Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1904-09-03

poems OF the great lyric poet Until tue
tears rained down his cheeks, and l
thought those poems were the sweet
est words ever composed by man. But
the words Burns used in his poems,
and William Shakespeare used In his
poems, and Longfellow used In his
poems, and Whittier and Holmes and
Lowell and Bayard Taylor used In
their poems, were for the most part
only the simple words we use In ev-
eryday life by our own firesides. The
beauty Of these poets words are en-
tirely due to their juxtaposition with
their surrounding words. The words
which express our thoughts, our pas
sions. our emotions, may not be beau
tiful In themselves, but II they are
brought into rhythm with Gods words
they not only become poetry, but they
become beautiful, for then our thoughts
as words are In symmetry with Gods
thoughts.
But perhaps we have fingered al
ready too long among the artists and
the musicians and the sculptors ana
the architects and the poets to find
mans spiritual beauty by being In
symmetry with Gods thoughts. Per-
haps after all we can clinch the truth
OF our text best by a short running
comment upon few OF the verses
which precede the words, HE hath
made everything beautiful In its time"
God says that man is beautiful when
he Is born. Oh, yes. That means
when man Is born for Christ. But Is
man beautiful when he Is born for sin!
Come with me, and | will show you
Robespierre gleefully sharpening the
az of his guillotine. l will show you
an Indian demon just for fun torturlng
n victim at the stake whose scalp Will
soon be hanging at the warriors belt.
I will show you men who for the price
of a drink are ready to sell their sons
and daughters into life Of crime. Can
you see any beauty In the birth OF a
demoniac Frankenstein?
There is "time to die. which Is
beautiful. Death, il it comes In GODS
way. s beautiful, for then q dying
saint knows death is not annihilation,
but coronation, irradiation and eternal
triumph. Like old Senator Foote,
when dying he can look at the raptur-
Gus glories ahead and cry: "Beauti-
full. Beautiful. Beautiful" But was
the death of Nero beautiful? Was the
death of Cleopatra beautiful? Was
the death Of Thomas Paine beautiful
one moment in prayer, the next mo-
ment blaspheming God, until his rela-
tions. in horror, placed their fingers
in their ears and ran from his bowling
blasphemous agonies?
The Redemption of John.
Are YOU and | ready to become part
of Gods beautiful creation? Are we
ready to become beautiful in ourselves
BY becoming beautiful in him? Even
the lowest and yilest, saved by his
grace and redeemed by his blood, can
become a true part Of Christs beauti-
fui life. Many Years ago when the
yellow fever plague was raging In
Memphis, Tenn, a rough looking man
applied to the city relief committee
and said, II wish to nurse" 1t was
at time when most people who could
were fleeing from the stricken and des-
olated homes. The death carts seemed
to be going everywhere. At first the
physician declined the rough mans
services. but as he could get no one
else to do the work this man was sent
to one of the most filthy and danger
Gus wards Of the city. Wherever he
went he was messenger Of love. He
would not tell his name; he said SIM
ply. Call me John" Time passed on,
and after awhile John, whose name
was now famous through the city,
sickened and died. While his body was
being prepared for an unmarked grave,
suddenly upon his arm was found a
| liyid mark. which proved that John
was an ex-convict. John had been
one of the most dangerous criminals
Of all the south. Once he was muir
derer, but now, through the blood Of
| Jesus, he became ministering angel.
| Once he was horrible in his depraved
malformation. Now he was made beau
tlful by bringing his life in SYM
| metrical touch with Jesus life.
My friends, will you not let Christ
fill you with his spiritual beauty? Will
you not only in the future be spiritu-
ally beautiful, but beautiful now in
your present life? Will you not be-
come transformed as was John, the
redeemed nurse, laboring for his Mas
ter in, plague stricken Memphis?
copyright. 1904, by Louis Klopsch.l