Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-08-19
THE FEYER oF LlrE.

BY Rev. Percy 0Iton. D. D.
And He came and took her by the
hand and lifted her up and Immediate
ly the fever left her and She minis
tered unto them.-St. Mark l. 81
There are few who will deny the
fact that life in the great centers of
industry is for the majority ten times
more of a burden than anything else,
and this not from lack Of b neces-
saries of life, but from the strain and
tension which must be undergone to
secure the means Of subsistence. 1t
is not that the number of hours of
the days labor has increased, put that
the amount Of work per hour is great
er. The facilities for lessening the
drudgery Of work have made a great
er demand upon the attention and
skill in producing the work.
Every faculty must be trained and
alert If the intricate and delicately adj
justed machine is to be kept running
smoothly, every nerve must be on ten
the never-ceasing demands of the ra-
pacious monster that throbs and pants
and flies around in one ceaseless
whiri. Work is done at high pres
sure. 1t is compressed. 1t Is intense.
1t has been relieved of wea Uisome de-
tail, and only the essence of labor is
left.
Thus it happens that, while labor is
not so exacting as regards time, it
demands far more concentration. The
bulk has been reduced, but the con
tents have been increased. This is
true also of other departments of our
modern life. Education has become
a test of the ability to store up the
most Information in the least possible
time.
And so it Is with the social life of
the present age. The question of
pleasure has become absorbing. The
thing is no longer a means to an end;
it has become the end itself. People
live for pleasure. They exhaust ev-
cry energy in the pursuit of pleasure.
Society has become more and more
artificial. Simplicity and informality
are two words not to be found in the
dictionary Of modern society. The life
of the present generation is more
complex, more exacting. more intense
than OF any former age. Cur civiliza-
tioa has developed ii malady hitherto
lnkaowr. and no better lerm can be
found TO describe it than to call it the
fever of life.
Now, where shall we find the rem
edyy Certainly not out Of the condi-
tons hat have produced the disease.
There is no indication from the state
of things that the remedy for the sick
ness VIII be found in the life of which
it has become a part, and it is useless
TO expect that the trouble will dis
appear of itself. On the contrary, it
seems TO be taking firmer hold.
''The strenuous life" is n phrase
with which We are all now familiar.
and which we all admit is a true de-
scription of the present way of exist
ing
The question of the hour is, what
can be done to cure this discsse-this
fever Of life-whieh threatens to ,on-
sumo the vitality of the present gen
Grafton? Christianity points to the
only One who has the power to per
form the miracle of healing. and that
One is the Great Physician, IL Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Mas
ter of Life is here to tell us the secret
of living. He has come to show men
how to live.
oh. hat those who call themselves
His witnesses and messengers would
lay stress on this truth-that Jesus
Christ has come to teach men how to
live. He has come to restore the
world TO health, to free it of the bond
age Of death, to cure it of all its sins,
its spiritual sickness.
aTHf world to-day lies sick of a fe-
yer. 1t win never enter into full per-
lection of its life until it looks to .Je-
sus. who has come to give it life. He
IS waiting to put His cooling. life-giv-
ing touch ON the fever-tossed sufferer
and to give it strength 10 rise up and
perform its task. Both by teaching
and example He has given mankind
the example Of the perfect life. Just
in proportion as the world accepts this
standard will it receive the more album
dant life which is les inheritance.
Jesus is the interpreter of life. He
holds the secret of the life which is.
as wen as the life which is to come.
We don't know how to live, and we
will 20 on laundering and wearing
ourselves out until we take Him ms
u eXemplar. The fever of life is The
result of our experiment with the
things that onght to make for our
happiness. Somehow we cannot get
the right proportion. and instead of
receiving joy and peace and a larger
life from our use of the mixture. we
find ourselves weak and ~feverish and
sick al heart.
Let Us go TO Him and take His life
for example. Let us note what
things He counted precious and what
things He rejected as harmful to the
Eoul- Let rs accept Him as the way
and the truth and the life. and He
will enter the room in WHICH we are
now lying sick of the fever of life
and He viii take us by the hand and
lift Us up and I'll rs with new life
for service 20 His glory and salvation
Of our fellow men
PROBLEM Or PROPORTIONS.