Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1901-01-12

~ xAC S@sAs etfttAA 0@y tN9s VIZ
come, or In che dark winter night we
look up and we see the northern
lights. the windows Of Heaven IL
lumined by some great victory. just
so we look up from the night Of saf-
fering and sorrow and wretchedness
in our cities. and we see a light
streaming through from the other
side. and we know we are on the way
10 morniug--more than that. on the
way 10 "a morning without clouds"
want you 20 understand. al you
who are tosiing for Christ. that the
castles Of ain sre all going 10 be cap
tured. The victory for Christ in these
great towns is going 20 be so CON-
plete that not man on earth or an
angel in Heaven or a devil In hell will
dispute IL. How do ! know? l know
il Just So certainly as God lives and
that this IS holy sruth. The old Bible
is full OF IL. The nation is 10 be
saved IL makes a great difference
With you and with me whether we are
toiling on toward a defeat or toiling
on toward victory.
Now. In this municipal elevation OF
which I speak. have to remark there
than our cities have ever seen. Some
people seem 20 have q morbid idea OF
the millennium. and they think when
the better time comes 20 our cities
and the world people will give their
time up 20 psalm singing and the re-
lating OF their religious experience.
and as nll social life viii bs purified
there viii b. no hilsrity, and as all
business will be purified there will be
no enterprise. There is no ground for
such an absurd anticipation. In the
time OF which speak. where now one
fortune Is made there will Dc hun
Gred fortunes made. We all know
business prosperity depends upon con-
f6encs between man aud man. Now.
when that time comes of which /
speak. and all double dealing. all dis
honesty and all fraud are gone out OF
commercial circles. thorough conf
dence will be established, and there
will he better business done and
larger fortunes gathered and mightier
successes achieved.
The great business disasters OF this
eour.ry have come from the work Of
goddess spectators and infamous
stock gamblers. The great foe TO
business Is crime. When the right
shall have hurled back the wrong. ans
shall have purified the commercial
code. and shall have Numbered down
fraudulent establishments. and shall
7 have put into the hands OF honest
men the keys Of business. blessed time
FOR the bargain makers. ! am not
making . guess I am telling you
( Gods eternal truth
In that better time also coming 20
these cities the churches % Christ Will
be more numerous. aud they will be
larger. and they VIII be more devoted
20 the service OF Jesus Christ, and
they will accomplish greater infiu-
encex for good. Now is Is often the
case that churches are snvious OF each
other. and denominations collide with
each other, and even ministers OF
Christ sometimes forget the bond OF
brotherhood. but in the time OF which
I ! speak. while there will be just as
many differences OF opinion as there
are now. there will be no acerbity. no
hypercriticism, no exolusivepes..
In our great cities the churches are
not to-day large enough 10 hold more
than 9 fourth OF the population. Tbs
churches that ere built-comparstise
~ few Of them are fully occupied Tbs
average attendance in the churches o
the United States to-day e not 400
Now. in the glorious time OF which
speak. there are going 20 be vas
churches. and they are going 10 be al
throBgec with worshipers. oh. wha
rousing songs they Will sing, Oh
whatearnesi sermons they viii preach
Oh. what fervent prayers they will OF
fer Now. in cur time. what Is calle'
fashionable church Is q place wher'
few people having attended very care
fully 10 their toilet. cone and 81
cown-they co not want 10 be crowd &C
they like = whole seat 10 themselves
and Their. IL they have any time lef
from thinking OF their store, and from
Examining the style Of the hat in from
OF them. they sit and listen 70 a ser
mon warranted 20 hit no mans sins
and hsen TO music which is rendered
bv choir warranted 10 sing tune
that nobody knows, And then afte
an hour and half ofinoolent yswnin;
they go home refreshed. Every ma
feels better that he has had a slsepl
IN many Of the churches OF Christ II
our day the music is simply mockery
/ have not 9 cultivated ear nor q culiva
ted voice jet 20 man can DO my singinl
for me. have nothing to say agsins
artistic music. The two dollars or Nv
dollars pay 20 hear ons OF the grea
queens OF song is q good Investment
But when the people assemble In re
ligio9s convocstion. and the hymn
read. and the angels OF God step fror
.hstr shrore % catch the rnuSfr n