Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-11-15

monster wild and bloodthirsty and
going at death leap.
i have also TO say IL man wants to
return from evil practices society re-
pulses him. The prodlgal. wishing 10
return. tries 70 take some professor of
religion by the hand. The professor of
religion looks at him, looks at the fad
ed apparel and the marks OF dissipation.
and instead of giving him a firm grip
Of the hand offers him the tip end Of
the longer fingers of the left hand,
which is equal to striking n man in the
face. oh. how few Christian people un-
derstand how much gospel there is In a
good, honest handshaking! Sometimes
when you have felt the need of encour-
agement and some Christian man has
taken you heartily by the hand have
you not felt thrilling through every
fiber OF your body. mird and soul an en-
enlargement that was just what you
needed?
Lift Up the Fallen.
The prodigal. wishing to get into good
society. enters a prayer meeting. Some
good man without much sense greets
him by saying: "Why are you here
You are about the last person that i
expected TO see in prayer meeting.
Wen. the dying thief was saved. and
there is hope for you" You do not
know anything about this, unless you
have learned that when a man tries to
return from evil courses of conduct he
runs against repulsions innumerable.
We say OF some man, He lives a
block or two from the church. or half a
mile from the church" In all our great
cities there are men who are 5000
miles from church-vast deserts OF in
difference between them and the house
Of God. The fact Is we must keep our
responsibility though thousands perish.
Christ sat with publicans and sinners,
but IL there come to the house OF God
man with marks OF dissipation upon
him people are almost sure TO put up
their hands in horror. as much as to
say, "Is II not sbockingT'
How these dainty. fastidious Chris
tians In all our churches are going to
get into heaven l do not know unless
they have an especial train OF cars
cushioned and upholstered, each one a
car to himself. They cannot 60 with
the great herd of publicaps and sim
ners. . We who curl your lip of scorn
on the fallen, tell you plainly that IL
you had been surrounded by the same
influences instead OF sitting today amid
the cultured and the refined and the
Christian you might have been n
crouching wretch In stable or ditch
covered with filth and abominationl 1t
is not because we are naturally any
better, but because the mercy of God
has protected us. Those that are
brought up In Christian circles and
watched by Christian parentage should
not be so hard on the fallen.
1 think also that men are often him
dered from returning by the fact that
churches are anxious about their men,
bership, too anxious about their de-
nominations. and they rush out when
they SEGA man about to give up SIN
and return to God and ask him how he
is going TO be baptized, whether by
sprinkling or immersion. and what
kind OF a church he is going TO join. 1t
is poor time to talk about Presbytc-
rian catechism ana Episcopal liturgies
and Methodist love feasts and BAPTIST
immersions when a man is about 10
come out Of the darkness or sin into
the glorious light OF the gospel.
HeIpfuyness OF Religion.
Why. 1t reminds me of man drown
ing In the sen and n lifcboat puts out
for him. and the man I'm the boat says
to the man In the water. "Now. if you
get ashore are you going 60 live In my
street," First get him ashore and
then talk TO him about the noncssen-
tails or religion. Who cares what
church lie Joins Il he only Joins Christ
aud starts for heaven? o you, my
brother OF lllumined face and n hearty
grip for every one that tries TO turn
from his evil way, take hold OF the
same hymnbook with him, though his
dissipation shake the book. remember
eng that he that "converteth n sinner
from the error of his ways shall save n
soul from death and hide a multitude
or sins"
Now, have shown you these obsta-
cles because l want you to understand
i know all the difficulties in the way.
But l am now going 10 tell you how
hannibal may scale the Alps and how
the sEackleS may be unriveted and how
the paths OF virtue forSaken may be
regained. First OF all, throw yourself
ON God. Go 10 him frankly and ear
nesuy and tell him these habits you
have and ask him IL there Is any help
In all the resources of omnipotent love
to give 1t TO you. Do not go on with a
long rigmarole, which some people call
prayer, made up OF obs and abs and
forever and forever amens. Go to God
and cry for help.
l remember that In the civil war /
was at Antietam with other members
OF the Christian commission to look
after the wounded. l went into the
hospital after the battle. and i said to
man, Where are you hurt?" lie
made no answer, but held up his arm.
swollen and splintered. 1 saw where
he was hurt. The simple fact is when
man has wounded soul all he has to
Go Is to hold it mp before a sympathetic
Lord and get it healed
Young man. l Will stand by You.
The mountains may depart and the
Hills he removed, but will never fail
YOU And then, as the soul thinks
the news Is too good to be true and
cannot believe 1t and looks up in Gods
face. Gcd lifts his right hand and takes
an affidavit makes an oath, saying.
AS | I've" saith the Lord God, II
have Ec pleasure In the death of the
wicked. Blessed be God for such gos-
pei as this! cut the slices thin" saws
the wife TO the husband, for there will
not be enough to go around for all the
children; cut the slices thin" Blessed
be God, there is full loaf for every
one that wants it. Bread and enough
to spare! No thin slices on the Lords
table!
Advice to Young Men.
1 remember that while living In
Philadelphia at the time spoke of n
minute ago the Master Street hospital
was opened, and telegram was re-
ceived, saying: "There will be SEQ
wounded men tonight. Please take
care of them" From my church there
went out twenty or thirty men aud wo-