Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-09-27

eyes in indolent somnolence, but only
upon the mountain heights of difficulty.
to scale which we will have to do as
Paul did when he described himself. in
the twelfth chapter of Hebrews. as
running gospel race: Wherefore
seeing we are comprised about with
so great cloud OF witnesses. let us
lay aside every weight and the sin
which doth beset us, and let us run
with patience the race that Is set be-
fore u.s." When you read those words.
dare you for one moment assume that
Paul had an easy time when he gave
himself up for consecrated service to
Jesus Christ?
1t is only when we are able to press
toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God In Christ Jesus
that we are able to reach that prize.
It is only when we are willing TO climb
the highest mountains Of difficulty that
we are able to hear God speaking TO
us In tones of love as he spoke to
Moses in the secret places of thunder.
There is a beautiful story told that In
olden times a heather king lay dying.
He was MORALLY wounded on the field
of battle. No sooner did he receive
the fatal thrust than he sent for his
most trusted servant and said, "Tell
the dead that | come" At once the
servant drew the kings sword and
drove it into his own heart. And as
his spirit was about to speed away the
servant said. Master, | will go and
tell the dead that thou wilt soon be In
their midst" oh" YOU say. that
was a beautiful devotion That servant
was willing to give up all for his king"
SO must we sacrifice If we are to hear
our divine king speak to us in the Sc
cret place of thunder. We must be
willing to give up all for him. We
must he ready to climb every noun
tain of difficulty for his honor and
glory. $50 likewise whosoever he be
of you that forsaleth not all that he
hath he cannot be my disciple"
Forsaling All For God.
The psalmist in all probability cared
but little for the scientific causes of the
thunderstorm. In bis time the national
and international systems of weather
bureaus had not been established
There were not then. as now, weather
outposts or observatOries stationed all
around the world connected with tele-
graph wires. In our day no sooner
does a storm start south from Alaska
than the great ganglion or nerve center
ut Washington Is made cognizant Of
the fact, and the danger signals are
lifted along the coast TO warn Ameri-
can shipping. In all probability David
knew nothing about the different strata
Of air overhead. He did not know that
Just as the scientist today drops a faith
ON line into the ocean and finds diff
ferent currents Of water in straight
line flowing above or underneath each
other in different directions, so the
aeronaut in his balloon finds different
currents Of air IN the atmosphere over
head blowing in different directions
But this one fact the psalmist knew
about thundcrstorm-it represented
an atmospheric change. Before the
storm came the hot valleys would be
blistered. Then the droughts would be
parching the grass and drying up the
water holes. Then the sheep would be
bleating from hunger and thirst. But
no sooner did the echoing of the storm
sound forth from the secret place of
thunder than at once the hot, blasting
al became cool. Then the reservoirs
OF the clouds were emptied Of their
waters. Then all nature began to TEEN
and to smile and to hum and to sing
with life. So in the secret place Of
thunder when God speaks to us, our
natures will be changed. Being sinful,
we shall become pure. Being morally
crooked, we shall become straight Be
ing spiritually dead, we shall become
spiritually resurrected Though your
sins be as scarlet they shall be white
as snow. Though they be red like Grim
son they shall be as WOOL" Oh, the
miraculous change which comes into
mans sinful nature as soon as the sim
ner comes into touch with Christ's love
in Gods secret place of thunder.
Harmony With Man.
But in the secret place of thunder
man is not only brought into right har-
mony with God but also into right
harmony with man. There we are
taught to love the Lord our God with
all our heart and soul and mind. But
we are also taught there to love our
neighbor as ourselves. And in no
place on earth does man try more to
help his neighb0r than when he is In
the mountains. The valleys are the
places where man too often lives for
himself. The wild mountains are the
places where man lives for others. II
you are in trouble in the high hills you
can always go TO the first man you
meet and he will help you out of that
difficulty If 1t Is possible for him so
to do. There everybody is honest.
There everybody tries to help others.
We had our goods carried up into
the hills by teamster. Where did
he leave them? BY the public road
side There they lay hour after hour
unlocked. Scores and hundreds of peo-
pie passed them, and no one touched
them. They have four legged thieves
in the mountains. The wild cattle will
come and steal your grain, but there
are no two legged thieves in the noun
tains called men. There every one is
honest. IF you want anything from
town Just give the money to the first
man Won find going there" said n gen