Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1894-11-17

FfaS z s9tfqps- 1922
First Of all, there is the new converts
Joy. 1t is no tame thing to become a
Christian. The most tremendous mo-
ment in a mans life is when he sur
renders himself to God. The grandest
time on the fathers homestead is when
the boy comes back. Among tho great
throng who, in the parlors of my church,
professed Christ one night was q young
man, who next morning rang my door
bell and said: "Sir, l cannot contain
myself with the JOY feel. 1 came here
this morning to express it. have found
more JOY in five minutes in serving God
than in all the years of my prodigality,
and camo to say so. 2"
You have seen perhaps man run
ming for his physical liberty and the
officers of the law after him, and you
saw him escape, or afterward you heard
the judge had pardoned him and how
great was the glee Of that rescued man
But it is a very tame thing that COM
pared with the running for ones ever
lasting life-the terrors Of the law after
him and Christ coming in to pardon
and bless and rescue and save. You re-
member John Bunyan, in his great sto-
ry, tells how the pilgrim put his fin
gers in his ears and ran, crying, Life,
life, eternal lifeW A poor car driver,
after having had to struggle to support
his family for years, suddenly was In
formed that large inheritance was his,
and there was joy amounting to bewll-
derment but that is small thing CON-
pared with the experience of one when
he has put i'll his hands the title deed to
the joys, the raptures, the splendors of
heaven, and he can truly say, Its man.
sions are mine; its temples are mine;
its songs are mine; its God is mine"
Joy of the Christian.
Oh, it is no tame thing to become a
Christian. 1t is merrymaking. 1t is
the killing of the fatted calf. 1t is ju-
bilee You know the Bible never COM
pares it to funeral, but always COM
pares it to something bright. 1t is more
apt to be compared to banquet than
anything else. 1t is compared in the BIZ
BILE to the water-bright, flashing wa
ter-to the morning, roseate, fire work
ed, mountain TRANSPORTED morning. l
wish l could today take all the Bible
expressions about pardon and peace
and life and comfort and hope and
heaven, and twist them into one gar
land, and put it on the brow of the
humblest child Of God in oil this land,
and cry: "Wear it, wear it now, wear
it forever, son of God. daughter of the
Lord God Almighty. Oh. the JOY of the
new convertl Oh, the gladness Of the
Christian servicep'
You have seen sometimes man in a
religious assembly get up and give his
experience Well, Paul gave his expert
ence He rose in the presence of two
ohurohes-the church on earth and the
church in heaven-and he said, Now,
this is my experience, sorrowful, yet
always rejoicing; poor, yet making
many rich; having nothing, yet pos
sessing all things. If all the people
who read this sermon knew the joys OF
the Christian religion, they would all
pass over into the kingdom Of God the
next moment. When Daniel Sandman
was dying Of cholera his attendant
said, Have you much pain?" "Oh, "
he replied, "since found the Lord l
have never had any pain except sin. "
Then they said to him. Would you
like to send message to your friends?"
Eyes, would. Tell them that only
last night the love of Jesus came rush
ing into my soul like the surges of the
sea, and 1 had to cry out: Stop, Lord;
it is enough Stop, Lord-enough!' -
Oh, the joys Of this Christian religionl
Vanity of Sinful Pleasures.