Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-08-30

kept you right when you would have
gone astray and which after you had
made a crooked track recalled you?
The rope may be as long as 80 years or
800 miles long or 5000 miles long. but
hands that went out of mortal sight
long ago still hold the rope. You want
a very swift horse. and you need. to
rowel him with sharpest spurs and to
let the reins lie loose upon the neck and
to give shout TO the racer IL you are
golug TO ride out OF reach OF your moth
er's prayers. Why, ship crossing the
Atlantic In six days can't sail away
from that. A sailor finds them on the
lookout as he takes his place and finds
them on the mast as be climbs the rat
lines to disentangie a rope In the tenn
pest and finds them swinging on the
hammock when he turns In. Why not
be frank and acknowledge it2 The
most OF US would long ago have been
dashed to pieces had not gracious aud
loving hands steadily and lovingly and
nightly held the rope.
An Unrecorded Service.
But there must come time when we
shall find out who these Damascenes
were who lowered Paul In the basket
and greet them and all those who have
rendered to God and the world unrec-
ognized and unrecorded services. That
is going to be one of the glad excite
ments OF heaven, the hunting up and
picking out of those who did great
good on earth and got no credit for II.
Here the church has been going on 10
centuries, and yet the world has not
recognized the services OF the people
In the Damascus balcony. Charles G.
Finney said to dying Christian. "Give
my love to st. Paul when you meet
him." When you and l meet him, US
we will, 1 shall ask him TO introduce
me to those who got him out of the
Damascene peril.
We go into long sermons to prove
that we will be able to recognize people
In heaven when there is one reason we
fail to present, and that is better than
all-God will introduce us. We shall
have them oil pointed out. You would
not be guilty of the impoliteness OF
having friends in your parlor not intro
duced, and celestial politeness will de-
mand that we be made acquainted
rehearsal OF old times and recital of
stirring "reminiscences! IL others fail
to give Introduction. God will take US
through, and before our first "a hours
In heaven-if it were calculated by
earthly timepieces-have passed we
shall meet and talk with more heaven
ly celebrities than in our entire mortal
state we met with earthly celebrities.
Many who made great noise of useful
ness will sit on the last scat by the
front door OF the heavenly temple,
while right up within arms reach OF
the heavenly throne will be many who,
though they could not preach them
selves or do great exploits for God,
nevertheless held the rope.
Come, let us go right up and accost
those on the circle OF heavenly thrones.
Surely they must have killed in battle
a million men. Surely they must have
been buried with all the cathedrals
sounding dirge and all the towers OF
all the cities tolllng the national grief.
Who art thou, mighty one of heaven?
Il lived by choice the unmarried
daughter in an humble home that I
might take care OF my parents I'm their
old age. and 1 endured without CON-
plant all their querulousness and adj
ministered to all their wants for 20
years" Let us pass on round the circle
OF thrones. Who art thou, mighty one
of heaven? 81 was for 30 years a
Christian invalid and suffered all the
while. occasionally writing a note of
sympathy for those worse of than I,
and was general confdant OF all those
who had trouble, and once In awhile I
was strong enough to make n garment
for that poor family In the back lane"
Pass on to another throne. Who art
thou, mighty one OF heaven? at was
the mother who raised a whole family
OF children for God. and they are out
In tie world Christian merchants,
Christian mechanics, Christian wives,
and 1 have had full reward for all my
TOLL Let us pass on In the circle of
thrones. Il had Sabbath school class,
and they were always on my heart. and
they all entered the kingdom OF God,
and i am waiting for their arrival"
But who art thou, the mighty one OF
heaven, on this other throne? I'm time
OF bitter persecution owned house
in Damascus, n house on the wall. A
man who preached Christ was bounded
from street to street, and l hid him
from the asSassins, and when / found
them breaking into my house and /
could no longer keep him safely I ad-
vissd him TO fee for his dear life, and
basket was bet down over the wall
With the maltreated man in 1t, and I
was one who helped hold the rope"
And 1 said, us that an?" And he an
swered. THAT is ALL" And while / was
lost in amazoment / heard q strong
voice that sounded as though 1t might
once have been hoarse from many ex-
posures and triumphant as though IL
might have belonged to one of the mar
tyrs, and 1t said. mot many mighty. not
many noble. are called, but God hath
chosen the weak things OF the world to
confound the things which are mighty.
ana base things of the world and
things which are despised hath God
chosen; yea, and things which are not
TO bring to naught things which are.
that no flesh should glory in his pres
ence." And looked to see from whence
the voice came, and, 10. IL was the very
one who had said. Through a window
In a basket was let down by the
waltz
Nothing Ts Insignincant.
Henceforth think of nothing as IN
significant A little thing may decide
your all. A Cunarder put out from Eng
land for New York 1t was well eouip-
ped, but In putting up a stove In the
pilot box nall was driven too near the
compass. You know how that nall
would affect the compass. The ships
officers, deceived By that distracted
compass put the ship 200 miles off her
right course and suddenly the man ON
the lookout cried, Land ho! and the
ship was halted within few yards of
her demolition on Nantucket shoals. A
sixpenny nail came near wrecking a
Cunarder. Small ropes hold mighty
destinies.
A minister seated In Boston at his Ia
bic. lacking word. puts his hand be-
hind his head and Tits back his chair