Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1897-03-04
REV. DR.. IA[MhGE.
The Noted Washington Divine's
Sunday Sermon.
subject: "a SHATTERED FAITH"

subject: ga SHATTERED FAITH" |
TErr: ''Anisome On broken pieces o. the |
ship Acts xvii. II.
Never OF Goodwin sands or the Skerries |
or Cape Hatieras WAS "a ship in worse predica. !
inent than, In the Mediterranean hurricane. |
was ne grain ship on which 2-6 passengers /
We're driven on the coast Of Malta, fve miles /
from the metropolis Of that island. called /
Citta seechia. After a two weeks TEN pest /
when the snip was entirely disabled and
captlin and crew had become completely !
dem ralized. aa old missionary took !
command OF the vessel. He was small,
croohed-oacket and sore-eyed. accord
ing t tradition It was Paul, tho only
unscared man aboard. he was no more AFRAID
o. Elrociydon tossing the Mediterranean
sea, now W 10 the gates OF heaven and now
sinainS it 10 the gates of hell, than he was
AFRAID Of kitten playing with string. He
ordered them all down to take their rstions.
first asking for them n blessing. Then ha
Insured all their lives, telling them they
would be rescued, AMI. SO far from losing
their heads, they would not lose SO much OF
tnelr hair as YOU could cut off with one click
oi the scissors-nav, not a thread OF ii,
whether 1t were gray with age or golden
with youth. There shall not a hair fall
from the head of any of YOU"
knowing that they can never get to the de-
sired port. they make the sea on tie four
teenth night black with overthrown cargo
50 that when the ship strikes il will not
strike so heavily. At daybreak they saw a
creek and IN their exigency resolved to make
: Tor 1t. And SO they cut the cables, took in
the two paddles they had on those old boats
and hosted tle malnsail SO that they might
come with such force as TO be driven high
up on the beach by some fortunate bilow
There she goes, tumbling towards the rocks.
noW Prov foremost, now stern foremost, now
rolling over 10 the starboard. now over TO
the larboard; now wave tashes clear over
the deck. and it seems as if the old craft
has gone foreeer. But up she comes
again. Paul's arms around a mast, he
cries: ''All is we'll. Goi has given me
all those that sail with me-" Crash
went the Prov. with such force that It broke
OF the mast. Crash went the timbers till the
seas rushed through from side to side Of the
vessel. She parts amidships, and into a
thousand fragments the vessel goes, and into
the waves go immOrtalS are precipitated
Some OF them had been brought UP on the
sea~hore and had learned to swim, and with
their chins just above the waves and by the
strokes Of both arms and propulsion OF both
1eet they put ont FOR the beach and reached
it. But alas for those others! They have
never learned to swim, or they were
wounded By the falling Of the mast. or the
nervous shock was too great 70. them. And
others had been weakened by long seasich-
ness.
On, what will become OF them? Take
that piece OF a ruller." says Paul to one
Take that fragment OF a SPAR" says Paul
to another. Take that image OF Castor and
Pollux." ''Take that plank from the life-
boat. Take anything and head for the
beach. What struggle for lite In the
breakers!5 On, the merciless water.
now they sweep over the heads of N n.
women and children! Hold on there
Almost ashore. Keep up your courage.
Remember what Paul told you. There the
| rece,iins wave on the beach leaves in the
sand awhole family. There craws up out Of
the surf the centurion. There another plank
comes in. with a life clinging fast to it, There
| another piece OF the shattered vessel with
| its freiSh.aSe Of an immortal soul. They
must by this time all be saved. Yes: there
] comes IN last Of all. for he had been owe. soc.
| ing ,he rest. The old missionary. who wrings
| the " ter from his gray beard and cries out
| THANK God. all are here"
Gather around a fire and call the roll
| Paal builds a fire. and when the bundle o
| sticks begins TO crackle, and. standing anC
sitting around the blaze, the passengers be
| GIN 10 recover from their chill and the We
clothes begin to dry aud warmth begins t
come into all the shivering passengers. le
the Furser Q: the vessel 90 round and see i
any OF the poor creatures are missing. No
one OF the crowd that were plunged into th
sea. How il relieves our anxiety as we read
"Some on broken pieces of the ship. And 8
II came to pass that they escaped all safe t
| laud.
Having on previous occasions looked a
! the other passengers. l conflne myself to
DAY 20 m examination Of those who cam
| III on broken pieces of the ship. There /
| Sc metbing about them that cxcites In me al
/ intense Interest. | not SO much inter
ested in those that could swim. They 20
/ ashore. as expectei. A milo Of water is no
very great undertaking for a strong swim
/ ner, or even two miles are not. But can
not stop thinking about those on broker
pieces OF the snip.
The great gospel ship is the finest OF the
universe and can carry more passenger;
/ than any craft ever constructed, and YOU
/ could no more wreck it than YOU eouh
wreck the throne of God Almighty / wis,
i ali the people would rome aboard Of her
could not promise q smooth voyage, for oft
times it will be te.npestuous or a ch0ppe,
sea. bat | c0uidrromise safe arrival for al
who took passage on that Great Eastern sc
called by ne because its commander cam,
oat Of the east. the star OF the east .ba3 (,
Of his authority
But IL vast multitude do not take regu,a1
passage. Their theology IS broken In pieces
and their life ls broken in pieces, and ihei
habits are broken in pieces. ana their wort
acd spiritual prospects are broken in pieces
ard yet / believe they are going 10 reach III,
shining shore, and an encouraged by th'
experience of those people who are spckei
Of in the text. Some on broken pieces Q
the slip"
One object in this sermon is 70 encourag
I all II ose WHO cannot take the whole svs
TEN o. religion We believe 1t, bat wh
really believe something, 70 come ashore O,
that on PLANK.
10 not unde--ate the valne % q c-ea
theological system. hut where II All tn
Bible IS there anything iha. say
Believe in John Calvin and thou shal. b
s2vedE or. believe IN Ar.niniu- ana tho;
shalt be saved? o.. believe Ia synod % D. :
and thou shalt ~ saved or heiievc In II
Tairtya 1e Articles and thou shalt - save d;
4 man may h. oriho1ox ana 20 II hell. Q
het.roslox a1t - 70 heaven. The man wn
~ tie deep affection q his heart accept
Caris. i saved. a1t the mar who does Z
ae>eEi him i lcss.
o@li4v.. II t9th ,ha Eej3eloe-S aal we=t
minister czteehls-n-. and .lsa you Al dii
ols yea EEsv t@i.ey@ II nothing they contain
except i1e c1e itea. ira; Ce-iS: car. !:
save s!ace-s. s11 ;.zat xo1 ara oae o them
AT ycA are l1st-A-t4F rescued. l. voC ca.
co--e II o1 TIRE gra13 Cd ship. wo-!
FATHER have yoa -et aocard. tgt Il vcl -
: c.tg IND g.e-s D. woCd g. long e. tte Z.