Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-01-08

Inc truly reponmnt sinner, too. has q
noble despair In his restless and un.
satisfied desire 70 make restitution Tor
all the evil he has done. This desire
will goad him on and on as long as he
lives. Therefore. my brother, II you
have long and evil past. so far as
possible you should lose no time in be-
ginning the long and difficult task OF
trying to undo the wrongs you have
done. One OF the self evident proofs,
patent to all, that Zuccheus was truly
converted was the blunt statement he
made 10 the Master when lac said, "Be.
hold. Lord. the half OF my goods give
20 the poor. aud IL | have taken any.
thing from any man by false accuse.
ton restore to him fourfoId." Then
Jesus said unto him. This day is sal
walton come 10 this house"
True repentance eau never take
place without being accompanied by q
holy longing to make restitution for an
evil past. Then, my brother. you had
better make haste to repent There
are many evil words you have spoken
which you should try to recall. There
are many bad influences you have ex-
erted over your companions. There
are many, very many, sins which you
have committed in your homes the eff
fects OF which you should try to eradi-
cate from the minds and hearts of ycur
children. Repent! Repentl Repent
ye OF SIM" Repent, so that you may be
able. like Zaccbeus. to return fourfold
TO those whom you have wrouged.
Restitution must go hand in hand with
repentance.
Reason For Repentance.
There is still another reason for deep
repentance of sin. The greater our
self abnegation the more glorious will
appear 20 Us the forgiveness of God.
The more we stand Rfar or and beat
our breasts and. like the poor publican.
say. God be merciful to me, a sinner"
the more Joyous will be the Sayiour's
words which will welcome as into our
Fathers house when be says. "Sou.
daughter. thy sins are forgiven thee,
30 in peace Then the burden OF the
cross Will not be . burden. as you and
i may have anticipated. 1t will be
such burden as Rutherford. the evan.
geiist. described II when be said: THE
burden OF ehe cross Is the sweetest bur.
den ever bore. IL 10 such a burden as
wings are 20 a bird or sails are to a
ship, to carry me forward to the har-
Dor OF peace"
Deep repentance for SIN naturally
Implies . corresponding gratitude to-
ward Christ. VINO has redeemed us
from the evil results OF sin. The great
@ the danger the greater the love we
have for our rescuer. I was never
more impressed with this truth than
last year. when the Chicago presbytery
baDQueted its most honored member.
Rev Herriek Johnson, d. D.. on his
seventeen birthday Without doubt
DR.. johnson IL one OF our most infiu-
entail living ministers OF the Presbyte-
rian church. he 10 not only q great
ecclesiastical statesman and famous
professor. but be has bound 10 him
with golden cords OF love al who know
him and who have lived close 70 him.
After The different Chicago ministers
bad spoken end expressed thoir deep
respect for their honored guest DR..
johnson rose TO reply. with O sweet
gentle spirit looking out of his loving
eyes. he said; "Brethren, I am over
whelmed with this overpowering mani
festnton or your love. have done
nothing 70 merit alI' this" Then. with
quavering voice. he gratefully laid
all the happy results OF his life's work
at the feet OF his Saviour when in a
simple. ehildlike way he repeated these
trustful words:
am a poor sinner and nothing at all,
But Jesus Christ Is my all In ALL
All. yes. such loving yearning, such
tender turning With joyful and CRATE
fnl face to divine Saviour, are the i'm
mediate results OF true repentance. The
darker the clouds that hang over Mount
Sinai the more rapturous the emptied
sepulcher on Easter morn. The more
ewfui the hurricane which losses us
about upon the sea of sin the more
beautiful becomes the Bethlehem star.
beckoning VI across the stu waters
and into the harbor where the rescued
mariners need never fear again the
angry waves.
The. Way OF salvation.
Still another reason for immediate
repentance: The mute appeal of thou
sands upon thousands OF immortals
heading toward destruction who may
be saved IL we will only point them 10
the way. The moment a repentant sim
ner Is snatched from eternal death that
moment he longs to rescue others
threatened with the same danger. Some
years ago In the far west young Girl
was trudging through the dark. stormy
night to her home. She had to pass
over bridge which spanned a wide
river. As she came to the abutment
soddcnly by a fash OF lightning she
saw that the bridge was down. Hor.
ror. with clammy, cold fingers, clutched
AT ner heart, She realized that within
Few minutes the fast mail would be
coming along the track which led to-
ward the bridge, part OF which was
Dow down. Saved herself. she imme-
disfeiy wanted 70 save others. She
turned ard with mad terror ran I'D the
track. She took OF her skirt as, she saw
The locomotive coming and stocA there
upon the track. waving st as signal
or distress. The engineer reversed the
>~@~ e<@ASo 6iOunu udTu upon
the whsels;. slowly. very slowly. the
train came 70 halt upon the brink that
overlooked certain death. This is tho
story. the trse story. ofrepentance and
gratitude in a nutshell. As soon as
Sinner is saved from eternal death, like
The young girl from the far west he
WIN try TO save others from the same
obstruction. And. oh. my Friends how
many sinners there ere who may b.
saved II by the grace OF God we will
20 forth to save them! But mark this
The unrepentant cannot rescue the un.
repentant. The blind cannot lead the
blind or they Will both stumble into
me ditch and he lost. Il
but while I>haves been talking reient-
ess time has been pushing the minute
hand around the face OF the clock. Like
'ne who waits for dissolution, the wear
1908 is ready for the messenger to lead
I forth to sleep in the graveyard OF
ne other dead years. II we arc 10 re.
pent In 1903. we must do so soon. we
must do 1t nowt The messenger Is
knocking at the door, Goodby, old
- ~