Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-11-03
Calnage
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaae. ID. ID.


trusting In a continuance Of material
blessings as a means Of happiness.
The text Is Proverbs xvii, l, "Boast
not thyself of tomorrow, for thou
knowest not what day may bring
forth"
One Of the most impressive pictures
| have ever seen was one entitled 1.-The
Journey of Life" 1t depicted a row.
boat being pulled out to a ship In the
offing. A large family with their
household goods were in the boat. In
the stern were the gray haired grand
father and grandmother Like the
great picture Of Napoleon leaving
France, these two old folks were ear
nestly scanning the receding shore.
Their lives were nearly ended, and
their thoughts were In the past They
were living entirely in the sweet men,
cries Of the days that were gone. AL
the feet Of the old folks their grand
children were playing with their toys.
Like two little kittens, they did not
seem to care what was happening.
Their thought world had not yet been
entered. Just beyond two young lov-
ers were plighting their troth. They
were walking for a little while In the
cloudlands. They were slipping Tor
short time the sweet nectar from the
flowers which bloom only for day
during the mating Of the birds. But
ut the PROV Of the boat stood tne
strong man of the world, with his wire
bv his side. His eye had an eagle
glance. His brow rested on his hand.
He seemed to be looking Into the dim
future at his home which was yet to
he built In a foreign land, at the VISION
AIRY fields which were yet to be TILED
and at the fortune which he was yet
to make The picture was suggestive
TO nv mind OF that momentous jour
ney which we call the voyage OF life.
Not all of us reach the stage typihed
by the grandparents. Some come 10
the end of the journey in the period OF
childhood. some In youth, some In ma
ture life. 1t is very uncertain, but IL is
we'll In our early years II we plan care
fully for the future instead Of spending
the time In idle dreaming or In pleas
ure. The foundations Of our career
arc laid earlier than some OF us I'M
aelne. and. whether that career be long
| or short. those foundations should be
laid we'll.
These plans are very different from
the presumptuous boastlng condemned
in nv text. Here King Solomon de-
scribes the lazy man, the indolent man.
the procrastlnating man, the man VINO
,s giving free license to his evil pas
sIons. the man who Is binding his eyes
TO all the magnificent opportunities or
the glorious present as he says TO nim-
self: 81 know | am not doing as l
ought to do. But what Is the diner-
ence? Rome was not built In day.
life Is not spanned. by the snort
bridge of twenty-four hours. This day
I will eat and drink and be merry
and tomorrow l will do as l ought 10
do" "Ah," says the great king, today
Is thine. This coming twilight may
he thy last eventide. Perhaps the
moon which will arise tonight VIII
shine through the open window and
touch thine ashen cheek as the at
tendants are preparing thy body toi
the burial Tomorrow may come tc
thy neighbor, but this day may usnei
in for thee an endless and unchangine
eternity" Let me read for you again
the sentence, Boast not thyself of to
morrow, for thou knowest not what
day may bring forth"
A Timely Warning.
These words are a timely warning u
those who are slowly, yet surely, al
lowing the fatal coils Of an evil naDi
TO intwlne about them - timely be
cause these poor deluded victims seen
to be going to their destruction VIII
wide open eyes, as an OK to the siaugn
ter. But somehow they feel that, N
matter how deep their feet may p
sinking into the qulcksands or hoV
thick the Shiny seaweeds may be wrap
ping themselves about the swimmer
body, yet they can come safe TO lan'
:. and break loose from their evil naDlt
whenever they will. Now, my frleno
| would tell you that an evil habit ID
stead of growing weaker with ag
grows stronger II an evil habit ha
YOU in tight clutch today it VIII nav
YOU in a tighter wise tomorrow. 1t
' folly for a man to say, Il Will Drea
= away from this evil habit tomorrow
If you cannot break away from tina
evil habit today you cannot tomorrow
If you are not willing to break ava
from an evil habit today, In all probf
> bility you will be weaker still toino'
y row. The law Of the increasing mori
,fl weakness of the wrongdoer and ID
increasing strength Of an evil habit
irrevocable.
5, Habits Like Quicksnnds.
r man becomes more and more hell
less In the grip Of an evil habit. Jul
20 as In the clutch Of the qulcksand.
am glad I used that illustration IL
one that you will feel If you have eve
been caught in those treachero'
depths. / remember some time az
when driving through the westei
country we came to a rather VIC
creek. was about to drive throuf
- 1t when the gentleman with whom
was riding said, "Wait; let me test IL
He took Off his shoes and stocking
and started for the other side. Con
onr he cried. 1T Is shallow
through" | shook the relns as sign
TO the horse and he started. He we
only q few steps and then stoppe
frightened. No sooner did ne 81
than the wheels Of the wagon begi
to sink. "Come on! Come on! crit
my companion. The qulcksands
catching you. Come on!' But COZ
on l could not. In a minute or ty
the wheels had sunk q third Of {