Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-09-19

churches to gather the people we must
freshen up. The simple fact is, the pco-
pie are tired of the humdrum of re-
ligionists. Religious humdrum is the
worst of all humdrun. You say over
and over again, Come to Jesus" until
the phrase means absolutely nothing.
Why do You not tell them a story which
will make them come to Jesus in FIVE
minutes?
You say that all Sunday school teach
ers and all evnngelsts and all ministers
must bring their illustrations from the
Bible. Christ did not when he preached.
The most of the Bible was W e en before
Chrst's time, but where did ne get his
illustrations? He drew them from the
lilies, from the ravens. from salt, from a
candle, from bushel, from long faced
hypocrtes, from gnats, from moths. from
large gates and small gates, from Il
camel, from the needles eye, from yeast
in the dough of bread. from mustard
seed, from fishing net, from debtors and
creditors. That is the reason multitudes
followed Christ His illustrations were
so easy and so understandable. There
fore, my brother Christian worker, il you
and find two illustrations for q religious
subject and the one is n Bible illustration
and the other is outside the Bible l will
take the hitter. because I want to be like
the Master. Looking across to n hill
Christ saw the city of Jerusalem. Talk
ing TO the people about the conspicuity Of
Christian example he said THE world is
looking Mt you. BE careful. A city that
Is set on hill cannot be hid" While he
was speaking Of the divine care of Gods
children a bird flew past. He said, BE
hold the ravens" Then looking down
into the valley, all covered at that sea-
son with flowers, he said, Consider the
lilies" Oh my brother Christian work
ers, what is the use of going away off in
some obscure part of history or on the
other side Of Sc earth to get an illustra-
ton when the earth and the heavens are
full Of Illustrations?
vicarious Suffering.
Why should we 20 away off to get an
illustration of the vicarious suffering Of
Jesus Christ when at Bloomfield y. j..
two little children were walking on the
rail track and n train was coming; bur
they were on bridge of trcstlework.
and the little girl took her brother and
let him down through the trestcwork as
gently as she could toward the water,
very carefully and lovingly and cautious
ly. so that he might not be hurt in the
fall and might he picked up by those
who were standing near by; while doing
that The train struck her, and hardly
enough of her body was left to gather
into funeral casket? What was that?
Nicarious suffering Like Christ. pang
for others. Woe for others Suffering
for others. Death for others. What is
the use of our going away off 10 find an
., 10, H., LII
gan a mail carrier on horseback. riding
on, pursued by those flames which had
swept over n hundred miles, saw an old
man by the roadside dismounted. helped
the old man on the horse. saying, Now,
whip up and get away?' The old man
got away, but the mail carrier persisted
Just like Christ dismounting from
the glories OF heaven to put us on the
way of dcliverance. then falling back
into the flames of sacrifice for others
I'ang for others. Woe for others
Death for others. Vicarious suffering
What is the use Of our going away off
in ancient history to find an illustration
of the fact that it is dangerous to defy
God when in the AGirondncks / saw a
flash OF lightning and bolt so vivid /
said. That struck something very near"
\ few hours aftcrward we found that
two farmers that Monday morning had
been seated under n tree, the one boast
ing how that the day before-on the
Lords day-he had got his hay In and so
cheated the Lord out of that part of the
time anyhow. and both OF them laughing
over the achievement by which they had
wronged the Lord Of his holy day. when
the lightning struck one dead instantly
and the other had been two weeks in bed
when we left the Adirondacks and has
become an invalid. | suppose, for life.
He did not make as much out Of the
Lord as he thought he did. Was it any
less an illustration for my soul because
! met the clergyman on his way home
from the funeral, and he told me Of the
facts and said the body Of the man who
had been destroyed was black with the
electricity?
O Christian workers. we have got to
freshcn up. What is the use Of our 60
ing back in the Christian classics to find
an illustration of the victorious Chris
tian doathhod when my personal friend.
Alfred Goodman, a few years ago went
away in as imperial grandeur as did
Edward Pnyson? Is it any less an illus
tration to me and to you because | met
him Il few weeks before in front of Trim
! NY fHbTcu, bIouuWdH, ana sull, 'puh-
nan. you look as if you We're working
too hard?" Where in all the classics is
there such story as that OF Goodman
when, in his last moment, he cried, 81
am sweeping through the gates washed
in the blood OF the LambV
The Blessed Hest.
What is the use of going away off TO
get an illustration when in q house on
Third avenue, Brooklyn, ! saw woman
dying. and she said, "Mr. Talmage,
heaven used 10 be to me a great way
III, bat il now is just at the foot OF the
bcdY' Whit is the use of your going
away off to get illustrations OF n victori-
GUS dcathhcd when all Wales was filled
with the story Of the dying experience
Of Frances Ridley IIavcrgal? She got
her feet wet standing on the ground