Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1904-12-03
Calnnage
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaae, d. d.

Los Angeles, Cal, Nov. 27.-ln the
great battle that is being waged be-
tween infideIity and Christianity this
sermon introduces mass OF evidence,
direct and collateral, which the un-
biased searcher after truth will gladly
welcome. The text is Hebrews xi. J.,
Faith is the evidence Of things not
SEEN"
What is evidence? Testimony, proof,
demonstration. 1t is statement or
facts made in court by a witness, by
which a juror is led to believe some
thing that his eyes have not seen nor
his ears heard. 1t is the alibi by which
a man proves that he could not have
been on the scene Of crime. 1t is the
proof which a wrongly evlcted owner
produces Of his right and title to an
inheritance. 1t is an argument from
admitted and existing facts to prove
the operation of causes remote in time.
It is the means by which truth defends
itself against the onslaught of error
and the weapon with which 1t over
throws the fortresses Of superstition
and false doctrine.
Evidence of the unseen has a mo-
mentous mission. For the greater num-
ber of us it is the only basis we have
for our knowledge. II we were to be-
lieve In nothing that we have not our
selves seen we should have to give up
our belief in facts and events innumer-
able. ut is not necessary for me to
20 and see London before believe that
there exists such city as London,
once wrote q great Bible commentator,
In reference to my text. know that
such a place as ST. Petersburg exists,
although l have not seen 1t. Whyl
am convinced by the testimony Of
those who have seen It. The evidence
of things not seen" has proved to me
that it exists. / have read books writ
ten about the city Of st. Petersburg. l
have seen pictures Of the great build
ings Of that Russian capital, its cathe-
drals, its royal palaces, its memorial
halls on its magnificent boulevards.
have heard my friends. who have trav-
eled among the Muscovites, describe
its bridges and its citadels. Why should
then doubt st. Petersburg exists, al
though my eyes have never seen It?
l never personally saw my grandfa'
ther, David Talmage. He died before
l was born. But know such man
by that name once existed In the flesh
The evidences of things not seen" are
absolutely conclusive. One wednesday
evening In my Chicago church an old
man arose. He startled me with these
words: II knew your pastors great
grandfather, Thomas Talmage.
knew well your pastors grandfather
David Talmage. l was a playmate oi
your pastors late father. And wher
20 to his home tonight after this
service and kiss your pastors son my
eyes will have seen FIVE generations
Of the Talmage family" l have in my
family album a picture Of David Tai
mage. My aunt said it was his pic
ture, and that was his name. My IA
ther soms years ago took me to DAVID
Talmage's grave. marked with his
name upon the tombstone. and told me
all about my grandfather's characters
tics. I have never seen David Tai
mage In the flesh, but on account ol
the conclusive evidence Of things mo-
seen" / know he existed.
Why Columbus Knew IL.
DAYS before Christopher Columbus
landed at San Salvador he knew h'
was approaching land. The Genoes'
admiral and his feet had been sailini
on. week in and week out. The NUT
terings of a sailors mutiny grew LOUD
or and louder in the forecastle. A
last a delegation waited upon thei
commander and practically said: Go
lumbus. you are sailing away to Ger
tain death. We will never nnd liant
In this direction. Either you turi
ship and head toward home or we vii
pitch you overheard and 60 home any
way" "Give me just three days Ion
ger of a western course, and then /
unsuccessful will turn back" an
swered the great captain. Within tn
three days branches Of trees were seel
floating past the boats. There l
landr cried Columbus Men, see
there is land! By yonder tree branch
es we have the evidence Of it,
For days and weeks the old Mort
American Indians could follow thei
foes by the tracks left upon the groun
by the enemy. They could tell D.
those tracks how many men, how man
women, how many children, how man
horses and how many wagons and cal
, tie composed the party ahead. The
could unerringly read all these fact
by the "evidence Of things not seen.
In the same way in which the India
warriors Of old followed their epHmie
5 by visible signs we may Ind ID
footprints of the Man Of Galilee
not only in Palestine, but also In a
sacred history. We may prove by III
same process that Jesus is not mer
p. vision and that our gospel faith Is nc
merely a poetic dream. They are ia
more than these. Our faith is rationa
1t is founded upon the conclusive "ev
dence Of things not seen,'
First. our faith Is rational. Its ge'
graphical foundation stones are stron
and true and we'll anchored. M
only find "the footprints OF the Ma
= of Galilee" visible all through Pale
tine, but, as DR.. Thomson once wrot
|, l find the land and the book are one.
! find, by going among the holy hill
a that Jesus was not mythical chara
I ter. living among mythical people
o a mythical age. Christ was Go'
9 Christ was also a man. He lived,
breathed, he walked, he slept, he at
among those Hebrew people OF II
east as one of themselves. We hl
the place Of bis birth. We can III
the places where he passed his bo