Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-05-17

slain bodies OF wild beasts. Would "a
God that Instead OF here aud there a
straggier going out TO fight these great
monsters OF inldulty I'm our country
the millions OF members OF our church
es would band together and hew In
twain these great crimes that make
the land frlghtfui with their roar and
are fatteplng upon the bodies and
souls or immortal meni Who Is ready
for such q party as that? Who will
be a mighty hunter for the Lord7
remark. again, II you want to be
successful In spiritual archery You
need not only to bring down the game.
but bring 1t In. think one Of the
most beautiful pictures of Thorwald.
sen Is bis Autumn" 1t represents a
sportsman coming home aud standing
under grapevine. He has staf over
bis shoulder, aud on the other end OF
that stan are hung a rabbit and a
brace OF birds. Every hunter brings
home the game. No one would think
or bringing down a roebuck or whip
ping up stream for trout and letting
them lie In the woods. At eyentide
the camp Is adorned with the treasures
of the forest-beak and fin and antler.
If you so out TO hunt for immortal
souls. not only bring them down under
the arrow OF the gospel. but bring them
into the church OF God. the grand
home and encampment we have pitch.
ed this side the skies Fetch them
In. Do not let them lie out in the open
field They need our prayers and sym.
pathies aud help. That is the meaning
OF the church OF God-help. o We
hunters for the Lord. not only bring
down the game, but bring II I'M
The Nerciful Huntsman.
III Mlthridates liked bunting so we'll
that for seven years he never went in
doors. what enthusiasm ought we to
have who are huDting for immortal
soulsl If Domitian practiced archery
until be could stand a boy down IN the
Roman nmphltbeater with a hand out.
the fingers spread apart, and then the
king could shoot an arrow between the
fingers without woundiDg them, 10
what drill and what practice ought we
10 subject ourselves In order to become
spiritual archers and mighty hunters
before the Lordi' But let me say you
will never work any better than you
pray. The old archers took the bow.
put one end of It down beside the foot.
elevated the other end, and ii was the
rule that the bow should be lust the
size OF the archer. If it were Just his
size, then he would go into the battle
with confidence. Let me say that your
power to project good in the world will
correspond exactly to your own spirit
ual stature. In other words, the first
thing In preparation for Christian work
is personal conservation.
oh. for a closer walk with God.
A calm and heavenly frame.
light to shine upon the road
Tha: leads me 70 the Lambl
L am sure that there are some men
who at some time have been hit bv
the gospel arrow. You felt the wound of
that conviction, and you plunged into
the world deeper. just as the stag, when
the hounds are after IL, plunges into
Schroon lake, expecting In that way
TO escape. Jesus Christ is on your track
today, impenitent man, not In wrath.
souls, here is the stream of Gods mer-
cy and salvation, where you may cool
your thirst! Stop that chase of sin to-
day. BY the red fountain that leaped
from the heart or my Lord I bid Won
stop! There Is mercy for you-mercy
that pardons, mercy that heals. ever
lasting mercy. The II gates OF Gods
love stand open. Enter and be forever
safe.
There Is in forest In Germany n
place they call the deer leapv-two
erags' about is yards apart, between
them fearful chasm. This is called
the deer leap" because once n hunter
was on the track Of deer. II came To
one OF these crags. There was no es-
cape for 1t from the pursuit of the
hunter. and In utter despair II gathered
itseif up and In the death agony at
tempted TO jump across. or course II
Tell and was dashed on the rocks far
beneath Here Is n path to heaven. II
Is plain; IL Is safe. Jesus marks n ont
Tor every man to walk In. But here is
man who says, 81 won't walk I'm that
path; / will take my own way" He
comes on up until he confronts the
chasm that divides his soul from heav-
en-. Now his last hour has come. and
he resolves that he will leap that chasm
from the heights of earth TO the heights
or heaven. Stand back now and give
MIN fuli swing, for no soul ever did
mat successfully. Let him try. Jump
lie misses the mark, and he goes down.
depth below depth, destroyed without
remedy" Men. angels, devils. what |
shail we call that place OF awful catas-
trophef Let it be known forever as
the souls death leap.
Copyright. 1901. by Louis Klopsch. N. VI