The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-10-02
GLORIES OF THE SEA
Passing Ships the Subject OF
Rev. DR.. Talmage's Sermon.
Liiens the Messengers of Commerce
20 the Human Ncssel-Thc Sig
nal of Distress-Duty of the
Christian.

iiedtuci at TINS season, Whcn lnc null
ttudes are leaving the heated cities for
seashoro and lake. The text IS Psalm
civ, 2G. There go the ships"
l always feel sorry for one who has
not been lullabied to sleep by the low
moaning song Of the sea. Fenimore
Cooper loved 10 write about the noun
tains and woods and streams and wa
terfalls and rivers, TO whose deer licks
the fawns and the does came down to
drink. But there is a beauty, too, in
the sand dunes and the seabeach and
the broad expanse Of the mighty deep
which we can love also.
Fascinating is the seashore on ac-
count of fits endless variety. The
oceans beauty is never twice the same.
Sometimes its colors are a white foam
or a light green or a dark emerald or
blue or black. Sometimes It's surface
IS covered with broad highways Of
gold, when the light Of the rising sun
gilds it, or with that other highway Of
silver when, in the midnight hour, the
flush Of the moon is reflected upon 1t.
Sometimes the sea will do nothing but
smile. Like a golden haired baby, its
cheeks are dlmpled and wrinkled, as
though it is trying hard to keep back
a hearty laugh. 1t will look as harm
less as some innocent lake cuddled up
in the huge lap Of a crooked backed
mountain. Then the sea gulls, as
white doves Of peace, will hover over
it. Then the fsherman's boat will be-
come the cradle in which the tired
merchant will have the many cares OF
the store gently rocked out Of his over
burdened mind, as he anxiously
watches the line which catches the
golden prize Of health as we'll as the
finny treasures.
But. after all, one Of the most absorb
ing diversions of the summer tourists
living 10y the seashore is to watch the
passing of the ships. For over a quar-
ter Of a century my privilege was to
spend every summer by the Atlantic
coast. My fathers country home was
near the end of Long Island at a small
town called East Hampton. There,
upon the sand dunes, l used TO lie hour
after hour, watching the great steam
ers and the sailing craft heading TO-
ward New York Narrows or starting
upon their long trips to the distant har-
bors OF the world. l used TO watch
them Just as the psalmist did when he
cried out in the words Of my text
"There 20 the ships" How like those
voyages are, with their unknown incl
dents their calms and their storms,
their successes and. alas, their wrecks
10 human livesl Who can tell as he
looks at an infant calmly sleeping IN
its cradle whether the voyage Of its lie
will be like the ship skillfully steered
safe into harbor or like the ship care
lessly navigated that strikes the sunken
rock or by collision with another ship
is shattered and sunk into the depths
Of the sea? Let us see this morning
what those points Of resemblance are
what kind Of a ship each human beng
ought TO be, what kind Of a cargo he
Is carrying and toward what kind OF
port he should be heading. The ships!
The shipsl There 90 the ships! There
30 the ships!
Every human vessel should be dis
tinguished by some flag. Going down
10 New York harbor and examining the
shining. YOU will find the name Of
each vessel clearly marked upon the
stern. You will also find the name OF
the city in which that vessel Is regis
tered Such names as these can be
read. John Milton Of Glasgow, the
Aurania of Liverpool, the Paris Of New
York. And If upon the high seas two
sbins approach each other, one captain
will put the trumpet to his lips and
call: "Ship ahOy. Ship ahoy! what
shin is thatf" Then the other captain
viii call back: "The Kensington OF
Antwerp. bound for New York! what
shin Is thatY The meaning OF all
this? Simply that when a ship is reg
istered in a certain country that gov
ernment pledges itself to protect that
shin. A British ship is under British
protection; a French ship is under
French protection; a German ship Is
under German protection; an American
shin is under American protection.
Therefore. if a nation dares to molest
anv foreign ship upon the high seas,
that nation must answer for the Insult
10 the flag which is flying above the
stern of the outraged vessel.
Now. my brother, as a human vessel
to what oyerruling power have you
rendered your allegiance? To what
power do you look for protecuoni
"Oh." you answer, Il claim the pro
tection of the English or the American
flag. I am a native Of London or OF
New York" All, my friend, that Is
NOT enough. As a human vessel, you
arc going TO meet dangers from which
no earthly government can protect you.
Your VOYAGE of life not only goes over
the sea Of time. but also OF eternity.
EVERYWHERE are the satanic pirates
Of temptation ready to run up their
black flags. Have you been registered
I'm the Lambs Book Of Life? Have
YOU today the protection Of that Christ
who once trod upon the rolling billows
Of Lake Galilee and saved the sinking
boat of the disciples. when he said to
the angry winds. Peace be stillf
Each human vessel always carries a
very valuable cargo. Have you stopped
10 consider why q great Cunard OF
White Star transatlantic steamer
spends as much time by her dock as II
travelling the high seasf 'Tis true some
Of that time must be given to clean
ing up the ship, but most Of 1t is spent
i'm loading and unloading the cargoes
The massive walls Of a building resl