Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-07-20
Calnnase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt ralmade. D. D.

Los Angeles. Col, July 16.-In these
midsummer days Of frequent electrical
display the preacher finds lesson in
che llghtnings dash, which he likens
70 the suddenness Of Christs promised
temperance on earth. The text IL
Matthew xiv. 81, "As the lightning
eometh out Of the cast"
The misfortune Of being terrorised
BY the lightnings has never come to
me. Some Of the brnvest aud noblest
men and women trcmble like an aspen
leaf shaken In the rough grasp Of the
wind whenever the lightnings fash and
the tAunders growl because years ago
they lived through some awful hor.
for Of an electric storm. They can
never come out from under the shadow
Of that danger. Like Paul on the road
70 Damascus, blinded and dazed they
were flung into the dirt BY an electric
thunderbolt, or by It they had their
homes shattered and burned, or they
had q dear loved one killed by their
eide. To be frightened by a storm uo
der such circumstances II not nsccs-
CARLY to be cowardly.
II you or I had beer hurt by light
ming or had seen some friend hurt. VIC
would be Just % faapful Of the light
ming as was Nary Washlnston. No
one would dare dream Of calling The
mother Of Washington q coward Al
most Spartnn-lllfe. che gaze up her scn
20 the cause Of American liberty
When the little ol6 widow babe her
tall. noble boy goodby. It was not with
IN agonizing CRY Of "Stay. George
Stay at home With no. Her com
mand Was, "Co. my son. Go forth
and answer duty's call. 1t Is better to
die HoE1ously than to live a towards
lfs. ny county calls thee. Go, my
BON, cor Mary Washington was among
he bravUt Of women. She would have
been willing. II necessary. to march mp
TO the cannon's mouth, as did her son
ut Princeton and Brandywine. With
nnblanched cheek she would have
laced the rides Of her country's enc
miles as did her son when with the
colonial troops at his back he saved
BraddocKs army near old Fort Du-
Quesne Of Pittsburg. But Mary Wash
Sngton's checks would turn ashen
white when she heard a thunderstorm's
)ignal In the distance. Why? In her
Sarly life, with a young girl friend.
She was sitting at her fathers dinner
liable. Suddenly there came a fash
and Q quick detonation of thunder She
turned and looked at her friend. In
horror she called to her to speak, but
that friend never spoke to Mary Ball
kgain. She was dead! She was killed
By Z flash Of lightning.
Glory Of the LiwhtninS.
The raging Of . thunderstorm has
always impressed mo a good deal as
Vt did my only brother. A few weeks
before bis death there wos a terrific
electric storm in Brooklyn. Crash.
crash. crash. crash, went the thunder.
1t seemed then as though all parts Of
the heavens became at times great
prairie conhag rations. great rivers Of
IRE, great cataracts and shooting jave-
Inns Of fire. Father and mother be-
came nervous about the storm. They
wanted their children all about them.
So father went upstairs to. my broth
er's study to bring him down. The
room was empty. He began to call:
"De Witt! De Witt! Where are your
AFTER awhile. amid lull III the storm,
be heard voice calling: Here. IA
ther! What do you want?" Then my
father went up into the cupola. which
stood upon the top Of our house. There
be found my brother. what ara you
doing here?" said father. Better come
down with the rest Of the family. You
might get struck here" oh" an.
Swered my brother, "there Is no dan
ger. Let us stay M here and watch
the storm. u 1t not wonderful? Fa.
Their. IL not that play Of lightning glo-
siousr Yes, the lightning is glorious
u you hAve never been frightened by
the touch Of it, fingers Of IRE. 1t has
always been to me glorious specta.
clio I am thrilled by its grandeur us
I draw for you the symbol OF 1.-The
coming Christ" In ''the lightning which
cometh cut OF the east and shneth
even unto ~ west" May God help
me In this sermon ~ impress upon yor
the ever present nsarness Of our Saw
l1our ana our divine King.
Christs second advent. In III, Grst
place. shaIl be glorious spectacle He
shall come not as babe 10 DO born In
. stable and Graded in n stone crib;
he shall come not % fugitive in his
mothers arms upou the back Of u
humble beast Of burden. fleeing into
Egypt; be dhall come not as carpen.
Ter. with the soiled garments OF toll;
be shall come not as an outcast. o con-
eemned culpfat. staggering toward Cal.
Sary's heights under the oppressive
weight OF the Cross upon which ne has
10 b crucihed. But he shall come 10
III the splsndor OF the kings of old,
The Offering spears shall be by bis
side. The FURNISHED helmets and the
haahins shieids and the waving swords
shall be rejecting the lights of his mil
lennial approach. The white steeds Of
victory then shall be champins theii
pits and stamping their golden hoofs.
The rumbling wheels Of myriads Of
chariots ana the vociferatiug cheers Of
the charioteers and horsemen shall bt
making the welkin ring with their bal
leiuiahs OF Joy. The clouds shall be bit
chariotS. Tho white horse Of victory
shall BE- bic brightly caparisoned char