Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-04-07

lures the things concerning himself"
then they saw, then they knew, that 1t
had been foreseen that Jesus should
rise from the dead.
EulnIis,ent Of Prophecies.
Have there not been in our own lives
and In the lives of our dcur ones proph
ccies which ON this Easter afternoon
find their fulAllment in the risen
Christi How about that fulfilled
prophecy in your mothers lief Years
ago she marked the favorite psalm Of
Martin Luther as her special comfort.
In the quiet Of her own room she used
TO read over and over again these
words:VIot is our refuge md strength,
very present help in trouble. There
fore wiz not We fear. though the earth
lie rcnnoved and though the mountains
be carried into the midst OF the sea"
When your fnther was taken sick and
financial trouble cnme, and from an
earthly standpoint your mother had
nowhere to turn, did not that Forty
sixth Psalm come true? Was not the
gospel prophecy fulfilled in God being
her refuge ana strength? When your
invalid SISTER died, what was the
strange peace that remained with her
on her way TO the grave? Did sho
want to leave her young husband and
baby boy? Did she turn deaf ear to
the sobs that were being sounded
about her dying bed? Oh. no. She
was as Christian at peace because
thousands of years ago God had PROM
Used, '"rhe mountains shall depart and
the hills be removed, but my loving
kindness shall not depart from thee
neither shall the covenants OF my
peace be removed saith the Lord that
hath mercy on thee" How have God 8
promises been FULFILLED in your own
life? Have not all your past troubles
been the means. through the influence
Of the Holy Spirit. Of working together
for your good? Christ was the fulfill
mcnt of prophecy in the Emmaus reve-
lation. Christ is also the fufillment Of
prophecy III our own lives
Despmir Changed to Hope.
But again | learn from these Easter
afternoon lessons that Christ only ap-
peared unto his disciples when they
felt their own helplcssness without his
divine presence and sustenancc. II
these men. walking along that En-
maus road had said TO themselves,
WELL Jesus is dead; perhaps it Is just
rs well that he Is gone; we were fol
lowing him too much anyhow; we
can get along now perhaps better with
out him than with him." Jesus would
never have revealed himself unto
them. But what did these two men
practically say? They said: ooh, what
shall we do, what shall we do? The
Christ upon whom we have leaned,
the Christ whom we have followed,
the Christ whose words have been our
meat and strength by day and by
night, Is gone. What shall we do? What
shall we do?" Let me read to you their
very words. When this stranger ac-
costed thetwo disciples they told to
him their story. Then in a despairing
tone they said, I'VE trusted that it
had been he who should have re-
deemed Israel" Yes; I'VE trusted"
but now all their hope was gone. They
when Christ revealed himself then
their despair was changed into trium-
plant hope.
My friend on this hillside overlook
ing the little Emmaus village do YOU
feel helpless unless you have Christ
10 YOU pin to him all your faith both
for this world and the next? If you 10
h,t, L.; -
you do not he will never reveal him
self. In your Easter hopes I want you
to feel the absolute dependence upon
the divine power which my pious an
ccstor did many years ago. Rev. Ma
than Birdseye wRs among the most IA
nous New England divines OF his day
He lived In Connecticut and was not
only very wealthy. but lived also In
the time when the people of New Eng
land owned slaves, and he also owned
them. There came during his lifetime
a prolonged drought in that country
which threatened not only 10 destroy
the crops, but also the cattle and the
men and women of that region. Old
Nathan Birdseyo one day gathered hi,
family and servants together and made
this simple yet earnest prayer: &C
God, thou knOwest that without thee
we can do nothing. Save me and my
family and people, Save my cattle anC
my crops. Save us, O God, save us
Thou who didst rescue the children Of
Israel in the wilderness, rescue u,
now"
The Risen Christ,
Then" 50 goes the letter written by
this good mans granddaughter TO hel
grandson. my grandfather stepped
out of his home and stood as an ole
man leaning upon his staG. With hi,
cane he gently pushed the earth at his
feet. AS he pushed ii he saw the sol
| grow darker. Failing to his knees, thu
old man began to dig the ground will
his bare fingers. at the same time call
Ing for help. Spades werc brought
and there, at his very doorstep, wa.
| dug well which gave precious life
saving drink to his family and the peo
pie Of the surrounding hills. Thus. my
| dear grandson. | write this that you
may know that our family III that time
was saved by faith and by believing
prayer" Oh, my friends, Christ 10 Il
| refuge in every age AS the two dis
clplcs listened to him and found com
| fort In hetr day. AS my sainted an
! costor turned TO him In his trial and
| was delivered, SO may we in every
emergency Of our lives find help and
peace In looking to him and praying tc