Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-09-02
CalnaQe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, ID. ID.


Los Angeles, Cal, Aug It'll tnls
sermon the preacher takes to task the I
spiritual Indifference of professors OF
religion and shows the evil results OF
their example In social and business
life The text Is Revelation Ill, 10, i
would that thou vert cold or hot
God is love. The Bible declares II.
Whether the divine Fathers children
are saints or sinners they are stiii ell
shrlned in his parental affections
Gods love Is like unto that or the
earthly parent who one day overheard
his little girl saying to her Drother'
Now, Charley, be good boy OF papa
will not love you" With that, the
father answered: mo, Nellie' you
must not tell your brother that' 10
not love you children because you are
good or hate you because you are bad'
| love you, whether you are good OF
bad. because you are my chiiureh'
When YOU are good. then you make
me very happy. When you are Dau,
then you make me very sad. but l
still love you just the same" Gou
loves his prodgals, though they are
nrodIgals. but he loves his saints WIN
a delighted joy. -,
But though God loves all his chii-
dren there Is one class about whom
he Is especially concerned. As the wor-
rIed mother four or five times during
the night lights her lamp and goes
IN look at the little sick patient ana
| IN feel the brow OF the fevered child
God again and again turns his anxious
ewes toward certain OF his waywaro
ones And where do you think these
divine eyes are most pleadingly look
ing? Toward the social outcastsE Oh'
MOI Toward the drunkards who are
staggering and hiccoughing toward
their filthy tenements? No. Toward
| tho murderers in the criminal dock
about TO be tried for their lives! NO
Toward the thief who in the evening
hours knocks down the pedestrian OF
toward the safe breaker who with MS
dark lantern is making his way
through the cellars OF the bank he ln-
tends to rob? No, no. no! Ihese SIN
ners by the very enormity OF their
crimes may be led TO the mercy seat
IL we only 20 after them in the righ'
way. Gods most yearning looks are
NOT turned toward those who are III
7 omen rebellion against his name, bu'
toward those who are chrOnically anC
systematically Indifferent those WHO
are simply negative to the divine cal
of love are harder to reach than those
who derlde God or curse him. Cal
you make any other deduction tnai
this from Chrlst's message to TN
church members at Laodicea! Ot III
the seven churches IN Asia there wa
not one more excOriated in Revelation
than was this church. OF all the east
ern churches there was not one iron
outside appearance whose ransgres
sions were not more heinous.
Modern Laodiceans.
4 Modern LaOdiceanS, tneSe SlnnetS U
lukewarm Christianity and tepid mo
rallty, at distance can be likened TO
beautifully polished mahogany or rose
i wood table. To the casual observer
seems to be worth almost its welgn
In gold, but when you closely examin
the same you find 1t is simply yeneere
with rosewood or mahogany, cut a
thin as paper. They are like contrar
winds, tantaltzing the sea captain bt
Gained near The equator. Here II
a little pun of wind, yOnder 1t Is
little puff, off to the west Is anothe
| little puff All these little puffs com
from different llre~t -as. But befor
the ships sail can be trimmed an
filled. like the cheeks Of a schoolbo
blowing soap bubbles, these pufrs
wind die away and the ships ke'
moves not They are like people
shallow Christian experience whoI
Christ describes under the figure {
grain growing on stony ground whicl
en- account of the scarcity Of soil COZ
ering the roots, dies before the meriC
ian has been reached by the sun IN III
heavens. Now, the purpose OF Tn
sermon is to describe some OF u
causes of the languid condition
these modern LaOdiceans. am III
q today going to preach to the great sil
ners or to the great saints, but
those who are simply lukewarm
!. negative or appallingly Indifferent
0 Gods toYe and Gods commandment
Nav God help me to move some out
their sinful lethargy. May he fire VII
holy zeal the lukewarm hearts OF OF
modern Laodiceans, whom Christ q
nounces with Gods bitterest conteml
and scorn and opprobrium.
The appalling negativeness OF II
text can well be applied, in the nr
place. to those Of weak kneed theolog
1t can be applied to those who cam
quite make up their minds wneh
Christ is God or very good ma
whether Christ Is 'the only begott'
Son of the Father" or merely one
many different manifestations OF GoC
love of whom MOnaInlneu anu N0ni
2. clus and Buddha and Vishnu are oth
manifestations and almost as goo
With the old southern mammys ide
:. OF Christ they are in heartiest syl
Of pathy. When her young mistress
tie child died and the frantic moth
thought her daughter was lost forev'
tho old slave said: Honey, darlin',
amt right. Dar's drefful mista
somewhar. why, de Lord ain't Il
- what We think. He loves ye, hone
Why, Jes' see how I loves ye' an
\. amt better'n him as made me.
les aln't but one ting to come to,
dat ar's Jesus. Jes' come right do'
TO whar dis pore old darky has to st
alters. It's good place, darlln'. Lo