Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-04-19

fers funeral: Il Is not the advice of
wornout man. but the advice of a
man who can see this world In all its
brightness, aud considering myself
competent I'm Judging what is good
cheer ! tell the nultituies of young
men that there is nothing In worldly
associatiorS SO grand and SO beautiful
and 50 exbilarant as In Christian so
ciety.
know there Is great deal of talk
about the self denials of the Christian
have to tell you that where the
Christian has one self denial the MAJ
of the world has a thousand self de-
malls. The Christian is not com
mGnded TO surrender anything that is
worth Keeping. But what does man
deny himself who denies himself the
religion OF Christ, lie denies himself
pardon for sin: he denies himself peace
of conscience: lie denies himself the
Joy OF the Holy Ghost: he denies HIM
self 4 comfortable death pillow: he
denies himself the glorles Of heaven.
Do not talk to me about the self de-
malls OF the Christian life. Where
there is one in the Christian life there
are a thousand in the life Of the world
Tier ways are ways OF plcasantuess.
Again. | lind great deal of religious
sunshine Ia Christian and divine ex-
planation To Il great many people life
is an inpNplica6le taugle. Things turn
out differently from what was suppos-
ell. There is useless woman in per,
feet health. There is IN Industrious
and conseVgatcd woman a complete iu-
81 ,f..r.
man With $:;O.OO0 of income. There is
n good man with $500 OF income Why
is tbat2 There is foe of society who
lives on. doing all the damage he can.
to I5vears of age. and here is q Chris
tian father. faithful In every depart
ment OF life. at 80 years of age taken
away by death. his family left helpless
Explain that oh. there is no sentence
that oftener drops from your lips than
this: Il cannot understand 1t; l caunot
understand it,"
Grand Consolu lions.
Well, now religion comes In lust ut
that point With its illumination and it's
explanation. There Is a business man
who has lost his entire fortune. The
week before he lost bis fortune there
were 20 carriages that stopped at the
door Of his mansion. The week after
be lost bis fortune all the carriages
you could count on one finger. The
week before financial trouble began
people all took OF their hats to him as
he passed down the street The week
his financial prospects were under dis.
cussioO people just touched their hats
without anywise bending the rim. The
week that he was pronounced insolvent
people just joltcd their heads rs they
passed. nor tipping their hats at all.
and the week the sheriff sold him out
all bis friends were looking i'm the store
windows as they went down past him.
Now. while the world goes away from
n man while he is in financial distress
the religion of Christ comes to him und
says: You are sick. aud your sickness
is To he moral publication. You are be-
reaved. God wanted I'm some way to
take your family to heaven. aud he
must begin somewhere. and so he took
the one that was most beautiful and
was most ready TO go" | do not say
that religion explains everything In
this life. but do say IL lays down Ger.
tain principles which are grandIy con.
solatory. You know business men of.
ten telegraph in cipher. The merchant
in San Francisco tclegraphs 10 the MGR.
chant In New York certain Information
in cipher which no other man In that
line OF business can understand. but
the merchant in San Francisco has the
key 20 the cipher. and the merchant In
New York Inns the key TO the cipher.
and on that Information transmitted
there are enterprises Involving hun
creds OF thousands OF dollars Now.
the providrnccs OF life sometimes seem
to be a sensrless rigmarolc. a mysteri
Gus cipher. but God has n Key 10 that
cipher. and the Christian a key to that
cipher. and though he may hardly he
able TO spell out the meaning he gets
enough OF the meaning TO understand
that 10 Is for the best. Now. is there
not sunshine 10 that? IL there not
pleasure In thati Far beyond laughter.
IL is nearer the fountain OF tears than
boisterous demonstration. Have you
never cried for joy? There are tears
which are eternal rapture I'm dlstilia-
ton.
Everything Explained.
There are hundreds OF people who
are walking day by day In the sublime
satisfaction that all is for the best, all
things working together for good for
their soul. How man can get along
through this life without the explana-
ton Is to me mystery. What, Is that
child gone forever? Are you never to
get 1t back? Is your property gone for.
ever! is your soul TO be bruised and
TO be tried forever? Have you no ex.
PLANTATION, no Christian explanation.
and yet not maniac? But when you
have the religion OF Jesus Christ In
your soul IL explains everything so far
as 1t Is best for you to understand.
You look OF In life, and your soa Is
full OF thanksgiving to God that you
are so much better of than you might
be. man passed down the street
without any shoes and said: - have no |
shoes. Isn't II hardship that 1 have |
no shoes? Other people have shoes. |
No shoes, no shoes!" until he saw q |
man who had no feet. Then he learned |
lesson. You ought to thank God for |
what he does instead OF grumbling for |
what he does not. God arranges all |
the weather In this world-the spiritual |
weather. the moral weather as well as |
the natural weather. what kind of |
weather will II be today?" said some
one TO farmer The farmer replied.
1T will be such weather as | like"
What do you mean by that?" asked
the other. Well" said the farmer.
1T will be such weather as pleases the
Lord, and what pleases the Lord Meas.
es me-"
On. the sunshine. the sunshine OF
Christian explanation Here ia some
one bending over the grave OF the dead,
what Is going to be the consolation?
Inc howers You strew upon the tombY
On, no. The services read at the grave?
On, no! The chief consolation on that
grave Is what falls from the throne of
Cod Sunshine. glorious sunshine-
resurrection sunshine!
supernatural Vision.
In