Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-10-14

linus tne WOrN pillar because for 4
: long time le has thought he is Ia,
whole sanctuary. choir loft and pulpi
thrown i'm. rs well rs pew.
} He has hard work 60 get up thl,
morning because all the week. like shy
lock. he has been demanding his pound
OF hesh. He gave a hundred dollars Il
the church last week. but he did no,
miss IL much. He took II or the wages
OF his employees. During the week
by business tricks and financial thumb
screws, he got at least four diffcren,
pieces of real estate 5000 less thar
they were worth. lie lied about the
DEAL but of course he only lied nc
cordinG To recognized business custom
Last night he discharged young yirl
because she was sick. lie knew what
made her sick. lie worked her over.
time and worked all the physical life
out of her.
why don't You hurry 10 church. old
fharisee? Don't you hear the last
bel ringing oh. YES" snvs the old
hypocriie. hut there is no need of my
hurryinS. The ushers always keep my
seat. l make a fuss about having any
one eiSe put in my pow. Besides. n
Is not dicalicd FOR me 10 20 ahead or
even 10 be on time. Let me como IN
Just before the sermon ana disturb the
service and then every one will be
impressed by my entrance and the
solemn devotion with which | kneel in
prayer"
n Modern Phnrisce.
| Our tharlSce OF modern times cones
in Late. as usual y quiet little lady
dressed in black is seated i'm his new
his race and neck get as red as IL no
had been taking ten mile tramp nm.
der the tropical sun. We are almost
AFRAID he will burst blood vessel in
an apoPiectc fit. "Who is she? For
what il she there? Wasn't her husband
that old drunkard who died i'm delirium
tremens five months ago aud who died
bankrupt owing me S500T' Yes a"
SAID the usher. But her own life has
been sweet and pure. and as she used
to know your family in her better days
she asked for your pew. She has come
to church because she wants to ioin
our church" Join our church. oh,
Yes" said the old hypocrite. 81 know
why she wants TO join our church: shs
wants me to help her and to LET her
children enter the society Of my fam
lily. l will not do It, Now. Mr.. Usher.
see here. this Is going too far. This is
too good church for the rabble. We
can start missions for the poor. l do
not want lot OF people with scandals
Desmirching their names using us for
q social hospital. am willing to nav
my pew rent and help out the pastors
salary and help support few foreign
and home missions, but l am not will
ing to be dragged into the social mud
with lot of ordinary clerks and pow
erty stricken women and general dead
beats. III you cannot keep this church
entirely for the exclusive class, the So
eial upper tendOm,' why, will get out"
God help inc If l have made this scene
too personal. Some of you know who
represents the modern Pharisee clothed
in the filthy garments of arrogant
pride. That person, o man or woman.
In Gods sight is your self satisfied. evil
self. You are even now making the
hypocritical prayer OF him who OF old
said, lord, thank thee that I am not
as other men"
But, lastly. / believe that pride is
often the result of bigotry aud igno-
rance. Ii Is possible TO become so alb.
sorbed in particular work and I'm
some one church as to overlook the fact
that other men in other churches are
winning souls and planting seed I'm
other fields which will yield harvest
as great as our own, though other
sickies may be used To reap il aud 9th
er methods be adopted to produce Il.
Phillips Books Advice.
How do you know that your own
church Is the best church and the ONLY
true church? Have you ever studied
the ways and the means other minis
tiers are using in our sister churchesp
1t would be good hing for Won TO
worship In some othes church for n
little while before you ire so quick TO
condemn their ways of\doing things
Other sheep have l whi,h are not OF
this fold" said Christ. ON. OF the best
truths / ever read from the pen of
that great. big hearted and ioble Chris.
tan. the most beloved New Nsnrlandcr
OF his day, Phillips Brooks, VAS from
a letter he wrote to n ministerial friend
In America. The letter went some
thing like this: Dear brothe: Won
ought TO come over 10 Europe nj least
once year TO find out how tn his,
world Is. how many people there are
In IL trying TO do right and how snail
the Episcopalian church seems looled
at from this side or the Atlantic" Yam
can surmise what Phillips Brook
meant. he meant instead of there be
ing only one church filed with glorI-
ously good people there were many diff
ferent Protestant churches filled with
Just as good people as Phillips Brooks
had In his own parish.
How do you know that your way of
bringing up your children is the only
right way! Have you developed your
family so marvelously that they are
brighter than all other children, more
intellectual. more spiritual? Perhaps
instead OF your children being blamed
FOR doing wrong you ought to be blam-
ed. Your way OF discipline may be
wrong. Broaden your life Study the
| ways of other Christian parents and
you may be able TO improve your own
| ways.
How do you know that your own in
depreciation OF the Scripture is right?
Perhaps il you would only empty your
self OF self and as a student come and
sit at Christs feet you might learn so
much from him who was meek and
lowly of heart that you would have n
less exalted estimate OF yourself and
OF your own wisdom and piety. Der
sonally would never have any use for
physician who thinks he knows so
much that in the crisis of q disease he
would not ask another physician to
come TO the bedside OF the sick for CON
sultation. Neither hds Christ any use
for one OF his disciples who knows so
much that he is not willing TO come to
sit at his feet and learn of him. Are
you ready today 10 empty yourself Of
self and be as an empty vessel to be
filled with the Holy Spirit?
Oh, the imbittered and imbittcring,
e.xI