Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1904-07-16
Caln1age
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase. ID. ID.

preacher in this sermon shows by Illus
tration and incident that true and en-
during happiness and satisfaction sre
not to be found in worldly success, bnt
IN embracing the offer Of salvation
through Christ The text Is Mark XII,
"a. "ThOu art not far from the kingdom
Of God"
What is to you the saddest word In
all the English language? Edgar Al
Ian Poe, that brilliant genius of Amer
ican literature, whose designations en-
dungeoned him in chamber OF her
rors as ghastly as that In which Thom-
as De Quincy was compelled to live
and whose raven Of delirium tremens
sounded his death knell when he had
just reached forty years Of age, has
made the word "neverm0re" awful in
its significance. In it we hear the
black bird Of demOnlacal despair croak-
ing dirge. In it are heard the sobs
of breaking hearts and are seen Tie
ghostlike horrors Of Il living charnel
house. "Nevermore Nevermore! NeV-
ermorew TO many that word will al
ways be the saddest Of all words.
Thomas Carlyle, the great English
essayist and philosopher, the master OF
mighty sentences and prose master
pieces, dipped his pen in the reddest OF
all inks when he wrote the word
"ought" The great author Of the just
ly famous philosophical dissertation
upon THE French Revolution" de-
clared that the word ought Is the
saddest of all words. 1t has in 1t all
the harsh and reverberating voices
which run the gamut Of remorse. Car
lyle's conception of the imperial force
Of that word "ought" had in 1t the
thunder Of Sinai, and to the offender
recreant to duty It still sounded, min
pled with the taunts Of the 1ends OF
the eternal inferno, deridlng and mock
ing the miserable sufferer with the re-
minders of the bliss he might have en-
loved if he had done as he ought.
Some have declared that the saddes-
of all words is gone" others death
others despair" But today | want to
call your attention to another word
which | think is the saddest word ever
uttered by man. 1t was that which
King Agrippa spake to Paul when on
the Roman tribunal Of Caesarea PM
lippi he said: Almost! Almost thou
persuadest me TO be Christian AL,
yes, King Agrippa was so near the
kingdom Of God that just one ster
forward would have placed tie Rcman
ruler at the feet of Christ. Just one
step more would have changed him
from a pagan into a humble and re-
pentant follower of the NaZarene. But
that one step was never taken. King
Arrippa was almost persuaded to be
a Christian, but his almost never
brought him into safety and eternal
life.
Today | am going to try to help some
OF you to overcome that saddest or all
words. almost" | am going to show
some Of you that, like the scribe of my
text. who came to question Jesus, you
are mot far from the kingdom of God"
but am also going to show you that
TO be almost saved and yet not saved
is to be lost completely and utterly lost,
tust as much as were the poor fellows
who were imprisoned few years ago
In the iron hulk Of the steamers burn
ing at the wharfs OF HobOken, in New
York harbor. Frantically they stood at
the barred portfolios. Frantically they
stretched forth their arms through the
iron gratings. The could see the blue
waters Of the harbor. They could hear
the calls Of the would be rescuers hard
at work. But they were lost, entirely
lost, though there WAS "only one step
between them and perfect safety.
Advantage Of a Christian Home.
Almost saved. Yes, you are. How
do | know it? l learn how near you
have come to salvation as | look at the
entries on those white pages sewed be-
tween the Old and the New Testaments
of the family Bible. BY this record OF
the family births and deaths | find
your father was a Christian. Your
mother was a Christian. Your sisters
and brothers were all Christians.
find also that your parents reconsecrat
ed their lives for Gods service wher
/ they held you before the sacred altal
on the day you were baptized. 1t is
very easy matter for you to become
Christian, with such family history.
"'Tis true" says some young man tc
me. 81 was born in a Christian home
| am not near however, but very, very
far from the kingdom of God. why
after left my Christian home seem
ed to be possessed not with sever
devils. but seventy times seven devils
No sooner did | leave home and gC
away from mother and father than
plunged into a life Of dissipation.
drank, l gambled, blasphemed. die
everything l ought not to have done
and l left undone everything l ough
10 have done. 1t is said that wher
Lysimachus was fighting against th'
Getae he was entrapped by his enc
mics in the desert sands. His thirs
became so great that he offered hi
whole kingdom for a drink of water, al
Esau sold his birthright for a mess O.
pottage. But no sooner had Lysl
machus slaked his thirst than he cried
'Ah, wretched me, who for such
mementary qualification should hav
lost so great a kingdom Though
have been brought up in Christial
home, for the momentary satisfying o
my evil desires have stihed all thos
pure influences of the past. | am lik
man who. to Quench his thirst. ha
done more than to barter away king
dom. have bartered away my life.
Not so fast brother; not so fast. fo
have flung yourself into the quagmir
Of sin, but by your very words OF dc
spair l know you are near to the king
dom. have had in my time much ez