Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-05-24

been using up my time in service ant
not In theories. I have been trying tc
obey the voice Of God. who tells me L
visit the sick and feed the hungry ant
be guide for the blind. I truly try tc
live right I do all the good can tc
ms many people as I can in as many
different ways as I can. Therefore
let hair splitting theological questions
alone. Whether Christ Is divine or not
whether he can give to his disciples q
supernatural gift rarely enters my
mind To tell the truth. do but little
else than try 10 help my fellow men
and I guess God does not care much
what l think about Christ as long as
try to serve him as faithfully and ear
nestly as I can" Alb, my friends
you are wrong. It does make good
deal Of difference In reference to your
gospel work what you think about
Christ. 1t may mean the difference be-
tween the possible higher power and
the lower spiritual life.
Works without Faith.
Faith without works Is dead" But
without faith in the divinity Of Jesus
Christ and in his supernatural power
works" in the sight of God nre worse
than dead. The lack Of faith in Christ
means that you are utterly devoid OF
the Christ power. This belief in Christ
is the very foundation Of the gospel
What would you think of an architect
who takes you down to the seashore
nj alN f,,I 80 xv~tc
which he has erected upon the sands
Oh. 1t Is exquisite in design. The lights
come shining through the most expen-
sive Of glass windows. The affairs are
rich with gold and beautiful tapestries
The floors are exquisite mosaics. The
dome is a perfect heaven OF blue. What
would you think IL that architect. after
he had taken you through that building
would reply to you when you asked
How are the foundations of this beau
tiful structure2 Are they strong and
trus?" "Oh, did not put much work
on the foundations. Instead of digging
them deep and strong, where all the
work would be hidden from the eyes
of man, l simply bulded these walls
upon the surface. I expended all my
energies upon the superstructure.
What would you think of ship de.
signer who did not lay the keel Of his
ship straight and true? Why. on the
day Of the launching Of that boat the
hull would turn turtle" or in the
first great storm at sea that boat would
60 to pieces or sink with all on board
Now, it is not sufficient in the Chris.
tan life for man to say, ~ an al!
right because ] have visited the sick
and fed the hungry and was eyes to the
blind" 1t is not suffi cient for the archi.
tect to say, II am all right because
have worked hard and huilded my su.
perStructure we'll" It is not rational
for the ship designer to talk about set
ting his masts before he has laid his
keel well. The questions Of the divin-
ity OF Christ and the divine power of
Christ are the most vital questions in
the gospel life. 1t Is foundation ques.
ton. This question precedes all other
questions. Whom say ye that ann
Jesus asked the disciples Of old. Peter
answered Thou art the Christ, the son
Of the living God" Do you answer
thus? Do you believe thus? Do you be-
lieve in the supernatural power of
Jesus as the disciples did when they
gathered in Jerusalem to be endued
with power from on high?
These disciples believed that Christ
could give his supernatural power to
his disciples II he would. They did
more. They believed that Christ would
give to them. is individuals. this super
natural power, II they We're only obedi-
ent to his divine commands and tar
rled still In Jerusalem until they were
endued with power from on high.
Now. it Is one fact to feel that Christ
can give to others his power If he
would or that be will give to me indl-
vidually his higher power IL am will
ing to obey his commands and do as
he wishes me to do. Let me explain
this demarcation.
Realizing Possibilities.
All American boys are born free and
day being elected president Of the
United States il they live. We We're
all taught this theory from the cradle.
The story of Lincoln. the rail splitter,
and of James A. Garfield following the
towpath, have been repeated again and
again in almost every nursery. But
though the poor boy. the boy Of the
humble home, may yet be elected presi-
dent of the United States. do we in the
highest flights of our ina gination sup
pose that our own boys will ever be
elected chief executive of this nation
We know it Is possible. but do we feel
that there is any probability Of this
possibility coming true? Furthermore,
when we We're young, in the widest
flights of our imagination did We ever
have the assurance of the successful
outcome Of our own powers, as did
the little boy. Edward Dickinson Ba-
ker, the son Of the poor English emil
grant, who had crossed the seas and
settled on Illinois prairies? One day
the lad OF twelve was found weeping
by school friend. What Is the mat
ter, Edde" he asked. oh" said Ed
die, II have just been reading my
American history and | find out that
by the American constitution no for
eign born child can ever be elected
since ! could think and plan l have
been planning what should do when
l became president of the United
States"
IT'S true this unknown lad became