Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-03-13

who could count her fortune by the
millions. She was not Joan OF Are.
with a physical frame knit as with
bands OF steel she was simply poor.
frail, crippled girl who. In order 10 earn
her living, started out as schoolteach-
er. She used to work during the day
for her own bread and butter. Then
In the evenings she started to teach the
poor girls and boys who had TO work
during the day and who could not get
an education unless they were tauSht
in the evenings. Her night schools
grew. Out of them grew a hospital for
crippled children. Her work grew un-
til a short time ago all New Orleans
turned out in the public parks to honor
her memory. "Ah," you say. ''that was
noble life. That was noble pur-
pose for which to live" Its nobility
consists In it's resemblance 10 the in
fnitely greater purpose for which Je-
sus came down to earth to suffer and
to die. He came TO save lost world. He
came to give up his life for the lives
Of sinful outcasts. He came that you
and might be made one with him I'm
spirit and nature. o Lord. the book
to save sinners and to offer up thy iii
vine life as q sacrifice for mans sins
Does not that word simmer" mean me?
BY thy revealed word and thy tragic
crucifxion l know that thou hast come
to save me-yea, to save even me.
A Guide of Life.
Salvation through the atoning blood
OF Jesus Christ is an active as well as
a passive condition. 1t is placing our
selves in a yielding position. so that
we are willing to let the great loving
arms of God encircle our hearts and
draw us unto himself, but salvation
through Christ must be supplemented
by the actions of a life consecrated to
him and his service after we have al
lowed Christ to encircle us with his
love. The Bible is the code of conduct
which we should follow after we have
been saved by his blood. II is col
lection of moral and spiritual rules
which will not only teach us how TO
live in harmony with God, but also
how we should deal with men. 1t is
not only collection of rules of faith,
but of rules of practice. In other
words, 1t Is spiritual guidebook. II
tells US how we should talk. how we
should walk, how we should give. how
we should pray. II tells us how to be-
come Nike our great prototype. Jesus
Christ. And IL we are true Christians
1t would be willful blindness to shut
our eyes TO its commandments.
In that sacred book there are no dead
IN 'p In ,Nr
statutes of our earthly governments
Some years ago noted prize fight was
to be fought in one of our eastern
cities where 1 was at that time living
few days before the iistic battle a
party of ministers, of whom I was one
entered the mayors office TO protest
against IL as n defiance of law and
common decency. The mayor heard us
patiently; then he said: at is true. gen
tlemen. the city laws forbsd this com
Ing exhibition, but that law I'm the eyes
or most people Is n dead letter There
are scores and scores of laws upon our
statute books which the people do not
expect us to enforce. and believe this
Is one OF them. / shall allow the prize
fight to go on" Whether the mayor OF
that eastern city was right or wrong I
am not here TO discuss. but ono fact !
do KNOWN the Bible there are no
dead letter rules of faith or practice
When Christ speaks 10 US I'm the ser.
mon on the mount he expects us 10 fol-
low out the commandments or that
sermon. When he tells US the story Of
the good Samaritan he expects us TO be
good Samaritans There Is no use for
you and me to say: "Well. l am not
selfish and bad. After ALL | am doing
only what other church members do"
That Is not the question. On the great
day or Judgment God will not ask us.
Have you done as other people have
doneT hut he will ask: Have you
done MS commanded you to do? Have
you done as Christ would have done
had he been in your placer" There is
no getting away from this deduction OF
Bible study. The question here and
now is. Are we willing TO accept the
Bible as our rule of life?" If we do
not, then all We may profess TO believe
as to the divinity and omnipotence of
Christ and the saving power OF his
-bloed wa avsn Us little. Faith is the
evfdenceor things not SEEN" but faith
Without works is dead
Relieving Its Guidanee.
Thus the last purpose OF the Bible Is
natural sequence to the other three.
The Bible beautifully pictures what
salvation means and the rules OF con-
duct by which we should all press to-
ward the mark >for the prize OF the
high calling in Christ Jesus. Now.
are you, my nearer, like the treasurer
OF Queen Candace's court, ready to
look Bible truths squarely i'm the face?
Do you realize that one road of life's
journey will lead you to the precipice
OF bottomless pit and the other road.
which goes by the way of the cross,
Will lead you into life everlasting?
With your open Bible in your hand,
UNDERSTANDINGS thou what thou read
est!" viii you follow the pleadings
or this sacred book, which will lead you
today TO kneel ut the foot of the cross
and say, "My Master and my King. !
accept thee. and | will live for thee by
thy rules of faith and practice?"
When Rev. DR.. Harris was dead and
his last will and testament was opened
II was found that he had left to each
OF his children as n legacy copy OF
the Holy Scriptures. On the fly leaf
Of each Bible were written these three
wotdsr "None but Christ" So today
As n divine gift would place In your
hands an open Bible. Read 1t. Read
1t intelligently. Read it as God would
have you read 1t. And then after you
have read 1t and determined TO live by