Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-11-03

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an enemy. They may have to abide
their time quarter or even half
century, but when the time comes they
arc us vindictive as though the past
injury was Of yesterday. Now. my
text crnphaticaly says: Deal gently
with friends. Deal gently with the en-
cmy also" Love those who love you.
Yes. But love those who hate you and
III treat you and despise you. That ia
the commandment OF my text also.
Dare you disobey Gods orders to deal
gently with those who have done go
an injury2 If you do God will make
you rue your defiance Ia more ways
thnn one. The Sword Of hate" is two
edged and keener than any Damascus
blade. With ono stroke H. Stays foe,
but when the swordsman draws forth
tae blade OF vengeance" whetted with
mortal blood Of his dying enemy. this
sword springs back with It's unused
odge and Stays the yindictive swords
man nlso. Two lives are generally de-
str0yed, and not one. Some Of us have
read the terrific philippe uttered by
Jalnes &. Blaine. the brilliant son Of
Maine. when he tried to retalia1e on
Roscoe Conkling of New York for his
gibeS and sncers. lie acquitted him
self with yigor, winning the applause
OF his friends. With all the force OF
his eloquent tongne he ridiculed and
casttcated his political opponent All,
that was a terrible denunciationl That
was one Of the most bitterly crushing
attacks eyer made IN forensic arena.
James q. Blaine waited for Just the
right time when he could most sue
cessfuil7 bit his foe But that terri.
bic dcnunciat1on against Roscoe Con
king cost James G. Blaine mighty
dear. He paid the price Of that veDQe-
anca at costly rate. That one speech
without doubt cos, him the presi-
dency Of the United States Conking
never forgeve him. Had Blaine tried
to conclliate Roscoe Conkling instead
OF trying to destroy him the 'plumed
knight OF the Maine hills would have
landed in the White House, where all
his friends as well as himself longed
to have him. With n biud geun you can
knock q man down. With Il keen. cut
ting speech you can make him wilt and
compel him to curse you under his
breath. But the sharp word. the BIT
tor word, the sarcastic word. never yet
changed foe into friend Now. MY
text demands that you shnll try to &c.
stroy your foes not by crushing them
but by winning them TO YOUR ranks.
You ara TO destroy them, oven ~ IN
poleon on his escape from E,'No made
Marshal Ney and his grenadiers fail
ut his feet, because they felt he loved
them. You are to destroy them by
dealing gently with them, ly forgiylus
as we'll as forgetting the evils OF the
past.
But greater sweep than the establish
ment Of harmonious relationships with
our personal enemies has the applica-
ton of my text We should try to
bring back to Christ those WHO are at
war with their Divine Master on &c
count of their sins. We should try to
: lead Gods hayward children back TO
their Divine Fathers house, even ~ the
prodigal Of the far country was led TO
return TO the Old homestead NO man
can truly love Christ unless at the
Same time, 10y yearning, tender affec-
ton, he is willing to go forth to save
Christs loved ones even rs he would
want to save one OF his own children.
Bring BACK the Lost sheep.
To bring the lost sheep back 70 the
Shepherds fold ought to be the high
est wish and desire Of every Christian.
, And that Is not to be done by meuaces
, and denunciation. God. as Elijah
, found, Ia not in the earthquake nor in
the fire but IN THE still small voice a"
Men may be Wooed back to God, but
they are seldom driven. And why
| should We not deal gently with God
hayward Children Do you for one
| instant think these people who spiritu-
, ally and morally have gone stray are
!. having good time? Do you fox one
moment suppose that tho man who,
Ike LAGOON, knows that lie and his
family are struggling AMID the crush
, ing coils OF deadly serpents on account
OF his sins would not gladly be rescued
from those enveoping coils II we could
only go to him gently IN Christ's name
and offer 10 him the peace and the pas
don and the hope and the eternal life
OF the gospel? All. yes my brother, no
, would, he would
/ No man enjoys drinking the hlttor
dregs of teinorse, No man for mere
pleasure would allow Satan TO Keep or
fayinR him alive as Satan is doing {
his victims all around us Sometimes
| at first looks ere deceiving In reference
to this From the opened door OF the
saIoos, or low haunt OF vics we hear
the songs and the outlaws OK lGus-i-
! ter, Then we say. sob. what mig
, carniy nj Is sin!" But stop. Is that all 2
90 you SEE that young man who now
comes toward us In seedy attire3 H;
step Is staggering lie is blear eyed
and audlin in drink. lie turns dow
side street and staggers on TO his
lodgings in the upper room Of poor
. tenement, where live his wire and toui
, or five half naked and half starved
children. That young man only ter
years ago was dressed "a we'll as you
or l. He had then n finer business
than you have today. lie once hat
, just as happy 4 home. Tell me that
man Is happy ID that The man whose
, wife so proudly stepped to the altar
to give herself to him in marriage? il
y that the young man her friends con