Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-02-06

this road JuSU as we'll as III no were q phil
losophcr. The imbeoilo boy, tho laughing
stock of the street, and followed by a mob
hooting at him, has only just to knock
onco Mt the gate of heaven, and 1t swings
open, whilo there has been many u man
who could lecture about pneumatics and
chemistry and tell tho story of Faraday' s
theory of electrical polarization and yet
has been shut out of heavon There has
been many man who stood in an observ-
atory and swept the heavens with his tele-
scope and yet has not been able to sec the
morning star. Many man has been fa-
milinr with all the higher branches Of
mathematics and yet could not do tho
simple sum- What shall it profit a man
If he gain the whole world and lose his
own soul?' Many q man has been fine
reader of tragedies and poems and yet
could not Tread his title clear to mansions
in tho skies"
Many man has botanizcd across tho
continent, and yet not known the Rose
of Sharon, and tho Lily of the Valley
But If one shall come in the right spirit
asking the way to heaven, he will find It
"a plain way. The pardon is plain The
peace is plain. Everything is plain. He
who tries to get on the road to heaven
through the New Testament teaching will
get on beautifully. He who goes through
philosophical discussion will not got on at
all Christ says, Come to mo and l will
take all your sins away, and will take
all your troubles away" Now what is
tho use Of my discussing 1t any moreS Is
not that plainp If you wanted to go to
some city, and pointed you out n high
way thoroughly laid out, would 1 BIZ wise
in OBTAINING you by a geological discussion
about the gravel you will pass over, or u
physiological discussion about tho muscles
you will have to bring into plays No
After this Bible has pointed you tho way
to heaven, is 1t wise for me TO detain you
with any discussion about tho nature of
the human will, or whether the atonemcnt
is limited or unlimitod2 There is tho road
go on 1t. 1t is plain way This is q
faithful saying and worthy of all accopta-
ton that Christ Jesus came into tho world
to savo sinners" And that Is you and
that is me. Any little child hero can I'M
derstand this as well as l can. UNLESS
you become rs little child you cannot
soc tho kingdom Of God If you arc
saved, IL will not be as philosopher; it
will be us n little child. "Of such is tho
kingdom of heaven Unless you get the
spirit of littlc children you will never
come ont at their glorious destiny.
A Safe Road.
Still further, this road to heaven is n
safe road. Sometimes the traveller in those
ancient highways would think himself
perfectly secure, not knowing there was u
lion by the way, buryinR his head deep
between his paws, and then, when the
right moment came, under tho fearful
spring the mans life was conc, and there
was u mauled carcass by the roadside.
But says my text, ono lion shall be
there" 1 wish l could make you feel
your entire security. l tell you plainly
that one minute after man has become u
child Of God he Is rs safe as though ho had
been 10, 900 years In heaven. He may slip,
he may slide he may stumble but he can
not be destroyed kept by the power Of
Cod through faith unto complete saliva
ton, cyerlastingly safe. The severest trial
to which you can subject Christian
man is to kill him, and that Is glory. In
other words, the worst thing that can hap
pen child Of God is heaven. The body
is only tho old slippers that he throws
aside Just before putting on the sandals Of
light. His soul, you cannot hurt it. No
fires can consume 1t; no floods can drown
it; no devils can capture 1t.
Firm md unmoved are they
Who rest their souls on God;
Fixed as the ground where David stood.
Or where the ark abode.
His soul is safe. His reputation is safe
Everything is safe. "But, you say, "sup-
pose his store burns upY" Why, then 10
will DO only a change Of investments from
earthly to heavenly securities. "But, -
you say, suppose his name goes down
under tho hoof Of scorn and contompt?"
Tho namo will be so much brighter In
glory. Suppose his physical health failsP"
God will pour into him the floods of ever
lasting health, and it will not make any
difference Earthly subtraction is heaven
ly addition. The tears Of earth are the
crystals of heaven. AS they take rags and
tatters and put them through the paper
mill, and they come out beautiful white
sheets of paper, so often the rags of earthly
restitution, under the cylinders of DEATH
como out q white scroll upon which shall
be written eternal emancipation. There
was ono passage of Scripture the force Of
which | never understood until one day
at Chamounix, with Mont Blanc on one
side and Montanvert on the other. l opened
ore around about Jerusalem, so the Lord
is around about them that fear him. I"
The surroundings were an omnipotent
commentary.
Though troubles assail and dangers alright,
Though friends should all fail and foes all
unite,
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,
The Scripture assures us the Lord will pro-
vide
A Pleasant Road.
Still further, the road spoken of is a
pleasant road God gives bond of in
demnity against all evil to every man that
treads it. IAN things work together for
good to those who love God" No weapon
formed against them can prosper. That
is the bond, signed, sealed and delivered
by the president of tho whole universe.
What is the use of your fretting, o child
Of God, about foodf Behold the fowls OF
the air, for they SOW not, neither do they
reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your
Heavenly Father feedeth them" And will
he take caro- Of the sparrow, will no take
care of tho raven, will he take caro- OF the
hawk and lot you deY What is the use of
your frotting about clothes? Consider
the lilies Of the field. Shall he not much
more clotho you, o ye Of little faithp'
What is tho use worrying for fear some
thing will happen to your home? "Ho
blesseth the habitution of the just" What
is tho use Of your fretting lest you will be
overc ONE of temptations God Is faith
full, who will not suffer you to DO tempted
above that yo are able, but will with the
temptation also mako a way to escape that
We NAV bo able to hear IL ~ oh this