The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-27

WASHINGTON, Aug. GA Bible Incl
dent not often noticed is here used by DR..
Ialmage to set forth practical and beau
tlfuI truth; text, II Corinthians II, SO,
Through q window in q basket was I let
down by the wall"
Sermons on Paul in jail, Paul on Mars
hill, Paul in the shipwreck, Paul before
b s%anhedrin, Paul before Felix, are
plentiful, but in m text we have Paul in
q basket.
Damascus is a city of white and glis-
tening architecture, sometimes called "the
eye Of the east" sometimes called "a
pearl surrounded by emeralds," at one
time distinguished for swords Of the best
material, called Damascus blades, and
upholstery of richest fabric called dam
ask. A horseman of the name Of Saul,
riding toward this city, had been thrown
from the saddle. The horse had dropped
under o flash from the sky, which at the
same time was so bright it blinded the
rider for many days and, I think, 30 per-
manentfy injured his eyesight that this
defect Of vision became the thorn in the
flesh he afterward speaks Of. He start
ed for Damascus to butcher Christians,
but after that hard fall from his horse he
was a changed man and preached Christ
in Damascus till the city was shaken to
its foundation.
Inc mayor gives authority for his ar
rest, and the popular cry is: Kill him.!
hlll MN! Ihe city is surrounded by q
hlgh 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. 1t was customary to lower
baskets out OF these balconies and pull up
fruits and flowers from the gardens. To
this day visitors III the monastery of
Mount Sinai are Hired and let down in
baskets. Detectives prc5ylcd around from
house TO house looking for Pau. but his
friends hid him, low in oIss place, now
in another. IL is TO coward a. 80 Incl
dents IN his lie dn:aopstrlte. but ~ feels
his vov.: is not zone yrs and 80 IL GRADES
assassination. lis that preacher here?'
the foarIing mob shout 81 cne hoHsa door.
SIS that fanatic hercT the polio" shout
at Gu0thpr hpi-c door. Sometimes on the
street I:lcc-..;to be passes through 4 cloud
OF ciiEchci fists and sometimes he Sc
crctcS himself on the house top
PouI's Escape.
At last the irfuriato n,r.IIace get on
sure track Of him. The have positive
evidence that he is in the house of one
of the CHRISTMAS. the balcony OF whose
home reaches over the wall Here he isl
Here ne is" The vOciferat;On and BIAS
phcmv and bowling of the pnrsuers
are n the front door. They break in.
"Fotch out that gospelizer ard let us hang
his head on the city gate. Where is he?"
The emergency was terrible. Providen-
TALLY there was 4 good stout basket in
the house. PauI's friends fasten q rop
to the basket. Paul steps into it. The
basket is lifted to the edge of the bal
cOny 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 dow
and farther down, until the BASKET strikes
the earth and the apostle steps out and
afOot and alone starts on thar Famous
missionary tour the story OF when mas
astonished earth and heaven Appro-
pirate entry in PauPs diary OF travels:
Through a window In Z basket was L
let down by the wall.
L observe first on what a slender tenure
great results hang. The ropernaker VINO
twisted that cord fastened to that lower
ing basket never knew how much would
depend upon the strength OF IT. How IL
1T had been broken and the apostles life
had been dashed out! What would have
become of the Christian church! All
that magnificent missionary work in
Pamphylia, Cappadocia. Gaiatia, Mace
donna would never nave been accom-
pilsneu- All his Mr5'nss .ua. L'ahe W
so lhulspensaofe anu SUBSTITUTING Il par
or the New Iesrament "oua never nave
peen "ricten; Inc s'orS AetH1a
"ouiu never NV 80 - s"ao Wv. ~
as he tolu It. !na' eAonpIG ei LIZ
triumphant ehuurance d. I hiippl, ~ on 81
Meuiterraneuh Lufuc,suon' unu nae
ehatiOn' ana at MS peieune; q 900 =
nuNe hlnulTu Il uia 49, L.
tyrdoms. but tnat rope hoiuins chat oas-
ket, now much uependeu on 1t! % asaiH
ana again great results nave hunS oh
SENDER CIRCUMSTANCES
bra ever snip OIL many thousahu .ons
eEossihs tne sea nave suen an lmportan'
passenger Us nau ohce d Loaf o lea.es'
from tahrai 10 stern onl! Inlee 4 ioal
1eeI' the Nessel "aue Ma'erptoot ~