Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-02-23

DOWNWARD Win Iull SWOOp upOn lHo
object of its desires" SO with some
sinful men. With their honeyed words
they seem to be mounting toward the
heavenly blue. They pretend to be liv-
ing an unselfsh life. But they are not
mounting thus toward heaven to live
nearer to God. They are mounting
thus In order that they may have wider
range for their depredations. They as
sumo the white, spotless robes Of vir-
tue, but their hearts are as black and
as craven as the unfaithful servant Of
the parable.
But not only does the worldly wise
man incur loss Of property when his
Lord comes and reckons with him. He
loses the society and eternal compan-
ionship Of those dear to him. He seems
to assume that, no matter how selfish
ly he may live or what sins he may
commit, he shall be able to live for
ever with the same kind Of good peo-
pie with whom he has associated on
earth. He seems to think, because the
Master of the parable has let him
work side by side with his faithful
servants here for time, that when he
comes back he will still let faithful
servants live side by side with him.
Now, this is not to be. Not only did
the Master take away from his un-
faithful servant his talent and tear
away his hypocritical pretenses to vir-
tue. but the Master also debarred that
unfaithful servant forevermore asso-
ciating with those who had been faith
full to their trusts.
If you turn to the twenty-f1fth chap
ter of Matthew, you will find that
Jesus taught this fact beyond all per-
adventure. After Christ had told the
parable Of the unfaithful servant with
the dramatic power Of true orator he
suddenly changed his illustration into
the scene of a courtroom. Here Is the
open court Of the east. Here are the
multitudes of all ages assembled. There
Is the throne upon which God will sit as
the Divine Judge, who shall pass upon
each mortal life. After each servant
has given an account Of his steward
ship the Divine Judge will pronounce
the sentence. Listen to the awful ring
Of those words: "And before him shall
be gathered all nations and he shall
separate them one from another as
shepherd dlvideth his sheep from the
goats, and he shall set the sheep on his
right hand and the goats on his left"
Oh, yes; there will be an awful sepa-
ration some day! The faithful serv-
ants must be separated from the bad.
That means, "If do not render a good
account Of my stewardship, God will
separate me in eternity from living
with those who have been faithful to
their trust"
Oh, unfaithful servants, ye pretend
to believe that your mother your wife,
your daughter, your son, belong to
you? If you do not render true ac-
count of your stewardship, God will
just as surely take them away from
you as some day he will take away
your money and shatter your hypocrit-
ical pretenses to virtue. Some day God
shall send his death angel into your
home. You may bar and bolt the front
door, but the death angel will come
right in. He will not lolter much In
the dining room or the parlor. He will
ascend the staircase and stop at this
bedroom and that He will look into
one bedroom and there find your old
mother reading her Bible. He will ap-
proach her gentle form and tap her
upon the shoulder and say: Come,
child of God. Come. By thy illumined
face / know thou hast been faithful
to thy trust" Then he will find your
daughter upon her knees. He will say
to her: "Come, daughter. Jesus Is
waiting" He will call thy Christian
father. He will stop minute as be
hears your dear wife pray, 20 God,
save me and save my dear husband,
that we may dwell together with thee
In paradise" Why will yonder angel
be weeping? Thou knowest or ought
to know. Unless thou dost repent and
make right rendering Of thy steward
ship thy family circle after death will
never be reunited. You may say your
loved ones belong to you, but your pre-
sumpSbn may be based upon false
premises Your Christian loved ones
belong to you If you are faithful to
your divine trust as they are faithful.
If thou art not faithful, then they do
not belong to you. They shall not be-
long to you any more than your gold
after death will belong to you. And
he shall separate them one from an
other, as a shepherd dlvideth the sheep
from the goats" "For whosoever hath
to him shall be given. and from him
that hath not shall be taken away even
that which he seemeth to have"
But I must not talk about eternal
separations unless l tell you a conver-
sation that would probably 90 on be-
tween the faithful servant and the un-
faithful one before the master of the
parable returned and demanded an ac-
counting for the trusts which he had
committed to them. The news was
carried ahead to the three servants OF
the parable. The messengers came to
the town where these servants lived
and said: "The master is coming. He
will soon be here. You must make
preparations to receive him. He is
coming very soon."
Preparing For His Return.
At once the different servants went
forth and gathered in their talents, or,
to use the business parlance, the mon
eys which they had invested. On the
night before the master came these
three servants were seated together be-
fore the great fireplace of the masters
sitting room. One Of these servants
turned to another and said: John,
what have you made with your tai
entsY "Well," answered John, you
know the master gave me five tai
ents. OF course that Is big lot or