Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-03-01


smile irradiatcd their features. and
then the curtains of the eyelids parted,
and the men saw. That was the re-.
ward OF their faith. The blessing was
limited only by the measure Of their
belief. According 10 their faith" and
as they believed for the opening Of
their eyes, that boon was granted to
them.
Supported by Faith.
"Well," says some one to ME, II do
not sec any connection between the
blind men Of my text and faith in God
giving to a man physical powers to do
what God wants him to do" Instances
Of the stimulus Of faith are to be seen
in every walk Of life. Everywhere you
can see men and women Of slight
physical frames doing the work Of
giants. because they have faith tri-
umphant faith Here comes a frail III.
tie body like Frances T.. Willard. Why,
from the day that she was born she
was a physical weakling. She was a
fral child She was n frail girl. She
was frail young woman. Then came
the call TO the somi-invalid to 60 forth
as warrior to fight the curse Of the
saloon. ooh. Frances" said her friends.
you have not the physical power for
temperance crusade You have no
which calls for the physica stamina Of
giant" But tho Young, frail looking
woman. Frances T.. Willard Gu lmly an
swers. IF God calls me to this work,
God will give me physical strength 10
do IT," Did not God give to her phys
zeal strength in proportion To her
faith: I tell you that the work Fran
ces L.. Willard did was enough to break
down the physical resource of Du-
mas had she not been reinforced Ivy
divine strength. As an organizer of
women she was Il marvel. As "A public
speaker she wont ny and down this
land addressing audiences night after
night year in and year out. The mid
night cold sent the shricking winds
against her when she night after night
had to change cars. Miserable hotel
meals. badly ventilated audience
rooms, mental strain enough to OK
haust the strongest of nerves. were all
hers. And yet that frail body went on
and on in It's hcrculean tasks supported
by faith.
Open the leaves Of history and what
do you find: Tho greatest Of workers
have often been those who were work
ing under The shadow of death. BY the
command of physicians and friends
and by III" reasoning Of every physical
law these mon and women should
have ceased 10 work. John Richard
Green, an invalid; Alexander II. Ste
phens, an invalid: Robert Hall. an in
valid: John Summertield. an invalid .
Richard Baxter. an invalid: Edward
PaysOn. an invalid Frederick w. Rob
ertson. an invalid; Philip Doddridge. an
| invalid; Wilberforcc an invalid: L. s.
Grant. writing his memoirs OF the civil
war when he was writhing in the ago
mics Of physical torture: Robert Louis
| Stevenson. an invalid: Henry Fawcett
the ally and helper Of English states
men. vet blind from youth of four
teen. Oh, do not tell mo that the mira
Gle of the blind men has not been du-
plicatcd in the eighteenth and nine
teenth centuries. 1t has. ii has. BY
faith they have compelled their frail
bodies to achieve marvcls.
Now, what is the practical deduction
Of this principle: DO NOT be hypochon-
drlacs. DO not talk about Your physic-
al ailments DO not spend most Of
your time telling your neighhors how
bad you feel DO not humor your pains
| and your aches by continually taking
an inventory of them. There is moth
ing in the world which will make the
body moro Of Il wcakling than tho hab-
it of getting the idea into your minds
that il is weak and that il can do
nothing. In almost every sanitarium in
the world you can find these notices
being hung UP every where around the
| walls: Don't talk about your sick
ncsscs,' If you have faith in God that
he will give you physical strength to do
your work, believe mo- that physical
strength, in most cases. will come 10
YOU BETTER throw away those circu-
lars which advertise tho benefits Of
/ patent medicines. ';ct M and got out
and your body will grow in strength as
you obey the call of duty.
But if triumphant faith is important
in reference to iii" physical body how
much more is il important in reference
to the mind, If it is important in ref
ercncc to the action of my lungs and
heart, how much more is it important
in reference 10 the action of my intel
lect. ! for% my mind 10 do what |
belize" | cnn do, and that as a rule is
the limit OF the achievement. no NOR.
and generally no less. Let mo here IT,
lustratc my thought by some Of the
homcly incidents Of everyday life.
Looks Just tho same.
take the train and go ont 10 tho
little country town where You were
born We get off ut the station and 90
,lp the old. familiar street. 1t is sur
country towns change, There are the
same little postOtticc and he same lit.
tic church covered with the same col.
orcd paint. When we walk around it
almost seems as though the same
chickens were running about tho Yards
as ran there thirty years ago. We on
ter the old farmhouse whore YOU were
born and ! find that tho son Of your
Oldest sister. now dead, has II. turn
to him and say: Harry, what is the