Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-10-24

him, you have been derelict in your
duty, you have not really consecrated
them to Christ's service. Teach them
how tenderly God loves them, and they
will learn to love, honor and trust him
as they love. honor and trust you.
Comforter OF the Sinner.
The Divine Being is like a mother.
too. ia wanting TO be the forgiving
comforter OF all who have gone astray.
When man does wrong and persists
In doing wrong. nearly all the world
will turn against him. First, as rule,
the sinners retribution Is found in his
employers anger. when he is dismissed
from the store. When man has sim
ned once. or even twice. his employer
may forgive him. But when he ap-
pears mt the store intoxicated the third
or fourth time then comes the per-
emptory order that he must so at once
to the cashiers Office and receive what
Is owing him and forever leave the
establishment Then his friends are
apt to turn against him. Then his
brothers and sisters and children and
father and even his wife do the same.
But though nearly all the human race
will turn against sinner. as rule,
there is one human being. if she is
alive. who will never cease TO reach
after the prodigal. That person, as you
all know before | speak her name. IL
the sinners mother. The young man
may sin net only seven times, but sew
enty times seven; he may be SO worth
less In the eyes OF the world that all
his old friends may come TO that moth
or and say her son is not worth being
saved. he may be 80 useless that
even the father may order the son out
of the home and disowp and disinherIt
him. but the mother will cling and con-
tnue to cling TO her boy. If she thought
that thereby she could give her son one
more chance for repentance. she would
sell the clothes out OF her wardrobe If
necessary, she would move out OF her
tne home and go to work, she would
sell her jewelry and even her wedding
ring. She would go to the extent of
giving up her life II she could only
save Der boy.
In imagination we can picture a
scene the like OF which is nightly hap
pening in thousands of homes. 1t is
about 2 or 3 o'clock I'm the morning.
All the rooms are darkened in the
home except one. There the light is
steadily burning in the bedroom. Every
little while woman, prematurely gray
and feeble on account of mental suf-
fering. comes to the window and raises
the curtain and places an anxious face
against the pane. Then she goes back
TO chair and wrings her hands Then
she kneels by her sofa and offers an
earnest prayer. She cries and begins
to put on her hat and cloak. The man
who is sleeping I'm the bed Is reused by
the opening Of the closet door, and he
says: Mother, why don't you come to
bed2 1t is useless for you to fret and
cry away your life over that worthless
boy" ''Oh, husband" she answers. 81
cannot give him up. He was so hand
some and good to me before the evil
companions got hold OF him. Ii is not
my baby boy. Harry. that is so bad TO
his mother. Ii is sin. awful sin. And
IL, by the help OF God, l can get sin
out of his henrt. he will be the same
loving child that he used TO be. am
going out into the storm 20 try to hunt
him up"
The Mothers PnrdoninE Love.
Just then there Is quick ring at the
bell. The mother rushes downstairs
and throws open the door. With that
two young men drag the intoxicated
son into the hall and disappear like
evil spirits into the darkness. There is
deep cash over the young mans fore
head. His face is covered with blood.
The terror stricken woman throws her.
self down by the PROSTATE form and
begins 20 wipe away the blood as she
cries: "Oh. my boy. my boyl My sin.
full, sinful boyr' When the young man
begins to regain consciousness from his
drunken stupor, he turns and sees her
fearful face bending over him. Then.
realizing the awfulncss of his sin and
how he is breaking her heart, he says:
Mother, why do you love me? Why
do you not turn your back upon me as
every one else is doingT' Because. my
son" she answers, IL know that IL Is
Eot yourself who is breaking my heart
and killing me. Ii is sin! And / also
know that IL j can only bring you to
know my Saviour he will give YOU
strength 10 overcome your sin, and YOU
VIII be the same loving boy you used
to be. No. Harry, l will never leave
you or turn my hack upon you, no mat
Ter how you make me suffer, until i
can bring you to Christ" Like divine
mother, God never turns his back up-
on his erring children who have gone
astray- The farther we have wandered
the more the Divine Comforter is will
Ing to go after us. He is ready to do
even more for our salvation and eter-
nal rescue than our own earthly moth
ers are willing TO do. In the psalm
lists own words we read. when my
rather and my mother forsake me.
then the Lord will take me up" or, as
the revised version more beautifully
expresses IL, Then the Lord will gath. |
er me up" Ye hayward, sinful chill |
dren. can We not look upon the face of |
your God and see there face illu- |
mined with the tender, forgiving and |
love OF d comforting moth. |
err?
Like the divine mother, God wants to |
be the comforter OF all those who have |
made temporal failure OF life-of those |
whose early ambitions have been as |
shattered and wrecked as |
were the ships in Apia harbor when |
the Samoan tornado drove them upon
the rocks. He wants TO be the COM
forter OF those who have had to face |
bankruptcy court or who have bad
The dearest desires OF their hearts an
INFLATED. He wants to be the COM
forter of practically the whole human
race for temporal troubles that sooner
Dr. later come to about everybody.
Treasures of Heaven.
Thus all the troubled and the sOre,y
disappointed OF earth should take great
comfort out or the thought that Gods
love for them Is like that of a divine
mother. They should he able to look
1T all worldly things. whether good or
i'll as did the Maori chief. Who though
born in New Zealand mud hut, could
turn. to the Duke OF Devonshire when
le was being shown ona Of tho n.ost |