Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-04-17
Prayer For the Eminent.


If have tho time and do not forget
some of them before get through, L
will give you four or five reasons why
the people of the United States ought
to make earnest and continuous prayer
for those in eminent place.
First, because that will put rs in
proper attitude toward the successful
men of the nation. After you have
prayed for a man you will do him JUS
tice. There is bad streak in human
nature that demands US to assail those
that are more successful than ourselves.
1t shows itself in boyhood, when the
lads, all running to get their ride on the
back of a carriage, and one gets ON,
those failing to get on shout on the driv-
er, "Cut behindn Unsuccessful men
seldom like those who in any depart
mcnt arc successful. The cry is, He is
a political accident" or, "He bought
his way up" or. at just happened so, J"
and there is an impatient waiting for
him to como down more rapidly than
he went up.
The best cure for such cynicism is
prayer. After we have risen from our
knees we will be wishing the official
good instead Of OWL We will be hoping
for him benediction rather than male
diction. If he makes mistake, we will
call it mistake instead of malfea-
sance in office And, oh, how much hap
pier we will be, for wishing one evil IS
diabolic, but wishing one good is saint
", is angelic, is godlikcl When the
Lord drops Il man into depths beyond
which there is 10 lower depth, he al
lows him to be put OH an investigating
committee with the one hope Of finding
something wrong. In general assemblies
of the Presby terrain church, in confer
ences of the Methodist church, i'll COLI
ventions of the Episcopal church, IN
house Of representatives and in senate
of the United States there are men al
ways glad to be appointed on the COM
mittce of malodors, while there are
those who arc glat; 70 be put on the
committee of eulogiums. After you
have prayed, in the words of my text,
for all that are in authority you will
say, Brethren, gentlemen, Mr.. Chair
man, excuse ne from serving on the
committee of malodors, for last night,
lust before I prayed for those i'll eminent
position, read that chapter in Corin-
thians about charity which 'hopeth all
things and thinketh no evil. y The
committee of malodors is an important
committee, but I here now declare that
those are incompetent for its work who
have, not in spirit Of convcntionality,
bat in spirit of earnest importantly,
prayed for those i'll high position. l
cannos help it, but I do like a St Ber-
nard better than a bloodhound, and l
would rather be cumming bird among
honeysuckles than CROW sweeping up
OIL field carcasscs.
The Public Service.
Another reason why we should pray
for those in eminent place is because
they have such multiplied perplexities.
This city at this time holds hundreds OF
men who are oxpectant of preferment,
and United States mail bags az never
before are full Of applications. Let me
say have no sympathy with either the
uttered or printed sheer at what are
rallied "office seekers If l had not al
ready received appointment as minister
plonipotentiary from the high court OF
heaven-as every minister of the Cos
pei has-and 1 had at my back family
for whom I wished to achieve liveli-
hood, there is no employer whose serv-
ice I would sooner seek than city, state
OF United States government. Those
governments are the promptest in their
payments, paying just as we'll in hard
times as in good times and during