Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-12-13
Pniling off the Harness.

There are many people who are talking
about stopping the work of life because they
are sick or old or unfortunate.
Some Of the most useful persons we know
are over seventy. They have not more
been ripening for heaven than ripening for
earth. They bad made fifty mistakes before
they got fairly at work for Christ 1t is
absurd for an old Christian to talk about
putting off the harness. A. loug as you
can draw a pound God means you to stay In
the traces 1t cannot be that you think
you have paid the Lord so fully that there
is danger Of rendering Him a surplus. \
Christian has no right to stop sacred indus
tries until he has his hand on the door-latch
of heaven. November aud December are as
important parts Of the year as May and June,
otherwise we should have had only ten
months in the year instead Of twelve.
Bnt YOU say, "What can l. an old man.
do z" Ii nothing else. you eau sit still and
look placid. We have aged men and wo-
men in our church who seldom say word,
but by tlieii. looks they pronounce the bene-
diction The setting sun is all aglow on
their wrinkles. You know they are within
half mile of heaven. because its glories
strike aslaut them. If you are too lame 70
walk. or too feeble to get out to the night
meetings. or cannot endure the fatigues Of
more than one Sunday service, spend as
much time as you can looking happy. So
near the hour Of having your Fathers in
heritance paid down to you, better be bliss
full Nav the blessing Of Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob, and Paul the aged, come
upon you
Then there are inyalids who feel like put
Z ...... "a Al. I,-..,-- tsnr,I Ninl-uaas /,
an especial ordination. Probably the in
valid's chair is to be your pulpit. When
robust man, after stout breakfast, lays of
a thick Overcoat on the damask pulpit sofa
and preaches from the text, " Let patience
have her perfect work, it means but little
/ Anybody can be patient when he has abou
| everything he wants. But when auntle
with the asthma and dropsy and dyspepsia
| white as it is possible to be, and not having
/ lain down for three nights, talks about thu
/ goodness of God, and how she has been sus
tanned in all her sutferngs, this makes al
impression on the whole household aud NJ
the whole neighborhood so far as they hea
of it. If you cannot be the cupola with
loud-rnging bell, be pillar to bear up on
OF the arches. The people you do not hea
of often are more useful than some VIII
make great racket. diamonded han
gesticulating religious truth is not so pow
erful as are the twisted fingers of chroni
rheuma6sin when emphasizing the faiti
fulness of coyepant-keepiug God. Becaus
YOU have to walk with a cruteh, or mus
keep indoors, or sit wrapped in loos
gown, do not conclude that you are a supe
fluffy He who bears heroically physici
distress, and looks for the sunshine tina
falls upon the sick pillow, will make a recor
that will read well when worlds are II
more. Put your swollen foot upon the chai
before you and lay your head back on tn
soft cushion of the promises. Perhaps yo
may accomplish more for Christ in the day
of inyalidism than in the years of robust a
tivity. Do not talk about putting of ii
harness When God wants 1t off, lie wi
take il off-l drdHce