Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-04-16

cape! To-Day we SnOulu not only tnank
God for saving our own lives. but also
for saving the lives of those upon
whom our early mental and spiritual
development was dependent. And
they escaped all safe to land
The Right Fraternity.
But after we left the old homestead
and started out to make our own way
IN the world, then again we had mar
row moral and spiritual escapes. AS
we look back at those escapes today
we shudder in horror. AS we weigh
carefully the conditions then we know
that we escaped our spiritual deaths.
as it were. by the narrowest margin.
Oh how close we were TO being wreck
ed on the rocks of temptation and sin!
We were as close as were the inmates
OF the Alexandrian corn ship on the
day she went to pieces on the shoals.
Perhaps that narrow moral and spirit
ual escape occurred on the day you left
home for college. The goodbys had
been said You were out of your moth
er's sight and beyond the sound of your
fathers voice for the first time. You
had to choose your associates. This
and that college fraternity We're open
to you. The classes We're pretty clear
ly defined. One fraternity was com
posed of drinking. dissoute young men
Another was composed of steady, stu
dious, moral students. With which
would you associate yourself: While
| you were hestating some old school
| friend came to you and warned you
against the fast set and persuaded you
| to unite with the godly men. AS you
| look back upon your past life, before
! God you can say that next to your
mothers prayers that advice of your
old school friend was the most impor-
tant talk of your life. Your whole
spiritual future was affected by the de-
cision you made on that night when
! under his Influence you decided the
fraternity fellowship question.
Or perhaps Your moral and spiritual
escape was like that of the man who
some years ago was addressing 8
great religious meeting In the city ol
Boston. at was dark night" sale
|
were passing down the street Of ar
eastern city. Their steps quickened a.
they came near to q house of evil re
sort When the dOOrbell was rung one
of these young men hesitated. HI
turned and said: Boys, am not going
in ! am going back Scared. arr
you:' said his two companions. Yes,
answered the young man. I am scared.
The two companions tried to persuad,
the faltering one to go In. He almos
yielded. He went even to the thresh
old; then he turned and broke ava.
and ran back to his boarding hous
and threw himself on his knees ant
ing" Then the speaker. addressing hi
audience, said: "Friends. two of thes
young men entered the house OF evi
resort that night. Those two youn
mems bodies now lie in dishonOrc
drunkards graves The third youn
man, who almost entered that evi
house and turned and ran away tina
night, gave his heart TO God and on
tered the gospel ministry and is nov
addressing you" Oh, We men and We
men, have your moral and splritnn
? escapes been so narrow as that? Than
God today that, like the passengers o
the Alexandrian corn ship, you hay
escaped. Again and again you hay
morally and spiritually escaped safe
land
Tho insratitude Of tho Sailors.
. Rut there are two other facts
5 which | wish to call your attention !
l. reference to these soldiers and sailor
? escaping from the wrecked Alexandria
: corn ship. The first was the behavic
! of the soldiers and sailors toward Pa
$ when the ship was in its greatest dan
ger Cannot you see the faces of ii
D men and the women brighten and smi
as Paul utters his words of cheer an
o encouragement? But did the men WI
n listened to Paul SO thankfully In time
o Of danger befriend him when safet
4 was In sight! Nay. Both the sailol
d and the soldiers We're equally ungrat
$ full No sooner did the ship come
n 4 tl... L. 10