Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-07-20

ident of the United States and his cab
met and to distinguished educators
and notable persons OF both sexes.
The letter. which was addressed to all
alike. read: Are you friend of Chris
tianity? DO you believe that Christian
ity Is the friend OF mankind? Does
your belief extend TO the recognition OF
Supreme Being. to the divinity of
Christ and TO the surprising potency
or Christianity as ciyilizing infiu-
encey" The answers came back by
the scores and hundreds. They showed
that from the president In the White
House down to the humble executive
OF the western territory nearly all the
governors. nearly ali the senators and
congressman. nearly all the great lead
ers OF our army aud navy, We're either
out and out members. OF Christian
churches or respecters OF the same.
kept those replies In my scrapbook. l
could quote many of them now IL I
had the time. However, from memory
I can say this-that nearly all OF our
great leaders in EovernmentaiiIfew were
ready to confess that their only hope
for eternal salvation was the cross of
Jesus Christ. And what is true of
statecraft I believe will also be found
true OF medicine and of every other de
partment OF professional and business
life IL the statlstician would only com-
pile for us the records.
Intellectual Giants There.
Do not talk to me about there being
no intellectual giants In the banquet
hall Of the Divine Bridegroom. Why,
there you can see the intellectual lead
ers everywhere around you. Agassiz
once said that the greatest feast he
ever attended was when he visited the
great German naturalist, Oxen. Lo-
REM Oxen was rich In brain, but poor
In pocket. Therefore he placed before
Agassiz but two dishes-one of pota-
toes boiled and one of potatoes roast
ed. But while the young naturalist
sat by the side of the great scientist
Oxen unfolded for him his investiga-
tons In natural philosophy. Never
before" wrote Agassiz. were such po-
tatoes grown on this planet. for the
mind OF the man seemed to enter into
what we ate socially together, and I
devourcd his intellect while muncbing
his potatoes. l repeat it, never ate
such n dinner before or since" AS
Agassiz. the great naturalist, was
roasting because he was sitting at the
table OF Oxen, so many OF the great
intellectual giants are feasting be-
cause they are sitting at the marriage
banquet of Christ. They seem to
care not what they eat or what they
drink as long as Christ sits Mt the bend
~ 70 nj mi No. II.
bis words. When n famous English
writer lay III few years ago the
nurse heard him talking. She went to
his bedside aud heard him feebly muir
muring the words, Now I lay me
down to sleep, I pray the Lord nv
soul TO keep" Il beg your pardon"
said the nurse when she knew that he
was praying. Il thought YOU wanted
something" 81 do" family replied
Rudyard Kipiing. Il want my Heav-
emily Father. He can care for me
now" Yea, that Heavenly Father Is
not the hope Of Rudyard Kipling alone.
He Is the hope of thousands OF leaders
or the world I'm almost every depart
ment of life Am wrong I'm asserting
that the intellectual man is to be seen
among the guests Mt the Kings BAN
quet which he gives for his Divine
Son?
But no sooner does the messenger of
the king give the invitation to the mer
chant prince and To the military chief
tain or 10 the member OF the sanhedrIn
than methlnks see him put his hand
upon the shoulder OF the servant who
Is holding his masters horse and say:
Wont you come TO the kings mar
riage feast2 The king bids me ask Won
TO come also" "Ah. no." answers the
servant; Il cannot come. My master
would not allow It, He would not hire
me day IL did not keep In my social
place. can harness up bis chariot and
drive him 90 the temple. but would
not dare stand by his side in that tenn
pie OF worship. This bridegroom's ban
quet Is only for the aristocrat. IT IL
spread for kings and queens. II Is not
Tor the plebeian. II there was a sery-
ants table adjoining the kings ban
quet hall ! might come. but you would
not have me sit down with the bride
groom on one side OF me and INV mas
ter on the other. Nay. this invitation
Is not for me-" "Ycs. II IS. nv friend "
answers the kings messenger. This
invitatisn Is for the kitchen as we'll as
for the parlor. for the slave as well as
for the mighty potentate."
No Classss In the Church.
Some people who are trying 10 build |
class churches do not believe this
Iney seem TO think that the BANQUET
nall OF the royal King can be con.
troiled by a syndicate OF capitalists or
by social classes, even as a syndicate
OF real estate men can buy up section
OF land and lay il out In building lots
and decide who Will live there and who
VIII not. You know, OF course, how
tnis Is done 1t Is by imposing build.
ing restrictions" After the land has
been laid out In building lots. the
owners say to the buyers: Now, this
lot is worth $1,000. But YOU cannot
Duy IT and build any house upon Il
worth less than $4,000. We do this in
order to protect the neighborhood, SO
that only the wealthy can come in.
we do not want the poor here. Neither
DO we want those who cannot move in
our social set" Thus some class
churches would bar the humble and
poor out OF the house OF God where
they Worship. Bnt, my brother, the
gold lace OF king and the silk robe Of
princess are not essential factors for
entering into this banquet hall OF the
Kings Son. God does not say, "You
can come IL you are able to build a
house worth $4,000" or, "You can
come II You are university graduates"
or, You can come IL your family has
coat OF arms" But God does saw
You can come, whether you wear
kings coronet or a kings livery. as i