Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1889-08-31

10 Inls calamity by lie sudden swoop
Of tempest. For instance, q vessel
is sailing along in the East Indies,
and there is not single cloud on the
sky; but suddenly tile breeze fresh
ems. and there are swift feet on the
ratlines and the cry is: Way. haul
away thcrc!" but before they can
square the booms and tarpaulin the
llaLchways, the vessel is grooming and
';reaking iii the grip of tornado, and
calls over into the trough Of the sea,
and broadsidc it rolls on To the beach
and kcels over, leaving the crow TO
struggle III the mcrciless surf. Cast
away! Castaway! Andso have to tell
you that there are thousands of men
destroyed through the sudden. swoop
of temptations. Some. great induce
ment,to worldliness, orto sensuality,
OF. to high temper, or to somes form OF
dissipation, comes uponthem.. II they
!. had tine to examine their .Bible,sif
<thcyhad time to consult with their
friends, if they had time to deliberate,
they could stand it; butEthe.;tenipta-
stiom came: SO suddeply-an euroelydon
on the Mediterranean, wEiGwinds OF
sthe Caribbean. Oae awfuiastirges of
temptation andsgthey perish. And sc
we often hear the ollsstor y
seen my friend in great: SleaT ss;
esWcre very lad ssto meet. sHeEstitl
Unjust drink and he took me by the
arm and pressed ME along, and filled
tile cup until sthesbubblesr an over the
edge, and in an cvi moment all my
good resolutions were swept away,
and to the outrlging Of God and my
own soul, fell" Or the story is; Il
had hard work to support my [anlly.
thought that by one false entry, by
one deception, by one embezzlcment,
might spring ont free from all my
trouble; and the temptation came
upon me SO lcrccly could not de-
libcrate did wrong and having
done wrong once. | could not stop.
q, it is the first step that costs; the
second is easier; and the third; and
ON to the last Once having broken
loose from the anchor, it /, not SO easy
10 tic the parted strands How often ii
is that men arc ruined for the reason
that the temptation comes from some
unexpected quarter. AS vessels lie III
Margate Roads. safe from southwest
winds; but the wind changing to the
northeast. they are driven helpless and
go down. . that God would have
mercy upon those upon whom there
comes the sudden swoopof temptation,
lest they perish, becoming c;lstaways!
castawaysl
TIE SIN OF RGcKLEssNEss.
BY talking with sea captains, | have
found out also that some vessels come
to this calamity through sheer reck-
lessncss. There are three million men
who follow the sen fora living. 1t is
4 simple fact that the average of hui
man life on the sen is less than twelve
years. This comes from the fact that
men by familiarity with danger some
times become rcckless-thc captain,
the helnslnan. the stol;er, the MAJ. on
the lookout become reckless. and in
nine out OF ten sllipwrecks, it is
found out that some one was awrully
tosblanle. So have to tell you that
men are morally shipwrccked through
sheer rccklessness There are thou.
sands who do not care where they are
III spiritual things. They do not know
winch way they are sailing. and the
sen is black with piratical hulks that
would graphic them with hooks. Of
steel end blindfold them, and make
tllcn, walk the plank They do moi
know what the next moment may
bring forth Drifting in their theo-
Iogy. Drifting in their habits.
Dfliting in regard to all their future.
no Cod, no Christ, no settled antlcl-
pations of eternal felicity; but all the
ilMc coming nearer and nearer 10 4
dangerous coast Some Of them are on
lire with evil habit, aud they shall
burn Oil the sea, the clarlcd hulk toss
cti up on the barren beach. Many of
them with great troubles. financial
troubles, domestic troubles, social
troubles; bat they never pray for conl-
fort. With an aggrlvatiol OF sin
they pray for no pardon. They dc
not steer Tor the liglitslip that dances
la glldncss 1T the mouth of hcav-
Gil Iarbor; reckless as to where they
COME out, drifting further from God,
further from cariy religious lnlluen-
ccs, further rom happiness; and what
is the WORST thing about 1t is, they
arc taking their families along with
them, and tic way olic goes, the prob
ability Is they willall 80. Yet no anx
icty. rs unconscious OF danger as
the passengers aboard the Arctic one
moment before tic Ncst;l crashed into
her Wrapped up III the business of
the store, not remembering that SOON
they must quit all their earthly pos
SESSIONS. .lusorbed III their social pc
sitlon, not knowing that very soon
they will have attended the last lcvce.
ana wnirlcd i'll the last schottisclle.
They do not deliberately choose to be
ruined, Neither did the French fri
gate Aledrsa aim for the Arguin
banks, but there il went to pieces.
wish / could wake you up Tile perils
arc SO augmented, you Will die just us
certainly ;ls you sit there unless you
bcstir yourself. Arc you willing to
DCCOllic IL ClStdNuy L Ou III "" VIZ ''S
oar. You take no surroundings. You
watch no compass. You are not cal
culating your bearings while the wind
is abufl, and yondGr is a long line OF
foam bounding the horizon, and you
will be pushed on toward it. and thou
sands lave persisted there, and you
arc driving in the same direction.
Ready about Down ielml Hard
dowl AIall the life boat! Pull, my
lads, pull He that being often re-
proved llardcnctll his neck, shall be
suddenly destroyed and that without
remedy" But some of you are say.
ing within yourselves: What shall |
do?" Do! DoI Why, my blothcr,
do what any ship does when 1t IS IN
trouble. Lift distress signal. On
the sea there is i, flash and q loom.
s-ou listen and you look. A vessel is
Il