Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-10-26
By Rev.
, Frank De Witt Talmage, ID. ID.

Los Angeles, Cal, Oct. 20.-That the
heaviest sorrows and trials Of life may
be. transformed into the greatest spirit
ual blessings If. instead Of giving way
to hopeless depression. we show forti-
tude by the faithful performance of
our daily duties Is the teaching of this
sermon. The text is John xxi, 3, Il go
a-dshDg"
A great tragedy seems to associate
itself with the scene in which 1t took
mace. If we witness railroad COLI
sion or carriage accident or tragic
death of any kind we cannot pass the
place in which 1t occurred without nav
ing the sad event recalled to the men,
ofy. Especially is this the case when
the tragedy involved the death Of one
we loved. II you lived in another part
OF the country, would you not at once
want to 90 home and stay among the
home scenes and try to blot out the
hideous spectacle which you had been
compelled to witness? Well, that Is
lust what Peter and some of the dis
ciples did after Jesus was laid away
in the tomb. Come" they cried to
each other: "let us get away from this
cruel city of Jerusalem. Let us go BACK
TO Galilee. near where we were born
and where we lived when the dear
Lord called us to leave our nets ana
become fishers of men," So they pack
ed up their belongings and started
north for the Zebulon hills. They turn
ed their backs upon the great walled
In capital and the temple and sought
the scenes of their childhood and OF
their early communion with Christ.
Methinks can see them now walk
ing along. The sun was shining just
as bright then as during some OF the
walks they had taken with him. Ile
birds were singing just as sweetly. IL
was the springtime. All the flowers
were In full bloom-the wild lowers
which Jesus so loved. The sheep we're
pasturing upon many hills. The grass
was green and soft. AS the weary
travellers rested for the lunch hour IL
did seem as though nature cared not
whether its Creator was living or dead.
Oh. their hearts were so crushed ana
bleedlng The farther thev got away
from Calvary the more their grlel
seemed TO bow them down. The hard
Il n
ing the hours of the funeral, but after
ward. Then the house Is so lonely,
the arms so empty. the loved, voices so
still. Everywhere the pilgrims went
ftey could see his dear face and hear
him speaking. Christ score OF times
had Travelled with them over this same
road and rested by these same springs.
Peters First Impulse.
When they reach home the same un-
utterable grief abides with them. They
fry to cheer each other up. but it Is no
use. One afternoon toward evening as
the sun was sinking in the west these
dlsciples are again gathered together
to talk over the past. hear the rough'
brusque, impulsive Peter speak up. lie
saws: Men. cannot stand this any
longer. Every time think OF his
trial and death | hear myself denying
him. Then see that sweet face turn
ed in pity upon me, as when the COCK
crew twice. must do something to
rouse myself out of these recollectlons
of the past. I'll go a-fshing.' With
that Peter starts to find his old boat
and his nets. And all the other disci'
pies say, I'VE also go with thee
They descend the hills to the pebbled
beach. They get ont the old oars
They fill the bottom OF the boat with
the nets or they pull. IS | see thai
boat going farther and farther away
from shore see Christ. the loving
| Christ. watching his dear disciples
Thry cannui see hin. but he secs them
Some practical gospel truths arise II
my mind ~ | th,ak of the impulsiv(
words of tA.H mmt human Of all the
apostles when hc said, Il go a-fshing,'
and the other disciples answered, 1--WE
also go with thee"
Peter. starting for The nets on tho
sea of Galii"r. shows. in the hrst place
the never ending grip tie habits o.
parIv youth take rp9n our minds anC
hearts. What we lean before lifteeI
years of age we seldom forget. lol
have often heard of old people coming
TO their second childhood. This means
that when the hair is white and thu
step inlrm an aged man may forge
what he did in his twenties and thlr
ties and In his middle life. but he rare
ly forgets what he did as a little child
He nav forget his wife and children
but. as a rule, he never forgets III
mother and father and brothers ant
sisters. 1t is no unusual sight to hea
an old man calling his sons and daugh
ters by the names of his brothers ant
sisters and plaintively talking TO hi
wife as though he were little chill
addressing his mother The places a
old man dreams about most are tn
scenes of his early boyhood, the broo
which ran through his fathers mead
ow lands. the old schoolhouse where b
studied his primer his old trundl
bed. the nuts he used to crack and tn
red apples he used to eat on winte
evenings before the cracking logs @
the old family fireside.
Mr. Moody emphasized this truth i
another way He said: "The older
grow the harder it is for me to lear
Scripture. AS a preacher | am cor
tlnually committing to memory ne0
Bible texts and chapters, yet | yer
soon forget them. But the Scriptur
verses which learned at my mother
knee | have never forgotten. The lie:
sons which she taught me are NOR
and more vividly recalled by my min'
, Therefore it is very important tn
, parents train up their children arig
for Cod They should early get the
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