The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-15
REV. DR.. TAI.MAGE
sUNDAY'S DISCOURSE BY THE
| NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "The I'hilippian Jailer."

Subject: sThe Ihilippian Jailer."
TEXT: "sirs, what must I do to be saved?'
Acts xvi, so.
Incarcerated in Philippian penitentiary
place cold and dark and damp and loath
5ome and hideous, unillumined save by the
torch of the official who comes to see II they
Rre alive yet, are two ministers OF Christ
their feet fast in instruments of torture. theil
Shoulders dripping from the stroke o
eathern thongs, their mouths hot with in
Examination OF thirst, their heads faint be-
cause they may not lie down. In com
Portable room Of that same building and
amid pleasant surroundings Is paid officer
of the Government whose business 1t is to
supervise the prison. It is night, and all Is
some murderer struggles with horrid
dreams ora rufaan turns over in his chains,
or there is the cough of dying consumptive
hmid the dampness, but suddenly, crash! 60
the walls. The two clergymen pass out
free The Jail keeper, although familiar with
The darkness and the horrors hoverin9
around the dungeon, is startled beyond all
bounds, and fambeau in hand he rushes
Through, amid the falling walls, shouting at
esaved?"
stand now among those who are asking
the same question with more or less earnest
ness, and accost you in this crisis Of your
soul with message from heaven. There are
those in this audience who might be more
Bkillful In argument than am; there are
hose here who can dive into deeper depths
bf science or have larger knowledge; there
kre in this audience those before whom l
.u~l.x H. kt,o l,,fa n
superior, but yield to no one in this assem-
blage in desire to have all the people saved
BIZ the power of an omniporent gospel.
shall proceed to characterize the queS-
ion of the agitated Jail keeper. Aud first
characterize the question as courteous. He
night have rushed In and said: paul and
6ilas, you vagabonds, are you tearing down
his prison? Aren't you satisfied with dis
urbing the peace OF the city by your In
amous doctrines? And are you now going
= destroy public property? Back with you
o your places, you vagabonds" He said no
uch thing. The word Of four letters, 'sirs, "
bouiyalent to sIords," recognized the maj
bsty and the honor Of their mission. Sirs! If
4 man witha captious spirit tries to find the
way to heaven, he will miss It. II man
BONES out and pronounces all Christians as
hypocrites and the religion Of Jesus Christ as
Ia fraud and asks irritating questions soout
1.-The mysterious and inscrutable, saying,
tsCome, my wise man, explain this and ex-
Eplain that; II this be trne, how can that be
trueY' no such man finds the way to heaven.
1.-THE question Of the text was decent, cour-
keous, gentlsmanly, deferential. Sirs!
Again, characterize this question OF the
fagitated jail keeper by saying that 1t was
practical question. &. . He did not ask why
God let sin come into the world; he did not
ask how Christ could be God and man in the
same person; he did not ask the doctrine OF
| the DEGREES explained or want to know whom
Cain married or what was the cause OF the
earthquake. His present and everlasting
welfare was involved in the question, and
was not that practical? But know multi
dudes Of people who are bother1ng them
belyes about the nonessentialS OF religion.
What would you think ofa man who should.
while discussing the question OF the light
and heat Of the sun, spend his time down In
a coal cellar when he might come out and
Bee the one and feel the other? Yet there are
muititudes OF men who, In discussing the
chemistry Of the gospel, spend their time
down In the dungeon Of their unbelief when
\ God all the whiiestands telling them to come
out into the MONDAY light and warmth Of
The sun of righteousness. The question for
you. nv brother, to discuss is not whether
Calvin or Arminius was right, not whether
B handful OF water in holy baptism or bap-
tistery is the better, not whether foreordt-
nation and free agency can be harmonlzed.
The practical question for you to discuss and
for me to discuss Is, "Where will I spend
eternity2"' n-.. !,
| Again. characterize this question Of the
agitated jail keeper as one personal to him
self. I have no doubt he had many friends,
and he was interested In their welfare.
have no doubt he found that there were per-
Sons In that prison who, If the earthquake
had destroyed them, would have found their
Ease desperate. He is not questioning about
them. The whole weight of his question
Turns on the pronoun "I." "What shall I
io?" OF course when man becomes
Christian he Immediately becomes anxious
tor the salvation OF other people, but until
that point is reached the most important
Question Is about your own salvation.
|!'Wh& Is to be my destiny2" '.What are my
prosp, c.s for the futurer "Where am 60
tnG?" "What shall do?" The trouble Is
i Ne shuttle the responsibility off upon others.
! We prophesy bad end to that ineoriate, and
! terriHc exposure 10 tha. defaulter, and aw-
iul catastrophe to that prcfligare. We are
4 10 busy In weighing other people we forget
Bburselves to get into the scales. We are so
busy watching the poor gardens of other
Xbeople that we let our own dooryard 90
to weeds. We are so busy sending on other
people into the lifeboat we sink In the
waye. We cry SIRE" because our neigh
bor's house is burning down and seem
oko be uninterested although our own house
ls in the confederation. Oh. wandering
thoughts, disappear to-day! Blot out this
sntire audience except yourself. Your sin,
Ia II pardoned? Your death, is 1t provided
Tor? Your heaven. Is it secured? A mightier
d earthuuake than that which demolished the
| Philipp!an penitentiary will rumble about
! your ears The foundations OF the earth
| will give way. The earth by one tremor Will
hing ell the American cities into the dust.
Eathedrals and palaces and prisons which
have stood for thousands OF years will top
Bic like a child's blockhouse. The surges OF
fhe sea will submerge the land and the At
[antic and Pacific Oceans above the Alps and
Ehe Andes clap their hands. What then will
become Of me2 What then will become OF
kou? Idonot wonder at the anxiety OF this
han of my text, for he was not only anxious
about the falling Of the prison, but the fall
Ing of world. r,
Again, / remark, I characterize this ques-
Hon of the agitated Jail keeper as one of in
comparable Importance. Men are alike,
and I suppose he had scores of questions on
bis mind, but all questions for this world are
hushed up, forgotten. annihilated in this
one question of the text: "What must do
TO be saved?' And have you, my brother,
any question OF Importance compared with
| that question? Is 1t question OF business?
y Your common sense tells you that you will
T. soon cease worldly business. You know very
we'll that you will soon pass out OF that part
nership. You know that, beyond cert ain
point, OF all the millions Of dollars worth OF
foods sold you will not handle a yard ofcloth,
or, a pound Of sugar, or psnny's worth;
After that, II a confagration should
sweep all Washington into ashes, II
would NOT touch you, and would not
46amage you. II every cashier should ab.
scond and every bank suspend payment and
[c--a~..l In anao narnnanx fail IL Juanld NOT