The L'Anse sentinel., 1897-03-06
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Tho Eminent Divine breaches from
the Text "a Shattered Faith"
Theological Theories and Common
Sense Facts-Seizing on the First
Thing That Offers I'm Time
of Peril.

DR.. Talmage preached recently at ID,
Funiak Springs, Fla, on the subJec,
"a Shattered Faith" founded on th,
text Acts xvii, "A: And some Oh
broken pieces of the ship"
Never off Goodwin sands or the Skier.
ries or Cape Ilattcras was Il ship in
worse predicament than, in the Mediter'
ranean hurricane, was the grain ship on
which 27G passengers were driven on
the coast of Malta, five miles from the
metropolis of that island, called Citta
Necchia. After n two weeks tempest
when the shi was entirely disabled and
captain and crew had become complete
ly demOralized, an old missionary took
command of the vessel. lie, was small,
crooked backed and sore eyed, accord
ing to tradition. II was Paul, the only
unscared man aboard. He was no more
afraid Of a Euroclydon tossing the Med
iterranean sea, now up to the gates of
Heaven and now sinking it to the gates
of hell, than he was afraid of kitten
playing with a string. He ordered them
all down TO take their rations, first ask
ing for them a blessing. Then he in
sured all their lives, telling them they
would be rescued, and, so far from los
ing their heads, they ywould not lose so
much OF their hair as you could cut off
with one click of the scissors-nay, not
n thread OF il, whether il 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 desired port, they make the sea on
the fourteenth night black with over
thrown cargo, so that when the ship
strikes it will not strike so heavily. At
daybreak they saw a creek and in their
eXigency resolved TO make for il. And
so they cut the cables, took in the two
paddles they had on those old boats and
hOisled the mainsail SO that they might
come with such force as TO be driven
high up on the beach by some fortunate
billow. There she goes, tumbling to-
ward the rocks, now prov foremost,
now stern foremost, now rolling over
20 the starboard. now over TO the lar
BOARD; now n wave daShcs clear over
the deck, and ii seems as If the old craft
has gone forever. But up she comes
again. Paul's arms around a 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
tlmbers till the seas rushed through
from side 10 side Of the vessel. She
parts amidships, and into 4 thousand
fragments the vessel goes, and into the
waves 2I6 immortals arc Frecipitatcd.
Some Of them had been brought up on
the seashorc and had learned TO swim,
and with their cl ;us just above the
waves and by the strokes OF both arms
and propulsion OF both feet they put
out for the beach and reached it, But
alas for those others. They had never
learned to swim. or they were wounded
by the falling of the mast, or the ncrv-
Gus shocl: was too great for thym. And
others had been weakened by long sea-
sickness.
Oh. whit will become of them?
Take that piece Of II rudder," says
foul to one. Take that fragment Of
SPAR" says Paul 10 another. Take
that image OF Castor and Pollux."
Take that plank from the lifeboat."
Take anything and head for the
beach" What n struggle for life in the
breakers. Oh, the mcrcilcss waters,
how they sweep over the heads Of men.
women and children. Hold on there.
Almost ashore. Keep up your courage.
Remember what Paul told you. There
the rcceding wave on the beach leaves
in the sand a whole family. There
crawls up ont Of the surf the centurion.
There another plank comes in, with q
life clinging fast to il. There another
piece of the shattered vessel, with its
freiChtasrr Of an immortal soul. They
rIust by this time all be saved. Yes:
there cores in last Of all, for he had
ECen overseeing the rest, the old mis-
aioEarY, who wrngs the water from his |
gray beard and cries out: Thank God,
I'll are here"
Gather around fire and call the |
roll. Paul builds n fire. and when the |
bundle of sticks begins to crackle, and, |
standing and sitting around the blaze, |
the passengers begin to recover from
their chill, and the wet clothes begin to |
cry, and warmth begins 10 come into
all the shivering passengers, let the
purser of the vessel go round and see ii
any of the poor creatures arc missing.
Not one 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 so it came to pass that
they escaped all safe to land"
Having on previous occasions looked
at the other passengers, | confine my
self to-day to an examination of those
who came in on broken pieces of the
ship. There is something about them
that eXcites in me an intense interest.
/ am not so much interested in those
that could swim. They got ashore, as
| expected. A mile of water Ia not
very great undertaking for a strong
swimmer, or even two miles are not.
But cannot stop thinking about those
on broken pieces of the ship.
The great Gospel ship is the finest of
the universe and can carry more pas
sengers than any craft ever construct