Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-07-25

that | should not see him. lie seemed
to long sometimes to worship in the
audience and not he called to the pull
pit. lie would come in quietly and
stay hidden until some word OF Scrip
ture or OF prayer touched him. Then,
before he know II, Thank God"
would he ringing from his church pew.
Then every one would smile and say.
That's Francis Murphy" because no
one could ever say Thank God" lust
as Francis Murphy did. During all his
last sickness, in his delirium he would
keep rubbing his hands and with n
sweet smile keep murmurng, THANK
God"' Why, do you know, have
heard him say THANK God" so much
that I believe he has got me into the
same glorious habit of thanking Cod
for everything And whereas used
to count my troubles and name thrru
ono by one now, under the influence of
that sainted spirit, | have begun to
count my blessings. And as my bless
ings are crowding me in multitidlnous
numbers. am saying, Thank Cod"
The Secret Of His Strength.
But leaving aside these personal in
cidcnts. We would take q step forward
and analyze the direct cause Of his
work as temperance rcformer. How
did Francis Murphy win thousands
and tens OF thousands to the better
life? Through continually, emphaticsl
ly and Overwhelmingly driving home
10 the sinful heart mans direct respon.
sibility to God. He was saying:
Christ came to save you. Christ will
save you. Christ will save you now.
| BY his help will You come forward and
sign the pledge and make a covenant
with Christi" lie did not bother
much about prohibitive laws. He did
! not work much through Legislative
| halls. But he tried to bring the sinful
! heart of man in close touch with low
| ing and forgivlng Saviour.
Now. we have been hearing q great
deal about the temperance work Of
| this day We have heard about the
| prohibition movement and the anti
| saloon movement and the women's tenn
perance organizations and they are all
good No one wished all these differ
ent movements eodspeed more than
did Francis Murphy. But though
| Francis Murphy was I'm sympathy with
any movement that would help stop
the liquor evil. he put the chief en-
phasis of his labors upon bringing the
! individual man in touch with Christ
and saving man rs an Individual and
not in the bulk And Francis Murphy
was right This world will never be
saved from the curse Of Intoxicating
drink through the legislative halls Of
our state and national capitals. If It
IS to be saved Mt all. II must he saved
by the saving power of Christ and the
influence of the pledge. Do you sup
pose Nnn could make this a Christian
nation merely by passing strict Sab
battle laws or by building new churches
on every street corner? No. Tenn
perance laws are right in themselves.
But, after all, the miGhtiest work OF
the temperance reformors Of the future
is TO do what John r. Cough did and
Jerry McAuley did and Samuel Had
ley did and Francis Murphy did, and
that is to bring sinful man by the oil
fashioned pledge in touch with the
saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He Set Them to Woik.
But there is one more thought that
forces itself upon Us. Francis Murphy
became the successful temperance re-
former he was because no sooner did
he win convert and get man to sign
the pledge than at once he got that
man on his feet and brought him to
the platform and made him 90 to work
and save other drunkarls. No sooner
did Francis Murphy get Gospel grip
upon u man than at once he pulled him
upon his feet AMI made hm go to work
for temperance. Nv brother, car we
not today learn that divine lesson?
Can we not learn that We ere develop
ed spiritually not more by what Christ
does for Us than by what we are will
Ing to do for Christ?
How many OF those whom Frames
Murphy brought 70 Christ must have
been on The other side TO greet hin.
PERHAPS that welcome IS best pictured
in dream which his daughter had the
night when he was about to pass
away she dreamed she was looking
up into the heavens. 1t was beanti-
ful. clear night and the twiuklinG stars
seemed to be everywhere. Every star
seemed to her to represent five shining
face of some immortal whom her ia
Their had won To Christ. Oh, there We're
thousands and tens Of thousands Of
these smiling faces. And right in the
center OF all she saw her fathers face
1t was lighted Zip with the sweetest OF
smiles. And there he was, surrounded
by constellation OF shining faces,
each one n star in his crown.
Have We met here simply to say a
few pleasant words about orr departed
loved one: Nay. II might not seem
lrrevereut | would say that we should
fee! in this service as the disciples OF
old must have felt when they were in
the upper chamber In Jerusalem await
ing the coming Of the Holy Spirit after
the ascension of Christ from Mount
O'ivet. They We're not there To mourn
their departed Master. They were
there to get inspiration 10" their work.
So it should be with Us when any sue
ccsSful worker drops out of the ranks.
lis labor is finished, but the work is
not completed. Who win take il up
and carry it forward? May we conse-
crate our lives 10 the great temperance
work M never before May we say,
"God helping me, | will live for the
: purpose Of saving men clear down in