Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-04-13

AVf 0Vu Wv Sohue utue o-yedr-Oiu CHIC
who has got up aud put her snowy
arms around his sinewy neck and ask
ed some simple question about God.
Oh. make flank movement Steal a
march on the devill Cheat that man
into heaveui A IS treatise that will
stand all the laws OF homIletics may
fail 10 do that which n penny tract OF
Christian entreaty may accomplish.
oh. for more Christians In ambuscade
mot lying in idleness. but waiting for
a quick spring. waiting until Just the
right time comesl Do not talk TO a
man about the vanity OF this world on
the day when he has bought some
thing at "12" and Is going to sell Il at
"15." But talk to him about the van
ity of the world on the day when he
has bought something at "15" aud Is
compelled to sell IL at "I2p Do not
rub mans disposition the wrong
way; do not take the imperative mood
when the subjunctive mood will do
just as well; do not talk In perfervid
style to phlegmatic nor try TO tickle
a torrid temperament with an icicle.
You can take any man for Christ II
you know how to get at him. Do not
send word to him that tomorrow at 10
O'Clock you propose to open your bat
teries upon him. but come on him by a
skillful perseverlng. God directed am
buscade.
Lesson the fourth: The Importance
or taking good aim. There is Joshua,
but how are those people in ambush ND
yonder to know when they are TO drop
on the city, and how are these men
around Joshua to know when they
are to stop their fight and adj
vancef There must be some signal-a
signal to stop the one division and to
start the other. Joshua, with a spear
on which were ordinarily hung the
colors OF battle, points toward the city.
He stands in such a conspicuous posi-
ton. and there Is so much of the morn
ing light dripping from that spear tip.
that all around the horizon they see IL
1t was as much as 10 say: There is the
city. Take itl''
Take Good Aim.
God knows aud we know that a
great deal OF Christian attack amounts
to nothing simply because we do not
lake good aim. Nobody knows and we
10 not know ourselves which point we
want TO take when we ought to make
up our minds what God will have us
to do and point our spear in that direc.
ton and then hurl our body, mind
soul, time, eternity at that one target
In our pulpits and pews and Sunday
schools and prayer meetings we want
to get reputation for saying pretty
things, and so we point our spear to-
ward the howers, or we want n reputa-
ton for saying sublime things, and
we point our spear toward the stars, OF
we want 10 get n reputation for his
torical knowledge. and we point our
spear toward the past, or we want To
get reputation for great liberality, SC
we swing our spear all around, while
there is the old world, proud, rebellious
and armed against all righteousness
and instead OF running any farther
away from it's pursuit we ought to turn
around. plant our foot in the strength
OF the eternal God. lift the old cross
and point II In the direction of the
worlds conquest till, the redeemed OF
earth, marching up from one side and
the glorified OF heaven marching down
from the other side, the last battlemeni
of sin Is compelled to swing out the
streamers OF Emanuel. o church OF
God, take aim and conquerl
/ have heard II said, Look out for q
man who has only one idea; he Is IRE.
sistible-" / say look out for the man
who has one idea, and that n deter.
mination for soul saving. I believe God
would strike me dead IL i dared "a
point the spear In any other direction
oh, for some OF the courage and en-
thusiasm or Joshuai He flung two
armies from the tip OF that spear. II Is
sinful for us 10 rest unless Il is TO get
stronger muscle and fresher brain and
purer heart for Gods work. / feel on
my head the hands of Christ in n new
ordination. Do you not feel the same
omnipotent pressure? There Is n work
for all OF us. oh. that we might stand
up side by side and point the spear 10.
ward the cityi 1t ought to be taken
IL will be taken. Our cities are drift.
Ing of toward loose religion or what
Is called liberal Christianity" which
Is so liberal that II gives up all the car.
dinai doctrines OF the Bible; so liberal
that 1t surrenders the rectitude of the
throne OF the Almighty. That is liber.
atty with vengeance. Let us decide
upon the work which we as Christian
men have TO do and In the strength OF
God go to work and do IL.
1t is comparatively easy to keep on a
parade amid shower OF bouquets and
hand ciapp!ng and the whole street full
or enthusiastic huzzas, but 1t Is not sc
easy TO stand up In the day OF battle
the face -blackened with smoke, tile
uniform covered by the earth plowed
up by whizzing bullets and bursting
shells, half the regiment cut to pieces,
and yet the commander crying 'For-
ward, marchw Then It requires old
fashioned valor. My friends. the great
trouble OF the kingdom OF God In
this day Is the towards. They do
splendidly on a parade day and at COM
munion. when they have on their best
clothes OF Christian profession, but in
the great battle of life. at the first
sharpshooting OF skepticism, they
dodge, they fall back, they break ranks.
We confront the enemy, we open the
battle against fraud, and, 10, we find
on our side great many people who do
not try to pay their debts. And we
open the battle against intemperance.
and we find on our side a great many
people who drink too much. And we
open the battle against profanity, and
we ind on our side a great many
men who make hard speeches. And
we open the battle against infidelity,
and, 10, we find on our side q great
many men who are not sure about the
book OF Jonah. And while we ought to
be massing our troops and bringing
forth more than the united courage of
Austeriitz and Waterloo and Gettys-
burg we have to be spending our time
In hunting up ambuscades. There are
a great many In the Lords army who
would like to so out on a campaign
with satin slippers and holding UNI
brellas over their heads TO keep Off the
heavy dew and having rations OF can
vasback duck and lemon custards.
If they cannot have them, they want
to 20 home. They think 1t is unhealthy
among so many bulletsl
Divine Mercy.
l believe that the next year will be
the most stupendous year that heaven