Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-04-27

Is what Is the law of today" So the
young man refuses to sit at the feet OF
the wise Gamaliels of the great law
schools. He goes at once into law Of
nee. lie Is coached along and stumbles
along. and IN a couple OF years. an un-
developed boy. or, rather. an immature
man. he Is admitted to the bar. He Is
like a cripple with two wooden crutch-
es and one good leg trying TO win a
rice In the Olympian games against
the finest athletes of oil Greece. He IL
like an old Chinese junk. with it's long
banks of oars and Anticipated javelins,
going forth TO naval conflict with the
srmor plated cruisers OF the modern
navy Thus with US We want 10 do
Gods work we desire TO win Gods
victories But we are not willing to
make orr necessary spiritual prepare
tons for the same. We are not willing
to do what God commands US to do.
we are not willing TO regularly and
Systematically bold certain hours OF
each day sacred for prayer and for Sc
cret communion with God
Got Their Moneys Worth.
Sometimes ii is religious work itself
that uioaopoliZes the time. ] remem.
Der EAR classmate OF mine who as
theological student was asked 10 preach
In q little church near to where I used
10 preach as student. This church
was not able to support regular pas
tor. lt was way back In the country
So when II got rnap 10 preach for a
Sunday II worked him as hard as some
people drive horse which they hire
from the livery stable for q day. They
wanted 10 get the full worth of their
money. 1hus they got this young man
up erlysto lead the .snaday school and
teach q Bible class. Then he conduct
ed morning service; then after hur-
ried dinner they drove him back into
the mountains. where he had another
Sunday school to lead and another ser,
mon to preach and Christian Endeav.
or society TO address: then they ran
him back TO the main church again,
where he had "a Young Peoples society
meeting at which 10 speak and then
another sermon to preach In other
words, from early morning until 10
O'Clock at night lie was speaking or
working all the time ! met him next
day and said. We'll. Howard, how did
you get on?" Get on" he answered
why. had so much TO do that when
] crawled into bed that night was
completely tagged out ] was so tired
that | could not even say my prayers
just said. % Lord, ! have been pray
Ing so much for other people that
am just too tired to pray for myself!"
| laughed. But for years and years
that picture OF that tired boy has al
ways been before me. All, | say TO
myself. how often we get so tired with
meeting the many engagements of life
that we do not take the needed hours
for prayer. for Bible reading and for
communion with God for our own
souisi
But. though you and I may have
many engagements, have we any en-
gagements so important that we can
afford 10 neglect the sacred hours we
ought TO take every day of our life for
secret communion with Christ? You
know that many and many q literary
mans usefulness has been DESTROYED
because by the fiattery or the success
or the world he has been enticed AWAY
from his study. What Is true of the
literary man is absolutely true of the
Christian. Many Christians spiritual
usefulness has been absolutely destroy
ed because that Christian has been en-
ticed away from the sacred hours OF
holy communion with Christ. No mat.
ter how early the march was to take
place for the rescue OF Lucknow. Gen.
eral Havelock always arose two hours
M fnr a.. l.
prayer No matter how hard the con-
hict was raging Martin Luther always
took ut least two hours away from the
world each day to pour out his soul TO
God In prayer. Tell me. o man. what
art thou doing with those sacred hours
which Jesus Christ bids you give to
him alone? The world does not know
what you are doing with those hours.
but Christ knows. Are you neglecting
your proper spiritual preparation for
Christian wOrkf Are you taking the
proper spiritual nourishment for your
own soul? Then. II you are not doing
this. In the sight OF God you are com
hitting a secret sin. You may hide
that sin from the world, bat you can
never hide IL from Christ. "
The Unpopular Side.
Next TO our neglect OF secret prayer
and quiet Bible reading ! believe our
greatest secret sin Is our unwillingness
TO bravely and firmly go forth to advo-
cate the causes OF right which are on
the unpopular side. We see blatant
Sins stalking around everywhere, l.ut
because those sins are we'll dressed or
the perpetrators OF those sins are in
suAenfiak men ana women In the com
munity In which We i've we Gloss our
ksmoutAs- HHA say nothing. We are
nfraid TO antaEonixe them and at6ose
men and women who are their power
ThA man who dares to attack sin
that Is strongly intrenched is liable to
be assaiied in character and person.
His friends come to him and say: "Let
IT alone. You Will make enemies who
can ruin you" Have you never had
such advice given to you? II you have
not you have been all your life trim
mer." a hedger, polite man. You
have not come forth boldly and de-
cisively and attacked wrong wherever
you have seen ii lift its hideous head.
In other words. you can be classed
among those moral towards whom
James Russell Lowell excoriated when
he said:
They are slaves who fear to speak
For the fallen and the weak;
They are slaves who will not choose
Hatred. scoffing and abuse
Rather than in silence shrink
From the truth they needs must think.
They are slaves who dare not be
In the right with two or ihrea