The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-02-19
FARMvILLE, VA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY l9, 1904

as the breath for your spiritual lungs
is to De found in the atmosphere Of
prayer
Paul said 20 young Timothy, "Prcach
the wordr ! say 10 You. study the
word" Study it in the church and in
the home. Study It ON your knees and
at your desk and IN your bed. Study
It as absorbingIy and as intensely as
John Locke studied #, who gave mp his
last fourteen years 10 an earnest search
after divine truth as revealed in the
Scriptures. Study Gods word as ear
nestly and as faithfully as Samuel
Johnson commended his young friend
to study It when upon his deathbed he
turned and said. Young man. attend
10 the voice Of one who has possessed
q certain degree Of fame in the world
and who IS about TO appear before his
Maker: Read the Bible every day Of
your life" Yes. new convert read the
Bible and continue 10 read &c. because
God commands you TO read IT, Read it,
because your deeper spiritual life de-
pends upon your reading it or I'm hav-
Ing # read to you. Study It. and con-
tinue TO study IT, because when you
read the Bible God is talking TO you,
as when you pray you are talking to
God.
But there is still another way for the
Christian 10 Quonch the spiritual flame
which is now burning within him.
That way is 10 neglect the family al
tar. which should be raised I'm every
home. That way is for the husband
and father to hurricdly arise In the
morning and quickly dress and then of
10 business without gathering his chill
dren about him for family worship and
without having any blessing asked at
the breakfast table. That way is for
every father to think that an that he
has to DO is TO say his own prayers and
DO his own Christian work, and then
his children viii say their own prayers
and fulfill their own Christian tasks.
Every mans home 10 a certain extent
IS his own castle lie can lift what
standards ne plcascs over his own fire.
side. lie can emphatiully say. as did
Gods servant Of old, Let others do as
they will. but as for me and my house
we shall serve the Lord or he can
open his own home TO shelter and en-
tcrtain evil temptations of al sorts.
But let no man think If Dc surrenders
his house TO evil practices and yields
himself and Dis home 90 the seductions
of the world that he cam at the same
time live a spiritual life, nor can he
expect that those around him. who are
bound TO him by ties Of blood and love,
will lead spiritual lives. lie must. if
he would live right not only conse-
crate his own life every morning 10
God. but I'm the presence Of his chill
dren be must offer a petition to God
for them TO consecrate their lives to
Christ also.
So completely do l believe the true
spiritual life TO Doe dependent In many
ways upon the family altar that l
would have the fathers and mothers,
as soon as possible. teach their little
children to publicly pray at family
worship and TO publicly ask the'bless-
ing nc the daily meals.
Thus. no matter which way we may
look at the Pauline word "quench," b." the
whole trend OF the matter is this. As
Christians we cannot live a true spirit
ual life unless every moment of every
day we are in touch with Christ We
cannot preach 10 others unless by
searching Gods word we hear Christ
preaching to us. We cannot pray for
others I'm public review unless we have
had much knee drill in secret prayer.
We cannot give ourselves wholly to
Gods service unless at the same time
at the family altar we give our loved
ones also 10 him. Are we ready TO
come into touch with an these spiritual
sources OF poweri
In welcoming the church members
TO Christs altar / have but one more
question TO ask and to- answer In
what. o struggling friend, does the
chief definition of being a Christian
consist? Ought you to say, 81 want to
be a Christian to escape the evil effects
Of SIM" u want to De q Christian to
be happyY 81 want TO be a Christian
I'm order that l may reach heavenT'
Oh. no. You should want TO De
Christian. not for your own beatifca-
tion. but in order that God may be
elorifed. I'm order to elor.fy God we
should work for him. I'm order TO
clorlfy God we should give 90 him Of
our temporal substance In order TO
elorify God we should pray TO him.
We should read the Bible that we can
further find out how Christ may con-
tnue 10 be glorifod May our lives
be filed with holy zeal FOR the glorfca-
ton OF the blessed Saviour on earth
and i'm heaven. ] congratulate you in
this the supreme moment Of your life,
when you start I'm the service Of Jesus
Christ Christian brother, give me
thy hand.
AFTER THE WEDDING.