The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-02-26

COdbI vi i've lhilSo AAOaAA ShN $500
tropolis of that island, called Citta
Vecchia. After a two-weeks' tempest,
when the ship was entirely disabled,
and captain and crew had become COM
pietely demoral!zed, an old missionary
took command of the vessel. He was
small, crooked-backed and sore-eyed,
according to tradition. 1t was Paul,
the only unsecured man aboard. He
was no more afraid of Euroclydon
tossing the Mediterranean sea, now up
to the gates Of heaven and now sinking
1t to the gates of hell, than he was
afraid of kitten playing with string.
He ordered them all down to take their
rations, first asking for them a bless
ing. Then he insured all their lives,
telling them they would be rescued.
and, so far from losing their heads,
they would not lose so much Of their
hair as you could cut off with one click
Of the scissors: nay, not thread of
1t, 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 desired port, they make the sea
on the fourteenth night black with
overthrow cargo, so that when the
ship strikes it will not strike so heavily.
At daybreak they saw creek, and in
their exigency resolved to make for
If And thnxy - hn hlac tnnly
in the two paddles 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 billow. There
she goes-tumbling toward the rocks,
now PROV foremost, now stern fore
most, now rolling over to the star
board, now over TO the larboard, now
wave dashes clear over the deck, and
it seems as If the old craft has gone
forever. But up she comes again.
Paul'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
NAAS AANSN' VI boil' NCHJ lle
till the seas rushed through from side
to side of the vessel. She parts amid
ships, and into a thousand fragments
the vessel goes, and into the waves
two hundred and seventy-six immortals
are precipitated. Some of 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 reach 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 sea-sickness.
Oh, what will become of them?
Take that piece of a rudder," saws
Paul to one. Take that fragment of
a spar" says Paul to another. Take
that image of Castor and Pollux."
Take that plank from the lifeboat."
Take anything, and head for the
beach," What a struggle for life in
the 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. There,
the receding wave on the beach leaves
in the sand a whole family. There
crawls up out of the surf the centurion
There, another plank comes in, with
life clinging fast to it, There. an
other 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 overseeing the rest, the old |
who wrings the water
rom his gray beard and cries out:
Thank God, all are here!"
believe in both the Heidelberg and
Westminster Catechisms. aud | wish
rou all did; but you may believe in
lothing they contain except the one
dea, that Christ came to save sinners
nd that you are one of them. and Won
re instantly rescued. If you can come
n on the grand old ship, would rather
ave you get aboard, but If you can
My find a piece of wood as long as the
uman body, or a piece as wide as the
human arms, and either of
hem is piece of the cross, come in
n that piece Tens of thousands of
eople are today kept out of the king
ON of God because they cannot be-
eve everything.
/ am talking with man thoughtful
bout his soul who has lately Travelled
trough New England and passed the
light at Andover. He says to me: II
annot believe that in this life the des-
ny is irrevocably fixed; l think there |
ill be another opportunity of re-
after DEATH" | say to him: (
My brother. what has that to do with ]
ou? Don't YOU realize that the man
no waits for another chance after Z
cath when he has a good chance be-
re death is a stark fool? Had not
)u better take the plank that is I
rown to you now and head for shore, S
ther than wait for plank that may q
: invisible hands be thrown to you {
ter you are dead? Do as JSl please, I
1t as for myself, with pardon for all ]