Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-05-09


weakness OF human nature to do that.
The old member of session will sit by
the fire. with tears streaming down
his furrowed checks. rcrroaching him
self when he says: ''Iiere have been
a profcssed follower OF the Lord for
forty years. | ought TO have looked
after the young man; ought TO have
been his guide and protector" When
Peter played the coward and denied
his connection with Christ. the Saviour
did not call meeting of the apostles
for heresy trial ana make Peter de-
NIT the ministry. by his treatment OF
Peters sinful act Christ taught the
lesson OF forgiveness and mercy for
tho penitent wrongdoer. He reordaincd
Peter to go forth and feed his lambs.
Bear We one another's burdens and
so fulfill the law of Christ" is especial
~ an appropriate lesson for Christians
TO learn who take no interest I'm the
welfare OF fellow Christians who are
the members of the household OF faith.
n isn't the thing you 90. friend.
It's the thing you leave undonc
Which gives you a bit of heartache
At the setting OF the sun.
The tender word forgotten.
The letter you didn't write,
The flower YOU might have sent. friend,
Are your haunting ghosts at night.
Accept the Lords Promise.
But my text CLEARLY means also that
every one should try i'm maufuI, wo-
manly. Christian fashion to bear
his own burdens. We are very apt
TO think that our own troubles are
heavier To bear than any other persons
troubles. But IL we were allowed, as
i'm the old legend. to go TO the plain OF
aiIIiction and deposit there our own
sorrows. and were compelled instead to
take mp the sorrows of some one else,
in all liability we would carry away
from tue mountain of difficulty the bur.
den pack which our backs have been
accustomed to carry. Now, we cannot
help our brother to bear bis burdens by
trying to pile upon his stalwart Shout
ders our own burdens in addition.
No man ever becomes n healthy man,
mentally or spiritually, who is q men,
dicant by choice. crawling from door
10 door. begging and whining. Yet
there are some burdens that are abso-
iutely impossible for us to bear in our
own strength. Some of us have had
so much trouble-such an awful, awful
lot of troubled We have suffered again
and again. We have had to go to the
family plot, as went two weeks ago,
and to leave there a loved one. The
grave did look so big, and the black
hole was dug so deep. But there is a
way we can all carry our own burdens.
That way is TO cast them upon the
Lord, and he will sustain us. He has
promised, and he will do it. IL we
will only cast our burdens upon him,
our own hands will be free. Then we
can go forth like athletes stripped for
the fray. We can go forth to help our
brothers and sisters, our parents and
children and all our friends. carry their
burdens.
Help One Another.
Let us return to the good old coun-
try times when every one helped every
other person in the community. In those
good old times every one was ready to
halve friends sorrows as well as
double n friends joys. When the we'd
ding bells began TO ring, the young
girls, the friends of the bride, used to
come from the village and decorate the
church altar with the wild flowers
which they had picked. Friends would
sew the wedding garments; friends
would serve the wedding cake; friends
would help the young people furnish
the new home; friends would bear
the burdens. the happy burdens of
joy. Then, when trouble came, the
same friends would come in and help
medicine; they would close the eve
lids In the last sleep; they would sit
up all night long with the dead; they
would sew. the shroud and carry the
casket and dig the grave. The same
friends would throw into the grave
the sods which would fall upon the
aoffin lid Tho $50 wVutU
raise the maidstone. Friends. the same
friends who once plucked the orange
blossoms, would plant the cypress.
Let us be to each other friends of
that kind. Together let US help one
another over whatever difficulties may
beset We have share to bear, and
as We bear II we fulfill the law of the
gospel. which. In the language OF my
text, says, Bear We one another's bur-
dens and so fulfill the law of Christ"
There lies the merit, in bearing not
merely our own,-but another's; in lift
ing up from the bowed and stooping
shoulders the heavy load under which
the bearer is ready to sink. Reach out
Your strong hand of helpfulness and
with a stout heart give a mighty heave,
and the added burden will seem light
In your grasp. Do 1t, and the sunshine
OF heaven will irradiate many dark
ened home. do it, and countless null
utudes will be led into the kingdom.
Do 1t. and the angels will rejoice; the
celestial portals will open to your VI
sion. and the Saviour's smile will en-
courage the work that shall hasten the
millennium and usher i'm more speedily
the day of his coming.
Copyright 1902 by Louis TSlonsch1