Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-08-29


has four Of FIVE children. Scarlet fe-
yer, one OF the most dreaded of all
nursery diseases, enters her home. First
one child comes down, then another
and another and another. This mother
is not strong at her best, but she Is so
devoted to those children that she new
er sleeps outside of the sickroom. She
never undresses except to take her
bath. For weeks or even months she
Is up night and day. Her hand must
give the medicine. Her hand must
cover up the invalids. The doctors and
the friends see her breaking down.
They say: Mother, you must stop.
You must take your rest Other nurses
can sit up during the night. You will
break down" mo, no." she answers.
"No one must nurse my children but
myself" After awhile she pulls hei
last baby through. Then she falls in
n dead faint. They undress her ana
put her to bed but it Is too late. The
poor weak pulse fluttcrs and stops
The mother Is dead. "She Is n martyr
to her children" the neighbors say. Is
she martyr? No, emphatically no.
She died because she did not have any
common sense. Other nurses could
have taken her place while she rested.
Other nurses could have taken her
place while she ate. Now that she Is
dead no one else can take that moth
er's place. Women, beware! Paul Is
bidding you look after your health.
Better join Paul for little while in
the cabin of that Alexandrian corn ship
and eat your bread and look after your
physical strength. Your children need
you in the years to come even more
than they need you now.
Here IS a young minister just called
to n great church. He is very con
scientious man and believes that he
must do all the work that comes to
his hand. He calls upon the rich and
the poor alike. He works far into
the night over his sermons. He goes
to this meeting and to that and to
this funeral and that funeral. He Is
like n horse running at mad rate
until his tanks are bathed with foam.
After awhile he drops in his tracks.
fOOE ltiiOM. peopIt say AAC uicN
q martyr to his work" Oh, no, not
that. God did not call that young
minister to break himself down. God
does not expect any one man to do the
work of ten men. Better hold up,
Christian worker. Better dine with
Paul in the Alexandrian corn ship.
God wants you to care for your phys
1. 70 h. p1A IN
do his work we'll. If Paul could af-
ford to care for his body, you can af-
ford to care for yours.
He Told the Truth.
But there was another reason why
Paul gripped the sailors OF the Alexan-
dran corn ship. He did not deceive
those sailors In reference to their res
cue. He did not say: Nov, men,
Just follow me. and trust In me, and
all will go well. l will give you
plenty to eat and smooth sea and a
quiet voyage" Nay. That was not
Paul's way He said, Men. put your
trust in Christ. You are to have a
hard battle ahead. You think the
seas are rough now. but they are going
to be far rougher. They are going to
batter us about until we become a
helpless derelict Then they will fling
us upon the rocks and this great ship
is to be knocked into kindlng wood.
But out of the struggle and the storm
God Is going to bring us all safely to
land. Now, men, If you trust God
you must he prepared to meet this
struggle" Thus Paul spoke. And
thus all gospel evangelists should
speak when they are pleading with
men and women to accept Jesus
Christ.
You cannot make n good Christian
unless you are willing to battle with
storm for Christ and struggle against
almost insurmountable difficulties. The
| life OF Christian ease is always the life
of failure The life of self sacrificing
struggle for Jesus Is always the life OF
| spiritual success. 1t is said that the
greatest artistic genius England ever
produced was n young man named
Hawkins. He was, like Thomas Chat
terton, Il precocious marvel. When he
was twenty years Of age, he was her
aided as 1.-THE coming Michael Angelo.
But the trouble with young Hawkins
was that he was never willing to make
the sacrifices necessary for his success
! in art. on one occasion he was asked
by Mr.. Ackers. a prominent member OF
the British parliament, to make
pleasure journey with him and some
| friends to Paris IL cannot" he re
piled II have to finish a picture
How much do you expect to get fol
that picture after II is fnishedF ask
ed Mr.. Ackers. "Fifty pounds" 81
will give you that much for II now
With that Mr.. Ackers lifted his foo
and drove 1t through the canvas, say
Ing, Now, Hawkins, drop the old pic
ture and spend your ESQ and let III
have some fun" So 1t is with all mer
who are living the easy life Like thu
prodigy Hawkins, their lives are doom
ed to failure SO is it with the Chris
tan life We must battle with storm
We must sacrifice. We must give VI
for Jesus, or else Jesus cannot save Vi
and bring us to the higher Christian
! life.
But there Is one more lesson wan
to draw from this Mediterranean ship
wreck in reference to the Christian
life, and then | am done. Paul die
not say to those tossing, trembling
seamen, "One-half of this crew shal
be saved if ye abide by the ship" III