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


army, What shspwrccks on the sen
what disasters on the land. caused by
inflaming liquids put upon the tongue
10 set soothing the brain. How many
kings CT thought and influence. with
crowns brighter than the one Benhsdad
wore. have by strong drink been put
into flight as base as TINT In which
BenhaGad rodei Give them TO me- y
says the demon OF inebriacy. "Give
them to me: hand them down-ths
brightest legislators OF the land.
win thickeu their tongue; will bloai
their check; will stagger their step:
viii damn their soul. Hand them down
to me-the physician out of his labora.
tory, the attorney from the courtroom
the minister OF the gospel from the al.
tars of God. Hand them down to me
the queens OF the drawing room, and !
will disgrace tEeir names and blast
their homes and throw them down far
ther than Jezebel fell to the dogs that
crunched her carcass"
We hold our breath I'm horror as once
I'm awhile we hear Of some one. either
by accident or suicide. going over Nj
agara falls, but the tides. the depths,
tht a W VI SUI KS vi tnttlnlltIdiiCG dT6
every hour OF every day rushing scores
OF immortnls down into uafathomed
abysm. Suicides by the hundreds of
thousands! Suicides by the million,
Beware OF the cup out OF which Ben.
hadad drank personal and national
demolitionI
fes. you must have full armor. There
are temptations to an impure life ell
the time multiplying and intensifying.
Read In private and discussed after
ward by the refined and elegant iu
psrlors are books poisoned from lid to
lid with impurities. Loose characters
In the novel applauded by rhetorical
pens and proprieties OF life caricatured
as prudery and inddelity of bella vior
put in way to excite sympathy aud
half approval My wonder is not that so
many 60 astray. but my wonder is that
ten times as many are not debauched.
There are influences at work which, TX
unarrested. will turn our cities into
Sodoms and Gomorrahs ready for the
hail and fire and birthstone of Gods In
diguation.
Oh. yes. you need the harness on un.
I'll God tells you to take IL OF. In old
en- time 1t was leothern armor or chain
hrmor o. ribbed armor, fashioned In
ancient foundry. but no one can give
you the outfit you need except God,
who is master of this world and the
internal world. from which ascend the
mightiest hostilities. Lay hold of God
Nothing but the arm or Omnipotence is
strong enough for the tempted
In
Young man. put on the entire gospel
outfit. IL you have come from the
country to live in the city. initiate the
example OF young man who arrived
In New York on Saturday night. in
tending the following Monday to enter
his place OF employment. On Sunday
morning. carrying out the good advice
before leaving his country home. he
went TO church. Standing at the door.
he was abashed as the beauty and
fashion and wealth swept through the
doors of the sanctuary. aud he dared
not 60 iu. AS ne was about turning
TO go away gentleman said. Have
you seat. young manr' mo. SIR"
DO you belong to the cityf' mo.
SIR" Where Is your homer "In the
country" How long have you been
In the city?" "I came in last night"
What are you going to do here7" "I
hope to 20 into business tomorrow.
THAT is right. You have begun well.
young man. Never forsake the God OF
your fathers. Come. will give you
a seat in nay pew" The next morning
the young man presented his letter in
business circles. what do you want,
young manY' said the Scotch mer-
chant II want to get credit on some
leather. upper and sole" "Have you
referencesr 81 think can get refer
ences. My father has friends here"
Young man, did not see you yester-
day in Mr.. Lenox's pewf" 81 do not
know, sir. was at church, and
kind gentleman asked me to sit in his
pew" "yes, young man. that was
Robert Lenox. I will trust any one
that Mr.. Lenox invites into his pew.
You need not trouble yourself about
references. When these goods are
gone, come and get more" That young
man became IN eminent merchan mt and,
more than that. n Christian merchant.
and he attributed all his success TO
that first Sabbath In the city. Young
man just arrived, put yourself under
good influences your first day I'm town
There hangs your helmet. Take 1t
down. There is your breastplate. Ad-
Just II. There Ia all the harness for
safety and triumph. Put II on.
Also see I'm my subject the folly OF
Understanding the enemy. That was
Benhadad's fatal mistake. He could
whip them before shutdown. He want
ed less than half day 10 capture Sa-
maria and make the king of Israel Gu
pitulate. But what he thought was so
easy. turned out to be the impossiblc
Better overestimate than underesti-
mate the other side. We who are try
ing to make the world what It ought
to be contend not with homuncun We
vreetie not with striplings. We have a
whole arrny Of antagonists trying to
bait the King OF God and overthrow
tho cause of righteousness. II we Sc
cure the victory, II will be struggle
as fierce as when Darius and AIexan-
der grappled each other at Arbela, as
when Joan OF Arc rod, triumphant at
Orleans. as when the Russians met the
Swedes at Poltava, as when MarlbOr-
ough commanded the allied armies AT
Blenhefm. Those were fights for earth
ly crowns and dominions. but the fight
that now goes on between all the af1ied
armies Of heaven and all the allied ar
mics OF bell is 10 settle whether God
or Satan is to have possession OF this
planet
Put on the Harness.
congratulate all those who are now
In the thickest Of iife's battles that the
time ~ coming when the struggle will
end and you will put the harness of
helmet and grcaves and breastplats
having fulfilled their mission You
cannot In one visit to London Tower
see all. You must go again and agnin
to that place. which is associated with
the story OF Lady Jane Grey and Anne
Boieyn and Walter Raleigh and Sir
Thomas More You Will see the crowns
OF kings md uueeus the reha worn nv