Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-11-13


tuuities OF working on earth for my
Lord and Master I would not volun-
tarily change places with the brightest
robed denlzen OF all the redeemed I'm
mortals In heaven. I feel a great deal
In reference to my earthly work as d.d
the elder or Presbyterian church
When he was very sick some one came
To him and said. My brother. how hap
w you ought TO be that you may soor
associate with the angels" yes" an.
swered the sick man. that may all be
true but as far as | can make out I
would on earth for little while at
least rather associate With one wo.
man OF ilesh and blood. called my wife
whom ] know AMI love. ;hau with any
twenty Angels With whom nj the pres
ent time l nm unacQuaiG,ed"
Tue second ambition which nearly
every healthy, normal man has Il not
only 10 live long i'm au earthly seusc
but some day To own large home. in
which he can gather all hts children
aud grandchildren and friends and
loved ones about him And IL n man
longs To have an earthly home. where
he eau collect his loved ones, how much
more must the Christian long that in
bis heavenly home he may be ablo 10
collect oil his dear oaes. his children
and brothers and sisters aud parents
and friends-those who are bound 20
him by tiee OF love MS well as OF blood
There Is not true Christian man or
woman who has not felt at heart the
heavy burden OF an unsaved child or
Lot to-. Fvta. a
burden to bearl lf I would throw this
meeting open TO ask for requests for
prayers from all over this house people
would rise aud say: Pray for my hus-
band" Pray for my child" spray for
my brother" Pray for my roommate"
Pray for my sister," But, friend, why
do you ask this pulpit to pray for your
loved onef Why do you not bring that
burden. mat heavy burden OF the sal.
walton OF your child or husband. to
Christi Does not Jesus want you to do
this todayf IL Christ will carry the
heavy burden OF financial distress cure
~ b Will bear the heavier burden OF
the salvation OF your children.
The GospeI Promise.
Some years ago noted evangelist
was holding q series or meetings In the
church of which was then pastor
Among the thrilling incidents which
he told was one that appeared to me ut
that time very farfetched. I said Il
could not be so. He described how
mother had maynard boy who had
run away to sea and was at that time
in an Asiatic port This mother care
fully OF tod M
conclusion that she had a right to ask
for the salvation of her boy and that
she would then and there throw the
burden OF his salvation upon Christ
She went 10 her room. after giving
word that under no condition was she
to be Interrupted Then she opened
the Bible, laid IL upon a chair and
knelt down. Then she began TO pray
for the salvation OF that boy. She
said: 20 God Jesus has said that if
l ask anything in his name thou wilt
grant my request. am going to stay
here pleading upon my knees for the
salvation OF my child until thou hast
given 10 me the sweet consciousness
that he Is saved" She stayed there
from 8 until Z, until 8. 8 until 10 10
until IL. until 5 O'Clock in the morning
that woman stayed. Then she arose
from her knees and said. MY Heavenly
Father. thou hast answered my
prayer" AT that very time" said the
evangelist. 1.-The boy I'm the foreign port
wns convicted of sin and sent letter
home 10 his mother that he had given
his heart to Christ" But as after
ward began 10 ponder over the story
In the light Of the Scriptures and OF
personal history. l came TO the conclu.
sion that that story was true or at
least by gospel promise could be true
We have q right 20 ask for the saliva
ton OF our loved ones. And IL we ask
and plead faithfully and truly God
will answer our prayers.
Oh, that we might, one and all, here
and now, enter into q holy conspiracy
OF prayer for the salvation of our loved
ones! This was the way a great re-
vfval wave was started I'm one OF my
old churches. 1t was by Christian peo-
pie. members OF that church, getting to-
gether week after week and praying
for distinct individuals. 1t was in this
way that my grandmother and grand
AathSh WIZ ~OdNcIttu- SpIuG Oh you
may have heard the wonderful story
written by the pen or spoken by the
lips of my father. 1t was by COM
pany OF earnest and fearful mothers
gathering together at a certain time Of
the day I'm the barns to pray for the
salvation OF their children until scores
and hundreds stood up In the little VII.
lage church OF Somerville to confess
Christ. and the whole region was moved
by the power OF the Holy Ghost 1t Is
by conspiracy OF prayer that re-
yivai can always be started and our
loved ones swept into tho kingdom by
q tidal wave OF mercy.
EMeacy of Prayer.
The great trouble with the Christian
church as a whole and with Christians
AZ individuals II that we have broken
away from the old anchorage OF gospel
truth. We have lost faith In God that
he Is able to do all things: we have
lost faith In prayer; we have lost faith
In the power OF the Holy Ghost. And
the great mission Of the Christian pull
pit today 10 to revive in the pew the
old gospel seeds Of faith and hone.
w bSh w AAtVsA kACAic oulltu WAS Called
TO the Central Presbyterian church OF
New York city he said to the commit
tee which waited on him: "You do not
want me as your pastor am not an
Intellectual teacher; I am only simple
gospel preacher "Ah." answered the
men. that is the reason we want you
The people are hungering and thirsting
after the simple gospel truths" And IL
is because the simple, salient gospel
beliefs are SO much needed today that
am preaching this sermon upon faith
and the belief that Christ can save our
loved ones If we only pray.
Thus. my dear friends, tired and
heavy hearted. tramping along the
highway of life. I want to lift the
heavy burdens off your hearts 1t is
these burdens that are crushing YOU,
not the journey. Many OF the older
men have read an essay which was IA
nous many years ago. 1t was written
by the Country Parson" and called.