Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-10-19
Caln1aQe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmace, d. d.

sermon the preacher utteis whole
some warning against the common sin
or unchnritable Judgment of others,
lest we, by such means. miss the bless
ing that comes of entertaining angels
unawareS." The text is Genesis xviii. 2,
And. 10. three men stood by him."
When a gentleman travels in the far
east he does not stop at a public inn.
but lodges with the people he meets on
the way. Thus one day Abraham was
sitting at the door of his tent. or in
the distance he sees three travel stain
Ell men approaching. At once, accord
ing - the social customs then practiced
and with the cordial hospitality OF the
east. Abraham runs toward these three
travellers and kneels at their feet and
says: Come and lodge with we larry
and rest yourselves and eat of NV
bread. After refreshing yourselves you
can continue on your Journey" The
three travellers accepted this kind invi-
tatioD. Abraham spread before his
guests the best food he had. He killed
calf. His wife baked for them some
hot bread. After the meal was over
one CT the strangers said. ''Where is
thy Wife" Abraham went and called
Sarah. Then, as the three men were
about to go. they said practically these
words: "Oh, We aged and childless ones,
the dearest wish of your hearts is about
to be fulfilled. In Your old age you
shall have SON." To make a long
story short, Abraham and Sarah found
out that their guests III human form
were not simply three men, but three
angelic messengers of God What an
uncomfortable privilege that wasi Let
us think about it this morning, remem-
bering that we, too, can entertain an
gelic messengers almost every day if
we will. We can entertain them, as
did Abraham, when strange travellers
approach our dwellings and perhaps
knock at the door for admittance. You
may think these strangers are men. as
did Abraham, but they are not. They
are messengers of God. Thus the ques-
tons which now confront us all are:
"Will we let in these angelic visitors
Will we receive from them the spiritual
blessings which God intends us to get %
Shall we, in the first place, receive
the angelic visitors who come from
God dressed in the rough garments OF
poor men? These messengers come to
us almost daily, as the three strangers
came to Abraham in oldep time AS
we approach the Hebrew patriarch's
tent we see him sitting under the shad-
ow. 1t is almost noon. The intense
Syrian sun is beating down UPON the
plains. Most Of the work was done.
The shepherds or the cattleman's day
does not begin, as with many OF us.
at 8 or . o'clock These men start
their work very early in the morning.
While it is yet dark the busy wives
and daughters are up preparing the
early breakfast Then with the first
light " the day the sheep and the
cows and the horses begin to get rest
less. They want to get out and feed
upon the rich grasses. Then the fiocks
and the herds begin to move, and by
10 O'Clock the animals are well fed
and are resting themselves under the
shadows OF the trees until late in the
afternoon Abraham, like a wise mas
ter, had seen that his herdsmen and
shepherds had cared well for his stock.
Then when the hot sun begins to beat
pare for dinner and take a rest and
have quiet chat with his dear wife
Sarah, for, though Abraham at this
time was over ninety years OF age and
Sarah had passed her threescore years
and ten, yet they were still lovers as
when in their youth they had taken a
Journey into farofr Egypt and the
kings messenger wanted to select
Sarah for Pharaoh's bride.
The Three Travellers.
While the busy Sarah is preparing
the midnoon meal Abraham, sitting by
his tent. suddenly puts his hand over
his brow and begins to look. He seems
to be watching something afar or.
What Is IL, Abraham" says his wife.
do you see any one csmingY' YES"
answers the aged lover. ~ think see
three travellers. They are strangers to
me. They must be poor men. They
are coming afoot. In this country
horses are so cheap that all except the
poorest can own one. These men have
not even donkey with them. They
must truly be very poor. 1 wonder IL
they have enough food along. Poor
fellows. See how tired and hungry
they look. Sarah. We have so much:
let us give them n good meal and start
them on their journey afresh. No man
ought to be travelling In this awful
heat" ''All right, Abraham think
hear Sarah say. "All right You 60
and ask them to tarry. will hurry up
and prepare some meal, and you send
n nd
a feast fit for king" Thus Abraham
runs and salutes these strangers who
are travelling afoot He says, "Stran-
gers, will you come and lodge with
meg Lesson the first. These three
angelic messengers came to Abraham's
tent afoot. They came as poor men.
They came as Gods messengers often
come to Us. when they look up into our
faces and piteously beg: "Wilt thou
feed me? Wilt thou clothe me? am
Gods poor. Wilt thou care for mey"
"Oh, no." you answer; "that cannot
be- You are only making pretty fig
ure of speech. An angelic messenger
never comes clothed in rags. He may
have come to an Abrahamic tent afoot.
but he certainly never comes to me as
one OF those dirty, filthy beggars who
knock at my back door. He cannot
come as the poor man with that sick
wife and q large brood of children who
live In our back street. Why, that man
and his wife do not believe In God
They never read the Bible They new.
er pray. The angel of God never
comes as tramp or a pauper." Does
he not. my brother? Does he not? Do
not speak too quickly. What says
Christ in the twenty-fifth chapter of
Matthew? Does he say: IF you would
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