Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-07-26

| music. And so today. instead OF talk
ing about how bad we feel at his go
ing. l am going to try to analyze the
power of this one of the greatest
temperance workers or our time, so
that we may be encouraged In our
work for the same Master and be
stimulated TO more vigorous effort by
the example OF this strenuous leader.
A Noble Man.
In the first place. l would place my
finger upon the greatest source of
Francis Murphy,s power and tell you
| that the chief reason why this success
full temperance worker won so many
| trophies for the abstinence cause was
because he believed in the nobility of
man. He believed that, no matter how
| fragrant the sins of the social outcast.
no matter how low or vile human
being had become, deep down in that
human heart were some remains of the
image of God. Murphy never despair
ed of any human being, however
drunken or degraded he might be.
Here was man-one of the race
Christ came to save-and he believed
that Christ could save him. The de-
grading obstacle of his thirst for liquor
stood in the way and therefore MUIR
ply tried TO remove that, so that the
power and influence OF Christ could
reach the poor, helpless creature.
1t does not require very much genius
to find flaws I'm a mans nature. It
does not require wonderful erudition
to magnify the faults OF mankind.
Any herd of swine can root out n flow
er garden, If it is possible for them
to squeeze through a gap IN the fence.
1t does not take much OF n frost to kill
all the fair apple blossoms In the
springtime; neither does it take much
labor to develop a field of Canada
thistles In the place where wheat and
corn and barley ought to grow. But
it does take the genius of q borticul-
turlst to find latent buds and develop
them. 1t does take agricultural acu-
men to put the right kind of fertilizer
on the ground after the spring plow-
ing. And it does take the marvellous
grace OF God to find the latent buds of
purity and truth and love and honor In
the corrupt heart of man and to de.
velop them Alright for God. And this
is always the work of a successful
evangelist OF Christ. This was the Sc
cret OF Murphy's success. He believed
in Christ and he believed in men. Did
not Fanny Crosby. the Christian hym-
nologist. have such n worker MS this in
her mind when she wrote these i'm.
presslve words:
Down In the human heart. crushed by the
tempter.
Feelings lie buried that grace can re-
store:
Touched by n loving heart. Weakened bv
kindness.
Chords that were broken will vibrate
once more.
And parallel to this same line of
thought was another fact which in
spired Francis Murphy to seek the
most depraved of men. He knew that
the victim of the Intoxicating cup was
In many cases man worth saving
The very characteristics of the man
that had led TO his degradation-hIs
geniality. his good fellowship. his
friendliness-were the characteristics
that would make him successful
worker ii he was delivered from his
thraldom. The intensity and zeal that
made Saul prosecutor were traits
which made him successful apostle
when be was converted. And Francis
Murphy had arrived at this belief by
looking Mt the history OF his own life.
Have you ever heard him describe the
tragedy OF his wrecked home? When
the civil war broke out. he. like other
Irishmen, was eager TO take part i'm it
At the bugle call to arms he shout
dered the musket and went TO the
front. He was not struck by the en-
emy's bullets. but. like Alexander the
Great, he'was overthrown by the temp
tations OF the camp.
Murphy's Temptation.
Then after the war was ended In Or
der TO make living for his little FAM
lily he took charge of hotel In Maine
In other words. the devil knew the
mans weakness and led him into the
occupation that would develop IT, He
put n whisky bottle into his hand and
said to him: Drink until your man.
hood is gone. Drink until you come
home 10 your wife and babies with the
fierce passion OF brute Drink until
the vilest sot In the gutter is no viler
than You" And with that strong per-
sonality OF his. he never did anything
halfway. He drank until he went
down, down, down into the lowest
depths OF degradation. When the
change came and Murphy "came to
himself like the prodigal. be could not
forget the pit from which he had been
lifted. AS he looked on the sodden. de-
praved wretches who were brought t.
his meetings he saw In them the Muir
ply OF the gutter and said to himself.
The power that delivered me can de-
liver even this poor creature" and he
went to work with confidence for the
mans reformation. Would to God that
some OF the men whom he was instru-
mental in saving might take up his
work and that men might have reason
To say, "the power of Elijah doth rest
on Elisha"
But there was another fact about his
wonderful life that has made Francis
Murphy one OF the greatest temper
ance advocates OF his time. He not |
only believed in man, but lie was ready |
TO thank God for all the divine bless |
ings with which he was surrounded. |
Ills Whole life after his conversion and |
conservation to the divine Master was |
continual service OF praise. He al
ways commenced his public services
with the coronation hymn, and he al
ways closed with the doxoiogy of
'Praise God. from whom all blessings
now. Wherever you met him, on the
street, or In the home, or in the church.
or anywhere, the two words which
We're most often upon his lips were:
THANK God! Thank God! THANK