Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-01-24

WITTY, are TdChltlS your WuOie DOuy 10
pieces. You cannot sleep by night. and
you cannot rest by day. and you can
not properly digest your food. What
you should DO Is what your little baby
does when he has bad dreams. lie
knows you will take care of him and
let no harm come 10 him. What you
need TO DO is to nestle close up to Gods
heart. He will take care of you. lie
Will never fail you. Then If you can
only grasp this infinite truth all this
useless worrying will leave you. And
In nowise will the value of the gospel
be shown quicker than in the benefit
to your physical health.
But there is another fact want YOU
TO learn about these gospel paths OF
peace. The longer you travel them the
more beautiful they become, the more
you will be stimulated by their fra
GRANGE and the more they will reveal to
you the messages of Gods love. They
will be to you just what the paths of
the woods are to the lover of nature
The farther he travels over them the
more fascinating and beautiful he finds
them.
God Is Love.
l might appeal for confirmation to
the experience of any aged Christian.
You, with your white hair and trem-
bling limbs; you, who are leaning on
your staff. you have been following
the gospel paths of peace now for over
half n century. Tell me, you with
your fourscore years, is not Jesus more
precious 10 you than he was when rs a
rudy checked lad you first surrender
ed your heart to him? "Oh. yes" au-
swers the aged Christian. "As | look
back over my long life like the psalm
ist | can say, Il have been young. but
am now old, yet have never seen the
righteous forsaken nor his seed beg
ging bread My journey has been a
long, hard journey. Sometimes it was
away in the mountains. Sometimes it
was down in the valleys OF despond.
Sometimes my feet have stumbled.
Sometimes l have had to look into the
gaping mouths of opened graves. But
Christ has never forsaken me. Each
month and each year he has been
drawing closer to me. And now he is
so much part OF my being that new
er breathe the fragrance of flower,
I never hear a bird sing, I never see
star twinkle, never see n mans or
woman's or child's face but / hear
a voice singing i'm my heart: God is
love. God is love. God is love-"
Come. aged mother I'm Israel. What
is your testimony? In the kitchen and
parlor and nursery and home you have
had your trials. Is Jesus Christ nearer
and dearer to you as the years roll on
and the time draws nigh when you
will see them face to face? Eyes, YES
answers the beautiful faced saint. "As
think of what Christ is TO me now
and what he always has been truly |
can say there is one name above every
name and one love above every love.
oh, truly. Christ is dearer TO me than
ever before. Like all Christians. | can
say, God is love-" Truly "the path
of the righteous is as the dawning
light that shineth more and more unto
the perfect day."
A triumphant Peace.
And then the terminus of the gospel
paths of peace-oh what n glorious. 4
triumphant peace they havel AS all
roads during Caesars reign were said
to lead to Rome, so all the gospel
paths of peace ultimately converge at
one great central destination. They all
meet ut the foot OF the great white
throne of God. And all those who trav-
el them shall assemble there. In the
many paths OF the dense woods OF
earth you can pass within few
yards OF your friends and miss them
entirely, but there is no danger of eve,
losing those who travel the gospe
| paths of peace. You see, we cannot
miss each other. We are all heading
TO the same destination. We are al
going TO assemble in the one place
where we shall sing the same songs and
look upon the face OF the same Chris
and live there through all eternity IL
the same mansions. Oh, is ii not glori
GUS news that those who have gone
before us and our dear children who
are coming behind us shall yet be one
with us in glory?
While / was writing this sermon
seemed to see a most wonderful vi
sion. saw a beautiful picture. IL
apocalyptic vision i saw the members
of my church travelling those paths Of
peace and all meeting there at the
foot of the throne. Then l saw our
selves one day going off alone and as
sembling as congregation. just as We
do here Sabbath by Sabbath. We were
singing the old songs and meeting IL
holy fellowship, just as we do here
And in my vision l saw myself arise
and repeat the beautiful words of my
text, Her ways are ways of pleasant
ness. and all her paths are peace"