Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-01-16

evil annoy me. When L loon Tor light,
let darkness come upon me. Let the
terrcas of death be ever before me. Do
oil this, but save me, merciful God,
save me from the fate of q drunkard!
Amen.
You see, this sermon is not so much
for cure as for prevention. Stop before
you start, if you will forgive the sole
cism. The clock of st. Paul's cathedral
struck 13 one midnight and so saved
the life of sentinel. The soldier was
arrested and tried for falling asleep at
his post one midnight, but he declared
that he was awake at midnight, and in
proof that he was awake he said that
he had heard tho unusual occurrence of
Il. clock striking 10 instead of 10. He
was laughed to scorn and sentenced to
death, but three or four persons, hear
ing of the case, came up in time to
swear that they, too. heard the clock
strike ID that Same midnight, and so
the mans life was spared. My hearers,
if you go OIL and thoroughly learn the
drunkards song, perhaps i'll the deep
midnight of your soul there may sound
something that will yet effect your
moral and eternal rescue But it is a
risky perhaps 1t is exceptional. Go
ahead on that wrong road and the
clock will more probably strike the IL
that closes your day of opportunity
than that it will strike 13, the sound of
your deliverance.
A few Sabbaths ago, on the steps of
this church, man whom l had known
in other years confronted me. At the
first glance | saw that he was in the
fifth and last act of the tragedy of in
temperance. Splendid even in his ruin!
The same brilliant eye, and the same
courtly manners, and the remains Of
the same intellectual endowments, but
wreck. l had seen that craft when it
plowed the waters, all sails set and run
ming by true compass; wife and chill
drcn and friends OH board, himself CON-
handing in a voyage that he expected
would be glorious, putting into prosper
Gus harbors of earth and at last putting
into the harbor of heaven. But now a
wreck, towed along by low appetites,
that ever and anon ran him into the
breakers-a wreck of body. 4 wreck of
mind, wreck of soul. "Where is your
wife, 81 do not Know" Where are
your children?'' 81 do not know.
"Where is your God?" 81 do not
know. u That man is coming to the last
verse of that long cantata, that pro-
tracted threnody, that terrific song of
the drunkards
Turn and Live.
But if these words should come-for
You know the largest audience reach |
never see at ALL say if these words
should come, though at the ends of the
earth, TO any fallen man, let me say to
him: Be the exception to the general
rule and turn and live while recall
to you Il scene in England, where some
one said TO al inebriate as he was 60
ing out Of church where there was II
great awakening, "Why don't you sign
the pledge:" He answered, 81 have
signed it 20 times and will never sign
it again. why, then, +" said tho gen.
tleman talking to him, don't you 60
up and kneel at that altar amid those
other penitents:" He took the advice
and went and knelt.
After awhile little girl, in rags
and soaked with the rain, looked in the
church door, and some one said, "What
are you doing here, little Sirl:" She
said: PLEASE, sir, I heard as my father
is here Why, that is my father up
there, kneeling now" She went up and
put her arms around her fathers neck
and said, Father, what arc you doing
here?" and he said, 81 am asking God
to forgive me- Said she, "If he for
gives you, will we be happy again."
Eyes, my dear. - "Will we have enough
to eat again?" Eyes, my dear. ;" "And
will you never strike us again:" 'No,
my child. "Wait here" said she,
"till go and call mother. And soon
tho child came with the mother, and
the mother, kneeling beside her hus
band, said: "Sayc me too! Save me
tool' And the Lord heard the prayers
at that altar, and one of the happiest
homes in England is the home over
which that father and mother now low
ingly preside. So if in this sermon 1
have warned others against a dissipated
life, with the fact that so few return
after they have once gone astray, for
the encouragement of those who would
like to return, I tell you God wants
you to come back, every one of you, and
to come back now, and more tenderly
and lovingly than any mother ever
lifted sick child cut Of q cradle and
folded it III her arms and crooned over
it lullaby and rocked it to and fro,
the Lord Will take you up and fold you
in the arms Of his pardoning love.
There's Wilderness in Gods mercy,
Like tie Wilderness &C the sea:
There's :. Kindness il lis justice,
Which is more than liberty.
Labouehere on Motor Wagons.