Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-03-16

they see, that IL would have been bet.
ter for you II they had been more strict
and severe. But will you blame them
for that? II was their love for you
that was their fault. How have you re-
paid TINT love! Return. brsccch you,
and beg their forgiveness.
backs Too Weak For Burdens.
But there is another reason why we
sympnthize with broken hearted par
ents who are bearing the heavy bur
dcns of maynard and sinful children.
Those burdens are placed upon backs
too weak to carry them and upon
hearts when they nre too tender tn
suffer. 1t makes n great deal OF diner |
ence how n man can hear burden. |
whether he IL old or young. sick or
we'll, tottering or straight limbed. You
would not hitch an old horse ny to n
load he could easily have drawn In his
prime Neither, foolish son, should you
make yonr parents IN their odd age
bear the burdens Of your sins.
How old are your parents! "Oh.
you say, father Is about sixty years
Of age, and mother Is about the same
You know when our parents married
they did not do as do many people OF
the present day They did not wait
until they had amassed fortune.
Then the daughters wore ready to start
with the sons at the bottom Of the lnd-
der to climb up. Therefore they mar
rlcd when they were young. Once
young together, now they have grown
old together" And then your lip duiv-
era as you say: But mother is not as
strong as she used to he. and that old
pain has come back in fathers heart.
He Ind Il fainting spell last week.
All. yes. they are growing old together.
Perhaps one of them is already gone.
Is il not a mean act. an awfully mean
| act. an yo,ir part TO take broken
down woman or an old broken down
man and place upon them the burden
of your unpardoncd sins: They once
carried you in their arms now you
ought to he willing to let them lean
upon yo,lr arm. They once wiped
away your tears: now You should I've
willing to wine away theirs They
once lived and are still living to make
you happy: now YOU ought tn strive TO
make their last days happy. 40 not
put that heavy burden OF Your wicked
ness upon their hearts. They are too
old to hear IT.
But" SON" ono says. "mv old father
and mother are not entirely dependent
upon me for their happiness am not
the only child. AS my parents are old
fashioned folks. so they had an old
fashioned family. Their family was
big one have four brothers and
three sisters. and, with the exception
Of one brother. we are all alive today
and have families Of our own. Two
Of ny brothers arc gospel ministers
I am the only black sheep in the fam
lily. Thus YOU need not worry about
the old folks. Five children out o'
six who arc Christians IS not such g
bad record All. my brother. wher
you speak like that. even though yo,
are married. know you have not yr
fathome1 tho depth Of your mother.
and fathers love. The true Christian
parents happiness Is dependent no
upon the Christian lives OF few. bu
OF all their children. No matter how
! many children a Christian mother has
she Is never happy unless all are in thu
gospel fold. She will never he happ.
If ono fingers outside You remembe
the old story of how ii rich man want
ed TO adopt one of tho children of
largo family belonging f. Il GcrmHl
. peasant. The rich man said II the fl
!, ther. Il will TAX" any chile YOU SC
lcct' That nigh while all tho oh
dren wc"o asleep tho father and tn
mother went from bed to bed TO max
> their choice Not this one" said they
: mot that one: not the other one.
So they went through all the rooms
Though they had many children. the
could not lot one of them -. 50, III
friends. though you may have brothc
> who are Christians ana sisters who ar
Christians. that is not enough for 1ha
u old gray haired father and mothc
They want nll their children tn h
u Christians Will you not leave III
y" crooked pail. Of sin today TO NAL,
1t them happy: Your sins. your unpa
" ,loncd sins are pressing heavily upo
IL their hearts
- oh" says some one would that
Il could do rs You ask. | would do an.
u thing on earth il I could only lift I'll
l burden OF my sins. which | compete
i my dear old father and mother To ca
IT nv, but 1t Is too late il Is. alas. &c
N late. They are now forever past ca
sr rying the burden Of my sins. My Il
" Their died as did the father of II
- Scotch poet On his sickbed he wi
y asked by his minister II lie was wOrrie
~ about anything. Then my father loo
1r cd at me rs the father Of Robert Bur,
pr looked at his son on n similar occasio
q and ne answered: Nothing. ! am wo
'e rying about nothing except MY bt
10 Robert But father is dead now. I CT
er never bring him lack to tell him how
Pn have rcpcntod of my past sins"
hearing Burdens In Heaven.
W Your father and mother beyond Il
=" burden Of your sins: Friend do II
y" know about that. Even in heaven
~ think thcy are still longing and hopil
v, for our salvation. ] for one cannot u
q" dprstand how there can no JOY in hoh
W. on over one sinner that rcpenteth n
'' not any thoughts about us who Il
~ still unrcpcntant. On" Of the create
y" OF New York pastors once told mo n
o' when anything went wrong in his l.
SPA A.