The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-01
DR. IALMACE'S
 SERMON.

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 WsAhdnxton. Aug. RIA Binie inci- Senk not often noticed is here used by t<eatNN1 tfdths text, II Corinthians, x1:33. through awindow in . basket Wes < H5oHn b3khe wall.
 Sef1&nl& on e-RANl In jaA Paul on M&f4 HlIE 14nf tho shipwreck, Paul befcr6 the sanhedrin. Paul before Fe- III are plentifuE but in my text we nave Ea0k iR . 6aslret.s
 DamascusA Is a city of white and xlistoninx architecture, sometimes call- a sthe eve sof 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. A horseman of the name of Saul riding toward this city had been thrown from the saddle. < The horse had dropped Ander Hash was 60 brixhf 1t blinded the rider for many days and, I think. SO perma- nently injured his eyesight that this defect Of vision became the thorn In the nesh he afterwards speaks of. He started for Damascus to butcher Chris Hans but after that hard fall from his horse he was changed man and UfSaENG0 AufI8t 1H L6fu86SQS tftS city was shaken to its foundations.
 The mayor gives authority for his ar-
 rest and the popular cry is "Kiil him. kill him.' The city Is surrounded by . high wall. and the gaAes are watched
 by the police lest the Cilician preacher escape. Many of the houses are built on the wall. and their balconies pro-
 tected clear over and hovered above the gardens outside. It was customary Ia f<.xrr hu ul< tu nssx kaF "a and 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 in another.
 He is no coward. as 50 incidents in
 his life demonstrate. but he feels his
 work Is not done yet, and 50 he evadea ] assassination. ''Is that preacher heref"
 the foaming mob shout at one house
 door. .'Is that fanatic here?" the police shout at another house door. Some times on the street incognito he passes
 through crowd of clinched fists. and sometimes he secrets himself on the house top. At last the infurfate popu- lace get on sure track of him. They have pesftivt evidence that he is in the house of one of the Christians. the bal- cony of whose home reaches over the wall. Here he is! Here he is" Tha vociferation and blasphemy and howI- | tng of the pursuera are at the front door They break in. Fetch out that gospsiixsr anc let us hang his head on the city gate. Where is her" The emergency was terrible. Providentially there was good stout basket in the 1 house. Paufs friends fasten q rope to l the basket. Paul steps into 1t. The bas- | ket is lifted to the edge of the balcony l on the wall. and then while Paul holds | the rope with both hands his friends | lower away carefully and cautiously. l slowly but surely, farther down and l further down. until the basket strikes | the earth and the apostle sfeps out and 1 Afoot and alone starts on that famous | missionary tour the story of which has l aatonished earth and heaven. ApproDri- | ate entry in Paul's diary of travels: | Through a window in a basket was ] | let uo~n by the wall"
 Hanging by Q Slender Rope.
 observe first on what a slender ten | ure great results hang. The ropemak- | 1r who twisted that cord fastened t0 | that lowering basket never knew now l much would depend upon the strength | or it. How if it had been broken and | the apostles life had been dashed out2 | What would have becoWe of the Chris | tian church? All that magnificent mis- | sionary work in Pamphyiia. -Cappado- | ciH. Galatia. Macedonia, would never | have been accomplished. All ,hiH writ l ings that make up so indihpensable | and enchanting part of the New 'Tee- | lament would never have been. written. | The story of resurrection would never l have been so gloTloualy told as he told | it. That example of heroic and trium- | phant. endurance at Philippi. in the | Nr .a.~.. eliati0D and at his beheading would | not have kindled ths courage of 1o.OO0 | martyrdom. But that rope holding that basket. how much depended on 1t! | So again and again great results have | huug on slender circumstances.
 Did ever ship of many thousand tons | crosRing the sea have such an Impor- l gant passenger as had once boat of | leaves from taffrail to stern only three | Apr four feet. the vessel made water | proof by coat of bitumen and floating | on the Nile with, the infant lawgiver of | she Jews on board? What If some croc- odile should crunch it? What if some | of the cattia wading In for a drink 1 should sink It? Vessels of war some- | times carry 70 guns looking through | the porthoies, ready to open battle. | be armed with all the guns of thunder | that bombardsd Sinai at the lawgiving. l On how fragile a craft sailed how much of historical importance.
 The parsonage at Epworth. England. | fs on fire in the night. aud the father | rnsfed through the hallway for the | rescue of his children. Seven cildren | are out and safe on the ground. but ono | remains In the consuming building. | Thai one awakes and finding his bed | on fire and the building crumbling, | comes to the window. and two peas | ants make a ladder of their bodies, one | peasant standing on the shoulder of the | nfher. and down the human ladder the | boy descends John Wesley. If you would know how much depended on that ladder of peasants, ask the mill Hons of Methodists on both sides of the | sea. Ask their mission stations all l around the world. Ask their hundreds | of thousands already ascended to join | their founder, who would have perish- 1 ca 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 slualor the | passengers discovered a Christian col -rknv f1f phurchea and schooia and baau-