Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1900-06-23
CHRIST OUR REFUGE.
REV. DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON A MES
SAGE OF COMFORT.
the Behavior of the Dis
cfpIes to Those Who Are Burdened
With sorrow-IIIustratest the Power
of Divine Sympathy.

with sorrow--IIIustrates the Power
of Divine Sympathy.
WASHINGTON, June 17.--Dr. TaImage,
who has finished his tour In England
and Scotland. where thousands throng-
ed to hear him wheresoeyer he preach
ed, Is now on his way to Norway and
Russia, In which countries he Is al
ready well known through the publica-
ton of translations Of his sermons. In
the following discourse, which he has
sent for publication this week, he gives
a prescription for all anxiety and wor-
riment and illustrates the divine SYM
pathy for all who are In any kind or
struggle. The text Is Matthew xiv, IL.
And his disciples went and told Je-
sus."
An outrageous assassination had just
taken place. To appease a revengeful
woman King Herod ordered the death
of that noble, self sacrificing prophet
John the Baptist. The group OF the
disciples were thrown into grief and
dismay. They felt themselves utterly
defenseless. There was no authority
to which they could appeal. and yet
grief must always find expression. IL
there be no human ear to hear 1t, then
the agonized soul will cry 1t aloud to
the winds and the woods and the wa
ters. But there was an ear that was
willing to listen. There is a tender
pathos and at the same time most
admirable picture In the words Of my
text, "They went and told Jesus" He
could understand all their grief, and he
Immediately soothed 1t. Our burdens
are not more than half so heavy to car
ry II another shoulder Is put under the
other end OF them. Here we find
Christ, his brow sladOwed with grief,
standing amid the group OF disciples.
who. with tears anJ violent gestlcula-
tons and wrnp.ug OF hands and out
cry of bereavement are expressing
their woe. Raphael. with lis skillful
brush, putting upon tl'e wall OF pal
ace some scene OF sacred story. gave
not SO skilful n strohc as when the
plain hand Of the evangelist writes.
"They went and told Jesus"
The old Goths and Vandals once came
down upon Italy from the north OF Eu'
rope, and they upset the gardens, and
they broke down the statues and swept
away everything that was good and
beautiful. SO there Is ever and anon In
the history Of all the sons and daugh-
ters of our race an incursion OF rough
handed troubles that come to plunder
and ransack and put to the torch all
that men highly prize. There Is no
cave so deeply cleft into the mountains
as to afford us shelter and the foot OF
fleetest courser cannot bear us beyond
the quick pursuit. The arrows they
put to the string 1y with unerring dart
until we fall pierced and stunned.
A Message of Comfort.
feel that l bring to you a most ap-
proprlate message. | mean to bind up
all your griefs into q bundle and set
them on fire with spark from Gods
altar. The prescription that cured the
sorrow Of the disciples will cure all
your heartaches. ] have read that
when Godfrey and his army marched
out to capture Jerusalem, as they came
over the hills, at the first fash Of the
pinnacles Of that beautiful city, the
army that had marched In silence lift
ed a shout that made the earth trem-
BILE. Oh, you soldiers of Jesus Christ,
marching on toward heaven, l would
that today, by some CLEAN from the
palace of Gods mercy and Gods
strength, you might be lifted into great
rejoicing and that as the prospect OF
its peace breaks on your enraptured
gaze you might raise one glad hosanna
to the Lord!
In the first place, commend the be-
havior of these disciples to all burden
ed souls who are unpardoned. There
comes a time In almost every mans
history when he feels from some source
that he has an erring nature. The
thought may not have such heft as to
fell him. 1t may be only like the fash
in an evening cloud just after very
hot summer day. One man to get rid
of that impression will go to prayer.
another will stimulate himself by ar
dent spirits, and another man will dive
deeper In secularities. But sometimes
a man cannot get rid Of these impress
slons. The fact Is. when q man finds
out that his eternity Is poised upon
perfect uncertainty and that the next
moment his foot may slip, he must do
violent to make himself for
get where he stands or else fly for
refuge.
Some Of you crouch under a yoke,
and you bite the dust when this mo-
ment you might rise up crowned con-
queror. Driven ana perplexed as you
have been by sin, go and tell Jesus.
To relax the grip of death from your
soul and plant your unshackled feet
upon the golden throne Christ let the
tortures of the bloody mount transfx
him. With the beam Of his own cross
he will break down the door Of your
dungeon. From the thorns Of his own
crown he will pick enough gems to
make your brow blaze with eternal VIC
tory. In every tear on his wet cheek,
In every cash Of bis side. in every long.
blackening mark Of laceration from
shoulder to shoulder. in the grave shat
tering. heaven storming death groan l
hear him say. "He that cometh unto
me will In nowise cast out"
"Oh." but you say. Instead OF cur
ing my wound you want to make an
other wound-namely. that Of conyic-
tionw Have you never known sur
geon to come and find chronic dis
ease and then with sharp caustic burn
it all out? So the grace Of God comes
to the old sore of sin. 1t has long been
ranking there; but. by divine grace. 1t
Is burned out through these fires Of
conviction, "the flesh coming again as