The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-08-21
Now Iiay me down to sleep.

that Childs example, were leu 10 give
their hearts to God As a result Of
that little girls visit these rough min
ers built a church. They brought TO
hat church "A minister. The minister
declared that in all his life ne never
preached 10 a more imprcssionable au-
dicnce than those rough men. who had
been brought into touch with that little
child prayer.
You assert that that child's gospel
influence is the exceptionf I know it
Is not. know that q man never on
earth comes rs near 10 heaven as when
HIS little baby boy or girl kncels 10y his
side and in trust and love says baby's
evening prayer God pity the man
who never knew that joy. God forgive
the father who has dulled his ear so
ms not 10 hear such a message. WHO has
blinded his eyes 10 shut out such a
sight. which in angelic form can come
10 him I'm bare feet robcd jon little
wlite nighteown. Brother. do not tell
me that Naassou's childhood was vast
fh Afal@s lfN iNt i'i h iH''i'' 't' -'''i
pose that although You may Dee am ordi-
nary man living an ordinary life in am
ordinary home your little cradle had
no gospel significance in the lives OF
your Christian parents.
Naassons maturcd manhood teaches
that God provides for the humhlcst Of
his children as well as for the greatest
Who was Naassonf lie had "a father
named Aminadab and a son. Salmon.
That is all we know of his direct com
nections. They were evidently as hum
ble as himself There was certainly
nothing extraordinary about this man.
History makes no mention of Naasson
leading a great army Among all the
leaders Of the Bible there is no record
ed speech spoken by his lips Whether
be- was in physique tall or short wlicih-
or he had light hair or dark. blue eyes
or black. q broad or narrow chest
must he an left to conjecture But this
fact Is certain whether he was the
lumblcst individual who ever lived OF
no. God took care of him. God fed him,
God clothed him, God saw him grow mp
20 fun manhood. Then when his work,
however small. was done God took lim
10 himself. I'm other words, Naasson
was like the most of MS. who are with
out any particular talent or power Of
leadership. Yet God is caring and feed
ing and clothing and housing MS, just
as he feeds the bird Of the air ana
clothes the lily Of the field.
o obscure man. in the humble walks
Of life, do you not realize that in spite
Of yourself you are preaching wherever
you go the protecting care of the love
of God? II lis not surprising That wiz
ard Of inventions like Thomas A. Edi-
son can earn his daily bread; IL is not
surprising that a gigantic intellect Ike
that Of Andrew Carnegie can accumu-
late n fortune when he can crowd the
F Nlononeahela and Allegheny rivers
with his works. the long tunnels every
where at night shooting ont their
flames until it makes the surrounding
regions Of Pittsburg look, as Rev. Dr..
/ John Hall once expressed IT, 'as the in-
ferpal regions with the id ot;' IL is
not surprising that a lawyer Ike Scar
GENT $. Preutiss should have a large
+ income when by his eloquence he could
charm not only the masses, but also
such leaders Of this country as Rufus
Cboate. who turned to Daniel Webster
AT the conclusion Of one Of his orations
and said. "Did you ever hear q speech
more eloquent than thatF Never
answered Webster, except from Scar
gent $. Prentiss himself But that
n man Of ordinary intellect and every
dav abilities can nj all times earn a
livelihood for himself and wife and
children IS surely TO be explained by a
revelation of the divine goodness. Why,
some people have not hardly enough
brains 10 tell their right hand from
their left, yet God cares for them, God
feeds them and clothes them, just as
no cares for that poor widow who is
left financially stranded with a large
number Of children strapped TO her
back. He feeds and clothes them just
As be cared for Naasson or as he has
been caring for US.
But I find another very suggestive
fact about Naassons genealogical his
tory. II led TO mlghtier names As
Joseph Parker once graphically and
terselv expressed q: "You should re-.
membor that q long. fat road may be
leading M 10 n great mountain. There
are-some very plain and uninteres;ina
miles out OF Geneva, yet every one of
them brings YOU nearer 10 Mont Blanc
So Won do not know 90 what high hil
vour life may be quietly leading up
Even if you yourself are nobody, youi
son may be man Of rcnown or hi'
son may be a valiant and mighty man
Netbusclah was the father of Lamech
and Iamcch was the father Of Noah
Yes YES. that is the thought TO whlcl
point. Naasson may have been
seeming nobody. Ills son. Salmon, was
a seeming nobody. But Salmon was
tho father Of the mighty Boaz, who
was the husband of beautiful Ruth
yho was the grandmother of The
mighty David, who was the ancestor
NJ Jesns Christ. SO. o humble woman
YOU may think your domestic life doe
not amount TO much. You may say j
consists mostly in sewing dresses fo'
the babies and cooking meals and pet
ting the little ones when they are hur
and reading the Bible TO the children
before they 90 TO bed. But l want Il
tell you that I'm the light Of this MS
tory of Naasson YOU have mighty
tremendous work upon your hands
You may he the mother or the grand
mother Of boy who will yet proclaim
the gospel Of Jesus 10 the furthermos
parts Of the world. You may be rock
Ing I'm your daughters cradle futur
Frances +. Willard. Florence Night
lngale or a Frances Ridley lIavergal
Am I going beyond my right in to'