Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-09-29

we VIII near GOu NOlce SpcdhihS ="
us in the secret place Of the thunder.
1t is not in the lowlands, but upon the
mountain tops. 1t Is not where we lie
down upon bed of roses and close our
eyes in indolent sOmnolence, but only
upon the mountain heights of difficulty,
TO scale which we will have to do as
Paul did when he described himself, In
the twelfth chapter of Hebrews, as
running a gospel race: Wherefore
seeing we are compassed about with
so great a cloud of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight and the sin
which doth beset us, and let us run
with patience the race that Is set be-
fore us" When you read those words,
dare you for one moment assume that
Paul had an easy time when he gave
himself up for consecrated service to
Jesus Christ?
1t Is only when we are able to press
toward the mark for the prize Of the
high calling OF God In Christ Jesus
that we are able to reach that prize.
1t is only when we are willing to cllmD
the highest mountains Of difficulty that
we are able to hear God speaking 10
us I'm tones of love as he spoke to
Moses In the secret places OF thunder.
There Is beautiful story told that In
olden times a heather king lay dying.
He was mOrtally wounded Oh the neld
of battle. No sooner did he receive
the fatal thrust than he sent for his
most trusted servant and said, "Tell
the dead that | come" At once the
servant drew the kings sword and
drove II into his own heart. And as
his spirit was about to speed away the
servant said, Master, | will go and
tell the dead that thou wilt soon be in
their midst" "Oh," you say, that
was q beautiful devotion. That servant
was willing to give up all for his king"
So must we sacrifice II we are to hear
our divine king speak to us in the Sc
cret place of thunder. We must be
willing to give up all for him. We
must be ready to climb every noun
tain of difficulty for his honor and
glory. 80 likewise whosoeyer ne be
of YOU that forsaketh not all that he
hath he cannot be my disciple"
Forsaking All For God.
The psalmist in all probability cared
but little for the scientific causes Of the
thunderstorm. In his time the national
and international systems Of weather
bureaus had not been established.
There were not then, as now, weather
outposts or observatories stationed all
around the world connected with tele-
graph wires. In our day no sooner
does a storm start south from Alaska
than the great ganglion or nerve center
at Washington is made cognizant OF
the fact, and the danger signals are
lifted along the coast to warn Amerl-
can shipping. In all probability David
knew nothing about the different strata
of air overhead. He did not know that,
inst as the scientist today drops faith
ON line into the ocean and finds diff
ferent currents Of water in a straight
line flowing above or underneath each
other in different directions, so the
aeronaut in bis balloon finds different
currents Of air in the atmosphere over
/ head blowing in different directions.
But this one fact the psalmist knew
about a thunderstorm-it represented
an atmospheric change. Before the
storm came the hot valleys would be
blistered. Then the droughts would be
parching the grass and drying up the
water holes. Then the sheep would be
bleating from hunger and thirst. But
no sooner did the echOing Of the storm
sound forth from the secret place of
thunder than at once the hot, blasting
air became cool. Then the reservoirs
of the clouds were emptied Of their
waters. Then all nature began to TEEN
and TO smile and to hum and to sing
with life. SO in the secret place or
thunder. when God speaks to us, our
natures will be changed. Being sinful,
we shall become pure. Being morally
crooked. we shall become straight. Be
ing spiritually dead, we shall become
spiritually resurrected. Though your
sins be as scarlet they shall be white
as snow. Though they be red like GRIM
son they shall be as wool" oh, the
miraculous change which comes into
mans sinful nature as soon as the sin
ner comes into touch with Christs love
in Gods secret place Of thunder.
Harmony with Man.
But in the secret place of thunder
man IS not only brought into right har-
mony with God, but also into right
harmony with man. There we are
taught to love the Lord our God with
all our heart and soul and mind. But
} we are also taught there to love our
neighbor as ourselves. And in no
place on earth does man try more to
help his neighbor than when he Is In
the mountains. The valleys are the
places where man too often lives FOL
, | himself. The wild mountains are the
J places where man lives for others. II
| you are In trouble in the high hills you
/ | can always go to the first man you
. | meet and he will help you out OF thai
, difficulty If it is possible for him sc
TO do. There everybody is honest
e There everybody tries to help others
!. We had our goods carried up int
e the hills by a teamster Where di'
< he leave them? BY the public road
!. side. There they lay hour after hou
d unlocked. Scores ard hundreds of pee
i nla nossed them. and no one touches
G them. They have four legged thieye
d In the mountains. The wild cattle Wi
e come and steal your grain, but ther
g are no two legged thieves in the mour
d tains called men. There every one
y honest. "If you want anything fror
i town just give the money to the mrs
t man you find going there" said ger
l. tleman to me. Tell him what 20
n want ond he will get it for you an