Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-08-05

the train by the Drlual couple hlter
few grains of rice had been thrown
But days and sometimes even week
were given up to the festivities and to
the hilarities. AS | came over the hills
toward this village saw the maidens
by the score, with their hair decorated
with flowers and their garments Of the
bright, gorgeous colorings OF the east,
shining In the sunlight. With their
, arms enciItling each others waist
they were as Miriam OF old dancing
over the greensward and singing in
time with the moving feet. The young
1 men came there with their fleet horses
: caparisoned with the finest trappings.
/ There were games and feats or
strength for the competitors at these
festivals. At last, after days of frolic,
came the wedding ceremony. Then
came the great climax of all, the "wed-
ding supper" Christs first miracle
was performed at a season of social
festivities.
am glad that Christ's Nativity was
announced to the world by the overture
of song. am glad that his first mira
Gle was performed at a wedding.
am glad we do not see Jesus at this
| time standing clothed in the skins or
wild beasts. as was John the Baptist in
| the Wilderness Christ came to this
wedding to mark his approval of inno-
cent pleasure. His attendance upon
the wedding in Cana of Galilee proves,
wrote Bishop Ryle, that true religion
was never meant to make man melan'
choly. There are times when 1t Is law
full to be merry and rejoice" The cal
endar of the sinner has only few days
of the year marked as festival days"
wrote Elon Foster, "but every day OF
the Christians calendar Is marked by
the hand of God as day Of rejoicing"
Yes, by the echoing chimes of the we'd
ding bells we know 1t. BY the joyful
songs we hear today coming over the
Galilean hills, in the chorus Of which
Christ's words may be blending we
believe It. Thank God, Christ's first
miracle was performed for a bride and
not for a widow, at banquet and not
by bier!
Rejoice though storms assall thee. rejoice
| when skies are bright
Rejoice though round thy pathway Is
spread the gloom Of night
| II the good hope be I'm thee that all at
last is well
Then let thy happy spirit with joyful It'd
ings swell.
Where Christs Ministry Began.
Christ's ministry opens in a scene OF
human festivities. 1t does more than
that. Christ came to Cana of Galilee
to prove that the most important place
on earth this side of heaven is the mar
riage altar. Marriage" wrote DIR.
| Taylor. "is the mother Of the world
and precious kingdoms and fills cities
and churches and heaven itself. Like
useful bee, it builds a house and
gathers Sweetness from. every flower,
| and labors and unites into societies and
republics, and sends out colonies, and
feeds the worlds with delicacies, and
obeys the king, and exercises many vir-
tues. and promotes the interest Of man
kind, and is that state of good to which
| God hath designed the present consti-
tuition of the world" That Is, the right
kind of marriage does all this. There
fore. as marriage is so important In
Gods sight and mans, it Is very essen
tlal, oh, young people, that you ask
Jesus Christ to your weddings when
you are about to be married! Yet the
strange fact remains that the last be-
ing in the universe some Of US would
ever think Of inviting to our weddings
is Jesus Christ.
We treat Christ great deal as some
Of us have treated our best earthly
friends when giving a reception or
party. We take the calling list OF our
wives and grown daughters and sons,
and we bunch them together with the
names Of our personal friends, both
business and social. Then when the
night of the entertainment comes
around we say to ourselves, why is
not Mr. So-and-so hereY Then we go
to our wife and say: "My dear, Mr.
So-and-so is not here. Did you invite
him?" She looks at the list Of guests
and answers: mo, husband. We for
got to put that name down." TOO
bad, too badr you say. Yes, 1t is too
bad. But though it is too bad, this
fact remains incontrovertible. You did
not neglect to invite that very wealthy
man to your daughters wedding
| Why? Because you expected him to
give her a present. You did not for
get to invite that prominent statesman
and social queen. Why? Because you
expected them to give that wedding
prominence in the newspaper. But you
did neglect to invite ths- S,id time
friend who has been true to you for
many, many years. Thus we often
neglect to invite to our weddings
Christ, who is our best OF all friends.
Too Late to Ask Advice.
Not only do the young people often
| neglect 10 dSh Oullol W thS
but they very often neglect to talk to
him and consult with him before they
engage themselves for life. They treat
Christ in reference to the coming ell
gagement a great deal as did a young
lady many years ago her New England
pastor. She came to DR.. Pelpin and
said: Pastor, l want to talk to you
am in doubt whether l should marry
Mr.. So-and-so. / want your advice.
With that the kindly old minister look
ed at her and said: well, my girl,
when is the wedding to take place!
Next week Tuesday" "Oh, no." she
answered. "Not next Tuesday, but
next Thursday" SO some people come
to Christ to talk about their coming
marital plaEs when they have made up
their minds to marry whether COD
wants them to marry or no. Inese