The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-04-01
TALMAGES SERMON.
Tho Eminent Divine breaches from
tho Text "a Shattered Faith"
Theories and Common
Sense Facts Selling On the First
Thing That Offers in Time
of Peril.

1
Tuniak Springs, Fla, on the subject
"a Shattered Faith" founded On the
text Acts xvii, "A: And some on
broken pieces of the ship"
Never off Goodwin sands or the Skier
ries or Cape IIatteras was ship in
worse predicament than, in the Meditcr-
ranean hurricane, was the grain ship on
which 276 passengers were driven on
the coast of Malta, five miles from the
metropolis of that island. called Citta
Nccchia. After two weeks tempest
when the ship was entirely disabled and
captain and crew had become complete
ly demoraliZed, an cid missionary took
command of the vessel. lie 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 Euroclydon tossing the Med
iterrancan sea. now up to the Sales OF
Heaven and now sinking it to the gates
Of hell, than he was afraid of kitten
playine 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 would not lose so
much of their hair as you could cut OF
with one cIicl, of the scissors-nay, not
thread Of it, whether it were gray
with age or golden with youth. "Ihere
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
davbre they saw creek and in their
| eXigencv resolved to make for it. And
| SC they cut the cables. took in the two
Iaddles they had on those old boats and
hoisted the mainsail so that they might
come with such force as to be driven
high up on the beach by some fortunate
| bilow. There she goes. tumbling to-
ward the rocks, now prov foremost,
now stern foremost, now rolling over
to the starboard, now over to the lar
| board; now wave dashes clear over
| the deck, and it seems as if the old craft
has gone forever. But up she comes
egain. Paui's 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 10 side of the vessel. She
parts amjdships, and into a thousand
fragments the vessel goes. and into the
waves 216 immortals are preclrltatcd
Some of them had been brought up OF
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 pn
out for the beach and reached it. Bu
alas for those others! They had neve1
learned to swim. or they were wounded
by the falling of the mast, or the nerv
Gus shock was too great for them. Ant
others had been weakened by long sea
sickness.
! Oh, what will become Of them
"Take that piece of rudder.' say
Paul to one. "'ralte that fragment Of ;
SPAR" says Paul TO another. "Tak
; that image Of Castor and PolluN.
'Take that plank from the lifeboat
"Take anything and head for tn
beach," What a struggle for life in tn
, breakers! Oh. the merciless 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. Ther
r the receding wave on the beach leave
!. in the sand whole family. Their
, crawls up out Of the surf the centurion
: There another plank comes in, with
9 life clinging fast to it. There anothe
piece of the shattered vessel, with it
, frcightage of an immortal soul. The
;, ,rust by this time all be saved. Yes
!, there comes in last of all. for he ha
g been overseeing the rest, the Old mi!
sionary, who wrings the water from nj
:, gray beard and cries out: THANK Coo
, ell are here!"
Gather around fire and call tn
roll. Paul builds a fire, and when tf
standing and sitting around the blaz
the passengers begin to recover fro'
their chill, and the wet clothes begin
ory, and warmth begins to come mi
$ all the shivering passengers, let tt
!, purser Of the vessel 60 round and see
u any of the poor creatures are mlssln
e Not one of the crowd that were plunge
e irto the sea. How it relieves our ankle
IL rs we read: Some on broken pieces
5, the ship. And SO il came to pass tn
I they escaped all safe to land.
: But vast multitude do not take re
l. uiar passage. Their theology is broke
in pieces, and their life is broken
pieces, and their habits are broken
rieces, and their worldly and spiritu
t prospects are broken IN pieces. and y
|. l believe they are going to reach t
e shining shore, and am encouraged
e the experience of those people who a
N spoken of in the text: Some on brok
$ pieces of the ship
One object in this sermon is to
courage all those who cannot take t
Whole system of religion as we belle
< it, but who really believe somethir
to eome ashore on that one plank,