Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-04-13

upon God. We now find reading the
Bible bore and praying u drudgery
and talking to Christ and waiting for
Christ to talk to us a task instead Of
an endless pleasure. Oh, my friends,
do YOU want to feel again the exhiiarn-
ton which came over you OH the day Of
your conversion? Then make the pray
or of my text. Make it day in and day
out Make 1t and continue to make 1t
as you rehearsc all God has done for
you by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ
oh. that today we could have the thrill
which surged through us when we first
felt that God had purged us with hys-
sop until we were clean, that he had
washed us Until we were whittier than
snow!
Not the Only Joy.
But gratitude to God for what Christ
has done for us is not the only
Joy Of salvation that Is buried and
needs to be renewed. One of these joys
that need to be resurrected Is the one
we used to find In Christian service
No sooner were we converted than I'm
mediately we went forth to try to
save some one else Then when we
brought brother or sister to the cross
there came over us another Joy which
we had not hitherto conceived, the Joy
There Is no Joy on earth greater than
that. Not even the joy Of being saved
ourselves can be compared to the Joy
of knowing that by the grace of God
we have been able to save some one
else from perishing
The man Of the world who has never
experienced this Joy cannot understand
1t. The exhilaration Of II is couched
for him in mystical and unknown
tongues. For years and years could
not understand what Paul meant in
his letter to the Romans. felt he did
not mean what he said. believed he
was only using an exaggerated ora
torical figure Of speech when he said,
For could wish that myself were ac-
cursed from Christ for my brethren,
my kinsmen, according to the flesh"
The more l studied that passage the
more felt and do feel today that Paul
literally made this prayer: 20 Christ.
If there Is no way to save my brothers,
my sisters, my friends. my people, but
by plotting my name out Of the book
Of life, then destroy me for their
sakes!" In other words. Paul said.
Destroy me If by my spiritual death
others might spiritually live forever in
thee" And yet is not this joyful will
ingness to be sacrificed to save others
experienced by the new convert al
ways?
Was young Hamilton's death an I'M
desirable one? No sooner were the
honor and life Of his father. Alexander
Hamilton, threatened in his political
warfare against Aaron Burr than his
eldest son. the pride Of his heart,
lcaped forward and said, IF necessary
will die that my father shall live"
Three long years before the fatal duel
at Weehawken, when the first secre-
tary Of the United States treasury laid
down his life, his eldest boy died for
his fathers sake. Do you not believe
that when young Hamilton was dying
there came an unspeakable Joy to him
because he was dying in his fathers
stead? When Nathan Hale was led
forth to the gallows to be strangled as
a spy. did he go there like craven
murderer Oh, no. He went with his
head up. His step was firm. A happy
smile was upon his lips. He said. 1.-THE
I have but one life to lay upon the al
tar Of my country" Yes. Nathan Hale
died happy. In dying he felt that he
was making 1t possible for his country
to live. So Paul was happy when he
said, 20 Christ, IL 1t is necessary for
me to spiritually die that others may
spiritually live. then blot my name out
of the book Of life" Thus the JOY of
saving IN immortal soul which comes
to the Christian is even greater than
that joy which comes to penitent men
and women when they first give their
hearts to Jesus Christ.
The JOY of Saving Others.
Oh, apostates: oh, We negligent and
slothful church members, standing
idly about In the market places when
Gods vineyards are filled with the rip
est clusters just ready for the pluck
ing, you have known in the past the
Joy Of salvation in the saving Of souls!
Why. can see even now the reflection
OF past Joy upon your faces as in the
time when you used to labor in the
Sunday schools and bring little chill
dren to CHRIST. I can see you now
smiling as you used to do when you
brought your friends to the revival
meetings and labored with them to ac-
cept Christ. l can see you now going
up to your minister and earnestly aud
rapturously saying: "Pastor. keep on
praying. We will get them. They
are bound to give their hearts to Christ
We will get them yet" But now the
world and the flesh have crept in. You
do not work for souls ms You used to
to- You do not have the old Joy Of
saving souls. Oh, my friends. will you
not pray that this joy may como to you
again: Lord. God, give me the old
thrill of being saved by thy sacrifice.
But do more than this Lord. Give me
the JOY of saving some one else for
thee. If 1t be necessary in order that
others may spiritually live, that must
spiritually die. then, as Paul wished.
let me die for thine honor and glory"
But In this psalmist's prayer we
would Ind another 10y. It IA this: