Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-10-09

Benjamin Frankltn's gospel OF moaera-
toni His federation OF the nonessen-
tials OF life was never more grandly
demonstrated than In the last great
public service which he rendered to
his country. When over eighty years
of age he made the peroratiop OF his
lie IN pleading for the adoption OF the
constitution OF the United States In
the great constitutional convention
which met i'm Philadelphia In 1857.
He admitted. during his address. that
the constitution under Discussion did
not satisfy him In toto. He wanted
one legislative assembly. not two. He
wanted an executive council. with
the president mt the head, instead OF all
executive power being vested In one
man. He wanted the president OF the
United States to serve without salary.
But" said the grand old sage OF Pblla-
delphia. 1.-THE older grow the more
| doubt my own infallibility and the
more l believe that others may &C
casionally be right. am not Ike the
French lady who one day said to her
sister, 4 do not know how IL happens.
sister, but / meet with nobody but my
self that is always in the right
Therefore, though l may not like this
constitution In toto. l do feel that II
is the best for oil parties upon which
we could ever agree. And. Mr.. Press
dent. cannot help expressing a wish
that every member OF this convention
who may still have objections TO *
would with me on this occasion doubt
little OF his own infallibility, and to
make manifest our unanimity put his
name 10 this instrument" That plea
OF Benjamin Franklin is a good ex-
position OF what PauPs moderation
means. IL means giving up little In
order 10 At your life into the nonessen-
tiRl peculiarities OF other people. II
is this useless friction. this useless rub
bing each other the wrong way. this
useless expecting other people TO be
like ourselves, instead OF all people
trying to bear and forbear, that have
caused mucb-aye. perhaps most-of
the trouble OF the world. Let your
Kindness, your tolerance. your gentle
ness. your pIiability be known unto all
men"
Practice Forbearance.
Be patient, I'm the next place, with
those people who were born spiritually
blind. because their ancestors, like the
progenitors of the blind fish in Ken
tucky's Mammoth cave. passed their
lives in total darkness. Be patient
with those men IN whose veins flows
generations of sinners.
Blood should be thicker than water
Blood should be potent factor I'm the
making or unmaking of man. / am
in no sense a fataliSt. l am not one OF
those Indifferent. never may care men
who try TO excuse their sloth and lazl-
ness by advocating the doctrine.
what is to be will be. and what is
not to be will not be-" i am not fool
ish enough TO think that "a man can
be born TO be eternal!y destroyed. no
matter how he may try to prevent IL
or what he may do or say" But am
one of those believing people who are
ready to grant that. by reason OF the
operation Of the laws OF beredity. Il IL
harder for some people to do right
than for others. and to grant also that,
because OF heredity. IL Is easier for
some TO do wrong than for others
Never was n more sensible salutation
given than that with which King Saul
nccosted the young shepherd boy, Da-
vid, Whose son art thou. young
manT If David was the son OF Jesse
the Bethlehemite. Saul had n right to
expect that the lad would grow up to
be good man. II he was the SOFA OF
bad father the king had n right TO
be wary or such offspring. Blood
thicker than water? or course il Is.
All of us should believe what our eyes
everywhere behold. Baldwin apples
do not grow upon fall pippin trees un-
less ingrafted. In the spiritual as well
as in the vegetable and animal king
doms like always produces like"
The hereditary law in all its differ
ent aspects being agreed upon. why
should you not be patient In your Aeal-
ings with those whose ancestors were
not good and true and pure Christians,
as were your fathers ana grandfathsrs
and great-grandparentsf Have you q
right to expect the child OF an Aseec
sun worshiper. within the first year OF
his conversion, TO have as beautiful q
OF the cross as the chiid OF
that Indian missionary who last year
gave up his life for Christ within
sight OF q horrible CHAT burning upon
the banks OF the Gnnges? Have you
n right to expect that young boy whom
you took from founding home and
adopted TO have as easy time hvng
the Christian life as your own flesh
and blood? Perhaps that boy Is the
son OF two thieves. while your child is
the son OF good mother Remember,
as n spiritual oculist. You cannot In a
day open the visual windows OF one
born blind. Remember, II is a greater
triumph to teach the deaf and the
dumb to correctly pronounce the Ave
vowel letters, a, e. 1, o, u, than II Is to
teach a well schoolboy the whole of
Websters famous reply TO Senator
Hayne. Oh. my brother. do not fret
and worry and lose your patience I'm
your dealings with those OF bad spir-
ltual ancestry. Be gentle, Be for
bearing! Be forgiving, Be kind! Be
Be moderate In all things.
Forgive not only seven times. but sew
enty times seven.
he slow 40 CSndemn.
BE patient. in the next place, with
the Peters of the three deniais. There
are many. very many. OF them. They
are not the sinners who mean TO do
wrong. but they are the sanguine tenn
peraments who overestimate their own
abilities. They at times love the Lord
with ell their strength. but. then. I'M
the strength OF evil. they
deliberately run into temptation. to be
oyerthrown not once. but twice and
thrice.
The Peters OF the three denials! Per
haps that young man whom you dis
charged only last week was one Of
them. He was a fine young fellow.
Everybody who came In touch with
him liked him. Bright2 There was no
brighter boy ia your store. he was
not only bright. but he was the son
OF good Christian father. He knew
better, but he would drink. He came
into your office drunk about one year