Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-10-19

he knew that II we continued as BUSH
whackers we would end up in n life of
crime, ms did the james boys. who
started out as criminals because their
father and mother We're treated as my
parents had been treated. / used to
know Jesse James parents well. And
l know that what say is true. SO at
the risk Of his own life Rev. Mr.. Black
well. a Republican and northerner.
went into the mountains and hunted
up our camp and said: Boys, / have
come to save you. Come back and live
with me. Because thieves and scoun-
drels have robbed your parents and
killed your mother do not become GRIM
inals yourselves and die at the end of
u hangman's moose And, sir, as the
result of his plea we went back to
Blackwelrs home and went back to
honesty and truth and right"
Saved His Life.
'What became of Mr.. Blackwell?' I
asked. HE lived to be n very old
man." was the answer. "a few years
ago 1 went back to Missouri and hunt
ed him up and begged him to come and
live with me, but he was too old to
come" Then faraway look came into
the old Missourian's eyes as he said:
"Oh, can never forget that man. BY
his willingness to lay down his life for
me he saved my life and my brothers."
Friends, are you men like this? Would
you risk your lives to save another from
sin and death? When men and women
are being prosecuted and outrageous
treated and are trembling upon the
brink OF sin, are you ready to reach out
your hand and say: Brother, sister,
come to me. Come into my home.
Come and sit by my fireside. What
have is thine" If you will, you shall
not only receive angelic visitors, who
will bring mighty blessing to your
home, but you will save men and wo-
men and boys and girls for Christ.
Your arm, your voice, your self sacri-
flee, may mean the temporal and the
eternal salvation Of immortal souls IL
in Christs name you go TO their aid
They are Gods angels whom you may
entertain, as Abraham thought he was
greeting the three travel stained. home
less and perhaps prosecuted and exiled
strangers.
But, stepping out into the broader in
depreciation of my text, we assert that
angelic messengers can approach our
homes with the scowling visage of hate
and with the clinched fist OF anger, as
well as in the fiuttering rags of the
pauper and the distorted, terror strick-
en- countenances of the prosecuted.
"Oh, no." you answer; that cannot
be. An angeli is not a demon. An angel
Is one who would lead us to the higher
life. How can the sullen brow OF an
enemy do this?" Well, my friend. let
us turn again to the Bible Study there
the most powerful and the most famil-
lar sermon ever delivered the
sermon on the mount. spoken n
short distance from Lake Galilee.
What did Christ say? Did he lay
down the great doctrine that we should
be kind to others just In proportion as
others are kind TO us? Did he say:
Men, be just to friend and foe. Never
forget n kindness which n neighbor
does you and never forget the injury
OF n treacherous foe?' Did he say,
Build a walled-in castle. Have the
moat deep and wide. Have watch
towers above the walls. where you can
always keep lookout to lower the
drawbridge for your allies, and have
spears and swords and bows and ar
rows and sings with which to drive
back those who have betrayed your
trustg' No. That is not Christ's COM
mand. Listen how he describes the
way in which you should welcome
some OF your angelic visitors These
are Christs words, not mine: Love
your enemies" That means give them
the best places at your table and your
warmest welcome. BLESS them that
curse you." That means go out of your
way 10 speak a kind word for those
who are denouncing you and trying to
undermine your character. do good
to them who hate you and pray for
them which despitefully use YOU" Do
you hear it? My Lord and my God.
have we read thy words Alright? How
few, how very few OF us have well
coined at our doors those who have re-
yiled us and prosecuted us and have
said allmanner OF evil things against us!
Now, you have read many essays and
heard many sermons upon the theme.
The Blessings OF Having an Enemy"
but l want to tell you that the great
est blessing of an enemy after all is to
teach us to forgive those people who
have trespassed against us as we ex-
pect COD to forgive our trespasses.
Unless we can learn this lesson of for
giveness we can never learn to be like
Christ. Are you willing to live as that
famous lrishman lived who recently
passed away? Did you read the last
VIII and testament of Michael Dayittp
he did not have any money to give.
Tor he spent most of his life In the
struggle of home rule for the Emerald
Island. So he made up his last will
ana testament thus-wise. 1 do wish I
mad IL verbatim. He said In part:
This is my last will and testament, I
have not any money to give. but I
leave my blessing to all mankind. I
nrst ask forgiveness from ali those
whom may have injured in life or to-
ward whom l have acted unjustly.
Then 1 leave my forgiveness to all
those who have done me any injury.
Then j ask that when my literary ex-
ecutor publishes hereafter any of nv
works he will Gull from them any bit
ter words which might wound the
neart OF any living man or the hearts
OF the loved ones of any of my politi-
cal foes" Did you ever read senti
ment more beautiful and Christlike
than that? My brother, you have
greeted many friends in your home.
They have dined with you and Won
with them. But have you ever spoken
the words of Davitt? Alas. il not.
then 1 fear you have shut out "ancelic
visitors" who. If they should enter your
home, would bring to you the greatest