Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-12-22
Caln1aSe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt TalmaGe. ID. d.


Los Angeles, Cal, Dec. 16. This |
sermon, which presents a vivid pic
ture of the great asslze, is trumpet |
call to those who are living in sin ana
who are forgetful.of their accounta-
bilty. The text Is Romans xiv, TO- we
shall all stand before the judgment
seat of Christ"
What is the matter? Why, heaven
is deserted. A place of many man
slons, are there no inhabitants hereE
Is there not one face to greet me!
Are there no angels or archangels or
seraphim or cherubim aroundF Are
there no inmates for the thousands
and millions of white palaces lining
the golden boulevards? Is there no
hand to pluck the beautiful flowers
growing In the green pastures by the
side of the still waters? Is there no
chIlds foot to patter down yonder
Railways or to make the streets echo
with joyous laughter? Is there no
sweet voice to sing in yonder cholr
lofts? Where are the denizens OF the
celestial mansions? / step from one
deserted street into another, but
hear not the rumble Of one chariot
wheel. or the note Of harp, or the
swell Of one chorus, or the echo OF one
whisper. What Is the cause OF all
this?
Amazement upon amazement selzeS
me as in imagination wander through
the silent streets of paradise. But, as
I keep on in my search for some celes-
tial inhabltant, suddenly, of IN the
distance. | see an angel hurrying along.
I call out at the top Of my voice: "Ho'
angel whittier art thou going? What
Is the matter? Where are thy asso-
cintes and the redeemed of heaven
Cannot | go with theeT With that
the angel stops and says: Eyes, friend,
thou canst come. | am going to meet
the assembled hosts of all time at the
Judgment seat of Christ. All the ce-
lestlal inhabitants have already assem-
bIad there. Even now the multitude
of eorth are on the way DO you not
hear that bugle blast? That Is the
call Of the archans is trumpet. see
the crowds there pressing toward one
oroot center. These immortals have
already answered the summons. Inc
iudcment-the judgment! Hear ye
NOT the call? Come to the judgment
seat OF Christ! We shall all stanu De-
fo-e that divine tribunal"
Court has convened. The divine trl'
bunal, suppose, must be like any o'n-
or court. Here sits God the Father us
the Judge. The Bible again and again
declares him to be such. What says
the hook of Hebrews? eye are come
INTO Mount Zion and unto the city OIL
the living God, the heavenly Jerusa'
lem. and to an innumerable company
of angels to the assembly and churcn
of the frstborn, which are written III
heaven. and 70 God, the Judge Oh al
Yes God the Father is the Judge OF all
Here about that judgment seat, are
the angels who sang when Christ was
horn the angels. who appeared unto
Abraham and Jacob and Elijah ano
Gideon and Joshua and David ana Ma
~ and Peter and John. All are here
| Then. to the right of this throne stahu'
Christ as the advocate. And here push
es in his way the recording angel holu
ing under his arm the awful book Whlci
contains the records Of all our pas
lives. Then God, the Judge, after all i
reodv. summons his angelic messen
aers and saws: "Bring In those VINO ar
TO he tried for their past lives. Brlni
them all in." The winged messenger
ev svIfter than the winds to the far
thermost parts Of space, crying the Oh
sentence: "The judgment-the Jude
mentl Come to judgment! Come L
Judgment
A Grand Court.
We can have only an inadequate col
cention of that scene. We have II
guide to its solemn proceedings Du
, the scenes Of judgment courts o
earth. Infinitely greater that must D
} than our courts, but can imagine Una
there are characteristics Identical !
both. Let us consider those that W
NAV realize something Of the maJest
and grandeur Of that universal assize
=, NV text. in the first place. has
legal ring. BY that | mean this que'
ton of the judgment seat of Christ
not matter of haphazard chanc'
Everything there is done according
the divine order. No man is aboV
tho law. no man below the law, \
man Independent of the law. The q
vine law reaches out everyWher
places its sentinels on guard ana sa!
to iudge and defendant alike: Il al
: master here We shall all stand D
, fore the Judgment seat Of Christ"
Now comes the practical questo
y "What is the law of God. or the spl
n itual laws. which must not be broken
The law in the divine sense is exact
a os 1t is in the human sense. 1T Is
according to the photographer, III
W rule established in a community
V state for the guidance and control
the inhabitants, a rule Of civil condu
d prescribed by the supreme power IN
state. commanding what is right al
prohibiting what is wrong" In OH
words II is a rule established for t
protection Of all, restraining I
Z wrongdoer and providing penalties I
those who violate it. 1t says, "A
other cannot trample upon your righ
81 neither are you allowed to tramI
ar upon anOthers rights" Thou sha'
and "Thou shalt not'' are its two co
mands. -,
Let me illustrate. Do you see II
III long line Of carts filed with men
ing driven up to the prison dool
eyes" you answer. "Who are the
menf" They belong to the chain gal
- Those men have been guilty of mis-
ct0