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

anu Neruure taken on them and are
left cold and white and delicate. moth
ing wanting but glass case to put
over them. The minister OF Christ has
nothing TO do with such Christians but
TO come once week and with ostrich
feather dust Off the accumulation Of
the last six days. leaving them bright
aud crystalline as before. But the 9TH
err kind Of church Is an armory. with
perpetual sound OF drum and fife, gath
ering recruits for the Lord OF Hosts
and saying TO every applicant: do you
want to be on Gods side. the safe side
and the happy side? IL so. come ia the
armory and get equipped. Here Is
bath In which TO be cleansed- Here are
sandals TO put on your feet Here Is a
helmet for your brow. Here Is a breast.
plate for your heart. Here Is a sword
FOR your right arm. and yonder Is the
battlefield. Quit yourselves like men"
succor the sinner.
When the steamer Atlantic struck
Mars rock and the people clambcred
mp on the beach. why did not Mr. An.
cient. that heroic minister OF the Cos.
pei of whom we have all read. sit down
ind take care OF those men on the
beach, wrapping them in fiannels. kin
ding fire for them and seeing that
they got plenty of food? All. he knew
that there were others who would do
that He says: "Yonder are men and
women freezing in the rigging OF that
wreck. Launch the lifeboat" Now |
see the oar blades bend under the
Cfrnno hnf -.
wreck woman was frozen and dead.
She was washed or, poor thing. But"
he says. there is a man 10 save" And
be cries out: Five minutes longer. aud
| will save you. Steady, steadyl Give
me your hand. Leap into the lifeboat
Thank God, he Is savedp' So there are
those who are safe on the shore of
Gods mercy. They are as safe as
though they had been LOCO years 10
heaven. kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation" But
there are some who are freezing In the
rigging of sin and surrounded by tenn
pest Pull away, my ladsl Let us
reach them. Alas, one Is washed off
and gone There Is one more to be
saved. Let us push out there for that
one. Clutch the rope. o dying man
Clutch 1t as with death grip. Steady.
now. on the slippery placesi Steady!
They are saved. saved. Just as
thought for Christ has declared that
there are some still In the breakers
who shall come ashore. "Other sheep
have which are not of this fold"
Christ says that ministers of the COS.
pei are to be fishers for men. Now.
when so fishing do not want to
fish in anybody else's pond do not
want to go along uohokus creek.
where there are half dozen men
fishing. and drop my line Just about
where they drop their lines. The lines
would get tangled. | should like to get
In Newfoundland fishing smack and
push out TO sea 80 miles beyond the
breakers | do not think the church
or God gains n great deal when You
take sheep from one fold and put them
In another fold. and yet you and have
sometimes seen pastors fishing In other
peoples ponds. They throw n line
into one pond and they Jerk out a
Methodist. they throw n line into an.
other pond aud they jerk out q Pres
byterian. or there is religious row In
some neighboring church, and a whole
school OF ash swims Off from that
pond. and we take them all In with
one sweep OF the net. What is gain
cd? Absolutely nothing for the cause
OF Christ. IL Is the lost sheep on the
mountains that you want TO bring
back-the lost sheep on the mountains
And they arc coming now. You are
this hour I'm the tide OF Christian IN
huences. Your voice Will yet be hca nd
In public prayer. You will die In
peace, your bed surrounded by Chris
tian sympathies. and you Will be car.
ried out by devout men 60 the burial
and over your grave will be chiseled
the words. PRECIOUS In the sight OF
the Lord Is the death OF his saints"
aud on resurrection day you will get
up with the dear children you have
already buried and with v~"- s'h-s--
tan parents who have already won
the palm. And all that grand and
glorious history begins today. "Other
sheep l have which are not OF this
fold"
Hunting For Lost sheep.
remark again the heavenly Shep-
nerd Is going TO find a great many OF
his sheep among those who are now
rejecters of Christianity. Some OF the
mightiest advocates OF the gospel were
once skepucs. Thomas Chalmers once
skeptic, Robert Hall n skeptic.
Christmas Evans a skeptic, Charles G..
Kinney a skeptic, Paul, the apostle,
once skeptic. But when once with
strong hand they laid hold OF the COS
pei chariot they rolled II on with what
momentum / do not know how YOU
came to reject Christianity. Ii NAV
nave been through the infidel talk OF
some young man In the store or shop
or factory. 1t may have been through
the trickery Of some professed Chris
tan man, who Disguised you with re.
hgion. 1t may be that 30 years ago
you lost all faith by what happened
In an oil company which was formed
amid the petroleum excitement. The
company owned no land, or, IL they
did, there was no sign OF oil produced.
but the president of the company was
a Presbyterian elder and the treasurer
an Episcopal vestryman and one di.
rector was n Methodist class leader
and the other officers prominent mem.
bers OF Baptist and Congregational
churches. Circulars were got out tell
ing what fabulous prospects opened
before this company. The circular had
all the hues OF earth and sea and sky.
The letters famed with all the beauty
or gold and Jasper and amethyst. In
nocent men and women who had a lit
Tie money TO invest and that little
their all said. 81 do not know anything
about this company. but so many
good men are at the head Of 1t that IL
must be excellent, and taking stock ip
1t must be almost as good as Joining
the church." So they bought their
stock and perhaps received one dIyi
dend to keep them still. But after
awhile they found that the company
had reorganized and had a different
president. a different treasurer and
directors. Other engagements |
or an overcoming modesty had caused |