Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-06-22

life FAREWELL Oh, my friend, ike
Felix of old, art thou a living devotee
of wine and licentious affections? What
Is thy life before God and man in a
true domestic sense. Hast thou,
immoral leper, a Druslla sitting by
thy side? If thou hast, then Paul Is
preaching unto thee Righteousness ana
temperance and judgment to come.
Thou canst not stop thine ears to his
arraignment any more than Davd
could ignore Nathan or Herod ignore
John the Baptist or Felix could tenn
porlze with Paul. Is thy domestic HE
morally pure, clean lifei That Is
! what God Is asking thee today. Better
crush that hideous skeleton of sin
which thou hast hidden away In thy
closet. Crush it In Gods name, and
| crush it now.
| Felix Was Corrupt
But Felix had more than the sin OF
libertinism laid at his door. He was,
ike plate. officially corrupt. lie was
ready to sell his soul, his honor, his
oath of Office. He was ready to sell
everybody about him and anything
that he owned for money or position.
He knew. after he had heard the argu-
ments. that there was no case against
Paul. Every sense OF justice demand
cd that he should say to the prisoner,
"Paul thou art free" But he kept
Paul for two long years In prison be-
cause he (Felix) was financial robber
and wanted q bribe to release Paul
from his prison bars
Can't you today picture the merce-
nary ayariciousness of this Roman gov
ernOr? The Bible reads thus: HE
hoped also that money should be given
him of Paul that he might loose him,
wherefore he sent for him the oftener
and communed with him." What does
that mean? Every little while Felix
turns to one OF his officers and says
"Bring out Paul and let me talk TO
him" Paul comes forth rafting In MS
chains. Felix turns and says: Paul,
shall | release thee? Why should l 90
it?" Then the great apostle, the great
orator. begins to show his Innocence
He SAYS: "Why, governor, l have done
nothing. Why should you keep me IN
iail? | have done nothing contrary 10
the law" Felix was perfectly aware OF
that fact. but he knew that Paul mao
friends, some Of whom were wealthy
, and he thought that by keeping the
, case undecided some of them woulo
i, come forward with bribe. But II nc
hinted that idea to Paul we may De
: sure It was Indignantly secuted. Eau
nreached to him, land as he reasoned
= of Righteousness, temperance and Juug
ment to come Felix trembled and an
4 swered: Go thy way for this time
Whom have convenient season | vii
;. call for thee" o my God, are SOM
o OF us turning our backs upon thee be
I cause. like Felix Of old, the palms o
= our hands are tainted with dishones
Y gold?
. The character of Felix Is type tina
: reaches far beyond governors AM
irllgaYSb ircIS n Is Srfshe the present day. There ar
hrlhe Int they would be Influenced o
" tbe prospect of political prefefmen
They assess lightly the man whos
friendship they wish to gain; they Ia
- vor the men who can help them lol
y word I have known even minister
= who shrank from denouncing certai
: sins from the pulpit for fear the
snould offend their influential nearer
idl Modern lnstancee.
S. Felix trembled for his politicai pro
q nects We all despise the hedger' u
,nl trimmer the man who Is not WIFI
@ hrovely TO defy the powers that be al
hel denounce and rectify wrong, no nhu
Ie for where he may find it, Just read u
ly last verse Of this chapter OF Acts. WI
NIL do Won find there? We find that 10
in ornor Felix kept Paul in Jail for "
he long years for unjust cause. lie Ae
no him there like the French goverhlhe
DIS held Captain Dreyfus on Devlls lsian
oni Then. when the new governor was
ts nointed. he handed over Paul prise
es or 70 him. Why? The Bible tells
ri. "And Felix. to show the Jews pie'
ed ure. left Paul bound" An" {
ere hear that cowardly political govern
ch cav. "these Jews have large poiitl
,otl ,pauence. I must not do anything
r,s make them angry with me. Therei'
,. will keep Paul in jail ana hanu Il
over To my successor, and ne can
, eide his case, and then | Will make
us enemies unnecessarily" DO yoS '"
ilA' dor that when Paul denounced FeiiA
made him crlnge? Do you wonder
'ne that when Paul Is denounclns Soiie
sue us for our cowardly actions In IRE
70 is making some of us cringe as "e'i
W. mo" you say. Il am no co"'
'n No one holds the whip hand over
iie You are not talking fairly when
VI compare me to Felix" Am
'',n Why, my friend, you are sucn p'
'di1 ' lcal coward that you are afralu 10
Ie'y vour soul your own, and you kno"
len IF YOU are not political coward
TO why do you not put on your nat
i,., walk ont OF the store where you
aid employedF You hno" !0"'
M %au. Is not an honest man. You know
M ,"ui some of the goods you sell are
,or 49, marked right. Why are you sta.
i ~ there unless you are party 10
,,U crime? II you are not political
the ard then why did you not turn
and glass down the other night at
honouet and be brave enough 10
oroa "Boys. l do not drink because uo
NOT believe It is right to drink" IL
his are not a political coward, then
NOT are you not willing to Identity
,iven selves with some Of the unpoI
here movements Of this day which are
10 ing to grip the public enemy Dy
'ylhg throat and make right triumph
are wrong? Are you willing 10 De-