Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-06-28
Faith In Men.


But not In prayer alone is n brimful
| gospel faith necessary. We must have
faith in the men and the women bv
whom we are surrounded IL we would
accomplish great things for his honor
ana glory. We must believe that God
can enter into the hearts of our friends
ana recreate them into mighty spir-
itual forces for good as he can enter
into our lives and make us mighty
spiritual agencies. Paul writes In one
or his epistles, II can do all things
through Christ, who strengthcncth me-"
Paul had right TO say that. | have
n right TO say that about myself. And
l also have right to say that about
every man, woman and child with
whom l come in contact In daily life.
Now, there is no human power which
VIII more quickly make a man n use
ful servant of Jesus Christ than the
divine faith which we have I'm our
brothers and sisters that through God
they can do all things.
But the great trouble with our at
tempt TO reclaim men IS this: When
men and women start TO do wrong.
when they begin to wander down into
in these sinners. When these sinners
try 10 come back to the straight paths
of purity and truth the world fights
them back and turns toward them the
cold shoulder of Indifference and doubt.
And after the world loses faith in
man, then the time is not far distant
when that man will lose faith In him
self. and then-God pity hint For,
with jump. he will leap over tho
precipice OF despair. oh, faith. thou
mighty faith, thou faith by which Abel
sacrificed and Enoch walked and Abra-
ham went forth into an unknown land
TO find an Inheritance for his children;
OH, faith, thou mighty faith. by which
Joseph ruled and Moses led the chill
dren OF Israel forth from their Egyp-
tan bondage and with which Joshua
rocked down the Jericho walls; oh,
faith, thou mighty faith, with which
Peter and James and Mary Magdalene
Bonded the knee to worship Christ:
oh, faith, thou mighty, divine faith.
shall we not lay hold OF thee and
through the power OF the Holy Spirit
save our fallen fellow men for God?
Mothers Are Faithful.
Did say that all the world would
lost It's faith In man after a man has
sinned seven times seven? Yes. / said
that, but ! must make one exception.
There is always one human being who
VIII never lose faith in us when we
nave done wrong, and that Is our
mother. That is the reason why the
christian mothers love is the most
potent OF all loves for the salvation of
a sinner. The mothers faith will not
give her children up, and that Is the
reason why they win SO many of their
Maynard children for Christ. The
warden OF one of our prominent state
penitentiaries few years ago was
asked IL the prisoners friends. as
rule. continued to visit them. "No."
was the reply; "they are usually men
VINO nave been scourge and disgrace
to their families. 1t is a relief to be rid
or them. Their friends, their wives
and even their children make one or
two perfunctory visits at first and then
give them up. In the course Of a year
or two they are forgotten by ALL as IL
they were in their collins, except by
their mothers. Their mothers ALWAYS
come and keep coming and try to infu.
tnce me In their behalf. No matter
how black dyed In crime ruffian may
be. his mother will know some good
point to tell me OF him. She never
wholly loses her faith In him." Is not
that. 0 man, the history OF our lives2
When we did wrong. did not our moth
ers cling to US so closely that we could
not shake them off And today IS not
one or the greatest powers by which
we may win men TO the cross OF Jesus
Christ the mother faith I'm our hearts2
Oh, that by the grace OF God we could
all have mothers faith in those who
are treading the path OF sinl Would
that In the name OF Jesus Christ we
could cling to men and keep clinging to
men until we could see them trans
formed by the power OF the Holy
Ghostl Brother. increase your faith in
your brother man. See men in gospel
vision transformed. redeemed ana