The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-03-10
REV. DIR. TALMAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: ga Shattered Faith"

TEXT: "And some on broken pieces OF the
ship."-Acts xvii, A.
Never of Goodwin sands or the Skerries
or Cape Hatteras vas a shi in worse predica.
ment than, In the Mediterranean hurricane,
was the grain ship on which 276 passsncars
were driven on the coast Of Malta, five miles
from the metropolis OF that island, called
Citta Vecchia. After 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. He was small,
crooked-backeh and sore-eysd. accord
ing to tradition. 1t was Paul, the only
unscared man aboard. He WAS no more afraid
Of Euroclydon tossing the Mediterranean
sea, now upto the gates OF heaven and now
sinking 1t TO the gatesrof hell, than he was
afraid OF 4 kitten playing with string. he
ordered them all down to take their rstions,
first asking for them a blessing. Then he
insured all their lives. telling them they
would BIZ rescued, and, so far from losing
their heads, they would not lose so much OF
OF the scissors-nay, not thread OF It,,
whether 1t were gray with age or golden
with youth, There shall not 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 overrhrown cargo,
80 that when the ship strikes 1t will not
strike 80 heavily. At daybreak they saw a
creek and In their exigency resolved to make
for 1t. Aud so they cut the CABLES, took in
the two paddles they had on those Old boats
and hoisted the mainsail 80 that they might
come with such force as 10 be driven high
up on the beach by some fortunate billow
There she goes, tumbling towards the rocks,
fArpno0of
rolling over to the starboard. now over 10
the larboard; now q wave Cashes clear over
the deck. and 1t seems as IL the old craft
has gone forever. But up she comes
again. Paul's arms around O mast. he
cries: GAIL is well. Col 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 timbsrs till the
seas rushed through from side to side OF the
vessel. She parts amidships, and into u
thousand fragments the vessel goes, and into
the waves 276 immortals are precipitatel.
Some OF them lad been brought up on the
seashore and had learned TO swim. aud 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
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 for them. And
others had been weakened by long seasich-
ness.
On, what will become OF them? Take
that piece OF rultler." says Paul to one.
"Take that fragment OF a SPAR" says Paul
Pollux." "Take that plank from The lte-
boat" '1ake anything and head for the
beach," What a struggle for lie In the
breakers. Oh, the merciless waters,
now they sweep over the heads of m n.
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 clingiug fast to it. There
another piece Of the shattered vessel. with
its freightage OF an immortal SOU. They
must by this time all be saved. Yes; there
comes in last OF oil. for he had been owe see
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 the roll.
Paul builds fire. and when the bundle Of
sticks begins to crackle, and, standing and
sitting around the blaze, the passengers be-
giu to recover from their chill, and the wet
clothes begin 10 dry. and warmth kegins to
the purser OF the vessel go round and SEA II
any of the poor creatures are 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 80
1t came to pass that they escaped all sale to
land"
Having on previous occasions looked at
the other passengers. conflue myself to-
day 20 I'M examination OF those who came
in on broken pieces Of the ship. There is
something about them that excltes iu me an
intense interest. I am not so much inter-
ested in those that could swim. They got
ashore, as expected. A mile OF water is not
a very great undertaking for strong SWIM
mer, 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 constructed, and you
could no moro wreck it than YOU could
wreck the throne of God Almighty. 1 wish
all tDe people would rome aboard OF her. l
could not promise smooth voyage, for Oft
times it will be tempestuouS or chopped
sen. but I 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 authority.
But vast multitude do not take regular
passage. Their theology is broken in pieces,
and their life is broken in pieces, and their
habits are broken in pieces, and their word
and spiritual prospects are broken in pieces,
and yet 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
the ship
One object in this sermon is to encourage
all those who cannot take the whole sys-
TEN of religion as we believe it, but who
really believe something, to come ashore on
that one plank.
l do not underrats the value OF q great
theological system, but where In all the
Bible Is there anything that says
Believe in John Calvin and thou shalt be
saved? or, believe in Arminius and thou
shalt be saved7 or, believe in synod OF bort
and thou shalt be saved2 or, believe in the
Thirty-n!ne Articles and thou shalt be saved?
A man may be orthodox and 20 10 hell, or
heterodoX and go to heaven. The man who
in the deep affection Of his heart accepts
Christ Is saved, and the man who does not
accept him is lost.
! believe in both the Heidelberg and West
minister catechisms. and wish you all did,
but you may believe In nothing they contain
except the one idea, that Christ came to
save sinners, and that you are one Of them,
and you are instantly rescued. If you can
come in on the grand old ship, I would
rather have you get aboard, but if you can
only find u piece of wood as long as the hl-
man body, ,r piece rs wide as the out
spread human arms and either OF them is
piece OF the 8, come in on that piece.
Tens OF thousands OF people are to-day kept
out OF the Kingdom of God because they
cannot believe eyerythns.
I 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. 'I cannot believe that
In this life the des my is irrevocably fixed; 1
think there will be- another opporlunity of