Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-10-26

Eladness and opens all the doors Of ex-
pectancy; texts. Genesis vi, Is, Come"
, Revelation xii, II. Come"
Imperial, tender and all persuasive Is
the word come" Six hundred and
scyenty-eight times is 1t found In the
Scriptures. 1t stands at the front gate
of the Bible as in my first text, inylt-
ing antedluvlqns into Noahs ark, and
!, ID stands at the other gate of the Pible,
as In my second text, inviting the post
kdluvlans Of all later ages into the ark
of a Savlours mercy. Come" Is only
word of four letters. but 1t is the
queen Of words. and nearly the entire
nation of English vocabulary bows to
Its scepter. 1t Is an ocean into which
empties ten thousand rivers OF mean
ing. Other words drive, but this beck
ons. All moods OF feeling hath that
word "come." Sometimes it weeps and
| sometimes II laughs. Sometimes 1t
prays. sometimes 1t tempts, end some
times It destroys. 1t sounds from the
door of the church and from the Sc
ragllos Of sin, from the gates Of heaven
| and the gates Of hell. 1t is continent
| and accresceDt Of all power. 1t Is the
heiress Of most Of the past and the al
moner of most of the future. Gomez
You may pronounce 1t so that all the
heavens will be heard In its cadences
| or pronounce II SO that all the woes Of
time and eternity shall reverberate In
| It's one syllable. 1t Is on the lip of saint
and profiigate. 1t is the mightiest Of all
solcitants either for good or bad.
Today weigh anchor and haul in the
planks and set sail on that great word,
although | am sure J will not be able
to reach the farther shore. will let
down the fathoming line into this sea
and try to measure lts depths, and.
though tie together all the cables and
cordage l have on board. l will not be
able to touch bottom. All the power Of
the Christian religion is In that word
"come." The dctatorial and commend
atory In religion are OF no avail. The
imperative mood is not the appropriate
mood when we would have people saw
lngly impressed. They may be coaxed,
but they cannot be driven. Our hearts
are like our homes--at friendly knock
the door will be opened. but an at
tempt to force open our door would
land the assallant in prison. Our theo-
logical seminares. which keep young
men three years In their curriculum be-
fore launching them into the ministry,
viii do wen II In so short a time they |
can teach the candidates for the holy |
Office how to say with right emphasis |
and intonation and power that one |
word "come." That man who has such |
efficiency In Christian work and that |
woman who has such power to per-
suade people to quit the wrong and be-
gin the right went through a series Of |
losses. bereavements. prosecutions and |
the trials Of twenty or thirty years be-
fore they could make II triumph OF |
grace every, time they uttered the word
come"
The Persuasive Word.
You must remember that In many |
cases our come" has mightler come"
to conquer before it has any effect at all.
Just give me the accurate census, the
statistics Of how many are down in
fraud. in drunkenness, in gambling, In
impurity or In vice of any sort. and l
will give you the accurate census or
statistics Of how many have been slain
by the word come" Come and click
wineglasses with me at this ivory bar"
"Come and see what we can win at this
gaming table," "Come, enter with me
this doubtful speculation" Come with
me and read those infidel tracts on
Christianity" "Come with me to a
place of bad amusement" Come with
me In a gay bout through the under
ground life Of the city," If In this city
there are twenty thousand who are
down in moral character, then twenty
thousand fell under the power of the
word come" was reading Of wife
whose husband had been overthrown
by strong drink. and she went to the
saloon where he was ruined. and she
said. "Give mo back my husband" And
the bartender pointing to a maudlin
and battered man browsing In the cor ]
ner of the barroom. said: There he Is
Jim. wake up. Here's your wife come
for you" And the woman said: do
YOU call that my husband? What have
you been doing with him? Is that the
manly brow. Is that the clear eye. Is
that the noble heart. that ! married?
What vile drug have you given him
that has turned him into fiendi Take
your tiger claws off Of him. Uncoll
those serpent folds OF evil habit that
are crushing him. Give me back my
hrsband. the one with whom stood at
the altar rem years ago. Give him back
to me-" Victim was he. as millions OF
others have been. of the word come"
Now. we want ell the world over to
harness this word for good as others
have harnessed IL for evil. and 1t will
draw the FIVE continents and the seas
between them-yea. 1t will draw the
whole earth back to the God from I
VI hom II has wandered. 1t Is that WOO .
Ing and persuasive word that will lead q
men to give up their sins. Was skept- =
cism ever brought into love Of the truth G
by an ebullition Of hot words against @
lnfdelIty? Was ever the blasphemer
stopped In his oaths by denunciation
of blasphemy? Was ever a drunkard =
weaned from his cups by the temper 4
ance lecturers mImicry Of staggering s
,tep and hlccoughf No. II was Come I
with me to church today and hear our /
,inging;" "Come and let me introduce {
,ou to a Christian man whom you will '
De sure TO ADMIRE" Come with me In y
D associations that are cheerful ana
ood and insplring;;" "Come with me !.
lto joy such as you never before ex-
erienced." :
Unhonored Heroes. \
With that word which has done so I