Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1904-12-29
UNDER THE LOAD.


Amos .: Is.
II you have spent many days In the
country you know how the prophet
happened to select this illustration,
There Is always strong temptation
FOR a farmer to put one more Sheaf ON
his load But after while he discov'
ers that no one can do all he might
like to do. The wheels have been sink.
Ing into the soft ground, and his big,
splendid team may tug and do Its best,
but with all that, and with all OF his
pushing ON the wheel, and useless
whipping OF the horses, and senseleas
irritation. he will end by recognizing
the fact that there Is such a thing as
being too ambitious.
Now, this overloaded cart is like an
overloaded life. We all cheer and hon
or progress, The greatest thing In the
st. Louis exposition ls the evidence OF
marvellous improvement and advance
ment In the last ten years, The whole
world Is not only wide awake, II Is
hard at work. and we are all thankful.
We have no patience with people
who whine about "worldllness" We
believe the talk about this material
istie age" is greatly overworked. II Is
a species OF unmanly drivel and cant
for preachers, deacons, and Sunday
school teachers to be forever harPing
upon their false emphahls of the text,
slow hardly shall they that have rich
es enter into the kingdom OF God" As
| read my Bible. when God fed his
chosen people he gave them quail to
eat because Il is the finest bird that
files And God helped Solomon make
silver as common as stones In the
streets OF Jerusalem. But with all this
encouragement we are not to overload
In the city you have noticed how
the merchant. anxious to market his
goods, will put one box too many on
the truck. The load starts or easily,
The iron shoes of the team strike
sparks from the pavement. and ada
cent buildings jar under the tread Of
the wheels, and the head OF the firm
looks out through his gold spectacles
and excIaims, That's business" But
around the corner the pavement Is
broken. There Is a hole and the hind
wheel OF the cart drops into 1t. The
horses are brought up with Jerk that
almost throws the driver from his
seat With a red lantern tied to the
pole the load remains there all night.
The shipper missed his train. he miss
ed his market, he missed everything
that he aimed at. In the red light Of
that danger signal there is a good op-
portunity for us to read the lesson OF
the text.
And 1t goes a great ways toward
proving there is nothing 80 much the
matter with government, or politics,
or religion. The trouble is life Is over
loaded. But II we thank God as we
do for a load OF prosperity, let us also
be thankful for the compliment intend
ed in giving us the load 1t is in this
light we should think of such texts as
"Whom the Lord loveth he chaSten-
eth"
A load Is always a compliment. God
never yet called Judas to any great
work, because Judas is always weak.
He does not want to be a disciple for
the sake Of filing the world with good
ness and gladness, but for the sake Of
filing his bag. OF course, under any
strain of self-denlal, such man would
break down. The world has always
turned to the busiest men In any COM
munity to get things done. Their activ-
ity Is one way God has of Indicating
that they can be depended upon. 1t Is
a compliment, therefore, to have your
name linked with theirs. IL you are
asked to carry a load, that Is proof
enough that you are good for some
thing. You have strength, endurance,
patience, ability, power, or you would
have no trials or responsibilities. Do
not fret then over load Of business
or the load of family care.
Which had you rather be like-a GER
tain fig tree the Master saw, green and
promising on the hillside, but which he
approached and withered with the hot
breath of his Indignation, because 1t
had nothing but leaves, or like man
doing your best in harvest field, load
ed like a cart that is pressed, that Is
full OF sheaves? Such load Is a
means Of developing our strength.
Many of the brightest saints the
world has known owe thedr canoniza-
ton not to the recognition of any
church but to the discipline Of the load
of life. Just as when horse Is put
ting forth all his weight the driver
throws a load on his back and the
added weight gives him additional
pull, 30 a cross laid upon us at time
when we think we are doing our best