Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-23

| lazy ana My: leil me something
about my mother. You knew her we'll
and were her bridesmaid when she
was married" Then that gray haired
lady will 20 over all the past. She will
tell you what gentle. loving face your
mother had. She will tell you how her
eyes lighted up when you were first
placed in her arms and she looked at
you and said: "My baby, my baby, my
little baby! God bless my babyw Then
that gray haired lady will tell you how
your mothers strength never came
back again after you were born. They
took her south, hoping that the sunny
skies would make her strong again. but
only the warm sunshine of that eternal
city to which she went ever worked
her cure. AS the old lady talks you
look at your mothers picture again and
again and try to imagine her love for
you. But, young man, you cannot do
that any more than q blind bat or a
ground mole can fully appreciate the
colors of butterhys wing or the re-
Election of a dewdrop. So In order to
symbolic Gods love to you, a sinful
man, who never knew what 1t was to
have a mothers love, I would tell you
that 1t is n greater love than the COM
bined loves Of father, wife, chill
dren, brothers and sisters and friends.
1t is love SO deep that no line can
fathom 1t, so high that no birds wing
can overly it. so wide that no mathe-
matician can circumscribe 1t. And all
this love of our earthly mother is only
an infinitesimal part of the love which
today God, like a divine mother, is
ready to pour out of his forgiving heart
for you.
JOY OF Repentance.
But perhaps l can better illustrate
what your dead mothers love was to
you by telling you of an incident
which happened in the life of a very
dear friend of mine. When | started
out in the ministry, was the assistant
of the Rev. Loyal Young Graham,
D. D.. Of Philadelphia. When DIR. Ora
ham, as a young man, was being or
dained for the Christian ministry, Rev.
DR.. Loyal Young, one Of the most emf
nent ministers of western Pennsyiva.
mia in his day, was preaching the or
dination sermon. There he told this
story for the first time. MANY years
ago." said he, "a beautiful young won.
an of the congregation l was at the
time serving lay dying. When I made
my last call upon her, she babe every
one else leave the room. Then she
lifted her little baby boy up and placed
him in my arms as she said: DR..
Young, l am going to die. l want you
to kneel and offer a conservation pray
er. | want you to consecrate this boy
to the ministry of the Lord Jesus and
to the service Of my Master. I am
giving up my life for my baby. Now,
sir, l want to give my baby to the
service of my Christ This is a dying
mothers wish. l do not want you
ever to tell of this conservation until
the day my little baby has grown into
strong man and is being ordained to
the Christian ministry l am here to-
night" said DR.. Young, ito fulfill my
pledge. That baby who was conse-
Grated to the Divine Masters service is
the young man we are ordainlng to-
night. Loyal Young Graham is that
boy. May his mother in heaven, who
gave her life for her child, be witness
of this holy scene"
Sinful man sitting before me today,
are you the son Of Christian mother?
Whether she Is alive now or dead. her
love for you was or is Just as great
as Loyal Young Graham's mother was
for him. Are you today letting her
prayers find xlltilment in-your life7
Are you today letting the love Of God
manifested in the sacrifice Of the Lord
Jesus Christ find response in your
life? VIII you, here and now, realizing
that your mothers love was symbol
Of Gods love for you, surrender your
life to the service of him who, like
divine mother. yearns over you? Re-
member this. oh. sinful man-God
longs for your repentance more than
you can ever long to be cleansed
through the blood Of Christ and to be
forgiven for your past sins. 1t is to
the mother love In God that point
you. 1t is to one who will cling to you
long after even an earthly mothers
affections shall have ceased and when
they have forever faded away.
Copyright 1902. Louis Klopsch, N. IL