Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-08-10


possession OF the large firm. as recently
with famous business house. and the
firm win say: I'VE have enough money
for all our needs and the needs OF our
children. Now let US dissolve bust
ness and make way FOR other men In
the same line" Instead of being star
tied at solitary instance of mag
nanimity 10 will become com
mon thug. know OF scores OF great
business houses that have had their OPP
portunity OF vast accumulation and
who ought To quit. But perhaps for
all the days of this generation the
struggle of small houses TO keep alive
under the overshadowing pressure OF
great houses will continue Therefore.
taking things as they are. you viii be
wise TO preserve your equilibrium and
your honesty and your faith and throw
over all the counters and shelves and
casks the measuring line of divine
right. .And the Lord said unto me.
Amos. what seest thou? And | said.
A plumb line"
Theoiogics Need Eectify;n=.
In the same way we need To rectlfy
our theoiogics. All sorts of religions
are putting forth their pretensions.
Some have spiritualistic religion.
and their chief work is with ghosts.
and others Il religion OF POLITICAL econo-
my. proposing to put an end to human
misery by new style of taxation, and
there is a humanitarian religion that
looks after the bodies of men and lets
the soul look after itself. and there is a
legislative religion that proposes to
rcctify all wrongs by enactment of bet
ter laws. and there is an aesthetic re-
ligiou that by rules of exquisite taste
would lift the heart out of its deformi-
ties. and religions of all sorts, religions
by the peck, religions by the square
foot and religions by the ton, all of
them devices of the devil that would
take the heart away from the only re-
ESion that will ever effect ANYTHING
Tor the human race. and that is the
straight up and down religion written
In the book which begins with Genesis
and ends with Revelation. the religion
OF the skies, the old religion. the God
given religion. the everlasting religion.
which says. Love God above all and
your neighbor as yourself" All re-
ligions but one begin at the wrong end
and in the wrong place. The Bible re-
ligion demands that we first get right
with God. 1t begins at the top and
measures down, while the other re-
ligions begin at the bottom and try to
measure up. They stand at the foot of
the wall. up to their knees i'm the mud
of human theory and speculation. and
have plummet and string tied fast
to it, and they throw the plummet this
way and break head here and throw
the plummet another way and break
head there. and then they throw il
up and it comes down upon their own
pate. Fools. Why stand at the foot
of the wall rectifying up when YOU
ought TO stand at the top rectifying
down? | was in the country, thirsty
after long walk. and came i'm. aud
my child was blowing soap bubbles.
and they rolled out of the cup. blue
and gold and green and sparkling and
beautiful and obicular. and in so small
space | never saw more splendor
concentrated. But she blew once too
often and all the glory vanished into
suds. Then l turned and took a glass
OF water and was refreshed. And so
far rs soul thirst is concerned 1 put
against all the blowing. glttering soap
bubbles of worldly reform and human
speculation one draft from the foun-
tain frpm under the throne of Cod,
clear as crystal Glory be to God for
the religion that drops from above. not
coming from beneath. And the Lord
said unto me, Amos. what seest thou?
And said. y plumb line"
Religions TO Suit Conditions.
L want you TO notice this fact. that
when man gives up the straight up
| ard down religion OF the Bible for any
rewfanglcd religion II is generally to
suit his sins. You first hear OF his
change or religion. and then you hear
OF some swirdie he has pracsiced in n
special mining stock. telling some one
II he will put In $4,000 he can take
out 100000. or he has sacrificed his
integrity or plunged into irremediablo
worldliness. His sins are so broad he
has 10 broaden his religion. and he be-
comes rs broad rs temptation. as
broad rs the souls darkness. as broad
as hell. They want religion that will
allow them TO Keep their sins and then
Mt death say TO them, We'll done. good
AhAN AAithA Hii anu tlIttl ltllS
them, "All Is well. for there is no hell"
What glorious heaven they hold be-
fore us! Come, let us go I'm and see IL.
There are Herod and all the babes he
maSsaCrcd. There are Charles Gultenu
and Robespierrc, the feeder OF the
French guillotine, and all the liars.
thieves, house burners, garroters. pick
pockets and libertines of NJ the centu-
ries. They have all got crowns and
thrones and harps and scepters, and
when they chant they sing. Thanks.
giving and honor and glory and power
70 the broad religion that lets us all
into heaven without repentance and
without faith In those humiliating dog.
mas OF ecclesiastical old fogyism."
My text gives me grand opportuni-
ty of saying a useful word to all young
men who are now forming habits for
lifetime. or what use to stone
mason or n bricklayer is n plumb line?
Why not build the wall by the unaided
eye and hand? Because they are in.
sufficient. because If there be defec-
ton in the wall il cannot further on he
corrected. Because. by the law of
gravitation. wall must be straight In
order TO be symmetrical and safe.
young man is in danger OF getting
defect in his wall of character that
may never be corrected.
A Solid Foundation.
Remember that the wall may be leo
feet high. and yet DETECTION one foot
from the foundation affects the entire
structure. And If you live 100 years
and do right the last so years you may
nevertheless do something ut 20 years
of age that will damage all your earth.
ly existence. All you who have built
houses for yourselves or for others.
am not right in saying TO these young
men, You cannot build a wall so high
as to be Independent OF the character
of itS fnr1nNntinr2 A no