Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-12-26
THE REAL RELIGION.
REV. DIR. TALMAGE LAYS STRESS UPON
GOOD WORKS.


GOOD WORKS.
He Sees Little Good In the Religion That
Is Not Manifest In Good Dccds-Reli-
gion That Is Made Up OF Fluent Per-
pe.ual Talk.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20-This subject
of Dr.. Talmage cuts through the con-
ventionalties and spares nothing of that
mako believe religion which is all talk
and no practice The text chosen was
James ii, 20, Faith without works is
dead.
The Roman Catholic church has been
charged with putting too much stress
Upon good works and not enough upon
faith. charge Professionalism with put
ting not enough stress upon good works
as connected with salvation. Good works
will never save man, but if man
havo not good works he has no real faith
and no genuine religion. There arc
those who depend upon the fact that
they arc al right inside whilo their
conduct Is wrong outside. Their rell-
gion for tho most part is made up of
talk-vigorous talk, fluent talk, boast
ful talk, perpetual talk. They will en-
terrain you by the hour i'll telling you
how good they arc They come up to
such n higher life that they have no pa
tienco with ordinary Christians in tho
plain discharge of their duty. As near
as can tell, this ocean craft is mostly
sail and very little tonnage. Forotop-
mast staysail, foretopmast studding sail,
main topsail, mizzen topsail - every
thing from flying jib to mizzen spanker.
but making no useful voyage. Now,
the world has got tired Of this, and it
wants religion that will work into all
the circumstances Of life. We do not
want new religion, but the old reli-
gion applied in al possible directions.
Two Rivers.
Yonder is n river with steep and
rocky banks, and it roars like young
niagara as it rolls on over its rough
bed. 1t does nothing but talk about it
self all the way from its source i'll tho
mountain to tho place where it empties
into the sea. THO banks arc so steep
that the cattlo cannot como down to
drink. 1t does lot 1un ono fertilizing
rill into tho adjoining field. 1t has not
one eristmill or factory OIL either side.
1t sulks in wet weather with chilling
foss. No one cares when that river is
born among the rocks, and 10 ono cares
when it dies into tho sea. But yonder
is anothcr river, and it mcsses its banks
with the warm tides, and it rocks with
floral lullaby tho water lilies asleep on
its bosom. 1t invites herds of cattle and
focks of sheep and coveys of birds to
como there and drink. 1t has three grist-
mills on enc side and six cotton factories
on the other. 1t is tho wealth of 200
miles of luyuriant farms. The birds of
heaven chanted when twas born in the
mountains, and the ocean shipping will
press in from tho sen to hail it as it
comes down from the Atlantic coast.
The one river is n man who lives for
himself Tho other river is man who
lives for others.
Do you know how the site Of the an
cient city Of Jerusalem was chosen?
There wero two brothers who had adj
joining farms. The ono brother had a
large family, the ether had no family.
The brother with large family said:
"There is my brother with no family.
He must be lonely, and will try to
cheer him up, ard l will take come of
the sheaves from my field in the night
time and set them over on his farm and
say nothing about it. !" The other broth
er said, my brother has large family
and it is very difficult for him to sup
port them, ard l will help him along,
and Twill tako some Of the sheaves from
my farm in the nighttime and set them
over on his farm and say nothing about
it,. So the work of transfcrence went
on night after night and night after
night, but every morning things seemed
to bo Just as they were, for, though
sheaves had been substracted from each
farm, shcavcs had also been added. and
the brothers woro perple1ed and could
not understand. But one night the BROTH
ers happened to meet while making this
generous transference, and the spot
where they lnet was so sacred that 1t
was chosen us the site Of the city of Je-
rusalem. If that tradition should prove
unfounded, it will nevertheless stand as
a beautiful a:legory, setting forth the
idea that whenever kindly and gener-
Gus and loving act is performed that is
the spot fit for some temple of commem-
Grafton.
l have often spoken to you about
faith, but this morning speak to you
about works, for "faith without works
is dead" l think you will agree with
me in tho statement that tho great want
of this world is more practical religion.
We want practical religion to go into
all merchandise. 1t will supervise the
labelling Of goods 1t will not allow a
man to say that thing was made in
one factory when it was made in anoth-
en- 1t will not allow the merchant to
say that watch was manufactured in
Geneva when it was manufactured in
Massachusetts 1t will not allow the
merchant to say that wine came from
Madeira when it camo from California.
Practical religion will walk along by
the store shelves and tear off all the
tags that make misrepresentation. 1t
will not allow the merchant to say that
is pure coffee, when dandelion root and
chicory and other ingredientsgo into it.
1t will not allow him to say that Is
pure sugar when there are in it sand
and ground glass.
Practical Religion.
When practical religion gets its full
swing in the world, it will 20 down the
ctroot ond II will coma t0 that shoe