Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-11-02

trusting too much to your future. Do
not rate your assets too high. All your
future days may not be flooded with
sunshine" 1t Is always well for a
ship to be ballasted before il sets sal,
from harbor. And yet some men. be-
cause they have made a success in the
past, think success viii always be
theirs. Therefore they live up to the
last cent of their income and have their
properties mortgaged up to the full
limit and buy their stocks upon q mar
gin. and when the wheel OF fortune
turns little the superstructure goes
down with crash. Now, my brother.
in order to have happy future you
must be like Joseph. the prime minister
OF Egypt In your seven years of pros
perity you must prepare for your seven
years OF want Though bright days
also surely be yours.
Business Risks.
This fact is we'll illustrated by the
life insurance business. Some years
ago / was talking with one of the lead
Ing insurance superintendent of Chi
cage. He said II suppose you think
that my chief object Is to get people
to carry ell the insurance possible.
That is n great mistake some agents
make. always say to my agents:
Men. do not persuade your people TO
take any more insurance than they
can carry. Arman should always be
able to make his payments easily. II
you persuade man 20 pay too large
q premium within q few years sickness
and trouble may come to his home.
The man may be thrown out of his
work temporarily. Then be drops his
insurance. and be will never take It up
again. Then that action not only hurts
the man, but also the life insurance
business And yet IN many ways
there are thousands of men making the
same mistake as does the man who
overinsures. These men bank too much
upon the properties OF the future.
Therefore they lose their all when
these properties fail.
never think OF mans future but
as kaleidoscope. You remember
when as little boy your mother bought
you one for Christmas present. You
went to the window and lifted the lit
tie apparatus to your eye and looked
through II. All the brightly colored
pieces Of glass at the other end formed
themselves into most fantastic shapes.
You studied them. long and carefully.
Beautiful, beautifulw you said. why,
see rainbows and towers and mead
ows and farmhouses.' Then your SIS
ter said, Charley, turn II" You turn
ed the kaleidoscope. and all the glasses
Jingled. Then you looked again and
said: why. sister. all the pictures are
different. Look and see. How did
this all happen?" Then you turned 1t
again, and there were other combina-
lions of colors. Wonderful are the
changes OF kaleidoscope, yet not
more strange than will be the changes
In your future. The fact that you
have n $4,000 income this year does
not prove you will have even a thou
sand dollars next. Because you are In
good health now do not think that your
lungs will be stout next week. The
fact that you are riding upon the wave
OF prosperity today does not prove that
the food tide will not ebb away. Do
not bank too much upon the temporal
successes OF the future. DO not count
too surely on a long earthly life. Be-
cause you IRE living in palace on
Easy street. do not spend your time
planning what you will do In your
gardens for next summer Your future
Is all surrounded by fogs and mists.
Within twenty-four hours your whole
life may be changed. Boast not thy.
self OF tomorrow. for thou knowest not
what day may bring FORTH.
Now IL the Time to Decide.
IL II is necessary to be careful with
our earthly opportunities. how much
more is it essential for us to be careful
or our heavenly opportunities! / war
rant that there is not among us all one
who intends to ultimately refuse the
offer OF eternal salvation. But this is
such busy world. 1t is filled with
such busy people. The engagements of
life press themselves upon us with such
overwhelming numbers that we are
apt TO postpone the greatest of all
questons-the eternal destiny of our
immortal souls. We intend to take the
matter up tomorrow or the day after
tomorrow, but somehow that tomorrow
never comes. Now. my brother, 1 want
to drive this question home: Will you
here and now make up your mind what
you will do with Jesus-wilI you make
up your mind today? Remember, TO-
morrow may be too late. for then the
time may have come when Jesus will
have decided what he win do with You.
Do you not realize that / may be the
last gospel messenger who shall ever
be able to present to you the pleadings
or Christ for your salvation? Your life
may go just as quickly as did old DR..
Towards Of Pittsburg. He seemed to
be In perfect health. He was writing a
sermon, He rose from his study desk
and stepped into the next room. Before
the Ink was dry upon the paper his spir.
1t had taken flight. Time is fieeting. The
decision has been made. But. what
ever that decision is. remember 1t is u
decision Cor this day and not for to-
morrow's sun. BOAST not myself OF
tomorrow. for thou knowest not what
day may bring forth" o God, may
this day be the day OF decision to many
---t-s
Picture of The Chinese Emperor.
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