Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-11-22

ter WOIhmeu there. Heaven Will have
no loafers hanging around. The book
says of the Inhabitants. They rest not
day nor night" Why rest when they
work without faugue3 Why seek a
pillow when there is no night there1 l
want TO see you after the pedestrian!sm
OF earth has been exchanged for power
OF flight and velocities infinite aud en-
terprises lnterstellar, interworld.
/ suspect that the telescope OF that
observatory brings In sight constella-
tons that may comprise ruined worlds
which need locking after and need help
sanity and missionary. There may be
worlds that. like ours, have sinned and
need TO be rescued, perhaps saved by
our Christ or by some plan that God
has thought out for other worlds as
wise, as potent, as lovely as the atone
ment Is for our world. The Iaziness
which has cursed Us in this world will
not gain the land of eternal activities
so much tonic in the a;r, SO much In
splratlon In the society, SO much
achievement after we get the shaciSles
of the 1esh forever Off. Do not dwell
so much on opportunities past, but put
your emphasis on opportunities to come.
Oar Real Beginning.
Am l not right in saying that eterni-
ty can do more for us than can time
What viii we not be able to do when
our powers of locomotien shall be
quickened into the immortal spirits
speed? Why should bird have a
swiftness Of wing when it is of no i'm
portance how long ii shall take to
make its aerial way from forest TO for
est and we, who have so much more
important errand in the world, get on
so slowly? The roebuck outruns rs.
the hounds nre quicker In the chase.
but wait until God let's us loose from
all limitations and indictments. Then
we will fairly begin. The starting post
will be the tombstone. Leaving the
world will be graduation day before
the chief work OF our mental and spir-
itual career. Hope sees the doors open
ing. the vlctor's foot I'm stirrup for the
mounting. The day brsaks-nrst flush
of the horizon. The mission OF hope
will be an everlasting mission, as much
Of 1t In the heavenly hereafter as IN
the earthly now. Shall we have gained
all as soon as we enter realms celestial
nothing more to learn, no other
heights to climb, no new anthems to
raise, monotony OF existence, the
same thing over and over again for
endless years? mol More progress In
that world than we ever made In this.
Hope viii stand on the hills of heaven
and look for ever Frightening land
scapes, other transformations OF color,
new glorles rolling over the scene, new
celebrations OF victories In other
worlds. heaven rising into grandcr
heavens, seas OF glass mingled with
fire, becoming a more brilliant glass
mingling with n more flaming fire.
(which hope"
Now, let me introduce this feeling
into the lives of some who are at times
hopeless. There is n family whose son
has gone wrong. Father and mother
have about given him up, he seems so
headlong, so ungrateful, so dissipated.
and the old folks do not know half the
story-of moral precipitation. He has
ceased writing home, but they hear Of
him through people who like to carry
bad news. and every time the report Is
more deplorable. He swcars. he gam
bles, he drinks. be goes into all the
shambles of sin. His former employer
says there Is no hope for him. aud all
outside the family agree I'm thinking be
will never reform. The father and
mother have not quite given him up
and these words are TO strengthen their
hope. That boy is going 10 come back.
You have hold on him that you must
not relax. Through prayer you riay
win the eternal God for your side OF
the struggle. You must enlist all the
heavenly dominlons. cherublm and
seraphim and archangcl. In the move
ment to save your son. Some day or
some night he will call halt TO his In
famous practices. Something VIII hap
pen 10 him. as happened I'm n New York
hotel 10 a son OF one OF the most dis
tinguished clergymeR OF Scotland aud
oae OF the queens chaplalns. when
>an L see you?" said DISTINGUISHED
looking young man at the close OF one
or my services In Brooklyn tabernacle.
1 said, You can see me now" He
said: mo; want n private conversa-
ton with you Mt your own house.
When can l conner" 1 said, "Tomor-
row night" your NAME" asked.
lie gave me his name, the exact name
OF his father, whose name was known
and is known through the Christian
world, though years ago he departed
this life. Returning home. took up
book of which his father was the au-
thor, and In the picture at the opening
or the book l found that the young
man had most markedly his fathers
features. So l was sure there was no
deception.
Forgive the Repentant.
On the following evening he came
lie said that he was the black sheep Of
the family flock. He had wandered the
world over and been in all kinds of
wickedness. but few nights before,
after reading letter from his mother
In Scotland, he had retired for sleep.
but In the adjoining room he heard
some young men-in such horrible con-
versation he could not sleep. He was
shocked as he hsd never before been
by the talk of bad men. He arose,
struck light, took out the letter from
his mother and knelt down by his bed
side and said, 20 Lord God of nv moth
er, have mercy on mep' He said that
since that prayer he was entirely chang
ed and loved what he before hated. and
hated what he before loved, and asked
what thought 1t oil meant. replied,
You have become Christian" He
said he might be called Mt any time to
leave the city. never saw him again,
but 1t seemed 10 me that he had turned
his back upon his wicked past and had
started In the right direction. And it
may be so with your boy. Write him
often Tell him how you are all think
ing OF him at home, and Il may be, your
letter In hand, he may can upon his
mothers God to help and save him.
Hope. You OF the gray hairs and wrin-
kles! Heaven has Its thousands OF
souls who were once as thoroughly
wrong as your boy is. They repented,