Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-09-28

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Then I also congratulate tho home.
because you have come back
10 your opportunities Of religious work
as we'll o. 10 your temporal work and
TO your church worship. A vacation
from the store invariably means a va
work. Thomas Guthrie, the great
Scotch preacher, once wrote q book
entitled out Of Harness." In 1t he de-
scribed himself as away from his pull
pit amid the Alpine hills seeking health
and relaxation from toll. In a chap
ter no described bimself wurshhpiug
with q couple Of prominent English d.
vines in a little Swiss village church.
As the service went on. led by the vii
lase pastor, he looked across the aisle
at the noble brow VI q great London
preacher sitting there. Thsn he com.
pared this silent preacher to a mighty
engine with It's fres drawn. The
screws, the botlE. the mighty driving
wheel. the smohsstack were all thsre.
Hut there was no water In the boiler
and no coal In the furnace and no
steam Vas being generated. The great
throbbdng hfe Of the engine was still-
ed. So with you during your past Va
cation. You may have attended the
church services, but you went 10
church simply ~ ~worshipers and not
az workers. And. my friends. true
Christianity Is not developed simply
by bending the knes In prayer, but In
labuRine In Gods vineyard.
The vineyards Of Christs great city
r nov ripe for the pfucking. Your
Sunday school class II ready to vel
come you back. Tfse boys and the girls
ought all DO be brought into the Chrls.
tan life this winter. The missionary
society needs building Up as never be-
fore. You must 90 to work there this
winter. You only gave half hearted
service last yenr. You must do better
this scar. The young peoples meetings
need reinforcement as never before.
All these opportunities Of gospel work
are openlng.to you. Oh, l welcome you
back not simply to worship, but to
~cousecruted labor in Gods vineyards
and in Gods great harvest fields.
Thus. wherever I look, I end the re-
suits Of our vacations are blessed.
Home. store. church, all surround "a
with their merciea- Now. my friends,
with these mighty opportunities Of
Christian usefulness aud Christian
growth surrounding us, we are stand
ing upon the threshold Of a new church
year. What are w going to DO with
II? Shall the church yeaS OF 1905 aud
1D06 be a mighty year for spiritual 70.
suits in our lives? The year Is now
here; the year will oon be gone. Let
us consecrate ourselves and our church
and our Sunday schools and our prayer
meetings and u missionary societies
to bis dear service as nevEr before
Let US bow oMr heaGs as we say
Lord, take this pulpit and take these
pews and take us oil into thy keeping
and for the work Of thy grace may
this church year be the best year Of
our lives. When the vacations Of next
year come around. may We 60 forth
into the mountains Of down by the
scashore. feeling that we have moi
worked in vain. And II during the
year some Of us will leave. not for the
vacations Of earth. but for the triumph.
Of heaven. may thoxe Of us who e
carry tine news hcavenwayd that tn
dear old church TO wh:c., we belong 4:
doing a woax which VIII eiasidsn III.
hearts Il ansels and make M.s cetas
tial welkin ring with never "xing Jay
And alt th~se rsSusts We sAk in a.
power Of the H2tV Spirit. *bo a,on'
con make our gospel eonsecSstioG ant
o90mphs possible. For Jesue' 0k'
We agatn make the earnest rsQusoa
Amen and amen"
%tCopyraght. 1906. BY Louis Kiopsch.J