Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-08-08


these words: 81 would like to ask
the speaker what his inidel beliefs
have ever done for him7 My gospel
religion sustained me when / was left
a poor widow with six fatherless chill
dren 20 support. My religion has given
me hope and courage when have had
to stand by the brink of an open grave.
My religion has made me a purer.
truer, Drawer woman to face the strug-
giles OF life. That. sir, is what my
faith in Jesus Christ has done for me.
What bave your infidel beliefs done
for your The infidel could not an
swer. The whole audience realized
that the Christian woman was speak
ing out of her own LIES experience
So the mightiest witnesses for God
are those whose Christian testimonies
are the outgrowths of the many, many
years that are gone.
The aged Christian influences for
good those who are near to him be-
cause he is able 10 lavish upon them a
wealth of boundless. fervcnt, tender
Christian affection. While we are
young and even middle aged we spend
most of our time in doing for others
rather than in showing the sweet man.
Hesitation of our affections. We are
like Martha. who went into the kitch-
en- to cook Jesus u dinner. rather than
like Mary. who sat at the feet Of
Christ
When Jesus. sad and weary. longing sore
FOR loves sweet service. sought the sis
One saw the heavenly. one the human
guest.
But who can say which loved the Master
best7
While we are young or middle aged
we are like the busy merchant, who
spends most of his time in the store
and the office in order TO earn money
enough TO support his children, rather
than like the old grandfather and the
grandmother, who spend most of their
time in spelling their grandchildren
until at last the married daughter turns
and says: Father and mother. | be-
lieve you love my children better than
you ever loved me when was young.
Anyway, you pet them far more than
you ever petted me-" Many n mechanic
has but little time to fondle or caress
his own children. He has to leave
home for work before the children are
out Of bed. He does not return until
late at night. when the babies have
been again tucked away in their cribs.
A Mighty Influence.
Editor Brown said that 1t took him
nearly fifth OF n century to find out
how much his father loved him. When
he was boy at home, his father was
always busy earning money to support
the family. Sometimes he was self
absorbed, gruff aud stern and SEEM
ingly harsh. But after awhile his IA
theirs health broke down. Then the
boy felt he ought to leave home. as
there were too many mouths to fill
from his fathers scanty savings. The
morning he left the old man walked
down the road with him. Then the
feeble old father put his hand upon
the young mans shoulder, and tears
came into bis eyes and his lip culver
cd as he said: MY boy. / don't want
you TO leave home. As long as l have
n crust OF bread, my child. / am ready
10 share il with you. You had better
come back" Then" said Editor
Brown, "for the first time in my life
l realized the immensely OF my IA
TIERS love. All that day sweet
throated songster kept singing in my
heart: He loves me. He loves me.
Father loves me. Yes. be loves me-
And when, some years later, an evan
Eelst compared Gods love TO n IA
lher's love ! arose I'm that meeting and
gave my heart TO God l knew that
my earthly father loved me. Yes.
knew that he loved me-" So the Chris
tian's old age is the time when he can
best demonstrate the wealth of ....
affection for those who are near and
dear TO him and when he can best in
fluence them for good.
The statement that the aged Chris
tan can exercise mighty influence
for good over the lives OF those who
are nearest and dearest to him Is espe-
ciany true IL those dear ones In turn
have children OF their own. l do nor
believe man ever fully appreciates
the love OF n parent until he himself
Is married and has babies about his
own family table. 1t is only after n
man has had the worries and the anx-
ieties of his own home troubling his
heart, ii is only after he has stood by
the side OF the cradle and nursed his
baby boy through the awful sickness
OF diphtheria, it Is only after he has
got his own family burial plot and has
dug therein a little grave for one OF
his own babies, that lie begins to fully
appreciate what his father and mother
In their time have done for him.
The Spirit of Reverence
The aged Christian Is able to inspire
the spirit of reverence in the hearts
or many with whom he comes in con-
tact. This spirit is n growth, and not
an act. 1t is germ seed which often
takes years and years TO develop. and
not an entity which springs into being
at jump or n bound 1t generally
starts away back In the nursery. Ii the
child learn to respect his mother, then
IL is very easy for him to learn as a bow
to respect his teachers. If the boy learn
10 respect his teachers, then il is very
easy for him as a young man to learn
TO respect his Christian employers. If
young man respects his Christian
employers, then it is very easy for him
as middle aged man to learn TO re-
spect the aged Christian servants who
Tor years have been living at the Di-
vine Masters feet. If the middle aged
man respect Gods aged Christian sery-
ants, then it is very easy for him TO
iearn TO respect the God whom those
Christians serve and to communicate
that respect to others.
Thus God uses Your physical weak.
nesses and your mental helplessness
Tor a purpose. When he sees you. an
aged Christian parent. being tender;y
cared for In your old age by loving
son; when he sees that son giving to
you the best room in the house and
the easiest armchair ana the softest |
bed; when he sees that son trying to |
make your last days upon earth happy |
ana peaceful, then we can imagine |
him saying: That young man who Is |
caring so tenderly for his aged Chris
no nV,k A. -