Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-07-25

y
ned and every oar held in firm grip.
oh. my dear friends, why is not hui
man being upon the land ready to an
swer signals of distress raised by his
fallen brethren, as the sailors upon the
sea try to help those who are In dls-
tress? Do not the whiflwinds Of disas-
ter shrek and howl and sweep up the
streets of great city as well as among
the archlpelagoes of Mediterranean!
When, some years ago, dark, runner
shaped cloud swiftly approached st.
Louis and in an instant broke and de-
stroyed whole streets and buried many
n corpse under the debris, did it wreck
any more lives than do the cyclones
of sin which are daily destroying the
hundreds and thousands Of young men
and women? Every city has its two
sides-lts light side and dark side; It's
pure side and its morally diseased side;
its Christian side and its internal side;
its happy side and its despairful side.
Shall we who profess to love God ana
are living In health and strength have
nothing to do with those who are n.y.
ing the signals Of distress?
A ProyidentinI Rescue.
Be not afraid, my brother, that you
will never have an opportunity to save
men and women upon the land who are
Aying signals of distress. If you Will
once consecrate your lives to his serv-
ice God will reveal them to you, the
same as he led old Captain Pendleton
many years ago, to save the passengers
and the crew of a sinking ship. The
old captain was neighbor OF my IA
theirs and a friend of my childhood.
lie had upon his wall picture com
memorative of this rescue. He again
and again told me this wonderful
story. He had been to the far east
After voyage of many months he was
nearing New York harbor. He was
only two or three days from home
Suddenly. az he lay in his cabin, a
strong and even imperative command
came to him from on high. He seemed
TO hear a divine voice saying: go back
Go back! About ship and go back!
He was not in the least man given &c
yagarles. lie shook himself and went
upon the deck. The stars were shining
above. The sea was calm. The wind
was brisk, and the sails were well NIL
ed He went down to his cabin and
again tried to sleep. Again came thai
strange command: "Go back! Go back
About ship and go back" SO forciDly
did this second command come tna'
CAPTAIN Pendleton gave the command
TO about ship. The mates and sailors
thought he was going crazy. lie salC
nothing. but sailed on for two hours,
think. when, 10, a sinking ship hove II
sight, and he was able to rescue many
lives. That picture upon the wall was
presented to the old captain by the res
cued men and women. So God, II We
consecrate our lives to his service, VII
lead us in strange and devious ways
He will so guide us that we may p'
able to save immortal men and womeI
from sin upon the land as old Captalr
Pendleton rescued those men and wo
men from q watery grave.
The human vessel, in order to reach
the h rbor for which Christ intended
him t. sail, must be able in one sense
to make the voyage Of life alone.
mean by that that he must steer his owl
course irrespective Of what other hu
man vessels may do. A great harbor llkt
New Yorks always teens with life
The many trees which cover the noun
tain sides do not seem to the imaglna
tive eve to be denser than the forests
of masts which are crowding aDou'
the docks. When the great steamer Ii
being pulled out Of her wharf the little
tugs shrek and puff and grunt. The
multltudes who have come to bid theil
friends goodby wave their handker
chiefs. The river boats salute the huge
ship as she slowly moves down the bay
But after awhile the surrounding ships
become less and less in numbers
Then If you are sailing upon the Pa
cific. or even upon the Atlantic, you
NAV 90 days and weeks and not sight
another craft. If you are on sailing
ship you will get head winds as wei
as those from the stern. Then you, az
a sailing master, will have to tack anc
beat up against those head winds. Hot
will have but one purpose-alway'
working ahead toward the harbor, al
ways pressing toward the one destlna
ton to which you wish to go. The
VOYAGE Of the Christians life Is very
similar to a sailing ships journey
| across the seas.