Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1902-09-26

less man as a Christian is walking
sue by sFde with Christ. Even the
CHRISTIAN will lind this burden a heavy
burden unless he has an extra amount
OF divine grace given to him. Mr..
beecher once said that one of the sad
uest days he ever spent was when the
EeaIlzation first came upon him that
ne was going down the hillside of life
ana very soon would not be as phys
ae"ily slrong or as mentally alert as
formerly. The Plymouth pastor said
lAal TINS saddening realization came
upon nm one day when he was at
tempting to dodge in and out Of the
carriages and stages and dray wagons
'Hat We're moving up and down Broad
way. As he was in the middle of that
lHorouShiare he heard a driver angrily
can out two or three times: Get out
OF the way. old man! Haven't you any
sense! Are you too old DO think? Get
OUT or the way, there. gray hairs, or
you II be run down. Nj. Beecher hur-
Fediy looked around to find ont what
OLD man was in danger To his sur
prise and chagrin, he found that the
arayman was shouting to him and that
ne ana no other was the "old man."
II Is not hard struggle to physically
lle. Dying is just as natural an act
Tor the body as is the act Of being
porn. But it is hard to grow old. to
feel that you have to ride when once
II was an exhilaration to walk, to
kAaW that the mind is failing. that the
neart mas not the old vigor, that the
mana which once grasped and welded
lie NIT OF a sword must now do the
small chores around the old homestead.
1t Is hard to know that upon the trem-
pling shoulders of old age even the
weight of small grasshopper's body
can become burden, heavy, crush
ing burden,
the Great Burden Eenrer.
Aet my friends, amid the decaying
faculties of old age the grace of the
LORD Jesus Christ is sufficient to over
come the burden of the buzzing locusts
W nat was the testimony of the aged
4hpmas Guthrie, the great Christian
warrior of old Scotland? Standing be-
Tore large assemblage of little chill
dren, he said: Don't call me an ole
man, as some people do. Why, am as
young and happy as any child sitting
before me today. My limbs may not
be as strong as they once We're. One
" my rect may be in the grave, but
the other foot is planted upon the earth
so firmly that its leg has sunken knee
deep in the clover tops. My hearing
may not be as accurate as 1t once was,
but my ears are continually hearing
the sounds Of sweetest music. NY eve
may not be as keen to read a book but
my eyesight is continually becoming
more inspired to see the beauties Of
earth as well as the beauties Of heaven.
am not an old man. AS l approach
my second childhood l have begun to
/ live a life of eternal happiness and of
never ending joys" Study the faces,
the beautiful happy faces, of the aged
Christian men and women about, and
you will learn as never before that the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is suffi-
Gent, even amid the decaying physical
and mental faculties, to lift the burden
Of the buZzing locust Oh, my young
/ brother and sister, while you are vet
physically strong will you not take into
your life this divine power that will be
such a mighty help to you, when the
keepers of the house shall tremble and
the strong men shall bow themselves
| and the grinders cease because they
are few"
Thus the burden of the locust is a
| very practical theme. The text teaches
that though the gospel of Jesus Christ
is a good religion to die by, yet it is
just as good a religion to live by. 1t
means that we should take Christ with
/ US to sing the lullaby 10 the baby and
to get the early breakfast. 1t means
( that we should take Christ with us to
help harness up the horse and shuck
| the corn 1t means we should ask
Christ to go into partnership with us
in business and not have him be a ST
lent partner either. 1t simply means
we should have Christ as a practical
helpmate during the weekday as well
as a Sabbath companion on our way
to church.
When the great founder of Method
ism was asked what he should do in
the interim if he knew that he was
going to die at the end Of the next thir
ty-six hours, John Wesley replied: q
would do just MS l intended to do.
would ask Christ to 90 with me when
l preached tonight would ask Christ
to go with me when l meet my three
different preaching appointments to
morrow, one in the morning, one al
noon and one in the evening. 1 would
ask Christ to sit down with me when ]
eat my meals. | would ask Christ t
guard me when l sleep both tonight
and tomorrow night and then | would