Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-01-10

You have put the harness on. aud do
not try TO put II on again.
There are old mechanics that can no
more shove the plane or pound with
the hammer or bore with the bit or run
up the ladder TO the scaffoiding. Mas
ter mechanics they were or subordi-
mates who wrought faithfully In the
work or house or barn or ship building.
You have right to quit You have
finished your task. Be thankful that
your work is done.
Faithful Service Remembered
Then there are aged physicians. What
tragedies OF pain and accident they
have witnessed. How much suffering
they have assuaged. How many brave
battles they have fought with lancet
and cataciysm, How many fevers they
cooled, How many broken bones they
set, How many paroxysms they quiet
ed! How many anxious days they
passed when they knew that huma n
lives depended upon their skill and
fidelity, They drove back death from
many n cradle.
= And there are the old minister's Once
they were foremost in general Assem-.
biies ana conferences and associations
They have preached in Pentecosts
They have stood by Christian death
beds and seen Elljahs go up in flaming
chariots of glory. The gospel they
preached for fifty or sixty years ii.
lumines their every feature. they have
stopped preaching. for their breath is
short. or their nerves are a-jangle, or
they lose their thread OF discourse or
suffer from confusion of ideas. Cheer
up, aged dominies and doctors. The
Bible says God forgets our sins when
we repent OF them. but he never for
gets faithful services rendered He re-
members that revival where you stood
watching the souls that came las clouds
ard as doves to the windows He has
indicated by your physical or mental
condition that il is time for you to stop.
Be content to stop. Your helmet bears
the mark of many battleax; your
sword is bent from many holy strug-
gle; your shield is dented with the
thrust of many spear. Now hang up
the armor with gladness.
Cnvvisc BrRgEadocio.
Again, i learn from Benhadad's be.
havior the unwisdom of boasting of
what one is going to do. Two mes
sages had he sent to the king of Israel,
both messages full of insolence and
braggadocio. With trimming beaker
IN hand he is talking with the royal
group about what he will do with the
SPOTS OF the victory he is going to
achieve that afternoon. He takes, II
for granted that Samaria will surren-
der. He gives command for the cap
ture of some OF the Inhabitants of
Samaria who are approaching. saying,
Whether they be come out for peace
take them alive. or whether they be
come out for war take them alive"
But behold the fugitive king In fright
ened retreat before sundownl Better
not tell boastingly what you are going
TO do. Wait until it is done. You do
we'll to lay out your plans, but there
arc so many mistakes and disappoint-
ments in life that you may not be able
TO carry out your plans. aud there Is
no need OF invoking the worlds de-
rision and caricature. Napoleon was
so sure OF conquering England. Scot.
land and Ireland that he had a medal
struck celebrating the conquest. which
lie never made. On that medal was
represented his own crowned head.
DR.. Pendleton and Mr.. Saunders
were talking in the time OF persecution
under Queen Mary. Saunders was
trembling and afraid. but Pendlcton
said: what. Man. there is much more
cause for me to fear than you. You are
small. and have n large bodily frame.
but you viii! sec the last piece of this
flesh consumed TO nshes before ever
forsaEe Jes,ise Christ and his truth.
which have professcd" Not long aft
er Saunders. the faint hearted. gave
Up his life for Cbrist's sake, while Ten
dleton. who had talked 80 big. played
coward ard gave up religion when the
test came. Wiiberforce did not tell
what he was going to do with the
slave trade. but how much he accom-.
plishcd is suggested by Lord Brough-
ans remark concerning WHbcrforce
after his decease. He went to hea ven
with 100000 broken letters In his
hand"
Do not boast OF your moral strength.
One OF the most brilliant men OF the
nineteenth century, having temporarily
reformed from inebriaey, stood on the
platform OF Broadway tabernacle. New
York. and said, "Were this great globe
one crystalllte and l were offered the
possession of IL IL would drink one
glass of brandy / would refuse with
scorn. and I want no religion to help
me-" But that same man died at
Poughkeepsie drunken pauper. Bet
ter underratc than overrate ourselves
Famous Sentiment Refuted.s
My subject is also a refutation of the
famous sentiment that God Is on the
side OF the heaviest artillery. From
all l can read about this struggle Ben.
hadad spoke the truth when he said.
The gods do so unto me and more
also IL the dust OF Samaria shall suf-
fee for handfuls for all the people that
follow me-" He was so confident that
with his superior numbers he could
defeat the king OF. Israel and capture
Samaria that he left the work for a
short afternoon. He is at noon In
wassail-with his royal associates. The
battle OF Waterloo was not opened I'M
I'll twenty-five minutes OF 10 O'Clock
mt noon, but>-that was because the
ground was too wet to move the artil-
lery. Benhadad waits until afternoon
because he is overconfdent. God Is
not on the side of the most swords or
the most war chariots or the most can
non If they be In the wrong, but on
the side OF the right. How such a pre-
posterous sentiment as have mention
ed should have gained sway 1 know
not when oil history proclaims the op-
posite. Describing the very next bat
tie in which Benhadad fought and was
niserably defeated. the Bible says,
The children OF Israel pitched before
them like two little flocks OF kids, but
the Syrians filed the country" How
insignificant We're the unarmed Israel |
ties. half starved and unorga nized, !
compared with Pharaoh's host on foot. |
on horseback and cbariotedl But the |
waves of the Rod saa took mort IL, tho