Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1901-09-07

the sea. Ask their mission stations all
around the world. Ask their hundreds
OF thousands already assembled TO join
their founder. who would have per-
fshed but for the living stair OF peas
ants shoulders.
An English ship stopped at Pitcairn
island. and right IN the midst OF sur
rounding esnnibalism and squalor the
passengers discovered a Christian col
~ny OF churches and schools and beau
tiful homes and highest style of reli-
gion and civiliza ton. Fir SO years no
missionary and no Christian influence
had landed there. why this oasis OF
light amid a desert OF hcathendom?
Sixty years before ship had met dis
aster, and one OF the sailors. unable 20
save anything else. went TO his trunk
and took out a Bible which his mother
had placed there and swan ashore. the
Bible In his teeth. The book was read
on all sides until the rough and vicious
population were evangelical. and a
church was started and an enlighetened
commonwealth established. and the
worlds history has no more brilliant
page than that which tells of the trans
formation OF a nation by one book. II
did not seem Of much Importance
whether the sailor continued 10
hold the book IN his teeth or let IL fall
in the breakers. but upon what small
circumstances depended what mighty
resultsl
Practical inference: There arc no
insignifcances IN life. The minutest
thing is part OF magnitude. Infn-
ity is made up OF infnitesimals; great
things an aggregation OF small
things. bethlehem manger pulling on
a star in the eastern sky. One book
IN a drenehed sailors mouth the evan
COLLATION. OF multitude. One boat
OF qapyrus on the Nile freighted with
events for all ages. The fate Of
Christendom in n basket let down
from a window on the wall. What
you do, do well. II YOU make n rope.
make it strong and true. for YOU
know not how much may depend on
your workmanship. If You fashion q
boat, let IL be waterproof. for YOU
know not who may sail In IL. II YOU
put Bible In the trunk of your boy
as he goes from home. let 10 be re-
membered in your prayers. for IL may
have mission as farrcaching as the
book which the sailor carried in his
teeth TO the Pitcairn beach. The
plainest mans life is an island be-
tween two enthusiastically past
ripping against his shoulders. etcr
nifty 10 come touching his brow. The
casual, the accidental, that which
merely happened so. arc parts OF a
great plan. and the rope that lets the
fugitive apostle from the Damascus
wall is the cable that holds 10 its
mooring the ship Of the church in the
storm Of the centuries.
Again, notice unrecognized and nm
recorded service. Who spun that
rope? Who tried it 20 the basket?
Who steadied the iIIustrious preacher
as he stepped into 1t? Who relaxed
not a muscle Of the arm or dismissed
an anxious look from his face until
the basket touched the ground and
| discharged Its magnificent cargo2
| Not one of their names has come TO
rs. But there was no work done that
| day IN Damascus or in all the earth
compared with the Importance OF
their work What il they had Ia their
agitation tied a knot that could slip?
/ What II the sound of the mob at the
| door had led them 20 say: Paul
must take care OF himself and We
will take care Of ourselves" No, mol
| They held the rope, and ia doing SO
did more FOR the Christian church
than any thousand Of Us viii ever ac-
complxh. But God knows and has
made record Of thei: undertaking.
And they know.
How exultant they must have felt
when they read his letters 10 the
Romans, TO the Corinthians, to the
Galatians, 10 the Ephesians. TO the
Philippians. 20 tho Colossians. TO the
TheSs alonianS, and when they heard
how he walked cut of prison, with
the earthquake unlocking the door
for him. and took command of the
Alexandrian corn ship when the
sailors were nearly scared 10 death
and preached a sermon that nearly
shook Felix on his Judgment 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 rescued In
coming times others may get the
glory OF Faurs work. but no one shall
rob US of the satisfaction Of knowing
that we held the rope"
Something occurs 10 me quite per
sonal- l was the youngest of large
family of children. Ny parents were
neither rich nor poor. Four Of the
sons wanted 4 collegiate education
and four obtained il, but not without
great home struggle. We meter heard
the old people say once that tbey
were denying themselves TO e6ecf
this. but I remember now that my
parents always looked tired. l dom
| think they ever got rested until fhe,