Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1904-02-20

church, All Christian churches ought
TO belong to you and you to them. The
difference of Protestant creeds Is mere
ly that Of extra emphasis upon some
one Of Gods great attributes. Remem-
ber hereafter that you ought to be able
to worship God Just as devoutly and
earnestly before Methodist altar as
at an Episcopalian chancel or as In
Presbyterian pew. God has many gos-
pei sheepfolds. These sheep are all fed
by the same Divine Shepherd, although
at times they are separated from each
other by the sectarian fences built by
man's creed and by infinite Ignorance.
"Other sheep have l which are not OF
this fold" applies as much to the
Protestant church across the street as
to your own chapel.
The mystery OF why God ever let sin
come into the world: 1t Is an mex
plicable mystery. 1t is a mystery the
more inexpllcable because, from hui
man standpoint, II there had been no
sin then there would have been no
need of a place Of future punishment
But. after we have once accepted the
belief that loving God has allowed
sin to come into this world for a pur-
pose which we cannot fathom or ana
I'VE. then we find that some OF the
most beautiful sacrifices Of Christian
heroes and herolnes have been inspired
from this source to overcome the aw-
full and eternal effects Of evil. If there
had been no sin there would have been
no Mofratts and Whipples and Jud-
sons, no Careys and Taylors, no VIII
sons and Brainerds, no Patons and Ell
Lofts In the missionary fields trying
TO save the ignorant, brutal and canni-
balistic sayages from the awful degra-
dation Of their lives. If there had been
no sin there would have been no Cath
crime Booths as "angels of light la
boring among the London slums, no
Howards among the prisons, no Will
liamses to reach out rescuing hands
from the Young Mems Christian asso-
Citations. II there were no sin there
would be no such saving work for us
TO do for Christ as we can one and all
now perform in his name.
Need of Chrfst's Love.
Furthermore, II there were no sin
there would be TO Saviour" as we pic
ture him. What does the word "Sav-
iour" mean? 1t means a rescuer. In
a physical sense It means the strong
swimmer who breasts the waves and
goes out beyond the life lines to bring
in the drowning brother. 1t means the
fireman who climbs the ladder and
amid the breathless silence Of the on
lockers plunges into the flames and
brings out the unconscious man and
woman and carries them to safety just
before the crooked walls totter and fall.
II means, in physical sense. Henry
NJ. Stanley plunging into the African
forests TO save an Emln Pasha or a
Captain Schley heading his ships north
ward to save a Greely and a Melville.
If there is no danger, then there can
be no Saviour or -rescuer. And because
! he eternal results OF SIN are 50 great,
therefore, the divine love Of Christs
sacrifice is brought forth in the brighter
contrast. We are not marveling today
why the human craft was allowed to be
stranded upon the rocks Of sin, but we
are proclaiming the fact that on ac-
count Of our impending eternal Ship
wreck the gospel life line Is flung out
and the gospel lifeboat is being pushed
through the raging, surging, stormy
seas.
We cannot explain why sin was ever
allowed to come into the world. But
after we accept its advent as fact,
then the cross, on account of our eter'
nal danger. can become our all In all
J With the salnted Gotthold we may say
before the flaming fires Of eternal
death: "For my own part my soul Is
like a hungry and thirsty child, and
need Christ's love and consolation fol
my refreshment. l am a wandering
and lost sheep, and need him as
good and faithful shepherd. My sou
is like a frightened dove pursued by
hawk. and / need his wounds for
refuge. l am feeble vine, and | neeC
his cross to lay hold of and wind my
self about. am sinner, and neeC
his righteousness. am naked anC
bare. and | need his holiness and in
nocence for a covering. l nm In trou
BILE and alarm, and I need his soace
Simple and foolish am 1, and need th'
guidance Of his Holy Spirit. Am ar
raigned by Satan at the divine tribunal
he must be my advocate. Am In ar
Fiction, he must be my helper. Am
prosecuted by the world, he must de
fend me. When am forsaken he mus
be my support; when dying, my life
when moldering in the grave. my resur
rection." Why did God let sin COM
into the world? We cannot understand
it. But after we have accepted the fac
that the good God has allowed sin t
come into the world for a purpose
then. on account Of the eternal DANCE
threatening us, we see as never befor
glorious sacrifices, both human ant
divine We see on account Of saliva
ton from sin how Christ's blood will
not only lift us above the angels, bu
how, through Christ, we may become
part of God himself. A mystery! Al
unfathomable mysteryl Yet a mys
terry which makes heaven blaze will
triumphant and far reaching light.
Mystery of the Resurrection.
Mystery of the resurrection: How l
the transformation between earth ant
heaven to take place? We know not
We cannot explain. The more W
study it the deeper becomes the mys
! terry. But though the resurrection is
, mystery, though we cannot by human
reason understand how these poo
bodies of ours can be so transforme
that they will live forever, we ca
when reason halts proceed under tn
higher guidance Of faith and accep
Alaaa