Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-12-27

tears" and jesus will say: know We not
that the tears of earth are the wine of
heaven" Sorrow may endure but Joy
comeih in the morning.
| remark further, Jesus docs not shadow
the joys OF others with his own griefs. He
might have sat down in that welding and
said 81 have 80 much trouble, so much pow
erty, so much persecution, and the cross is
coming; | shall not rejoice, and the gloom Of
my face and of my sorrows shall be cast over
all this group" SO said not Jesus. lie said to
| himself: "lIere are two persons starting out
| in married life. Let it I've a joyful occasion.
| will hide my own gricfs. Twill ltindle their
| iov.n There are many not SO wise as that. |
| know household where there arc many little
! children where for two years tho musical in
| strumcnt has been kept shut because there
has been trouble in the house. Alas for the
| folly! Parents saying: we will have no
! Christmas tree this coming holiday because
| there has boon trouble in the house. Hush
! that laughing upstairs. How can there be
| any Joy when there has been 50 much trouble2'
! And 50 they mako everything consistently
! doleful, and send their sons aud daughters to
ruin with the gloom they throw around them.
! Oh, my dear friends do YOU know not those
| children will have trouble enough of their
own after while! Be glad they cannot APP
preciate all yours. Keep back the cup of bit
| terneSs from your daughters lips When
your head is down in the grass of the tomb,
! poverty may come to her, betrayal to her,
bereavement to her Keep back the sorrows
as long as you can. DO you not know that
son may, after while, have hi, heart
broken. Stand between him and all harm.
| You may not fight his BATTLES long: fight
them while you may. Throw not the chill
| OF your own dependency over his soul {;
! rather be like Jesus, who came to the we'd
| ding hiding his own grief and kindlinG the
| Joys of others. So have seen the sun, on a
| dark day, struggling amidst the clouds,
| black, ragged and portentous, but after n
while the sun, with golden pry, heaved back
the blackncss, and the sun laughed to the
lake, and the lake laughed to the sun, and
| from horizon to horizon, under the saffron
| sky, the water was all turned into wine
| HE WANTS Us TO DE COMFORTABLE.
learn from this miracle thaC Christ is not
impatient with the luxuries of life. 1t was
not necessary that they should have that
wine. Hundreds of people have been mar
| ried without any wine We do not read that
any of the other provisions fell short When
| Christ made the wine it was not "A necessity,
! but "A positive luxury. | do not believe that
lie wants us to eat hard bread, and sleep on hard
!
think if circumstances will allow we have
right to the luxuries Of dress, the luxu-
ries of diet aud the Injuries of resi-
deuce. There is no more religion in an
old coat than in a new one. We can serve
God drawn by golden plated harness as GER
tainly rs when 60 afoot. Jesus Christ
will dwell with us under a fine ceiling as
well as under a matched roof; and when
you can get wine made out of water, drink
as much of it as you can.
What is the difference between Chinese
mud howell and an American homer What is
! the difference between the rough bear skins
( Of the Russian boor and the outfit Of an
! American gentleman No difference, except
that which the Gospel Of Christ, directly or
indirectly, has caused. When Christ shall
have vanquished all the world, l suppose
every house will be a mansion, and every
garment u robe, and every horse an arch
necked courser, and every carriage a glitter
ing vehicle, and every man king, and every
woman a queen, and the whole earth para
! disc; the glories of the natural world harmo-
/ nizing with the glories of the material world,
until the very bells Of the horses shall jingle
/ the praises Of the Lord.
! learn, further, from this miracle, that
Christ has no impatience with festal Joy,
]
vitation to that wedding. He certainly
would not have done that which increased
the hilarity. There may have been many in
that room who were happy, but there was
not one of them that did so much for the joy
of the wedding party as Christ himself. lie
was the chief of the banuueters When the
wine gave out he supplied it; and 50, | take
1t, he will not deny us the joys that are posi-
lively festal
think the children of God have more right
to laugh than any other people, and to clap
their hands MS loudly. There is not a single
JOY denied them that is given to any other
people. Christianity does not clip the wings
of the soul. Religion does not frost the low-
ers. What is Christianity take it to be,
simply, proclamation from the throne of
| God Of emancipation for all the enSlaved
and if a man accepts the terms Of that proc
lamation, and becomes free. has be not fright
to be merry! Suppose father has
an elegant mansion and large grounds, To
whom will he give the first prvileyeof these
grounds! Will he say: My children, you
must not walk through these paths, or sit
down under these trees, or pluck this fruit.
These are for outsiders. They may walk in
them" No father would say anything like
that. He would say: The first privileges in
81
for my own children" And yet men try to
make us believe that Gods children are on
the limits and the chief Refreshments and
! enjovments of life are for outsiders, end not
for his own children. Ii is stark atheism.
There is no innocent beverage too rich for
Gods child to drink, there is no robe o
costly for him to wear. There is no hiarity
too great for him TO indulge in, and no house
too splendid for him to live in. H. has a
right % tho Joys OF earth; he shall hpye a
right to the joys Of heaven. Though tribu-
laton, and trial, and hardship may come
unto him, let him rejoice "Rciuice in the
Lord, ye righteous, aud again l say, rejoice. -
HE COMES IN TILE HOUR OF EXTREMITY.
remark again that Christ co.lcs 10 Us in
the hour of our extremity. lie knew the
wine was giving out before there was any
embarrassment OF MCrtiHcatiOu. Why Gii
he not perform the miracle sooner: Why
wait until 1t was all gone. aud no help ,pu'd
come from any source, and then come in and
perform the mraclei This is thri,t's way;
and when he did come in, at the Logr Of cx-
/ tremity he unde first rufa. ,yiuY. SD ftr- ti,y-