Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-08


upon for help? Whom did you promise
to serve at that time? God. Ten years
ago you were supposed to be lying upon
your dcathbed. Had you died at that
time, you would have left your family
pennllese. Whom did you promise TO
serve If he made you well? God Eff.
teen years ago you joined the church
during a time Of religious awakening.
Have you kept your pledges that you
made to Jesus Christ at that timer
"Nay, nay" answered the merchant in
his dream. "But I will. From hence
forth will, will" And from that mo-
mcnt the sinful merchant lived new
life. This ensuing year, like the memo
rable dream of the sleeping merchant,
is to open for you a new life 1t is to
be IA year when you shall ondcavor to
fulfill the broken promises which you
long ago made TO Jesus Christ.
joys of the Coming Months.
Happy now year To you, sinful man.
Why happy Because during the com-
ing twelve months YOU shall for the
first time enjoy the sweet blessings ana
cXhilarations Of Christian service. The
joy of self sacrificing Christian life
docs not appeal TO the average uHcon'
sccratcd man. He says to himself
"What Is the good of sacrificing for
other people? They never appreciate it.
Ny doctrine is to look after number one
and let number two look after himself.
The world will always ride a willing
horse to death. Then the only ubse-
quies that willing horse will ever get are
Il ScavcnCer's cart for Il hoarSc and a
glue factory for a crcmatOry. 40, no,
no The beauties of self sacrificing do
not appeal to me. The more have the
more people respect me. The less /
have the less they respect me. The
more ! am willing to serve others the
more my motives will be misjudged,
and | will I've misrepresented.'
Some time ago | was riding through
the country on Il long trip. The team
of horses was composed Of a big, pow
crful animal who was just as lazy as
he was big and strong. The second
was a little w!ry animal who tugged
and pulled all day long Yet, strange
To- say. every time We came 10 a hill
begin to beat the little horse. At last
protested. said: why do you whip
that little horse: Why do you rot hit
that big. lazy brute who Is always
tagging behind and hardly keeping his
traces tautE" oh" answered the driv-
or. II know you do not understand
much about horses when you ask me
such Il question as that. Tho reason
/ hit the little horse is because he is the
willing horse. That big horse is the
buIity horse. If | hit him, he would
immediately lie down and begin to
kick this wagon all to pieces. There
fore | whip the little willing horse to
keep the big balky horse agoing.' Then
| sOlilOqui2ed 10 myself, for at that
time | was not a truly converted man;
All. how true Is that of the world. II
man tries to do anything for human
ity. he is the willing horse. IL" Is
kicked and cufed and cursed and
brow beaten. The balky horses, the
useless horses, the selfish horses, are
always the kindly treated horses and
the happy horses
But though l made that deduction
many years ago have now en-
tircly changed my mind. The willing
men of the churches are always the
happy men, The self sacrificing men
are always the rich men spiritually.
They are not the selfish men. They are
not those who will grab and keep al
that they can. The Dead sea is bitter
and acrid and saline and repu!s.Ve