Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-04-25

thus their influence at the ballot box
is absolutely nulihed. There are
enough Christians today in the land to
purify every city. morally as well as
spiritually. But what Is the dlfficulty7
The church Of one denomination will
try to undermine the church Of another
denomination, and there Is common
tendency to place sectarian creed high
er than the gospel of the cross The
church members act just as though
one half OF locust's swarm were to
70 to work and fight the other half Of
the swarm until they exterminated
each other while the rich harvest fields
were lying near at hand, full with
ripened grain. ready to satisfy even
their rapacious hunger Oh. that today
the Christian men, the disciples Of Je-
sus. could drop all their personal diff
fercnces and work side by side for the
glory and the eternal triumph Of Jesus
Christ!
A Unit For Christ.
What makes England the greatest
factor of the world in international
politics? 1t Is this: The English peo-
pie always act as a unit in foreign
movement Though British subjects
may have their home differences, as
the members of family criticise each
other at their own ircsides, yet when
1t comes to foreign policy the world
knows that all Britishers will stand
shoulder to shoulder to support their
king, no matter what their personal
differences may be. even as the locusts
| in unison will swarm to attack q dense
| forest. May all the disciples of Christ
| learn to act as Il unit for Christ, The
most impressive power Is the cumula-
| tive influence of overwhelming num-
| bers. Internal differences mean fric-
| ton. Friction brings exhaustion. En-
haustion is the forerunner of death.
All that Satan wants is to have one
half of the good Christian men Of the
world fight the other half of the good
men Of the world for the glory Of God,
and then there will he no need for Sa-
tan to wage battle
But there is one more thought that
have about the Insignificant insects OF
nv text. and then | am done. After
the locusts have once taken up the
line Of march or of flight they can new
err be headed away from their straight
course. When in a midnight tempest
the great herd Of cattle upon a west
ern prairie take fright and, mad with
bitter fear. stampede, the cowboy may
ride to the head OF the herd and turn
the leaders and get them moving in n
circle. but the iocustS In their flight
can never be headed off from movinG
In a straight line. Fires may be built
bitches may re dug but they will
march on or fv on until with thcil
dead bodies they smother out the
flames and fiji up the bitches. Their
over the corpses of their dead com
rades the rest Of the swarm will KEEP
steadily on in their course.
Even tho sea itself cannot stop then
in their onward progress. DR. w. II
Thomson in his book called Brain ant
Personality" records this wonderful
fact: while was soiourning in Syri'
I heard that the whole country rount
Mount Lebanon was dlsmayed Ivy thu
news that vast army OF marching 10
Gusts was coming from the eastern
desert. The governor OF the distric
ordered out regiment of soldiers Il
aid the people to construct gren
rampant of brushes to be set on fir
as the locusts came up to II, hopin'
thus TO save the gardens OF Eelru'
When they raked the prepared heap
OF brush and these were set on fire. tn
locusts marched on without pausin
until in brief time they put the fire
entirely ont. As the sea was not ia
off. everybody hoped that they woul
take to surf bathing. When the van
guard reached the waves. like all true
good locusts, in they hoped till til
pillows Seemed to roll only grasshol
pers. Nor did the scene end until tn
last OF the rear guard. faithful TO tn
great law of his being, had skippe
over the heads of Dis dead comrade
to make his last leap into the blue va
ters of the Mediterranean" Oh, tina
we might all have the perseverance q
, the locusts, After God has once MAJ
,, ped out orr limo of march may We G
on and on. no matter whether we liz
or die; may we still move on and on.
Concert Of Action.
! The trouble with most Of our rel
gious lives is that we do not act in COZ
: cert. That is the first difficulty. Th
second Is even more disastrous. "
= do not fight continuously and unrelen
: ingly for the right Our gospel NOV
r ments for the most part are spasmodi
, We are like frisky colt trying
9 draw load We make plunge nov
= we make plunge again, But we NJ
. slowly and surely tighten the trace
I and then keep steadily on pulling
5 the straight line. When the locu
4 once maps out his line of march,
a never swerves one inch from Il
' straight line. SO may we first find o
! what our straight line Of duty is, tn,
\ slowly, surely and unswervingly
= ahead. toeing that line no matter VIII
= may happen to us personally. Let
8 do for God what the locust does in Ii
c ing up to his small intelligence.
And cannot we afford TO follow Il
leadings of our God? Will he not {
l rect us Alright and care for US? Is n
@ his power infinite? Cannot he triumI
r over even the power of the destroyil
l. locusts? Some years ago the harves
% Af In yt..,-y1 tot a, N