The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-02

~ss an Ausomaton ana when The man
touched the spring II moved
You are not an automaton. but whst
you lack is the secret touch Of God
In your life. When that touch Ia ap-
Piled you'li become all that God tn
tended you TO be: and that touch will
not be applied until you accept Jesus
Christ
The only differences between the
clock and you is that II was an auto
maton while you have mind. You
have thu power Of choice. You, can
rebel. You can defy God. You have
an intelligent medium of communica-
ton. God can communicate what he
will Ia I could not communicate to
a clock or a piece OF wood, my will.
That is pliabie. plastic. There is
a medium of communication. and that
medium Is your intelligence
It Is sad to see men and women that
are perfect but for one thing. That
clock needed the secret touch ana that
lis the one thing that you want You
need tho touch of God all your life.
and then you will become all that God
had for you in his plans.
II IL sad TO see thing that would
he perfect II II did not lack one thing.
There is the electric light that has no
current There Is n locomotive but II
has no steam. There Is a human being
but II has no life In II. Things that
would be perfect but for the lack Of
one thing
You can take the finest main
spring made in the United States or
IN Switzerland and you can put IL into
the handspring barrel OF a watch
and then you can jewel the top and
bottom with rubies and diamonds and
then you 20 through the rest OF the
assembly and miss one thing and II
x,r.s t~A tr .n t.xf ~
one thing, II renders all the others Of
no use. You had left out the hair
spring. That Is all. Just handspring.
And so a great many people lack
one thing. There are many things de-
sirous. Education is DESTROYS. All
honor to the man or woman that de-
prives himself OF herself OF the com
forts OF life that their boy or cir,
may have an education. But an edu-
cation Is nnt- necessary to get into
heaven. God does not require that
! MANY things are Desirable. but not
necessary.
Wealth Is desirable and money Is
the medium whereby we buy and e--
change commodities ir life hut God
does not compel or require that you
have n rating in Bradstreet or II. G.
Dunn's before the gates OF heaven Will
let you across the threshold. Wealth
Is desirable. hut God does not require
you to have certain amount or wealth
before you can get into heaven.
Salvation is necessary. You have
made education and wealth the main
points. leaving salvation out. SO II
Ia SAD to see things that would be
perfect but for the Ia tx of ore thing.
Most of us here tonight ca ae from
Christian homes. You have the MEM
DRY OF cody father or mother You
have been surrounded - Christian in
fusncas, On our coins we stamp Tn
God We Trust"
Under the influences OF II. you have
turned as naturally toward this tab
ernacle as a flower will turn toward
the sur. when 1t lifts Its lips to he
kissed by the sunshine and the dew.
And then. companions. Many are
In heaven because Of the influence of
companions. Others are In hell be-
cause they have gone with the wrong
crowd. k
Many man has good godiy wife.
or he had a cody mother, and be-
I ltevs the prayers Of many . mans