Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-03-23


like this democratic principle Of the
gospel of Jesus Christ which recognizes
the fact that we stand before God on one
and the same platform. Do not take on
any airs, whatever position you have gain
ed in society, you are nothing but man,
| born of the Same parent, regenerated by
the same Spirit, clcanscd in the same
| blood, to lie down in the same dust to get
up in tho same resurrection. 1t is high
time that we all acknowledge not only the
| Fatherhood of God. but tho brotherhood of
man.
Temptations Abound.
Again, the street imprcsses me with the
fact that it is a very hard thing for man
to keep his heart right and to get to hcav-
en-. Infinite temptations spring upon us
from these places of public concourse.
| Amid so much afiluenco, how much temp
| tation to covetOusncss and to be discon-
tented with our humble lott Amid so
! many opportunities for overreaching, what
! temptation to cxtortion Amid so much
| display, what temptation TO vanityl Amid
so many saloons Of strong drink, what
allurcment to dissipation In the mael-
stroms and hell gates of the street. how
many make quick and eternal shipwreck
/ If man of war comes back from battle
and is towed into the navy yard, we go down
to look at the splintcrcd spars and count
the bullet holes and look with patriotic
/ admiration on the flag that floated in VIC
| tory from the masthead. But that man is
! moro of curiosity who has gone through
80 years of the sharpshooting of business
| life and yet sails on, victor over the temp
tations of the street. Oh, how many have
gone down under the pressure, leaving not
SO much as the patch of canvas to tell
where they persisted! They never had any
peace Their dishoncstics kept tolling in
their cats. If / had an AK and could split
/ open tho bcCms of that fine house, perhaps
/ would flnd in the very heart of it II skelo
ton. In his very best wine there is a
smack of poor mans sweat. Oh, is it
strange that whom a man has devoured
widows houses he is disturbed with indi-
gcstion? All the forces of nature arc
! against him. The floods arc ready &c
drown him and the earthquake to swallow
him and the fires to consume him and tho
lightnngs to smite him. But the children
of God are on every street, and in the day
when the crowns of heaven arc distributed
some OF tho brightest of them will be given
to those men who were faithful to God and
! faithful to the souls Of others amid the
marts of business, proving themselves the
heroes of the street. Mighty were their
temptations mighty was their deliverance,
and mighty shall be their triumph.
shnms and Pretensions.
Again the street impresses me with the
fact that life is full of pretenson and
sham. What subterfuge, what double
dealing, what two facednessl Do all peo-
Pile who wish you good morning really
hope for you happy day? Do all the peo
pie who shake hands love each other9 Are
all those anxious about your health who
inquire concerning it? Do all want to see
you who ask you to call9 Does all the
world know half as much as it pretends
to know? Is there not many wretched
stock of goods with brilliant show win
dow? Passing up and down the streets to
,your business and your work, are you not
impressed with the fact that society is
hollow and that there are subterfuges and
pretensionsf Oh, how many there are
who swagger and strut and how few peo-
Pile who are natural and walk While
tops shipper and fools chuckle and simple
tons giRgle, how few people are natural
and laugh The courtesan and the liber
tine go down the street in beautiful ap-
parel, while within the heart there arc
volcanoes of passion consuming their life
away | say these things not 10 create in
forget there are thousands Of people u
great deal better than they seem, but do
. not think any man is prepared for the
conflict of this life until he knows this
! particular peril Ehud comes pretending
to pay his tax to King Eglon and while
he stands in front Of the king stabs him
through with dagger until the haft went
in after the blade. Judas Iscariot kissed
| Christ
Field For Charity.
Again, the street impresses me with the
fact that it is great field for Christian
charity. There are hunger and suffering
and want and wretchedness in the country,
but these evils chiefly congregate in our
. great cities. On every street crime prowls
T. and drunkenness staggers and shame
t winks and pauperism thrusts out its hand
, asking for aims Here want is most squalid
q and hunger is most lean A Christian
man going along street in New York
saw q poor lad, and he stopped and said,
My boy do you know how to read and
wrteY' The boy made no answer. The
} man asked the question twice and thrice,
i Can you read and writer and then the
boy answered with a tear FLASHING on the
3 back of his band He said in defiance:
mo, sir; l can't read nor write neither.
Didn't he take away my father SO long
ago | never remember to have seen him,
= and haven't I had to go along the streets
t to get something to fetch home to eat for
f the folks, and didn't !, as soon as l could
I carry IA basket, have to 90 out and pick up
D cindcrs and never have no schooling, siri
4 God don't want me to read, sir. l can't
read nor write neither" Oh, these pool
wanderers They have no chance Born
= in degradation, as they get up from their
4 hands and knees to walk, they take their
2 first step on the road to despair. Let us &c
o forth in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
| to rescue them. Let us ministers not be
/, afraid Of soiling our black clothes while
/, we 20 down on that mission. While we
{ are tying an elaborate knot in our cravat
Il or while we are in the study rounding off
some period rhetorcally we might be say
h ing soul from death and hiding multi
f tude Of sins. oh, Christian laymen, &c
s out on this work. If you are not willing
f TO 40 forth yourself, then give of your
G means, and If you are too lazy to go and
s If you are too stingy to help, then get OUT
h of the way and hide yourself in the dens
g and caves Of the Garth, lest when Christ.
0 chariot comes along the horses hoof,
IS trample you into the mire, Beware lest
o the thousands of the destitute Of your city
S in the last great day, rise up and curse
!. your stupidity and your neglect. DowI
n to work. Lift them up
n One cold winters 1ay as n Christian