Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-05-20
Ca(na9e
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaae. ID. ID.

Los Angeles, Cal, May 14.-That the
secret of success and the causes Oh
failure. moral and material, lie IN tne
foundations Of character Is shown IN
this sermon. The text Is Luke xiv, ~,
This man began to build and was NOT
able to finish"
"What Is the matter with yonder
block OF houses?" l asked one OF my
church officers some time ago wnen
walking along the Chicago streets. i
came to this city at least four years
ago Then the walls were up. Ihe
floors In many Of the houses were iaid.
The buildings then seemed almost
ready for the plasterers. why tnis
vast amount Of money lying idlef 1t
must be worth at least $4,000 year
as interest. 1t would have been iar
better to have laid no foundation ana
erected no walls and allowed the iand
TO be turned into a vegetable garden
than to leave those buildings In tnat
state" "I know it," answered my
friend, "but the owner of those Duiin-
ings overreached himself. When the
buildings were half completed his mon
ey ran out. Then, on account or his
debts. all his properties were thrown
by litigation into the city courts. NOW
I do not know what Is to be the out
come. Anyway, he cannot go on unless
he gets out of his present difficulties.
His property must still lie idle In this
incompleted FORM
"What Is the purpose of those TWO
mammoth shedsT l asked naval
friend some years ago while we were
walking through the Brooklyn navy
ward. why" said he, "those are che
sheds erected over two immense hulls
of half completed warships. During
the civil war the navy department was
building as many and as large ships
as il could. but as soon as the Apo
mattox peace agreement was signed
the work was stopped upon these two
vessels. The government had at mat
time no use for them. Now they are
living there. rottlng away. The wood
will be used for nothing but kindling
as the plans upon which those keels
were laid are already obsolete"
Incomplete beginnings" were both
the Chicago houses and the navy yard
ships. We do not have to go clear
back to Bible times to find Illustrations
for my text. We can see them every
where around us in our present day
and generation.
We have a right TO draw new Illus
trations and up to date applications
for this sermonic theme. Indeed, the
fresher and more modern the apyica'
tions the better. The reason why this
simile Of my text made an oyerwhelm'
ing impression upon Christs hearers
was that it was an object lesson near
at hand. When Christ was seated IN
the fishing smack upon the waters OF
Lake Galilee and said, Behold, there
went out a sower to SOW" he looked
off upon the hillsides overhanging the
lake and pointed to a farmer scatter
ing his seed upon the rich soil of the
east In the same way legend tells
that when Christ spake these words ol
nv text he pointed to the half con
structed walls of tower which Plate
the governor, had begun to build, over
looking one Of the Jerusalem aque
ducts. and had left In an incompletec
state. There 1t stood, a powerful Cd
tect lesson, showing that what on'
commences in life one should carry Oh
TO its full completion. So today
would draw my illustrations from
every whittier. 1 would find them II
the home. the store, the factory, In th'
. church and on the street. / would tnC
them in your life as well as in mine.
Half Built Towers of Life.
The half built towers of life have
modern application In the averag'
II II scboolroom education. They can D'
found in the preparations with whici
- many of us were sent forth to tn
;, struggle of life. They can especiail!
. he found in the smatterlng Of Frencl
lessons and painting and music ant
aesthetic culture in which some sister
and daughters are being dipped for
few months q year on the principl
that the mere outward color of the dy
decides whether or no the garment l
closely woven and of good wearin
quality. They are the "incompleted DC
ginnings" of the schools and college
which often send young man or
Young woman forth into the worl
knowing little Of everything and NO
any one study perfectly They max
their students know little OF astronC
my. a little Of chemistry, little Q
Greek. q little of mathematics, littl
of mythology, q little of architecture
little Of mechanics, little of electric
ity. a little Of this, that and the othe
thing and yet not well versed In an
a one subject or along any one line
work. What true education should q
is to teach a man to do at least on
thing as we'll as any one else could q
}. It and not to know many things poorl.
II lack OF all ITuues 10 uIaSlcA VI HNAN'
I would illustrate my thought with
reference to n remarkable speech whic
Charles Francis Adams delivered SON
years ago before the Phi Beta Kapr
society Of the Harvard university. III
title Of this address was "a Collee
= Fetch" In it Mr.. Adams denounce
the absurd course Of study which man
D colleges demand Of students in years
work over Greek and Latin and Il
classics, utterly ignoring practical stu
les for everyday life. "How did Ha
ward college prepare me and my min
ty-two classmates Of the year 1855 Il
our work Of lifeT he asked. I'm a
swering the question 1t Is not altoget
er easy to preserve ones gravity. II
college fitted US for this active, BIT
tling hard biting, many tongued worl
-. .,o+I,t,c For authority md litt