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

substitute.
prisoners might utter during their con-
1nement was immediately echoed to
the kings ear and II the prisoners said
anything against their king he heard
It and these prisoners were immediate
~ taken out and executed. Shall not
you and I be more careful to live the
right kind Of lives when we fully re-
alize that each word we utter Is heard
by our Divine Father? Shall we not
be more carcful-not because we fear
the anger of tyrant. but because we
do not want to wound Gods loving
heart any more than we would say n
harsh or sinful word before a loving
earthly parent?
The Passing Year.
I'VE spend our years as a tale that
Is told" That means, in the story Of
life, that we are about to pass from
one book to another. The year of 1902
is nearly finished. The year Of 1908
is just about to begin.
The passing year has been a sad one
for many of us. During the past
twelve months two of my family have
finished their earthly lives, as tale
that Is told AS sit writing this dis
course, l hold in my hand one of the
last letters my father ever wrote to me.
1t goes something like this: Dear
Frank-My last birthday tells me that
l have reached the psalmist's limit
threescore years and ten. My earthly
pilgrimage of life will not continue
very much longer" Within a few
months that journey ended, How soon
it was TO end he little thought Within
the past year my brother-n-law left
U.s. leaving behind widow and her
little children, who are now nearer
and dearer to us Oh account of their
loss In your life the year 1902 has
been a sad year. You have had your
troubles just the same as l. But the
year 1902 has also been a joyful year.
1t has been a year of many blessings.
1t has also been a year when those who
have left us have gone to be with him
who is their Saviour and their King.
But the year 1902 has also been for
all of us a year Of sin. If this chapter
OF the tale OF life Is written, how many
sOled pages there are! Not one Of us
has lived up to our many good oppor-
tunities. We have been guilty both Of
sins OF omission and sins of commits
sion. Like the psalmist, we have rea-
son to cry out in agony, 20 God, thou
knowest my foolishness. and my sins
are not hid from thee" But, though
the year 1902 has been year Of many
shortcomings, it may yet be made q
year Of divine pardon. There are a
few hours of the old year left. Can
we, shall we not crowd these last few
lines Of the book of 1902 full Of peni-
tent prayers, of earnest and tender
pleadings; full of resolves to undo as
far as we can the wrongs we may have
done 80 others?
But the time is speeding away, and
must close. Like a dying invalid, the
breath of the old year is growing short
er and shorter The pulse is getting
weaker and weaker What we are tc
do we must do very quickly. Even
now the cold, clammy sweat is bedew.
ing its brow; even now the eyes are
becoming CLASSY. Soon there will be q
long gasp, then another, then 1902 will
be dead!
o my loved ones, will you not get
down upon your knees and ask God tc
make this year, even in it's closing
hours, a year of divine pardon and tri
umphant hope?
One year, one year, one little year.
And 80 much gone.
And yet the even now of life
Moves calmly on.
Lord OF the living and the dead,
| Our Saviour dear,
| We lay In silence at thy feet
| This sad. sad year!
copyright. 1902. by Louis Klopsoh,l