Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-02-26
FOR THE Sl[EPTICAL.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE breaches ON "a
SHATTERED FAITH"

REV. DR.. TALMAGE breaches ON "A
SHATTERED FAITH"
shIp-Theological Theories and Common
Sense Facts-Seizing on the First Thing
That Offers In Time of Peril.
DE FUNIAK SPRINGS, Fla, Feb. al
After many years of invitation DIR. Tai
mage breaches today at this great Chau-
tauqua. From all parts Of the south the
people are assembled. The sermon is
nightly helpful for those who find it
hard to believe everything DR.. Tai
mage returns this week to Washington
The subject Of this sermon is "A Shat
tered Faith" and the text Acts xvii,
"A. "And some on broken pieces Of the
ship"
Never off Goodwin sands or the Skier
ries or Cape Hatteras was a ship in
worse predicament than, in the Mediter-
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
Vecchia After a two weeks tempest,
when the ship was entirely disabled and
captain and crew had become complete
ly demoralized, an old missionary took
command Of the vessel He 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 insur-
ed 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 rs you could cut of
with one click of the scissOrs-nay, not
a thread Of it, whether it were gray
with age or golden with youth There
shall not hair fall from the head OF
any of you. "
Paul In Command.
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 it. And
so they cut the cables, took 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 ND on the beach by some fortunate
billow There she goes, tumbling to-
I ward the rocks, now Prov foremost
now stern foremost now rolling over
70 the starboard, now over to the lar
/ hoard now a wave dashes clear over
the deck, and il seems as if the old craft
has gone forever. But up she comes
again. Paul's arms around mast, he
cries: "All is we'll God has given me
all those that sail with me. Crash
went the prov, with such force that 1t
broke off the mast. Crash went the
timbers till the seas rushed through
from side to side Of the vessel She
parts amidships. and into thousand
fragments the vessel goes, and into the
J waves 276 immortals are precipitated.
! Some Of them had been brought up on
the seashore and had learned to swim,
and with their chins just above tbs
waves and by the strokes Of both arms
and propulsion Of both feet they pm
ont for the beach and reached it. Bu'
alas for those othersl They have nevel
learned to swim, or they were woundeC
by the falling Of the mast, or the nery
Gus shock was too great for them. Ant
others had been weakened by long sea
sickness.
Oh. what will become Of them
"oTake that piece Of rudder, " say
Paul 70 one. Take that fragment of
SPAR" says Paul to another. TAX
that image Of Castor and Pollux-
Take that plank from the lifeboat.
'eTake anything and head for To
beach" What struggle for life in tn
breakers Oh, the merciless waters
how they sweep over the heads OF men
women and childrenl Hold on there
Almost ashore. Keep up your courage
Remember what Paul told you Iher
the receding wave on tho beach leave
I'm the sand whole family. Their
orawls up out Of the surf the centurion
There another plank comes in, with
life chnging fast to it There anotht
, niece of the shattered vessel, with II
freightage Of an immortal soul. The
must by this time all be saved. Ie'
there comes in last Of all, for he ha
been overseeing the rest, the old mi'
sionary. who wrings the water from b
gray beard and cries out, THANK Go'
all are hereg
How They Escaped.
Gather around fire and call Il
roll Paul builds a fire, and when II
D bundle of sticks begin to crackle, ant
standing and sitting around the blaz
the passengers begin to recover fro
' their chill, and the wet clothes begin
dry. and warmth begins to come In
all the shivering passengers, let u
nurser of the vessel go round and see
any Of the poor creatures are missln
r Not one of the crowd that were plung'
into the sea. How it relieves our ankle
as we read: "Some on broken pieces
the ship. And so it came to pass tn
they escaped all safe to land
Having on previous occasions look
at the other passengers, I confne myst
TODAY TO an examination OF those WI
same in on broken pieces OF the shi
II There is something about them that c
cites in me an intense interest
not so much interested in those tn
l could swim. They got ashore, as G
20 pected. 4 mile Of water is not We
great undertaking for strong swil
mer. or even two miles are not. Bu'
cannot stop thinking about those
A.. broken pieces of the ship
The great gospel ship is the hnest