Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-07-31
NUMBER 4

spllituaf improvement ana revival 10
TO with monetary improvement and re.
vival?' Much to do. The religion of
Jesus Christ has Il direct tendency to
make men honest and sober and truth
telling, and arc rot honesty and sobriety
end truth telling auxiiiaries of material
prosperity?
If we could have al awakening in this
country as in the days of Jonathan Ed
wards Of champion, as in the days
of DR.. FIG Of Basking Ridge. as in
the days Of DR.. Griffin Of Boston, the
whole land would rouse to higher
moral tone, and with that moral tone
the honest business enterprise of the
country would come up. You say
great awakening has an influence upon
the future world. l tell you it has d.
rect influence upon the financial well
fare CT this world. The religion Of
Christ is no foe to successful business.
1t is its best friend. And if there should
come q great awakening in this coun-
try, and all the banks and insurance
companies and stores and Offices and
shops should close up for two weeks and
do nothing but attend to the public
worship of almighty God, after such
spiritual vacation the land would wake
up to such financial prosperity as we
have never dreamed of. Goodness is
profitable for the life that now is as
we'll as for that which is to come. But,
nv friends, do not put so much empha-
sis OH worldly success as to let your
eternal affairs go at loose ends. 1 have
nothing to say against money. The
more money you get the better, If 1t
comes honestly and goes usefully. For
the lack of it sickness dies without
medicine, and hunger finds its coffin in
an empty bread tray, and nakedness shiy-
ers for clothes and fire. All this canting
TRADE against money as though it had
no practical use, when / hear man in
dulge in it, it makes me think the best
heaven for him would be an everlasting
poorhouse. No; there is a practical use
in money, but while we admit that we
must also admit that it cannot satisfy
the soul, that it cannot pay for our fer
rage across the Jordan of death, that 1T
cannot unlock the gate Of heaven for
our immortal soul.
Shipwreck.
Yet there arc men who act as though
packs of bonds and mortgages could be
traded off for a mansion in heaven, and
as though gold were legal tender i'll
that land where it is so common that
they make pavements out Of it. Saliva
ton by Christ is the only salvation.
Treasures in heaven are the only incor-
ruptible treasures. Have you ever ciph-
cred out that sum in loss and gain,
"What shall it profit man if he gain
the whole world and lose his soul?'
You may wear fine apparel now, but
the winds of death will hutter it like
rags. Homespun and threadbare coat
have sometimes been the shadow OF
robes white in the blood of the Lamb.
All the mines of Australia and Brazil,
strung in one carcanet, are not worth
to you as much as the pearl of great
price. You remember, I suppose, some
years ago, the shipwreck of the Central
America? A storm came OH that vessel.
The surees tramped the deck and swept
down through the matches, and there
went up hundred voiced death shrek.
The foam on the jaw of the wave. The
pitching of the steamer, as though 1T
would leap mountain. The glare of
the signal rockets The long cough Of
the steam pipes. The hiss of extin-
guished furnaces. The walking Of God
on the wave. Oh, it was stupendous
spectacle. But that ship did not go
down without struggle. The passen-
gers stood in long lines trying to bail it
out, and men unused to toll tugged un-
til their hands were blistered and their
muscles were strained. After awhile a
sail came in sight. \ few passengers
got off, but the most went down. Tho
ship gave one lurch and was lost.
So there are men who go on i'll life
fine voyage they are making out of it.
All is we'll till some euroclydon Of
business disaster comes upon them, and
they go down. The bottom of this COM
mercl ! sea is strewn with the shat
tered llulks. But because your property
goes shall your soul 60? Oh, no. There
is coming more stupendous shipwreck
after awhile. This world-God launched
it G,OOo years ago, and it is sailing on,
but one day it will stagger at the cry
of "Firel" and the timbers of the rocks
will burn, and the mountains fame like
masts, and the clouds like sails III the
Judgment hurricane. God will take
good many off the deck, and others out
of the berths, where they are now Sleep
ing in Jesus. How many shall so down?
No one will know until it is announced
in heaven one day: "Shipwreck OF a
world! So many millions saved! So
many millions drowned!" Because your
fortunes 60, because your house goes,
because all your earthly possessions go,
do not let your soul 60. May the Lord
Almighty, through the blood OF the
everlasting covenant, save your soulsl