Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1894-04-07
CERTAIN spEcTAcLEs.

I'LL W Icy pL dIlti VI Will uILu tuIOu5u
Russia and crossed the continent on the
bleeding heart of which he set his iron
heel, and across the quivering flesh of
which he went grinding the wheels of his
gun carriages-in his dying moment ask
ing his attendants to put on his military
boots for him.
Spectacle the Second--Voltaire, bright
and learned and witty and eloquent, with
tongue and voice and strategem internal,
warning against God and poisoning whole
kingdoms with his infdelity, yet ap-
plauded by the clapping hands of thrones
and empires and continents-his last
words, in delirium supposing Christ
standing by the bedside-his last words,
"Crush that wretch!"
Spectacle the Third-Paul-Paul, in
significant in person, thrust out from all
refined association, scourged, spat on,
bounded like wild beast from city to
city. yet trying to make the world good
and heaven full; announcing resurrection
to those who mourned at the barred gates
of the dead; speaking consultations which
light up the eyes of widowhood and
orphanage and want with glow of GER
tain and eternal release; undaunted be,
fore those who could take his life, his
cheek flushed with transport and his eye
on heaven; with one hand shaking de-
fance at all the foes of earth and all the
principalities Of hell, and with the other
hand reckoning messenger angels to
come and bear him away as he says: "a
am now ready to be offered, and the
time of my departure is at hand. I have
fought the good fight; l have finished my
course; l have kept the faith. Hence
forth there is laid up for Inc crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the right
eous Judge, will give me-"
Which of the three spectacles do you
most admire? When the wind of death
struck the conqueror and the infdel,
they were tossed like sea gulls in a
tempest, drenched of the wave and torn
of the hurricane, their dismal voices
heard through the everlasting storm,
but when the wave and the wind OF
death struck Paul, like an albatross, he
made throne of the tempest and one
day foated away into the calm, clear
summer of heaven, brighter than the
dove, its wings covered with silver, and
its feathers with yellow gold. Oh, are
you not in love with such a religion-a
religion that can do so much for man
while he lives and so much for man
when he comes to die?
A CONTRAST.
/ suppose you may have noticed the
contrast between the departure of a
Christian md the departure of an infidel
Diodorus, dying in chagrin because he
could not compose joke equal to the
joke uttered at the other end of his table
Zeuxis, dying in fit of laughter at the
sketch of an aged woman-a sketch
made by his own hand; Mazarin, dying
playing cards, his friend holding his
hands because ne was unable to hold
them himself.
All that on one side, compared with
the departure of the Scotch minister
who said to his friends: II have no in.
terest as to whether live or die. il
die, 1 shall be with the Lord, and if
live the Lord will be with me-" Or the
last words of Washington, cit is we'll
Or the last word of Mcintosh, the learn
ed and the great, Happy" Or the last
words of Hannah More, the Christian
poetess, "Joyy' Or those thousands OF
Christians who have gone, saying: Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit! Come, Lord
Jesus, como quickly" 80 death, where
is thy sting? O grave, where is thy vic
tory!"
Behold the contrast. Behold the charm
of the one, behold the darkness of the
other. Now, know it is very popular
in this day for young men to think there
is something more charming in skepti-
cism than in religion. They are ashamed
of the old fashioned religion of the cross,
and they pride themselves on their free
thinking Oh all these subjects. My
young friends, I want to tell you what ]
know from observation--thatw while skep
ticism is a beautiful land at the start, ii
is a great Sahara desert at the last.
AN APT STORY.
Years ago minister's son went of
from home to college. AT college he
formed the acquaintance of young
man whom shall call Ellison. Ellison
was an infdel. Ellison scoffed at reli-
gion, and the minister's son soon learned
from him the infdelity, and when he
went home on his vacation broke his
fathers heart by his denunciations OF
Christianity. Time passed on, and vaca-
ton came, and the minister's son went
off to spend the vacation and was on a
Journey and came to a hotel. The hotel
keeper said: II am sorry that tonight ]
shall have to put you in room adJoin.
ing one where there is a very sick and
dying man. can give you no other ac-
commodation." "Oh," said the young
college student and ministers son, "that
will make no difference to me, except
the matter of sympathy with anybody
that is suffering"
The young man retired to his room,
but could not sleep. All night long he
heard the grooming Of the sick man OF
the step of the watchers, and his soaal
trembled. He thought to himself: "Nov,
there is only thin wall between me aad
q departir :, spirit. How if Ellison should
know how feel? How if Ellison should
find out how my heart futtersT WAet
If Ellison knew my skepticism gave
way" He slept not.
In the morning, coming down, he sa4d
to the hotel keeper, GLOW is the 1ek
MANI" "Oh," said the hotel keeper, "he
is dead, poor fellow. Tie doctors told
us he could not last through the night"
"Well," said the young man, what was
the sick ones name-where is he from"
"Well," said the hotel keeper, she is
from Providence college," Providence
college What is his name:" ELLISON"
uTl1;conp, oh how the vo11no man was