Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-05-23
Caln,ase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Tslmsae. D. D.

sermon the preacher shows that we
are not sufficiently appreciative of or
thankful for the blessings we enjoy
md that to make life sweeter and bet
ter we should bear these constantly in
mind The text is Ps. Gill, 2, Forget
not nil his benefits"
Memory's grip is not always firm.
Her pen is not necessarily chisel.
Her memorial tablets are not always
cast in bronze or iron or steel Her
death masks are not impervious to
time. They crumble and decay like the
bones and the flesh and the life they
represent. Her thoughts nre not al
ways recorded upon the leaves of solid
rock by the sharp pencil Of the light
ming Her broad manuscripts are Of
ten like the sands Of the seashore.
washed clean at least once a day by
the inflowing tides. They are the
blackboards in the schoolroom Of a lit.
tie child. The written words of the
morning are obiteratcd by the teacher
to make room for the arithmetic class
and the figures Of the afternoon. What
we do and say today may he swal-
lowed up in the great deep, impenetra-
BILE abysses of oblivion of what we will
do and say tomorrow.
Indeed, IL might use the illustra-
ton, memory has always seemed to
me to be like French bastile. It Is
similar to great walled in castle OF
chivalric times. 1t Is filled with secret
closets md secret rooms and secret
subterranean passages. 1t has It's treas
ure vaults, where are concealed the
precious stones and the gold and the
silver no one knows anything about.
1t has its cedar chests where the ia
bled brides have hidden their wedding
robes and where families hide their
decomposed erinning skeletons. so that
no one may find them, yet there men,
DRY stands a huge castle with her
watchtowers and her moats and her
drswbrdges and her banquet halls and
her bathrooms and her cellars and also
with her secret chambers about the
contents of which even the owners
themselves have forgotten.
Perhaps l can illustrate my thought
even more simply than this. x very
dear friend of mine is the owner Of
one Of the most historic of Virginia
mansions. Every one conversant with
the history of Washingtons common
wealth knows about Westover, the
home Of the famous Colonel William
Byrd OF James River. One day some
few years ago my friend was making
some repairs in his cellar. Suddenly
the pick of the workman went through
the wall. A large opening was made
through the wall Lights were brought
Then my friend entered and found q
secret tunnel, which old Colonel Byrd
had built, leading from his mansion
down to the river bank, through which
If necessary in times of danger he and
his family could have escaped and fed
by water TO the coast Or to England.
Thus memory's castles have their Sc
Cret halls and secret chambers and Sc
cret subterranean passages. We our
selves have built them. But after we
have built them we have shut the Sc
cret doors which lead to them and
have then forgotten their very exist
ence. What we said and did az boys
where we went as young men, the
warnings and advice we have received
In the past, may be swallowed up In
the great sea of forgctfulness. Memory
held these in tight grip for a little
while. but menOry's viselike hold after
time grew less and less strong. Now
they have slipped out Of her hands,
They will be lost 10 us forever unless
some one opens for us memory's secret
chambers and says: Brother. look i'll.
Sister, here are your treasures"
Even David Forgot.
David in my text realizes how easy
It is to forget Especially by bitter ex-
perencc he had learned how easy it
was to forget the mercies and kind
nesses with which God had surround
ed him in his past life. No sooner had
God rescued him from Saul's javelin
than the shepherd boy fed to King
Achish's court, thinking he would be
safer with his cOuntry's enemies than
with Saul. Hardly had God seated
him firmly upon the Hebrew throne
than David forgot all of Gods mercies
and care. He stayed at home from
his country's wars. He made love to
Bathsheba, another mans wife. He
then murdered her husband Accord
ing to Nathan's parable, he killed the
poor mans lamb. All. yes, David knew
what it was in his prosperity to forget
tbs love and the mercy and the pro.
lection of God. Today we find him
opening the One Hundred and Third
Psalm with practically these words,
80 God do not let me forget what
thou hast done for me-" He thus bids
us study gospel mnemonics." or the
laws by which we shall be able TO hold
in tighter grip the renIembrances of
the benefits with which God surrounds
our lives now, as he has done during
our past years. Bless the Lord. O my
soul. and all that Is within me bless
his holy name. Bless the Lord. o my
soul, and forget not all his benefits"
How is the psalmlst's prayer to be
answered In my life? First by clear
ly and distinctly and emphatically get
ting an impression deep enough upon
my mind and heart SO that l can re.
member the benefits Of what God has
done for me and my dear ones. BY
NJ IL Av.1 t,ttr he