The Penn's Grove record., 1897-02-26
REV. DIR. TAIMAGE.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY TUE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject. "a Shattered Faith"

- up " w. ~ 1hAA a. VOh1S 49,
ment than, In the Mediterranean hurricane,
was the grain ship on which arc passengers
were driven on the coast of Malta, five miles
from the metropolis OF that island, called
Citta Vecchia. After q two weeks tempest,
when the ship was entirely disabled and
captain and crew had become completely
demoralized, IN old missionary took
crooked -backei and sore-eyed, accord.
ing TO tradition. It was Paul, the only
unscared man aboard. He was no more afraid
OF q E~uroclydon tossing the Mediter-anenn
sea, now up 10 the gates Of heaven and now
sinking it TO tho gates OF hell, than he was
afraid Of kitten playing with a string. He
ordered them all down to take their f~RtlonsJ
first asking FOR them n blessing. Then he
insured all their lives, telling them they
would be rescued, and, so far from losing
their heads, they would not lose SO much Of
their hair as you could cut of With one click
oil the scissore-nay, not a thread OF 1t,
whether 1t were gray with age or golden
with youth, ''There shall not q hair fall
from the head Of any OF rou."
Knowing that they can never get to the de-
sirod port, they make the SEQ on the four
tenth night black with overthtown cargo,
so that when the ship Strikes It will not
strike so heavily At daybreak they saw a
crock and Ia their exigeney resolved to make
for 1t, And SO they cut the cables, took In
the two paddles they had on those old boats
and hoisted tho mainsail 30 that they might
come with such force as 10 be driven high
up on the beach by some fortunate billow.
There she goes, ~tumbllng towards the reekst
now PROV foremost now stefti foremost; now
rolling over to the starboard, now over 10
the larboardi now o wave clashes clear over
the deck, and 1t seems as II the did crift
has gone forever. But Up she Comes
again. Pauls arms around a mast, he
cries: "Ali is well: col has given me
NIL those that sail With me-" Crash
went the PROV, With such forte that II broke
off the mast. Crash went the timbers till the
sens rushed through fro n side to side Of the
vessel. She parts hmidships, and Into a
thousand fragments the vessel goes; and into
the waves 276 immortals nro precipitatel.
Some OF them had been brought up on the
seashore and had learned 10 swim, ahd With
theis chins Just above the waves and by the
strokes of both arms and propulsion Of both
feet they put out for the beach and reached
1t. But IA for those othersl They have
never learned to swim, or they were
wounded by the falling OF the mast or the
nervous shock was too great for thed. And
others had been weakened by long seasick-
ness. - "a l~~.
On, what viii become Of them? flake
that piece OF q rudder," says Paul 10 one.
Take that fragment Of d SPAR says Paul
to another. "rnke that image Of Castor and
Pollux." 'Take that plank from tho life.
boat" Take anything and head for tho
beach" What a struggle for lie in the
breakers! Oh, the merclless waters,
now they sweep over, the heads of m n.
women and ehildreni Hold on therel
Almost ashore. Keep Up your courage.
Remember what Paul told you. There the
receding wave on the beach leaves In the
sanda whole family, There crawls up out Of
fha ANIL III nnYk,,.Ion tNH,ra n .oAlne rJo,1,
comes in, With life clinging fast toit. There
another piece Of the shattered vessel, with
its freightage Of an immortal soul. They
must by this time all be saved: Yes; there
comes In last OF all, for he had bseIi over sBe-
ing the rest, the old missionary; who wrings
the w,ter from his gray beard and cries out,
"Thank God. all are here!"
Gather around a fire and call tho roll.
Paul builds u fire, and when the bundle Of
sitting around the blaze, The passengers be-
gin to recover from theh chill; and tile wet
clothes begin 10 dry. and warmth begins to
CONF into all the shivering passengers, let
the pursero OF the vessel go round and SEQ II
any of the poor creatures are missing. Not
one Of the crowd that were plunged into tho
sea. How 1t relieves OUT anxiety as we read:
''Some on broken pieces Of the ship. And 50
It came to pass that they escaped all safe to
land" A-.N-'s
Having on previous occasions leohe,i at
the other passengers, / eonine myself TO-
day TO nm examination of those who came
in on broken pieces Of the ship. There Is
something about them that excltes lii mo an
intense interest. l am not 30 much inter.
ested in those that could swim. They got
ashore, as / expected. mile OF water Is not
a very great undertaking for a strong swim
rner, or even two miles are not. But can
not stop thinking about those on broken
pieces of the ship.
