Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1892-02-06
SILENCE IN HEAVEN.
1T LASTED BUT THE SPACE OF
THIRTY MINUTES.

IT LASTED BUT THE SPACE OF
THIRTY MINUTES.
Dr. Tnlmago breaches from the Bcauti-
full Text In Revelation That Tells of
the Only Intermission Ever Known In
purndise-The Sermon In Full.
BROOKLYN, Jan. 31.-Dr. Talmage
has of late been preaching on texts
of Scripture that seem to have been
neglected, and here is q sermon on a
beautiful text which probably was
never before selected for a discourse.
Revelation viii, 1. There was silence
in heaven about the space OF half an
hour.
The busiest place in the universe is
heaven. 1t is the center from which
all good Influences start; tits the goal
at which all good results arrive. The
Bible represents it,sas active with
wheels and wings and orchestras and
professions mounted or cha1ioted.
But my text describes space when
the wheels ceased to roll, and the
t11lmpets to sound. and the voices to
chant. The riders on the white
horses refined in their chargers. The
doxologies were huEhed and the pro
cossions halted. The hand of arrest
was put upon all the splendors.
Stop, heaven" cried an omnipotent
voice, and it stopped. For thirty
minutes everything celestial stood
still. There was silence in heaven
for half an hour.
HEAVENS ONLY INTERMIssIoN.
From all we can learn it is the only
time heaven ever stopped. 1t does
not stop as other cities, for the night,
for there is no night there. 1t does
not stop for a plague. for the inhab-
liant never says, Il am sick. ;" 1t does
not stop for bankruptcies for its in
habitants never fail 1t does not stop
for impossible streets, for there are
no fallen SHOWS nor sweeping fresh.
cts. What, then, stopped it for thirty
minutes2 Gl'otius and Professor Stu
art think that it was at the time of
the destruction of Jerusalem. Mr..
Lord thinks it was in the year 3ll,
between the close of the Diocletian
persecution and the beginning of the
wars by which Constantine gained
the throne. But that was all Il guess.
though learned and brilliant guess.
do not know when it was and do
not care when it was. but of the fact
that such an intelregnum of sound
took place | am certain. There was
silence in heaven for half an hour.
And, first of ALL we may learn that
God and all heaven honored silence.
The longest and widest dominion that
ever existed is that over which still
ness was queen. For an eternity there
had not been sound. World making
was later day occupation. For I'M
imaginable ages it was a mute uni
verse. God was the only being. and
as there was no one to speak to there
was no 1ltterance. But that silence
has been all broken up into worlds.
and it has become a noisy universe.
Worlds in upheavel. worlds in con-
gelation, worlds in confasration.
worlds in revolution.
If biologists are right land ! be-
lieve they are) there has not been
moment of silence since this world
began its travels. and the crashings.
and the splittings, and the uproar,
and the hubbub are ever in progress.
But when among the supernals a
voice cried. 'H1lsh!" and for half an
hour heaven was still. silence was
honored. The full power of silence
many of us have yet to learn. We
are told that when CHRIST was ar
raigned He answered not a word. y
That silence was louder than any
thunder that ever shook the world.
Outlines. when we are assailed
and misrepresented, the mightiest
thing to say is to say nothing, and
the mightiest thing to do is to do
nothing. Those people who are al
ways rushing into print to get them
selves set right accomplish nothing
but their own chag1,in. Sllencel Do
right and leave the results with God.
Among the grandest lessons the
world has ever learned are the les
SONS of patience taught by those who
, endured uncomplainingly personal
or domestic or social OF political in
justice. Stronger than any bitter or
sarcastic or revengeful answer was
the patient silence.
The famous DR.. Morrison, of Chel-
sea, accomplished as much by his
silent patience as by his pen and
tongue. He had asthma that for
twenty-five years brought him out of
his couch at two O'clock each morning.
His four sons and daughters dead.
The remaining child by sunstroke
made insane. The afflicted man
said, AT this moment there is not
an inch of my body that is not filled
with agony" Yet he was cheerful
triumphant, silent. Those who were
in his presence said they felt as
though they were in the gates OF
heaven.
Oh, the power of patient silence!
Eschylus, the immortal poet, was
condemned to death for writing
something that offended the people.
All the pleas in his behalf were OF
no avail until his brother uncovered
the arm of the prisoner and showed
that shis hand had been shot off at
Salamis. That silent plea liberated
him. The loudest thing on earth is
silence if it be of the right kind and
n int