Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-05-31
Hates Worst Enemy.

Spe III the last NOlntll,S OF HIS edTInly
life lighting his detractors: neither
should we
Hates Worst Enemy.
The twain mile is the place where
the enemies of the true Christian are
either meiiowed or completely con-
quered by love- As the willingness to
love ones enemies makes man strong
TO 20 forth 10 the battle Of life, so that
willingness to love an enemy dulls the
battleax Of almost every foe. Love Is
the most dangerous enemy hate has to
combat. Love is the duelist which will
disarm maay fatal adversary. Love
is the shield which can blunt or snap
every plunging spear. Love Is the daz-
zlin9 light which can WOO smile from
many scOrnful lip and the tear Of re-
morse from many flashing eye.
Ny brother the difficulty with you
and myself is we have been fighting
our enemies with the wrong kind Of
weapon. We have been fighting fire
with fire, hate with hate, bitterness
with bitterness. SANDER with slander,
death with death. But now Jesus has
given to us new way to conquer our
enemies. We must disarm hate with
love; we must submerge slander with
forgiveness; we must answer a curse
with a prayer; we must offer to the
clinched fist an open palm; we must
30 a hnlnfnO
Surely this Idea is the Interpretation Of
the words, "WhosOeyer shall smte thee
upon thy right cheek, turn to him the
other also" "Whosoever shall compel
thee to go with him one mile, go with
him twain"
In ancient times, so goes the story, a
Roman commander at the head of his
legion went forth TO capture a great
city. With rattle Of chariot wheel and
flashing Of spear and defiant standards
and signaling buge blast the invading
army approached the city wall. Much
to their surprise, they found every gate
wide open. The merchants were work
ing In their stores, the women were
working In their kitchens, the farmers
were In their fields. The Roman com
mander asked in surprise Of the inhab
itants who came forth to greet him:
"Whcre are your soldiers? We have
rome to fight" 1--WE have no soldiers"
was the answer Of the Inhabitants.
1--WE are Il people Of peace. We vel
come you to our homes. We will care
for you as long as you wish to stay"
"Well." answered the Roman COM
mander. III there are 10 soldiers to
fight we shall march on" The Roman
army came to battle with sword and
with spear. They were conquered by
love. SO our enemies have been for
ais attacking the walled and forti-
fed citadels of our hearts. If we would
open the barred gates Of love to those
enemies and lower the drawbridge OF
affection, we would capture nearly all
Of our foes by the power Of love. The
twain mile may have its thistles and
thorns and stony highways, but most
of those thOrns can be blanketed with
the roses Of Sharon. Most Of those
pebbled pathways can be covered over
with a soft quilt Of grass which once
grew at the foot Of the tree out of
which was cut the beam Of the cross.
What True Love Means.
The twain mile is the place where
Jesus becomes to every Christian a
treasured, loving personality. Well
substantiated is the fact that love
grows as much upon what we do for
others as what others do for us, upon
what we are ready to give as upon
what we are ready to receive. In order
to have true love, we must be ready to
lose our lives before we can have those
lives come to their true development.
We must be ready to die II we want to
truly live as we ought to live.
Why is a mothers love the purest Of
all earthly love? Because the baby di-
rectly does so much for the mother?
Oh, no. There never was bigger ty-
rant who ever welded a scepter than
a little baby in the average home.
From the time the child is born until
grown 1t practically does nothing for
the mother. The mother Is always do
ing something for the child. From the
advent some one has TO keep tending
the child. The mother feeds 1t, dresses
It, cares for 1t. For the first year, at
least, the mother has tugging silver
cord of affection, with one end attached
to the crib and the other end attached
to her heart She practically lives by