Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-03-21

dei's Messiah" Mozarts REQUIEM
Is it possible that n religion which
builds such indestructfble monuments
and which lifts its ensign on the high
est promontories OF worldly power can
have any effect upon a mans intellect
but elevation?
Now. commend goodness as the
best mental discipline, better than
bellies let.res to purify the taste, better
than mathematics to harness the mind
to all intricacy and elaboration. better
than logic to marshal the intellectual
forces for onset and victory. 1t will go
with Hugh Miller and show him the
footprints OF the Creator In the red
sandstone. 1t will go with the botanist
and show him celestial glories encamp-
ed under the curtain of a water lily. II
will go with the astronomer on the
great heights where God shepherds the
great flock OF worlds that wander on
the hills OF heaven answering his voice
as be calls them all by their names.
Again l remark that goodness Is
profitable for ones disposition. Lord
Ashley. before he went into a great
battle, was heard to offer this prayer:
20 Lord. shall be very busy today
IL / forget thee, forget me not" With
such Christian disposition as that a
man is independent OF all circum-
stances Our piety will have a tinge
Of our natural temperament. II man
be cross and sour and fretful naturally.
after he becomes q Christian he will
always have to be armed against the
rAh ~ r,lf Rtxt
religion has tanned the widest natures.
1t has turned fretfulness into gratitude,
dependency into good cheer, and those
who were hard and ungovernable and
uncompromising have been made pill
able and conciliatory. Good resolution,
reformatory effort, will not effect the
change. II takes a mightier arm and q
mightier hand to bend evil habits than
the hand that bent the bow OF Ulysses.
and 1t takes a stronger lasso than ever
held the buffalo on the prairie.
fnauence OF the Gospel.
A man cannot go forth with any hui
man weapons and contend successfully
against these Titans armed with up
torn mountains But you have known
men into whose spirit the influence OF
the gospel OF Christ came until their
disposition was entirely changed So
IL was with two merchants I'm New
York They were very antagonistic.
They had done all they could to injure
each other. They were In the same
line OF business. One OF the merchants
was converted to God. Having been
converted. he asked the Lord to teach
him how to bear himself toward that
business antagonist. and be was i'm
pressed with the fact that II was his
duty when customer asked for GER
tain kinds OF goods which he had not,
but which he knew his opponent had.
to recommend him to go to that store.
suppose that isabout the hardest thing
man could do: but. being thoroughly
converted to God. he resolved to do that
very thing. and. being asked for a GER
tain kind or goods which he had not.
be said. you go to such and such a
store. and you will-sget It" After
awhile merchant No. 2 found these
customers coming. so sent. and he
found also that merchant No. had
been brought to God. and he sought
the same religion Now they are good
friends and good ncighbors. the grace
OF God entirely changing their DISPOSE
tons.
"Oh." says some one. 'I have a rough.
jagged, inpetuous nature. and religion
can't do anything for me-" Do you
know that Martin Luther and Robert
Newton and Richard Baxter had i'm
petuous and all consuming natures. yet
the grace OF God turned them into the
mightiest usefulness7 manufactur-
er cares but very little for q stream
that slowly runs through the meadow.
but values torrent that leaps from
rock TO rock and rushes With mad ener.
gy through the valley and out toward
the sea. Along that river you will find
huttering shutties and grinding mill
and flashing water wheel And n ma
ture the swiftest. the most rugged md
the most trcmendous-that is the ma
ture God turns into greatest useful
ness Oh. how many that have been
pugnacious and hard to please and
irascible and more bothered about the
mote In their neighbours eye than about
the beainlike ship timber I'm their own
eye who have been entirely changed
by the grace OF God and have found
out that ''godliness is profitable for
the life that now Is as well as for the
life 10 come"
Religion In business.
Again i remark that religion Is Good
for worldly business. I know the gen,
eral theory Is the more business tho
less religion, the more religion the less
business. Not so. thought DR.. Hans IN
his biography OF Christian Mer-
chant when he says: HE grew In
grace the last six years OF his life more
than at any time In his life. During
those six years he had more .busir,osa
crowding him than ut any other time"
In other words, the more worldly bust.
ness man has the more opportunity
10 serve God. Does religion exhilarate
or retard worldly business? is the prac-
teal question for you to discuss. Does
1t hang, like mortgage, over the farm ?
is IL bad debt on the ledger? Is IL
hen against the estate? Does II crowd
the door through which customers
come for broadcloths and siIksa
Now, religion will hinder your buss-
ness II II be bad business or II Il no
q good business wrongly conducted. II
you tell lies behind the counter. IL you
use false weights and measures. II you
put sand In sugar and beet Juice In vim
egar and lard In butter and sell for ono
thing that which is another thing, then
religion Will interfere with that bush
ness, but lawful business, lawfully
viii find the religion OF the
Lord Jesus Christ its mightisst aux,
lliary.
Religion Will give an equipoise OF
spirit. 1t will keep you from ebuni.
lions Of temper, and you know q great
many fine businesses have been blown
TO atoms by bad temper. 1t will keen
you from worriment about frequent
loss; 1t will keep you Industrious and
prompt; 1t will keep you back from
and from dissipation: II
Will give You kindness of spirit which
Will be easily distinguished from that
mere store courtesy which shakes hands
with you. asking about the
health OF your family. when there Is ms