Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-07-04
TIE BURLINGTON FREE PRESS: THURSDAY JULY 4 1901

Reincmher that no one was ever re.
formed for this life or saved for the life
to come by an argument, but In humblest
and gentlcst way, your voice subdued, ask
him few questions. Ask him If he had
Christian parentage, and If he says yes
ask him whether the old folks died happy
ASK him II he has ever heard Of any one
going out Of this life in raptures OF inf.
deity and agnosticism. Ask him IL it is
not somewhat remarkable fact that the
Bible, after so many years, sticks to-
gcther and that there are more copies OF
II in existence than ever before. Ask him
II he knows Of any better civilization
than Christian civilization and whether
he thinks the teachings Of Confucius or
Christ are preferable. Ask him Il he
thinks 1t would be a fair thing in the
Creator of all things to put in this world
the human race and give them no direct
communication for their guidance and.
IL they did wrong. tell them of no way of
recovery. ] think IL a famous nfidel of
our time, instead Of being taken away in.
simultaneously, hid died in bis bed after
weeks and months Of illness he would
have revoked his teachings and left for
ms beloved family consultations which
they could not find in obscqucs at which
not one word Of Holy Scripture was read,
or Mt Fresh Pond crematory, where no
christian bcnediction was pronounced.
90 not positively say that in prolonged
Illness there would have been retrac-
ton. but ! think there would.
The renowned infdcl, Mr.. Barker, aft.
er spending his long life in lecturna
AGAINST Christianity in all our cities and
In publishing large and elaborate books
IN depreciation of the Scriptures, in the
closing years Of his life wrote to me that
ne had changed and that he would like
to stand In my pulpit and undo the evil
that he had wrought for the most Of his
lifetime ! wrote him in congratula,ion
for his souls sake that be had turned
back from inidclty. but that thought
he could not undo the work Of lifetime
aud that he had talked so long on the
wrong side did not think he could do
anything by talking on the right side.
The mercy of God is so great that many
of the migltiest antagonists Of our rci.
gion have in their last days been brought
70 repentance and eternal life. Let the
thunder Of your wholesome indignant
be followed by the kindly rain OF pity
and love. BE yc angry and sin not"
Rr' let mo confess at this cri.iS Of ny
sermon that there is not IN injunction In
the Bible more difficult 20 obey than tho
words IL the text. While it apnlnuds n
wholesome Indignation. il warns against
sinful anger. And there il in all tho
realm Of passion nothing more Gestruc.
tive than ial:Scrriinatc bate. First OF
all. II fr"nzi's the nervous gnnglia Thcs.
people who easily fare up on little provo.
cation 90 ir'0 Ei1h dudecon. take um.
bragg wiiA"rt reason. snap YOU M prick.
have rri1".' heir nerves. and there il
only one iii"r wo"sr TO ruin. AMI rhot /,
III" E'si1. an'i we say Of ono thar l.. Civ.
IN 10 t.'uH,ut exhibitions of temper That
!" il AT unbalanced man. A business
i1An # "''r acquaintance said: II can.
l"i afford 10 get rad |, hurts mo so"
Nnl II sinful anger damages the body
DOW much rIorC il rivcs the disposition
There are thousands Of men clerks in
stores who would have been members OF
great business firms. and undcrmcchanics
who would have been boss carpsntcrs.
and attorneys who would have been lead.
ing a 'vocatcs. and preachers to congre-
cations who are starving them to death
who might have had apprcciativo sur.
rounlings. who have been kept back and
kept down by urgovernahle tcmpers.
Tho outbreak lasted only a little while,
bat It imprdrd a lifetime.
The work Of an Instant.
A man thoroughly mad can say enough
in two minutes to damage him for 20
years. II took only five minutes for the
earthquake 10 destroy Caracas. One I'M
fortunate sentence uttered in affront in a
speech in the United States senate shut
g.. \
against one Of the most brilliant men Of
the last century. You can never trust
horse that has once run away, and you
do not feel like trusting Il man who has
just once lost his equilibrium. You need
to drive your temper as a man drives q
fractions span amid the explosions OF a
Fourth Of July morning or the pyrotech-
MICS Of n Fourth Of July night. with
curbed bit, taut rein. commanding voice
mastering yourself and mastering what
you drive. II you are naturally high tenn
pered. do not unnecessarily go among irri-
tations and provocations. Do not build
blast furnace next TO a gunpowdcr mill.
Then, also, such demonstrations OF un-
goverpability belittle one. Men take out
their lead pencils and in estimating such
ne take 80 per cent off. About the
most hideouS spectacle on earth is an an
CRY man or woman burning not with the
anger commando in my text. but with
the sin reprehnnlcd. After such q dis
play OF gall. irascbility. yirnencc. his in
hucnce with many is forever gone. Tie
world is full Of politicians, doctors, law
yers. merchants. mechanics. ministers,
housewives. who have by such explosions
been blown 10 pieces.
| say to all young men hoping TO
achieve financial, moral or religious sue
cess-contro your tempers. Do not lot
criticism or defeat rebuff you. Verdi.
the great musician. applied TO become Il
student in the Conservatory OF Music ~
Milan and lie was rejected by the direct
or. who said that he could make nothing
OF the newcomer. as he showed no dispo-
sition for music. But the criticism did
not eXasperate or defeat him. The most |
Of those who have largely succeeded in |
all departments were characterized by |
self control. In battle they would calmly |
look at the bomb thrown at their feet, |
whetser ii would explode. In !
commercial lifc. when panics smOte the /
city, these men were placid, while others |
were yelling themselves hoarse ut the |
Stock Exchange. While others nearly |
swooned because certain stock bad gone |
100 points down, they calmly waited I'M
III il would get TOO points up. While the
opposing attorney in the courtroom froth-
ed at the mouth with rage because of
said on the other side, he Of |
the equipoise put glass OF water TO his |
lips in refreshment and proceeded with |
the remark, "As I was saying when the
gent ioman intprruDtel me ~ Self cOntroll !