Norwich bulletin., 1922-09-16
SUNDAY MORNING TALK
A sToRY oF sHIPWRECK.

And so it came to pass that they | escaped all safe to land" Acts 27: A.
 This is perfect story of shipwreck. | No sailor of the present time writing of 1 his voyage across the ocean could give 1 a better description of his experiences, or use more correctly the nautical terms. l This is one thing which compels men to | believe in the integrity of the scriptures. 1 It has given US the truth concerning sci 1 ence, 1t has given us the highest system 1 of morals, and the worlds civilization has been brought to pass just by coming up to the realization of Gods eternal purposes and plans, and now here in the common everyday experiences of a sailor we have the story of life's voyage and a shipwreck
 If one should try today to make book which would appeal to all both to the wise and the ignorant. he would find that he had before him 9 difficult task, but since God is the author of the Book, and is the maker of us all. it is perfectly easy. Life is indeed q voyage. The poet has 1 said so. we have all of us realized it. We l have a star set before us to guide us in | the way. and that star is Christ. We
 have a compass placed within our grasp
 so that we may not go astray from Him, and that compass is the Bible. We have | a harbor set before us into which one l day we shall enter, and that harbor is heaven.
 Every one who studies Gods Word and
 human nature sees constantly about him
 the evidence of coming shipwreck. Some
 men are selling their souls for money, | they are willing to deny themselves any comfort or pleasure and to make any sacrifice if oJsiy they may reach the goal, and such a Voyage as this rightly calls forth Paul's warning, This voyage will
 be with hurt and much damage
 Some men are giving themselves up to a life of deceit. They are protesting to
 be what they are not. Their constant aim
 is to live up to a position which they try
 to make those about them think is true All such should read the words of warn ing, "Be not deceived, God is not mocked,
 whatsoever man soweth that shall he
 also reap" Any man sowing the sin of
 deceit will ceap an awful harvest
 There are two voices which should be
 heard today. The first: Stating that life
 Is exceeding serious It is not a yachting
 excursion. a sail on the Delaware, or a trip on the Hudson it is an open sea
 with fogs constantly recurring and storms
 ever and again breaking and reefs ahead , and shipwreck possible. It is because this is true that God warns in His Word There is another voice which declares
 that 1t is unnecessary to be so disturbed for men must SOW their wild oats anc . after while they will recover from theil . weakness. Let it never be forgotten : however, that no man ever yet has sowet wild oats without reading a harvest tn, : harvesting day is sure to come. It is no |, best for men, says the second voice. t,
 be considering too much. Let them hay : life of freedom and after while whel 2 they see the folly of their ways, the, : will turn and be saved. No man ever ye has yielded to sin in the least expects il
 he will come face to face with it.
 The other voice answers: There is tim . enough when all of Gods warnings ar . for today and all His promises for tn | present time. If we continue to refus ' the time will come when we will b 5 obliged to say. "The harvest is past, tn
 summer is ended and we are not saved. 2 This story of shipwreck is true to Tiff i. As the apostle Paul said when they wer ' setting sail for Rome, And said unt l. them, Sirs. I perceive this voyage will | :. with hurt and much damage, not only l. the lading and ship but also of ou Is lives" Acts 27: 10 It seemed as " PauPs warning had been idle and h h concern useless, for the south wind can IS upon the passengers, and they laughed n this earnest preacher. The same thing 70 | u 0O tOQdys WHO SeSl1uSly care not 1( le warnings or for the Christ; the sout st wind guides and blinds them. But n, e. long after there arose against it a ten le pestuous wind called Euroelydon." 1t not this true of life? In the 3Sth yer. 50 we read, And when they had cate
 enough, they frightened the ship, and ca ,d out the wheat into the sea" which lea, id us to see there is no sacrifice too gre ,n for us to make to be a Christian
 y- Let go the questionable things al to forsake that which is evil. Yield yourse I to God and one day you will come to u e, place where the 45th verse will be trl a to you, for the blessing of the two SC; ry Of earth and heaven will be yours. on of yield yourself to God and give Him Il sy right to lead you and then though u i'd storm may come you will be yictoriou 1t and though the night may be dark abo T. You. you will have songs Tn the night.