Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-08-25
DIR. TALMAGE.
TIRE RROOKMYN DIVINE'SS SUNDAY
SERMON
Subject: .srroublc on Both Sides"

TEXT: "Thcre ,cdS a sharp rock on the
one side, and sharp rock on the other
Side."-l Samuel, xiv, i.
The cruel army of the Phiistines must be
taken and scattered There is Just one man,
accompanied by his bodyguard, to do that
thing. Jonathan is the hero of the scene
know that David cracked the skull OF the
giant with few pebbles well Sung, and that
three hundred Gideonites scattered ten thou
sand AmalekiieS by the crash of broken crock
cry; but here is q more wonderful conflict
Wonder are the Philistincs on the rocks.
Here is Jonathan with his bodyguard i'll the
valley On the ono side is n rock callod
BoZeZ; on the other side is q rock called
Seneh. These two were rs famous III olden
times as in modern times are plymouth ROCK
and Gibralter. They were pceciptous, un-
scaleable, and sharp. Between these NV, 1wo
rocks Jonathan must make his ascent Inc
day comes for the scaling of the hclGnt.
Jonathan, on his hands AMI feet, begins tho
ascent With strain, and slip, and Oruise,
| suppose but still on and up. first goes
Jonathan, and then goes his bcdvSuard.
Bozez OH one side, Seneh on the other. After
q sharp tug, and push. aud clinging, see the
head of Jonathan above the hole in the
mountain: and there is challenge, and 4
fight, and supernatural CONSERVATION.
These two men, Jonathan and his body
guard, drive baci, and drive down the PhiiS-
tines over the rocks. and open CAM
1nign which demo'isheS the enemies
of Israel suppose that the over
hanging and overShadowing rocks on either
side did not balk or dissearten Jonathan or
his bodyguard, but only reused and illled
them with enthusiasm as they went up.
There was a sharp rock on the ono side and
sharp rock on the other side"
My friends, you have been, or are now,
somo of You, in this crisis of the text IT a
lnan meets one trouble, he can go through
with it. He gathers all his energies, con.
centrateS them upon one point, and III the
strength OF God, or by his own natural
determination. goes through it. But the
man WHO has trouble to the right of him. and
trouble TO the left of him is to be pitied.
Did either trouble como alone, h. might
endure it, but two troubles, two disasters,
two overshadowlnS mlSGortuneS, are Boaez
and Scneh. God pity him! There is q
sharp rock on the one side aud 4 sharp rock
on the other side
III this crisis OF the text is that man whose
fortune and health fail him ut the same time.
Nine-tentns o! ali our merchants capsize i'll
business before they come 10 forty-tive years
of age. Tncre is some collision III CONNER
cal circles, and they stop payment. ItSeems
rs if every man must PUT his name on the
back OF q note before he learns what 4 fool y
man is WHO RISKS all his own property on the
prospect that ,le man VIII tell the truth 1t
se.ms&s il man must have large amount
If unsuitable goods on his own shelf bcforo
he learns how much easier 1t Is to buy thlu
TO sell. 1t seems rs il every man must be
completely barned out before he learns tine
Importance of always keeping fully Insured.
IL seems rs il every man must be wrecked i'll
Il financial tempest before he learns TO keep
things siiuc III cas-, of Il sudden curoclydon.
When the caiIin;ty does come it is awful.
The IL IN So>-s ONE III despair and he tells
his family: Wet have 70 so TO the pJor-
house, .:le takes doorouS view OF every
thing. It seems as if he naver could r:se.
Eut 4 little tIiie passes, and he says: why,
lam not 50 baL.y OF after ali; have my
family l,ft.'
Before the Lord turued Adam out of Para
disc he gave hi!u Eve, 50 that When he lost
Paradise he coId sand it, Permit one who
has never r-ad but Il few novels in his life,
and who has not Il great deal of romance i'll
his compos ton. TO say. TINT if, when man 5
Christian wife-ic ought not to be desponi-
cnt. oh you say, THAT only increases the
embarrassment since you have her also to
take care Of" You are an migrate, for the
woman as often supports the man us the man
supports the woman. The man may bring
all the dollars, but the woman generally
brings the courage and the faith il, Sod
Well, this man OF whom l am speaking
looks around. and he finds his fam ly is lct;:
and he rallies, and the light comes to his
eyes, and the smile TO his face. and the
courage TO his heart In two. years lie is
quite over it. He makes his financial
calamity the first chapter in new era OF
prosperity. He met that one trouble-con-
Quered it. He sat down for a little while
under the grim shadow of the rock Bozez;;
yet he soon rose, and began, like Jonathan,
to climb. But how often is it that physical
ailment comes with financial embarrassment.
When the fortune failed it broke the mans
Il cl,o
was stunned. l can show you hundreds of
men in New York whose fortune and health
failed at the same time. They came pre-
maturely to the staff. Their hand trembled
with incpient paralysis. They never saw a
well day since the hour when they called
their creditors together for n compromise.
If such men are impatient, anl
peculiar, and irritable, excuse them.
They had two troubles; either one Of which
they could have met successfully. If, when
the health went, the fortune had been re-
tanned, it would not have been so bad. The
man could have bought the very best medical
advice, and he could have had the very best
attendance, and long lines of carriages would
have stopped at the front door to inquire as
to his welfare But poverty on the one side,
and sickness on the other. are Bozez and
Seneh, and they interlock their shadows and
drop them upon tue poor mans way. God
help him! "There is sharp rock on the ona
side, and sharp rock on the other side:
Now, what is such man to do: In the
name of Almighty God, will tell him what
to do poas Jonathan did-climb: Climb up
into the sunlight Of Gods favor and consola..
ton I can 60 through the churches, and
show YOU men who lost fortune and health
at the same time, and yet who sing all day
and dream of heaven all night. If you have
any idea that sound DIGESTION and steady
nerves, and clear eyesight, and good hear
nd ,,1ant,- "a friends A
make a man happy, you have miscalculated.
l suppose that these overhanging rocks only
made Jonathan scramble harder and the
faster to get up and out into the sunlight;
and this combined shadow OF nvalidisiIl and
financial embarrassment has often sent man
up the quicker into the sunlight OF Gods
favor and the MONDAY Of HIS glorious
promises. 1t is a difficult thing for man to
feel his dependence upon God when he has
ten thousand dollars in the bank, and fifty
thousand dollars in Government securities.
and block ofstores and three ships. '.Well,"
the man says to himself, 1T IS silly for me me
to pray: Give Inc this day my. daily
bread when my pantry is full, and
the canals from the West are
crowded with breadstuirs destined for my
storehouses Oh, my friends, if the COM
bincd misfortunes and disasters Of life have
made you climb up into the arms OF sym
pathetic and compassionate God, through all
eternity you will bless Him that in this
world 18th ere was sharp rock on the one
side, and sharp rock OIL the other side"
Again, that man is in the crisis OF the text
who has home troubles and outside persecu-
ton at the same time. The world treats
man we'll just as long as it pays best to treat
him we'll As long as it can manufacture
success out OF his bone and brain, and
muscle, it favors him. The world fattens
the horse it wants to drive. But let man
see it his duty to cross the track of the
world, then every bush is full Of horns and
tusks thrust at him. They will beltte him;
they will caricature him; they will call his
generosity selt-a ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. and his pieuy
sanctimoniousneSs. The very worst persecu-
ton will some time come upon HIM from
those who profess to he Christians.
John Milton-great and good John Milton
so forgot himself rs to pray, i'll 50 many
nut mil, ht l,a ll1r