Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-03-07

WOnu0rTul carvings Innt one door
leads into a music room, or into a
teachers room, or into an art gallery,
or into writer's study. I do not know
what that one talent Of your mind IT,
but I know that you have one great
talent Develop 1t for Jesus Christ.
Develop it to the very best Of your
ability. Mako its sounds the sweet
est. Make its colors the brightest
Make Its parab les the most convincing
Make it's oratlons the most powerful.
Say, "By the help of God I will take
this talent Of mine and develop II In
tellectually that may truly serve my
Master in an aesthetic as we'll as in a
spiritual way"
When I was student our honored
theological professor, Or. Thomas s.
Hastings, was lecturing to the boys
and giving us a long list Of books
which he wanted us to study. These
books II 7 remember Alright, covered
all the fields OF literature. poetic. sci
entific, historical, as we'll as Biblical.
He was not only telling us how to
study the Bible by commentaries. but
also how to enrich our sermons by
gathering Our illustrations from all
sources. You all know what Il means
In plain English. II you would serve
God Alright. serve him with the best
developed brain that You can produce.
Go to the best OF music schools and
| train your songs for Christ. Go to the
best Of all colleges and train your
brain for Christ. Gather for Jesus all
the best products of the scientific as
! well as the artistic and the historical
and political life Make your intellect
the fir tree doors Of the inner sane
tuary carved with cherubim and palm
! that we have or can have In the intel
lectual life should all be consecrated
to the Masters service.
II ii Is important for us as individu-
ais to develop our intellects along the
! lines Of the beautiful, how much more
| important is it for us to have homes
every door Of which is engraved with
cherublm and palm trees and blossom
ing flowers, If 1t is important to
adorn our own individual lives, how
much more important is II by the di-
rect or indirect examples In the home
to adorn those lives which are living
close to US.
A Staggering Thought.
1t ia a staggering thought to me that
l individually can do just about what
like with each one Of my children for
nearly twenty years, or for nearly one
half or one-third of their lives. I can
tell them what time they are to go to
bed and what time they are TO get up.
can tell them what kind of food they
are TO eat and what they are no to eat.
l can pick out all their clothes and
limit them In the books they are to
study and TO read. I can tell them
what pictures they are to look at apd
what they are to do In my house In
other words. for fifteen or sixteen
years of my children's lives l can alb
sOlutely do as | will In forming their
characters when they are living within
the four walls Of my house. OF course
| mean | can do as | please If their
mother agrees. On the other hand,
sometimes think the wife can do as
she pleases with the children, whether
the husband agrees or no. Now, my
friends. if we as parents have such a
marvellous influence upon the lives of
our children do you not feel that we
should do everything in our power to
develop their minds In an intellectual
, way for Jesus Christ? Do you not be
lieve that every door of our homes
should be engraved with cherubim and
palm trees and flowers in blossom?
To speak literally. do you not be
lieve we should have flowers In the
home? 1t does not take much work to
plant a few flowers in your back yard
or even to plant few gsraniums OF
petunias in box of soil and have
them catch the sunlight ae it comes
streaming through your windows OF q
winters day. Can you not place IN
the middle of your dining table fern
flowers. but through flowers it was
easier for him to love Christ. Can you
, not hang copies Of the old religious
masters upon your walls? 1t does not
. cost much to get copy OF Rubens
Descent From the Cross or Christ
at the Last Supper" or an Easter
Resurrection" or Millets "Angslus'
or Ruth Cleaning After the 'Reap
ers." You had better teach your chill
dren to love good pictures, for. mari
me, II you do not teach them to love
good pictures when they are young
= they may learn to love bad picture:
when they are beyond your control
Can you not buy for your children
! some musical instrument. II 1t Is only
photograph. and have that phone
graph play some Of the worlds bes
classical music or some Of the beauti
. full hymns which have come singing
: down through the centuries?
. 1t IS important to have n beautiful
, home in which our children shall live
Is it not also important to have beau
. tiful temple and beautiful churcl
:. service with which we shall worship
4 God Alright on the Sabbath day? Shal
(, not the door Of our earthly sanctuarie
y be engraved with cherubim and pain
!. trees and poisoning fiowers2 Shal
q not the songs We sing from the choi
r lofts be sung by the most beautiful
. voices? Shall not the sermon which
q preached be something more than a
}. old fashioned camp meeting exhorts