The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-09-11
corded service. Who spun that rope;
Who tied it to the basket? Who steadled

it9 Who relaxed not muscle of the arm
or dismissed an anxious look from ms
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 Importance of their work: What 1t
they had in their agitation tied knot
that could slip? What if the sound of
the mob at the door had led them to say,
paul must take care c. himself and we
will take care of ourselves! NO, no;
They held the rope and in doing so did
more for the Christian church than any
thousand of us will ever accomplish. But
God knows and has made record of their
undertaking. And they know.
How exultant they must have felt when
they read his letters to the Romans, to
the Corinthians, to the Galatians, to the
Ephesiaus, to the Philippians, to the Co
losaans, to the Thessalonians, and when
tbey heard how he walked out rf prison,
with the earthquake unlocking the door
for him, and took command of the Alex
andrian corn ship when the sailors were
nearly scared to death and preached q
sermon that nearly shook Felix off his
Judgment seat! hear the men and wom'
en- who helped him down through the win
over the matter and saying: Glow glad
am that we effected that rescue! In COM
ing times others may get. the glory OF
Paul's work, but no one shall rob US OF
the satisfaction of knowing that we held
the rope"
Once for thirty-six hours we expected
every moment to 60 to the bottom OF the
ocean. The waves struck through the
skylights and rushed down into the hold
of the ship and Kissed against the boilers.
It was an awful time, but by the blessing
of God and the faithfulness of the men in
charge we came out of the cyclone, and
we arrived at home. Each one before
leaving the ship thanked ID Captain An.
drews. do not think there was man
or woman that went off that ship without
years after heard of his death I was i'm
pelled to write letter of coincidence to
his family irf Liverpool. Everybody rec
ognized the goodness, the courage, the
kindness of Captain Andrews, but it oc-
ours to me now that we never thanked the
engineer. He stood away down in the
darkness amid the kissing furnaces, doing
his whole duty. Nobody thanked the en-
gineer. but God recognized 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 shi p in the midst Of the bowling tenn.
pest.
There are said to be about 10000 min.
listers of religion in this country. About
$4,000, I warrant, came from early homes
which had to struggle for the necessaries
of life. The sons of rich bankers and
merchants generally become bankers and
merchants. The most of those who be-
come ministers are the sons of those who
had terrific struggle to get their everyday
bread.
The years 90 by, and the son mas been
ordained and is preaching the glorious
gospel. and q great revival comes, and
souls BY scores and hundreds accept the
gospel from the lips of that young preach.
er, and father and mother, quite old now,
are visiting the son at the village parson.
age, and at the close of Sabbath OF
mighty blessing father and mother retire
to their room, the son lighting the way
and asking them if he can do anything tc
make them more comfortable, saying il
they want anything in the night just to
knock on the wall. And then, all alone,
father and mother talk over the gracious
influences of the day and say: "Well, it
was worth all we went through to edu.
cate that boy. 1t was hard pull, but we
held on till the work was done. The
world may not know it, but: mother, we
held the rope, didn't me-" And the
spends: eyes, father, we held the rope.
I feel my work is done. Now, Lord, let
test thou Thy servant depart in peace:
for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation"
"Pshaw!" says the father 81 never felt
so much like living in my life as now. I
want to see what that fellow is going on
to do, he has begun so WELL"
Come, let us 60 right up and accost
those on the circle Of heavenly thrones.
Surely they must have killed in battle
million men. Surely they must have been
buried with all the cathedrals sounding a
dirge and all the towers of all the cities
tolling the national grief Who art thou,
mighty one of heaven? 81 lived by choice
the unmarried daughter Of an humble
home that might take care of my par.
ents in their old age, and endured with.
out complaint all their querulousness and
administered to all their wants for twenty
years" Let US pass on round the circle
of thrones. Who art thou. mighty one OF
heaven? "I was for thirty-fve years a
while, occasionally writing note Of sym.
pathy for those worse off than I, and was
general confdant of all those who had
trouble, and once in awhile I was strong
enoug to make a garment for that poor
family in the back lane" Pass on to an.
other throne. Who art thou. mighty one
of heaven? "I was the mother who raised
whole family of children for God, and
they are out in the world Christian mer.
chants, Christian mechanics, Christian
wives, and I have had full reward for all
my toll" Let US pass on in the circle OF
thrones. "I had Sabbath-school class,
and they were always on my heart, and
they all entered the kingdom of God, and
I am waiting for their arrival" But who
art thou, mighty one of heaven, on this
ton I owned a house in Damascus. a
house on the wall. A man who preached
Christ was bounded from street to street.
and hid him from the assassins, and
when I found them breaking into my
house and I could no longer keep him safe
y, I advised him to flee for his dear life,
and basket was let down over the wall
with the maltreated man in it, and was
one who helped hold the rope" And I
said, 'Is that alp" And he answered,
"That is all" And while I was lost in
amazement I heard 4 strong voice that
sounded as though it might once have
been hoarse from many exposures and
triumphant as though it might have be-
longed tc one of the martyrs, and it said,
'Not many mighty, not many noble, are
called, but God hath chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty, and base things of the
world and things which are despised hath
God chosen; yea, and things which are
not to bring to naught things which are.
that no flesh should glory in His presence"
And looked to see from whence the
voice came, and. 10, it was the very one
who had said, Through window in o
basket was let down by the WALL"
Henceforth think of nothing as inslg.
nifcant. A little thing may decide your