Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1894-10-20

the other SlQo OF IQe llu0t lWO foSbcls
part on the ocean of eternity, one going
to the right and the other to the left
farther apart and farther apart-unti
the signals cease to be recognized ant
there are only two specks on the hor1
zon, and then they are lost to sight for
everi
Dangers to the Young.
I have to tell you that the unavailine
efforts of these Mediterranean oarsmen
have counterpart in the efforts some
of US are making to bring our children
to the shore of safety. There never were
so many temptations for young people
as there arc now The literary and the
social influences seem to bc against their
spiritual interests. Christ seems to be
driven almost entirely from the school
and the pleasurable conoourse, yet God
knows how anxious we are for our chill
dren. We cannot think of going into
heaven without them. We do not want
TO leave this life while they arc tossing
on the waves Of temptation and away
from God. From which of them could
we consent to DO oternally separated
Would it DO the son? Would it be the
daughter? Would it be the eldest
Would it be the youngest? Would it be
the one that is we'll and stout or the one
that is sick? Oh, 1 hear some parent say
ing tonight: 81 have tried my best te
bring my children to Christ. have la1d
hold of the oars until they bent in my
grasp, and 1 have braced myself against
the ribs of the boat, aud have pulled
for their eternal rescue, but can't get
them to Christ. Then I ask you tC
initiate the men of the text and CRY
nightly unto God. We want more I'M
Fortunate praying for children, such as
the father INDUCED in when he had
tried to bring his six sons to Christ and
they had wandered off into dissipation.
Then he got down in his prayers and
said, 80 God, take away my life, II
through that means my SONS may re-
pent and BIO brought to Christ, " and the
Lord startlingly answered the prayer,
and in few weeks the father was taken
away, and through the solemnity the
six sons fed unto God Oh, that father
could afford to die for the eternal vel
fare of his children He rowed hard to
bring them to the land, but could not,
and then he cried unto the Lord.
Prodigal Soma.
There are parents who are almost dis
couraged about their children. Where
is your son tonight? He has wandered
off perhaps to the ends of the earth. II
seems as if he cannot get far enough
away from your Christian counsel.
What does he care about the furrows
that come to your brow, about the quick
whitening of the hair, about the fact
that your back begins to stoop with the
burdens? Why. he would not care
much if he heard you were dead The
black edged letter that brought the It'd
ings he would put in the same package
with other letters telling the story Of
his shame. What are you going to do
Both paddles broken at the middle OF
the blade, how can you pull him ashore!
I throw you one oar now with which
believe you can bring him into harbor.
1t is the glorious promise, Il will De
q God to thee and to thy seed after
thee. " Oh, broken hearted father and
mother, you have tried everything else
now make an appeal for the help and
omnipotence of the covenant keeping
God, and perhaps at your next family
gathering - perhaps on Thanksgiving
day, perhaps next Christmas day-the
prodigal may be home, and if you crowd
on his plate moro luxuries than on any
other plato at the table am sure the
brothers will not be jealous, but they
will wake up all the music in the house,
"because the dead is alive again and be.
cause the lost is found" Perhaps your
prayers have been answered already.
The vessel may be coming homeward,
and by the light of this nights stars
that absent son may be pacing the deck
of the ship, anxious for the time tc
come when he can throw his arm around
your neck and ask for forgiveness fol-
that he has been wringing your old heart
SO long. Glorious reunion, that will be
too sacred for outsiders to look upon, but
I would just like to look through the
window when you have all got together
again and are seated at the banquet.
Though parents may in covenant be
And have their heaven in view,
They are not happy till they see
Their children happy too.
Toiling For Souls.
Again, remark that the unavailine
effort of the Mediterranean oarsmen has
o counterpart in the effort which we are
making to bring this world back to God,
his pardon and safety. If this world
could have been saved by human effort,
it would have been done long ago. John
Howard took hold of one oar and Carey
took hold of another oar, and Adoniran
Judson took hold of another oar, ano
Luther took huld of another oar, anc
John Knox took hold of another oar,
and they pulled until they fell bach
dead from the exhaustion. Some drop
ped in the ashes of martyrdom, some Oh
the scalping knives of savagcs and some
into the plague struck room of the laza
retto, and still the chains are not broken
and still the despotisms are not demol
ished, and still the world is unsaved
What then? Put down the oars ano
make no effort? l do not not advise that
But want you, Christian brethren, tt
understand that the church, and thu
school, and the college, and the mis-
sionary society are only the instrumen
talities, and if this work is ever done a
all God must do it, and he will do 1t IL
answer to our prayer. "They rowed hare
to bring it to the land, but they coulo
not, wherefore they cried unto the
Lord. -
No Self Salvation.
Again, the unavailing effort Of those
Mediterranean oarsmen has counter
part in every man that is trying to row
hic own soul into safety When the