Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-12-15

M
that their friends would not stumble
over them, is not impossible of conccp-
ton In the moral and spiritual world.
What gave the late William Chiches-
ter the most powerful religious leader
the Pacific coast ever produced, his
marvellous hold on men? His eloquent
tongue? think not. California, be-
lieve. has had preachers as eloquent as
he was. His organizing ability? I
think not I believe others here have
been Just as great organizers. will
tell you--it was his simple, true, pure,
Christian private life. 1t was his ten
der Christian heart which made him
stop on the street corner and buy
bag Of fruit and give it to a common
painter and say: Take this fruit homo
to your good old mother, with my love.
Tell her that with such prayers as she
offers and with such life as she leads
she ought to have good SON." 1t was
the gentle ways he had with little chill
dren In their romps and plays; 1t was
the way he would throw his arm about
friend in trouble and say: Harry,
how can help you? What can do?"
Mighty Avalanches For Good.
Oh, the unconscious influences of
every Christians private like! Like
the snowflakcs, they bank them
selves up into great drifts. Like the
grains of sand, they lift themselves
into the mighty mountains. Like the
little drops of water, they slake the
thirst Of many valleys and meadow
lands. These little influences of pri-
vate life are despised by some so called
Christian workers, but in the end they
result in mighty avalanches for good,
In mighty tidal waves OF blessings. in
mighty east winds that dam back the
Red seas which, as impossible bar
riers. keep the children Of Israel from
fleeing the Pharaoh hosts and march
ing on to the brightness of Gods prom
ised land.
But l find the Christians shadows
or unconscious influences not only in n
mans own gospel seed planting, but
also in the Christian example he sets
for those who are trying to raise the
same kind Of gospel harvest. I find
minister's influence, like Peters shad-
ow. within the four walls of his church.
also find n minister's unconscious in
fluence over ministers who are. work
ing in adjacent churches. l not only
find physicians unconscious influence
over his patients. but also doctors
influence over doctors, and a lawyers
over lawyers, and mothers over
mothers, as well as her unconscious
influence over her children. find
here that n public school teacher has
her unconscious influence over her fell
low teachers as well as over the
scholars in her own class room.
A Christian man always. to more or
less extent, makes or mars the success
of men Of his own Xix. When l wan
der among the Railways Of history l do
not find there the picture Of great
soldier which differs in every way
from all other soldiers Of his day and
generation. I do not find In a country's
history a great lawyer or poet as a
mountain peak lifting itself solitary
and alone from the center Of vast
level prairie. But, like the stars in the
heavens. / find that one great lawyer
Is always in tuxtaposition with other
great lawyers. One great physician
means other great physicians. Great
poets, authors, statesmen. reforners
scientists, move through the armament
OF the historical heaven In galaxieS, in
consultations, like the stars in clus-
tiers. When | mention the names OF
scientists find that there is a scien-
tifc Pleiades, with Darwin. n Tyn-
dali, Huxley and Herbert Spencer,
all existing at the same time When |
mention the name of William Shake
speare ] find that a Bacon. n Raleigh.
a Ben Jonson, n Sydney, a Spenser. n
beaumont, n Fletcher, q Longueville,
all belong to the Elizabethan era.
When | mention the greatest warrior
of the ages Napoleon, find that the
French emperor was a maker of great
marshals as well as great armies
find thanking the Little Corporal" n
Ney, Bertrand, Mcdonald a
Lannes, Marmont Napoleon Roma.
parte also was the mighty obstacle
which developed a Wellington and
Butcher. Great soldiers have an un,
conscious influence over men OF their
Tx as well as over those who have not
brains of the same caliber as them. |
selves.
Henry Ward Beecher's influence.
SO much did Henry Ward Bcecher
influence the pulpit Of his day that
there were hundreds of ministers who
used to copy his dress as well as tho
intonntions OF his voice. They let
their hair grow long, as he did. even
ms many OF the poets of Lord Byron's
time used to initiate the limp Of By. |
rons clubfoOt. A mans influence al.
ways TO n more or less extent reaches |
out to men of his ilk. When minis !
ter lifts his own church he helps lift !
every other Christian church in his |
city. When noble lawyer is true TO |
his clients he has an unconscious Chris |
tian Influence over his brother lawyers
ut the bar The unconscious influence |
OF physician molds other physicians. |
The influence OF wives and mothers
spiritually besses the parents of other
homes as well as the lives Of their own
children.
The unconscious influence Of a Chris. |
tian man over the people of his day and |
generation is very great, no matter how
humble the position he occupies. But