Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-24

Would that before the dawn Of next
Christmas many exies from Christ
might start and take this journey with
the wise men! Would that all who are
lost in the mountains Of sin might leave
behind their dead selves and seek the
manger. which is afar Off in the land
of purity and love!
Offerings of Love.
What did the wise men do when
they found the manger2 They knelt
and worshiped. Yes, but more than
that. They gave their presents, because,
from time immemorial the gold, the
fraukincense and the myrrh have al
ways been suggestive symbols in wor-
ship. 1t is one act to bow mt the man
ger; 1t is another act to give yourself
as an Offering to Christ. The motive
which prompts the Christmas gifts Is
of more Importance than the intrinsic
value of the gifts themselves. | was
never more impressed with this fact
than by an incident which happened in
my life many years ago. | was at that
time a college student and had been
for some moAshs during my summer
vacation preaching in little Pennsyl
vania church thirteen miles away from
the nearest railroad. | loved those old
Pike county farmers for their honesty
sincerity and genuine piety, which I
have never seen surpassed in any con-
grcgation. Not only did | love them,
but | also respected their intellectual
ity. | think in reference TO the size Of
my audience | spoke there proportion,
atcly to as much brain as | ever nd
dressed in metropolitan audience.
We'll. the last sermon had been de-
| liverod, and it was time for me TO go
back to my studies. was feeling very
depressed at leaving the people. A
drcnching. heavy rainfall was adding
to my gloom. I paced up and down the
farmers porch waiting for the little
stage to take me TO the depot. 1t WAS
| truly a minister's blue Monday" AS
l was walking up and down, thinking
how | had entered into the lives Of
these people and they into mine, saw
n big, awkward, gawky countrylnar
coming down the muddy road. He
stood about six feet one. The bottom
of his pantaloons hardly reached the
| top of his shoes. He seemed to be all
hands and legs and feet. He came up
! to the garden gate. He hcsitated Il
moment and then was passing on.
/ thought the man wanted to come
| and speak TO mo l called: "IIello, So
and-so, Are you not coming in to bid
me goodby?" He opened the gate and
came up the path. Then, dripping
with rain he stood first upon one foot
/ and then upon the other Then he
said: Mr.. Talmagc, | did want to
come and say Eoodby You do not
know how much you have been to me
and my wife since the baby died. AID,
sir, as you are going away, | wanted
to make you n present to show our
love. As we are poor folks | could not
give much, so me and my wife decided
we would give you two of the biggest
apples we have growed in our orchard.
And here they are. sir. GOodby. God
bless you, sir. Goodby." Well, my
friends, am not sentimental, but as
that countryman turned and disap-
peared down the muddy road he left
me crying like child. | did not value
the apples for their intrinsic worth.
valued the affection which was the in
Ccntive Of the couple who gave those
apples to me. And | valued those two
big apples 50 highly that carried them
home to Brooklyn to show them to my
father and mother when | told them
the simple story of that cOuntryman's
love. So it is that the risen and glori-
fled Christ, who once lay helpless
/ babe in that Manager values the gifts
You bring to him. Below and beyond
the gift itself he sees the motive that
prompts IT, Far more precious in his
sight than the most costly offering is
the love Of the heart which the gift
symbolizes and expresses.