Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-10-18

WIN NhIA>t tue HSdrSE the tlule Tor the
wedding nuptials. the more the church
is being cieansed and the higher and
purer become its ideals, then the
more its wedding garments take upon
themselves the purity and spotlessness
OF Gods wilderness and Gods love.
pessimistie Talk.
To hear somt pessimists talk one
would suppose that not only numerical
ly. but also in purity and Ideals, the
church Is rapidly deteriorating. I con-
tend that not only is the church grow
ing better. but II is Influencing the
whole worl0 and elevating it's ideals.
Social conditions which " .uld not now
be tolerated for a day were formerly
ordinary commonplaces. We talk about
the curse OF tainted money" in these
days. We say that the American peo-
pie are lost to all sense of honor and
decency when corporation funds are
accepted by political parties. We say
that the jugglery of stocks in Wall
street is an outrage. We say that the
state legislatures are only puppets Of
the monopolies and that the municipal
councils are owned, body and mind
and soul, by the railroad corporations.
But stop, Did you ever consider the
fact that the reason we hear so much
about the financial dishonesties of life
is because the public conscience Is be-
ing aroused and higher standard of
morals has been established? Further
more, did you ever stop to consider
! that criminal financial dealings which
n or
the ordinary and usual ways OF doing
things would not be tolerated now for
one moment? Did you ever hear that
one of the first buildings which were
erected upon the campus Of Princeton
college, the headquarters Of Presbyte-
rians, was erected by the money raised
in public lottery? Don't talk to me
about the world growing worse! Why,
IL some OF our great-gandfathers and
grandmothers should rise up from their
graves and start to live as they used to
do they would be ostracized from re-
spectacle society, and we would have
nothing to do with them.
But there Is another fact which 1
want to emphasize about this conquer
ing army of the gospel church-that is,
it may win it's final conquest any hour.
The time may be at hand this century,
this decade, this year. this month,
when Christ is going to come and es-
| tablish his universal kingdom upon
the earth. For long years AMI genera
tons the Nrcphets OF old foretold his
birth in Bethlehem of Judaea. But the
people had waited for Jesus so long
that they became Indifferent. and when
he did come they we're completely
taken by surprise In the New Tesla
ment we have again and again the
promise that Christ is going to come a
second time and establish his kingdom
through the church. We, too, have
waited so long for the second advent
OF Christ til many OF us are apt to
think he cannot come during our life
time. Yet there has never been a gem
| Grafton since he left the earth that was
SO ready as this to welcome him, nor
has there ever been time so suited
Us this for the prophetic fulfillment Of
Christ's second advent.
The Second Coming.
Now, IL this great army of the gospel
church is capturing the world for
Christ, and If the second advent OF
Jesus may take place at any moment.
does IL not become our duty to join
the gospel battalions and have n part
in that glorious day when all earth
and all heaven shall unite in celebrat-
ing the dominion OF Christ from sea to
scar Shall not we do something for
1 fvln hnf
have the right to share in his spiritual
triumph? Is 1t not about time for some
OF us to give up living our mean, self
tsh, sordid lives of sinful indulgence
and TO join the great gospel host of
those who are working and waiting
for the millennial dawn? Can we.
dare we. AFFORD to waste even a day or
an hour In idleness when there is still
work to be done which may bring near
er this divine contamination?
| 1t is said that when the distinguish
ed DIR. Backus, the late president of
Hamilton college, was dying the doc
tors told him he had but thirty min
utes to live. "Only thirty minutes p
he said. "Well, as the time is so short,
then get me down on my knees that i
may spend the last half hour of my
earthly life in praying to my God for
the salvation OF the world and for the
establishment OF his kingdom on
earth" So may We pray and work
and live that the time may soon come
when Christ shall appear and establish
his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
And. oh, when that glorious day
| comes, what blessed rewards there
will be! As the great church army
marches past there will be a badge OF
Christs legion Of honor for every
faithful one, no matter how poor OF
how weak that one may be. After the
Crimean war there was a great cele.
bration in London, when Queen Victo-
ria, with the prince consort by her
side, gave out medals to the heroes
Some soldiers came with empty
sleeves, some on clutches, some with
bandaged foreheads, but there were the
same sweet royal smile and the same
reward for all. At last there was car.
ried up to the beloved queen a poor
wreck OF humanity on a litter. Both
OF his arms and both OF his legs were
gone. He was only a common soldier
but In the service of his country he
had done his best Then the revered
queen, with tears streaming down her
cheeks, went to the litter and pinned a
badge upon the poor fellows breast
and kissed his brow and said, "Well
done, good and faithful servant" So
on that great day of the triumph of
Christs kingdom upon earth some of