Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-08-18


younger days used to picture God M
tyrant n monster, when he was seek
ing those two frightened, fleeing sin
ners. | used TO think his voice was
harsh and coudcmnatory. that the call
Adam, where art thoui' had in 1t the
roar Of a wild African lion starting
forth at night to seek his prey. But
few years ago my mind entirely chang
ed In reference to this, for then I heard
great English preacher say: "Ths
call of God In the garden Of Eden was
not the call to death, but to life. Gods
call, Adam, where art thour was the
pleading call of q sorrowing father
seeking lost and maynard child"
II is the same kind Of n call the pill
grim fathers used when as a searching
party they went forth into the dark
woods seeking n lost child. 1t is the
same call that you would give if your
boy were lost in the tungles Of the
Indian bills. Then you would call. "My
child. Oh my child, cannot you hear
my voice." As God was calling TO our
ancestors to come forth out of their
hiding places Of sin and they would be
forgiven, God the Father is calling to
You and TO me: "Come home, yp
wearied and lost sinner. Come home"
Love Refgncd Everywhere.
Thus We started this sermon with
! garden: we are going to end ii with
gnr1en The apostle Paul sees IN the
story Of our first homestead 81 wrecked
and disorgn ni2ed animal and vegetable
ana ichthyological and ornithoogiCal
and human world. He leads us TO see
now the whole creation the birds of
the air and the fishes of the sea- and
the boasts Of the forest. and the flow
ors Of the fields were influenced
through and had their natures changed
by the sins of man. Once love reigned
everywhere Now the law of life Is
dependent upon the Survival Of rho
fittcSt. The eagle begins to mount
higher and higher and higher. not to
| com" nearer to the heavens to soc God.
| hut that on account of the greater
altitude he can have a wider horizon
| to suoop: that with his keen eye be
may see the helpless dove afar off,
into which the feathered murderer can
| plunge that terrible beak and rip and
| tear and Stay. Once the trees as lovers
stretched forth their arms Of branches
and with rustic and moan talked 10
each other until for very love they
trcmblcd with delight Then il was
affector, wooinc affection, and tender
ness. chanting tenderness But now
the hatforicS Of the storms are I'M
! limhcr,t. and the thunderbolts are
aimed % their hearts. Now the mighty
forest pants. not as lovers, but as dy-
ing warriors groan ana tottcr and
fall. Ouce the lion and tho lamb lay
down lie by side 10 sleep But after
the sin NJ man the caress Of the shag
gy nru., was the prelude TO bite
by which the helpless lamb was cash
ed and forn and became meal for its
foe.
But This is not the end The same
inspired writer tells MS that the time
will cone when creation Itself also
shall he delivered from the bondage
of corruptiOn into the glorious liberty
Of the ,hildrcn Of cod Then shall
the day Of universal peace dawn, which
the ancioHt prophet described, when
not only win men cease from war, but
the animM creation VIII cease 10 de
your one another and again the wolf
shall also dwell with tie lamb and
the leopard shnll lie down with the
KID and tho COW and the bear shah
food ana their young ones shall lie
/ 4. 1a1 .t4