The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-01
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GODS ESTIMATE OF A MAN.

GODS ESTIMATE OF A MAN.
Selected for The Times Dispatch.)
"fle Judged the cause of the poor
and needy. Was not this Il
know Me? saith the Lord"--Jcr. xii
10. M
This is one OF the finest and most
helpful passages In the whole Bible
Per5ons are often exercised MS to what
inscription they should put on tho tomb
OF one who lived out his life and yet
did not accept our fun creed. For such
n man there can be no grander epitapl1
than this: HE Judged the cause of the
poor and needy. Was not this
to know Me?" The beauty OF such an
epitaph is that 1t Is Gods .eptaph. 1t
is the divine finger that has written
tt; It is the divine mind that has COM
pretended the true and inner character
OF the man.
The prophet has in his mind some
thing like this: a man has died in
Judea whose orthodoxy has long been
doubted. He has not been regular
attendant on the temple service. His
memory is greeted with general oblo-
guy. His funeral Is sparsely attended.
No Jewish rites Of mourning are per-
formed for him. He is spoken Of as
one who knew not the Lord.
But on the morning after the
funeral some Of his friends and ac-
quaintances visit the grave and are
!, i,I,
had been left without one human note
or comment. is Inscribed in letters of
flaming gold, "He Judged the cause
of the poor and needy. Was
not this to know Me?'
1t was If the door of heaven was
thrown wide open and we could see
him as he really was in Gods sight.
with not only reversal of our opin-
ion. but with the seal of Gods APP
proval.
We, with bated breath, often speak
OF the departed rs If his fate were a
subject not to be dwelt upon. And
at that very moment, perhaps, the
arches Of heaven may be ringing with
hallelujahs, and Gods own lips may
be saying, Good and faithful servant.
we'll done!"
The mon OF our world sign their con-
LESSONS Of faith by their words But
the men whom God commends sign
their confessions of faith by their
deeds.
a. t~lr
at His right hand who received tho
mandate. Enter We into the joy of
your Lord" How surprised must they
have been who heard it! Doubtless
they had been counted among the goats.
Many q righteous one, on earth. would
have excluded them from heaven. They
had not "prophesied in Thy name; per-
haps they had refused to take any re-
l!gious training. They never knew that
theirs was a service to Thee. They
would have called their work secular;
when saw we Thee hungry and gave
Thee meat5~ We only gave 1t to the
poor human beings In the gutter"
But the last Judgment has reversed
the first sentence, for Thou has said,
"1nasmuch as ye did 1t unto the least
OF these. ye have done it unto Me-
Many sheep Thou hast. o Christ,
which are not of our fold; yea. which
are not of any fold The cup of cold
water" may be given in disciples
name and not in Thine; yet Thou re-
W.T.
Thou abidest with many at even
tide, when the day is far spent; when
faith Is dim. and hope is low, and there
is nothing bright but love. Thou abid-
When I cannot praise and am pow
erless to pray, can still break bread
to the hungry, and am known to
Thee by the breaking of that bread
own the act of service.
In the dearth OF prayer: In the
paralysis OF praise; In the defIles OF
doubt; In the valley OF dependency
there can still remain ono light un-
wavering-the light OF love to man. II
keep that radiance undlmned, per-
haps Thou wilt then write upon my
grave the imperishable epitaph, HE
helped the poor and needy; was this
not to know Me?"
o Thou who knowest our hearts and
readest our lives like an open book
may this be our inscription. and writ.
ten by Thee
------------
IT is reported from Washington tina
the members Of the United States I'm
migration Commission will return from
their European inspection tour o,
Thursday, and Will visit tho South II
q short time 10 meet ana talk with tn,
people Of this section on that impor
tant subject.