Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-07-12

But beware of that moral delinquen.
cy of your ancestor. Better give up
that membership at the club. You m1y
have greater opportunity there to yield
TO that evil tendency. Yon know it.
Beware You are all right if by the
help OF God you turn and flee that
danger MS you would run from a mad
dog. But do not stand and hesitate.
Do not let that evil temptation which
overthrow one Of your ancestors put
Its fatal hand upon you, else you are
gone. Run from that temptation. In
Gods name, run, run. run,
Nor do | wish to discourage you.
These evil propcusities in your nature
may be turned to useful purposes. The
philosophers tell us that dirt Is only
matter in the wrong place. The quail
ties which cause you so much anxiety
may be used for your own good and
the good of your country and the good
of Christ's cause. The ingenuity and
skill in the use Of tools which the bur-
glar employs IN breaking into houses
and picking the locks of safes Is not
en- evil. but only n valuable power
prostituted to CIVIL purposes With his
powers he might be one Of the most
useful mechanics. SO your evil pro-
pensities may he turned to your ad-
vantage and to that Of society.
Inheriting, Virtues.
But shall | stop here? No, The Ri.
bic tells us that the sins Of the ia
theirs are visited upon the children.
But are not the virtues of the parents
also transmitted? Then on account of
the glorious Christian triumphs of your
parents and grandparents and great
grandparents are these not mighty
possibilities of Christian usefulness
also within your own lives? BY the
very words of praise WHICH you are
continually using in speaking of your
ancestors | know they are possible to
you also. What kind Of n woman
was your mother? "Ah," you answer,
my mother was one Of the noblest
Christian women who ever lived.
cannot think of her ever doing any
thing of which | could say, 4 wish
mother had not done that We new.
err had much money, but she always
had enough to help the needy. Then
she was the best nurse in our town.
She was always hunting up some poor
sick people and staying with them
overnight. She never spoke in pub
lie except to pray. But, my. she could
pray! Then my father. What n fine
man he was. Why, he was so honest
and fair and true that whenever the
neiShbors had dispute they would
come to him and let him settle it for
them. All, yes" you say, that was
q beautiful Christian home In WHICH /
was brought up. And as far as l can
make out my grandparents on both my
fathers and mothers side were Just
the same kind of Christian people as
were their children" Is that SO. my
brother? Is that SO, my sister? Then
l know the possibilities of mighty
Christian usefulness are within you.
You have Inherited these possibilities.
VIII you not here and now surrender
your heart to Jesus Christs service and
beg him to make you ,like those Chris
tan parents who gave you birth?
And rs l am now pleading with you
not to longer resist those good ances-
trail tendencies | want to ask YOU a
question. Tell me. do you not at times
have strange, intense longing come
into your heart in the quiet of your
own room? This yearning and longing
seems to say: "Oh, why do | not give
up this selfish life of sin? Why do |
not become a gentle, pure. noble Chris
tian character, as was my mother or
my father or my grandmothers and my
GRANDPA therst' Do you know what
that longing was? 1t was the Chris
tian blood Of your ancestors pleading
with you to lead the Christian life
VIII you not obey that call and come
and surrender your lives to the Mas
ter's service? There are great POSSIBLE
tiles of CHRISTIAN usefulness in you.
By your family record know It.
When | ask You the words of my text
"Whose son art thouf' will you here
and now answer. Il am he son of a
Christian and by the help and pardon
and mercy Of my fathers and mothers
God | will he Il Christian too" Whose
son art thou, young man? Whose
daughter art thou, ~young woman?.
Whose? Whose: Art thou a child Of
God?
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