Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-01-16

the man Is here simply" they urge,
"for the purpose of getting evidence
against thee. Shall we feed our enc
mes?" Eyes" says Christ IF We
love them that love you what reward
have We? DO not even the publicans
the same? And if yc salute your
brethren only, what do ye more than
others? DO not even the gentiles the
same" My brother. In your Christian
work are you ready to extend the
hand of love 10 those who have smttcn
your cheek and are ready to sinite you
again and again? Remember. Christ
today bids you to love your enemies
and do good to those that desptefuly
use you.
Forgiveness For Enemies.
oh" says some one. Il am willing
to help my friends. ! am willing to
help strangers But do not pat my re
llglon to such an awful tcsc that must
! help my enemies" Yes, nv friend.
that is what am going to do. Yet not
/. but the Christ who fed the multi
t1des Tell me this: Could you love
Christ as the forgiven of all sins If ut
that feast he Ia fed only his friends
ana let his enemies stave? And how
can you expect Christ TO forgive you
Your sins unles~ at the same time you
are willing to forgive those who have
trespassed against you? It is told that
when the dauphin of France assembled
the French throne as Louis MI. he
| had many enemies lie made list of
/ his enemies and placed a black cross
by the side of each name. When the
enemies heard what the king had done
they fed out of thc country. But the
king sent word to them. saying: Il did
not place the black cross alongside of
your name to sea your doom, but only
to remind me Of the cross of Christ
When | looked at this cross could
say: Christ has forgiven me my sins
Then l must be willing to forgive the
sins of my enemies" Oh, my broth
er, by the feast Of the loaves and fishes
can you not learn the lesson of helping
your enemies rs well as your friends?
DO it not only for YOUR own sake. but
also do it for Christs sake
The Weak Things Of the World.
But there IS another fact which it Is
we'll for you to notice about this feast
Jesus Christ, when he performs his
material and spiritual miracles often
uses the most insignificant means. He
does not always seek he great men of
the world to achieve his mightiest re-
suits, but by the weak things of the
world God often cOnfounds the mighty.
When the millennium comes the wolf
shall dwell with the lamb and the Loop
ard shall lie down With the kid and
the calf and the young lion and the
failing together. and 4 little child shall
lead them Thus it Is today Some
times by the weak nand OF a little
child God is leading rs 10 the cross.
And sometimes 1t IS ly the little work
of a child or the humble act Of one of
the most insignificant people that God
is able to get his greatest results.
Have you never heard the story Of the
little orphan child who one cold winter
night was standing upon he street cor
ner of an eastern city? He was look
Ing for some one 10 come after him.
gentleman saw this poor little rag
ged urchp standing there Then, ont
OF pity, he crossed The street and said
to the little boy. Are you lost? Are
you expecting some one" Yes" an
swercd the shyering child, II am ex-
pecting God TO send some one to look
after me. Last week my mamma died,
and just before she died she said,
J Charlie God will send some one to
take care of YOU and my mamma
never lied. know God will soon send
} some one along" Then the boy raised
| his eyes as he said: "Mister be you
! the man God has sent? Why have
: you been so long comingT Then the
gentleman said YES, Charlie, God has
! sent me to take you home.' As he led
the little fellow to his home that lit
, tie fellows faith led the man to Christ.
Has it not been thus in your life? Has
!. it not been some weak, humble Chris
\ tan who has led You first to Christ ?
\ And tell me, brother. If some weak
' Christian has been able TO do all this
3 for you, can you not, even in your
}, weakness, lead Some one else to the
@ cross?
I BuI tnPTp II sun one InOugnt | WtUl
e you to notice about this feast. The
o very disciples, the very apostles who
: were to distribute the food. had no re
i alization of what Christ was to do
i They did not dream that he would OF
g could feed that great multitude out of
? little lunch basket But when Jesus
e told them 10 make the mutitudes sill
O down they obeyed his command. And
W when Christ broke the bread and the
fishes they distributed them to the
q hungry mouths. Is not this a lesson
y for us? Let MS obey Christ and he
l. will give the blessing, We cannot un
n derstand how he will do It, That is
> not our affair. 1t is for us to obey. and
Il he will send the increase. Shall we
d like the multitudeS upon the Galilcal
S hillside carry the twelve basketfuls OF
e fragments of our spiritual blessings
o left over from this spiritual feast t.