Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-07-12

n sturdy child of five summers tug
ging at her skirts, has b. ought n well
filed lunch basket to her young hus-
band working as n day laborer. He is
a magnificent specimen OF man.
With his Astounding health and laugh
ing face he seems TO say: Life IS n
battle, but my bare arm is strong
enough to fight IL. Life has Its bur
dens, but my shoulders are broad
enough to carry them" There he
stands, holding out his hands TO take
the baby from her mothers arms. Life
may be a struggle, but IL triumphant
JOY was ever pictured in a mans face
and in woman's bearing and in her
child's smile it is to be found In the
foreground OF that picture.
A Significant Picture.
But hardly has your eye studied the
four happy figures in the foreground
than you look into the background OF
the picture. There under the trees
shadow in a beautiful garden stands a
young woman in widows weeds. She
has an open book I'm her hand which
she is llstlessly carrying She has been
with the dead. Suddenly she turns
and catches a glimpse of that happy
family group. If her sad, mournful
eyes and pathetic face mean anything,
they seem to say: ooh, If could
only give up my money and my home
and my diamonds and my wealth and
have my dear ones to love like that!
God, can l ever be as I once WASP
So some of us seem to be walking
amid the gardens of our temporal pros
perities. But we are not studying the
pictures upon our walls or the gran
deur Of our homes. We are looking
at the spiritual wrecks Of our past
lives. Like David, we see our heinous
sin rising up before us. We are say
Ing, 20 God, that l might live nv
life over again and be as | once wasw
But no sooner do our repentant tears
begin to fall than David the libertine,
David the murderer, comes to us and
says: Friend, Christ viii forgive you
your sins as he has forgiven me my
sins If you will only throw yourself
upon his mercy. Weeping may endure
for night, but joy cometh in the
morning." Will you believe it, sinner?
Amid the complete destruction of your
spiritual life will you believe it and
throw yourself upon the mercy of
pardoning Christ?
But David comes in his old age. as a
broken hearted father, to bring to us
gospel comfort. just as he once came
as young man and as n middle aged
man. lie comes with his gray hairs
and with lettering feet and leaning
upon staff, and says: Fathers and
mothers, l know only too we'll how YOU
are worrying and agonizing over that
maynard boy. l have drunk out of
the same chalice of woe. know what
1t is to sit up night after night. wait
ing for him TO come home, while YOU
listen for his staggering footsteps. All,
no night is so dark as that night when
loving parent is listening for the
step of returning prodigal / have
been through 1t all. God will comfort
you, even as he comforted me after
my boy Absalom went astray. Trust
him, father. Trust him, mother. He
Is the Jesus who alone can bring you
comfort at time like this. Will YOU
who are doing wrong? VIII YOU trust
this Christ even now? VIII you Just
trust Jesus and cling to him for helpYr
III you cannot get help from Christ
at this time. you can get help from
no other source. In masterpiece
painted some years ago the artist took
for his theme 1.-THE Sacrifice of Iphi-
genia." Perhaps you know the story.
Away back in Homeric times. Aga
memnon, leader of the Greeks. with
his wife and daughter, Clytemnestra
and lphigenia, was leading his great
heet to attack Troy. Suddenly the
fleet became becalmed. Then Calchas.
the wisest Of the sootbsayers, declared
that the gods were amy ana the fleet
tould never continue on its journey I'M
less the beautiful princess Iphigenia
was offered sacrifice. So the artist
pictures ali these Homeric characters
gathered about to Stay the beautiful
lphigenia to assuage the anger OF the
gods.
Is there among the myths q more
sorrowful story? Iphlgenla was saved
In the end, but there are analogous
cases In which no miracle interposes.
How bitter must be the reflections of
some aged father who, to gain wealth
for himself or title for his daughter.
sacrifices her in a loveless marriagei
He may be carried upward in society
by the wind OF fortune, but he has no
Joy In his success as he realizes what
II cost his daughter. oh, there are
some sorrows beyond the reach OF an
earthly comforter. Carry them where
David carried his griefs and learn at
least the value Of the heavenly peace.
Ancient and Modern Sacrifices.
Perhaps King David's sorrow over
Absalom may not have been free from
self reproach. Could it be that he
neglected to pray for his son Absalom
until 1t was too late? Should we not
trust Christ for our children? You
have tried your own strength long
enough to prove 1t failure. so now
Will you not ask for the divine help?
Some years ago n poor wife and moth
er entered the study of the great Lon
Ion preacher, Charles II. Spurgeon.
She told the minister her sad story. 1t
was the old story of a dissipated |
husband and heartbroken wife and
mother. There is nothing we can
TO-" said Mr.. Sturgeon, 'but to kneel |
Town and cry to the Lord for the i'm |
mediate conversion Of your husband. |
What he needs is not human aid, but !
iivine rescue" 1--WE knelt," said the
great preacher, "and prayed that God |
would bring the erring one back and
convert his soul and make him a low
ng husband and a true Christian.