Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-03-06

wealth and social prestige and your
ownership OF mortgages ard bonds and
land titles blind your eyes to the i'm
portance OF going to the gospel ban
quet.
But another knock Is heard at the
front door of the good mans house. A
second letter of regret is handed in.
This letter goes something like this:
my dear friend, 1 know you have
made great preparations for me to-
night, but l cannot come. 1 am a
small farmer and have just bought q
yoke of oxen TO do my spring blowing.
and must go and do It." Or the letter
will read as follows: My dear friend.
cannot come tonight. l have lust
bought five yoke of oxen, and / intend
to hire myself out to the different
farmers to help them do their spring
blowing. We must make money while
we can. And even IL l could get
through my work in time to come /
would be SO tired that l could not en-
JOY your good things. pray thee have
me excused" In other words. that
stock purchaser was going around as
the modern owners OF some baling ma
chimes so from farm to farm to pack
the hay, or as the owners Of some Of
the modern thrashing machines I'm the
rural districts cut down their neigh
bors' grain upon percentage basis.
Whom in modern life does this stock
owner represent? he synbolizes the
practicing doctor or lawyer or small
merchant or manufacturer or mechan-
&c or salaried employee engaged in a
daily struggle for a livelihood. He
represents, as Matthew Henry well
wrote. the man with 1.-The inordinate
care and concern about this world
which keep him from Christ and his
grace" He represents the father and
husband who on Saturday night says:
'Well. 1 have worked hard all the
week. / am too tired to go to church
tomorrow aud do Gods work. 1t is
all well enough to think about religion,
but the simple fact is. in this strcauors
earthly life l must look after my bust
ness and keep looking after Ii all tho
time" He represents the business
man who at first does not intend to 0
wrong, but, little by little, he allows
his business to crowd out his duties to
Christ First, he gives up prayer meet
ing on account of business; then his
daily reading of the Bible; then his
Sunday services. Little by little he
allows himself to drift away from God
until ut last the invitation to the Cos
pei banquet falls upon unheeding ears.
The inordinate desire for accumulating
wealth has destroyed many and many
an immortal soul A few score years
ago n steamer crowded with passen-
gers was pushing its way over the wa
tiers Of the Mississippi river. Upon the
deck were n great number of Califor-
MIA miners returning from tho gold
fields of the west Suddenly that
steamer struck sunken wreck and
immediately began to sink. The wom-
en- and the children were taken of in
lifeboats. The men were compelled to
leap into the water and cling to the
floating spars until they could lie res
cued. Just before the steamer founder
ed man rushed up to the deck and
leaped into the water and chung to n
floating spar. But instead OF foatinC
like the rest OF the men he sank like a
lump OF lead. Afterward his body was
recovered. and the reason OF the sink
ing was explained. While the other
passengers OF the sinking vessel were
preparing RATS and putting on life
preservers this man had been below
decks riding the miners trunks. I'm.
der his garments. strapped around his
waist. were found bags OF gold II
was his desire for wealth that destroy
ed him. SO we find that there are
fhouSo nds rnop sbn,,Sopl, 90 ,,,o,, .,..r
women who refuse to come TO the
Lords banquet because. like the drown.
ing passenger OF the Mississippi river
or Hike the owner OF five yoke OF oxen.
they would prefer TO stay away to
make money. Such men feel that they
would be willing for n time even to
barter away their chance OF heaven if
they could only sell Christ, as did Ju-
das, for thirty pieces OF silver. o
my friends, beg and plead with you
not TO sell your divine birthright for q
mere mess OF pottage! Stop, In Gods
name! Stop before it is too late.
That Midas touch turned everything to
gold,
But we today a stranger sight behold
Man turns 10 everything when touched by
gold.
The BrideEroom's Excuse.
But, bark! Another knock is heard
at the door OF the good mans house.
Aha" you say, think OF the foolish
excuse this third expected guest has
sent! He says that he is bridegroom
and therefore cannot come. Why did
he not do as Mr.. Moody said he ought
to have done-go to the banquet hall
and take his wife alongr' But, my
friend, this excuse OF the bridegroom
ought not to be TO you an object OF
derision. or all the excuses which
Christ stated In the parable I think
this one was the most plausible and
the most rational. The bridegroom
In the east, by the custom Of that time,
might be looked upon leniently for an.
swering as he did. The Hebrews con-
sidered marriage one OF the most sacred !
and important events OF a human be- |
ings life. Every young girl spent her |
time chiefly in preparing for her nup-
tial day. She was always spinning |
linen and making garments for the |
trousscau. Every young man
was taught that his duty to the world |
and TO God was to marry. He did not |
enter into this marriage relationship |
IN q haphazard way, as do many OF the |
young people OF the present time. He |
did not marry upon n momentary i'm |
pulse. But the young people were Of
ten affianced for years before the we'd
ling day. Then, by the old Hebrew as
well as by the Roman law, a bride
groom was absolutely independent OF
all military and, to great extent, of
civil obligations for a whole year. Aft
er the wedding night for twelve long
months he was allowed to stay at home
under his own roof. So when the bride
groom OF the east sent refusal to
come to the banquet he practically said,
as hundreds and thousands of wives
and mothers are now saying: 81 can
not afford 10 come to Christ's banquet
1T the present time. / have my home
duties to attend to. have domestic
/ pray thee have mo ax- |