Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1872-03-12

teresting sermon, specially addressed to young
people He took for his text the 24th, 25th, and
Goth verses of the 18th chapter of the Epistle to
the Hebrews
| by faith Moses, aobeat he acas come to gears re-
fused to be called the SON of PharaoHs daughter
Choosing rather to suffer affection qoith the peo
pie of God than to enjoy the pleasures of san foa
| a season A
Esteemiag the reproach of Christ greater rich.
es than the treasures of Egypt: for he had res.
pect unto the Teconapense of the reaoGrd."
/ He began by comparing the passage from
childhood to youth, to the launching of newly
built ship, which had never been trusted to the
waves and storms of the ocean. That it was
critical moment when the child passes from the
control and guidance of its parents and decides
and chooses for itself as to its course through
life. That childhood is guided and controlled
| by others, but youth must decide for itself.
He then held up Moses as an example fol-
youth to follow.
| In the first place he stated that Moses, while a
child, had no choice. He had nothing to do with
his being hidden by his mother, or with his be-
ing placed in the basket of bulrushes, or with
his adoption by Pharaoh's daughter. He was
| guided and controlled by others. So, with us.
children are taken to prayer-meetings or taught
|
are offered up to God or sacrificed on the altar OF
| Moloch. But youth must determine for itself.
| With youth comes, liberty, and unfortunately, it
is often abused and carried to excess. Young
| people are too apt, On finding themselves free
from control, to run into excess and become wild,
thinking that they thereby show their freedom.
But often, like Ph@ton, the son..of Theseus, they
soon rush to destruction.
Secondly. There were two alternatives for
Moses to choose between to be member of the
royal family and probably heir to the Egyptian
throne, or to be Hebrew slave. So there are
two alternatives now, between which young peo-
pie must decide: Either to serve God, OF serve
the world. And many. unlike Moses, choose
the servile work of the world, in preference to
the glorious service of Jesus. Caught by the
glitter and glare of the things of the world, they
turn their backs upon the recompense of those
who serve the Lord. Some are anxious to join
the church as silent partn ers but religion re-
quires not only that you renounce the world, but
that you also boldly and publicly make an
nouncement of your choice.
Thirdly. Moses could not be prince and an
Israelite both.
He could probably have done much more for
the apparent relief of the Israelites by consent
ing to remain the son of Pharaoh's daughter
But then he must have been an idolator, and he
refused to acknowledge himself the son of Pha-
roah's daughter.
SO, some now think they will be able to do
much good by making themselves rich in the
things of this world. But it is impossible to
serve God by serving Mammon.
Fourthly. Moses made choice which seemed
unwise at the time. but proved afterward to be
a wise one.
He exhorted young people to think of the
choice made by Moses. How he refused all the
splendors of the Egyptian court with its pala-
ces and Ggardens,a and chose rather to be a
Hebrew slave than to gain all this worldly wealth
by renouncing his people and his God. He
urged them not to prefer the toys of the world
to the everlasting joys of Gods kingdom. He
then showed what strong inducements must have
been brought to bear upon Moses. The infu-
ence of his adopted mother and her claims upon
him-the splendor of the position offered him
the power and glory that would be conferred
upon him. But all these things he resisted, and
remained FIRM, bold, and upright in his determi
nation to serve God.
Lastly. Moses made his choice upon principle
and faith. The butterfly futters from flower to
flower without any thought of the morrow. So
with children. But youth must put away child
ish things and turn to the work before it. Then
choose the right and have faith in the reward
Let your choice be decided one. Let there
be no wavering But forsake the world and
seek after spiritual things earnestly and dill
gently. A Chinese convert, noticing the little
difference in this country between christians and
persons of the world, said: ''The disciples in
So you must do-come clear out from the world.
The above skeleton sketch of course furnishes
nothing like an adequate idea of the merits or
beauty of the sermon. 1t is a mere thread of
the discourse, stripped of the pearls which
adorned it.
L. Vance Wartmann, son of John Fl. Wart-
mann, senior Editor of the Rockingham Regis
ter, and Margaret L. Wartmann, decd, gently
passed away on Monday morning, the 4th inst,
in the 26th year of his age The disease of which
he died was lingering one, and well calcu-
lated to try the power of Divine grace. Altho'
the subject of long suffering, he bore his illness
with the gentle, patient spirit of one whose heart
rested upon Christ. Years ago he consecrated
heart and life to God, and lived and died faith
full Christian. He was as long as health per-
mitted, an active and Jealous member of An
drew Chapel Sabbath School, and labored with
all his energy for the advancement of the Re-
deener's kingdom in that noble institution.
Here we present local which, perhaps, the
NOecf0fo7. man NAV unraval r"Sam Patch went