Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-01-19
Calma9e
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase. ID. ID.

Los Angeles, Cal, Jan. 20.-ln this
sermon the preacher gives a new inter-
pretation to the rebellion Of Jonah, the
prophet, and shows that when our own
hearts are out of tune with God and
nature life is full Of discord and dis
satisfaction. The text Is Jonah iv, o,
"Doest thou well to be angryT
Sometimes I am inclined to think
that Jonah Is the most famous char
ncter Of the Bible next to Jesus Christ.
There are many people who know
nothing about Abraham or Samuel OF
David or Isaiah who know all about
the wonderful story Of Jonah and the
whale. That one incident In his ca
reer has made him the most Famous
OF the prophets. His fame Is due not
so much to the disciples Of Christ as 10
the enemies of Jesus. No sooner does
a man brought up In a Christian home
begin to listen to the enemies OF the
Bible and get ready to cut adrlft from
all past Christian associations than ne
hunts up the book of Jonah ana sets
out to prove that the Bible is pack
OF absurdlties by holding up the story
Of this recreant prophet to ridicule.
II Is very easy to ridicule this story.
Very shallow men devoid Of logic or
the power of analysis can do that II
serves as q handle Of attack on the
RIble. which can be used by any man
who hates the Bible for Its uncompro-
missing attitude against sin and dis
likes II for demanding Of every man
repentnnce and faith. Perhaps II Jo-
nah had told the people of Uneven
what had happened to him they would
have laughed at that instead Oh put
ting on sackcloth. Do not let US Dc isu
aside into such foolishness or In any
way 70 lay stress on this incident. Per
baps IL we knew more about the Story
and the man who wrote 1t and Jonah
himself we might find that there was
M difficulty at all In It, 1t is waste
Of time to dwell upon 1t when the
moral of what the writer wants 10
teach IA so obvious-that when dou
calls a man to work 1t is useless 70
evade the duty. and If he does try &c
evade II he will be brought back 10 II
by some means, ordinary or extraor
dInary. l..
Having spoken these few words IL
the vay of introduction, want t'
dwell on one Of the most remarKapl'
characteristics of that obstinate ah'
wayvard prophets mind. After Jonai
had gone 10 Nlneyeh and told the peo
nile of Nineveh that unless they re
nented and turned from their sins the.
would all be destroyed the Ninevite
mt ON sackcloth and ashes and repent
cd Then God, merclfully noting tina
repentance. said that he would not &c
stroy them. Then Jonah petulanu
flew off into violent rage. "Ihere,
he said, my work Of prophecy is u
gone for naughtl Thou, o God, has
made a laughlngstock Of me. toi
the Ninevites they would perish In fo'
, ty days. Now thou sayest tney Cd
1.-Two Who Will listen to my warning
IN futureY" So angry Jonah goes o
unon the hillside overlooking the cll
NJ Nineyeh and there sulks ana SUE
and pouts and pouts. He SAID: \ khs
n knew God would not des'ro
them. And now my business OF prop
osv,na is ruined forever. No one WI
believe me-" Then God speaks 10 j
nah the words of my text, "Doest inc
II we'll to be angry" So I ask you toae
l the same words, "Doest tnou wen
be angryT
Remarkable Question.
Now. why did God say unto Jona
"Doest thou we'll to be angryF On
vou answer. that is very simple. II
have not quoted the whole OF the pa
saga The Bible says, 'Doest thou wv
70 be angry for the gourdr Wnl
Jonah was upon that hillside overioo
ing the city he sat under the shadc
NJ n broad leaf that spread itsei1 Q
a. an umbrella over his head. III
Ieaf had mushroom growth. 1t gr'
M in n night. 1t grew so rapidly u
YOU could almost see 1t gro" IL {!
watched 1t. But, like all quick gro
ing fungi, it wlthered away even ni'
quickly than it grew. While the prol
ct sat upon the hillside this lea
umbrella suddenly shrank and Il
Then the hot Assyrian sun beat DO
upon his unprotected head, ana ne "
overcome by the heat He had s.
atrole He tainted dead away. WI
he came to, he was mad. de pr
tically said, % God, feel SO lnlS
ohle I wish I were dead And
III NOT blame him. With parched lips
IL overheoted brow and excruclat
III pains chasing themselves up ana 40
IL his anatomy he might better De u. Il,
There Is no sun hotter on eartn u
the Assyrian sun. The old site OF M
veh lies today in the midst or des
Jonah was simply physically SICK II
the heat, and that, of course III
him mentally and spiritually SICK
3d."
Oh, no, my brother, you are WIZ
Jonah was not angry 80 much WIN
folding up Of that great lear WI
- protected him as an umbrella as
was angry with himself. The &c
was a mere incident. God told hir
90 TO Nineveh. He would not q
NIneveh. Then, like every man
does wrong, he got angry ana ou
sorts with his higher and better MAJ
And when he got angry with Dill
he got angry with all his surro
Ings. And when finally he nad L
TO Nineveh under compuislon'
slaye is driven to his task, ne g
bled all the way there. He grun
while he delivered his prophecy.
x,btod AZ tho niltcOme OF his D