Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-02-11

economy? Have all the agonies and
sorrows and bereavements no wise de-
sign? Ask that father who when he
parted with his beloved child learned
to love and trust God and lived a hal
lowed life ever after in the hope of
once more clasping her in his arms.
Ask that husband whose wife passed
from his ken and whose days of lone
illness drove him for comfort to him
whose love brightens every sorrow. 1t
is at a fearful cost that some men
learn the lesson of faith, but once
learned they bless even the loss that
taught them.
Our earthly loss may mean our heav-
enly gain. The agonies of death may
yet be swallowed up in victories that
shall never die. There is a beautiful
legend told that in the far east king
was to make a long journey. He there
fore sent ahead of him his representa-
tive to build for him palace in which
he might live while he sojourned there.
He provided this forerunner literally
with money and supplies. When the
representative Of the king arrived In
this faroff land he found there raging
d great famine and plague. Thousands
upon thousands Of the people there
were dying from hunger and the dis
eases resultant from starvation. So
this representative Of the king changed
his gold into bread. He sold all the
royal jewels and bought still more
bread. Then he bartered away the
kings raiment and his horses and char
lots, and with the money he bought still
more bread until all the people were
fed and the famine was stopped. At
first when the king heard what had
been done he was very wroth. But
when he found out how many lives had
been saved with his money he honored
his forerunner by making him prime
minister.
An Old Legend.
A short time after this the king died.
When he came to the gate of heaven,
at first he was refused admittance, for
he seemed to have no heavenly pass
port. Then the great King Of kings
came forth and said: LET him in. Let
him in. He has one Of the finest man
sions in heaven reserved for him."
Then the King of kings took the
trembling. frightened immortal along
one Of the chief boulevards Of heaven
and pointed to mansion near the
great white throne and said: There
is your palace. You have built it."
"When and where did build yonder
palace" asked the earthly king. Then
the King of kings answered: when
your forerunner with your consent
wiped away the tears Of those starving
people In that faroff land l caught
those tears and changed them
into jewels. Here they are glittering
in your crown, which you will find in
yonder palace When he erected tomb
stones over the pauper graves OF the
dead | took those stones and lifted
them into the stones Of yonder walls.
When he stilled the cries Of the hun
cry begging for bread l transformed
those sobs into the songs Of your ever
last triumph. Here is your palace.
In this strange legend I ind mes
sage of consolation. Our gifts, our sor-
rows. our sacrifices, all the pain and
sadness and WEAKNESS we bear, are not
lost They are intrusted to Christ,
who uses them all in his ministry OF
love. The Divine Father accepts the
Offering and transforms it into treas
ury of gems, an eternal palace, in which
we shall live forever with our LORD.
There we shall find our loved ones
whom we lost; there our heartaches
and tears take on the form OF brilliant
crowns. whose glory shall never fade,
and in the terrible black winged mon
ster of death we recognize the whlte
winged angel of eternal life.
But though have been talking about
the things it would be easy for God to
do cannot close without uttering one
word in reference to one Of Gods I'M
possibles." 1t is easy for us TO be
saved if we will be saved in Gods way.
He has given his only begotten Son TO
die for us. He has given his Spirit to
sanctify us. He has made it easy for
us to be saved. But he will not save
us against our own will. That is i'm
possible even to God. We must yield
to him, renounce our sin and accept
his offer Of salvation. o man, will you
resist? Will you continue in rebellion!
VIII you not rather say: Il give my
self TO thee. Make me thine own child
through Jesus Christ our Lord"
copyright, 1905, by Louis Klopsch.l