Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-08-22

Nu ASbOhS WIZ prefer tue society Oh
Sabbath decorators and worldly
pleasure seekers instead OF the society
of Gods children. who love to gather
in the house of praise; bat l frankly
confess have never found good Chris
tians who prefer to seek the society of
worldly pleasure seekers to the society
of those who delight in Gods house.
Jack roses may grow I'm cesspools. but
as rule the most beautiful roses
blush a deeper red and swing a sweet
er incense i'm flower garden than
among the thorns of wild hedge.
One Honest Reply.
Well" answers another man. Il will
tell you frankly why | despise the
church of God. The reason 90 not
join the church is because il is too
straitlaced for me. and am not will
Ing TO give up my own way of living"
My brother. | believe you have told
me the exact truth. believe ninety.
nine-hundredths OF those who scott nj
the church scoff principally because
they are not ready to surrender some
secret sin. But as you have given me
one honest answer | want YOU 10 give
me another to Il question Just MS i'm
portant. If YOU are not ready to sur
render your secret sin and Join the
church, where is that sin going to send
you? Some time ago ! stood i'm the
depot of our national capital watching
n little colored boy about five years
old asleep upon one of the benches
This little baby had a card pinned tc
his coat which read like this: "Con
ductor. will you please see that this
little boy is put in the right train ane
sent TO Atlanta. Ga, where friends
will meet him?"
AS ! stood there watching that little
child L said to myself: Some people
seem to be sleeping in the great depot
of sin as unconscious Of their sur
roundings as that colored baby. They
care not what is going to happen tc
them. And Satan has pinned tag
upon them 10 send them through. like
baggage. TO the great city OF eterna
despair"
My unrepentant brother, as you ara
unwilling TO join the church because
You are reluctant TO give up your Sc
cret sin, | ask you where will that sc
cret sin ultimately send you? Yol
need to be aroused from your spiritual
lethargy and TO realize your awful dam
ger. would especially plead with you
10 surrender your sins and dedicate
your life to Jesus Christ by joining
the church because. in your heart, you
know well what you ought to do. 1
have always shrunk from the thought
that people who were born I'm sin and
jgnorantly reared i'm sin and who ig-
rorantly died in sin and unrepentant
were totally lost. 1t has always been
question In my mind whether some
OF those poor, loathsome creatures who
were reared In the slums of q great
city and who never heard the name of
Jesus except In blasphemy might not
in Gods mercy be made as fit for the
celestial city as some who. having
been born in Christian homas have led
u very different Christian rfe. God
will never condemn one who is horn
blind because he cannot see He will
never destroy one who is born deaf
ana dumb because he cannot speak or
hear; but, my brother, though there
may be some excuse for those born i'm
the sinful slums of great city for not
renouncing their sins and joining the
church, there Is no excuse for Won.
You were born In n Christian home.
you were reared amid Christian sur
roundings, you were started out with |
Christian prayers, and the mere fact |
that you made such an excuse as you
nave proves that the Holy Spirit is |
striving with you today to |
confess Christ and join the church the |
Saviour founded on earth.
You are in exactly the same position |
rs was DIR. Farley when he was a dis |
sipated college student One MORN |
ing, when he was trying to sleep off |
The debauch OF the previous night. n
,iassmate came into his room and, sit
ing upon the bed by his side. said: |
Farley, l have been thinking OF what
'ou are doing. You are wasting your
life for time and eternity. Now, Par
ey. 1t does not matter much what hap
)ens TO ME. am nobody, but you
AVE the best brain In college. BESIDES
nat, you were born of good blood.
You have praying mother and a
'raying father. Unless yon stop Your
sins l shall cut your acquaintance"
so today all the Christian influences |
--~~H NAtONAN NVui past ulc, All the
christian influences which surround
'our present life, all your hopes for
'ternity. are pleading and begging you
n Christs name TO turn from your
ms They are pleading with you to
ONE into the church of Jesus as n re-
'entant sinner because you know and
eel--you intensely feel today : that
'ou ought TO come. Are you man
nough In Christ's name to come to his
ltar now?
Your Duty TO the Church
But there is one answer yet to the
question OF my text. This answer
omes from many troubled heart.
lou say to me: Mr.. Talmage, do not
lespise the church except by my ac-
ions In public way. The reason
10 not join the church is because /
ave so many home duties that can
lot do my share in church work, if
hould join. In n few years / expect
o take my place as a member Mt the