Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-12-15


OF Nictor's kingdom. IL mostly repre-
sents the peasant classes. One day
h' C. II IN heard that IL he would
t; a NaiienSian church he would
t> naid for doing SO. lie went. ex-
pccndg TO get money, but he found
something better than silver and gold.
He found Jesus Christ. lie accepted
him rs his Saviour. Though lac had
never been a good Catholic. he NOM
iually had given his allegiance to>the
church OF Rome No sooner did the
priest of his town hear what the man
was doing than he went to the mans
wife. lie told the woman her husband
must leave the WaldenSian church or
he would be spiritually destroyed. The
wife said. Father. l have something
l would like to tell thee" The priest
answered. SAY on" Father, you say
my husband will so to hell IL he con-
Nnues TO 80 to the Waldensian church.
| want to tell you what our home was
before he went there and found Christ.
My husband was n drunkard. He used
to work long enough to make little
money. Then 1t would all go for drink.
We had no home, except howell. Then
he would come TO that howell when he
was drunk and beat me and knock
me down. Often, both by night and
by day. j have heard my children cry
ing with hunger. and ] had no brend.
But since my husband found Christ 10
the Waldensian church we do not live
in hovel, but in a house. We have
carpet upon the floor. We have
mo tre-l, 49,
dren running around half naked they
now have clothes and can go TO school.
Every morning he kisses me goodby
before he goes to work. When the twi-
light sets in he always comes home to
| greet me with smile and to pet the
children. When Saturday night comes
| nc brings me home his wages and
| throws the money into my lap as be
| says, There. wife, are enough funds for
rent and clothing and meat for the
coming week." Then the wife, with
tears streaming down her cheeks, said.
Now. father. If finding Christ in the
Waldensian church means all that to
our home do you not believe had bet
ter let my dear husband go and find
Christ there little longer?"
Emancipation From Sin.
"Ah. yes" | said TO myself when
heard that story, true gospel consecra-
ton means more than spiritual saliva
ton beyond the grave. True gospel
conservation means emancipation from
sin. and emancipation from sin means
! dresses for our babies and food for our
| dining rooms and books for our library
| shelves and carpets for our floors and
| beds i'm which to sleep. When Joseph
gave himself i'm loyal service to God he
got all these. And. my friends. il you
consccrate your life to Jesus Christ YOU
will get all these also Do not talk TO
me about Christianity being a financial
failure. The most expensive altar at
which man ever wOrshiped is the altar
| OF sin. May God help us, In Christs
name. 10 be his true and faithful serv.
ants. sincerely DESTROYS OF doing his
will in all circumstances, and then we
shall lie blessed. whether we are in ad.
versity or financially prosperous, as
was Joseph.
\ step further in the analysis of "a
| prosperous life" we find Joseph not
Only rich enough TO meet his financial
obligations. but we also find him enor.
mously rich in the affections OF his
friends. He never seems to come near
to any one but at once he binds him
TO him with links OF steel. His employ
er loves him. His fellow servants love
him. His old father dotes on him
Even his jealous brothers. who at arst
did everything TO destroy him. are led
to reverence him. And, though you to-
day may praise Joseph, the interpreter
OF dreams; Joseph. the farslghted
statesman; Joseph. the wonderful man.
ager of Potiphar's household, I praise
Joseph, the lovable friend, for without
the love OF the associates with whom
we are surrounded every worldly sue.
cess is las sounding brass or n tinkllnp
cymbal."
Love is the~center, the circumference.
the nadir and the zenith OF all true
peace and happiness. Love Is the mi
raculous magician which can change
the deserts OF trouble into GASES of
joy and make even 1.-THE dying bed feel
soft rs downy pillows are" The story
Is told that during our civil war a
soldier boy was dying. He was only
a boy OF fifteen. oh" said the lad,
Il am going to die, and there is no one
here TO love me! II ] only had my
dear ones here" The nurse said: "My
boy. l love you. Let me take your
loved ones place" Then she stooped
over and kissed him, "Ah," said the
boy, that feels like love! Kiss me
again. Then he looked at another
nurse as he said: Wont you kiss me
too? l do not think II would be SO
hard to die IL could feel that you both
love me-" No. IL Is not very hard to
bear the burdens OF life IL we feel that
those who are near at hand love US
and are sympathizlng with US. Do you
not read between the lines how Jo-
seph's loved ones chung to him because
he was always true to them.
A Sad story.
lt is only by loving others that 9TH
ers learn to love us. Some years ago
steamer was wrecked oil Lake Pont-
chartrainS Among the passengers was
a family OF six children, besides the
father and mother. The father was a
powerful swimmer First he took his
wife in his arms and swan toward
shore. Then he came back FIVE differ
ent times and took of child each
time. Buff now his strength was al
most gone. Only one child remained.
Only one, and yet the question was.
Could he save him? The father swan
out TO the ship and called to his young
est boy: Jimmie, jump! 1t is papa,
jump! The boy jumped into the sea.
All that the father then could do was
TO clasp his last child in his arms. and
both sank together into watery grave.
You say IA sad story" Yes, but to
me beautiful story. 1t is the story
OF family devotion. 1t is the story OF
a father loving his way into the hearts
OF his children and of children giving
back their love TO the father. Such is
JoSeph's life to me. Wherever / turn
be seems to be loving his way into the
hearts Of his associates. His heart
seems TO be so big that il can forgive
every enemy and love every one, and
almost every one was compelled to