Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-11-01

cthtS VI tue EnStS. WOulU cidW tnefr
own eyes oct and then starve. And In
our time many lion has been over
come by a gnat. The little, singing
annoyances CT life keep us from appre-
ciating the sweet influences. And how
many OF these last there arei Sweet
influences OF home. however plain il
may be! That Is the harbor into which
we sail; that is the goal for which we
run: that Is the place where we rest:
there abide all confidence and affec-
lions; there we lay out our plans; there
we extend our sympathles; there we
talk over our successes; there we un-
load our griefs. Its four walls shut
out prying and inquisitive world.
Thank God for the home in which we
were born. the home in which we now
live, the home in which we expect to
die,
Not sufficiently do we recognize the
sweet Influences of the wife. We men
are of rougher mold, and our voice is
loud, anu our manners need to be tam
ed, and gentleness Is not as much OF a
characteristic as it ought to be, and
we often say things we ought to take
back. 1t is TO change this that the
good wife comes in The interests OF
the twain are identical That which
from outsiders would be considered
criticism and 10 be resented becomes
kindly suggestion Sweet influences
that make US better men than we 9TH
erwise would have been or could have
beeni
The last chapter OF Proverbs recog-
nizes the good wife's influence when
ii says, Her husband Is known In the
gates when he stitch among the elders
or the land'-that Is, his apparel indi-
Gates that he has some one to look aft
er bis wardrobe. and his manners show
that be is under refining influences at
home. But no one fully appreciates the
sweet influences OF the wife until the
dark day comes and the slight symp-
toms become serious and the serious
phases OF the disorder pass into the
fatal and the temperature Is 100 and
medical ingenuity is exhausted and you
ave told for your consolation that
while there is life there is hope"
which means that there is no hope ut
oil, and the precious life fiutters and Is
gone. and you must put out OF sight
the one who from the day she took the
VOW amid the or"nge blossoms under
the marriage bell had been to you more
chan all the world besides. Then you
realize as never before what had been
the sweet Influences.
Refining Power of the Gospel.
Sweet influences of friendship II
we have behaved ourselves tolcrably
well, we have friends. In our days OF
mirth they come with their congratuIa-
tons. III times Of sorrow they come
with expressions of solace. In times OF
perpleNity they come with their advice.
They arc with US at weddings and Mt
buriais. IL there is anything good in
us. they find It out, and our frallties
they overlook or excuse. II something
appears against us. they say, "Wait till
L hear the other side" IL disaster
shall befall us. we know from whom
would come the FIRST coincidence. Fam
lily friends; church friends; business
friends; lifelong friends In our heart
OF kcaIts we cherish them.
Sweet influences Of our holy religion.
surrounded as we are 10y all the ameni-
ties Of Christian society-men and wo-
men who have felt the refining and ele-
waiting power OF the gospel Sweet in
nuenccs OF the Sabbath, ffty-two Of
them Ginning their Joy into every year!
Sweet Influences of the Scriptures.
with their balm for all wounds and
their light for every darkness! When
the heirs OF vast estate Ia England
wished TO establish their claim TO prop
crty worth $100,0O0.o00. they offered n
reward OF $500 Tor the recovery OF an
old Bible, the family record OF which
contained the evidence requisite But
any Bible, new or old. can help us to- a
vaster Inheritance than the ono spoken
OF, one that never fades away.
The sweet Influences OF the heavenly
world. which many wise men thought
for long while was Alcyone, the CEN
ter OF the constellation or the ploiadcs
world OF our future residence. as we
hope; world of chorus and illumination:
world OF reunion; world where we shall
be everlastingiy complete; world where
our old faculties will he intensified and
Quickened and new faculties Implant-
ed; world OF high association with
Christ, through whose grace we got
there at all. and apostles and poets,
Habakkuk. and ST. John of Patmos. and
Edward Young. his might Thoughts
turned into eternal day; and Horatius
Bonar OF modern hymnology, and Han
nah More. and Mrs. Hemans, and Mrs.
Sigourney. who struck their harps TIL
nations listened: and David. the victor
over Goliath with what seemed INSULT
Client weapons; and Joshua OF the pro-
ionged day In Gideon, aud Hayelock.
The evangelist hero, and those thou
sands or men OF the sword who fought
on the right side. What company to
move In! What guests to entertain,
What persouages to visit! What choirs
to chant! What banquets with lifted
chaiices filled with ''the new wine of
the kingdom" What victories to cele-
brate!
The Star of Hope.
The stories or that world and its
holy hilarities come In upon our souIs
sometimes In song, sometimes In SER
mon, sometimes In hours OF solitary
reflection. and they are. to use the
words OF my text, sweet Influences. |
But there Is one star that affects us |
more with Its sweet influences than |
the center star. the Alcyone OF the |
Pleiades, and that is what one Bible |
author calls the Star OF jacob and an |
other Bible author calls the Morning |
Star. OF all the sweet influences that |
have ever touched our earth those that |
radiate from Christ arc the sweetest.
Born an Asiatic villager, In q mechan-
cs home. living more among ham,
mers and saws and planes than among
books, yet at twelve years of age con-
founding robed eccleslastics and start
ng out on mission under which those
born without optic nerve took In the
,!ear daylight and those afflicted with
tympanum We're made to
hear and those almost doubled up with
ieformities were Strengthened into
graceful poise and the leprous became
and the widows only son ex-
hanged the bier on which he lay life
eSS for the arms of hfS oua.4oxosz |