Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-02-13

Gorby, the present assistant pastor or
this church, who has worked great
deal among the factories and the stores.
has told me that the most respectful
and grateful audiences he has ever adj
dressed were those clad iu overalls and
which listened TO him while he talked
from a table or barrel among the ma
chinery or near the blast. Many en-
ployers welcome such efforts, knowing
well that they profit by their employ
ees becoming Christians. Some years
ago III. l.. Cregier or Washington, Ind,
the head OF great stave and heading
factory, placed n gospel minister upon
his pay roll. He wanted this evangel-
list to make ii his business TO speak a
word for Christ TO every one OF his en-
ployees because" said Mr.. Cregier.
outside of the spiritual results IL pays
when l have such n gospel worker
among my men. There is less drunken
ness, less rows, less crimes. less indo
lence and slothfulness, and my men
are happier and better and more faith
full" Now, my Christian friends. with
such testimony as that before you,
do you not feel encouraged to speak a
word for Christ in the store and I'm your
place of business?
Tell About the Heaters.
Furthermore, you should not hesitate
to testify for Christ in your place OF
business. because you would not have
dumb lips in reference to any physical
cure which you knew about as you now
are silent in reference to the divine
cure of sin. Suppose that today one OF
the employees OF your store was afIiict
cd with the dreaded disease OF cancer.
Surprising that a couple OF years age
you had been cured from the same dis.
ease by IA certain medicine OF certain
doctor. Would you not Immediately
go and tell him about the wonderful
cure? III necessary. would you not take
this physician to the sick mans HOUSE
aud insist that he try this cure which
had cured you? You would do that
yet among the blood curdling sins and
the blasphemies of your store you dc
not think 1t is your bounden duty to
tell about the Christ who cleansed YOU
from all sins. Do you mean to tell me
that you have right to keep your lips
dumb and not invite those sinful en-
pioyees to your church and prayer
meeting, where they can hear the sweet
message OF divine lover
still more concrete illustration will
show the application Of the principle
for which L am contending. Surprising
that today l should read an autograph
letter from Andrew Carnegie or John
d. Rockefeller or Baron Rothschild OF
some other multimillionaire to this ef.
feet:
AS the winter Is coming on, I feel
1t to be my duty to help the poor and
the unfortunate. Therefore please an
nouncc as soon as possible that next
Sunday my representatives will be
with you and that they will give ten
dollar bill to every man, woman and
child who comes to your service so that
they can buy breadT
What would be the result OF my read
Ing such letter as that7 Why, you
would carry the news everywhere.
You would go out OF your way to speak
TO every one you ever knew. You
would say 10 all the buyers and the
sellers OF the store: "Come up to our
church next Sunday. Tell all of your
poor friends about the good news.
Bread, breadi There is going to be
free bread for every one" And on
next Sunday morning the streets about
this church would be crowded. And
everywhere the cry would be raised:
Bread, bread! Free bread. free
bread!' IL you would carry far and
wide such an earthly promise OF Car
negie or a Rockefeller, will you not
carry at least as far and wide the
promise OF heavenly King? IL you
would gladly and willingly tell your
business friends and employers and
employees about bread which can
give life to the physical body, will you
be dumb in reference to that spiritual
bread OF life which Christ offers TO all
who come TO him?
Give Testimony at Home.
Would that the dumb lips OF Chris
tan testimony might be Embossed by
our own firesides among our loved
ones, as we'll as among the strangers
dwelling outside the four walls OF our
home. place this spiritual obligation
upon my own heart and life as well as
upon yours. There is many n minister
who Is so anxious about the souls of
his congregation that sometimes he
overlooks the souls destinies OF his
own children and brothers and sisters
and parents. Some time ago / buried
noble man OF God named Rev. VII
liam K. McCrea. In conversation with
me one day he said that the sweetest
moment OF all his life, not excepting
his own conversion, was when he was
able to lead his own venerable father
TO the foot OF the cross. His IN Their was
q moral and, from q worldly stand
point, good man, but not protesting
Christian, and, though he had a son in
the ministry, yet no one for years had
ever asked the father to give himself
IN love to the Lord Jesus Christ. But
one day Rev. Mr.. McCrea, after be had
been five years in the ministry, came to
his father and said: Father, do you
not want TO become a Christian? Do
you not want to take mothers Christ
and my Christ as your Christ? Do you
not want me to pray with you now ?'
The tears started from the old mans
eyes; his lips quivered. He shook with
emotion as he answered: "Yes, Willie,
l do. Oh. Willie, have been waiting
so long for some one to ask me to come
to Christ! Why did you not do it be-
fore?" So today let us start to plead
everywhere with Christian testimony;
let us begin right in our own homes.
Let us begin first and at once among
those who are closest to US, as Andrew
first sought his own brother to bring
him to Christ
My friends, members Of jefferson
Park church, here and now conse-
crate my life to a new work. am go
Ing back 10 the days and life which
used to live when first entered the
ministry. In those old days I did not
seek so much to comfort and please the
members OF my church as to win souls.
My only desire was to reach out for
those who were outside of the church
and who never had confessed the name
or Jesus. Before 1 entered my pulpit
would get down on my knees and
say, "Oh. God, let me speak the right
word Tor that young man and woman