Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-02-17

II can bring with II nothing
But he will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing
Wi. clothe his people too.
When nc great philosopher wrote the
words OF ny text he was expressing a
negative truth. "He that observeth
the winds shall not SOW" and the con-
verse OF that fact is that IL a man will
only 20 forth with a brave heart, IL
he will only plant and sow his seed
faithfully and conscientiously, God will
give him a large harvest ITO him
that soweth righteousness shall be n
sure reward" VIII you not believe
this? o man. will you not go forth
to your coming years work with n
brave and hopeful spirit for a coming
conquest?
But there are some whose apprehen-
sions of coming trial are based on facts
of different kind. my trouble" says
God or i'm my own ability, but In the
loyalty OF others. The apostolic ad-
vice not to be uneQually yoked with
unbelievers extends further than the
marriage relation. 1 am finding that
out in the broader sense OF business.
1t also means that those who are I'M
equally yoked together can never pull
we'll as a team. My business associ-
ates and l are fretting and worrying
and irritating ard retarding one an
others labors."
Yes, brother, l Mt once catch the
meaning of your Bible simile. AL
though born in the city, have spent q
great deal of my spare time in the
country, and 1 have witnessed again
and again feats OF horse team pulling.
The farmers have a great deal Of pride
In their horses. II one farmer oan have
a perfectly matched team OF heavy
farm horses he always think they can
outdraw and outpull oil other teams In
the country. 1t Is not uncommon at
the county fairs to have these trials OF
strength tested. \ great load will be
piled upon a sled ut the bottom OF a
hill. Then the team will be hitched UP.
The farmer will take the reins firmly
in his hands and cry, Get up" II the
horses pull together evenly and steadi-
ly in all probability the sled will
move over the hard. bare ground as IL
the runners were slipping over the
winters snow. But II one horse jerks
at his traces one moment and then
balks when bis mate is pulling it Is i'm
possible to move the heavy load. The
great difficulty with your business and
professional life may be that you are
not equally yoked" with your associ-
ates. You may have pulled while they
We're baking. and they may be pulling
while you are baking. But did you
ever stop to think that perhaps your
lack OF faith I'm yourself may be the
chief reason why they have no faith
In you and why they do net work In
harmony with you?
Faith In Needed.
Lack OF faith In our own work will
kill absolutely any faith others may
have in our ultimate success. The old
proverb says, Rats will leave n sink
ing ship" All our friends and associ-
ates will leave us as quickly as they
can IL they once get into their minds
the thought that we ourselves feel that
we are certainly doomed to failure \
man who is always anticipating fail
ure and taking n gloomy view Of the
future not only works half heartedly
himself, but depresses his associates.
What church would wish to listen to q
minister who had no hope OF the ulti-
mate triumph or the gospel? II he
were to preach week after week SER
mons the keynote OF which was that
man is n failure. the church failure.
Christ for the most of US a failure and
the world is going to the dogs, would
any one want to listen to such SER
monsf Would any one continue to
work for the upbullding OF the grand
old church or Christ, which has had
such mighty Influence for good in the
past and Is having such a mighty infiu-
ence for good In the present and will
have such mighty influence for good
In the future? No, OF course you would
not. You would say to yourself: well.
the church is going to smash and the
people are going to smash. 1 guess I
will get OF the train and let the Limit
cd Express OF Destruction go over the
open drawbridge as it may"
Surprising your daughter is sick and
you call in physician and beg him to
cure her. That physician, having ex-
amined her, declares there is no hope
He leaves some medicine for her. but
doubts IL II can do her any good; he
advises this course and that, but saws
there Is really no hope for saving her.
What would you do with such a doc
tor? You would turn him out OF doors
in the twinkling OF an eye. You would
N hoS 81
own medicine. I will have no faith In
him." And yet the strange fact OF life
Is this: There are scores and hundreds
OF men who always keep talking about
their misfortunes. They keep ON tell
Ing their employees only the dark side
OF their business. After awhile their
employees and business associates lose
falth In their business prospects, and
they do not work as they ought.
Take an Inventory.
What you need, o man. at the begin
ming OF this new year is to take a big
inventory. not OF your misfortunes. but
or your blessings. Find out all the
bright things you know about your life.
Repeat them over and over and over to
yourself. Get faith in God and i'm
yourself. Then your associates will get
faith In you. By their increased labor
you will get faith In them. Then. to-
gether with faith in each other and
faith In God, you will so forth with re-
newed zeal for the seed planting and
the multitudinous harvest Will surely
come. Never let your associates know
that you have lost faith In yourself.
The poorest song farmer ever sung In
the time OF sowing and seed planting
Is the pessimistic song OF old, which
Will destroy the enthusiasm or every
farm hand:
Thirty days hath September. April, June
and November;
From January up to May it raineth
every day;
All the rest have thirty-one, without a
blessed ray OF sun,
And II any OF them had two and thirty
They'd be Just as wet and twice as
dirty.
WELL" says some one else afflicted
with New Years timidities, at not only
have lost faith in myself and In my