Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-11-04


dealing gently with them. by forglving
as well as forgetting the evils of the
| past.
But greater sweep than the establish.
ment OF harmonious relationships with
our personal enemies has the applica.
ton or my text. We should try 70
bring back to Christ those who are at
war with their Divine Master on ac-
count OF their sins. We should try to
lead Gods Maynard children back 10
their Divine Fathers house. even as the
prOdigal of the far country was led 10
return to the old homestead No man
can truly love Christ unless at the
same time. by yearning tender affec-
ton, he Is willing TO go forth TO save
ChriSts loved ones even as he would
| want 10 save one of his own children.
Bring Back the Lost Sheep.
To bring the lost sheep back to the
Shepherds fold Ought to be the high.
est wish and desire of every Christian.
And that Is not 10 be done by menaces
and denuncia;ion. God, as Elijah
found, is not ia the earthquake nor I'm
the fire, but in the still small voice IS
Men may be woocd back TO God. but
they are seldom driven. And why
should we not deal gently with Gods
Maynard children? Do YOU for one
instant think those people who spiritu.
ally and morally have gone ast-ay are
having good time? DO you for one
moment suppose that the man who
hke LAGOON, knows that he and his
| FAMILY are struggling amid tie crush
ing coils of deadly serpents on account
OF his sins would not gladly be rescued
from those enve!oping coils il we could
only go TO him gently i'm Christ's name
ana oHer TO him the peace and the par-
don and the hope and the eternal life
or the gospel? All, yes, my brother. he
would, he would
No man enjoys drinking the bitter
dregs or remorse. No man for mere
pleasure would allow Satan to keen ON
naying him alive, as Satan is doing to
his victims all around us. Sometimes
ut first looks are deceiving in reference
to this. From the opened door OF the
saloon or low haunt of vice we hear
the songs and the outlaws OF laugh
ter. Then we say, "Oh, what high
carnival is SIM" But stop. Is that all?
DO you see that young man who now
comes toward us in seedy attire? His
step Is staggering. He IS blear eyed
ana maudlin In drink. He turns down
side street and staggers on to his
lodgings in the upper room OF n door
| tenement, where live his wife and four
or five half naked and half starved
children. That young man only ten
years ago was dressed as well as YOU
or l. He had then n finer business
than you have today. He once had
just as happy n home. Tell me that
man Is happy? Is that the man whose
wife so proudly stepped to the altar
to give herself TO him in marriage? Is
that the young man her friends con.
graduated her upon marrying?
The Wages OF SIN.
Call that fun? Fun to be kicked out
Of your homer Fun to have the sher-
ln sell your store over your head? Fun
| to have ali your nd friends turn their
back upon you and look upon you as
an outcasti Through the midnight
| darkness l hear the echoing OF the
song OK ten years ago now singing,
The wages of sin is death" oh. no,
my brother; that young man is not
| happy. The worst taskmaster on earth
Is the devil, No man SO much wants
TO crush the power of sinful tempta-
ton as that man who has been COM
PEELED to drink the bitter dregs of de-
spair. DO not despise him; pity him,
| and with gentle words try to win him
back TO honor and to Christ. He de-
serves your commiscration. There
| fore, II you aud are ready to GO 10
Gods outcasts. II we are ready to 60
to the sinners in Christ's name and say
gently. Brother, Jesus is ready TO
save you, Jesus wants me TO be your
friend and help you," there would be
no difficulty In most cases about the
spiritual rescues. But the trouble with
this old hateful and hating world is.
as Josh Billings quantity put IL, when
man starts downhill IL seems as
though everything was creased for the
occasion" And when man once
strikes the bottom OF the hill but very
few people are ready to fling him the
gospel rope and haul him up out OF the
mud. . man, can you not hear
Christ speaking to you in behalf of
Gods Maynard children, as David, tho
broken hearted father, once said to
General Joab about his Maynard boy.
deal gently for my sake with the
young man, even with Absalom."
Oh, how many sinners could be
brought TO Christ II we would only
practice the gospel OF a gentle life! 1t
Is said that one OF the hardest crimi-
nails OF an eastern penitentiary was
converted by the gentleness OF a little
child. This little girl aud her father
were being shown through the prison
wards. When the party came to a long
| flight OF stairs the warden turned 10
this hardened life prisoner and muir
derer near by and said, Jack, carry
her upstairs" When the hard featur-
ed convict stopped down to pick I'D the
little girl she look ed up into his face
with smile and said, Jack, will YOU
kiss meF" And when he was about TO
put the little one down she said. snow.
Jack. Will you let me kiss your, No
sooner We're those last words spoken
than the old criminals heart was melt
ed. God struck the rock of Horeb and
II gushed forth with tears OF penitence
Kindness did 1T. The gentleness OF n
little child accomplished what the
blows OF the keeper and the iron bars
could never do. o man, will you not
start forth from this moment to win
sinful men and women to Jesus Christ
by the omnpotcnt power OF n gospel
lied gentle life?
The Chief Mfssion of Man.
10 save immortals for Christ ought
To be the chief mission of man. I'm
view OF which fact again ask the
same question | asked before, Why
should we not be gentle with the sins
and wrongdoings OF other people? Has
not God been very gentle in his deal
ings with our sins? When William K
Gladstone, the great commoner" OF
England, was dying his son was read
Ing TO him this beautiful verse from
faufs epfstle to young Timothy, This
Is faithful saying and worthy of all
accanfatirn that NhrfSf To...n