Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-02-21


Ing an unselnsh life. But they are not
mounting thus toward heaven to live
nearer to God. They are mounting
thus In order that they may have wider
range for their depredations. They as.
sumo the white. spotless robes Of vir.
tue, but their hearts are as black and
as craven as the unfaithful servant OF
the parable.
But not only does the worldly wise
man incur loss of property when his
Lord comes and reckons with him He
loses the society and eternal compan-
ionshp Of those dear to him. He seems
to assume that, no matter how selfish
| w he may live or what sins he may
commit he shall be able to live for
ever with the same kind Of good peo-
| pie with whom he has associated on
earth. He seems to think because the
Master of the parable has let him
work side by side with his faithful
servants here for time. that when he
comes back he will still let faithful
servants live side by side with him.
Now, this Is not to be. Not only did
| the Master take away From his I'M
| faithful servant his talent and tear
away his hypocritical pretenses to vir-
| tue, but the Master also debarred that
unfaithful servant forevermore asso-
ciating with those who had been faith
! full to their trusts.
| If you turn TO the twenty fifth chap
ter of Matthew, you will find that
Jesus taught this fact beyond al per-
adventure. After Christ had tod the
parable of the unfaithful servant with
the dramatic power Of true orator he
suddenly changed his illustration into
the scene of a courtroom. Here Is the
open court Of the east. Here are the
multitudes Of all ges assembled. There
! is the throne upon which God will sit as
the Divine Judge. who shall pass upon
each mortal life. After each servant
has given an account of his steward
ship the Divine Judge will pronounce
the sentence. Listen to the awful ring
of those words: And before him shall
he gathered all nations, and he shall
separate them one from another as
shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats. and he shall set the sheep on his
right hand and the goats on his left"
Oh. yes; there will be an awful sepa-
ration some day, The faithful serv-
ants must be separated from the bad
That means. "If do not render n good
account of my stewardship. God will
separate me in eternity from living
with those who have been faithful to
their trust"
Oh, unfaithful servants We pretend
to believe that your mother, your wife,
your daughter, your son, belong to
you? If you do not render true ac-
count of your stewardship, God will
just as surely take them away from
you as some day he will take away
your money and shatter your hypocrit.
ical pretenses to virtue Some day God
shall send his death angel into youi
home. You may bar and bolt the front
door, but the death angel will come
right In. lie will not loiter much in
the dining room or the parlor. He will
ascend the staircase and stop at this
; bedroom and that. He will look into
one bedroom and there find your old
mother reading her Bible. He will ap.
proach her gentle form and tap her
upon the shoulder and say: Come.
. child Of God. Come. By thy illumined
face l know thou hast been faithful
to thy trust" Then he will find your
daughter upon her knees. He will say
. to her. Come, daughter. Jesus is
waiting He will call thy Christian
father He will stop minute as he
hears your dear wife pray, 40 God
save me and save my dear husband
p, that we may dwell together with thee
, in paradise" Why will yonder angel
be weeping? Thou knowest or ought
; TO know Unless thou dost repent and
u. make a right rendering Of thy steward
ship thy family circle after death will
never be reunited. You may say your
loved ones belong to you. but your pre-
sumption may be based upon false
premises Your Christian loved ones
: belong to you If you are faithful to
- your divine trust as they are faithful
If thou art not faithful. then they dc
= not belong TO you. They shall not he
long to you any more than your gold
h after death will belong to you. "And
= he shall separate them one from an
other, as a shepherd divdeth the sheep
from the goats" For whatsoever hath
>, to him shall be given, and from him
=. that hath not shall be taken away even
3 that which he seemeth to have
But I must not talk about eterna
!, separations unless tell you CONVEX
o sation that would probably go on be
tween the faithful servant and the un
faithful one before the master of the
>, parable returned and demanded an &C
cohnting for the trusts which he ha(
. committed to them. The news wa:
6 carried 4 load to the three servants O
= the pa v o. The messengers came t.
), the town where these servants LIVED
, and said: 1.-The master is coming. HI
;. will soon be here. You must MAKE
+ preparations to receive him. He Il
> coming very SOON
q Preparing For His Return.
n At once the different servants wen
3 forth and gathered in their talents, or
q to use the business parlance, the mon
s eys which they had invested. On tn
a night before the master came thes
a three servants were seated together be
a fore the great fireplace of the master
S sitting ROOM One of these servant
L turned ~ another and said. "JOhn