Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-03-07
singing the only poor hymn that Newton
eyer wrote.

Long to know, do youl Why do you not
find oubi Go TO work for Cod, and yea will
very soon find out The man who is all The
time feeling Of his pulse aud looking ut lbs
tongue to SEQ whether it is coated ls morbid,
and cannot be physically we'll The doctor
Will say: "Go out into the fresh air and into
active life, and stop thinking Of yourself, and
you will get well aud strong" So there are
people who are watching their spiritual
symptoms, and they call it self examination,
and they get weaker and siclslier in their
faith all the time. Go out and do something
nobly Christian. Take holy eXe""iee and
then examine yourself and instead Of Now
tons snturnine and bilious hymn that first
quoted, you will sing Newton's other hymn;
Amazing grace. how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
] once was lost, but now am found
Was d. but uON see.
What many You Christians most need is
to get your grave clothes off. | rejoice that
you have been brought from the deeth of sin
to the life of the Gospel but you need to get
your hand loose and your feet loose and your
tongue loose and your soul loose. There is no
sin That the Bible 50 arraiSns and punctures
aud hagellates as tine Sn of uuDeIief and that is
what lie the matter with You. con, you say,
IF you knew what | once was and how many
times | have Rrievously strayed, you would
understand why do not come out brighter
Then | think you would call yourself the
chief of sinners am glad you Init upon that
term, for have n promise that fits into your
case us the cogs Of one wheel between the
cogs Of another wheel or as the key fits
into the labyrinths Of lock a man
who was once called Saul but after
wards Paul declared: This is a faithful
saving and worthy Of all acceptation that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sin
nerS, of whom am chefn Mark that-"of
whom | am chief Put down your over
coats and hats and I will take care of them
while YOU Kill Stopheu''-so Saul said to the
stoners of the first martyr--"I do not care
to exert myself much, but will guard your
surplus apparel while you do the murder"
The New Testament account says: "Thc wit
nesses laid down their clothes at Il young
mans feet whose name was Saul No won
der he said: SINNERS, Of whom ! am the
chief" Christ is used to climbing He
climbed to the top of the templa He climbed
to the top of Mount Oivet. He climbed to
the top of the ellis about Nazareth He
climbed to the top Of Gogotha And to the
top of the hills and the mountains IF your
transgression he is ready to climb with
pardon for every one Of YOU. The
groan of Calvary i. mightier than the
thunder of Sinai Full receipt is offered
for all your ndebteduess If one throw a
stone at midnight into q bush where the
hedge bird roosts, it Immediately begins to
sing; and into the midnight hedges of your
dependency these words nurl, hoping to
awaken you to anthem Drop the tunes in
the minor key and take the major. Do YOU
think it pleases the Lord for you to be carry
ing around with you the debris and carcasses
of old transgressions! You make me think
of some ship that has had tenpestuous time
at sea, and now that it proposes another WOW.
age keeps on its davits the damaged lifeboats
and the splinters of u shivered mast and the
broken glass Of smashed skvlgnt. Nv adj.
vice is: Clear the decks. overheard with all
the damaged rigging. brighten up the saltel
smoke stacks. open a new lor book. haul in
the planlis, lay out a new course and set sail
for heaven. You have had the spiritual
dumps long enough. You will please the
Lord more Nv being happy than hy being
miserable Have you not sometimes started