Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-10-18

In Monday symposium. But in the
social world, taken as whole, there
are no saints" Too often we find
both Capital and Labor robed in the
black garments of selfishness instead
OF the white robes Of altruism. Their
motto becomes, not Live and let live"
, but Live ourselves and get all we can
at the other mans expense" OF course
I am not now talking of the capitalist
and the laborer as individuals.
/ Yes, Capital today cannot be proud
! Of her past record She has heart OF
! stone. Neither has labor today any
/ thing 10 be proud OF IN her past ac-
/ tons. She has an adnmnntine heart Of
/ selfishness and greed. Eut when look
/ upon the struggle Of these two mighty
/ soclM factors am not pessimist, for
In the social storms, in the strikes and
recriminations, In the blows, which are
now falling thick and fast, in the wars
and rnmors of wars, in the universal
social disorder, | see n bright day COM
ing. Peace and prosperity and unlver-
sal brotherhood shall yet be evolved
out of the present social chaos. Nc
"stagnating social cosmos is here. All
these social uphcavals are only rain
bow signs in Tue heavens that the So
cial wars shall soon cease. Where no
oxen are, the crib is clean, but much
increase is by the strength of the OK"
What Is true Of the mental, physical
and social realms is emphatically true
of the spiritual life. 1t is not by
life of spiritual ease that we are going
to receive Gods true messages. 1t is
only by struggle, only by prayer. only
by agony. only by wrestling. as Jacob
wrestled with the angelic messenger
through the long, dark night, that
Christ reveals his face to us in the
beauty of holiness" We must do as
Jesus did. We must spend forty long
days in the wilderness before we car
come to our true spiritual cosmos and
walk hand in hand with God.
was never more Impressed with this
thought than some time ago when
was reading "The History of a Preach
er's Life" by Or. Rainsford. late rector
of st. Georges Episcopal church OF
New York city. DIR. Rainsford had
been preaching the gospel for many
Atulo lie WIS 1T tldl liIllt one Ol lIlE
most prominent preachers of Canada.
Suddenly there came time when his
old theology was passing away He
could not see things as he once saw
them. Try as he would he could not
see them with the old eyes. Like Sam
son, he seemed to be shorn of his
strength. His audiences left him. His
power seemed TO be gone. But he kept
brayely on in his spiritual struggle.
He prayed. Oh. how earnestly he
prayed! Then one day the new light
came. He was praying in bis study
and reading the parable Of the prodigal
son Win the new gospel truth Gawned
upon lin. He said: That prodigal son
went away from God, but lie never
ceased to be a son of his Divine r: Their.
; Some of us may wander far, far away,
but we are all Gods children. He lev
err ceases to love us. He is ready to
, receive and forgive all of Us f we
, only come back to the Divine Fathers
. love" At once DR.. Ransford's old
faith was revived; the theological mys.
teries passed away; from the chaos,
the disorder of his religious dopeS,
there CAME tlle COSMOS OF the laiIl OF q
simple child.
Friend, would look into your eyes
today. You are worried. You are like
5 Martha. troubled about many things
But you are not like Mary's sister,
t worried about heavenly feast. You
! are worried about your relationship
, to God. Oh. l thank Jesus today that
) you are worried l thank God that
your theological crib is disordered. You
are miserable; you are distressed; you
are anxious. but this is we'll. 1t Is out
Of such distress that you come to eter.
| nal rest and peace. The danger is
( when n man Is content with himself,
when he is Indifferent and untrouhlcd
, That is when the crib is clean. The
way to happiness is through the tur.
moil that Is hard to bear while it lasts,
, but afterward brings the peaceable
: fruit OF righteousness. No "stagnat-
ing spiritual cosmos IS yours Reach
up. Reach on. In thy darkness keep
t on stumbling. Pray. Diligently search
. the Scriptures. Keep on. Keep on.
i copyright, 1915. by Louis Klopsch.I