Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-05-26

senator from Oregon, and he was the
man who left the United States sena-
torial halls clad in soldiers UNIFORM
TO Law down his life at Balls Bluir,
with these words upon his lips: "A
senator of the United States should
never retreat" But with all his intel
lectuality and mental ability do you
not consider that it was presumptuous
for the boy, Edward Dickinson Baker,
TO feel that he would yet have ability
enough to be elected president of the
United States? 1t Is possible for any
boy TO be elected chief executive or
this nation, but is it probable that your
son or mine should ever grace the
White House? We believe in the the
ory. but to very few Is it an actual
possibility. 1t is so with the concep'
ton of this divine power with when
Christ is ready to endue us. we know
he can give It, and we know there are
some to whom he does give 1t, but we
think II Is not for us. These disciples
of Pentecost first believed that Christ
could give this supernatural power to
his disciples If he would, because he
WAS divine; second, that he would give
If 70 them as individuals If they would
only obey Gods commands and tarry
I'm Jerusalem until they were endued
with power from on high. Are we
ready TO believe that Christ Wsll give
us this higher power If we obey his
commands?
A Crucial Test.
Oh. that Is a crucial test OF falth! II
IS not difficult for me to understand
how God could give the higher power
70 Moody or a Finney or Wesley or
a Peter or a James or John or
Mary on the day of Pentecost, but that
he will give to me this higher power II
7 obey his will-ah, me, that Is hard TO
believed And yet is not God keeping
his promises with those who are men
tally and physically no stronger or
hetter than you or I? Some time ago
7 was riding out to the grave or
southern lady who had been member
Of my church. Among the pallbearers
WAS a gentleman who, with all his
family. had been rescued from the
Galveston food of a few years ago. l
said "Tell me about It," Then he told
me how the waters rose higher ana
higher. First they came to the top or
the gates. Then they rose to the tirst
floors. They grew higher and higher
when the winds in an angry hurricane
blew them In. Then the people were
drowned. not by the hundreds, but by
tbe thousands. The walls tottered.
The houses were battered to pieces.
Flving through the air went great
beoms It was death overhead. 1t
was death all around. 1t was death
evervwhere. The dead were so many
that after the water had subsided they
were piled into boats and taken out
and dumped into the gulf stream. They
were too many evento be buried.
"How did you feel during that awful
tragedyYo l asked. "As calm as dc
now" he replied. " knew that In the
! face of this storm and food no human
/, arm could save me. Human help was
! bevond the question. 1t could do nc
good If it came. 1 could not swim
, Resides that, had in my house a wite
and two little children and five or SIX
old people who had come there 1oi
shelter. So when the storm was raging
its fercest l gathered them all togeth
er in an upper room. Then l said
Friends. the Bible tells us that II We
come to God In believing prayer anC
ask of him anything we will he VII
grant us that request. Now, l beleV'
!, Cod will save us If we ask him. D'
YOU believe as l believer yes, tney
said Then we all knelt and we al
prayed. When arose, l felt that Go'
!. would save us. | never had a tremol
nbout the result. He did save US. AIT
or awhile a roof came floating past
Nv aged negro servant caught II. III
held il for a little while by the side o
. the house. l placed the whole tamii!
unon the roof. Then | climbed ther'
}, myself. 1t was an awful night. NJ
horror could be greater than tnos
hours we passed through. Yet al
y through the night kept saying: 1 De
y lieve. l believe / believe ne VIII
save us. believe And save us h
- did" Could you In time or trouDl
make believing prayer like that
: Could you appropriate to yourseIt tn
nromise as he did? Do you Deliev
= God will bless you as an indiyiduai
- Won obey his commandments the sam
81 "a he blessed his people in the Ga
10 weston food and blessed the disciple
i, Of old who tarrled still in Jerusalel
! until they were endued with powe
- from on high?
Why the Power Came.
Rut these disciples of old did NOR
than TO simply believe that Chris
u vould give to them the higher power
y y they would obey his commands. Du
le ing the days preceding Pentecost D
g prayer, by supplication and by cons'
e Grafton of their full lives to God, the
- put themselves into proper cohultlo
~ ~ TO receive this power of the Holy Splri
| IleV not Only lulCN tANhS~'' - -
~ ~ the divine love- but they prayed an
~ :, kept on praying something ike thi
80 God. cleanse me from sin! y Go'
- make me a clean vessel for the splr
y life! o God, take all seliishness an
~ meanness and world lines out or N
., life! O God, may live and Dreau
:. - and plan and work only for thee!'
l' .o not that your idea Of how the discipi'
g. of old passed the days in Jerusaie
% o. preceding the moment when the pow
81 81 of the Holy Spirit came upon them
ii tongues of fire? If you and l wou
~ ~ only do as those disciples Of old d
<, and come with such prayers and plea
, ings upon our lips, do you not Dene'
that Christ would also endue us WI
No power from on high?
- If I might be pardoned a smile, II
- idea of those days preceding Penteco