Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-08-31


49, forth practical and beautiful
truth; text. II. Corinthians XII, 80,
Through a window in a basket was
let down by the wall"
Sermons on Paul in Jail. Paul on Mars
hill, Paul in the shipwreck. Paul before
the sanhedrin. Paul before Felix. are
plentiful. but in my text we have Paul in
a basket.
Damascus is city Of white and glis-
tening architecture, sometimes called "a
pearl surrounded by emeralds," ut one
time distinguished for swords of the best
material, called Damascus blades, and
upholstery of richest fabric called dam
ask. 4 horseman of the name of Saul,
riding toward this city, had been thrown
from the saddle. The horse had dropped
under a flash from the sky which ut the
same time was so bright it blinded the
rider for many days and, l think, so per-
manently injured his eyesight that this
defect of vision became the thorn in the
flesh he afterward speaks Of He started
for Damascus TO butcher Christians. but
after that hard fall from his horse he
was 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: Kill him!
Kill him" The city is surrounded by
high wall and the gates are watched by
the police lest the Cilician preacher es-
cape. Many Of the houses are built on
the wall, and their balconies projected
clear over and lowered above the gardens
outside. It was customary to lower
baskets out of these balconies 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 fifty in
cidents in his life demonstrate, but he
feels his work is not done yet and so he
eyades assassination. is that preacher
here?' the foaming mob shout at one
house door. rs that fanatic herei" the
police shout at another house door. Some
times on the street incognito he passes
through a cloud of clinched fists and
sometimes he secretes himself on the
house top.
Paups Providentiai Escape.
AT last the infuriate populace get on
sure track of him. They have positive
evidence that he is in the house of one
OF the Christians, the balcony Of whose
home reaches over the wall Here he is!
Here he ISL The vociferation and bias
phemy and bowling 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 good stout
basket in the house paul's friends fas-
ten rope to the basket. Paui steps into
1t. The basket 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 eau
tiously, slowly but surely, farther down
and farther down, until the basket strikes
the earth and the apostle steps out and
afoot and alone starts on that famous
missionary tour the story Of which has
astonished earth and heaven. Appro-
pirate entry in Pauls diary Of travels:
Through a window in a basket was
let down by the wall"
| observe first on what slender tenure
great results hang. The ropemaker who
twisted that cord fastened to that lower
ing basket never knew how much would
depend upon the strength Of it, How if
it had been broken ana the apostles life
had been dashed out? What would have
become Of the Christian church? All
that magnificent missionary work in
Pamphylia, Cappadoci . Culatia Mace
donna would never ha Ger accom-
plished. All his writings tnat make up
50 indispensable and enchanting a part
OF the New Testament would never have
been written. The story Of resurrection
would never have been 50 gloriously told
as he told it. That example Of heroic and
triumphant endurance at PhiIippi, in the
Mediterranean EuroclyGon, under aagcl-
lation, and at his bcacadine. would not
have kindled the courage Of 10000 mar
tyrdoms. But that rope holding that bas-
ket, how much depended "a it, 50 again
and again great results have hung on
slender circumstances.
John Wesley Was Saved.
The parsonage at Epworth, England. is
on fire in the night, and the father sushed
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 build
ing crumbling, comes to the window, and
two peasants make a ladder Of their bod
les, one peasant standing on the shoulder
Of the other, and down the human ladder
the boy descends-John Wesley. II you
would know how much depended on that
ladder Of peasants, ask the millions Of
Methodists on both sides Of the sea. Ask
their mission stations all around the
world. Ask their hundreds Of thousands
already assembled to join their founder,
who would have persisted but for the ly-
ing stairs Of peasants shoulders.
Practical Inference: There are no in.
signifcances in life. The minutest thing
Is part OF magnitude Inhnity is made
up Of infinitesimals; great things an az
gregation Of small things. Bethlehem
manger pulling on a star in the eastern
sky. One book in a drenched sailors
mouth the evangelization OF a multitude.
One boat Of papyrus on tie Nile freight
ed with events for all ages. TIE fate Of
Christpndom In e basket let down from