Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-01-11

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WASHINGTON, Jan. BIN this Dr.
Talmage's first discourse for the ne"
wear he speaks words Of encourage
ment to all the timid and douhting'
The text is Exodus xii, ., This month
shall be unto you the beginning OF
months: It shall be the first month OF
the year to YOU"
The last month of the old year has
passed out of sight, and the hfst nol'n
of tbe new year has arrived. The mlu-
night gate last Wednesday opened ana
January entered. She deserves Oeu'
fer name. for she is called after Janus
the heathen deity who. they supposed
presided over doors and so might oe
exnected to preside at the opening OF
the year. This month was or ola caileu
the wolf month because, through the
severity of its weather, the hungry
wolves came down seeking food ana
devouring human life. In the mlssais
of the middle ages January was repre-
sented as attired in white suggesuN"
Of the snow. and blowing the hhgers,
as though suffering from the cold ana
having bundle of wood under lHe
arm. suggestive Of the warmth tha'
must be kindled.
Yes. January is the open door of the
veor and through that door will come
what long professions. some OF them
hearing palm leaves and some myrtle
others with garlands of wheat and
others with cypress and mistletoe. lhey
are coming, and nothing can keep them
hack-the events Of a twelvemonth. IL
will. | think, be one Of the greatest
wears OF all time. 1t will abound Win
blessing and disaster. National ana III
fernational controversies of momentouS
innort will be settled. Year of coro
nation and dethroncmcnt year tha'
will settle Cuban and Porto Rican and
Pbilipplnp end South African and chi
nese destinies. The tamest year tol
many decade pas has dug It's mil
lions Of graves and reared its millions
of marriage affairs
We can expect greater events ID ll.'
veor than ever Lefore. fOr NE world
population has so vastly increased
there are so Macy more than in any
other year to laugh and weep and m
umph and perish. The mighticr wheeIi
of mechanism have such wider sweep
The fires are kindlcd in furnhces no
seven times but seventy times heated
The velocities whrling through Tie al
. and sailing the seas and tunn'hns th'
mountains will make unpreccdehle'
demonstration. Would to God that be
fore the now opening year has close'
the earth might cease TO tr"mble VIII
the last cannonade and the heaYen
cease to be lighted up with any NOR
confederation of howesteads and th
foundries that make swords be turne'
into blacksmith shops for making
plowshares.
- Grnsp Present Opportunities.
The front door OF stupendJus yea
has opened. Before many of you ther
will be twelve months of opportun't
for making the world better or worse
hoppler or mere miserable. Let u
pray that it may be Il year that WI
Indicate the speedy redemption OF tn
hemisphere. Would to God that thl
might be the year In which the 'hre
great instruments now chiefly used to
secular purposes might be put to thel
mightiest use in the worlds evangeliZ;
tion-the telegraph. the telephone. IN
pbonograph, Electricity has such p'
tent tongue. such strong arm. sue
swift wing such lightning foot, tbs
il occurs to me that it may be the ang
that St. John saw and heard IN apo
alyptic vision when he started bae
and cried out. 81 saw another ang
Aying in the midst Of heaven havin
the everlasting gospel to preach UNI
them that dwell on the earth ana
every nation and kindred and tongl
:, and people" They were tongues or III
that sat on the heads OF the dlSclpl'
at the Pentecost. and why not q
world called to God by tongue OF ele
tric fire? Prepare your batteries M
So make ready to put upon the wires u
world wide message OF "whosoeV
will"
Furthermore this month Of Janua
y has the greatest height and depth
cold. The rivers are bound in crys'
- chains. The fountains that made hig
est leap In the summer parks now to
not one Jet. for every drop would be
frozen tear. The slpds craunch lfFcui
the hard snow Warmest attire G
wardrobe can afford is put on that
1e NAV defend ourselves against the fu
" of the clements. Hardest OF all [
months for the poor. let it be the ST
son OF greatest generosity on the pa
of the prosperous. How much SCI
tie of coal or pair of shoes or a ca
IE or a shawl may do in assuagement
suffering between the 1st Of Janua
and the 1st of February God OF
&c knows. Seated by our warm regist'
of or wrapped in furs which make US
of dependent Of the cutting January Dla
he let us not forget the tireless hearth a
the thin garments and the hack
~ cough a9d the rheumatic twinge
Q those VIII, through destitution find |
in winter an agony. Suppose each
- of us take under charge one povel
~ stricken household or one disabled u
or one invahded woman. On our
home from such q charity, though
wind may be bowling and the MI
tempestuous. | should not wonder
we could hear q voice that was he'
on Galilee and at the gates Of NJ
and by the pool of Bethesda sayi
'Tnasmuch as ye did it to them, ye
IL to me-"