Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-08-31
Caln1aSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase. d. ID.


ing power and influence Of a strong,
upright character upon the lives ana
conduct of those with whom he may
be associated. The text is Acts xvii,
36, "Then they were all of good cheer"
The prejudice against ministerial
passengers formerly held by sailors
aboard ship was very bitter. Yet to-
day in the scene Of my text we see
Paul, the gospel missionary, overc0m-
Ing the prejudice OF the crew. Amid the
Mediterranean euroclydon we see him
winning their confidence to such an ex-
tent that he becomes practically the
captain instead Of the captive. After
weeks of tossing about upon treach-
erous sea, with all bearings lost, the
275 souls aboard turn to this little Jew
and beg his advice as TO what they
should do. They say, I'VE Will obey
your orders; we will eat when you tell
us to eat and cast Off our anchor ca
bles when you tell us to cast them of"
"And when he had thus spoken he
took bread and gave thanks to God In
presence of them all, and when he had
broken 1t he began to eat Then were
they all of good cheer, and they also
took some meat"
Now, why did these sailors upon the
Mediterranean corn ship have such faith
In this evangelist? In the first place be-
cause they realized that there was SUI
pernatural power about this strange
man of God. They could not analyze his
power. They could not tell theologlc-
ally from whence 1t came. But they
felt its power just the same, as we can
feel the thrill of the electric current as
soon as we place our fingers upon the
handles Of an electric battery. And the
man of the world does not have to
matrlculate at theological seminary
In order to learn the power of one who
Is In touch with God. AS soon as such
n man comes in contact with spirit
filed life he realizes the supernatural
influence The more worldly the man
the more that spiritual influence Will
be made manifest to him. was never
more impressed with this fact than
when l read an incident In the life or
THE great French surgeon Dupuytren.
DIR. Dupuytren was the greatest Pa
tristan surgeon Of his time, but he
was an ungodly man. He hated the
| church with an intense hatred. Be
sides that, he was one of those brusque,
cruel, unfeellng men who have no SYM
pathy with pain. The knife to him
was the remedy for all Ills. AS, long
| as his knife could cure he cared not
whether the patient suffered mental or
physical anguish. Surgery was to him
a business. The spiritual development
| Of his soul seemed to be entirely lack
ing. But one day there came into his
office an DID, gray haired, gentle, beau
tiful faced priest. What do you
want?" grulIly asked Dupuytren. For
answer the good priest began to take
Off a big woolen cravat and showed
the surgeon a hideous tumor upon his
| neck. Dupuytren looked at 1t mo-
/ Ule1I. lie DItSStu IL lOu6his N'NA NNS
finger and then brutally said: You'll
have to die with that This tumor can
never be cured" Thank you" said
the priest. Then he began to replace
the woolen cravat as he replied, Il now
know that | must prepare myself for
| giving up my life's work and also pre-
pare my poor parishioners who love me
much for my leaving them" The great
surgeon turned his cold gray eyes up
on the priest minute, and those eyes
| bored straight down into the patients
heart. Then he said, with gentle
voice: "Come to my hospital tomor-
row and we will see what we can do.
There is one chance in thousand to
save you"
| Curing the Priest.
The priest came to the hospital the
next day. With a submissive prayer
he laid himself down upon the op-
Grating table. In a month he was
discharged a we'll man. AS he was
leaving he took out Of his pocket thir'
ty pieces of silver and with trembling
hand offered them to the surgeon, say
ing: Doctor, this is all the money
have. | walked all the way from my
house to pay you this" But Dupuy'
tren said, keep them, man; keer
themw Then he opened his money
drawer and took out handful OF gold
and poured the napoleons into the
priests lap and said: Here Is some
money for the poor. May God bless
you. his servant, to labor for him fol
many years among your people" A
few years later that great surgeon
died, a believing. trusting Christian
in the arms of that humble priest.
Did you ever read story more beau
tiful? And yet the power of the gospe
is being preached in many lives as tina
humble priest by his serenity and faiti
preached to Dupuytren. \ man doe
not have to stand in pulpit to be al
evangelist of Jesus Christ The spiri
, filed life radiates supernatural infiu
| ence everywhere No sooner did tnos
2 sailors upon that Alexandrian corr
j ship come into touch with Paul thal
they felt there was supernal powe
about him which they lacked. Wha
is the spiritual influence of your llfe,
man? What is the spiritual infiuenc
Of your life. o woman? In order tina
your friends and neighbors may be sur
that you are a Christian, do they nav
to 90 to the church books and mn
your name enrolled among Its men
bers? Or by your looks, by your ger
tie words. by your simple, trustfu
faith. do they perceive that you ar
walking with God, even as Enoc
walked in the early ages Of the world
history? do not ask you II you al
preaching Christ from a pulpit, Dut
ask whether your light Is shining
that men seeing your daily life realil
that God is in you of a truthf Is
spirit filed life which breaches IL