Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-12-20


to do. follow the divine leading as the
men OF Joshua followed thu golden
ldded chest OF acacia, which was the
symbol OF the divine presence.
Teaches Reverence to God.
That three-quarters OF mile dis
tance between the ark or sacred box
end the front column of Joshua's
q forceful way of teaching reverence
for the Almighty. They needed 70
learn that lesson OF reverence, as we
oil need to learn 1t. Irreyerence has
cursed all nations, and none more than
our own. lrreverence in the use of
Gods name. Hear you Ii not on the
streets and in social groups. and is not
a profane word sometimes thought nee.
essary to point jocosityf 1rreverence
for the Scriptures. the phraseology OF
the Bible often introduced into the
most frivolous conversation and made
mirth provoking. reverence for the
oath In courtroom or custom house or
legislative hall by the conventional and
mechanical mode of its administration.
Irreverence for the holy Sabbath by
the way 1t Is broken 10 pleasure excur-
sion and carousal. Irreverence on the
part of children Cor their parents, In
science being substituted for obedi-
ence. Irreverence for rulers, which In
duces vile cartoons and assassination.
lrreverence in church during prayer,
measuring OF song and sermon by
cold orffctfo Or fifarorx, o-;t;o;e,,1 o.1
In prayer time neither bowling the
head nor bending the knee nor stand
Ing as one does In the presence OF
earthly ruler. thus showing more re-
Spcct for man than TO the King OF
kings. We ask not for genufiexions
or circunflexions or proStratIons, but
when prayer is offered let us either
bow the head or bend the knee or let
Us In some way prove that we are not
Indifferent In how many places have
and foolhardiness taken
the place of reverenceI That three
quarters of a mile between the chest Of
acacia covered with gold and mounted
with wings-a symbol OF the divine
the marching regiments
VI "OSh0a odSS lGNCICuCc luHl 10
woefuily lacking in social life, IN legis-
lative hall and religious assemblage.
A farmer went TO the wheatfield, TAX
Ing his son with him. The child said.
These stalks that stand straight I'D
must have the best grain. Those
stalks that bend over cannot be worth
anything" Then the father broke OF
two OF the tops of the stalks and said,
Child, that one that bends clear over
has the grain" 1t Is the soul that
bows in deepest reverence which is the
best soul
Follow the Divine Leading.
But though Joshua's host observed
the three-Quarters OF q mile command,
they followed the ark. and you will do
well to follow the divine leading, as
the path you tread now has not yet
been trodden. "Ye have not passed
this way before" Many of you are
suffering from Just such aunoyances
as have not occurred in all your his
tory. There have been mcauncsses
practiced upon you or you have re
ceived Sights or you are the subject
of neutrality-suspicious. or you are I'm the
midst OF sore disappointments or there
are demands made upon your strength
and time more than you can meet or
some physical ailment is laying siege to
your castle OF health or you are under
cmbarrassments that you cannot men
ton even to nearest friends. You say:
well. | never saw anything like this.
| never expected such treatment as
this. / never thought II possible TO be
placed In such circumstances" And
when you say all that you are only
TRANSMITTING the words OF my text into
your own phrnseology. lf you had suf-
fered something like this before. you
would have known what TO do. but
here is n nank movement for which
you are not ready.
As-you have had no experience of
this kind upon which To draw for wis
dom and as you cannot fully state all
the circumstances to any human ear.
go TO God and tell him all about II.
de knows already, but IL will relieve
you and help you IL you tell him. That
is what he has been doing ever since
the world got into trouble by disobedi-
ent behavior on the banks of the Eu-
pirates. II In the first chapter of the
Bible we see the gate through which
the woes OF the world entered, In the
third chapter Of the Bible we see the
opening OF the gate through which they
are ~ be driven out. Promises by the
scores and hundreds and thousands.
Sacrifcial lambs foretelling the Lamb
OF God. Rock stricken into gushing
floods, typical or the fact that the
worlds thirst is going TO be slaked.
Pillar or fire hoisted above wilderness
march. Star OF hope over birthplace
In barn. Sepulchers rent open. .Trum-
pets or deliverance sounded. All heav-
er to take part In the rescue OF our
planet. The Infinite God listening with
an ear in which n whisper 10000 miles
away Is MS audible as thunder.
Perhaps 1t Is bereavement. You
have felt sorrow for those who lost
children or thought you did, but now
that the sorrow has come to your own
nursery Ii is a different thing. You
never could have imagined the silepces
about the house now that the little feet
are quiet and the infant voice has ceas-
ed Its prattle. What a sensation at
eventide with no one to put to bedl
What toys put away to be looked at on
anniversary days! How Christmas day
is Swallowed and the world is changed!
Get over it? You never can get over
1t In this world. Perhaps it Is your
first sorrow. "Ye have not passed this
way before" God grant that you may
never pass this way again.
In the Wake Of the Ark.
But follow the ark, and II VIII lead
you to rivers Of consolation. You will
find that your child has gone into n
heaven of children, land where chill
dren are In vast majority. score of
infant souls to one manly or womanly
soul. for the vast majority OF the race
die in infancy. 1t is the exception
when people live TO grow up. Heaven
a great playground for children. ral
aces for kings and queens? Oh, yes,
But what wide halls of pleasure, what
gardens or delight. what raptures. such
as on earth with ball and kite and
hoop they never feltl Let them GO
m