Democratic messenger., 1908-04-25
CalnaQe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Taimaee. d. d.


ful Providence which preserves men
amid countless dangers on every side
and shows us that II Is Gods way o!
admOnishing US to better lives and
greater activity in his service. The
text IL Acts xvii. ~. And so II came
to pass that they escaped all safe to
land"
What an awful catastrophe II threat
ening the Alexandrlan corn ship on
which Paul. the great apostle. is being
carried a prisoner To Rome. You may
picture the hcaving. rocking pillows:
you may talk about shrieking Eurocly-
don; you may illustrate for me the poor
sailors and the frightened soldiers aud
the terrified passengers for many days
In the darkness OF the tornado and in
the blackneSs OF the night tossed about
upon these Mediterranean waters With
ont compass and without guide. But
after all. the most impressive part 0f
this chapter, which proves to me the
horror Of this cyclone. Is the latter part
of The twentieth verse. And when nei-
thcr sun nor stars In many days ap-
peare,l aud no small tempest lay on US
all hope that we should bc saved was
taken away" II il serious matter
for all on board when officers and
crew lose hope suppose that in such
circumstances the captain ceased to
give orders to his sailors. and the CEN
turion ceased TO give orders to his sol
dicrs, and the passengers and crew
alike said: What is the use? We are
going 10 drown anyway. II does not
matter what we do" When rough
band of soldiers and sailors fall into
what excesscs they may be guilty Of.
"And all hope was taken away"
Now. that sentence means even more
TO a military or naval man than II
does to civilian. In the army or
the navy so rigid is the discipline that
soldier or sailor is not supposed TO
stop and think. but To do simply as his
commanding officers bid him. He is
capable OF heroic conduct so long as
discipline Is maintained.
Perhaps you have read the story OF
the sinking OF the Japanese cruiser
Takasago or Port Arthur The ship
was under the command OF Captain
IshibaShi. or the 500 men In that
crew only 1873 were saved The cruiser
was steaming along doing patrol duty.
Suddenly the hull grated upon mine.
The mine exploded and made u hole
In the ships bottom about six feet In
diameter under the water line. The
crew tried to stop the inlowing OF the
water. II was impossible. The wind
was blowing gale. Ii was bitterly
cold The SNOW was falling heavily.
Captain lshibashi called the men 10
him and said: sailors. no man must
leave the ship until she sinks. We
will together share the fate OF the ves-
sell" So every sailor grimly stood at
his post. Then they raised rousing
banzni for their emperor and began TO
sing the national air OF Gallant Sail
or" And while scores and hundreds
OF those men were sinking into wa
terry grave the sailors stood silently at
their posts OF duty. martyrs TO the ma
val discipline OF Japan.
All Hope Gone.
But here on this Alexandrlan corn
ship all is confusion All hope is gone
Then II was In the darkest hours OF
their voyage that Paul stepped forward
and uttered words OF encouragement
Then II was that he said. And now
exhort you 10 be of good cheer. for
there shall be no loss OF any mans
life but of the ship" Then. as a full
cheering words OF the chapter. And SO
II came TO pass that they escaped all
safe 10 land" II was wonderful
escape from destruction that seemed
inevitable. wonder If they all felt
thankful to God when they stood safe
on dry land. Would they remember
their deliyerance and their obligations
TO him during their later lives or
would they live as carelessly and wick
edly rs before? How do men act gen
orally? Or, TO come closer, how have
we acted when God has interposed 10
save uS HUN Culdlllts vi uedlu ~
is strange fact that though we felt
grateful to God at the time OF the
rescue. yet We seem TO have forgotten
our obligation afterward. want TO
refresh your memories In reference TO
these past dangers ana renew your
gratitude to God for his loving and
tender care. How often have we, like
the passengers and crew who were
with St Paul in the Alexandrian corn
ship. escaped safe to land?
We have had. In the first place, mar
row physical escapes Oh. how many
there have been! The crew and the
passengers aud the soldiers OF the
Alexandrian corn ship struggling In
the surf were not In any greater phys
lcal danger than some OF us have been
at times. People have often said TO
me. 1T Is an outrage that so many
human lives are sacrificed every year
10y accidents" My answer Is always
this. The wonder OF wonders to me is
not that we have as many accidents
as we do. but that each year thou
sand times more men are not killed In