Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-09-05


temporal aspects OF this text do not
affect me at all. do not have TO get
my life Insured. l am not poor. I am
one OF the wealthiest merchants OF this
city. am building up fortune.
which is growing larger every day. II
my wife or children wish to buy any
thing. all that they have TO Go is 10 go
down to the city stores and charge the
same TO me. l pay for all their lux
uries without murmur. Besides that.
1 have made last Will and testament
and left them everything"
Yes; your statement may be all true.
But. my successful merchant friend,
have you literally set your temporal
house in order? Have YOU taken your
wife into your business confidence so
that she knows your plans aud ideas?
Have you ever made her your business
conhdant so that she would be able to
take care of the money aud the bust
ness after you are dead? Have YOU
taught her the difference between the
stability of Il government bond and n
Wall street speculation In stocks?
Have you ever taught her the neces-
sity of taking q receipt? Why. the wife
and the mother of your children may
be as helpless as little child I'm refer
ence 10 business matters after you are
dead. She might be so helpless that
the executors could swindle her out OF
her money as easily as you could cheat
in business a fve-year-old lad. Leave
your wife sense as well as cents; leave
her brains as well as bonds. set
thine house in order"
Make Wise Provisions.
One OF the dearest friends Of our
family some years ago was left a
widow with 100000 Her executor
persuaded her to invest the same in
railroad stocks so that she might have
n million dollars. She went into Wall
street and speculated. Today she is
absolutely penniless. Make no such
mistake in reference to your wife as
that husband made in reference TO his
wife. who was our family friend. The
old proverb trenchantly teaches that
any fool can make money. but il takes
a very wise man to keep IT," When
you set your temporal house I'm order,
see that your loved ones will be able
to care for the money which you will
bequeath them. See that the money
which you will leave will not be able
TO slip through their fingers as water
can run through q sieve.
But my text has n wider scope than
the mere fixing up OF the temporal
house. In anticipating his earthly de-
mise common sense man should set
bis spiritual as well as his temporal
house in order. He should prepare for
his own eternal journey over the river
or death, besides looking after the tenn.
poral interests OF the members OF the
household he is going To leave behind.
Unless man has taken long journey
away from home. q Journey which
runs up into the months aud perhaps
into the years. he can have no concep-
ton OF the immense amount of prep
aration necessary. In the first place.
he must get his letter OF credit drawn
mp and signed II would be practically
impossible to start on n journey around
the world. as did some years ago. and
carry enough gold and silver with you
TO pay oil your necessary expenses.
Why. the gold and silver would he as
heavy as n Satchclful OF lead. Besides.
the gold and silver that are stamped I'm
the American mint would not he ac-
oeptable I'm foreign lands. Every coun-
try has its own system OF national cur
rency. Further, II n traveller should be
weighed down with satchclful OF
coin he would in all probability ee
waylaid by some thief and murderer
snd slain for his gold So II is the Gus.
tom or the traveller about 10 start on a
long Journey 10 buy letter OF credit.
He pays to the cashier OF any one of
our great American banking houses.
like Brown Bros or j. l.. Morgan &
Co. certain amount OF money. That
bank gives him letter of credit, and
he can get the money noted In the let
Ter OF credit cashed by the agents OF
that bank In almost every city OF the
world. II you are going into any dan.
gerous region il is also very important
Tor you to have passport. This pass
port. signed by the secretary OF state
at washington, is notification that
You are an American citizen. III any
foreign nation insults or maltreats YOU.
that nation will have TO answer for the
Insult to the United States government.
Getting an Eternal Passport.
Now. my friend. as you have to take
an eternal journey. as perhaps I'm the
very near future you will have 10
leave this old planet and go into the
endless life beyond. what spiritual
preparation have you made for the
momentous embarkation2 Have YOU
made the proper spiritual preparat ton
Tor the Journey which shall take Won
into country where you would ike 10
iiVe through endless eternity, whore
you would like 10 live until time Itself
shall be no longerl Have YOU in readi.
ness for this eternal journey a letter
or credit made out at the Bank OF n,.
vine GraceF Have you an eternal pass.
port written In red ink-written In the
blood which flowed out of the wounded
side OF a dying and an atoning CHRISTI
IL you have not such n letter of credit.
you are Ill prepared. you are lost in
deed. even though in this world you
bad all the wealth OF a Rothschild. a
vanderbilt. Rockefeller or an Astor
even though you once on earth lived |
IN as magnificent a mansion as did |
Dives or old, at whose gate the dogs |
were licking the sores OF a dying beg |
gar. Shrouds have no pockets. and q |
skeletons bony fingers can hold no
gold. and all your worldly riches will
then be but dross. which you cannot |
carry with you on that last journey.
But, IL you have the letter OF credit OF |
iivine grace and the passport stamped |
With the crimson seal OF Calvary. then
he long journey viii be ACCOMPLISHED
'afeiy' and the gates or the New Je-
'usalem will be opened unto YOU. no
natter how financially poor you may
nave been on earth. because YOU are
pleading there for admittance Ia
Christ's name.
Henry Clews tells US that when old
Cornelius Vanderbilt. the richest man
n his day. lay dying. turning his back
ipon his $90,000.000 as though he had
'een the poorest outcast In the street,
lie had TO ask his Christian wife TO
ray for him and sing one OF the old
hymns which she had learned