Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-12-13

'landl Morning FOR the seal Morning or
emancipation. Morning OF light and
love and peace. Morning OF day in
which there shall be no chains to
break. no sorrows to assuage. no des-
potism TO SKATER. no woes to compass
sionate. Blessed Christ. desccndl Scar
red temple, take the crownl Bruised
hand. take the scepter, Wounded foot.
step on the throne! Thine Is the king
dom"
These things I say beesuse l want
you 10 be alert. ] want you to be
watching all these wonders unrolIing
from the heavens and the earth. God
has classified them. whether acaiami.
tous or pleasing. The divine purposes
are harnessed In traces that cannot
break end In glrtbs that cannot slip
and in buckles that cannot loosen and
are driven by reins they must answer.
preach no fatalsm.t A swarthy engi-
neer at one OF the depots in Dakota
said, when will you get on the loco
motive and take a ride with usT'
We'll" i snid. NOW. If that suits
you" So got on one side OF the To-
comotiye. fand Methodist minister,
who was also Invited. got on the other
side. and between us were the engineer
and the stokcr The,train started The
engineer had his hand on the agitated
pulse of the great engine. The sfoker
shoveled in the coal and shut the door
with loud clang. vast plain slip
ped under us. and the hills swept by,
and that great monster on which we
rode trembled and bounded and snort
ed and ragged as 1t hurled us on. l said
TO the Methodist minister on the other
side OF the locomotive: MY brother,
why should ministers quarrel about
the DEGREES and free agency? You see
that track, that firm track. that iron
track; that is the decree. You see this
engineers arm; that Is free agency.
How beautifully they work together!
They are going to take us through. We
could not do without the track, and
we could not 90 without the engineer"
So 1 rejoice day by day. Work for
all to do. aud we may turn the crank
Of the Christian machinery this way or
that, for we are free agents But there
Is the track laid SO long ago no one
remembers it-laid by the hand of the
Almighty God in sockets that no ter
restrial or satanic pressure can ever
affect. And along the track the cur of
the worlds redemption will roll and
roll to the Grand Central depot CT the
millennium I have no anxiety about
the track / am only afraid that for
our incidence ond unfaithfulness God
will discharge us and get some other
stoker and some other engineer. The
train Is going through with us or with
out us. So, my brethren, watch all the
events that are going by, IL things
seem to turn out right, give wings to
your joy. IL things seem to turn out
wrong. throw out the anchor of faith
and hold fast.
God on Our Side.
There is n house in London where
Peter the Great of Russia lived awhile
when he was moving through the land
incognito and in worl<man's dress, that
he might learn ship carpentry, by
which he could supply the needs of his
people. A stranger was visiting at
that house. What's in that box?' The
owner said: Il don't know. That box
was there when / got the house, and il
was there when my father got 1t. We
haven't had any curiosity TO look ut IT,
guess there's nothing I'm It" We'll"
said the stranger, "I'n give you e. for
it." well, done" The f2 was paid.
and the contents OF that box were sold
TO the car OF Russia for $4,000. In
it the lathing machine OF Peter the
Great, his private letters and docu-
ments of value beyond ali monetary
consideration. And here are the events
that seem very Insignificant and unim-
portant. but they mcase treasures Of
Divine Providence and eternities of
meaning which after awhile God will
demonstrate Before the ages as being
OF stupendous value.
When Titans play qtoits, they pitch
mountains. but who owns these ri.
gantic natural forces we arc constantly
reading about? Whose hand is on the
throttle valve OF the volcanoes? Whose
foot. suddenly planted on the rootstool.
makes the continents CULVER? Godi 1
must be ut peace with him. Through
the Lord Jesus Christ, this God is mine
and he is yours. ] put the earthquake
that shook Palestine at the crucifixion
against all the down BOOKINGS OF the
centuries. This God on our side, we
may challenge all the centuries of time
and all the cycles of eternity.
Those OF you who are in mIdlife may
well thank God that you have seen so
many wondrous things, but there are
people alive today who may live TO see
the shimmering veil between the mate.
rial and the spiritual world lifted
Magnetism, q word with which we
cover up our ignorance. will yet be an
explored realm. Electricity. the fiery
courser OF the sky, that BENJAMIN
Franklin iassoed and Morse and Bell
and Edison have brought under com.
plete control, has greater wonders TO
reveal. Whether here or departed this
HE, we VIII see these things 1t does
not make much difference where we
stand. but the higher the standpoint
the larger the prospect. We will see
them from heaven if we do not see
them from earth.
Farewell to Death.
Years ago I was at Fire Island Lone
Island, and l went up In the cupeIa
from which they telegraph to New
York the approach OF vessels hours be-
fore they come into port. There is an
opening In the wall, and the operator
puts his telescope through TINT opening
and looks out and sees vessels far ont
ut sea. While I was talking with him
he went up and looked out. lie said.
I'VE are expecting the Arizona to-
night said: els 1t possible you
know all those vessels? Do YOU know
them as you know mans facef" He
said: yes. l never make a mistake.
Before see the bulls often know
them by the masts. ] know them all
have watched them so long"
Oh, what grand thing II is TO have
ships teiegraphed and heralded long be-
fore they come to port, that friends
may come down TO the wharf and vel
come their long absent onesl So today
we take our stand in the watch tower,
and through the glass Of Inspiration we
look Off and see n whale aaaf - . .L,x...