Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-12-23
CalnnaQe.
Sermon
By Rev. 7
Prank De Witt Talmaee. d. ID.

Los Angeles, Cal, Dec. 17.-ThisE Is
n unique study o. the life and character
Of Joseph the carpenter, in whose ex-
ample the preacher finds lesson OF In
spiration for all husbands and parents.
The text is Matthew /, 16, Joseph, the
husband Of Mary, of whom was Dorm
Jesus"
Amazing 1t is to read the reviews OF
the latest books Of our prominent nov
elists. 1t seems as though we are Pc
rusipg the columns of a homiletic re-
view or are reading the resume OF une
sermons Of ministers written III re-
ligious weekly instead OF a summary
Of the imaginative works of our secular
writers. The novelists fad or hndlnB
his heroes and heroines among the cas-
tied walls Of chivalrlc times has 10
great extent passed away. Our mod
ern Bulwers are not searching among
the smoke and the tOttering walls OF q
licentious Pompeil to seek out thelr
blinded Lydias. Our Charles KingsleyS
nre not roaming about the edge OF
Sahara TO find the footprints of beau
tlful heather celibate, Hypatia by
name. Our brilliant Sir Walter Scotts
nre not turning the ruins or hehn-
worth castle Into a gorgeous DanQueI
hall where the rival earls OF mighty
kingdom are rising side by side 10
drink the health Of virgin queen. But
q large percentage Of our modern nov
elists are finding the scenic settings Tor
their most powerful chapters among
the Judaean hills or by the placid wa
ters Of lake Galilee or down among the
vine clad valleys of a Samaritan capl-
/ tai
Yes. the Biblical historical novel Is 10
no reckoned with as among the most
interesting and popular of all modern
novels. While thinking along this line
a catalogue of one of our public libra
RIGS was placed in my hand. AS l
turned the pages l read the following
names of some of the great DOCKS OF
fiction: There were Joseph 1ngraham 3
"The Prince of the House OF DaVld
and his pillar Of Fire, or lsrael III
Rondage:" there were GeOrg Ebers'
Joshua" and Florence Kingsley's II
1 FMS. n Comrade of the Cross" there
was Marie Corelli's "Barabbas," be-
! sides a score Of other names suggestive
Of Riblical lore, while Edward Everett
Uale's I'm His Name" and Charles
Sbeldons "In His Steps" and Han
Caine's christian" and Lew Wallace's
"Ben-Hur," and Nellie L. Helm {
"Nben Jesus Was Here Among Men,
all deal directly or indirectly with ori
entail teachings and directly with the
life Of Jesus translated into moderr
thought.
But though many Of the great char
acters Of the Old and New Testamenh
have been made to come forth out o.
their graves and live and breathe as II
times of yore, there is one Bible cnar
acter who has never, so far as know
heen made the hero Of a historical nov
elist's tale. Indeed, there is one Bl0l
character that has never, so far as
know. been made the subject OF ser
! mon. The ministers seem to ignor
I making q sketch of this man, just a
do the historical nOvelists. l allud
here to the character Of Joseph. q
NOT mean Joseph who was the son o
old Jacob or Joseph Of Aramathea, pu
of Joseph of Nazareth, Joseph OF betl
lehem. Joseph the carpenter, Josep
who was the husband OF Mary, 0
81 whom Jesus was born.
Now. as dhe annual Christmas mol
DAYS are but a few days off l thought
- wopld preach a sermon about Josep
4he carpenter. | want to tell you VII
r he was at the manger. In other Sc
! mons YOU have heard why Mary wa
there. and why the shepherds wer
there. and why the wise men wer
there. and why the sheep and the catt
and the horses were there. Today
want to tell you why Joseph was ther
And of all the characters of the BID
there is not one which appeals TO n
in q more vivid way than does tn
arawny, rugged, stout limbed mechal
k. who passed so much or his tln
among the Zebulon hills.
JoseDh came to the manger In Il
first place, to make it possible for Jesl
to be born in Bethlehem of Judaea. /
came to the manger in order that Il
> words Of the prophet might be fultlle
He came TO the manger because towal
Judaea all the sages of the Jerusale
capitaI were looking for the expect'
Son of God TO be born. He came to Il
manger, for if he had not come Ma
the Virgin would never have gone the
u to give birth to her child, and the Wi
> mon Of the east would never have be-
able to find there the infant Chris
This being born in Bethlehem was a
solutely essential for the fulfllment
prophecy.
vi The Stamp OF Divinity.
There were two ways by which 4
stamp of divinity was to be placed u
on Christ's life. The first was by
miracles. What do I mean by tina
Simply this: When the people beg
70 crowd around Jesus, and he said,
am the Son of God; follow me-"
people answered, "How do we knC
thou art the Christ| He said, Il W
show you; come and see" Then
stooned down ana made the crook
limbs straight. Then he expectorat
upon the ground and made salve
of the spittle and dirt and rubbed
npop the blind eyes, and they We
opened. Then be stopped by the b
!. of the only son Of his mother, and
a widow, and he said, Young man
say Hnto thee, arise~ Then he turn
to the people and practically sa
"Could any being, unless he was