Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-08-16

would have made 500 apologies-yea.
your whole life would have been an
apology. Three times n day you have
been seated at Gods table. Spring.
summer. autumn and winter he has
appropriately appareled you. Your
health FROM him. your companion from
him. your children from him. your
home from hun. all the bright sur
roundings OF your life from him. oh.
man. what dost thou with that hard
hearth Canst thou not feel one throb
of gratitude toward the God that made
You and the Christ who came TO re-
deem you aud the Holy Ghost who has
all these years been importuning you?
III you could sit down Eve minutes un-
der the tree of Saviour's martyrdom
and feel his lifcb,ood trickling on your
forehead and cheek and hands. me-
thinks you would get some apprecia-
ton of what you owe TO crticiled
Jesus
Heart cf stone. relen;, relcnt.
Touched Ivy Jesus cross suSdued;
See his hoJy. Inangled. rent.
Covered With n gore OF blood.
Sinful soul. What hast thou donef
Crucihed the Eternal Sons
Jacob with good deal of tug and
push took the stone from the wells
mouth so that the nocks might be wa
tered. and | would that this day my
word. blessed of God. might remove
the hindraDces 10 your getting up TO
the gospel well. Yea. take il for
granted that the work is DONE and
now. like oriental shepherds. l proceed
70 as..K. 4 10 -.
thirstyl You have an underlined long
ing in your soul. You tried money
making; that did not satisfy you. You
tried office under government; that did
not satisfy you. You tried pictures and
sculptures. but works OF art did not
satisfy you. You are as much dlscon-
tented with this life as the celebrated
French author who felt that be could
not any longer endure the misfortunes
OF the world and who said: AT
O'Clock this afternoon l shall put an
end to my own existence. Meanwhile
must toll on up to that time for the
sustenance of my family" And he
wrote OH his book until the clock struck
4, when he folded up his manuscript
and by bis own hand concluded his
earthly life.
God UDaPDreci@sed-
There are men who are perfectly dis
cou,Cnted. Unhappy In the past. I'M
happy today, to be unhappy forever un-
less you come to THIS gospel we'll This
satisfies the soul with a high. deep. all
absorbing and eternal satisfaction. 1t
copies. ard it offers the most unfortu-
rate man so much of this world as is
best for him and throws all heaven in
TO the bargain. The wealth OF Crusus
and of all the Rothschilds is only a
poor. miserable shilling compared with
the eternal fortunes that Christ offers
you today. In the far east there was a
king who used once a year 10 get on a
scales. while on the other side the
scales were placed gold aud silver and
gems. Indeed enough were placed there
to balance the king. Then at the close
OF the weighing all those treasures
were thrown among the popuiace. But
Christ today steps on one side the
scales. and on the other side are all
the treasures OF the universe, and he
says. "All are yours-all height. all
depth. all length. all breadth. all eter-
ni'y: all are yours" We do not appre-
cia,e the promises of the gospel.
When an aged clergyman was dying,
man very eminent in the church, a
young theological student stood by his
side, and the aged man looked up md
said TO him. Cant you give me some
comfort In my dying hour?" "No."
said the young man, II can't talk TO
YOU on this subject. You know all
about II aud have known IL so long"
well" said the dying man. .iust re-
cite to me some promises" The young
man thought n moment. and he came
TO this promise. ''rhe blood or Jesus
Christ cleanscth from all SIM" and the
old man clapped his hands and In his
dying moment said: That's Just the
promise have been waiting for. The
blood. Of Jesus Christ cleanseth from
all SIM" oh, the warmth, the gran
deur. the maGnifcence of the promises,
Fountain of JOY.
Come also to this gospel well, all We
troubled. do not suppose you have es-
capped. Compare your view OF this life
ut Ia years OF age with what your view
is OF ii mt 40 or GO or 20. What n great
contrast OF opinionl Were YOU right
then or are you right now? Two cups
placed I'm your hands. the one n sweet
cup, the other SOUR cup. A cup of joy
and cup OF GRIEF. Which has been
the nearest TO being full, and out OF
which have you the more frequently
pnrtakenT What different place the
cemetery IL from what 1t used to be.
once 1t was to you a grand city i'm
provement, and you went out on the
pleasure excursion, and you ran laugh
ingly up the mound. and you criticised
In light way the epitaph. But since
tue day when you heard the bell toll at
the gate when you went In with the
procession Ii is n sad place, and there
Is Hood of rushing memories TINT
suifuse the eye and overmaster the
heart. oh, you have had trouble, trou-
Dc trouble. God only knows how
much you have had. 1t il n wonder
you have been able to live through il.
IL Is wonder your nervous system has
not been shattered and your brain has
not reeied- Trouble. trouble.
III could gather all the griefs OF all
sorts from these crowded streets and
could put them In one scroll, neither
man nor angel could endure the recita-
ton. Well. what do you want? Would
You like 10 have your property back
again? No" you say as n Christian
man, II was becoming arrogant and |
think that Is why the Lord took IL
away. ! don't want TO have nv prom
erty back" Well, would YOU have
your departed friends back again
No" you say. II couldn't take the re-
sponsibiiity OF bringing them from a
fearless realm 70 n realm of tenrs. |
couldn't DO It," Well. then. what do
you want? A thousand voices in the
audience cry out: Comfort. Give us
comfort" For that reason l have roll.
Ell away the stone from the wells
mouth. Come, all ye wounded Of the
HOOK, pursued OF the wolves, come 10
the fountain where the Lords sick and
bereft ones have come. "Ah." saws
some one. you are not old enough ia
understand my sorrows. You have no,
been In the world as long as I have