Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-05-05


like Lots wife. living with the wicked
In the evil cities OF the plain.
why He Looked Back.
Now We come to the great climax Of
these symbols. Lots wife was ha,c-
way converted. She was In exactly
the same position as you were when
you lost your baby. You kneIt by that
casket and said. 20 God, give me
back my baby" God said to you:
Daughter. viii give you back your
baby IL you will flee that city OF SIM
1 have taken your baby as beautiful
flower growing by the sinful quag-
L. ces and the worldly destructive mi
asinal swamps. l have plucked her
and planted her in the beautiful flow
er garden OF heaven near to the river
OF life. II you will live as my child
and turn your back upon sin you can
come into my heavenly gardens and
lift again your dear one as a rose of
Sharon TO your lips" Then you said:
Lord, will come! 1 will conner Or
you are like Lots wife because you
were a few years ago in the surgings
or great revival. It may have been
In village or city church. The reli-
gious movement as a great tidal wave
swept over that community and car
ried your brothers, your sisters, your
wife, your children, upon the Rock OF
Ages in the midst of the great sea of
sin. You were ut that time nightly
moved. You turned to fee from the
"city Of destruction" as the inhab-
itants Of Pompeii fed when old Vesu-
vius was belching forth her stream Of
hot lava and lighting the heavens as
with the destructive flames of hell:
but, like Lots wife, after you had
started away from your old compan-
Ions OF sin and your evil haunts you
began to soliloquize. You said to your
self: What is the good OF my running
away from sim? Can't look back and
enjoy the sight just for once? Cannot
so bask and have one more carnival
with eyiiT' AS Lots wife looked back
after the angel Of God had told her
TO fee with her husband and daugh-
tiers from the "eity Of sin" you looked
back, and ycu were lost.
Oh, friends. can't be. after you have
once started for the lefty of Col" that
You VIII look back longingiy toward
the city Of desthY "An old Chris
tisn legend" says ~. Baxenaale. "telis
US that the mountain OF Calvary can be
compared to a high mountain. on the
top OF which is a palace filed with all
treasures--gold. gems, singing birds. q
paradise OF pleasure. Up its sides men
and women are climbing to reach the
top, but every one who looks back Is
turned into stone. And yet thousands
OF evil spirits are around the climbers,
whispering. shouting. flashing their
treasures, singing their love songs ia
draw their eyes from the palace at the
top and TO make them look back" Such
Is the history of your Christian life.
Like Lots wife. you started away from
Sodom. You began to climb the hills
OF safety. But you looked back. You
fatally looked back. My apostate
friend, can IL be, after you have once
started for the 'city OF God" that you
will llnger longer by this city of
death?" Can II be that n second call
and perhaps last call, Is not coming
to you In this mornings sermon to seek
the divine safety? Will you heed the
call todayf
Duty 10 Others
But I cannot close these suggestions
without one more thought Christian
church members having fed from the
city or destruction" viii you not try
to persuade others to fee with you?
You must wish to be saved; yes, but
you must also try to save others. II
Lots wife had by the power OF the
Holy Spirit saved ten others she would
have saved all in the evil cities OF the
plain. II ali OF us who are processing
Christians will save ten each year for
Christ 1t will not be long before the
glory OF the Lord shall cover the earth.
even as the waters cover the seas. Is
that too much to ask? Less than one
soul month for Christ. Is that too
much to ask? 1t Is not too much IL YOU
and I heart and soul have consecrated
our lives for the service of our Master.
III we each save ten souls year for
Christ we can save Sodom. When God
determined to exterminate the cities OF
the plain Abraham said: 30 Lord.
Wilt thou destroy the righteous with
the wicked? IL there are fifty righteous.
wilt thou save Sodom for the fifty's
sake? II forty-Aye. for the forty -five's
sakel III ten, for the ten righteous
sakeT Then the Lord said. Yes, will
save Sodom for ten righteous sake"
So Abraham arose from his knees and
In all probability said: "Now / will GO
down to Sodom and visit my niece and
her chief friends. I. will get all the
names of the people with whom she Is
identified in religious work. and will
save that whole town from destruction
for the ten righteous sake
The old man comes to the city. He
Is welcomed by his aristocratic foster
daughter. He says to her, my child.
where live the godly people whom you
have led to repsntance?' ''why, I'M
cle." she answers. ''to tell the truth, /
do not know II any of my neishbors
ana society friends are servants of
God. - Yesterday i was at the great
chariot race. but there we only talked
horse. Last night we went TO n dance,
but there we only talked dress and
gossip. Last week attended court.
but there we only talked politics. do
not know II even there are ten right
eous people living in Sodom. Dur
Ing all the years have lived here
have not brought Tone of my friends to
God" is Lots wifs's answer your an
swer? Church members, Will you not
during the next year at least try to
bring ten Immortal souls to Christ? Is
1t too much to ask? Lots wife could
have saved Sodoms The Christian PEG
pie OF this country can bring this city
and this state and this nation TO Christ
IL they each will bring ten souis n year
to jesus. Is II too much to ask for
Christ? Ten souls per year for each
member. Is 1t too much to ask for
Christ?
copyright. 1905. by Louis Kiopschl
Great slea Who Were Little.
Canon Kingsley not long before his
death drew attention to the number of
short men who could be seen In a Lon
don crowd. He looked upon 1t as a sign
- a.