Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-01-09

any classical music by her casket. do
not want for her public funeral !
do not even want her body 10 be taken
TO the church. Let her sleep asalong as
possible In the bed where she died.
Let her funeral be by her own fireside.
Let n few friends gather here who
loved her. Let some young girl who is
n friend of my sister sing IA simple
song like
safe In the arms OF Jesus.
Safe on his gentle breast.
mother was not fond OF society. She
was home body. She lived mostly for
father and US children" Well, my
brother. IL your mother was a home
body and lived mostly for her children,
do you not see that il you refused to
repent. refused TO consecrate your life
to the cross, refused to be n good
man and live n pure life. your sinful
acts would be damming back a great
part of her prayers and the good results
of her life? When your mother died,
you gathered up all the kind. sympa.
thetic letters which were written 10 you
about her past kindnesses. You also
h00 hhN OAhNA1NAhN WHY uON ~
his funeral address. Then you had those
letters and that address all printed and
bound together into booklet, which
you called MY Mothers Memorial"
But. man, the mightiest and most trt
umphant memorial you could ever
make OF your mothers life is your owl
life consecrated TO the service of Jesus.
She put her blood and her life into
your life. So. man, this ought to be a
happy year for You. 1t ought to be
happy because by your own consecra.
ton to the service OF the Lord Jesus
you are here and now ready to let your
mothers prayers echo and re-echo and
resound in your prayers. Her good
deeds will find n true continuance in
your good deeds. Her Christ shall here
after be worshiped with n sweeter look
because he is also now her boys Christ
The holy endeavor TO fulfill the past
pledges which you have made to God
shall be another desire inspiring you
during this ensuing happy new year.
All your past days have not been
bright and happy days The meadow
larks do not sing when they hear the
merciless growl OF the destroying cy.
clone. The red roses of June do not
like to rest their blushing cheeks
against a January snOwbank.- You
may have welcomed the many congrat.
ulations which your friends showered
upon you I'm your younger days of tri.
umphs. But you have also had your
defeats and heartaches and disappoint.
ments. You have also had your days
when you lay upon q bed of sick
ness. You have had days when your
life was hanging by a slender thread,
ready TO be snapped by death at any
moment Your wife and mother nurs-
ing you at the time did not think that
You fully realized how sick you were.
You did. You knew 1t by the anxious
way the doctor watched. You knew
by the care the nurses took in giving
the proper medicines ut the exact time.
Then-oh, then in that dark hour you
felt as did the poor fellow whom i
buried some weeks ago. One Saturday
ho was ut work in seemingly full
health. The next Monday he lay upon
the operating table as last resort FOL
his life. After the operation they told
him he had to die. He looked I'D in a
pathetic way and said: 81 do not want
to die. / am afraid to die. Oh, do no,
let me der What did you do In that
hour OF your dangerous sickness?
In the Dark Hour.
What did you do In that dark hour On
trouble, when you knew that no hu.
man aid could rescue you? Did you
not practically say at that time, 20
God, IL you will make me well and
come to my rescue I will give up al.
my life TO thee and thy serviceY' Yes,
sinful man. God made you we'll. God
rescued you. Have you kept your
pledges TO him? Have you given ur
your sinful heart to be purged from its
past sins? These broken vows are to-
day driving into your bleeding, repent
ant heart the sharp, keen dagger of re.
morse. AS man OF honor and charnc-
ter, by the grace OF God, you today
are going to be true to those past
pledges. feel 1t. know It, 1 can
see new and holy purpose making
your cheeks flush and your eyes flash
with n consecrated enthusiasm. You
would not break n pledge with any
man To whom you gave your word.
Your boast heretofore has always been
that your word is as good as your bond.
Neither will you today. o man, con-
dnue longer 10 break those old prom
ses you made to God.
A noted preacher once told Of a pros
porous merchant who had n strange
1ream, and yet not q dream. For many
years he had been member Of the
but not living his religion as he
ought TO have lived IL. In his dream he
seemed TO be sitting In his study read
ng the evening paper. There was a
luick knock at the door, and a stranger
entered and stood before him. he fixed
keen and yet loving eye upon the
merchant. His look penetrated the In
lermost chambers of his temple Of con-
science. "One year ago tonight" said
he stranger, your daughter was sup
POSED to be dying. Whom did you call
ipon for help? Whom did you promise
% serve at that time? God. Ten years
lgo you were supposed to be lying upon
FOUR deathbed. Had you died at that
lime. you would have left. your family
Whom did you promise to
'erve IL he made you we'll? God. Fiji
cen years ago you joined the church |
turing time OF religious awakening. |
Have you kept your pledges that you
made to Jesus Christ at that timer |
Nay. nay" answered the merchant In |
his dream. But / will. From hence
orth l Will, Will" And from that mo- |
nent the sinful merchant lived a new
life. This ensuing year. like the memo
able dream of the sleeping merchant |
S TO open for you new life. 1t is tc |
De year when you shall endeavor tc
'ulfill the broken promises which YOU
ong ago made to Jesus Christ.
Joys of the Coming Months.
Happy new year TO you. sinful man.
Why happy? Because during the com
ng twelve months you shall for the
lrst time enjoy the sweet blessings and
OF Christian service. The
oy Of a self sacrificing Christian life
Ices not appeal to the average uncon-
'ecrated man. He saws tn hinsalf.