Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-04-29

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those social outcasts. whom he had by
the power OF the Holy Spirit rescued.
marched in front OF his bier. chanting
this cry: I'VE have lost our deliverer!
We have lost our instructor God help
us! God help usy' Today Christ IL
willing to go into the lowest brothel
and into the haunts OF the immorally
vile and TO say: "Come unto me and /
will make thee pure. Come. every man.
Come, every woman. Though your
sins be as scarlet. they shall be as
white as the driven snow; though they
be red as crimson. they shall be as
WOOL
Pardon For All.
Christ is ready to forgive the MUIR
derer's sins. BY that do ! mean thar
he is ready TO forgive the highwayman
who. with lifted gun. shoots down the
innocent pedestrian? BY that do mean
that Christ is ready TO forgive the
fiend who poisons the helpless child or
who in the dark night drives the knife
into the heart OF his sleeping adver-
sary? Yes. Jesus is ready to forgive
the convicted murderer though he
der the hangman's moose. about to en-
plate his awful crime Pardon for
alr' is the meaning OF my text-par-
don and peace and eternal life Tor all.
no matter how VILE IL in sincere re-
pentance they will come to him and
plead for his mercy through his atom.
ing sacrifice.
No sinner Need Despair.
But among the murderers who are
TO be pardoned l would also class
those who have slain their victims by
false signs, as well as by bullet or by
gun. He is ready to forgive those
who have slain by tho lip as well as
by the hand. In olden times the pi.
rates along the coast OF England used
TO change the positions Of the lights.
Then the sea captains. watching the
beckonings OF the false lights. would
drive their bonts upon the rocks and
be wrecked. The pirates would rife
the drowned bodies as they would be
hosted upon the shore. and gather to-
gether the wrecked cargOes. They
were murderers murderers whose
weapons were false lights. So God
will forgive even those murderers who
have destroyed their fellow men by
false examples as well as he will for
give those who have murdered them
with the dagger or the gun.
WHAT" some murderer says. par
don for my scarlet sins? oh, mol 1t
cannot be true. Why. you do not know
what you are saying. My sins are
worse than scarlet. They are black
with the hopelessness OF despair There
can be no pardon for me. Let me tell
you my awful story: When | went to
college, l was a very wild boy. l had
there n roommate who was the son of
minister. He was a ruddy faced lad
and as pure as little child. l taught
him how TO drink and how to gamble.
L argued him out of his belief in the
Bible. l led him on. step 10y step. into
the paths of sin. One night can re-
member the time as though yesterday
he sat upon the corner of his bed,
and. with strange light i'm his eyes,
he turned and looked ut me and said:
Jim. do you really believe that my
mothers Bible is only q pack OF super
sttionsf Do you believe there Is no
hellf yes, Harry l answered. Then
1 went OF TO convince him OF IL. Then
he laughed n horrible laugh Then he
turned and said: We'll. old superstition.
goodby. goodby! May you live long
enough TO soften the dying pillow of
my mother and father. but as for me,
goodby, goodby, Come. Jim, let's go
and take drink
Ready 10 Forgive.
Prem that moment. sir. that young
fellow let loose all his evil desires
He seemed to leap into u very whirl-
pool of sin. Within few months he
was expelled from college, Within two
years ne committed suicide. and this
Is the letter he wrote on the night of
his self murder: Dear Mother-Thls
Is the last letter you viii ever receive
from me. have broken your heart.
but try TO forget and forgive. IL
there Is no hell, as Jim says, this
world is hell enough for me. From
your Osgraced and dying boy" Did
you do all thatT" Yes he answered.
"Well. NIX friend. know not how
God will forgive, but he can and he
will. The blood OF Jesus Christ will
even cleanse You. IL you will only ask
for Christ's forgiveness 'WhosOever!'
All. that is the word. whatsoever,
whatsoever" That means you. Yes, ii
means you. Though your sins be as
scarlet they shal! be as white as snow;
though they be rcd like crimson, they
shall be as WOOL"
Christ is ready TO forgive also tho
merciless thiefs sius. even az he for
gave the thief upon the cross. He
Is ready 10 forgive the thief's sins.
whether you have by evil jealousy
stolen away mans good reputation
or have rihed widows pocketbook;
whether You have stolen Q good name
or n financial income.
Man. you know that was a desper-
ateiy mean act for you to circulate
that evil report about that physicians
life. You know that there never was
squarer, truer man than he, yet You
did IL In order TO ruin his practice
aye. and you haye succeeded! From a
worldly standpoint you can never make
atonement Tor that damage. But God
VIII forgive you. even you. IL you Will
come and ask for his pardon. Woman.
that was an awful statement you made
about the character OF that sister. You
say that you are sorry. that you did
not look into the facts before the evil
was done. and she died of broken
heart. 1t Is now too late to bring her
back to life. But God will forgive YOU.
Yes. whether we are thieves who have
robbed men and women of their good
names. God will forgive us If we only
repent. Though your sins be as scar
let. That means you; that means you.
A. the Divine Mercy.
But you say. this appalling emu
meration of crime has no applicability
TO me. i have neither robbed nor SLAM
dered nor slain. nor am | either drunk
ard or gambler" Assuredly not: but
though by divine grace you have been
mercifully kept from such depths of
human fnfamy and degradation, your
heart must still tell you that you are
sinner in need or pardoning God.
And If he stands ready to forgive the