Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-09-25

out or the way, there gray hairs or
you'll be run down. Mr.. Beecher hur-
ricdly looked around to find out what
old man was in Danger. To his sur
prise and chagrin, he found that the
drayman was shouting to him and that
he and no other was the "old man"
1t is not hard struggle to physically
die. Dying Is just as natural an act
for the body as Is the act Of being
born. But It Is hard to grow old, to
feel that you have to ride when once
1t was an exhilaration to walk, to
know that the mind Is failing. that the
heart has not the old vigor. that the
hand which once grasped and welded
the hilt Of a sword must now do the
small chores around the old homestead
1t Is hard to know that upon the trem-
bling shoulders of old age even the
weight Of small grasshopper's body
can become burden, a heavy, crush
Ing burden.
The Great Burden bearer.
Yet, my friends, amid the dccaying
faculties Of old age the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient to over.
come the burden of the buzzing locusts.
What was the testimony of the aged
Thomas Guthrie, the great Christian
warrior of old Scotland? Standing be-
fore n large assemblage of little chill
dren, he said: Don't call me an old
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 were. One
of my feet MAG 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 it once was,
but my ears are continually hearing
the sounds of sweetest music. Ny eye
may not be as keen to read book. but
my eyesight is continually becoming
more inspired to see the beauties Of
earth as well as the beauties of heaven.
I am not an old man. As approach
my second childhood I 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 IL suffi
cient, 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 yet
physically strong will you not take into
your life this divine power that will be
such n 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 q S good a religion to live by. 1t
means that we should take Christ with
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 ST.
lent partner either. 1t simply means
we should have Christ as a practical
helpmate during the weekday as well
as 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 ct the end of the next thir-
ty-siX hours, John Wesley replied; Il
would do just as I intended to do.
would ask Christ to go with me when
| preached tonight. | would ask Christ
to 20 with me when | meet my three
different preaching appointments to-
morrow, one in the morning, one at
noon and one in the evening. l would
ask Christ to sit down with me when
eat my meals. | would ask Christ to
guard me when l sleep both tonight
and tomorrow night, and then I would
wake up in glory" Like John Wesley,
in the everyday duties Of life, in the
eating and work and sleeping as well
as in the prayer meeting, will you ask
the dear Christ to help you lift the diff
ferent indnitesimal burdens of swarm
of irritating, buzzing. naggng. trou-
bling locusts?
copyright. 1902. Louis Klopsch, n. u