Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-07-21
MI RI r. NJ. READ, on. D., Harvard, 1861
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life and with the idea OF Improvement
long for an opportunity to try 1t over
again, yet go on making the Same mistakes
and committing tho Same sins, we only
demonstrate that tho repetition of our OK
istcnco would afford no improvement. 1t
was green apples before, and 1t would be
green apples over again
Duoys to Mark the Right Channel.
AS soon as a ship captain strikes rock
in tho lake or sea he reports It, and buoy
Is swung over that reef, and mariners
hcnccforth stand Off from that rock. And
all our mistakes In the past ought to be
buoys, warning us to keep in tho right
channel. There Is no excuse for us II we
split on the same rock where wo split be-
fore. Going along tho sidewalk at night
where excavations are being made we fire.
quently see lantern on framework, and
we turn aside, for that lantern says keep
out of this holo. And all along tho path
way of life lanterns aro set as warnings,
and by tho time we como to midlife we
ought to know where 1T Is safe to walk
and where it Is unsafe.
Besides that we have all these years
been learning how to be useful, and in tho
next decade wo ought to accomplish more
for God and tho church and the world
than in any previous four decades The
best way to atone for past Incidence or
past transgrcssion Is by future assiduity.
Yet wo often find Christian mon who wero
not converted until they were 40 or 90,
as old age comes on, saying, well, my
work is about done, and it is time for me
to rest" They gavo 40 years Of their
lifo En- catop and thu world 1ittlo
mcnt Of their life to God, aud now they
want rest Whether that belongs to come
dy or tragedy say not
Tho man who gave one half Of his early
existence to tho world and of the rcmain-
ing two quarters one to Christian work
and the other to rest would not, suppose,
| get a very brilliant reception In heaven.
| If there are any dried leaves In heaven,
they would he appropriate for his garland,
| or IL there Is any throne with broken steps,
1t would DO appropriate for his coronation,
or any harp with relaxed string, it would
be appropriate for his lingering My broth
er, you give ninc-tcnths Of your life to sin
and satan, and then get converted, and
then rest awhile In sanctiflcd laziness, and
then go up to get your heavenly reward,
and warrant it will not take tho cashier
of the royal banking house great while
to count out to you all your dues. He
will not ask you whether you will have 1t
in bills of large denomination or small. /
would like to put one sentence of my ser
mon in italics and have 1t underscorcd
and three exclamation points at the end OF
the sentence, and that sentence is this; As
wo canppt live our lives over again, the
nearest we can como to atone for the past
is by redoublcd holiness and industry in
l.. Il T.
been detained and switched OIL and Is far
behind tho time table, the engineer for the
rest of the way must put on moro pressure
of steam and go mile a minute in order
to arrive at the right time and place under
tho approval of conductor and directors.
Your Own Application.
As supposed it would be, there arc
young people on whom this subject has
acted with the force Of a galvanic battery
Without my saying word to them, they
have soliloquized, saying: "As one cannot
live his lifo over again and can make
only ono trip must look out and make
no mistakes. have but ono chance, and
must make the most Of it," My young
friends, nm glad you made this applica
ton OF tho sermon yourself. When min
lister toward tho close Of his sermon says
Now, u fow words by way OF applica
tion," people begin to look around fol
, their hats and get their arm through one
sleeve of their overcoats, and tho sermonic
application is failure. l am glad yot
have made your own application, and thai
you arc resolved, like Quaker of whom
read years ago, who In substance said, 81
shall be along this path of life but once,
and so l must do all tho kindness car
and all the good l can. "
! My hearers, the mistakes Of youth cor
never be corrected Time gone is gon,
forever An opportunity passed the thou
sandth part OF second has by ono lcaI
. reached the other side of great eternity
In tho autumn when the birds migrate
! you look up and sec the sky black will
wings and the llocks stretching out int,
! many leagues Of air, and so today lool
up and see two large wings in full sweep
, They arc tho wings OF the flying year
That is followed by q flock of 1856, ant
they are tho flying days. Each Of the fly
ing days Is followed by "a, and they ar
;. tho flying hours, and each Of these is fol
lowed by 90, and thcse are the flying min
D utes. Where did this great flock star
3 fromP Eternity past. Where are the
II bound' Eternity to come. You might a
o we'll go a-gunning for tho quails tina
y whistled last year In tho meadows or tn
o robins that last year caroled In the sky q
II to try to fetch down and bag one Of tn
n past opportunities Of your life Do nc
20 say, ~ will lounge now and make 1t Il
If afterward." Young men and boys, 20
Is can't make it up. My observation is tha
d those who in youth sowed Wild oats to tn
r end OF their short life sowcd wild oats
N and that those who start sowing Genese
wheat always SOW Genesco wheat,
III ReAping the Harvest.
y, :. And then the reaping Of the harvest
y, SO different, There is grandfather nov
- He has lived to old age because his habit
~ have been good His eyesight for TIL
~ ~, world has got somewhat dim, but his ey'
~ sight for heaven Is radiant, His hcarin
~ is not so acute as 1t once was, and he mui
W bend cloar over to hear what his lit
-. grnndchld says when sho asks him VIII,
~ no has brought for her. But no east
40 catches the music raincd from supern
spheres. Men passing in the streets tai
20 off thoiv hats In reverence and women sa
20 What good old man he isP' Seventy
IT IT 80 years all for God and for making tn
q world happy. Splondidl Gioriousl Ma
~ ~ niAcent He will have hard work gettir
90 into heaven because those whom he help
"a to got there will fill up and crowd Il
~ ~ gates to tell him how glad they arc at
~ coming, until he says, please to staI
NV hack y little till nAss throunh and ca