St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-10-30
Some Things Have Learned From
rly Bicycle.

the rooms of the Y. M. c. A., In Mont
pelicr September, 1895.
III were asked to name an appro.
pirate symbol OF the age in which we
live, | should not hesitate to saw
"The Bicycle" If were asked 10
name phrase OF recent date, which,
though born as slang, seems to have
earned reputable place in the
English language for the service it
has rendered, | should say "To get
there" That phrase forcibly ex-
presses the aim OF the business man.
the politician, the student, the trav-
eler, the man who is looking for
success in anything. Moreover, it
has a certain forceiul meaning when
applied to all the serious aims in life.
and to the struggle to reach Heaven
by and by.
That phrase ito get there" and
that thing "the bicycle" are twins.
They look alike. They both tell the
same story.
My experience as pastor has
been so pleasant that it is not neces-
sary for me to say, as | heard a
brother minister say once: "The
chief thing ! have learned from my
bicycle is how to keep my feet on
cranks." But | have learned some
valuable lessons from my wheel. 1t
is not for me speaking parable of
the new revelation.
My first lesson is the advantage of
having a good machine. | am not
an agent for any special make Of
wheel, but the thing look out for
when | buy one is reliability. My
wheel must be safe, durable, strong.
1t must be made of the best materials
and well put together. Moreover, if
want it to serve me well, must
keep it in good repair, and well oiled.
Every nut must be tight, every part
perfect, for when | coast down hill
at the rate of fifteen miles an hour,
want to be measurably sure OF get
ting there" My wheel must not fail
me in an emergency.
The parable teaches the advantage
Of having our life equipment the best
possible. II we do not want them to
fail us in an emergency, our machines
must be in perfect condition. They
must be reliable, dependable. This
is why it is as much religious duty
to take care Of our bodies as of our
souls. God holds US responsible tor
making the most possible ofourselves.
He provides the machine in the first
place on which our race is to be run,
and He demands OF us "toget there. -
To this end it is our duty to keep the
machine in good order, to keep it
well oiled; to see that the parts are
all tight and firm. Flabby muscles
do not glorify God. Weak nerves
are no honor to Him. A dyspeptic
stomach is not the Lords delight.
He takes no pleasure in human head
aches or backaches, or narrow chests,
or STOPPING shoulders. There is a
gospel in athletics. Paul spoke as a
man when he said bodily exercise
profteth little" If i am to "glorify
God in my body" as well as in my
spirit, since both are Gods, | must
keep that body in the best condition.
So of my mind. | heard young
man say once: II wouldn't give a
cent to know anything more than
know today" That remark proved
him a fool. Our minds are tools.
They must be sharp in order to do
good work. Mental equipment,
more than nything else, determines
our success in life. We need both a
large accumulation of facts anu the
mental culture that will enable US to
use those facts. We should not think
of our school days as ending with
our graduation day when the great
Master promotes us to higher
grade. Eternity is to be school,
and its purpose is more and more
complete equipment for more perfect
work.
SO of the soul. No man has per-
iect machine tor the doing of his APP
pointed life-work who neglects that.
The soul is the part Of the man. His
manhood, his life-efficiency, his life
successful depend on the proper
care and training of it. Whoever
aspires to make record" of his life,
by all means will keep his heart, his
SOUL with all diligence" He has a
laulty, unreliable machine, otherwise.
rNt Il