Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1904-07-23
CalnaSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt TalmaSe, d. d.

Los Angeles, Cal. July lin this
sermon a new construction is placed
upon many of the miracles Of modern
science" which are interpreted In the
light OF Christs promise to his follow
ers In John xiv, 12, Greater works
than these shall he do"
Man increases not his gospel faith by
lowering the standards of the cross.
You might as well expect water to run
uphill Of Its own accord, or violets to
grow during midwinter In a snowbank,
or daylight to follow after the sinking
Of the sun in the west, or the flush OF
health to be seen on the pale cheek OF
a corpse, or humming bird to volun-
tarily make her nest in the dark laby-
rinths like q ground mole, as for ra-
diant faith capable Of Transforming
character TO exist In any temple un-
less the chief cornerstone Of thatptem-
pie is Jesus Christ And l. II | be
lifted up from earth, will draw all men
unto me-" said Jesus Christ just
short time before his crucihxion. i
am the way, the truth and the life.
No man cometh unto the Father but Dy
me-" speaks our resurrected Redeemer
to the gospel workers of the present
day.
Let II be clearly understood at the cut
set that by no word or thought would
| seek to depreciate the power ana
influence Of Christ's personality ana
work He It is who fills all created
things: he 1t IS who gives life natural,
mental, social. He is the inspirer, the
spring from which come all our trl-
umphs. But | want to show you that
the promise which he gave to his discl-
ples. Greater works than these shall
he do" has been fulfilled and that
man inspired with his spirit has with
the natural forces at his disposal done
more for uplifting humanity, as CHRIST
said he should, than did Christ HIM
self. Man has taken hold OF the pow
er which Christ bestowed and has ap-
piled 1t beyond the opportunities which
Christ had to complete the work that
he initiated. Christ fed the multitudes;
Christ opened the blinded eyes and
stralghtened the crooked limbs; Christ
assuaged pain and stopped the chrome
issue of blood. Christ was a great
preacher and drew the multitudes
about him. Christ fought against the
heathenish doctrine that might Is
right" Christ was the greatest OF all
workers OF wonders that the world had
ever seen. There was only one Christ
There will never be another. Yet there
are senses. natural as well as spiritual,
I'm which his promise has been kept to
his followers, and they have been en-
abled through the power emanating
from him to do works which surpass
those he did in his life on earth. But
let It never be forgotten that these
greater works which man has done
have been accomplished only because
Jesus has lived and Jesus prophetic
words have been fulfilled. In order TO
get better grasp OF this theme let me
read to you the full verse IN which the
words of my test are found. verify
verify say unto you he that believeth
on me the works that do shall he do
also. and greater works than these
shall he do, because l go unto my Fa-
ther."
Cbrist Amazed His Generation.
Jesus Christ was the amazement Oh
amazements to the people of his day
and generation as worker OF natural
phenomena. He seemed to his time
superior to all natural laws. When he
went out to visit his disciples In thelf
ship, he did not have to use the land
as other people had to do. He stepped
upon the crystal pavement OF Lake
Galilee as easily as an Alpine climber
might rest his foot upon solid rock, as
easIly as hind's feet might glue them
selves to mountain crag. When ht
spoke, the homage Of obedience was
rendered TO him, not alone by men II
the synagogue, by beasts Of the helc
and the fowls Of the air, but by th'
winds and the waves. He called to th'
Galilean tempest, peace be STILL n
the glance Of his eye the conscious
7 water blushed to see the face OF III
! Lord" at the wedding In Cana OF Gail
lee. At O word from his lip the fit
tree dried up and withered away. Al
he had to say was, Let no fruit grow
on thee henceforward forever" AT MI
! call came whole schools Of fish to b'
caught by the Galilean fishermen. d!
his touch whole ovens full or Drea'
seemed to be miraculously created.
Wonderful were those triumphs owe
natural laws and forces, but VIVA
triumphs has man achieved since tina
time by compelling those natural law
and forces to serve his purposes AM
by harnesslng them as his servants
What wonder can be greater than 10
man 10 speak In q telephone receiver
as | have done, in Chicago and nav
nv voice heard In New York city, l,OO
miles away? l do not consider II an
more of q wonder than for Theodor
Roosevelt to start the great, ponderou
machinery in the worlds fair at ,
Louis by touching a simple Duttoi
Christ walking upon the waves OF Lax
Galilee excited the wonder Of the spe'
tators. but low they would have woI
dered how they have seen that sui
marine boat constructed by an Amer
can inventor, which he supplied wit
such wonderful mechanism that 1t ca
sink to the bottom of the sea and SUI
port life there for twenty-four hour
or II they could have known how
spark, as a mermaid, could carry man
message by running along the pathwa
of a Pacific cable from Vancouver
Australia, or how a great Iron hu
could be made to battle against storl
and tide and carry thousands Of huma
beings, besides tons upon tons
freight, from New York to Liverpoo