Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-10-24

III 1tS WuterS. AS young man lie uSeu
to earn his livelihood by catching and
selling the fish. AS a strong fisherman
he had battled with many storms while
setting his nets after his boat had
been nearly submerged by the heaving
pillows. Now, when the horrors of the
crucifixion were still surging through
his mind and heart, the old habits of
youth were again asserting themselves.
Back to the fshcrman's tasks" was
the call of his heart. SO may we train
our children for Christ in the nursery
That when the storms OF persecution
and the tornadoes of trouble batter
against them and threaten to sub
merge them they may find divine
solace and gospel comfort in the les
sons we have taught them in the quie-
iude of the nursery and in the inspired
truths they have learned at the family
iltar.
But there is another weighty lesson
70 be learned from the scene of my
.ext. The easiest way to overcome the
idal waves of trouble is by Harvesting
ourselves up to work. Inactivity and
inertia are sympathizing attendants,
Nho are only too willing to sit by the
bedside of hcartrending grief and
Weep with US when we weep and talk
,ver with us the sckenng ira gedics
If the past. But their chief mission is
,ot TO heal the wounds of life or to
stop the hcmorrhagcs of bleeding
hearts. They only take the bandnges
off the pain racking wounds and start
the bleeding afresh The best way to
Gght grief is to 90 forth in q manly,
Christian way and lift our cross and
yilenty carry our burden along and
not stop to make complete Inventory
of our misfortunes. Peter knew this
truth, az every brave man ought to
know It.
Back to Daily Duties.
Cannot you hear him say 10 the 9th
err disciples: "Mcn, what is the use of
our sitting here and nursing our grief!
BY dwelling on the scenes of the past
can we lessen one iota any of our
sorrows? Would Jesus want us to sit
around idle like this? We cannot bring
him back to us. Like David with his
dead boy, we can 20 to him, but no
cannot come to us. Have we no daily
duties to perform? Have we no hun
cry mouths to fill? Are not our wives
and children dependent upon us for
food? If Jesus does not want me to
follow him and preach, at least he
wants me to be An honest man and
provide home for my family. used
TO earn their living by iisherman's
net. can earn them bread by selling
fish again. go a-iishng" Then the
other disciples said. I'VE also go with
thee" Yes. the sad fact is that many
people do not fight the sorrows of life
by the activities of life. Like Job Of
old they nurse their grief by tearing
their garments and by weeping and
complaining in saclicloth and ashes.
Here. for instance, is wife and
mother who has been blessed with as
noble a family as God ever gave to a
home. From the morning when the
sweet throated songstress called love
sang amid the bowers of the orange
blossoms the sunshine of joy has al
ways been flooding her life Her life,
like a humming bird. has winged its
way from flower to flower. The sting
ing nettles and the hard. stony path
ways were for others. Only the rest
full, tender symphonies Of a happy life
sounded their music in her heart But
one day the shadow of the broad wing
ed messenger of death passed over her
head. Now, as before, there are seven
places at her family table, but one Of
the baby chairs Is vacant. Does that
mother always arise IN the morning
with q sweet smile upon her lips and
take up her duties Of life cheerfuly?
Does she help her husband bear his
grief? With noble Christian resg-
nation. does she thank God that she
has still four babies left? Does she
live to make them happy? Or does
she sit down and nurse her grief:
Are her checks being continually
splashed by the fountains Of her tears
Does she put away all her bright
clothes and advertise her sorrow by
repulsive Grape? Does she &C forth
with a brave heart to bind up the
bleeding wounds Of her neighbors
Does she continually expect her neigh
bors to come and talk to her upon
only one subject, the loss or her baby
girl? My friend, God sent you a sor
row to prepare you for helping Others
bear their trials. The easiest way tc
overcome grief is by bravely lifting ur
your cross and going forth to comfort
others. Peter fishing for food for his
children on the sea Of Galilee Is 6
far more commendable sight than Pc
ter with tear stained checks. nursing
his grief upon the pebb!ed beach Of the
sea Of Tiberias.
Troubles Never Come Sinsly.
But there is another fact which i'm
presses me about Peters fishing expe
dltion. and that is that troubles dc no
live hermits life. They do not percl
us a baldheaded eagle upon the crag'
and the cliffs in solitary glory. They
love companionship. Like some fish
they travel in schools. Like the cattle
they pasture together in herds. Peter
troubles were cumulative. They cam,
IN companies. Like the snowflakes
they persisted in piling themselves "
into Il great, impossible drift. Lik,
the mighty onrushing rivers. the!
gathered up the waters Of many brook
and creeks and fountains. In the frs
place, Peter had nm awful remors'
rDoUiup NJ bic heart for his denial ot