Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-12-30
Calnnage
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaae, D. d.

isoS ahSthtH' Val, t'c'. -t'-th tuc
prospect and retrospect afforded by
our ascent of the Plsgah heights of hu-
man life and experience the preacher
finds topic appropriate to the closing
old year and full OF encouragement for
the new. The text Is deuteronomy
xxxiv. /. ''To the top of Pisgah."
I would that Victor IIugo's works
were by my side. could find In one OF
his books--I think the one entitled
NINETY -three"--a marvellous; descrip-
ton of n storm In mldocean. The great
ship. which. believe. was a man-of-
war. was being tumblcd about In the
heavy pillows. The hurricane was
shrieking In a pandemonium Of wrath.
Only those who have been tossed
about by a cyclone far out of sight OF
land know what the horrors of such Il
storm must have been. Suddenly the
dangers of the tempest We're multipo-
tently increased by another danger
nearer ut hand. The ship was rolling
this way and that. The huge cannon
were straining n the chains that held
them IN place Suddenly one of these
cannon broke loose. and with frigltful
velocity II started on It's juggernaut-
like mission of destruction. While the
PROV of the ship would lift itself and
then point its nose down Into the val
ieys OF the waters. like tenpin bali.
the vagabond cannon would rush along
the length Of the deck and crash into
the masts until the terrified sailors al
most heard the keel snap under their
feet. Then when the ship would lurch
70 iecward and the gunwales would he
submerged undcr the rushing waters
the huge iron monster would stop Just
n minute. The next instant II would
make a dash In that direction until.
like battcrlng ram, II seemed as
though 1t would splinter the side Of the
hull into klndllngs. Horror upon nor
ror followed In it's track. II manglcd
the brave senmen who were trying to
lasso Il rs cowboy upon western
prairie would throw the lariat about
the horns of wild steer. Now II sent
the sailors fleeing for their lives like n
covey Of partridges scurrying TO the
woods after the pointer has made them
fly up from the underbrush. Again 1t
wrenched the iron bar out Of the hands
OF the man who was trying to clog the
gun carriage wheels and hurled him
clear across the deck and far out into
the abysmal depths 10 find n watery
grave.
The dangers Of the battlefield were
chlld's play compared 10 the dangers
which threatened that ship. And yet
as read that account many years ago
l said TO myself: "Those sailors were
having an awful struggle. but very
similar are the multitudlnous dangers
and difficulties that assail most of us
during the voyage Of life. The storms
are not April showers. but December
tornadocs. The dangers that threaten
to dcmolish us not only come from
without. but assail us from within the
ship. II IL hurricane after hurricane,
bombardmcnt after bombariment. bat
thing wave after battling wave. rolling
juggcrnaut followed by rolling jugger-
naut."
But though the dangers and storms
OF life seem to be so many and black
while we are passing through them.
yet In almost every life there comes II
time when. like Moses. we can stand
upon Pisgah's heights. where we can
truly see that all these troubles and
misfortunes have been working togeth-
er for our good. As Moses was allow
ed to climb to the top Of Mount Nebo
and look or upon the promised land
and see the results of his life work. 80
God let's US climb to the mountain tops
Of inspiration and look of upon the re-
suits OF our life work. Then we can
see into the dim future and know that
the germ seeds we have planted shall
yield their harvests thirty. sixty and
q hundred fold. And then we can look
back into the past rs we'll as into the
future and see how God has been lead
ing US all the way. Let us first start
with n retrospect.
The Mountain Heights.
The traveller climbing up the noun
tain height naturally looks behind as
well as ahead. He looks toward the
land across which he has travelled as
well as toward the region 10 which he
intends 10 go. He looks back toward
his wilderness as well AZ ahead toward
his promised Utopia. We wonder not
that when Marcus whitman. after
weeks and months OF travelling. finally
stood upon the tops OF the Rocky
mountains and saw the present states
OF Oregon and Washington stretching
away toward the west his blood tin
gled and that his eyes grew moist
with tears. We wonder not that when
on the famous Fourth Of July. 1895. he
spread his blanket upon the tops OF
these mountains he and his little COM
pany knelt and dedicated that new
country TO their God and prayed that II
might he blessing 10 their native gov
crnment. But after the great mission
Cry had Toasted his eyes upon Mount
IIaa.l and Nnvue IaNrarsnn anA hs