Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-04-19

S4lSeSIS-3>aGfLS
Washington, April 13.-In the follow
ing discourse, prepared by 'Dr. Tai
mage before his illness, the folly ana
danger of postponIng the acceptance OF
the gospel invitation are exposed on
the text, Luke xiv, Is, "And they all
with one consent began to make e1'
cuse."
After the invitations to levee are
sent out the regrets come in. One man
APOLOGIES for nonattendance on one
ground. another on another ground.
The most of the regrets are tounueu
on prior engagements. So in my teSt
q great banquet was spread, the IN.
vltatlons were circulated, and now the
regrets come in. The one gives an
agricultural reason, the other a stock
dealers reason, the other a domestic
reason. All poor reasons. The fact
was. they did not want to go. ANA
they all with one consent began 10
make excuse"
So now God spreads great banquet
II is the gospel feast, and the table
reaches across the hemispheres, ana
the invitations 90 out, and multitudes
come and sit down and drink out or the
chalices of Gods love, while other mui-
titudes decline coming, the one giving
this apology, and the other giving that
apology, "and they all with one con-
sent begin to make excuse" propose
so far as God may help me, to examine
the apologies which men make for not
entering the Christian life.
Apology the first: / am not sure
there Is anything valuable In the CHRIS
tian religion. 1t Is pleaded that there
are so many lmposltlons In this day; so
many things that seem to be real are
sham. A gilded outside may have a
hollow inside. There is so much quaek-
cry in physics. in ethics. In politics. that
men come 10 the habit of incredulity,
and after awhile they allow that In
credullty to collide with our holy re-
llglon. But. my friends, think reli-
zion has made pretty good record In
the world. How many wounds II has
salved! How many pillars OF fire II
has lifted in the midnight wilderness!
How many simoom struck deserts II
hath turned Into the gardens OF the
Lord! How It hath stilled the chopped
sea! What rosy light 1t hath sent
streaming through the riftof the storm
cloud! What pools OF cool water IL
hath gathered for thirsty Hagar ana
Ishmael! What mamma whittier than
coriander seed 1t hath dropped all
around the camp Of hardly bested pill
grlms! What promises 1t hath sent ou'
like holy watchers to keep the lamps
burning around deatbbeds, through th'
darkness that lowers into the sepui
cherl What flashes Of resurrection
morn!
AReIislon of Heroes.
Besides that, this religion has mau'
en- many heroes. 1t brought Summer
field. the Methodist. across che Atlan
tic ocean with his silver trumpet Il
blow the acceptable year OF the Lore
until it seemed rs If all our American
cities would take the kingdom o
heaven by violence. 1t sent Jehud
Ashman into Africa alone. In conu
nent Of naked barbarians. to lift IN
standard OF civilization and Christian
itv II made John Milton among pc
cts. Raphael among painters. Christie
Dher Wren among architects. Thorwalo
sen among sculptors. Handel anon
musicians, Dupont among mllltar
commanders. and to give new wing
TO the imagination and better balanc
To the Judgment and more determlna
tion TO the will and greater useruAnes
TO the life and grander nobility TO ID
soul there is nothing In all the cart
like our Christian religion. NOthln
in religion? Why. then. all thos
Christians were deceived when IN thel
diving moment they thought they sa'
; the castles of the blessed. and you
child. that with unutterable agony 20
nut away into the grave, you VIII ne'
er see him again nor hear MS S"e'
voice por feel the throb OF his youn
heart. There Is nothing In religion
Sickness will come upon you. 40
and turn on your pillow; no reliet. III
medicine may be bitter, the night ma
be dark. the pain may be sharp; no r
lief. Christ never comes to the slcl
room. Let the pain stab; let the feV'
burn: curse It and die There is not
ing in religion! After awhile deaf
will come. You will hear the PAWN
of the pale horse on the threshoI
The spirit will be breaking away FRO
the body. and it will take hight-whit
er whittier? There is no God, no mi
istering angels, to conduct. no CHRIS
no heaven, no home. Nothing in re
gion? Oh. you are not willing to ado
., such q dismal theory.
The Use of a Skeptic.
And yet the world Is full OF skepu'
And let me say there is no class
= people for whom have warmer syl
- pathy than for skeptics. We do n
D know how to treat them. We deri
them. we caricature them. We, inste'
of taking them by the soft hand
Christian love. clutch them with I
iron pinchers Of ecclesiasticism. on,
YOU knew how those men had rail-
| away from Christianity and becoi
skeptics you would not be so rough
them! Some were brought up In hon
where religion was overdone. The m'
wretched day In the week was Sundi
Religion was driven into them with
triphammer. They had a surfeit
= PRAYER meetings. They were stun
and choked with catechisms. I'D
were told by their parents that III
were the worst children that ever li'
because they liked to ride down
- better than to read Pilgrims Pr
ress." They never heard their pare
talk OF religion but with the corners
Dt the mouth drawn down and the eS
lo rolled up. Others went into skepuei
n, through malueatment on the part