Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-10-24
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAcE. DID,
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
terinn Church. Chicago

Chicago. Oct. 1S.-In this sermon
the preacher scathingly exposes ana
denounces the national evil Of gam
bling. which has spread to all classes
and conditions OF men. He utters
wholesome and timely protest against
those forms Of the mania which are
corrupting our social and business liIe'
The text Is Genesis Ill, 10, I'm the
sweat of thy face shalt thou eat
bread"
Some years ago l was walking In
beautiful Fairmount park. Phliauef
phia, with my father. He sudoeniy
turned and said to me: Frank, next
week | am going to write sermon
upon the question is life worth living!
am going to show that the solution
Of that question Is conditional. Wheth-
or life IS or is not worth living de-
pends upon how you live 1t. II man
lives In this world with the Idea that
he Is only to receive and not 10 giVe'
IL he is cursed with the enervatins
conviction that he must be carrleu
around on q litter and If he does not
want 70 be a worker. 4 laborer, doer
for mankind. then lie is not worth
living. The sooner that man is dead
the better. But II man goes through
this world realizing the glorious op-
nortunities of Christian usefulness ana
n he is willing to spend and be spent
for others. then life is worth living.
Then the longer we live on earth the
happier we shall be and the more we
shall make others happy
But though at the Edenic expulsion
the divine command was given, by
the sweat Of thy face shalt thou eat
bread" yet from time inmemorlai
there have been thousands upon thou-
sands of men and women who nave
tried to shirk the obligations OF iapor
which God has placed at every hearth
stone. They have been seeking means
whereby through the opened door OF
the Roman temple erected to Fortuna
the goddess Of chance. they could pos
sess fortune without working for II or
without contributing anything to the
world in return for 1t. They would be
wreckers pure and simple. They
would become vampires upon the sociai
organism, sucking out the life's blood
of others, as the Australian bats fasten
themselves upon the backs OF the
horses. cattle and sheep until they nave
drunk their fill, or as the European
cuckoo lays her eggs in the nests OF
other birds, or like a parasitical plant
which absorbs the nourishment oil
other plants. They would drink, Jet
never themselves become fountains oil
water at whose sparkling springs oth'
ers might quench their parching thirst
worshipers of n Blind Goddess.
In every age there have been thou
sands upon thousands Of deyotees al
Fortuna's shrine. They are blind wor
sinners of blind goddess. The an
. cient Romans showed their wisdom II
picturing her with eyes shut and large
wings on her feet. She sees nothing
OF the sacrifices Of her worshipers. an'
she cares nothing for the heartbreak O
those who have given her their all
She cares not whose fortune sn
snatches away. When she gathers VI
- the gold in her arms those wings ol
+ her feet can make her and her treas
ured burden disappear as quickly as
roulette wheel can whirl, as quickly a
mans deed for his house can chang
hands at the turning Of q caro-, a
quickly as race horse can traVt
about the track Of derby. The goc
dess of chance can fly away so quick
that in an instant q man can be rune
for time and for eternity.
NV theme is defiant gambling IN
sant. yea! The gambler defies 90
and in utter recklessness stakes IL
. fortune in this world and his hopes
the next. This accursed evil Is VII
lation of Gods laws as well as man
Defiant because when the winning
and losings OF a gamblers lifetime al
balanced It will inevitably be 1ouI
that the demon Fortuna has roopeo III
u victim both Of his soul and his pocKe
hook The smile Of this evil genius
nore TO be dreaded than her ROW
The smile allures. but 1t hides u
scowl which might warn the deyot
1 of the ruthlessness with which she
tends completely and eternally to Q
stroy him. The hangman's suaviu
do not make the ropes grip less fat'
. neither did the politeness and deferen
.. with which the Partisan execution
welcomed Louis XVI. to the guillou
& blunt the keen edge OF the descenoi
AZ knife.
S Gambling Ii Robbery.
q Gambling is robbery. 1t takes weal
y and gives nothing In return. II p'
d not one copper into the worlds ire
urv. It plants no seed. 1t digs no q
& from the mine 1t grows no wool up
G tho sheen's back. 1t builds no stea
y ship lines. 1t manufactures no goo
n and II retails no finished products.
x does nothing for national or social
: q yelopment. 1t had no more TO 90 "
; Is the marvellous development OF
Y twentieth century than the vast r1cl
. 4 OF the piratical buccaneers OF oio nao
D do with creating the wealth OF the 10
d teenth and the fifteenth and sixteel
!; centuries. Its mission Is always II
q ous. Ever does it raise black nag
8 death and never the white nag wn
j should always be carried by the
q roes Of peace"
Q Gambling cannot even lay claim
q TIE indirect advantages which lei
3 mate business provides for the G
+ munity. Every legitimate business
benefit me td~moSoss to msoslnS Vanderbilt Mfsn sp1
out to make a success in this w
not even his most intimate frie
.ould charge him with oeing an III