Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-06-27
TAL<MAGC
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALhshGE, DID,,
Pastor of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church. Chicago

the preacher points out INC an wv
prevalent custom of letting down the
moral bars during the summer vaca-
ton. Some of the evils peculiar to so
called popular summer resorts are I'M
sparngly denounced. The text Is
Numbers xxi, %, BE sure your sin
will find you out"
What are you going to do this sum-
mer? Take a vacation" you answer.
81 am going away to the country.
There was once time when l did not
believe in summer vacations. thought
they were merely lazy mems excuses
for Sinking work. But now l know
that l was mistaken. have been
gradually breaking down under the
ceaseless monOtonies Of business.
want and need a change. l am going
out among the green hills or down by
the seashore. | will leave word that
all letters and kilograms at the store
ms far as possible must remain unan-
swered until | get back. am going
to rusticate. l shall turn myself out
to grass and let my mind run fallow.'
Good resolve, that! l always did be-
lleve it better to pay for a fresh air
tonic and country sunlight than for
medicine chest. l always did believe
II far better to associate with the farm
err. the fisherman and the country toll
gate keeper for a little while during
the summer than It is to have the doc
tor and the trained nurse your con-
slant visitants during the winter. The
hammerings of the woOdpecker are
much more pleasant for one to hear
than the creakings of rheumatic joints.
The sunrise over the eastern hills in
the country after one has gone to bed
at o'clock and slept through the
night is a far more enjoyable sight
TO see than a sunrise in the city which
one witnesses after an agonizing night
of sleepleSsness caused by that worst
Of all inquisitorial fiends called insom-
MIA.
beware of Sabbath Dissertation.
But, my hearers, before we separate
for the summer, as your pastor l
would like to ask you another ques-
ton: What do you expect to do when
you are in the country? How are you
going to spend that vacation? "Well,
you answer, 81 really do not know. l
am going to let things drift and not
make any plans. If feel like fishing
l will fish. If l want to take drive
l will go driving or l will take trip
upon my bicycle. But the simple fact
ISLAM not an enthusiastic sportsman.
l fear the time some days will drag
heavily. But go away to the country
l will | know | need the trip" Yes,
my brother, your answer is that which
most men can give. You have been
working hard during your life. In one
sense you have destroyed your ability
TO play. Therefore when you go to the
country and do not know what to do
foundations will there aSSail you
which would never tempt you when
YOU are at home and at work. Now,
the purpose of this sermon is not to
talk to libertines and loafers and dead
beats. 1t is not to upbraid the social
outcasts and the sinful vampires who
as human leeches try to suck the lifes
blood out of their fellow men at the
summer watering places. That class or
people are not those whom | want to
talk to now. But would today, as
pastor, earnestly and prayerfully give
a few words of practical advice to
hard working people who will spend
their vacations away from home. l
would try to warn you against the
temptations which will confront you
and which, if successful, may destroy
your entire Christian character. The
leprous germ absorbed into the spir-
itual body In a day may continue to
work its malformations clear on down
to the grave and change your whole
eternal destiny.
Summer red light the first: Beware
Of Sabbath dissertation. That means
beware that you do not unarmor your
selves by one false move and leave
your bea ting hearts defenseless before
the poisoned arrows Of the Satanic
archers. Beware that you do not prac-
tically say to the evil tempters: Here
am |, off on my summer vacation l
have left my religion at home. l am
ready to let you lead lie where you
will. For two or three weeks or one
month at least. | will enter no church,
listen to no sermon, utter no public
prayer and ask for no divine protec-
ton. | will take a holiday from re-
ligion as well as from business, and as
a beginning | will disregard the Lords
day"
How TO Start a Vacation.
"What do you mean by such warn
ing as thatT' some one asks. why do
YOU place such emphasis upon Sabbath
observance? Because, my friend, the
way you generally start your summer
vacation is the way you will end It..
The Sabbath Dissertation is the key
note. as a rule, or the forerunner, of
long series of spiritual backsliding.
How? In all probability your summer
vacation will start on Saturday att
ernoon. How will you spend your first
day in the country? Will you do 1t
with prayer and conservation? VIII
you do it by taking your children to the
Sunday school and joining the Chris
tan workers Of that neighbOrhOod in
public worship within the four walls
of the little village church, or will
you do it by coming down in your fish
ing toys or by waving your golf stick
or with your baskets full Of food for
q rollcking time in the woods on
Sunday picnic? Here are the two ex-
tremes. Which will you choose? The
one heads toward spiritual renovation;
the other heads toward spiritual
death. No man or woman ever lived
who could successfully resist the temp
tations of our summer resorts who
started their vacations by breaking the