Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-10-08
lie slow to Conde mn.


Be patient. in the next place, with
the Peters Of the three denlals. There
are many, very many, of them. They
are not the sinners who mean to do
wrong, but they are the sanguine tenn
peramcnts who overestimate their own
abilities. They mt times love the Lord
with all their strength. but, then, I'M
derestimating the strength of evil, they
deliberately run into temptation to be
overthrown not once, but twice and
thrice.
The Peters of the three denials! Per
haps that young man whom you dis
charged only last week was one Of
them. He was u fine young fellow.
Everybody who came in touch with
him liked him. Bright? There was no
brighter boy in your store. He was
not only bright, but he was the son
of a good Christian father. Tie knew
better, but he would drink. He came
into your Office drunk about one year
ago. You forgave him once. You for
gave him twice. When he did it the
third time you said "Out YOU gow
Y
Or perhaps he was that employee of
yours who was arrested because he
stole from your safe and then, to cover
| It up. manipulated the ledger. His def
alc8tiOns went OH for months. Or
/ perhaps he was that Peter whom you
caught lying to you. The first time you
said nothing. The second time you
proved to him that he prevaricated.
Tho third time you discharged him on
the spot. And yet in spite Of those lies
of those dcfalcations. of those drunk
cnnesses. you could not help liking this
Peter of the three denials. You loved
him for his own sake You liked him
on account of his father and moth
or. Then. my brother, II you like thai
lad. if you think lac has even yet the
making of good man in him if he
can overcome that one fault why not
take him back again WHY not Give
him another Chancef NO no" YOU an
swer. 81 have given him three differ
cnt chances. Three times are enough"
Are they enough. my brother? Remem-
Der the lads parents. Remember that
he is an impuSivc fellow and not bad
at heart. Remember that Christ for
gave Peter again and again until at
last Peter rose above his Weaknesses
and gave his life fully and freely back
to Christ. VIII you do as much for
that young man in your employ as
Christ did for his impulsive and deny
ing disciple:
EVIL of Hasty Judgment.
From the filthy pieces of clothes gath
cred by the ragpickers in Germany and
France | have seen the manufacturers
of Waterylet, Mich, make tie purcst
and whitest writing paper. From even
the modern Peters of the three denials
there have been developed the Peters
Of the martyred blood. one day Gen
eral Charles George Gordon. more
widely known as "Chincse" Gordon.
saw handsome Chinese youth being
led out to execution. The condemned
had been guilty of many crimes. Cor
don was struck with the looks of the
lad and begged for his life. He said
that he himself would guarantee that
the boy would do right. GordOn's re
quest was granted. The famous soldier
of Queen Victoria and of Jesus Christ
took the lad to his own quarters. He
made the Chinese boy then and there
promise never to do wrong again. Did
| he fulfill his pledge? From that day on
the most faithful servant Gordon ever
| had about him was that boy. rescued
| by the Christian general from the exc.
cutioners AK. He followed Gordon in
| his Chinese mission work. He followed
Gordon to Egypt. And the Chinese
| lads blood mingled with Charles
| George Gordon's blood when the mas
sacre at Khartum ended the earthly
| life of Fngland's most famous Chris
tan soldier. All, the Peters of the
| three denialS are worth saving.
BE patient in the next place, with
| those sinners who have no sympathy
with their fellow mems sins 1t Is very
| easy for US to pass Judgment upon 9th
ers. 1t is very hard, however for rs
TO be willing TO let others crticise their
neighbors when they themselves are
| flagrantly guilty Of the same sins. Yet
everywhere we find that those phar-
isatcal people who themselves are most
| open to criticism are the most critical
Of others.
SIT any day you will in n crowded
city street car and find an illustration
of what | mean. When the poor old col
ored washerwoman tries TO enter with
| her bundles and drops some packages
who laughs the educated gentleman
or the refined lady, the man whose
cerebral development indicates the
| dome Of his skull covers a well devel-
oped brain or are the lauEhers and the
sroUor~ rouuu among the ignorant AMI
| the stupid among those whose intellect
| in all probability Is not even a. great
IS that OF the old black woman, who
never had days schooling in all her
| lie? Who is hardest upon the young
uirlor boy who has gone astrayf The old
| Christian man and woman who from
their very earliest days have prayerful-
| ly followed Christi Oh no! TIE per
| sons who will be most apt to pass the
are the men and the women who dare
not have the search light Of iuvcStgu-
| ton turned upon their own lives So
some of US can we'll make the asser-
ton: Eve dcspise sin. but we deSpise
worse the sinner who Is critic sing sin
when he himself is guilty of the same
| or even worse sins"
Avoid Harsh Criticisms.
!. Ia. Do tfgN,,.