Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-03-07
Calnage
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt TalmaGe, d. ID.

| FRANK OG Will ~
Los Angeles, Cal, March l.-That we
should make no compromise with EVIL
and should be bold and outspoken III
our stand against sin, no matter how
much we may love the sinner, Is the
lesson of this sermon, the text for
which is taken from | Samuel XVI, l.
"Iow long wilt thou mourn for SaulE
Who has not read with thrilling i'll
terest Sir Walter SCOTS story OF Jeanne
Deans? | was much interested In
learning that the heroine of that story
was a real character, a girl who lies
buried near Dumfries, on whose tomb
stone is an epitaph written by Scott
himself. 1t is impossible to refrain
! from tears as we read the story. The
girl. whose life is wrapped up In that
of her young sister, gives evidence
against her that convlcts her OF cap
ital offense and then walks all the way
TO London to obtain pardon for her.
The brave girl could not tell lie even
TO save her sister from a shametul
death. but could undergo hardship 10
deliver her. That is heroism, the hero
ism Of n fine soul that loved intensely,
but feared to sin. Few of us could
have done a thing so heroic. We try
TO shield our loved ones. We shrink
from exposing them. We sometimes
shrink even from reproying them lest
we cause them pain. We try to shield
and cover up their wrongdoings even
MS YOU sometimes see n foolish mother
shields from her husband the wrong
doings of her prodigal son because she
is afraid the father might punish the
boy.
1t was in this way that Samuel clune
to his protege, Saul. Most of us thlnR
of Samuel as q stern faced. grim Wis
aged mentor to the young king we
picture him standing before the offend
or implacable as a goddess of justice
with blinded eyes holding high the
scales and ready without Il particle ol
personal regret TO execute the sentence
when the scales indicate guilt. Bu
underneath this stern set. iron muscleC
couutenance Of Samuel was heart ol
deem. tender. faithful love. Though ht
must denounce Saul's sins. he coult
not cease to love Saul. His heart seem
ed TO cling to Saul, and he would have
: been glad. had it been right, to cove
r ND Saul's misdeeds. Thus in the tex
the Lord finds the old prophet an'
= saws practically this: Samuel, nov
long are you going to grieve for Saul
He has done wrong, Are. you going I
continue to stay at home and grieye
!, sra YOU 4.ot going forth to try to rec
/ my the Ell saui Iias d0Ii'' 'C'o'i1t
s Samuel. be a man. BE brave and tru
to your nobler and better self. Come
have selected another king for Is
rael." AS God came to Samuel Il
times of old God is coming to us an
bidding us refrain from useless grief.
t Saul a Born King.
e In the first place you must rememDe
e that Saul was a handsome man. IL
was not only a king by election bu
. he was one of those wonderful me
who are described as every inc
kings because of their pE steal pres
n ence He was not only tall, standin
head and shoulders above all his con
It nonions. but he was perfectly formed
e And his face in its beauty must hay
Il looked like the features chiseled out
= marble by phidas to form the Deaut
: ful countenances of Greek gods. Ill
hearing when he first came befol
u Samuel was so humble and pure tina
= even in the eyes of the stern face
d prophet. nothing was TO be criticise'
a nothing was to be apprehended.
n Saul had the refinement in his max
ND which came from a cultured lif
- TIE was the son OF one OF the repr
"a sentative men Of his tribe. His bloc
J. was Of the best. He walked with Il
conscious gait of one well born WI
was natural leader among men Il
ancestors for generations had bee
Great men If you turn to the rccor
Won can read these words: "Now, the
was q man of Ben iamin. whose nan
was Kish. the son Of Abicl. the son
Zcror. the son of Bechorath. the son
ADhiah. a Henjamite, mighty man
mower. And he had son whose nan
was Saul. n choice young man al
roOllv. and there was not among [
children Of Israel a goo1lier person
\ lool, uDon than he. From his sho'
\ ders and upward he was higher TIL
-D any of the people" Can You not 5
Il Saul moving along. the cynosure OF
Il eyes? Cannot you see him, handsof
( as an Apollo Belvedere? Was 1t a
: wonder that Samuel the prophet shou
y love him and hate to give him upF
IS so easy to excuse the sins of m
"a u and woman when they are beautil
~, or and graceful. But because Saul, I
ID. handsome man, was sinner, was IL
G. any reason why his sins should not
90 condemned by God just as much as
ed he was an ugly dwarf?
ny Mary, Queen of Scots.
on Take. for instance, the life OF Ma
ret queen of Scots. There is a lot
I'll, maudlin sentimentality expended o.
or that sinful life. But was not Jo
Knox right when he used to stand
ge- in the Scottish pulpit and dcnounce
" profigacies until that beautiful que
would drive the nails into the pa
of her hand and her teeth into her
= until the blood came? And should
III scores and hundreds Of our women
day in social life be denounced
some modern John Knox If they
running the lives Of men by the cha
and attraction of their pretty rae
y When the great day of Judgment cor
: It will be found that many OF the
Of this day which we look upon as L
al Will be catalogued as among
IS worst OF sins in Gods sight. And IL