Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-08-30
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DIR. Talmage to set forth practical and
beautiful truth; text. III Corinthians
xi, 80, Through a window in a basket
was let down by the wall"
Sermons on Paul In jail. Paul on
Mars hill, Paul I'm the shipwreck, Paul
before the sanhedrin. Paul before Fe-
lix, are plentiful, but in my text we
bavo Paul In a basket.
Damascus Is a city of white and
glistening architecture, sometimes call
ed 1.-The eye of the east" sometimes
called "a pearl surrounded by emer-
aids" at one time distinguished for
swords OF the best material called Da-
mascus blades and upholstery of rich
est fabric called damask. \ horseman
of the name of Saul riding toward this
city had been thrown froa the saddle.
The horse had dropped under a fash
from the sky which at the same time
was so bright II blinded the rider for
many days and. think, so perma
nently injured lis eyesight that this
defect of vision became the thorn In
the flesh he afterward speaks of. He
started for Damascus to butcher Chris
tians, but after that hard fall from his
horse he was n changed man and
preached Christ in Damascus till the
city was shaken to Its foundation.
The mayor gives authority for his ar-
rest, and the popular cry is, XIII him,
kill him." The city is surrounded by a
high wall, and the gates are watched
by the police lest the Cilician preacher
escape. Many of the houses are built
on the wall. and their balconies pro-
jected clear over and lowered above
the gardens outside. II was customary
20 lower baskets out OF these balconies
anG pull up fruits and flowers from the
gardens. To this day visitors at the
monastery Of Mount Sinai are lifted
and let down in baskets. Detectives
prowled around from house TO house
looking for Paul, but his friends hid
him now in one place, now i'm another.
He is no coward. as 90 incidents in
his life demonstrate, but he feels his
work is not done yet. aud so he evades
assassination. rs that preacher here?'
the foaming mob shout at one house
door. Us that fanatic here?' the police
shout at another house door. Some
times on the street incognito he passes
through clewd OF clinched fists. and
sometimes he secretes himself on the
house top. At last the ipfuriate popu-
lace get on sure track OF him. They
have positive evidence that he is in the
house OF one of the Christians, the bal
cony OF whose home reaches over the
wall. Here he isl Here he is,'' The
vociferation and blasphemy and howl
Ing OF the pursuers are at the front
door. They break In. Fetch out that
gospelizer and let US hang his head on
the city gate. Where is hep" The
emergency was terrible. Providentially
there was n good stout basket I'm the
house. Paul's friends fasten n rope to
the basket. Paul steps into it. The bas-
ket Is lifted TO the edge OF the balcony
on the wall. and then while Paul holds
the rope with both hands his friends
lower away carefully and cautiously.
slowly but surely, farther down and
farther down, until the basket strikes
the earth and the apostle steps out and
afoct and alone starts on that famous
missionary tour the story of which has
astonished earth and heaven. Appropri-
ate entry I'm Pauls diary of travels:
let down by the wall"
Hanging by n Slender Rope.
observe first on what slender ten
ure great results hang. The ropcmak-
er who twisted that cord fastened 10
that lowering basket never knew how
much would depend upon the strength
OF Il. How IL IL had been broken and
the apostles life had been dashed out?
What would have become OF the Chris
tian church, All that magnificent mis-
slonary work I'm Pamphylia. Cappado-
ella. Galatia, Macedonia. would never
have been accomplished. All his writ
ings that make up SO Indispensable
and enchanting part OF the New Tes-
lament would never have been written.
The story OF resurrection would never
have been so gloriously told as he told
II. That example OF heroic and trium-
phant endurance at Philippl. In the
Mediterranean Euroclydon, under flag
citation and at his beheading would
not have klndled the courage of 10000
martyrdoms. But that rope holding
that basket, how much depended ON IL.
SO again and again great results have
hung on slender circumstances.
Did ever ship Of many thousand tons
crossing the sea have such an impor-
tant passenger as had once a boat of
leaves from taffrail TO stern only three
or four feet, the vessel made water.
proof by coat OF bltumen and floating
on the Nile with the infant lawgiver of
the Jews on board? What IL some croc-
odile should crunch 1t? What IL some
OF the cattle wading In for n drink
should sink It? Vessels of war some
tiSes carry 40 guns looking through
the portfolios, ready TO open battle.
But the tiny craft on the Nile seems to
be armed with all the guns OF thunder
that bombarded Sinai at the lawgiving.
On how fragile craft sailed how
much OF historical Importance,
The parsonage at .Epworth, England,
is on fire IL the night, and the father
rushed through the hallway for the
rescue OF his children. Seven children
are out and safe on the ground, but one
remains In the consuming building.
That one awakes and, finding his bed
on fire and the building crumbling.
comes to the window. and two peas
ants make ladder of their bodies. one
peasant standing on the shoulder of the
other, and Gown the human ladder the
boy dcscends-John Wesley. II you
would know how much depended on
that ladder OF peasants, ask the mil
lions or Methodists on both sides of the
sea. Ask their mission stations all
around the world. Ask their hundreds
or thousands already assembled to ioin
their founder. who would have perish
ed but for the living stairs of peasants
shoulders.
An Oasis OF Light.
An English ship stopped at Pitcairn
island. and right In the midst of sur
rounding cannibalism and saualor the
passengers discovered n Christian col
ony or churches and schools and beau
tiful homes and highest style of rali-
gion and civilization. For 90 years no
missionary and no Christian influence
had landed there. Why this oasis of
light amid "A desert of heathendom? |
Sixty years before a shin had met dis |