Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-02-16

these mCn o@Sht &C. be croSsln:: and re
crossing the great occ23 OF human suf-
fering aud sin With God supplies OF
mercy. Row often il is that physical
strength is used In doing positive dam
age or in luxurious ease. when. with
sleeves rolled up aud bronzed bosom,
fearless of the shafts of opposition. il
ought TO be laying hold with all its
might and tu,,glng away to lift up this
sunken wreck % a world.
1t Is most shameful fact that much
of the business OF the church and Of
the world must be done by those com
paratively invalid. Richard Baxter,
by reason OF his diseases. all his days
sitting in the door of the tomb. yet
writing more than 100 volumes and
sending out an influence for God that
will endure as long as THE Saints Ev-
erlasting Rest" Edward Payson. never
knowing well day. yet how he preach
ed and how he wrote, helping thou
sands OF dying souls like himself to
swim in sea of gloryi And Robert
McCheyne. walking skeleton. yet
you know what he did i'm Dundee and
how he shook Scotland with zeal for
God; Philip Doddridge. advised by his
friends, because of his illness, not to
enter the ministry. yet you know what
he did for the Rise and Progress of
Religion" in the church and In the
world.
Giants In All Things.
Wilberforce was told by his doctors
that he could not live n fortnight, yet
at that very time entering upon philan-
thropic enterprises that demanded the
greatest endurance and persistence;
Robert Hall. suffering excrriations.
so that often in the pulpit while preach
ing he would stop and lie down on
sofa. then getting up again TO preach
about heaven until the glories of the
celestial city dropped on the multitude,
doing more worS. perhaps. than almost
any we'll man In his day.
Oh. how often il is that men with
great physical endurance are not as
great in moral and spiritual stature.
While there are achievements for those
who are bent all their days with
sickness - achievements OF patience,
achievements of Christian endurance
| call upon men OF health, men of mus
Gle, men of nerve, men of physical pow
er. TO devote themselves to the Lord
Giants in body, you ought to be giants
in soul
Behold also, in the story of my text,
illustration OF the fact of the damage
that strength can do If IL be misguided.
1t seems TO me that this man spert a
great deal of his time In doing evil.
this Samson OF my text. To pay bet
which he had lost by the guessing of
his riddle he robs and kills 80 people
He was not only gigantic in strength.
but gigantic in mischief, and type of
those men in all ages OF the world who.
powerful In body or mind or any facul-
ty of social position or wealth, have
used their strength for Ubiquitous pur-
poses.
Ii is not the small, weak men of the
day who do the damage. These small
men who go swearing and loafinC about
your stores and shops and banking
houses assailing Christ and the Bible
and the church-they do not do the
damage. They have no influence.
They are vermin that you crush with
your foot. But II is the giants of the
day. the misguided giants, giants In
physical power, or giants in mental
acumen, or giants in social position. or
giants In wealth. who do the damage.
The men with sharp pens that stab re- |
ligion and throw poison all through
our literature, the men who use the
power OF wealth TO sanction inhluity |
and bride Justice and make truth and |
honor bow TO their golden sccpter. Mis- |
guided giants-look out for them! In
the middle and latter part Of the last |
century no doubt there were thousands |
or men I'm Paris and Edinburgh and |
London who hated God and blasphcm. |
,h the name OF the Almighty. but they |
did but little mischief-they were small |
men. insignificant men. Yet there were |
giants In those days. Who can calcu. |
late the soul havoc OF Rousseau. go
ing on with very enthusiasm OF in
iquity. with fiery Imagination Selling
upon all the !mpulsive natures OF his
day? Or David Hume, who employed
us lie as spider employs Its sum-
mer, In spinning out sllken webs TO
trap the unwary? Or voItaire, the
most learned man OF his day, marshal
ing great host OF skeptics and leading
them out In the dark land or infidelIty?
Or Gibbon, who showed an uncoutrol-
liable grudge against religion In his his
tory OF one OF the most fascinating De
RODS OF the worlds exlstence-thc "De-
cline and Fail OF the Roman Empire"-
DOCK In which, with all the splendors
or his genius. he magnlfied the errors
OF Christian disciples, while with n
sparseness OF notice that never can be
forgiven he treated OF the Christian
heroes or when the world was not
worthy?
Understand Your Power
On men OF stout physical health.
men or great mental stature, men of
ligh social position, men OF great now
er OF any sort, l want you TO under
stand your power. and l want you to
know that that power devoted TO God
VIII be crown on earth, to you typl-
al or crown in heaven, but misguId-
sd. bedraggled In sin. administrative of
Evil. God will thunder against von-k
with his condemnation in the day
"neh millionaire and pauper. master
ma slave, king and subject shall stand
'ioe by side In the judgment and mon
y bags ana judicial crime and royal
'oDe shall be riven with the lightninys.
behoid also how giant may be slain
u woman. Delilah started the train
n circumstances that pulled down the
empie or Dagon about Samson's ears.
Ana tens OF thousands OF giants have
zone down to death and hell through
he same fascinations. 1t seems TO me
maj Is nigh time that pulpit and
PLATFORM anu printing press speak out
against the Impurities of modern so.
iety. rastidiousness and prudery say.
Better not speak; you will rouse nm
diverse criticism; you will make worse
vhat you want to make better; better
Ieai In giittering generalties; the sub
ect Is too delicate for polite ears" But
mere comes voice from heaven over
covering the mincing sentimentalities
4 the day. saying, .Cry aloud. spare
OF, lift up thy voice like n frumnat |