The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1897-02-24
REV. DR.. 1ALMAGE.
The Noted Washington Divine's
Sunday Sermon.
subject: GA SHATTERED FAITH -

or Cape Hatteras was ship in worse predtca.
ment than, In the Mediterranean hurricane,
was the grain ship on which 276 passengers
were driven on the coast of Malta, five miles
Ctta Vecchia. After two weeks tempest,
when the ship was entirely disabled and
captain aud crew had become completely
an old missionary took
command OF the vessel. He was small,
crooked backed and sore-eyed. accord
ing to tradition. 1t was Paul. the only
unscared man aboard. He was no more afraid
OF a Euroclydon tossing the Mediterranean
sea. now w % the gates of heaven and now
sin king ii 10 the gates Of hell, than he was
afraid OF n kitten playing with a string. He |
ordered them oil down to take their rst1ons,
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 loss so much OF
their hair as you could cut off with one click
OF the scissors-nuy, not 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 the four
teenth night black with overthrown cargo,
30 that when the ship strikes it will not
strike so heavily. At daybreak they saw O
creek and In their eXigency resolved to make
for it, And SO they cut the cables, took in
the two paddles they had on those old boats
and hoisted the mainsai so that they might
come with such force as TO be driven high
up on the beach by some fortunate billow.
There she goes, tumblng towards the rocks,
now prov foremost, now stern foremost, now
rolling over TO the starboard, now over to
the larboard; now wave clashes clear over
the deck. and it seems rs II the old craft
has gone forever But up she comes
again. Pauls arms around mast, he
cries: "All is well. God has given me
all those that sail with me-" Crash
went the PROV, with such force that it broke
off the mast. Crash went the timbers till the
seas rushed through from side to side OF the
vessel. She parts amidships, and into
1'ousand fragments the vessel goes, land into
tn waves 276 immortals are precipitated.
Some y! them had been brought up on the
seashore and had learned TO swim, and with
their 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
il. 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 for them. And
others had been weakened by long seasick-
ness.
On, what will become of them? Take
that piece oil rudder," says Paul TO one.
Take that fragment Of SPAR" says Paul
to another. Take that image of Castor and
Pollux." "Take that plank from the life
boat" "1ake anything and head for the
beach," What a struggle for lie in the
breakersi Oh, the merciless waters,
now they sweep over the heals of men.
women and children! Hold on therel
Almost ashore. Keep up your courage.
Remember what Paul told you. There the
receding wave on the beach leaves in the
sand whole family. There crawls up out of
the surf the centurion. There another plank
comes in, with life clinging fast to it. 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 been oversee
ing the rest, the old missionary, who wrings
the water from his gray beard and cries out
"Thank God. all are here!'
Gather around fire and call tho roll
Pnnl builds q fire, and when the bundle oil
sticks begins to crackle, and, standing and
sitting around the blaze, the passengers be.
gin to recover from their chill, and the wet
clothes begin to dry. and warmth begins tc
come into all the shivering passengers, let
the purser OF the vessel go round and see il
any OF the poor creatures are missing. MOI
oae OF the crowd that were plunged into the
sea. How it relieves our anxiety as we read
"Some on broken pieces of the ship. And 81
IT came to pass that they escaped all safe t.
land"
Having on previous occasions looked al
the other passengers, conflne myself to
day 70 IN examination of those who came
in on broken pieces of the ship. There il
Semething about .Lem that excites In me al
Ihlense Interest. l am not so much inter
ested In those that could swim. They go
ashore, as / expected. mile of water is no
u very great undertaking for q strong swim
mer, or even two miles are not. But can
not stop thinking about those on broker
pieces of the ship.
The great gospel ship Is the finest Of the
nQiVCrgA and MI
than any craft ever constructed, and you
could no more wreck it than YOU coul,
wreck the throne of God Almighty. 1 wisl
I'LL the people would come aboard of her.
could not promise smooth voyage, for oft
times it will be tempestuous or u choppe
sea, but could promise safe arrival for al
who took passage on that Great Eastern, 81
called by me because its commander cam
out OF the east, the star of the east o badg
OF his authority.
But u vast multitude do not take reguIa
passage. Their theology is broken in pieces
and their life is broken in pieces and thei
habits are broken in pieces, and their wor
and spiritual prospects arc broken in piece!
and yet believe they are going to reach tn
shining shore, and l am encouraged by tn
experience of those people who are spoke
OF In the text, "Some on broken pieces {
the ship"
One object in this sermon is TO encourao
all those who cannot take the whole sy!
TEN OF religion as we believe it, but VIII
really believe something, to come ashore O
that one plank.
I do not undertake the value of a gres
theological system, but where in all tn
Bible IS there anything that say
Believe in John Calvin and thou shalt /
saved? or, believe in ArminiuS and tho
shalt be saved2 or, believe in synod OF Do
and thou shalt be saved? or, believe in IL
Thirty-nne Articles and thou shalt be savec
man may be orthodox and go to hell,
heterodox and go to heaven. The man WI
In the deep affection of his heart accep
Christ Is saved, and the man who does n
accept him is lost
believe in both the Heidelberg and Yves
minister catechisms, and l wish you all di
but you may believe in nothing they conta
except the one idea, that Christ came
save sinners, and that you are one of ther
anu you are instantly rescued. If you CT
come in on the grand old ship, I wou
rather have you get aboard, but if you CT
only find piece of wood as long as the h
man Dody, or piece as wide as the on
spread human arms, and either of them is
piece OF the cross, come in on that piec
Tens OF thousands Of people are to-day Ike
out OF the Kingdom of God because tn
cannot believe eyerythin-.
am talking with man thoughtful abo
his soul who has lately travelled throug
New England and passed the night at Ant
over. ne says 10 me, Il cdInOl D6leVo III
In this life the destiny is irrevocably fixed;
think there will be another opportunity
repentance after DEATH" IsaY to him: "N
brother, what has that to do with yo
Don't you realizS that the man wi
waits for another chance after dea
when he has good chance before dea
ts a stark fool2 Had not you better ia
the plank that is thrown TO you ne
and head for shore rather than wait for
plank that may by invisible hands be throy
to you after you are dead? Do as you plea
but as for myself, with pardon for all l
sins offered me now, and all the joys Of til
and eternity offered me now, l instant
take thsm. rather than run the risk of su
other chance as wise men think they can p
on or twist out OF Scripture passu
that has for all the Christian centur
been interpreted another way" You say,
do not like Princeton theology, or N
Haven theology, or Andover theology. I
not ask you on board either of these gr
men-of-war, their portfolios filled with
great siege guns OF ecclesiastical battle, !
do ask you 10 take the one plank of
gospel that you do believe in and strike
Tor the pearl strung beach of heaven"