Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-09-26

the salt of the earth" "We are the cit
, les set upon a hill which cannot be
hid" AS gospel students we are
Chrlsts representatives. Christs wit
nesses. and we cannot help It.
But where as Christian disciples
shall we build Christ's future class
rooms? Everywhere. In them must
be gathered the old and the young, the
rich and the poor, the white and the
black, the Jew, the gentle. For them
the applications for membership do not
need the Endorsement Of a wealthy
mans check. They are not restricted
to a social caste. as is the famous pri-
vate school near st. Petersburg, which
was established only for the sons and
daughters Of the men who are the IA
vorites of the Russian czar. Did say
the future gospel classrooms must be
built for all people alike? | misquoted
myself. They must be especially built
for the poor and the helpless and the
weak and the lame and the blind and
the outcasts, social and spiritual. The
command Is given unto US In emphatic
terms, Go ye out into the highways
and the hedges and compel them to
come in." These are the words Christ
uses, Compel, compel, compel them to
come In"
A Message to the World.
What q message 1t is that the stu
dents in Christs school are commits
stoned to deliver to the world! 1t trans
forms the whole aspect Of life. This
world, in the light of our Lords teach
ing, is no longer the scene Of meaning
less suffering, Of useless struggle and
inevitable disappointment. 1t Is a
scene of preparation, of discipline, OF
education, in the highest sense Of the
word. for q larger, fuller life. AS the
children who are now assembling in
our school-houses are being prepared
for q manhood and womanhood OF use
full service, so the men and women In
Christ's school have reached a higher
grade. They, too, are being educated
and trained for a grander career. The
lessons are hard to learn, the discipline
Is often painful. But we go TO our
tasks with brave heart when we dis
cover that there is a purpose in It all.
We can bear hardship and persecution
and affliction when we know that they
are developing in us qualities which we
shall need in a better world than this.
Thus trials come to US with new faces.
We can understand now our Divine
Teachers inaugural message: BLESSED
are they that mourn" Blessed are
they who hunger and thirst" for un-
der his blessed teaching we have learn
ed that "all things work together for
good to them that love God"
Thus, my Christian friends, by the
words Of my text, l open to you life
Of endless gospel activity. First, as a
student you are to come into touch
with Jesus. You are to be like your
great Divine Master. This will not be
very difficult If you will only come
near enough to Christ, II you will only
live In his presence day by day. 1t
has often been said among the alumni
Of Williams college that each student
who ever lived under the influence OF
Mark Hopkins had a distinctive stamp
placed upon him which marked him
as "Hopkinsite." So II you live near
to Jesus you Will have his stamp upon
you. You will become Christlike; you
will become good" or like God. You
will not, as did the ignorant country
boy, copy q chrome stamped on daily
newspaper page and call that "art"
You will be as one who studies a great
original masterpieces. Your model will
be Jesus. rrtuit1veiy, consciously and
unconsciously, by waking in his pres
ence you will absorb his personality in
your life.
The second purpose Of this text is to
send you forth as gospel evangelists.
You are to go up and down the street
and preach everywhere the sweet sto-
ry Of Jesus. You are to do this because
If you are true gospel students you will
as naturally talk about your Divine
Teacher as q bird hatched under a
songstress' wing will sing; as a seed |
dropped from a rosebush will develop |
into rose; as a dewdrop first touched
of the morning sun will sparkle like a
diamond; as a dying sunset will gild
the overhanging clouds with passemen-
teries Of gold. May this sermon be the |
means under the power of the Holy |
Spirit to lead you into the gospel class |
room. May it also be the means OF
sending you forth, one and all, as gos'
pei teachers.
copyright. 1903 by Louis Klopsch.1