Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-08-31

brilliant page than that which tells OF
the transformation Of a nation by one
book. 1t did not seem Of much impor-
lance whether the sailor continued to
hold the book in his teeth or let 1t fall
In the breakers, but upon what small
circumstance depended what mighty
results!
Practical inference: There are no In.
significances in life. The minutest
thing is part Of a magnitude. Infnity
is made up Of infnitesimals; great
things an aggregation Of small things.
Bethlehem manger pulling on star In
the eastern sky. One book in drench-
ed sailors mouth the evangelization OF
q multitude. One boat Of papyrus on
tho Nile freighted with events for all
ages. The fate Of Christendom In q
basket let down from a window on the
wall. What you do. do well. If you
make a rope, make 1t strong and true,
for you know not how much may de-
pend on your workmanship. If you
fashion q boat, let 1t be waterproof, for
you know not who may sail In it. II
you put q Bible In the trunk Of your
boy as he goes from home, let 1t be re-
membered in your prayers. for 1t may
have a mission as farreachlng as the
book which the sailor carried in his
teeth to the Pitcairn beach. The plain
est mans life is an island between two
enthusiastically past ripping against
his shoulders, eternity to come touch
ing his brow. The casual, the acciden-
tai, that which merely happened so, are
parts Of a great plan, and the rope that
let's the fugitive apostle from the Da-
mascus wall Is the cable that holds to
its mooring the ship Of the church In
the storm of the centuries.
Again, notice unrecognizcd and unre-
corded service. Who spun that roper
Who tied II to the basket? Who stead
led the illustrious preacher as he step
ped into It? Who relaxed not muscle
Of the arm or dismissed an anxious
look from his face until the basket
touched the ground and discharged its
magnificent cargo? Not one OF their
names has come TO us, but there was
no work done that day in Damascus or
In all earth compared with the impor-
lance of their work. What If they had
In their agitation tied knot that could
slip? What II the sound Of the mob at
the door had led them to say, paul
80 l,t xril
take care of ourselves" No, no! They
held the rope and in doing so did more
for the Christian church than any thou
sand of US will ever accomplish. But
God knows and has made record OF
their undertaking. And they know.
Cause For Exultation.
How exultant they must have felt
when they read his letters to the Ro-
mans, to the Corinthians, to the Gala
tians, to the Ephesians, to the Philip
plans, to the Colossians, TO the Thessa-
lonians. and when they heard how be
walked out Of prison, with the earth
quake unlocking the door for him. and
took command of the AleXandrian corn
ship when the sailors were nearly
scared to death and preached sermon
that nearly shook Felix off his judg-
ment seat | hear the men and women
who helped him down through the
window and over the wall talking in
private over the matter and saying:
How glad am that we effected that
rescue! In coming times others may
get the glory Of Paurs work. but no
one shall rob us of the satisfaction of
knowing that we held the rope"
Once for SO hours we expected every
moment to go to the bottom of tie
ocean. The waves struck through the
skylights and rushed down into the
hold of the ship and Kissed against the
boilers. 1t was an awful time. but by
the blessing of God and the faithful
ness of the mP1 in charge we came out
Of the cyclone, and we arrived at home.
Each one before leaving the ship
thanked Captain Andrews. do not
think there was man or woman that
went off that ship without thanking
Captain Andrews, and when years aft
er l heard of his death was impelleG
to write a letter Of coincidence to his
family in Liverpool. Everybody recog-
nize& the goodness. the courage, the
Kindness. of Captain Andrews, but 1t
occurs TO me now that we never thank
ed the engineer. He stood away down
in the darkness amid the Kissing fur
naces, doing his whole duty. Nobody |
thanked the engineer, but God recog-
nized his heroism and his continuance |
and his fidelity, and there will be just
as high reward for the engineer, who |
worked out Of sight. as for the captain,
who stood on the bridge of the ship in
the midst of the bowling tempest.
There are said to be about 10000
ministers of religion In this country. |
About $4,000, warrant. came from
early homes which had to struggle for |
the necessarles of life. The sons Of rich |
bankers and merchants generally be-
rome bankers and merchants. The
most of those who become ministers
lre the sons Of those who had terrific
struggle to get their everyday bread.
The collegiate and theological educa-
ion Of that son took every luxury from /
The parental table for eight years. The
)ther children were more scantily ap-
Dareled. The son at college every little
while got a bundle from home. In it
we're the socks that mother had knit
sitting up late at night, her sight not
rs good as once it was. And there also
we're some delicacies from the sisters
hand for the yoracious appetite of
hungry student. The father swung the
heavy cradle through the wheat, the
sweat rolling from his chin believing
every step of the way, and then sitting
down under the cherry tree at noon,
thinking to himself, Il am fearfully
tired, but it will pay IL can once see
hat boy through college and If can
know that he will be preaching the gos-
mol after I nm dpad" The Younger