Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-01-26
chief OF sinners.

:, chief OF sinners.
want to tell you that God loves
to take hold of very bad case. When
the church casts you off and when the
cluDr0om casts you off and when So
ciety casts you off and when business
associates cast you off and when ia.
ther casts you off and when mother
casts you off and when everybody
casts you off, your first cry for help
will bend the eternal God clear down
into the ditch OF your suffering and
shame. The Good Templars cannot
save you, although they are a grand
institution. The Sons of Temperance
cannot save you, although they are
mighty for good. Signing the temper.
ance pledge cannot save you, although
believe In it. Nothing but the grace
of the eternal God can save you. and
that will If you will throw yourself
on 1t.
They talk about the catacombs of
Naples and the catacombs of Rome
and the catacombs Of Egypt, the great
burial places under the city. where the
dust Of many generations passed on
but tell you New York has its cata
combs and Washington its catacombs
and all our cities their catacombs
They are underground liquor dives.
full Of dead mems bones and all un.
cleanness. There is no need Of going
into the art gallery to see In skillful
sculpture that wonderful representa-.
ton of a man and his sons wound
round with serpents. There are fami.
lies represented here today that are
wrapped IN the martyrdOm Of fang
and scale and venom-a living LAGOON
Of ghastliness and horror.
Trust the Eternal God.
In the attempt at reformation do not
put your trust in bromide of potassium
or in anything that apothecaries can
mix. Put your trust only in the eternal
God. With some Of these men 1t is a
periodic temptation that comes every
six weeks or every three months, when
It seems as If the powers Of darkness
kindle around about your tongue the
fires Of the pit. 1t is well at such a
time, as some Of you do. to call on
medical counsel. but your first and
most importunate cry must be to God
If the fends will drag you to the
slaughter, may they do so on your
knees. o God. now that the paroxysm
Of thirst is come again on that man.
help him! Fling back into the pit of
hell the fiend that assaults his soul
this moment!
There is only one class of persons
about whom I am disheartened, and |
they are the gospel hardened. They |
have been faithful In attendance at
churches for 20. 30 and 40 years. yet
never have surrendered themselves to |
God. AS Christ says. "Publcans and |
harlots go into the kingdom of heaven |
before them" They have resisted all
the importantly Of divine mercy and
have gone through most powerful
earthquakes of religious feeling and
they are further away from God than |
ever. After awhile they will lie down
sick, and some day 1t will be told that
they are dead. No hope!
But turn to outsiders with an ex-
pectation that thrills through me. body
and soul. "Other sheep have which |
are no. OF this field" You are not gps-
pei hardened. You have not heard
many sermons during the last few
years. You feel the Holy Ghost this
moment In your heart. You do not
weep. but the tear is not far off. You
sigh, and you have noticed that there
is always a sigh In the wind before the
rain falls. There are those here who
would give anything If they could find
relief in tears. They say: "Oh, my
wasted life! Oh, the bitter past! Oh,
the graves over which have stumbled!
Whittier shall | fly? Alas. for the fu
ture Everything is so dark, so very
dark! God help me! God pity me-"
Thank the Lord for that last utterance.
You have begun to pray. and when
man begins to petition that sets
all heaven flying his way. and
God steps In and beats back
the hounds Of temptation to theil
kennel and round about the poor
wounded soul puts the covert of his
pardoning mercy. Hark. hear some.
thing fall! What was that? 1t is the
bars Of the fence around the sheepfold.
The Shepherd lets down the bars. and
the hunted sheep Of the mountain
bound in, some of them their fleece
torn with brambles. some of them their
feet lamed with the dogs. but bounding
In. Thank God! "Other sheep | have
which are not of this fold"
Copyright, 1901. by Louis Xlopscb.l