Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-03-24
Letters From The People.

now proceed to write few short SER
mons on the text at the clsse of my last
article.
Lord what wilt thou have me to dop
Acts IN, 6.
This is the language of Saul Of Tar
sus. who was on his way to Damascus
with letters OF authority from the high
priest to apprehend all the christians OF
that city, both men and women, and
bring them bound to Jerusalem. AS
he came rear to Damascus he saw q
bright light in the heavens, which so
frightened him. that he fell to the,earth,
land he heard voice saying unto him.
Saul, Sanl. why persecutrst thon me?
And he said, who art thou. I.ordp And
the Lord said, am Jesus whom thou
persrcutest. Acts X. 4. S. Then IN
the language of the text Saul asked
"Lord what wilt thou have me to do?"
"Aud the Lord said unto him, arise
and 90 into the city and it shall be told
thee what thou must do"
MY first proposition is, when God
gives his command, He means that it
must be obeycd. I would especially call
attention to that little word must. l
shall endeavor to prove my proposition
by the word e Coo. leaving this spe
cial case of, Paul's Tor tho present, let.
us take a look at few off, Ssod's COM
mands to three different ndiyidltirfs
and see if He does not mean that His
commands must he obeyed, or the in
dividual must suffer the penalty
When God placed Adam in the garden
of Edon, III granted to him the right to
eat the fruit of every tree in tine garden.
BIT of the tree nf the knowledge OF good
and evil thou shalt not eat OF it, for in
the day that thou catcst thereof, thou
shalt surely die. This command Adam
disoheyed, and upon all Ibis race we know
to our sorrow that the penalty has fall
len. Wherefore as by one man sin
entereth into the world, and death by
sin, and so death passed upon all men.
for that all have sinned." Rom. Y. y.
Twice during the sojourn OF the chill
dren of Israel in tho wilderness, they
murmured against Moses, because there
was no water to drink. In the first in
stance 1.-THE Lord said unto Moses. go
on before the people and take with thee
of the elders of Israel, and the rol,
wherewith thou smotest the river, take
in thy hand and go. Behold I will stand
before thee there upon the rock in Ho-
reb, and thou shalt smite the rock, and
there shall come water out Of it,and the
people shall drink. And Moses did so
in the sight of the elders Of Israel, -
Elk. XVII, 5, 6.
The second time" the Lord spake unto
Moses SAYING, take the rod. and gather
those of the assembly together, thou
and Aaron thy brother, and speak We
unto the rock before their eyes and it
shall give forth water, and thon shalt
give the congregation and their beasts
drink. And Moses took the rod from
before the Lord as he commanded him.
And Moses and Aaron gathered the con-
gregation together before the rock, and
he said unto them, hear now. We rebels;
must we fetch you water out of the
rock? And Moses lifted up his hand
and with his rod he smote the rock
twice, and the water came out album
dainty and the congregation drank and
their beasts also. And tho Lord -spsske
unto Moses and Aaron, because ye be-
lieved me not. to sanctify me in the
eyes of the children of Israel, therefore
ye shall not bring this congregation into
the land which l have shown them. y
Mum. Xxx, 7-13
.sIn tie first instance Moses obeYed
God. The Lord told him to smite the
rock and he smote it. III the second he
disobeyed God. The Lord told him to
speak to the rock and he smote the rock
twice, and for this one act Of dlsobe-
dience he was not allowed to enter the
promised land.
Reader, pause and think Of the awful
consequences of one act of disobedience
and then ask yourself. am living in
neglect OF any known duty?' BE honest
with thystlf for soon you will have to
render strict account to God.
D.