Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-01-24

uIullNt llHkDlf NGtlllOA DN QulJilNAANN al
life. | tell you that it can. l declare
to you today that there are thousands
and tens OF thousands OF American
merchants who would never have been
! able to see clearly the spiritual face
Of Jesus except through a financial
tempest. The best merchant | ever
/ knew was cOnsecrated to Christ
/ through a Galilean tempest. Mr.. a. L.
Brooks was not only the chief member
Of the old Second Presbyterian church
Of Pittsburg when was there but he
! was also the most influential Christian
/ layman in the city. He told me just
/ before his death that the cause Of his
conservation to Christ came to him
when dishonest partner made him
lose millions OF dollars. Had ii not
/ been for the action of that dishonest
partner at that time Mr. Brooks would
have become before closing his career
not only one Of the wealthiest men in
Pittsburg. but also one OF the wealth
Test men In the United States. Oh, ye
merchants, in those hours OF trials and
financial embarrassment | want you to
make your troubles the stepping stones
TO a complete conservation to the cross.
! | want YOU here and now to feel that
Christ constrained you to enter the
leaky boat OF financial shipwreck so
that you might truly see his face, as
the disciples saw the living Christ in
the fourth watch of the night on Lake
Galilee.
In the Dark Hours.
The dark, tempcstucus nights when
the shadow of the death ANGELS wing
hovered over the home have often been
IN Gods sight the bright, shining days
for the broken hearted household cir
Gle. 1t was awfully hard for you to
hear the doctor say there was no hope
You felt that other people might die,
but somehow the truth was never fully
brought home to you until then that
your mother or wife or child could ever
be taken. Since that moment not only
this life. but the next, has for you an
entirely different significance.
Why did you place upon her coffin
plate the words "At rcst" Did you
mean that her sleep was to be an end
less sleep, which shall never have an
awakening? You used to reyel in the
theories of Darwin's evolution. You
used to claim that the physical man
was only n higher form Of a developed
animal Man was born like 4 dog; he
must die like n dog. Did you still cling
to those theories when you placed upon
her coffin lid the words AT rest| On,
no. You Immediately went back to the
sweet faith Of your father and mother.
You acted in your own life just as
Ethan Allen. the New England infidel,
acted in reference TO his dying daugh-
ter. She called the great Revolution
ary soldier into her bedroom and said:
Papa, am going to die. Mamma says
there are a Christ and hereafter-lf l
trust him. You say there is no here
after. 1 am dying, papa, and l must
make my last decision now. Whom
shall believe? Shall | accept man.
mas Christ or your infdelity" The
great soldiers frame shook with emo
ton. Then, though he had just finished
his famous lnfidel book called Reason,
the Only Oracle of Man." he turned
and said, MY darling, you had better
die in your mothers faith, and not In
my unbelief." And so when the death
angels wings began to lutter over the
bed Of one of your loved ones with one
blow it not only struck your heart, but
is also knocked your infidelity clean out
Of your life You Immediately said, as
you looked into the pale face sleeping
In the casket: II know she lives.
know she is living in some other world
for me-" And as you look up to see
where that other world Is do you not
feel that you were being struck by a
Galilean tempest, as were the disciples
Of old? Do you not feel that through
the dark shadow OF the death angels
wing you have been able to see the
spiritual face Of Jesus Christ Us never
before? 1t was trouble that did it
tempestuous trouble alone which made
you use the hillock Of a grave for a
kneeling stool at the altar Of mercy |
and pardon and love.
The dark, tempcstuous nights in your
sickroom have often been in Gods sight |
the bright dawn Of a day OF Christian |
usefulness. Perhaps | can well Illus |
trate this thought by telling the per-
sonal history Of a famous American
minister. He told me in the sickroom
his personal experiences, the recital of
which made lasting impression upon |
my mind and heart. He is very dear |
friend Of mine.
For many years this minister was not
only admired, but loved. But whenever |
q man went to hear him preach he did |
not know exactly where that minister |
stood. A hearer could not say he was
unorthodoE, because in his sermons he |
always called Jesus a Divine King. |
Meth could the hearer say this !
preacl n was q true believer. His SER
mons uld always he questioned. They |
would nearly always have something !
in them that would make the hearer |
say: II wonder what the preacher
means by that2 Is he one of those lib
erals who only believe the Bible in
spots, who only believe what they want
to believe"
When the Morniry Came.
But one day the NJ spapers all over
the country had the startling telegraph
ic announcement, "Dr. So-andso is
sick" Then came the reports that DR..
So-and-so might die. For weeks and
months that famous minister lowered
between life and death. Then he came
back to his pulpit and to his work. But
now what change! If any stranger
goes to hear him preach, the first and
the last thought he has is: "Dr. So-and-
so is nothing more or less than mighty
gospel evangelist. He has Christ In
the beginning Of his sermon, Christ in
the middle Of his sermon. Christ all the
way through" Do you know the cause
i . Ata.t