aleas, and he finds Jonah asleep.
Jonah had had wearisome tramp and mad
spent many sleepless nights about questions
OF duty, and he is so sound asleep tnat all
the thunder Of the storm and the screaming
OF the passengers does not disturb him. The
captain lays hold Of him and begins to shake
him out of his inconsistencies with the
cry: "Don't you see that we are all going
to the bottom2 Wake up and go to praying
II you have any God to 90 to. What mean
est thou. o sleeper? Arise. call upon thy
God, If so be that God will think upon US,
that we perish not" The rest Of the story
will not rehearse. for you know 1t we'll. To
appease the sea. they threw Jonah over
board.
i Learn that the devil takes mans money
and then sets him down in poor landing
place. The Bible says he paid his fare to
Tarshish. But see him get out. The sailors
bring him to the side Of the ship, lift him
over the guards and let him drop with loud
splash into the waves. He paid his fare all
the way to Tarshish, but did not get the
- Nathan
who turns bis back on his duty and does that
which is not right.
There is young man who during the past
year has spent large part OF his salary IN
carousal What has he gained by 1t!
soiled reputation, half starved purse,
disslpated look, a petulant temper, dis
turbed conscience. The manacles OF one or
two bad habits that are pressing tighter and
tighter will keep on until they wear to the
bone. You paid your fare to Tarshish. but
you have been set down in the midst OF sea
Of disquietude and perplexity.
One hundred dollars for Sunday horse hire.
One hundred dollars for wine supperS.
One hundred dollars for cigars.
One hundred dollars for frolics that shall
be nameless.
Making four hundred dollars for his dam
nation!
Instead of being In Tarshish now he is in
kQ0 VI LILO
Here Is a literary man tired OF the faith OF
his father who resolves to launch out into
what is called freethinking. He buys Theo-
dore Parker's works for $12. Remains "Ltfe
of Christ" for S1.50, Andrew Jackson Davis's
works for 800. Goes to hear inhdels talk at
the clubs and to see spiritualism at the table
rapping. Talks glibly Of David. the psalm
lst, as an old libertine, OF Paul as wild en-
Ehusiast and OF Christ as decent kind OF
~ IL
most as good as himself. Talks smilingly OF
5unday as good day to put little extra
blacking on ones boots and of Christians as,
for the most part. hypocrites OF eternity
as ssthe great to be-" "the everlasting now"
pr "the infinite what is It," Some day he
gets his feet very wet and finds himself that
night chilly; the next morning has hot
mouth and is headachy; sends word over to
the store that be will not be there to-day;
bathes his feet: has mustard plasters; calls
the doctor. The medical man says aside,
"This is going to be a bad case OF congestion
pf the lungs" Voice fails. Children must
be kept down stairs or sent to the
neighbors to keep the house quiet.
You say, "Send for the minister" But
no. He does not believe in ministers.
You say, "Read the Bible to him." No;
he does not believe in the Bible. A law
yer comes in, and sitting by his bedside
writes q document that begins: - In the
name of God. amen. [, being OF sound mind,
do make this my last will and testament"
It Is certain where the sick mans body will
be In less than a week. 1t is quite certain
who will get his property. But what will
become of his soul? It will go into ''the
great to be-" or ''the everlasting now," or
hthe infinite what Is it," His soul is in deep
waters, and the wind is "blowing great guns"
Death cries, "Overboard with the un-
believer" A splash. He goes to the bot
tom. He paid S5 for his ticket to Tarshish
when he bought the inadel books. He
landed in perdition.
Every farthing you spend in sin satan will
swindle you out Of. He promises you shall
have thirty per cent. or great dividend.
He lies. He will sink all the capital. You
may pay full fare to some sinful success, but
you will never get to Tarshish.
Learn how soundly men will sleep in the
mids. of danger. The worst sinner on ship
board, considering the light he had, wes
Jonah. He was a member OF the church,
while they were heather. The sailors were
engaged in their lawful calling, following
the sea. The merchants on board, I sup
pose, were going down to Tarshish to barter,
but Jonah, Notwithstanding his Christian
profession, was flying from duty. He was
sound asleep in the cabin. He has been
motionless for hours-his arms and feet in
the same posture as when he lay down-his
breast heaving with deep respiration. Oh.
how could he sleep2 What if the ship struck
q rock? What II it sprsas aleak2 What II
the clumsy oriental craft should capsize?
What would become Of Jonah?
90 men sleep soundly now amid perils
infinite In almost every place, I suppose,
the Mediterranean might be sounded, but no
line Is long enough to fathom the profound
beneath every impenitent man. Plunging a
thousand rsthoms down, you cannot touch
bottom. Eternity beneath him, before him,
aronn6 hinI Rocks close by and YhirlpoolS