Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-01-01

the foddering of the cattle. What
droughts, what freshets, what insectile
Invasion. they remember, To clothe and
feed and educate the household they
went through tolls and self-sacrifces
that tie world knew but little about.
Rest, aged man. Let the boys do the
shoveling and thrashing and cutting and
sweating. You have put the harness of.
and do not try to put it on again.
There are old mechanics that can no
more shove the plane or pound with the
hammer or bore with the bit or run up
the ladder to the scaffolding. Master me-
chanics they were or subordinates who
wrought faithfully in the work of house
or barn or ship building. You have a
right to quit You have finished your
task. Be thankful that your work is
done.
The Retired Physician.
Then there are aged physicians. What
tragedies of pain and accident they have
witnessed! How much suffering they have
assuaged, How many brave battles they
have fought with lancet and cataclysm!
How many fevers they cooled! How
many broken bones they set. How many
paroxysms they quoted! How many anx-
ious days they passed when they knew
that human lives depended upon their
skill and fidelity! They drove back death
from many a cradle. Instead of becom-
ing hardened at the sight of suffering
their sympathies deepened, as with aged
DR. Valentine Mott when. standing be-
fore his students in clinical department
and a child was about to be operated
upon in surgery. he said, Gentlemen.
here are surgeons who will do this work
as well as can. and you will excuse me
if | leave the room, for as l get older |
cannot composedly witness pain as once
could, especially the suffering of little
children" God comfort aud bless the old
doctors, allopatlic, homeopathic, hydro
pathic and eclectic, and make Them will
ing TO be out of practice. Before long
they win hear the benediction of him who
said. Il was sick, and We visited me-"
And there are the old ministers Once
they were foremost in general assemblies
and conferences and associations They
have preached in Pentecosts. They have
stood by Christian deathbeds and seen
Elijahs go up in flaming chariots of
glory. The gospel they preached for fifty
or sixty years illumines their every fea-
ture. They have stopped preaching, for
their breath is short, or their nerves are
a-jangle, or tley lose their thread of dis
course or suffer from confusion of ideas.
Cheer up, aged dominies and doetorsl-The
Bible says God forgets our sins when we
repent of them, but he never forgets
faithful services rendered. He remem-
bers that revival where you stood watch
ing the souls that came las clouds and as
doves to the windows" He has indicated
by your physical or mental condition that
it is time for you to stop. Be content to
stop. Your helmet bears the mark of
many a battleax; your sword is bent
from many holy struggle; your shield is
denied with the thrust of many spear.
Now hang up the armor with gladness.
LET not him that girdeth on his harness
boast himself as he that putteth it off. !"
That was a suggestive and tender scene
when the aged Mr. Finlay Of Edinburgh
said to a girl sinking in rapid decline:
"Weel, my dear, you're afore me. You're
nineteen and are almost across the river.
I'm almost seventy, and maybe III have
some hard steps afore hear its ripple.
Oh, lassie, this is a sweet day for you.
You'll be home first"
Again, learn from Benhadad's beha-
vior the unwisdom of boasting Of what
one is going to do. Better not tell boast
ingy what you are going to do. Wait
until it is done. You do well to lay out
your plans, but there are so many mis-
takes and disappointments in life that
you may not be able TO carry out your
,,1o 10 Of 1t,
the worlds derision and caricature.
Courage in Face of Death.
Do not boast of your moral strength
One of the most brilliant men of the nine
teenth century, having temporarily re-
formed from inebriacy, stood on the plat
form of Broadway tabernacle, New Y rk,
and said. Were this great globe one
crystallite and | were offered the possess
sion of it If | would drink one glass of
brandy I would refuse with scorn, and |
want no. religion to help me-" But that
same man died at Poughkeepsie a drunk
en- pauper. Better underrate than over
rate ourselves.
My subject is also a refutation of the
famous sentiment that God is on the side
of the heaviest artillery. From I'll can
the truth when he said, THE 5 do so
unto me and more also if the dust of Sa-
maria shall suffice for handfuis for all the
people that follow me-" He was so conf
dent that with his superior numbers he
could defeat the king of Israel and cap
ture Samaria that he left the work for a
short afternoon. He is at noon in was
sail with his royal associates, The battle
of Waterloo was not opened until twenty
five minutes of y oclo * at noon, but
that was because the grgund was too wet
to move the artillery. Benhadad waits
until afternoon because he is overconi-
dent God is not on the side Of the most
swords or the most war chariots or the
most cannon il they be in the wrong, but
on the side OF the right.
The Battle of Life.
Notice also that my text takes it for
granted that you must put on the har-
ness, else how can you take il off? Life
is battle--a thirty years forty years
or sixty year. war. Helmet you must
have. for T battleaxes OF sAt aticism
and agnost IN are aimed ct you head.
Every pos effort win be 'Aade to
make yor ak wrong. Tha .cGng man
who gets head filed GI,h wrong DO
tions about God about Christ, about the
soul. about tho great beyond. is already
captured. Put or the helmet, the latchet
well adjusted under the chin. Think
right, and you viii act right. Yes. breast
plate for the heart That is the most i'm
portant part 10 be defended. That de-
cides what sou love and what you hate,
what !, on hope for and what you despise.
That decides earthly happiness and eter-
nal destiny. Keep the heart pure, and
the life viii be pure. Have tho heart cor
NM md EanE act.an. viii be corrmnt.