Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-02-09

stiles to man unless man Ia ready u
work for them7 God giVes us the eoih
God Riyee IN the seeds. But the essen.
tiai food products which come from
that soil must be developed by unceas
ing toll. This fact Is emphatically true
of all the cereals" Then commenced
to ponder over the words Of my friend
and I said: Yes. you are right. Never
since the fail Of man has God provided
for man wheat or rye or corn unless
man as D farmer will cultivate those
cereals. All kinds Of weeds may grow
wild, all kinds Of thorns and thistles
certainly do grow wild, but the cereals
will not grow wild" From the earth
man must obtain his bread. He must
work or starve. The soil must be pre-.
pared the seed must he sown; the
harvest must be gathered.
His Power Llmitless.
Let me remind you. too, how limit.
less are the energies which God has IN
his control. Everywhere nre pow.
er and force, but man must patiently
study and discover for himself how to
apply them to his purposes. Very
slowly has he learned the secrets of
the world in which be Is placed. God
might have revealed the whole TO him
at the outset. but he wished him to
ind Il out for himself. and as each
source Of power was discovered he
must learn how to harness 1t Alright
that 1t may do his bidding and relieve
him of toll. Go to Niagara falls and
take your stand on the ledge Of rock
called Observation point and watch
that rush Of water descending from the
heights. What power Is there to light
our cities, to bear our burdens, to II.
Illuminate our hsbitations Yet for
countless ages it has been running
to waste because man did not know
how to harness II Alright. stand on the
seashore and see the power in the in.
coming tide. Quietly and resistiessly
wave succeeds wave. breaking impo-
tcntly on the rocks, yet there Is power
there that might be turned 70 account.
The little streamlet that turns the
wheel Of the village mill. grinding the
corn and wheat for whole valley. is
feeble beside the pillows Of the sea-
This. too, man may yet learn to har-
ness that It may work for him. The
secret is with the Lord. Man must
plan and contrive and design before he
can master 1t. So long as he sits Mt
ease and makes no effort IL is useless
to him. Why should not God have
given man this knowledge at the be-
ginning? Because he wished him to
develop his intellect. He wished to
teach him that there was a reward for
his labor BY the sweat Of his brow he
must gain his bread.
All. my friends, this problem that
of why God permits MS to struggle
along in poverty and hardship, finds
It's solution in the Bible. 1t was not
in vindictiveness or for his own sake
that he cursed the ground. The SEN
tence was beneficial and remedial,
Cursed Is the ground for thy sake. J."
God IL allowing the thOrns and the
thistles to grow wild instead Of the
wheat and the barley. Why? BY the
bayonet thrusts Of those thorbs God Ia
driving us closer and closer to HIM
self. BY putting us in the treadmlll Of
unceasing daily toll God is teaching us
to turn our eyes away from tempta-
ton. He IL also teaching us to turn
them toward himself. Work serves a
useful purpose. Our toll and difficulty
and sorrow are intended to draw us
nearer TO himself. when trust III God
and love of him have filed the hearts
of men. when the knowledge Of God
covers the earth as the waters cover
the sen, then poverty will have fulfilled
this weary world, for then, says Isai.
ali, Instead Of the thorn shall come
up the FIR tree and instead OF the brier
shall come up the myrtle tree, and II
shall be to the Lord for name. for an
everlasting sign that shall not be cut
Off" Oh, sinner. thank God today that
he makes your callous hand stick to
the plow Of daily toll in order that your
feet shall follow the narrow and
straight groove Of virtue and truth and
purity and gospel conservation and
right.
God could easily take out Of this
world all physical ailments If he would
He could change the invalid chairs Of
the homes. the operating tables Of the
hospitals, the medicine bottles Of the
drug stores, the ear trumpets Of the
deaf the ambulance wagons and the
anaesthetics and tho splints and the
bandages Of a military surgeons outfii
md make them az unsuitable ana anti
quated articles for modern use as the
chopsticks Of the Chinese would be fol
the Caucasian race OF the sandals OF
nm Arab chief would he for the short
leggel Eskimo of the arctic. He could
Mt mere word ST. aighten the crooked
limbs and loosen the dumb lips ant
strengthen the wenk lungs God did Il
in the past; he can do 1t now. God II
the same yesterday. today and forev
ermore." But God does not take al
sickness out Of this world because III
does not wish physical pain and suffer
ing 10 cease TO perform their spiritua
mission in the world.
Must Perform Their Mission.
"A benefioent influence for pain ant
: physical ailments oh" says SOM
one, II do not bebave that can be true
|. Can any goSd come from a flushed
-. fevered cheek or from hacking cougl
|, or from a sleepiess night? God 1
good. God Ia love. Therefore a goo
.. and a loving God does not wish hi