Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-01-07
Caln1age
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmage. ID. ID.


Los Angeles, Cal, Jan. LIN this ser
mon the preacher brings to all. and es-
peclally to those who are striving Tor
the worlds betterment, New Year
message Of hope and encouragement.
The text is Eccleslastes xl, 4, HE that
observeth the wind shall not SOW"
What a change there is in our way
of keeping the holidays from that OF
olden times. The old fashioned New
Years and the old fashioned Christmas
and the old fashioned Thanksgiving
day were as different from their sue
cessors as the poke bonnets and hoop
skirts and powdered curls Of colonial
DAYS were different from the master
pieces of the milliners and dressmakers
and hairdressers of modern times. we
talk of the triumph Of the locomotive
and the telegraph In annihllating dis
tance. but am net sure that they have
not done more to separate the members
of families. The greeting that now
comes by wire from a son on the other
aide OF the world in former times was
brought by the son himself, who sell
dom went more than days coach ride
from the old homestead. Then fathers
and mothers, brothers and sisters, cous-
ms and grandchildren could all gather
under the same roof Then presents
did not have to be done up In packages
and sent days ahead across the conu-
pents or seas in order to arrive at their
destination in time for the annual holi-
days. But each brother and sister, each
child and parent, could deliver the
Christmas gifts with smile and seal
the holiday good wishes with a loving
kiss.
Some Of us can remember the good
old times when New Years day was
day of hospitality, dedicated to the re-
newal Of old acquaintanceships by q
custom now almost fallen into desue-
tude. That was the ancient custom OF
the Dutch settlers Of New York and
the modern custom Of our own fathers
and mothers and older brothers and SIS
ters Of making and receiving calls on
the first day Of the new year. Inc
good spirit Of the new year seemed to
saw TO all fathers and husbands and
brothers and sons: Go forth and find
out how many friends you have In the
world. Go forth and renew your old
acouaintances. Go forth and encoCr-
age each home for the coming struggle
of the new year" Then wives and
mothers and daughters in the early
eighties kept open house. Then New
Years day in New York and Brooklyn
brought such scenes as were Witnessed
200 years ago, when the daughters OF
the Netherlands welcomed their friends
to the ancient mansions on the Battery
of New Amsterdam. Every dining
room was filed with tempting viands.
Everywhere on every street went the
men folks calling, Happy New Year,
Thus in many a troubled home came
courage and love and faith In God and
man on account Of those friendly New
Year salutations.
A New Years greeting is the sermon
Of this morning. With the same kind
ly spirit in which friends used to come
to my mothers home and wish her q
Happy New Year" and with tender
"reminiscences of the past and cheerful
wishes for the future make the day O
Joyous and hopeful one, | come to you
this New Year Sabbath day. But in
stead Of wishing you Happy New
Year" in the brusque, happy -go-lucky
way in which friend used to salute
friend upon the street l am going, as
your pastor, to have heart to heart
talk with you. l am going to have
you first tell all your troubles and fears
and then shall say: Friend, for the
past twelve months you have beer
looking on the dark side Of life. YOU
have been indulging too much IL
gloomy anticipations and anxieties. YOU
do not seem to be willing to enter the
battle Of 1905 with brave heart and 8
cheerful countenance. What is the
matterT Then you will point out tC
me all the dark clouds that are hang
ing upon the edge Of your horizon, ant
you will tell me why this New Years
day is to you a blue Sunday" Ther
shall try, by tho help Of God, to scat
ter those dark clouds and change YOU
new year timidities of doubt into new
year certainties Of gospel hope.
Hope For the Discouraged.
"Why art thou cast down, o my soul
and Why art thou disquieted within
me?' First" you answer, because
have been defeated SO often in thu
struggle of life that my backbone II
gone. l have been like sea captain
who has been wrecked again an(
| again until at last he feels that ever!
threatening storm means foundere(
ship. am like merchant who ha'
been caught in three or four great pan
les and again and again, through M
fault Of his own, has had his fortune
swept away. He Is timid about max
ing q new venture. l am like mothe
who has buried four or five Of her ba
bies and has only one left Each tim
the baby coughs or catches cold or ha
fever the mother is almost besid'
herself with fear lest she might los
her only remaining child. 1t Is wei
enough for some people with brigh
eyes to anticipate the joys Of coming
year. But as for me, I have had 81
u many misfortuues that I have onl,
half a heart for my struggle which i
ahead during the next twelve months.
My brother, l am not surprised
your timidity 1t makes n great dea
of difference how a man fools aroun
= machinery If he has lost an arm or
leg or a finger, as some have done p
being reckless. 1t makes great det
of difference how one reads the "sign
Of the times" after he has had hi
fortune swept away by a destroy
: ing wind. Some weeks ago in one G