Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-11-21

sOciate justice or the supreme court or
the United States. was converted many
years ago. IL was on Sunday morn
ing at church. On his way home he
said 10 his wife: MARY. we have neg
lected our duty to Christ too long. We
shall at once set up family altar and
have family prayers as soon as we ar
rive home" But. John" answered
his wife, eve cannot do that at once.
You have invited some prominent law
yers to dinner. and they will be wait
ing for us In the pGrlor now. Perhaps
we might have family prayers in the
back room, II you wish" 'No," an
swered the famous lawyer. who Is long
since dead; 1.-The first time 1 ask Jesus
into my home shall not sneak him in
by the kitchen door. / shall ask him
to enter my parlor." When Judge Nc
Lean entered the house. he Immediate
ly called ths children together; then.
after greeting his lawyer friends. he
turned and said: Gentlemen, I gave
my heart TO Christ this morning. 1t Is
a very important day in my life. / In
tend to start family altar at once. /
wish that you would Join In family
worship with me and my children and
that my Christ might become your
Christ. But IL you are not willing to
Join we will be through with prayers
in little while and then we will all
go to dinner" AS a result of that ear
nest plea not only did his family. but
also his guests, kneel In prayer. One
or two OF those guests then and there
gave their hearts to Christ Would
that we might all start our evanGelis-
tic work in our homes! Would that we
all might obey the commandment of
my text by first trying to bring our
loved ones to know and to trust that
Saviour whose love for the repentant
sinner passeth all understanding!
But the gospel invitation ought to be
given to the strangers who are within
Christians gates as well as to the
loved ones who have right by the
ties OF blood 10 live there. 1t is non
sense for us to suppose that after we
have gathered our fathers and mothers
and wives and husbands and children
and a very few dear personal friends
into the gospel lifeboat we have
right to haul in the plank and cast off
the hawsers and set sail for heaven,
deeming our Christian responsibilities
fulfilled. No. Emphaticaliy no. The
Christians obligations are so farreach-
ing toward his fellow men that in the
light of the gospel the poor traveller
who was waylaid by thieves on the
road to Jericho was just as much n
brother to the good Samaritan as II
he had been born in the same cradle,
sung 20 sleep by the same lullaby and
reared in the same homestead.
But, though the gospel teachings
make the jew and the gentle broth
ers, yet the average church member
does not feel that he has any direct
responsibility in presenting the gospel
invitation to the stranger that is with
I'm his gates. After the minister has
preached some Sunday a pertinent ser
mon upon this overwhelming text, go
out into the highways and hedges
and compel them TO come in" this
average church member accosts the
pastor with words like the following:
why, my dear pastor, you would not
expect me TO stand in the aisle of the
church and ask the stranger to come
4
am young girl. 1t would not be
proper for n. young lady to speak to
strange men and women, even I'm a
church. without an introduction" Or
some young man would say: Preach
er, / am church member. but / can
not do what you want me TO do. You
surely would not expect me, when
am riding along I'm q railroad train, to
talk about Christ with every man who
might sit down by my side and open
conversation with me? Why, such
course as that would naturally be
very embarrassing to me as well rs TO
the people with whom / talk" Yes,
young man or young woman, whether
" he embarrassing or no: whether you
nave hnd an Introduction or not to the
people with whom you come into tenn
porary contact, that is what / believe
every true church member ought TO
do. believe every Christian ought to
be so anxious to save souls for Christ
that, no matter in what position in
HE he may be placed, he ought never
TO allow any man, woman or child to
come into contact with him in any
way unless he tactfully improves that
chance for speaking word for his
Divine Master.
sHroe1 cns Ikvaaatt.ssa.
Church members should present the
gospel Invitation to the men and wom-
en- whom they chance TO meet the more
willingly because they would never
dream OF waiting for an introduction
M hnCftuftner
rassment If they saw those same peo-
pie threatened with any physical dan
ger. Surprising. o Christian man. you
were returning home late some night
and you saw the flames playing about
the curtains or the dining room In your
neighbours house. Would you hesitate
for one instant about ringing that own
ers doorbeil because you had not n
personaiacquaintancew with him? Would
you first scurry round the town to
hunt up some mutual acquaintance to
give you that introduction? No! At
the top OF your lungs you would cry
Fire! Fire! Firer' You would tell
your companion who was by your side
to run TO the nearest Are alarm box
and at once call the engines. And If
the smoke was rolling up in great
clouds and threatening to suffocate
the inmates OF that home you would
with your cane smash the parlor win
dows and rush upstairs unannounced
aud awaken the drowsy sleepers. If
necessary, you would help carry the
children down into the street in your
protecting arms. After You are ready
to do all that to warn stranger of an
earthly danger. do you mean to tell me
that unless you have been introduced
you have no right to give'to that same
the gospel invitation? 1 de-
clare that your position is not tenable.
tell you that IL you truly believe that
an unrepentant sinner must die, then
you should act toward the sinner who
Is in imminent danger of destruction
in the same way in which you would
act toward that man who is sleeping
in bed when the fire demons are dane
ing along his Railways and playing