Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-05-11

first. Then men and women started
to run for the fevryboats. 1t was not
struggle to save property. but mad
race for life"
oh. why should we go on and de-
scribe this horror? In ali tae history OF
the world there never was more
CHASTITY tragedy. The battlefelds of
Gettysburg and Waterloo were tragedies
of men only and had not the pathos OF
dying women and children, as had this
pandemonium OF furies. And yet, amid
the heavy. rocking earth. amid the
kissing. leaplng flames, amid the lurid
skies and the starving and the dead.
we can today find some gospel, lesson
for practical use for everyday life.
May God help Us to say the right word
and say 1t In the right way!
Judge Not,
Let as beware. In the firsts place. lest
we attempt to handle the lightnJags of
Gods wrath. Let us halt fbefore we
pass judgment upon tlseepasr sins OF
this great CITY, The Bibie.sass. s9uslxs
not that We be not judgea.ss But. 10
spite Of this divine coinma8A ts,e Judge
not there are people who arc ready
to afnrm that she reason why this <rsRs
edy was permitted to overtake the
metrope73e Of the pscific was because
SapeFreneisco, wasa city fostering and
reelring with sin. Why. no sooner was
this awful tragedy reported over the
wires than one OF the prominent news
papers OF this city called me up and
asked whether believed that San
Francisco was destroyed, like Sodom
and Gomorrah. on account OF Its sins.
l replied then as repiyspow ANY
man who would make a statement that
he thought San Francisco was de-
stroyed on account OF its sins is unit to
be religious teacher and unfit to be
quoted In any newspaper article..r AS
the ancient prophet found, as he sbud.
dered at the earthquake In his day,
God was not in the earthquake. And
after the earthquake a fire. but the
Lord was not in the fire. And after
the fire a still small voice. In that ho
heard the voice OF the Lord.
Do you think John Milton became
blind on account OF his sins? Do you
think Abraham Lincoln and James A.
Garfield and William Mckinley were
assassinated on account OF their sins7
Do you believe Mrs. Mckinley lost her
two little children and became n life
long invalid on account OF her sins?
Do you think Alexander II. Stephens
lived for seventy years in pain and
agony on account OF his sins? Do you
believe that the gentle and pure Helen
Keller. from two years OF age, has been
blind and deaf and dumb on account
nf har M
wicked whose light FUZZY dress caught
fire many years ago. so that she was
burned to death before your very eyes7
Were those missionaries who were
tortured and killed In the Boxer upris-
Ing OF China some years ago murdered
on account or their sins7 Then, IL they
were. you might have right to say
that this tragedy came to San Fran
cisco ON account OF its sins; but, IL not.
you have. not the slightest reason for
affirming that the earthquake came as
Judgment OF God. If San Francisco.
why not New York aud Chicago and
ST. Louis and London on account of
their sins? Is there any large city In
this land which would be justified In
casting stone at the metropolis OF the
Pacific coast2-
Ne Right 60 Say IL.
Has any one right to say that San
Francisco was destroyed ON account of
its sins II he listens Alright 10 the
words OF Christ? What said Jesus
when his disciples pointed to "a man
who was blind from his birth and ask
ed. Master. did this man become blind
on account or his sins or on account of
his parents sins 2" That was as much
as TO say: "Aif blindness and physical
ailments are directly due to some
mans evil deeds. Who siuned-this
man or his parentsY' Christ answered..
Neither hath this man sinned, nor his |
perents. but that the works OF God
should be made manifest In him.
Then In another place Christ fold how
the tower OF Sloan fell. 1t fell as
quickly and unexpectedly as the cam
pariie OF ST. MARKS In Venice. Then he |
said: Suppose We that these Galileans
were shines above all the GaIiIeans
because they suffered such things? /
tel thee nay. but except ye repent ye |
shels, eil -likewise ,psrisAsss FsSssAodas.
In her OF Christ's words when-yOlS bto- 4
p0se 70 tay, This catastrophe was sent
upeh ansiFxsaeiseof pn, 6scuurt ~ ~ /
sihg" - put my niger upon1 your i:os
ma my: STOP. brothers Stop. -sisteri |
s&eaee! Judge not that We, be not
judged. Let Gods .Nghtnings nash as I
they Will. but leave to him the right OF
Judgment. Let us drst see that our
own city Is cieansed OF sin and not
tax SO much about other oities' sIns."
Woaidst thou try to pluck the mote
put OF thy brothers eye and perceive
pot the beam which is sticking forth
put OF thine own eye?
Can we explain why certain peopie
n San Francisco have to suffer as they
loF Here we can see the flames. like
lemons. leaping from business block to
business block. Millions upon millions
u dollars worth OF property have been
iestroyed. Now the flames are head
ng toward the churches aud the resi-
iential districts. The dynamite Ia ex-
,loded. The guns are trained m the
Sais. AS the cowboy upon western
'ra'rie fights fire with Gre. SO here the
'rave men are fighting demolition with
demolition. Still, onward aud onward
move the flames. Then Paul Reyeres
ide eyerywhere. crying: "Run for
our iiycsl Run! RUM Runr, "Oh."
tut some man says.>'T cannot run. 1 |
ave an aged and sick mother here. +
must take her along" Who Is she? Is
he Christian3 YES" answers the
nan. For years and years she has
'een an ardent follower OF Jesus
;hrist"f Together we help her along.
lfter awhile she completely gives out.
'Water!s Water!' she cries. Give | .