Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-08-12

Austria and the southern boundary OF
Germany. aud shut mp Switzerland
as with q Chinese wall. But. after all.
the greatest separators OF nations al-
ways have been the mighty seas. Thus.
when st. John looked of upon the wa
tiers OF the Mediterranean aud said.
And there was no more sea-" he
meant practically this: In heaven there
shall be no hate. no bitterness. no fault
findings. no bloo,lshedi. no Jew hating
Roman. no Roman hitting Greek, no
Japan fighting Russia and no Spain
sucking the lif"bl0Od ~ PROSTATE
Cuba. Then love and kindness and
sympath aud mutual SELF sacrifice will
bind the human family together. be-
cause the sea of hute" shall forever
disappear.
But as the "sea OF separation" IL
sometimes the ''sea or hatc." 80 il NAV
be alsn the impossible Sarrier which
separates friend :rym trend. Napo-
leon. fr"tting life sway it 81 Helena.
or Captain preyfus suffering on Dey-
It's island. ~ Victor Hugo. In exile on
the islnnd af Guernsey. ere no more
separated from tbeii friends lban was
st. John, Oh PAtn-os. separated from
his fri-sds. l.sY",si tells ns that he
was sepi tswork u. ~ ,p,,tmos mines
as the tiilssA.n a hes are put To work
in the sileri.n mines hut when Tie
days WORK vas dime St.-John WIS al
lowed t.i :rt.iSr over tn" Patmos
rocks. No pris6hswnlls were more Sc
cure than this prison OF the apostolic
exile. .tnd now. metlTinks. can see
bin. his white hair being tossed by
the wipds. He strains his eyes as he
looks over thR ,Mediterranean waters to
Asia Minor. wheEk be knows his Chris
tian colsborers are working among the
churches OF Asia. "Ah," says the old
patriarch, lin heaven I shall never be
separated from those [ love, shalt
never have TO part again from those
who have iabored by my side in tho
gospel vineyard. ] shall never be com.
PEELED to have the silver cords OF nf.
lection snapped ut the grave. Those
waves OF separation shnli forever aud
ever be liclsed up. There shall be no
more sea-"
r Is not this reunion vision OF the isle
or Patmos to you transcendent
thoughtf. II It not an uplifting hope
that those who were once snatched
away from US by death shall be given
back In all the beauty and love of the
redemption? Not long ago the great
battleship OF the United States navy
named after the state OF Missouri was
threatened with humiliation. BY n
N In mi
the decks were ignited and exploded.
In an instant spark might dy into
the magazine room, and then the whole
ship would be destroyed and six hun
dred men might be hurled into eternity.
At once gunner's mate who stood
near jumped through the open door OF
the magazine room and slammed shut
the iron door. The magazine room was
Hooded and the ship was saved: not.
however. before the brave gunner's
mate was nearly drowned I'm that mag.
az!ne room as a rat might be drowned
in his hole rs with that gunner's
mate sometimes II is our duty TO face
dangers. Sometimes we must. ~ Il
were, turn our bncks upon our friends
and slam shut an iron door. called the
door or the tomb. which separates US
from our dear ones. Sometimes we
must be separated from those we love.
even as St John on the island OF Pat
mos was separated from his friends I'm
Asia Minor. But In heaven God will
give us back our loved ones. Yes. there
VIII be no separations. no partings
there. For in heaven. according to the
inspired Apocalypse. there is no more
sea-"
Inward Spiritual strife.
But the Mediterranean waves beat.
Ing against the Patmos rocks were not
only symbolic OF external troubles. but
also OF an inward spiritual strife.
When ST. John gave his heart TO
Christ. In one sense be was emancipat.
ed from sin. But Satan never for an
instant this side OF the grave. leaves
on his struggle 60 capture gospel
stronghold The Bible declares a Chris
tan shall not be tempted by n sin
greater than he can bear Bot Chris
tians always have TO be going 60 Christ
for more spiritual strength In order 10
repe' the Satanic onslAushts which are
daily being made a g.iinst the strong
holds OF their heafSs al-
Can we not Odd chr 'symbol OF a
spiritual struggle -in-sthep never ending
restlessness OF the seaf .sJh." said q
lady sons lime iAas. 90 meN ..I am SO
tired or hearing those waves beat I'M
against the rocks" Yea. those waves
have been beating npagsinst those rocks
for thousands OF years. When sailing
upon the oceah. some days SIS suiiraee
seems as calm az Loon lake asleep. as
a smiling child In the broad lap or THE
Adirondack mouutams.4 But that Is
only slumber. Within a few hours
she may awake with "a scowling face.
with the IRE OF the iightnlngs In her
eye and With the sfrflekihgs OF the
tornad0ess In herpy0i In our lives
the spiritual rstrnge lea keep on to- the
end. We have the '.gOod angel wins
pertRg ip one ear ~ ~ GOOD: we have
the bad angeI,' whisasring In the
other ear TO be had, nj Iohn. even no
10 the END OF ILLS life. had TO fight by |
the power OF the Holy Spirit against
the restless sea Of tsmptations." So
have we.
y About the best iliustra don or INV |
faonght thsfoi -k1roNstA The simple one |
which Dr. Freeeyiek Gessr told TO his |
Il people . few months ago.
om- day one Or Dis Sunday school |
wss trying to explaIn to her
class TINT there are two kinds OF lives
to I've. the good IIfefsnh the bad life.
Now. children sIeh said. "ail those |
little girls WHO ut 10 Lvs the good |
lafe.- VIII please step owes. on this
nice warm carpet. and those who want |
to live the bad ilfe' Will stand on ti,-t |
cold. hard oiIcioth y. Much to the tesch
era surprise. her awn little. girl put one,
foot upon the carpet ami the other
lpon the oiicloth. My dear" said the |
mother In surprise. you are standing |
upon both" II know II. mamma" said |
he child. but you know .thometimes'
want 10 be just a little bad" so IN |
very Christian life there has 10 be n |
continual war against the world. the |
iesh and the devil Aud when st. John