Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-05-21

poet my children to pay me back for
their intellectual education. Some
years ago had my life insured on the
,ontino plan These premiums at times
have been very hard to meet But
when we come up 10 them I always
say to my wife; "This money will coma
due when / am forty four years Of age.
That is just the time we shah want tn
send our boys and girls to college,
Then, after they have had their educa-
ton, az well equipped men and women
they can 60 forth TO the battle Of life
and he intellectually good men and
women" / am going to get my pay
back in the good that l hope my chill
dren may be able to do And so God
expects his pay for our spiritual educa-
ton il the moral. pure. consecrated
lives We should. by the grace of God,
live for his service Are you and I,
my friends, doing what we ought 10
do? Arc we truly living the Christian
lives which Our carly bringing up
should Justify?
Debt We Owe to God.
A big debt We also owe to God foe
the blessings which come to us from
our living loved ones Strange is the
fact that we rarely appreciate n dear
one until she is gone. There are plenty
Of monuments and memorials erected
for dead men, but very seldom any for
the living. one of the most rcmarka-
bile statues I'm this country is that
to James 5. T. Stra1ahan. II was M
voilod while the grand old man Of
Brookiyn" was alive 10 SOC it with his
own eyes and with his own ears hear
the euloglcs Of his LIES work. We
would be willing. il our finances would
warrant It, 10 endow a hospital or Ii
hrary or founding home to the monl-
DRY Of dead child. DO we not owe
God any debt Of gratitude 70 the loved
ones who arc still by our side? Shall
not the father and husband feel that hs
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 va
will not lower myself 70 the belief that
we have intentionally gone 10 cod
heretofore only as beECars Most oe
us have not stopped to think with how
many blessings God has surrounded
us. Therefore have today tried 20
show you the joys of Christian giving.
the Joys of paying back to God Mt least
a little of what we owe.
The simple fact is that but few e
us have ever begun 10 taste the sweet.
est nectars which come from the gospel
vineyards. Many years ago. goes II
German legend, n princess was to bs
welded to q prince Of the far east. II6
sent to her as n wedding gift an IRON
egg. The princess in disgust at such L
present from her lover, threw itupon thu
ground. when, 10, the shell broke and
opened and inclosed therein was a sill.
yer lining. In great amazemcnt, thu
princess picked up the egg and found
in this silver lining n spring. Sha
touched il, and il opened, and. 10, in
side the silver lining was a golden
yolk. She touched another SDrinc. and.
10. inside tho golden yolk glittcred ii.
beautiful ruby. SO the reason some Of
us have had so little JOY out Of our
gospel experience is because we have
only touched the outer edge of its joys.
We have only selfishly looked at tho
gifts which tod has given 10 Us. Rut
when We honestly try by q consecrated
( life 20 pay back God for what no has
done for us then we shall have Il joy