Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-02-14

Lord praise We the Lord from the
heavensl Both young men and maid
ems, old men aud children, let them
praise the name of the Lord" Then
John Wesley took the old Bible, the Bi-
BILE of Martin Luther. He took tnat
Bible out of the chancel and the cl0ls-
ter. He gave it to the people, the COM
mon people. He said to them as Paul
said uuto young Timothy: preach the ,
word. BE instant in season. out OF sea-
son. Rcprove, rebuke, eXhort! Then I
John Wesley placed his hands upon the /
commonest of men in ordination. He |
took the cobbler from off his stool, the |
miner from the dark caverns OF the /
earth, the farmer from the field and
the clerk from the store. He said unto /
these men who had been studying the
word of God: Brethren, you do not
need a theological training. Preach
Jesus Christ; preach; everywhere
preach, preach, preach"
The older denominations OF England
at that time sneered at the Wesleyans
In derislon they called them "Metho-
dists" because they did everything un-
methodically. What was the result!
Was Wesley's foolish plan? On, no.
When Charles Wesley started the peo-
pie singing instead of relegatlng that
duty to trained choir, as many or our
churches do today; when John wesley
started his people praying and pleading
I'm the barns, in the homes, on the street
corners. Charles and John Wesley, by
the power of the pew, reused all Eng
land for Christ. And today the great
est danger OF the Methodist church Is
that she is developing too much an IN
tellectual pulpit instead of pleading
praying. testifying pew. John Wesley
believed in that pew; John Wesley Dy
the grace of God, compelled that pew
10 speak. Oh, thou deaf and dumb
spirit of the church pew, in the name
Of Christ | command thee to come out
and be gone into everlasting darkness!
/ The caverns Of the black inferno alone
are suited to thy whitening and Dlast-
ing and accursed silence. Let the Sill
yer tongue of Christian testimony here
after speak from the pew. This plea,
oh. Christian women, is spoken 10 you
as well as to your brother.
Would that the tongue of the dumD
spirit Of Christian testimony might De
unloosed and begin to speak for Chrlst
in the homcs am not now alluding
TO the Christian testimony which ought
TO be heard among our children by our
own Grcside. | am referring to the
word of gospel invitation which should
he addressed to the sinful and goddess
homes in the midst of every CHRISTIAN
community.
The Present Condition.
noted southern educator some time
400 bluntly said. at is often far easier
for man to sign thousand dollar
check for foreign missions than 1t IS
for him TO speak Christian word OF
announcement to the bootDlack boy
cleaning his shoes OH the street cor
ner." That is a very wise saying. But
I carry the principle still further. IL
is often far easier for Christian lauy
tn get I'D a church fair in the interests
of foreign missions or to read paper
before that society upon the tlllpihos
or the Chinese or Siamese than II Is to
on to the family which lives in the fia'
above her and ask them if they love
the Lord Jesus Christ. Ought such
condition ever to exist? 1t is about
, +ime for some of us to learn to sing
with the right spirit Bishop Heber'i
: grand old gospel hymn:
I. If YOU cannot cross the ocean
! And the heather lands explore
You can find the hcathen nearer,
e You can help them at your door.
NV brother living in Chicago, do yo'
: not know that there are within radlu'
e of three blocks of your house scores
: and scores of families who never hea
l. the name Of Jesus spoken in thel
homes except in blasphemy? DO yo'
+ not know that within a radius OF 81.
|. blocks of this church. every Sunda.
n night while am preaching, scores ant
= scores of young men and women pas
II In and out of the fatal doors OF the sa
!? looms and places Of evil resortF Som
n of us are foolish enough to thlnK ina
h tbe baunts of Satan are open only 81
s. davs of the week that on the seyent
# dav Satan rests and shuts up shop an
T. saws to his hirelings, "My agents an
r servants. let US allow, God to open hi
9 churches on the Sabbath, and we WI
rest" No The churches may be opeI
d ed one day of the week, but the SataI
e ic haunts are never shut. Night an
e dav the busy fingers of death are reacl
It ing. always reaching. after more VII
it tins. Like the quicksands Of the Ia
~ cast this Satanic destroyer keeps swa
v lowing down the unfortunate, and l
s never seems to have enough. Nor
-e more. morcr' continually cry the CV
I'd sDirits. Give us more human bloc
IT to ouench our unquenchable thirst!'
G. Now, my Christian friends, while
lg rejoice in foreign missions and NouI
is not abate your interest in them wal
~ TO ask YOU this pertinent question: L
It, You think we should allow our concel
as for souls 10000 miles away to monOp
W Ilze our efforts? While we are seekir
C. them do not let us overlook the dang
be of those who are living In sin by o'
ly OWN door. Do you think that the )
as moans and the Australasians and Il
Ie- Maoris and African negroes should
X. any more precious in Gods sight al
es in ours than the man or the wom'
is about whose personality you never ca
Ie- until you zee a black Grape hangl
he upon the opposite door? Oh, man.
he Won had the true love Of Jesus Chr
is in your heart, you would act different
ch toward your unknown neighbor. Il
by would enter his home for Jesus sal
IN. with at least the same intensity as
no life insurance agent hunts up m
us and women for his insurance co
mt panv. You would enter the strange
ito home, near to your door, with at lei
ne the same earnestness as If you had
IN. | coll q fev books in order to buy 20