Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-10-16

unknown tanner bpt for the civil war.
The Duke or Wellington could not have
become the dictator or Europe had nc
not Cvefshrowa at Waterloo the little
Corsican. WHO threatened 10 crush all
nations. Cvomaeil would have been
unknown 20 fame and his life would
have been that of simple country gen
tleman had not Charles 1. been obsti-
nately determined to seal bis royal
follies with his royal stubbornnesses.
Great men are produced only by great
emergencies. This premise being grant
ed. what greater event is there in all
history than that of the coming OF the
promised Messiah? How much 1t
meant to the world and to us! What
life OF eternal Joy have we except that
which revolves about the personality
of him who was once baptized by John
the Baptist in the river Jordan2 What
hope have we of ever meeting our
loved ones. our parents and our friends
who have gone beyond except through
the Divine Being of whom John the
Baptist was the direct forerunnerI
oh. my friends. as John the Baptists
name was great by being linked 10 the
name of Jesus Christ at bis first COM
ing. Will you not make your name great
by doing your part toward preparing
the world for Christs second coming?
\ brave hearted American officer dur
ing the Spanish war was made famous
by p!unging alone into the Cuban jun
giles TO carry TO Garcia the memorable
message that American scccor for
downtrodden Cuba had been proclaim
ed. VIII you not carry forth the news
that Christ Is coming to the help Of his
struggling followers? AS the swift
footed runner from the bloody battle
field OF Marathon startled all Athens
with the news that the Persian invgd-
ers had been hurled back. will you not
spread abroad the news that the vic
tory has been won by our Christ over
sin and death and that be is coming
again to rule the world In righteous
ness? BE Paul Revere to summon TO
arms and yet to call TO victory. Be
herald of good tidings. rs well a. q
messenger 10 assemble Gode minute
men"
a Forerunner OF 6ood.
John the Baptist was direct fore
runner. lie was more than that. he
was ready to sink and submerge and
entirely cover up his individuality with
the personality OF Jesus Christ. He
was ready TO let Christ be all In all.
He wanted to be neseiy foOtllght TO
make the divine face shine forth the
more clearly. He was willing To de
crease so tbot tIe esoS o. his SsSiOar
miahe increase. - wa ilks sobn the
BopHst. sink opy istiv,dua,itles IN
Chfisfs or 90 we. hh9 some OF the an
cent forerunneTs Of the cast preceding
the kings chariots. wish 90 be dressed
80 gorgeously and 60 make SO much
noise that people will be watching us
aud Gdmlring our strides instead OF
turning their eyes toward the royal
Master whom We are prCclaiming? Let
Us never give occasion IN our service
to our Divine king for such charge TO
be made against us as the Spanish pre-
ulCr. Canovas. once made against the
egotlsm of Emilio Castelar,. There Is
one great trouble with Castelar," he
said. He always wants to be first I'm
everything. If he goes 10 o bullfight
he wants TO be the cspada. IL to we'd
ding he wants 60 be the bridegroom. II
10 funeral ne wants 20 be the
corpse" In our work for our Divine
Master are we animated 10y the spirit
or Castelar, Are we wishing TINT all
eyes shall he turned upon us instead OF
upon Jesus? Are we trying TO preach
so that men may say. THAT is a fine
sernon?" or are we trying to preach
so That. as when Demostbenes ha-
rangued. his auditors cried. Let us 90
and fight Phillip" our hearers may say.
Come. let us enlist under the banner
OF Jesusg" Are we ready 10 sink our
individual lities fn Christ as Samuel
Adams sank his individuality In the
interests Of American liberties? The
great Massachusetts, patriot did not
care whether or no people honored him
N long as they would work In free
Ions cause. The result was that Sam
Gel Adams spent most of his life in de-
ye!op'ng for the cause OF liberty the
young men. II was his master hand
which nodded Joseph Warren, q
John Adams. JOHN Hancock Are
we, like Samuel Adams. ready 10 sink
ourselves in Christi
A Famous Personality.
But let Us inquire little more closely
how John the Baptist submerged his
life In Christ. Jesus was an unknown
man ut the time John, the hermit and
recluse. was making the very palace
walls at Jerusalem shake. Up to thirty
years OF age Jesus was an unknown
dweler In u country village. The whole
extent OF Christ's earthly ministry ex-
tended over only short period VI three
or four years. We read Of Jesus when
he was born. Then he disappears. We
read of him twelve years later, when.
as boy. he talks with the doctors in
the TEMPLE. Then he SGain disappears
for eighteen long years. Up to thirty
years OF age Christ was politically and
sociologically AN unknown factor In
eastern life
In the meantime who was fgks John
the baptstf This second younk man.
of about the same age az JesrIA. was
the mast famous personality In the
east. He had lived as a hermit hut
the voice he lifted reachad not only
echoed throughout the viilaFes. hut al
SO throughout the great capital itself.
The rich and tho poor, the old and the
young. the goverumsnt officials and the
peasant alike left casar hones to slt Il
his feet. Great cSowSs swarmed about
this strange teacher wheseVer be went.
They pressed into bis caves as though
they were tencpies. AS result John
built up great school Of cevotees ana
baptized his followers by hsndrsds nna
thousands Macy Of them were ready
to kew down and worship him as q
temporal as well ~ spiritual king.
yet when 5esus appeared THIS illus
trious man Vas ready, and gladly
ready. 10 surrender ali for Christ. Like
John the Baptist. are we willing to lay
our fame. our wealth and our entire
life work at Jesus feet?
Great was John the baptist! AT the
risk of his life be was ready to de-
nosnce and attack the intrenched and
the practically lnvulnerable sins OF
that day. lie vas not one of those men
who always stop sGd ask. Does il
payT' before they attempt to do what
they ought 70 90. lie preached on the
N loo Of