Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1896-01-03
THE JAILER'S QUERY.
"slRs, WHAT MUST { 90 TO BE
SAvED2"

DIV ~
Rev. DR.. TaIriage on the Converted sher-
ina Question OF Incompatible Impor-
taneo-The Cry Of an Agitated souI-A
Call to the Uneonverted.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.-For the closing
discourse Of she year Rev. rr Talmago
chose subject which appeals te the I'M
converted cyeFywhere-viz, Tho Philip
plan Iailorn The text selected was,
"Sirs, what must do to be sayudg" Acts
/ xvi, 30
Incarcerated in a Philippian peniten-
( ilary, place cold and dark and damp and
{ loathsome and hidoous, unillumined save
I by the torch Of the official who comes TO
see if tnoy are alive yet, are two ministers
Of Christ, their feet fast in instruments Of
torture, their shoulders dripping from tho
stroke of leathern thongs, their mouths
hot with Inflammation of thirst, their
heads faint because they may not lie down.
In comfortable room of that Same build
ing and amid pleasant surroundings is a
paid officer OF tho government whose bust
ness ii is to supervise the prison, 1t is
night, md all is still in tho corridors Of
the dungeon save as some murderer strug-
giles with horrid dream, or runian
turns over in his chains, OF there is tho
cough Of a dying consumptiye amid the
danlpness, but suddenly crash go the
wallis The two olorgYnen pass out free
The Jail keeper, although familiar with the
darkness and the horrors lowering around
the dungeon, is startled beyond all bounds, /
and, nanbcau in hand, he PUSHES through /
amid the falling walls, shouting at the /
g T. fe.s hDe 10
be savedi"
1 stand now among those who arc ask (
ing the same question with more or less t
.earnestness. and aocost You in this crisis
Of your soul with message from heaven
There are those IN this audience who
might be more skillful in argument than
am; there are those here who can dive
into deeper depths Of science, or have
larger knowledge; there are in this audi
enco those before whom l would willingly
bow as the inferior TO tho superior, but I
yield to no one in this assenblage in . de-
sire TO have all the people saved by the
power of an omnipotent gospel
The Freeing of Paul and siIas.
shall proceed to characterize he ques-
ton of Negotiated jail keeper. And, first,
/ characterize The question as courteous
He might have rushed in and said: Paul
and Silns ven yagabonds, are you tearing
down this prison? Aren't you satisfied
with disturbing the peace of the city by
your infamous doctrines? And arc you
now going to destroy public property?
Back with You TO your places, you vaga
hondsr' He said no such thing. The
word Of four letters, 'sirs, cquivalent
10 lords - recognized tho majesty and
The honor Of their mission. Sirs fla ,.
man with a capti0us spirit tries to find the
way TO heaven, he will miss it. If a man
iomes out and pronounces all Christians
IS hypocrites, and tho religion of Jesus
Christ us q fraud, and asks irritating !
questions about he mysterious and the
nscrutable, saving Come, my wise man, 4,
Explain this and explain that; if this be !,
rue, how can tIat be true." no such !
nan nds the way to heaven. Tho ques /
ion of the text was decent, courteous, gen :
lemanly, deferential. Sirsl
Again, characterize this question OF 2
he agitated Jail keeper by saying that it I
7ils practical question. He did not ask n
Thy God let sin come into the world, he /
id not ask how Christ could be God and :,
lan in the same person, he did not ask :,
lo doctrine Of the DEGREES explained or =
amt TO know whom Cain married or !,
'utlJ was INC causC OF the cdftnQ quake. Ills ~,
resent and everlasting welfare was in =,
olvod in the question, and was not that 4
tactical? But l know mulGtudos of peo- =
lie who are botherinc themselves about 7,
10 nonessentials Of religion. What would -
lu think of a man who should, while -
iscussing the question Of the light aett99 4 a.
eat of the sun, spend his time dgwn in n y
lal cellar when he might come out and Y, y
e the one and feel the otherY Yet there ~
e muiitHdes Of mon who, in discussing - :,
10 chemistry of tho gospel, spend their - .,
me down in tho dungeon of their unbe- -
IF when God all the while stands telling ~
en- to come out into the MONDAY light ~
ID warmth of the sun of righteousness -.
lo question for you, my BROTHER to dis ~
ISIS is not whether Calvin or AFminius y"
rs right not whether a handful of wator
holy baptism or baptistery is the bet
r, not whether generalization and free gu
ency can be harmonizcd The practical ha
esti0n for you TO discuss and for me to ON
scuss is, "Where will l spend eternity?" he