Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-01-30

VIC play 10 quicken the mlnO anu rest
the body for the daily task Of life
which God has given US to do or
whether we prostitute the workings Of
our minds and hearts in mere pleasure
seeking. We have No patience with
the ,epitaph which the dying wag wrote
and which Is today found chiseled up.
on his tombstone in one Of our eastern
cemeteries:
Life is a Joke, ana all things show II;
thought so once, and now know Il.
Life Is no joke. Life IL not a play.
ground. Life Is great campaign
which God commands us to work out.
And whenever you and men and won.
en- living fol- mere pleasure you end
men and women whom God classes
among fools. o man. what are your
associates trying to accomplish with
their opportunities? Are they winning
you away from the great purposes for
which you were born? Are they say.
ing to you, Come, come, eat, drink
and be merry. for tomorrow we die"
For II they are they are companions
who are already dead to the higher
principles Of life. Furthermore. they
are compa MONS who are leading you
to your own temporal and eternal de.
struction. "A companion Of fools shall
be destroyed" In Gods sight the per.
petunl pleasure seeker is a fool.
Another Kind Of Fool.
But, turning from the mere fun lover,
tar ipto tt~n lat ~
Of trade. There, among the hardwork-
ing merchants and in the Offices Of
some Of the most noted lawyers and
physicians and In the studies Of some
Of our greatest authors. scientists and
sta tesmen. we may find another kind
of folly. against which King Solomon
warns lis in the words OF my text
he can accomplish in this world Is a
fool. The same biting cutting, with
ering Technology OF four letters
fool" which is applied TO the one Is
also applied to the other.
Here We have the characterization
from the lips Of the Lord himself
Turn to the parable which Christ
spake to his disciples in Luke Kill
1920. There in his wonderful word
painting Christ takes us to the home
Of great eastern landowner. This
wealthy man takes US out upon the
veranda OF his house and begins to
point out the advantages Of his prop.
erty. His land not only seems to be
endless, but he has quality Of soil as
-
say to us: 81 started 4 poor boy, but
by close application to work | made
all this property by my own labors. |
have NJ thought or hope beyond the
money | am amassing. Now, the great
question before me Is, What shall I
do: My incoming crops are larger
than my granaries can hold" Then
in Chrst's own words we have the
story: And he said: This will do. I
will pull down my barns and build
greater and there will bestow all my
| fruits and my goods. And | will say
! to my soul: Soul, thou hast much
goods laid up for many years Take
thine ease; eat, drink and be merry.
But God said unto him, Thou fool,
this night thy soul shall be required
of thee. Then whose shall those
things be which thou hast provided"
Friend, are such men, Of whom this
rich man OF the parable is the symbol,
to be counted among your best friends
Brother, when Christ spake this para
his life to amass little silver and
gold was he abiding to you? Are
you in Gods sight the covetous fool,
surrcnderins eternity in order to lit
I your head a little higher in the world
A Strange Sermon.
Oh, how quickly shall come the eter-
nal doom which awaits the covetous
/ fool Of Christ's parable, who has vast
ed his opportunities in order to how be-
| fore the shrine Of Midas for day.
was never more impressed with this
| fact than when. some years ago. one
/ bleak Novemb Der day was sitting upon
! the banks Of the Hudson river ana I
had the strangest Of preachers talk 10
me. know not whether | was asleep
or awake. but this is the sermon that
came to me at that time: While was
sitting there. suddenly cold sharp
blast Of wind slapped me in the face
and then leaped up and struck an over
hanging bough until the boush creaked
and groaned with pain. Then. seeing
the uselessncss OF trying to break the
backbone OF the old forest monarch
the wind ruthlessly disrobed the tree Of
its glories, scattering the leaves far and
wide and seemed to sport and laugh a,
it tossed one to my feet. And as l sat
there, watching the poor little leaf
bleeding and dying, with Its arteries
slit by the sharp teeth Of the blast /,
told me this tragic story: II was born
Of bud At my nativity the gentle
spring breathod life into me. The re-
freshing showers nurturcd me- Tht
sunbeams soothed me and coa1ed me
into smiles. The birds warbed and
told me their secrets. The summer
breezcs rocked me to sleep. The-risinl
sun kissed away my dcwy tears. Lift
was such a continual happiness that
throbbed with gladness and tried t.
awaken the weary traveller MS he hit
from the Aoontide sun under my shad
ow But then | commenced to grow
old. Something told me | had to die
and, though nestled closer to thu
branch and tried to shake OF the cold
yet on ever, hand the likelihood flowed
Every morning when l awoke l saw
hundreds OF leaves drop, covered Will