Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-04-14
Talma&e

by Rev.
Frcnk De SsIfff
Ia m oSe. D. -.

Sickness. rs well rs IN hcaltll, 600 re-
1lircs our cooperation and the en-
crcisc of our faith, and that the divine
blessing follows this union of faith
and works. The text is Genesis xxx,
80. And the hocks brought forth cat
lie. ringstrakod. spccllcd and spotted
I.aban, though Il man of wealth and
influence among the Hebrews of his
day, vas yet, like many rich men in
cur time. mean and Unnrnciplcd where
bargain was involved. In his com
pact with Jacob the weak points OF
his character were strikingiy revealed.
lie had two daughters. Leah was
lender eyed, but Rachel was very beau
iiful:" in other words. the elder sister
was honey and unattraCtive. She
was n naidNn LADY whom no one cared
10 marry: her eyes were Unframed. or
watcry. or east her disposition was
evidently rs much askcw as her eyes.
Jacob was deeply in love with the
younger sister. bat after he had served
seven long years for hor old 1abnn
cheated him out Of his promised bride
and pnlncd off upon the young man
the unattroctivc elder sister Then.
in order to win the Younger sister.
Jacob had T. serve seven more long
years. End rs result he had two
wives instead Of one
Power of the Mind.
At the end cf his fourteen years OF
service Jacob prepared TO leave his ia
eriu-'aws employ. He wanted to
nd nH
build n home of his own somewhere
This. howcver Laban did not wish him
10 do. So the crafty I.aban made a con-
tract with Jacob that if he would stay
and continue in charge of his herds OF
cattle and flocks of sheep he. Laban,
would give to the young man rs pay
,nent for his services all the calves and
the lambs and the kids that were born
ringstrakcd or spcckled or spotted.
Jacob agreed 10 the bargain. But
when he agreed the yo;.3g man wG5
Craftier than the old man. As the Ia
ther in law had teen unprinciplcd with
Jacob so jacob vas unpri.S.r> ed now
with Laban. VIVA. did JaccI do. DID
he allow nature IL simpl.' take its uSua!
course? No. He began &c scheme and
20 cunningly influence the colors of
the calves. the kids and the lambs
about to be born He took some rods
Of greer poplar and hazel and chestnu.
md laid those rod of whit ana black
In The watering troughs OF tn" herds
and the flocks. Thcl. whcf 80 cows
and the sheep ID the goats me 10
drink out of IT, watering IT, icb the
black and W.T., rods reilcctet' in the
wn'er ma /" sucii startllny impress
sion ur.p, them that tho calves. kids
and lambs bon tlIcrca '-rr We, Unfit
cuceG by tl4l prcEdt"l shock, and mot
Of them " ere rlngstralied AMI spotted
and spccklcd Thus Jacobs herds
grew larger thnn 1ahan's and the
craft Of the u.sciupnloue son-in-law
overreache6 tho dishonesty of the ia
thor -in-law.
After Jacob pl iccd TIE rods of greer
poplar and hazel ana chestnut in the
watering troNghS the startling and far
reaching effect produced upon the sni-
mails is not :, h. wondered at. If
YOU place s stick III the water. by the
laws of r"fcctou that wood may seem
to become a creature Of life. ! reIncm-
Der when a lad once dropping my fish
ing pole. and as it lay at the bottom
pf tho brook the nipples made that ron
look like a long serpent wrigglinG -
stream. AS these cattle stoop to dr!cr
J see them start bacl; IS though q ven
emOus Missing snake was lifting up
his fatal fancs to strike. Ny text pre-
SCENTS one of the best instances to be
follri in literature of the far reaching
effect of the mind over the physical
body.
Mental HaIlucinations.
We may grant today the influence
pf the mind over the body. but we do
not 90 so far IS to assert that all phys
Ical diseases or alnormalitics are tho
drec: results Of mental hallucinationc
as the strahc1, spotted and spcckled
progeny of the COWS, sheep and goats
We're tho result II Jacobs wicked act.
We do not advocate the theory that q
surgeons knife is only another name
for a Butchers tx, that a modern hos
pital is only Satanic incubator, that
- medicine bottle is only fools poison
and that sickness is only 4 synonym
for sin: but, as thcrn are thousands
and tens Of thousands Of men and wo-
men who honestly believe in faith
cure pure and simple. as we term
that definition. | have chosen in this
sermon 80 preach on Jesus Christ as
the Divine Healer AND to show both
from 4 Biblical and Il common sense
standpoint that the surgeons knife
end the physicians prescription have
F. part in the worlds discrimination
end civilization as vcll as The minis
'rcr'S pulpit and The consecrated school
.eachcr'S desk
Tho Bible teaches us that faith
should always 20 hand in hand with
works. The same divine laws which
2pNly 10 mrn in ordinary walks of life
apply also to thc patient in tho in
raliCS room or upon the hospital op-
Grating table. Ito Christ who sands
~ the sick bed Is the same Christ who
accompanies uG when, in health and
strength. we go forth 10 1eht the great
battle &C life. Christ wants 10 droncs
N the busy human beehNcs OF the
worlds struggle for daily bread, lie
wants no G1ones in the worlds strGg'
gle fo7 physical health. That struggle
ought 10 be just as commcndab'H in
mans sight rs r. the struggle for dairy
bread In the final extremity, when