Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1895-08-10

CdI1 upOH tHJ OOu, IL 81 ~ 'AA''' N'oN
will think upon us, that we perish
not I" If you have God, you had better
call upon him. Do you say, II have no
God?'' Then you had better call upon
your fathers God. When your father
was in trouble, whom did he fly to? You
heard him in his old days tell about
some terrible exposure in snowstorm,
or at sea, or in battle, or among mid
night garroters, and how he escaped.
Perhaps 20 years before you were born
your father made sweet acquaintance
with God There is something IN the
worn pages Of the Bible he used to read
which makes you think your father had
a God In the old religious books lying
around the house, here are passages
marked with lead pencil-passages
that make You think your father was
not goddess man, but that, on that
dark day when he lay in the back room
dying he was ready-all ready. But
perhaps your father was bad man
prayerless and blasphemer-and you
never think of him now without a shud-
der He worshiped the world or his
own appetites. Do not then, beg Of
you, call upon your fathers God, but
call on your mothers God. I think she
was good. You remember when your IA
Their came home drunk late on cold
night, how patient your mother was.
You often heard her pray. She used to
sit by the hour meditating as though
she were thinking of some good, warm
place, where 1t never gets cold, and
where the bread does not fail, and stag
gering steps never come. You remem-
Der her now as she sat in cap and spec
tacles reading her Bible Sunday after
noon. What good advice she used to
give you! How black and terrible the
hole in the ground looked to you when
with two ropes they let her down to rest
in the graveyard All, think from
your looks that am on the right track.
Awake, o sleeper, and call upon thy
mothers God.
But perhaps both your father and
mother were depraved. Perhaps your
cradle Yves rocked by sin and shame,
and it is wonder that from such
starting you have come to respectable
ity. Then don't call upon the God Of
either Of your parents, beg of you.
The God of Thy Children. :.
But you have children. You know
God kindled those bright eyes and
rounded those healthy limbs and set
beating within their breast On immor
tally. Perhaps in the belief that some
how it would be for the best you have
taught them to say an evening prayer,
and when they neel beside you and
fold their little hands and look up.
their faces all innocence and love, you
know that there is God somewhere
about in the room.
I think I am on the right track at
last Awake, o sleeper, and call upon
the God of thy childrenl May he set
these little ones to pulling at thy heart
until they charm thee to the same God
to whom tonight they will say their lit
tie prayers
But, alas, alas, some Of these men
and women are unmoved by the fact
that their father had God, that their
mother had God, and their children
have God, but they have no God. All
the divine goodness for thing.
SsfEi ;ffoF ma seliiaa
asleep in the side of the ship, though
the sea and sky are in mad wrestle.
Many years ago man, leaving his
family in Massachusetts, sailed from
Boston to China to trade there. On the
coast of China in the midst of night Of
storm he made shipwreck The adven
turer was washed up on the beach sense
less-all his money gone. He had to beg
in the streets Of Canton to keep from
starving. For two years there was no
communication between himself and
family. They supposed him dead. He
knew not but that his family were dead.
He had gone out as o captain. he was
too proud to come back as private sail
or. But after awhile he choked down
his pride and sailed for Boston. Arriv-
ing there, he took an evening train for
the center of the state, where he had
left his family. Taking the stage from
the depot and riding score of miles, he
got home. He says that, going up in
front of the cottage in the bright moon
light, the place looked to him like heay-
en- He raped on the window, and the
affrighted servant let him in. He went
to the room where his wife and child
were sleeping He did not dare to wake
IL &C cI,an1r Pa,,6inry
over to kiss his child's cheek, a tear fell
upon the wife's face, and she Weakened,
and he said, "Mary!" and she knew his
voice, and there WAS an indescribable
scene cf welcome and joy and thanksgiv-
ing to God.
Today I know that many Of you are
sea tossed and driven by sin i'll worse
storm than that which came down on
the coast of China, and yet 1 pray God
that you may, like the sailor, live to get
home. In the house of many mansions
your friends arc waiting to meet you.
They are wondering why you do not
come. Escaped from the shipwrecks of
earth, may you ct last 60 in 1t will be
bright night-a very bright night as
you put your thumb on the latch of that
DOR. Once in you will find the old fam
lily faces sweeter than when you last.
saw them, and there it will be found
that he WAC was your fathers God, and
your mothers God, and your children's
God, is your own most blessed Redeem
er, to whom be glory and dominion
throughout all ages, world without end.
Amen.