The great gospel ship is the finest OF the
universe and can carry more passengers
than any craft ever constructea, and you
could nc more wreck 1t than YOU could
wreck the throne of God Almighty. l wish
all the people would come aboard Of her. l
could not promise O smooth voyage, for oft
times 1t will be tempestuous or u chopped
sea, but l could promise safe arrival for all
who took passage on that Great Eastern, so
called by me because its commander came
out Of the east, the star OF the east a badge
Of his P%sSiority.
But a vast multitude do not take regular
passage. Their theologyi is broker In pieces,
and their life is broken in pieces, and their
habits are broken in pieces, and their word
and spiritual prospects arc broken in pieces,
and yet l believe they are going TO reach the
shining shore, and / am encouraged by the
experience of those people who are spoken
OF in the text, "some on broken pieces OF
Sthe ship"
One object In this sermon Is to encourage
all those who cannot take the whole sys-
TEN Of religion as we believe 1t, but who
really believe something, to come ashore on
that n plank.
| dcxiot underrate the valuo OF q great
theological system, but where in oil the
Bible Is there anything that says
Believe in John Calvin and thou shalt be
savedI or, believe In ArminiuS and thou
shalt be saved1 or, believe In synod Of Dort
and thou shalt be saved2 or, believe In the
T~hirty-nlne Articles and thou shalt be savedi
A man may be orthodox and 60 to hell, OF
heterodox and so to heaven. The man who
in tho deep affection Of his heart accepts
Christ is saved, and the man who does moi
accept him Is lost.
1 believe in both the Heidelberg and West
minister catechisms, andI wish you oil did,
but you may believe in nothing they contain
except The ono idea, that Christ came to
save sinners, and that you arc one OF them.
and you are instantly rescued. If you car
come in on the grand old ship, l would
rather have you get aboard, but II you car
only find a piece OF wood as long as the hui
man body, or q piece as wido as the out
spread human arms, and either of them is 9
piece OF the cross, com in on that piece
Tens of thousands OF people are to-day Kept
Oul Oh lub hluEupul VI hOu bSSuuSO thoJ
cannot believe everything.
1 am talking with a man thoughtful about
his soul who has lately Travelled through
New England and passed the night at And
over. He says to me, ~ cannot believe tina
in this life the destiny is irrevocably fxen;
think there will be another opportunity o
repentance after DEATH" Isay to him; 'MN
brother, what has that 10 10 with you
Don't you realizs that the man who
xuuifa for another ahpnrA Rfter dDatl
when he has n good chance before deatl
is a stark foolP Had not you better tatt
the plank that is thrown 10 you nov
and head for shore rather than wait for l
plank that may by invisible hands BIO thrown
to You after you are dead2 Do as you please
but as for myself. with pardon for all M
sins offered me now, and all the Joys OF time
and eternity offered me now, instantiN
take them, rather than run the risk OF sucl
other chance as wise men think they can pee
of or twist out OF q Scripture passag'
that has for all the Christian %centurie!
been interpreted another way" You say, y
10 not like Princeton theology, or New
H zen theology, or Andover theology. 1 dt
4ot ask you on board either OF these grea
men-of-war, their portfolios nlied with .h'
great Siege guns of ecclesiastical battle, bn
I do ask YOU to take tho ono plank Of thu
gospel that you do believe IN and strike on
for the pearl strung beach OF heaven,
SAYS some other man, al would attend Il
religion 10 | was quite sure about tho zoe
ftlne OF election aud free agency, but tina
mixes me all up Those things used e
bother me, bnt 1 have no more perpiexitl
about them, for l say to myself, III Low,
Christ and live q good, honest nseIus liie,
1 am elected 10 bs saved, and II ! do not