Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-09-14

btutUOs A0 tuOil UGO2V w Uul0 VI
the arms Of thst STATUE ana kspt Il.
Then lie stained the rest Of ne statue
and buried II Under one Of the old
churches and then had one Of HE
friends and II. At once all the art
critics Of Florence gathered around this
exhumed piece Of stone and declared
II was one Of the finest pieces Of sculp.
ture over chiseled Ivy man. orr they
cried. where can we flnd modern
sculptor able ~ mold body Ike
thatY' After Florence had praissd
this statue for some months Michael
Angelo came forward with the broken
arm Of white marble which he bad
kept IN his studio. He fitted It OH the
exhumed statue and he declared: II
can mike statue az good % that
Sec, I have made this one myself! The
broken arm Is a perfect nt." His crit.
les were COMPOUNDED, 40 they we'll
might be, but az I read TINT story
did not condemn those Florentines 40
many have done. I said to myself:
Yes. those men who criticised tho RE
Ing sculptor were natural born doubt
ers. There are some men who, by their
natural mental makeup. fnd fault With
everybody and everything; therefore
II we are going to lead men to Christ,
we must learn how to overcome the
intellectual doubts, the intellectual
skepticisms, which trouble 40 many
men concerning God.
The Mystesies Of the Bihle.
And how many causes for doubts In
reference to God We see everywhefel
Here, for instance, are oil the doubts
men have In reference to the mysteries
of the Bible. Was there ever a COM
pass which needed to be surer or truer
In the dark and almost impenetrable
forests than the star Of Bethlehem ia
guide the mental doubtery out OF the
mysteries OF Gods providence7 Here
arc all the mysteries Of sorrow. Tho
doubtcr perhaps has lost little child
or the mother Of his children. He can
not understand why God took his loved
ones. Shall we pass over these mys'
teries Of sorrow With mere wave OF
the hand? Here are nil the shortcom
ings of Christians which blind the
doubter's eyes. Perhaps some eide,
Of church has chca ted him in busl
ness deal Shall not the doubter bt
talked to lovingly IN reference to thu,
matter and shown how there have beer
Judases among Chrlst's profcssed fol
lowers at all times? Yes. Christ want.
TO draw to his arms those who nrt
mentally blinded. He would have "
lead them as carefully as I saw tn,
other day Il hoy leading his nttl,
brother OF eight summers. who wa.
blind IN both eyes, across n counti!
fed. AZ saw these two boys go,nI
past me there were tears In my eye
for Oh espe; .al reason. As they wer,
passing | was told that only yea
before that little boys eyes were n
good M yours or mine. But his owl
brother. who vas then leading him
while hunting one day had acciden
tally discharged hts gIn and shot hi
brothers sight away. 20 God"
said to myself "cnn It be that some o
us. by our own sins OF commission o
sins Of omission, have made some o
thy children mentally blind to thy lover
Can 1t be that doubters and skeptlc
and agnostics and mental antagonist
to God are resisting him today .merel
because we Will not take away til
bands which are binding their eyes
because there Is no one to uncOve
their eyes-as the disciples Of old too
of the bands from the eye sockets G
helpless Lazarus? o God. today CIV
us more sympathy for the homes
doubter! Inspire ms with holy zeal
try TO scatter these doubts away whet
ever and wherever they are.
bound Hand ana Foot.
Rut as 90 up to the open tomb wher
slept the dead Lazarus I find that nc
only was he blinded. but his inov'
mcnts were restrained. His resurrec
cd body has its graveciothes boun
around the arms and the hands, til
lcgs and the feet aud the stomach. q
we'll as around the forehead. tn
lips AMI the eyes. Indeed. SO helplei
was Lazarus physically that he coul
not have stepped ont Of his crypt {
the tomb. as you and would thro'
back the bcdclothes OF morning m
leap out upon the door, but lie mul
have had to give u lurch and roll o,
upon the stones Of the tomb. Then /
struggled TO his feet and stood like
statue. Thus stood lazarus resu
Iected body. AS l 60 on up and g,
anime the mans bound bands and fe,
say to myself. Yes; how much
symbol does Lazarus look as na
bound hand and foot with flnnnci
debt" The man In financial distre
sometimes cannot make one move
he would. SO believe Christs word
loose him and let him co." have the
application In reference to financi
liberation as we'll az mental or 1
tellectual How much Of a fnanci
liberation many people need but 70
OF W have any adequate conception.
: Financial liberation IL needed In Il
store. The temptations of bushes
)ifc are mighty. Here 10 O merchal
who has been left on executor OF
friends estate. For years and yea
he has led an honorable life. But Il
. hard times have come. The peop
, who once bought his goods cam
, buy them now. for they have no mon'
, with which to buy. "Oh," he says
r himself, III l can only tide myse
}, over this winter know everythii
: will come out right" Shall he gu
{ renderi Shall he hand over to !
4 | creditora tho sfora and wink ont