Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-05-18

cation how much more pathetic Is 1t TO
see one struggling for spiritual edu-
cation when he has been born in the
cradle of sin? When / go down the
street and see men and women whose
faces from early childhood were SCARED
and marres with sin. often say to my
self, What chance have those poor
mortals?' Their fathers perhaps were
Jail birds. Their mothers were disso-
lutte and deserted them perhaps on the
day they We're born. Their companions
from youth have been thieves and rob-
bers. And yet some of these poor
wretches, born in sin. have struggled
up by the grace of God into the light.
They have. by slow and painful stages,
won a hard earned spiritual education,
like "Old Phil" for many years the
doorkeeper of the Jerry McAuley mis-
sion, who was q thief and had served
seventeen years in Jail for his crimes.
! They struggled on and up, battling
their way step by step, fighting against
all the Inherited tendencies of their
past lives. They struggled up out of
| the howell and the saloon and the gut
| ter and the poorhouse. Like the de-
mon possessed Mary, at last they be-
came the sainted Mary, as spotless and
pure as the driven snow.
| But, thank God, none of us-no, /
believe not one-ever had to go through
such a struggle for spiritual educa-
ton. We had that in the days of our
childhood. We were born in Christian
homes and reared at the knee of Chris
tan mothers. Shall we not be willing
to pay God back for this education?
Because he has given us that spiritual
education free, so that we can discrim-
mate between right and wrong, shall
we not. now be willing to pay some
thing at least for our past Christian
tuition?
How can we pay God back for this
spiritual education of our childhood7
l will tell you. In the same way l ex-
pect my children to pay me back for
their intellectual education. Some
years ago had my life insured on the
tontine plan. These premiums at times
have been very hard to meet. But
when we come up to them l always
say to my wife: This money will come
due when 1 am forty-four years of age.
That Is just the time we shall want to
send our boys and girls to college.
Then, after they have had their educa-
ton, as well equipped men and women
they can go forth to the battle of life
and be Intellectually good men and
women" l am going to get my pay
back in the good that 1 hope my chill
dren may be able to do. And so God
expects his pay for our spiritual educa-
ton in the moral, pure, consecrated
lives we should. by the grace Of God,
live for his service. Are you and 1,
my friends. doing what we ought to
do? Are we truly living the Christian
lives which our early bringing up
should justify?
Debt We Owe to God.
A big debt we also owe to God for
the blessings which come to us from
our living loved ones. Strange is the
fact that we rarely appreciate dear
one until she is gone. There are plenty
of monuments and memorials erected
for dead men. but very seldom any for
| thC Nv OuC Vi lAC llOSt ISludI
BILE statues in this country is that
raised in the Brooklyn Prospect park
to James S. T. Stranahan. 1t was un-
yelled while the grand old man of
Brooklyn" was alive to see it with his
own eyes and with his own ears hear
the eulogies of his lifes work We
would be willing, if our finances would
warrant it, to endow a hospital or Ii.
brary or founding home to the mem
DRY of dead child. Do we not owe
God any debt of gratitude to the loved
ones who are still by our side? Shall
not the father and husband feel that he
needs to make some acknowledgment
for the children and the wife who now
sit with him at the table and bow with
him at the family altar? Oh, my
Christian friends, do not believe we
are intrinsically mean. do not and
will not lower myself to the belief that
we have Intentionally gone to God
heretofore only as beggars. Most oil
us have not stopped to think with how
many blessings God has surrounded
us. Therefore 1 have today tried tt
show you the joys Of Christian giving
the joys of paying back to God at leas
a little of what we owe.
, The simple fact is that but few Of
us have ever begun to taste the sweet
est nectars which come from the gospe
J vineyards. Many years ago, goes {
J German legend, princess was to b,
: welded to a prince of the far east. HI
sent to her as a wedding gift an irol
, egg. The princess, in disgust at such
present from her lover, threw it upon til,
: ground, when. To- the shell broke ant
opened, and inclOsed therein was a sill
: yer lining. In great amazement, tn
: princess picked up the egg and fount
in this silver lining a spring. Sh,
) touched it, and it opened, and, 10, in
: side the silver lining was a colder
: yolk She touched another spring, and
} 10, inside the golden yolk glittered
4 bQaufifu1 rIIhV So tho con Some n