Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-04-24

the smile seen; at the wedding of Cana
OF Galilee as in the sob heard in
house Of mourning. He was an Opt.
mistic Christian whose mind was free
from gloomy presentiments. Inhls youth
he grasped the great truth that God is
love. Because God is love he felt
that God approved Of his being strong
and we'll and happy. He always ex.
pected good things to come TO him from
the Divine Father, as a little child nat
urally expects good things to come to
him from an earthly parent. A falling
tear may, ere 1t drops, lodge in the
wrinkles Of smile. A rainbow can
climb over the dark clouds Of storm. II
a member of the family was dangerous
ly sick, he was not dismayed, but al.
ways felt that she would get we'll. If
financial trouble threatened the home.
he never was apprehensive, having I'M
wavering faith that the God who cares
for the birds Of the air and clothes the
lily Of the field would feed and clothe
him and those he loved. He was willing
to undertake big things because he was
walking hand in hand with his Heaven
ly Father, accompanied by the sweet
faced angel Of hope. The result was
that when trouble did come he was the
stronger to meet and bear 1t. And
when greater opportunities Of useful
ness came than even he expected he
was also able to grasp them and COM
pei them to carry him upon their broad
shoulders up the towering heights Of
conspicuous service.
What spirit but one buoyed Ivy cheer
fulness could ever have overcome the
obstacles he conquered? He was tried
by fire literally as well as fguratively.
He had to fight the elements as well
as the human champions Of sin. Read
the history of the first Brooklyn taber-
nacle. The little handful Of seventeen
members who originally called him to
Brooklyn grew to thousands. During a
time of national financial panic sue
ceeding the civil war at great expense
the noble walls Of the first tabernacle
arose. The building was dedicated amid
congratulations and the we'll wishes Of
the city and state. In q few months
that building was destroyed. The whole
structure was tumbled into ruins SO
quickly thai nothing was saved from
the huge ediflce except an immense
mortgage. Homeless and in debt, the
outlook for the congregation was very
dark. Undaunted, however, the stall.
wart leader called his faithful follow
ers about him. Many were discouraged,
but not this modern Nehemiah. The
second Brooklyn tabernacle, built upon
the ruins, was grander and more ma
jestic than the first. This was the struc.
ture where the crowds became so great
that it seemed as If no man who visit
ed New York felt that he had made
the best of his sojourn in the great city
until he had heard my father preach.
But there seems sometimes terrible
sequence in calamities. AS certain dis
eases have a penchant for destroying
certain families, so this fire demon came
to find new prey In the place where he
had once held high carnival. The Sec
ond Brooklyn tabernacle was destroy
ed. The third building went the same
way as did the first and second.
Tho Crosses He Bore.
Domestic bereavement fell upon him,
and people who saw only his outward
cheerfulness had no conception how
deeply the iron had entered his soul.
When my father was dying, he con-
tinually talked about the boy who had
been his pride, his eldest son, who is
now sleeping by his side as he once sat
at his feet. He was noble lad, a
brilliant young lawyer. We carried
him out one cold winter day and laid
him away to rest under soft quilt Of
snow. My father went back to his
work. He said, II dare not lay it
: down even for an hour lest the effort
to take 1t up again should be too great
for me-" He took up his cross in the
same cheerful. hopeful spirit as be-
fore, though the wound In his heart
never healed. He always carried a
scar which was cut by the gravedig-
gers spade.
My fathers best sermon was the
daily life which he lived in his own
home. bear my testimony to the fact
that from my boyhood until the time
that l entered my own parsonage and
was ordained by him for my own pull
pit had before me the example and
upon me the sweet influence of Chris
tan home. There never was in Amer
lea happier or more prayerful home
than that Of which he was the head.
The children idolized him. The exam
Pile he set before them was that of a
consecrated Christian gentleman al
ways anxious to do what Christ would
have him do. There was no bitterness
in the nursery. From him we learned
how to forget as well as to forgive.
Among all the men I have known in
various walks Of life l never knew a
human being who was like him In the
: characteristic that he could never bear
a grudge against any one. An enemy
might do everything in his power to
destroy him, but my father never struck
back. IL he could, he would not only
forgive, but he would 60 any distance
to serve and help an enemy. Among
the many homes I have visited as a
pastor l never entered one where the
parent has so earnestly sought to in