The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-02-25
REI. llLMlGE'S SUNDAY SERMON
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE.
Subject. "a Shattered Faith"

chip. Acts xvii. "A.
Never on Goodwin sands or the Skerries
or Cape Hatteras was a ship In worse predica.
ment than, In the Mediterranean hurricane,
was the grain ship on which 276 passengers
were driven on the coast OF Malta, Ave miles
from the metropolis Of that island, called
Cltta Vecchia. After q two weeks tempest,
when the ship was entirely disabled and
captain and crew had become completely
demoralized. an old missionary took
command OF the vessel. lie was small.
ooked.backei and sore-eyed. accord.
Ing to tradition. ItSwas Paul, the only
unsecured mar aboard. He was no more afraid
OF Euroclydon tossing the Mediterranean
sea, now up 10 tho gates OF heaven and nov
sinking II to the gates OF hell, than he was
afraid Ola kitten playing with a string. He
ordered them all down to take their rxtions,
first asking TOT them a 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 of with ono q
OF the scissors-nay, not a thread o.
whether 1t were gray with age or 60
with youth, ''rhere shall not a hair
from the head of any OF you."
knowing that they can never get to theNfe-
sired port, they make the sea on the four
,eenth night black with overthrown cargo.
SO that when the ship strikes 1t will not
strike so heavily. At dnybreak they saw n
creek and In their exigency resolved to make
for 1t. And SO they cut tho cables, took in
tho W paddles they had on those Old boats
and hoisted the mainsail 50 that they might
come with such force as to he driven high
up on the beach by some fortunate billow
There she goes, tumbliDg towards the rocks.
now PROV foremost, now stern foremost, now
rolling over TO the starboard. now over TO
the l%arboard; now n wave dashes clear over
Inc deck. and 1t seems MS II the old craft
has gone forever. But up she comes
again. Paurs arms around a mast. he
cries: "All Is we'll. God has given mo
all those that sail with me-" Crash
went the PROV. with such force that Il broke
OH the mast. Crash went the timbers Till the
seas rushed through from side to side of the
vessel. h parts nmidships, and into a
thousand fragments the vessel goes, and into
the waves ZIG immortals nre precipitated.
some oil thom lad been brought up on the
seashore and had learned to swim, aud with
theis chins just above tho waves and by the
strokes OF both arms and propulsion OF both
feet hey put out for tho beach and reached
IT. But ains for those others, They have
ne GER 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 sensick-
ness.
On, what will become OF them? Take
that piece oil Il rudder," says Paul to one.
rake that fragment OF a SPAR says Paul
to another. Take that image OF Castor and
Pollux." "Tak that plank from the liru-
boat. Take anything and head for the
beach" What a struggle for lie in the
breakers! Oh, the merciIess waters.
now they sweep over tho heals OF mn,
women and children! Hold on there'
Almost ashore. Keep up your courage.
Remember what Paul told you. There Tho
receiing wave on the beach leaves in tho
sand n whole family. There crawls up out of
the surfth centurion. There another plank
comes In, with q llfeclinglng fast to it. There
another piece OF the shattered vessel, With
Its freightage OF an immortal Soul. They
must by this time all DO saved. Yes; there
m In Inst OF all. for he had been oversee.
ing the resi-. the old missionary, who wrings
the water from his gray baard and cries ep5
THANK God. all are here!"
Ido not. underrate the value OF a great
theological system, but where In ali the
Bible ~, there anything that says
Believe In John Calvin and thou shalt be
savedi or, believe In Arminius and thou
shalt DO saved? or, believe In synod OF bort
and thou shalt be saved2 or, believe In thS
.Thirty-n Mt Articles and thou shalt be sayed2
A man may be orthodox and 20 TO hell. or
h~eterodox and'go TO heaven. The man who
In, the deep affection OF his heart accents
Christ Is saved, and the man who does moi,
accept him IL lost.
l believe In both the Heidelberg and Vest
minister catechisms, and | wish YOU all did.
put you may believe In nothing they contain
except The ono idea, that Christ camo TO
save sinners, and that you are ono OF them,
and you are instantly rescued. III Won can
In On tho grand old ship, l would
rather have you get aboard, but il YOU can
only ind n piece OF wood as long as the hui
man body, Cr II piece rs wide as tho out.
human arms, and either Of them is n
piece OF the cross, come in on TINT piece,
Tens OF thousands Of people arc today kopt
out or the Kingdom Of God because they
believe everything.
l am talking with n man thoughtful about
nis soul who has lately travelled through
England and passed the night at And
over. lie says to me, 81 cannot believe that
in this life the destiny Is irrevocably flxeG: /
think there will DO another opportunity of
after DEATH lsay to him: "My
what has that to do with your
you realizs that the man who
waits for another chance after death
when no has u good chance before death
8 a stark fool? Had not you better take
he plank that Is thrown to you now
head for shore rather than wait for u
that may By Invisible hands be thrown
o you after you are deadp Do as you please. |
tut as Tor myself. with pardon for all my
'ins offered ms now.a and all the joys OF time |
md eternity offered me now, l instantly |
tn IN, rather than run the risk OF such
chance as wise men think they can peel
III or fUtgt ont ~ an Anrtstn.. .... |