Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-12-03

The Advances That HIVE Been Made.
How Ep0chs Have Been Marked.
The Needs of the New AEe-When
War Shall BE No More.
copyright. 1898. by American Press Asso-
cation.l
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.-This sermon
of DR.. Talmege is an anticipation Of
things near at hand and urges prepare
tion for stirring events; text, Chron-
icles xii. SO. 1.-The children of Issachar,
which were men that had understanding
of the times, to know what Israel ought
to do"
Great tribe, that tribe Of Issacharl !
When Joab took the census, there were
l45, 600 of them. Before the almanac
was born, through astrological study,
they knew from stellar conjunotions all
about the seasons of the year. Before
agriculture became an art they were
skilled in the raising of crops. Before
politics became science they knew the
temper of nations, and whenever they
marched, either for pleasure or war,
they marched under three oolored flag
topaz sardine and carbuncle. But the
chief characteristic of that tribe of
Issachar was that they understood the
times. They were not like the political
and moral inoompetents of our day, who
are trying to guide 1888 by the theories
of 1928. They looked at the divine in
dications in their own particular cen
fury So we ought to understand the
times, not the times when America was
IS colonies, huddied together along the
Atlantic coast. but the times when the
nation dips one hand in the ocean on
one side the continent and the other
hand in the ocean on the other side the
continent; times which put New York
Narrows aud the Golden Horn of the
Pacific within one flash of electric teleg-
raphy; times when God is as directly,
as positively, as solemnly, as tromen-
dously addressing US through the daily
newspaper and the quick revolution of
events ns be ever edjIe ssed the ancients
or addresses us through the Holy Scrip
lures. The voice of God in Providence
is rs important as the voice Of Gcd III
typology, for in our own day we have
had our Sinais with thunders CT the al
mighty, and Calvaties of sacrifice, and
Gethsemanes that sweat great drops of
blood, and Oiivets OF ascension, and
Mount Pisgahs Of farrcaching vision.
The Lord who rounded this world 6, 600
years ago and sent his Son to redeem it
near 800 years ago has yet much to do
with this radiant but agonized planet.
May God make us like the children of
Issachar, (which were men that had
understanding of the times. to know
what Israel ought to do -
The grave of this century will soon
be dug. The cradle Of another century
will soon be rocked. There is some:
thing moving this way out of the eter-
mites, something that thrills me,
blanohes me, appalls me, exhilarht.;z
me, enraptures me. 1t will wreathe the
orange blossoms fer millions of we'd
dinga 1t will beat the dirge for mil
lions of obsequies 1t will carry the
gilded banners of brightest mornings
and the black flags of darkest mid
nights. The world will play the grand
march of its heroes and sound the rogues'
march of its towards. Other professions
may halt or break down or fall back,
but the procession led by that leader
moves steadily on and will soon be
here. 1t will preside over coronations
and detbronements. hail it, / bless it,
welcome il, the twentieth century OF
the Christian era.
The Cradle of the Century.
What may we expect of it, and how
shall we prepare for it, are the mo.
mentous questions propose now to dis
cuss. AS in families human nativity is
anticipated by all sanctity and kindli-
ness and solemnity and care and hopeful.
ness, SO ought we prayerfully, hopefully,
industriously, confidently prepare for the
advent Of new century. The nine
teenth century must not treat the TWEEN
tieth on its arrival as the eighteenth cen
fury treated the nineteenth Our CEN
tury inherited the wreck Of revolutions
and the superstitions Of ages. Around
it's cradle stood the armed assassins of
old world tyrannies; the reign Of
terror" bequeathing its horrors; Ro-
bespierre, plotting his diabolism; the
Jacobin club, with its wholesale mas
sacre; the guiIlotine, chopping its be-
headments. The ground quaking with
the great guns of Marengo, Wagram
and Badajos All Europe in convulsion.
Asia i'll comparative quiet, but the
quietness of death Africa in the
clutches of the slave trade, American
sayages in full cry, their scalping knives
lifted. The exhausted and poverty
struck people OF America sweating un-
der the debt of $500, 900, 900, which the
Revolutionary war had left them.
Washington just gone into the long
sleep at Mount Vernon, and the nation
in bereavement; Aaron Burr, the cham
pion libertine, becoming soon after the
vice president. The government OF the
United States only an experiment, most
of the philosophers and statesmen and
governments of the earth prophesying
it would be disgraceful failure. No
poor foundling laid at night on the cold
steps OF a mansion, to be picked up IN
the morning, was poorer off than this
century at ita nativity. The United
States government had taken only IL
steps on its journey, its constitution
having been formed in 1889, and most
Of the nations of the earth laughed at
our government in its first attempts to
walk alone
The birthday Of our nineteenth CEN
tury occurred in the time of war. Our
small United States navy. under Cap
tain Truxton, commanding the frigate
Constitution, was in collision with the
French frigates La Vengeance and Lin
surgente, and the first infant cries OF
this century were drowned in the roar
of naval battle, and political strife on