Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-01-15

stones throw from your door. You will
ind there people who are silently yet
nobly struggling for life. IL was well
said by q great Christian leader. THE
deserving poor are those whom you
have to seek and not those who seek
you" Go in Christ's name and hunt
the deserving poor-the halt. the lame.
the blind. There Is something wrong
about that Christian who when Thanks
giving day rolls around does not know
at least one family to which be can In
Christ's name send a dinner. There Is
something wrong about that Christia o
who has never yet been able TO hold n
cottage prayer meeting In q poor mans
house
The Relief OF SUFFERING,
Another glorious field for Christian
activity is found in hospital work. II is
found where Christ spent most OF his
earthly minlstry-namely. among the
sick IL Is found i'm going through the
wards filleds with white cots and leav.
Ing here flower aud there q word Of
encouragement aud yonder prayer II
Is found in the children's wards. where
many little ones are cursed with fu.
die struggle fer physical existence.
cursed from the moment that they were
born. II Is found In the old peoples
homes where the aged and the physic-
ally inhrm, sometimes petulantly. some
times lovingly and longingly. are wait
lag for the last summons TO join the ST.
lent majority beyond. 1T is better TO
go TO the house Of mourning than to the
house OF feastlng." Yes. But I believe
IL Is better to go TO the bedside OF the
sick than to stand by the caskets of the
dead. BY the white couch of physical
pain the opportunities for doing good
are even greater than Ly tbe white
throuds of the departed
But. though the hospitals are filled to
overlooking. how few OF US ever think
OF going there to carry Christ's mes
sage OF good cheer: When we think OF
genuine Christian work we are apt to
look for that work Ear beyond the seas.
We do not appreciate the opportunities
that are at our very doors. We are
ike the hundreds and thousands OF
Philadelphians who at home never APP
preciate the value OF independence hall
on Chestnut street. Some OF them had
70 travel a thousand miles to see old
Liberty bell after il had been dragged
from their ov q depot to the Worlds
fair l. Chicago. Oh, Christian men
and women, never let month Of your
lifo pass unless you try to carry Gods
love into some hospital or sickroom.
You can find there one of the most
blessed OF all works. AS you approach
the "shut-ins," the invalids who ara
compelled to lie upon bed OF sickness
week in and week out, you will see the
eye brighten and the lip smile and will
hear the blessed words of endless graf
itude Yod will not only hear human
concentrations. but you will also hear
the Divine Saviour say: Il was sick,
and ye visited me. Verify I say unto
you inasmuch as ye have done it unto
one OF the least OF these my brethren
ye have done II unto me-"
The Gospel Invitation.
But there Is still one more field of
Christian activity TO which l would di.
rect your attention. That Is TO the
side rooms where the aftermeetings
should be held in every Christian church
immediately following the benediction
OF the Sunday night services. That is
the place where the gospel net Is drawn.
That Is the room In which after a week
OF prayer the sinners are given direct
invitation TO join the church. There
they are brought face to face with lie.
sus Christ and are urged TO make u de-
cision In reference to their souls eter.
nal destiny That Is the one place
above all others where the Christian
should expect to see the direct results
or his spiritual labors. II is the one
place toward which all his scholars and
young people should converge and con.
center and find Its gospel climax.
The busiest and most Intense Chris.
tisn worker should be found In the
Sunday night Rrtermeeting. No sin.
ner should he there 10 whom q church
member would be unwilling to extend a
gospel Invitation and with whom he
would feel dlfiidence In talking about
his Saviour. Jesus Christ. But the great
stumbling block In the way of most
new church members Is thls-they think
as new members that they should take
a back scat. They feel that older Chris
tians. and not the new converts, should
move up and down among the people.
They feel that n church ought 10 be
run like the United Suites senate; thai
In II mo- new member has a right 10 be
conspicnO@sly seen or heard until he
has served silent apprenticeship Of
Mt least six or ten years rrt incvi-
IN L. an 10,
ing to remain silent IN the beginning of
his religious life be Is very apt 10 re-
main dumb all through bis earthly
Christian career.
The Cali ia Christlan Life.
oh. that our new converts In our sac
red Sunday night afteriHeetings would
immediately begin TO testify for .Ie.
susl Testify as Paul testified on the
day after his conversion No sooner
did the good Ananias open his blinded
eyes then lac immediately began 10
talk about Jesus. and him crucihed.
He immediately began TO work for the
conversion Of souls until he was at last
driven over the damascus wall. and
he had 10 fec the town by night. oh,
that our new converts in the sacred
arterDeetings on Sunday night would
testify for Christ US did James Tissot
with his brpsh immediately after his
conversion. This H0ted French artist
was once the idol OF Partisan society.
he made bis hrsi fame aH % portrait
puihter Of society women Bnt one
day while studying the French society
woman 10 an attitude OF prayer In o
Parisian cathedral he gave his heart
10 Christ. Immediately To- his old
friends Tissot became changed MI n
He not ou!y turned his back upon his
old life. but that he might the more
ably portray the scenes In the life OF
Christ he lived for many years In the
far east Pie famous series OF Chrisrs
lie 10 art In the result OF 11ssot's tss.
timony. Church member. plead at
once for Jesus. Plead AT once WHEREBY.
sr you go. Especially plead for him
and work for him la the sacred after
UNa ha1d t..l.. :.