Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-01-28

Chrst's religion into practice. They are
the most memorable of creditors. They are
the most grasping of dealers. They are
known as shHrpers on the street. They
fleece every sheep they can catch. A coun-
try merchant comes in to buy spring or fall
goods and he gets into the store OF one Of
these professed Christian men who have re.
ylly no grace in their hearts, and he is COM
plctcly Swindlcd. He is so overcome that
he cannot get out Of town during the week
He stays in town over Sunday, goes into
some church to get Christian consolation,
when what is his anlazement to find that
the very man who hands him the poor box
in che church is the one who relieved him
of his money, Eut never mind, the deacon
has his black coat on now. lie looks sol
eun and goes home talking about the
blessed sermon"
TUE WHEAT AND CHAFF NOW MINGLED.
If the wheat in the churches should be put
into hopper, the first turn of the crank
would make the chaf fly, tell you. Some
OF these men are great sticklers for Gospel
preaching They say, You stand there in
bands and surpice and gown and preach
preach like an angel, and we will stand out
here and attend TO business. Don't mix
things Don't get business and religion in
the same bucket You attend to your
matters and we will attend to ours"
They do not know tnat God sees every
cheat they have prdcticed in the last six
years; that lie can look through the iron
wall of their lrrproof safe; that he has
counted every dishonest dollar they have
in their pocket, and that day of iudg-
ment will come. THESE inconsistent Chris
tian men will sit on the Sabbath night in
the house OF God singing at the close of
the service. Rock of Ages, cleft for me-"
and then when the benediction is pro
nouuued shut the pew door aud say as
t3ey 20 out, "Goodby, religion, I'll be back
next Sunday"
think that the Church of God and the
Sabbath are only an armory where we are
to get weapons. When war comes. if Il man
wants to fight for his country he does not
go to Troy or Springfield to do battling
but he goes there for swords and muskets
look upon the Church Of Christ and the
Sabbath day as only the place and time
where and when we are to get armed for
Christian conflict bnt the battlefield is on
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday and Saturday. st. Martins" and
"Lenox" and Old Hundred" do not
amount to anything unless they sing all
the week. A sermon is useless unless we
can take it with us behind the pillow and
the counter. The sabbath day is worthless
If it last only tweIty-four hours.
There are many Christians who say:
1--WE are willing To serve God, but we do
not want to do it in these spheres about
which we are talking; and it seems SO in.
sipd and mOno;onous If we had some
great occasion if we had lived in the time
Of Luther, if we had been Paul > travelling
companion, ii we could serve God on a
great scale, we would do it, but we can't
in this everyday life admit that a
great deal Of the romance and knight err
r.ntry of lie have disappeared before the
advance OF thS practical age. The ancient
temples OF ROucn have been changed into
storehouses and smithies. The residences
OF poets and princes have been turned into
brokers' shops. The classic mansion of
Ashland has been cut up into walking
sticks The groves where the poets said
The gods dwelt have been carried out for
Glewood The muses. that we used to read
about have disappeared before the emf
grants AK and the trappers gun, and that
man who is waiting for life bewitched Oh
wonders will never find it.
THE GREAT YIELD OF DAILY LIFE.
There is, however, field for endurance
and great achievement, but it is in every
day life. There are Alps to scale There arc
Tablespoons to swim, there are fires tC
brave; but they are all around us now
This is the hardest kind of martyrdom tt
bear. 1t took grace to lead Latmer ant
Ridley through the fire trulnp hantlE
when their armed enemies and their friend,
were loOling on, but it requires more
grace now to bring men through persecu
ton, when nobody is ioo;in. on. | coulC
show you in this city a woman who has hac
rheumatism for twenty years who has en-
Cured more suffering and exhausted NOR,
grace than would have made twenty mar
tyrs pass trumpl.antly through the fire
ii Won are NOT faithful in an insignificant
position in life. Won would not be faithful
in grand mission. If you cannot stand
the bite Of Il nudge how could you endure
the breath Of a baslisk?
DO not think that any work God give.
you to do in the world is on too small
scale for you to DO The Whole universe i,
not ashamed to take care of one littl,
flower say, What are YOU doing dow,
here in the grass, you poor litte flower
Are you not afraid nights? You will bc
neglected, you will die Of thirst, YOU viii
not be fed Poor little flower" NO