Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-04-19
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OF pleasantness."
You have all heard of Gods only be-
gotten Son. Have you heard OF Gods
daughter? She was born In heaven.
She came down over the hills of our
world. She had pueenly step. On her
brow was celestial radiance. Her
voice was music. Her name Is Reli-
gion. My text introduces her. Her
ways are ways of pleasantness, and all
her paths are peace" But what is re-
ligion? The fact is that theological
study has had n different effect upon
me from the effect sometimes pro-
duced. Every year l tear out another
leaf from my theology until l have
only three or four leaves left-in other
words. very brief and plain state
ment OF Christian belief.
An aged Christian minister said:
when 1 was young man, knew
everything; when l got to be % years
or .ee. in my creed had only a hun
dred doctrines of religion; when / got
to be 30 years of age. had only 80
doctrines OF religion; when l got to be
GO years OF age. had only 10 doctrines
OF religion; and now aIn dying at 10
years OF age. aud there is only one
thing i know, and that is that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sin
ners-" And so I have noticed in the
study OF Gods word. and in my con-
temptation OF the character of God
and OF the eternal world. that Ii Is
necessary fer nc to drop this part OF
my belief and that part of my belief
rs being noneSSential. while I cling to
the one great doctrine that man is a
sinner, and Christ is his Almighty, and
divine Saviour.
Now, / take these three or four leaves
Of my theology. and find that. in the
first place and dominant above all 9th.
ers. is the sunshine of religion. When
go into room, l have a passion for
throwing open all the shutters That
Is what want to do this morning. We
are apt to throw so much OF the sepul-
chral into our religion and to close the
shutters and to pull down the blinds
that tt is only through here and there q
creyice that the light streams The re-
ligion OF the Lord Jesus Christ Is re-
ligion OF Joy indescribablc and unut.
terable. Wherever l can end bell
mean to ring 1t.
Sunshine of Religion
II there are any I'm this house this
morning who are disposed TO hold on
TO their melancholy and gloom. ie,
them now depart this service before
the fairest and the brightest aud the
most radiant being OF all the universe
comes in. Gods Son has left our
world. but Gods daughter is here.
Give her room! Hail, Princess OF
Heaveni Hail, daughter OF the Lord
HINT. Sol
this house thy throneroom!
In setting forth this idea the domi
nant theory OF religion Is one OF sun.
shine. hardly know where TO begin.
Tor there are so many thoughts that
rush upon my soul A mother saw her
little child seated on the floor in the
sunshine and with spoon In her hand
She said, My darling. what are you
doing thereg' "Oh," replied the child.
Il am getting a spoonful or this sun
shine" Would God that today might
present you with cleaning challce OF
this glorious. everlasting gospel sun
shine,
First OF all. I end great deal OF sun
shine In Christian society ! Go not
know OF anything more doleful than
the companionship OF the mere fun.
makers OF the world - the Thomas
Hoods. the Charles Lambs. the Charles
Mnthewses OF the world-the men whose
entire business IL is TO make sport.
They make others laugh. but II you
Will examine their autobiography or bi-
ography you will find that down In
their soul there was n terrific dlsqule-
tuce. Laughter Is no sign OF happiness
The maniac laughs The hyena laughs
The loon among the Adirondacks
laughs. The drunkard. dashlng his H.
canter against the wall. laughs
There Is a terrible reaction from all
sinful amusement and sinful merri.
mept Such men are cross the next
day. They snap at you on exchange or
they pass you. not recognizing you
Long ago I quit mere worldly society
for the reason II was SO dull. so inane
and SO stupid. My nature is voracious
or Joy. ! must have IT,
Promotes Longevity.
1 always walk on the sunny side OF
the street. and for that reason ! have
crossed over into Christian society. /
Ike their mode OF reparice better. 4
like their style OF amusement better.
They live longer. Christian people. !
sometimes notice. live on when by all
natural law they ought TO have died
I have known persons who have con-
tinued In their existence when the doc
tor said they ought to have been dead
ten years Every day OF their exist
cnce was q defiance OF the laws OF anat-
Omy and physiology. but they had this
supernatural vivacity OF the gospel In
their soul, and that kept them alive.
Put 10 or - Christian people In
room for christian converts: lion, and
you will from to 10 O'clock hear more
reSound!ng g!ec. see more bright strokes
or viii aad ind more thought and pro-
FOUND satisfaction than In any merely
worldly party. Now. when | say
worldly party" | mean that TO which
you are invited because under all the
circumstances of the case IL is the best
for you tn he invited. and TO which you
60 because gndcr all the circumstance !
or the case II Is better that you go. and |
leaving the shawls on the second floor
you so TO the parlor to give formal sal |
utation to the host and the hostess and |
then move around, spending the whole |
evening In the discussion of the wealth |
er ana In apology for treading on long |
trains and In effort 10 keep the corners |
OF the mouth up to the sign OF pleas.
ure and going around with an idiotic
he-ha about nothing until the collation. |
is served and then. after the COLLATION. |
Is served, going back again into the
parlor to resume the weather ana then
at the close going at very late hour
to the host and hostess and ASSURING
them that Won kaua had N ,,.~>...
Iui evening and then passing down of
the front steps. the slam OF the door
me only satisfaction of the evening.
- young man come from the coun-
try to spend your days in city life.
where are you going to spend your
eveningsf Let me tell you, while