Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-01-25

VIII you take ftl No you say. Il
have no confidence In 81" Take Il. then.
TO oblige me. tell you OF physician
who has cured more blind eyes and
bound up more broken hearts and heal
ed more CHASTITY wounds than all the
doctors since the time OF Esculapius.
Re obliging. and Just make the expert
ment- III you are not acquainted with
the ordinary modes OF prayer. say in
substances: "Oh, Lord Jesus. this Is n
strange thing for me TO do. know
nothing about the formulas of religion.
These Christian people have been talk
Ing so long about what thou canst do
for me, ! am ready to do whatever
thou commanded me. If there be any
power in religion. as these people say,
let me have the advantage Of it." VIII
you not try that experiment?
do not now say there is anything IN
religion. Do not take my counsel or
the counsel OF any clergyman. for you
may dislike clergymen. Perhaps we
may talk professionally. Perhaps we
may be prcjudiced in the matter Per.
haps our advice Is not worth taking
Then take the counsel OF some very
respectable layman. as John Milton.
the poet; as William Wilberforce. the
emancipation; as Isaac Newton. the
astronomer; as Robert Boyle, the phi
iosopher; as Locke. the metaphysician;
as Morse. the telcgrapher; as Washing
ton. the statesman. They never
preached. or pretended to preach. yet.
putting down one his telescope and an.
other his parliamentarian's scroll and
another his electricians wire. came
forth and commended the religion of
Christ rs the best thing for the cure
OF the worlds woes. If you will not
take the recommendation OF ministers
Of the gospel. take the recommendation
Of highly respectable laymen.
oh. men, skeptical and struck
through with unrest, / beg you come
of that great Sahara desert or doubt
Into the bright and luxuriant land OF
gospel hope and peace. You do not
want your children to come up In that
skepticisrn- II you do not believe In
anything else. you believe In love-a
fathers love. mothers love, q wife's
love. child's love. Then let me tell
you TINT God loves you more than all
these together. The great heart OF
Christ aches to have you come In. and
be looks into your eyes this moment.
saying. "Other sheep have which are
not OF this fold
Giorio1sIy Rescued.
Again. ! remark that the heavenly
Shepherd Is going to find n great many
OF the sheep among those who have
been full of evil habit. They were all
cheated into sin The spider does not
say to the dy, "Come into the web
where kill Insects" oh. no. The spl-
der says, Dearest fly. come and take
morning walk with me on this suspen-
sion bridge of gossamer, glittering with
diamonds of dew" Do not be hard on
those gone astray. II makes me sad to
see Christian people give up n prodigal
as lost.
People tell us that if man has de-
iirium tremens twice he cannot be re-
claimed; that IL woman has sacri-
feed her integrity she cannot be re.
stored. The Bible has distinctly init.
mated that the Lord Almighty is ready
TO pardon 40 times Why do l say 400
times2 Because the Bible says 40
times a." Now figure that out. You do
not think man can fall times, s.
times, 10 times, 20 times, 100 times. 400
times and yet be saved. Four hundred
and ninety timesl There are men be.
fore the throne of God who have wal
lowed In every kind of sin, but, say.
ed by the grace of Christ and washed
In his blood, they stand there radiant
now. There are those who plunged into
the very lowest depths Of the slums and
VINO have for hundreds OF times been
lifted up, and finally. by the grace Of
God, they stand In heaven, gloriously
rescued by the grace promised TO the
chief OF sinners.
/ want TO tell you that God loves
to take hold OF n very bad case. When
the church casts you or and when the
clubroom casts you of and when so.
ciety casts you Off and when business
associates cast you Off and when ia.
Their casts you OFF and when mother
casts you or and when everybody
casts you OF, your FIRST cry for help
viii bend the eternal God clear down
into the ditch Of your suffering and
shame The Good Templars cannot
save you, although they are a grand
institution. The Sons of Temperance
cannot save you. although they are |
mighty for good. Signing the temper |
ance pledge cannot save you. although |!
l believe In il. Nothing but the grace |
OK the eternal God can save you, and |
that VIII IL you viii throw yourself |
on II.
They talk about the catacombs of |
Naples and the catacombs of Rome
and the catacombs OF Egypt, the great
burial places under the city. where the
dust OF many generations passed on |
out tell you New York has its cata. |
combs and Washington Its catacombs
and all our cities their catacombs
They are underground liquor dives
fuii OF dead mems bones and all I'm.
cleanness. There Is no need OF going
Into the art gallery TO see In skilful
sculpture that wonderful representa-.
ton OF man and his sons wound
round with serpents. There are fami-
lies represented here today that are
wrapped In the martyrdom of fang
and scale and venom-a living LAGOON
or ghastliness and horror.
Trust the Eternal God.
In the attempt at reformation do not
put your trust In bromide of potassium
- ~.S sH'AS ti4stt can
mix tut your trust only In the eternal
oou- with some or these men It Is n
periodic temptation that comes every
SIX weeks or every three months. when
1t seems as If the powers OF darkness
kindie around about your tongue the
nres or the pit. 1t is well at such
time, as some OF you do, to call ON
medical counsel. but your first and
most importunate cry must be to God
u the hends VIII drag you to the
slaughter. may they do so on your
knees. U Cod, now that the paroxysm
OF thirst is come again on that man,
neip MIMI Fling back into the pit of
nell the fend that assaults his soul
this momentI
Ihere Is only one class OF persons
ABOUT whom | am disheartened, and
a 70 h.