Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-04-18
.,retuIIv tbe conditions then we know


that we escaped our spiritual deaths,
as It were, by the narrowest margin. ,
oh, how close we were to being wreck /
ed on the rocks Of t mptation and SIN! ,
We were as close as we're the inmates
of the Alexandrian corn ship on the |
day she went to pieces on the shoals. /
Perhaps that narrow moral and spirit
ual escape occurred on the day you LETT /
home for college. The goodbys had |
been said. You were out Of your moth |
ers sight and beyond the sound of your /
fathers voice for the first time. You
had to choose your associates. This
and that college fraternity were open
to you. The classes were pretty clear
ly defined. One fraternity was COM
posed of drinking, dissolute young men.
Another was composed of steady, stu
dious, moral students. With which
would you associate yourself? While
You were hesitating some old school
friend came to you and warned you
against the fast set and persuaded you
to unite with the godly men, AS you
look back upon your past life, before
God you can say that next to your
mothers prayers that advice OF your
old school friend was the most impor-
tant talk of your life. Your whole
spiritual future was affected by the de-
cision you made on that night when
under his influence you decided the
fraternity fellowship question.
Or perhaps your moral and spiritual
escape was like that of the man who
some years ago was addressing a
great religious meeting in the city or
Boston. ut was dark night" said
the speaker, "when three young men
were passing down the street OF an
eastern city. Their steps quickened as
they came near to a house Of evil re-
sort. When the doorbell was rung one
of these young men hesitated. He
turned and said: Boys, | am not going
In. | am going back Scared, are
you? said his two companions. yes,
answered the young man, 4 am scared
The two companions tried to persuade
the faltering one to go In. He almost
yielded. He went even to the thresn-
old: then he turned and broke away
and ran back to his boarding house
and threw himself on his knees and
thanked God for saving him from fall-
ing" Then the speaker, addressing his
audience. said: Friends, two Of these
Young men entered the house OF evil
resort that night. Those two young
mems bodies now lie In dishonored
drunkards' graves. The third young
man. who almost entered that evil
house and turned and ran away that
night, gave his heart to God and en-
tered the gospel ministry and is now
addressing you" Oh. ye men and wo-
men. have your moral and spiritual
escapes been so narrow as that? Thank
God today that, like the passengers on
the Alexandrian corn ship, you have
escaped. Again and again you have
morally and spiritually escaped safe to
! land.
Tho Inaratitude of the Sailors.
Rut there are two other facts to
which | wish to call your attention In
reference to these soldiers and sailors
escaping from the wrecked Alexandrian
corn ship. The first was the behavior
Of the soldiers and sailors toward Paul
when the ship was in its greatest dan
ger. Cannot you see the faces or the
men and the women brighten and smile
as Paul utters his words Of cheer ana
encouragement? But did the men who
listened to Paul so thankfully In times
of danger befriend him when safety
was in sight? Nay. Both the sailors
and the soldiers were equally migrate
ful. No sooner did the ship come to
anchor than the sailors said to each
other. Come, men, let's save ourselves
and LET all the others look out for them
solves" Then they started for the
lifeboat to pile into 1t and shove on
and only through Pau's warning &c
the soldiers were they prevented de
serting the ship. But were the soldiers
any better? Nay. When their safety
was in sight they drew their SWORDS
and said, Come, let US kill Paul, fol
If we get to shore he may escape, ane
then we will have to answer to Caesar
with our lives for his escape" But tn'
centurion wanted to save Paul an(
kept them from their purpose. Thus o
the men whom he had befriended II
the storm cheering and encouraging
them in the hours Of darkness, one Sc
proposed to kill him and the other
tried to desert him when refuge wa
In view.
Let us not sit In judgment on them
Rather let us ask ourselves how VI
have acted toward God, who has pre-
served our lives from danger and ha
kept us in the paths Of Righteousness
Have we been eager to show gratitud
to him? Have we been active In hl
service? Have we sought for the poo
and afflicted to help those less happ'
than ourselves, that in ministering I
| them we may please him to whom W
owe so much and who said, "lnasmuc
as We did it unto them ye did 1t unf
: me?
: copyright. 1908. by Louis Klopsch.1