Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-08-24


Yes. my friends. think the Bible tells
US that st. John was very prudent and
careful about the probabilities OF life.
Here Is the picture: Christ is dying:
the great drops of agony are wrung
from his brow; groan after groan es-
capes his lips; he has only a few hours
more OF life. To whom is he going to
intrust the care OF his mother? All the
poets and the painters and the theo-
logians love to describe the helpless
ness Of Mary the Virgin when Jesus
was about to be born. Tell me. was
she as helpless then, with the big.
hrawny Joseph by her side, as she was
on the day OF the crucifixion, when. as
broken down, helpless widow, she
knelt at the foot OF the cross to see
her divine Son die? Tell me, where
can you find in all history a picture so
pathetic as that crucinxion scene of
Mary In her desolation and helpless
ness2 All. yes; the most pathetic scene
In all the Bible to me As that broken
hearted widow watching the dying
agony Of her divine Son! Agony of
Christ finds its echo IN agony OF ma
ternal heart; dying gasp OF Jesus is
answered by the moaning cry OF this
mother, who swoons away. Now.
Christ was God, but Christ was also
man, and Christ did for his mother
just what you and would do for ours
If we had been In his place. He want
ed to put her in the care of one who
would never neglect her and never let
her want. He did not give her to
Peter; he was not sure of Peter: Peter
was not steady enough. But he gave
her to the faithful John. He practical
~ said: John, know you will never
neglect her; ! know you will clothe
her and feed her and give her home
to shelter her-w head. Look after
her for my sake
Let US learn to be like the practical
John. A man cannot be a true Chris
tan and he simply theoretical Chris
tan; he must be a practical Christian.
He must know that II is his duty TO
work for his daily bread. He must
make an honest struggle to pay his
butcher, his grocer and his clothier's
Dill and to care for those OF his own
household, or else he is no Christian at
all. What does James write? He says
your faith must go hand in hand with
your works. Your faith can no more
live without works than your hand can
live after II has been amputated from
the arteries OF the arm. Faith, II 1t
hath not works, is dead" st. John
was practical worker as well as a
Patmos seer
But there are still two more thoughts
to which ] would call your attention.
The first Is, John was ready to give I'D
all for Christ; for Christs sake he was
ready to break the home ties and go
into foreign land as a missionary
and even to yield up his life Are you
and ] willing to do so much for
Christi Perhaps we are too old TO
become foreign missionaries or minis
tiers Of the gospel; then the next best
plea that make Is this: Are you will
ing to give your children up for the
service OF the Master. as John went to
minister 10 the seven churches OF
AsiaY
In the Masters Service.
Oh" says some one. Il have nothing
to do In reference to my children en-
tering the missionary or the ministerial
fields! That call must come from God.
do not believe in parent made minis
tiers or In parent made missionaries"
The parents have more 10 do with the
chiidren's conservation OF themselves
than you think. The reason we have
not our theological seminaries crowd
cd with students today Is because the
parents are not sending their children
there How are the parents to send
them there? BY coasecrating their
chi!dren's lives to the Masters service
1t their very birth and by keeping on
consecrating their children to Gods
service every day OF their school years.
Then these children cannot help enter
ing the Masters service any more than
the brothers and the sisters OF Henry
ward Beecher could help entering that
service. Would you like me to tell Won
why Lyman Beecher's children turned
out as they didr Well. ] will. by quot
ing from the diary OF this ilIustrious
man, written on the Gay his nrst child
me famous Catherine Beecher. was
born. These are his words:
Saturday. Sept. 6, lSOO-This mo. |
ment blessed be God. my dear. dear
VIE Is delivered OF a daughter, aud |
my soul. my very soul, from agony.
Oh. may never forget the goodness OF
ood, who has heard our prayer. Jesus.
tnou former OF the body and father !
OF the spirit. accept as thine this i'm. |
mortal soul thou hast ushered into life
Take. oh. take II TO be thine before II |
ciings around my heart, and never suf |
ter US to take 1t back again. Nav II |
hve to glorify thee on earth and 10 |
enjoy thee forever sn heaven. Now.
Lord, we look to thee for grace TO helm
Us rear II for thee. May It be thine for
ever. Amen and amen" Do YOU sun
pose any child. or any collection of
children. parentally consecrated TO
Jesus Christ as were Lyman Beecher's.
could turn out otherwise than they |
oids IL by prayer and conservation !
Lyman Beecher could send his bovs
ana girls into Christian service. can.
not we by prayer make our own bows
and girls devoted Christian workers
Tor this century. as ST. John laborefi In
Foreign lands during the first century,
AZ py prayer we can consecrate our
children to Christ, shall we not bv
prayer first consecrate our own selves
to bis dear name?
and now a closing word of warning.
Like John. let us be careful that
we remain faithful to Christ unto the
ena. On. that we might all, as young.
as middle aged. and as old men and
women, cling close TO the Master,
what do mean by this? Why, l sim
ply want TO warn you against the
temptations which Satan continually
sets Tor the gray haired, as well as for