Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-02-20
CalmaSe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, D. D..

Los Angeles, Cal, Feb. 16.-That the
power of evil habit may reassert itself
after many years and that even n
good man may fall back into sin unless
diyinely fortified against temptation
is the practical lesson of this sermon.
The text Is John v, IA. "Sin no more
lest a worse thing come unto thee"
Calvinists and Arminians have bat
tied for generations over the question
whether it is possible for a mar who
has once been converted to fall into
sin and be finally lost. The question
is no nearer a settlement than it was
a hundred years ago, but l think there
Is one aspect of it in which both would
agree. Unhappily there is no room
for dispute about the facts. The Meth
odist points, in proof Of his contention,
to men who are sunk in vice and deg
radiation, who were once believed to
he true Christians. The Presbyterian
~sorrowfully admits the fact, though he
explains it by saying that such men
were never children of God. and they
deceived themselves and deceived the
church. or else they were Christians
and will yet he saved through discipline
that God will use to bring them back
to his fold. 1t is of these men I would
speak this morning.
We are down by the pool of Bethes-
ia. In all probability this was a min
eral spring, like a Yellowstone geyser.
Samuel Barnes thinks 1t may have
been. At certain times this pool erupt.
ed, and at the first troubling Of the
waters they had a curative quality at
tributcd to angelic action upon them.
The sick and the diseased would gather
there ready to plunge in at the aus
picious moment The first who stepped
into the water at that time was cured
of his or her ailment, but one poor man
was there who was SO weak and slow
In his movements that he could not en-
ter alone. He seemed to have no
friends. Reading between the lines. |
think this mans sickness may have
been the result of n past evil life. Sin
and physical agony are sometimes. but
not always, concomitants Of each 9th.
er. Jesus saw and had compassion on
him. he looked so sick and wan and
helpless. Then Christ cured him. Then
Jesus meets him afterward in the tenn
pie and speaks the words Of my text:
Behold, thou art made whole. Sin no
more lest a worse thing come unto
thee"
We may wonder what there could be
worse than the man had endured. To
lie there day after day for thirty
eight years, suffering from paralysis
or rheumatism or some other ailment
that rendered him helpless. was surely
bad enough. But Jesus thought there
were worse things than that and they
might come upon him II he fell into
sin. The warning ZONES with addi-
tiOnal force to us because we have
been accustomed to regard the miracle
as a type Of conversion. We should
therefore ask ourselves in what re-
spect the calamities that come from
sin are worse than physical helpless
ness.
Tho BaeksIidcr's Remorse.
The backslider, in the first place, is
haunted by the grewsome specter Of n
poignant, never ceasing remorse. He
has enjoyed the inspiring hope Of sal
walton. He has tasted the incffablc
sweets of the gospel. He is like the
prodical in the far country. He was
not born of swine keeping parents.
lie was not treated as n social out
cast. He was Graded in the old home
stead and knew what a loving moth
er's smile was. He knew what honor
and affection and responsibility meant.
But he deliberately went and flung all
away and turned his back upon the
things that make life worth living. In
his misfortunes after his poverty ca me
upon him, wherever he went and
whatever he did, he kept picturing to
himself the plenty and happiness Of his
fathers home. Do you suppose q man
who has once lived in a comfortable
house on n respectable street, with a
loving family and amid kind friends.
could ever be happy to go and dwell
among social outcasts If he knew that
he was the direct cause of his own dis
grace?
Some years ago a young Scotchman
came across the seas and settled in
this country. He married here and had
two little children, whom he loved
dearly. He was not a bad man. He
had a religious bringing up. But he
was one of those who drifted into dis
sipation through sociability, as so
many had done before him. The men
always used to take n drink before
they started work. Then they would
hreak off work about 10 o'clock and
take another drink. Then they would
always take a drink at noon. and so on
during the day. This habit began to
get its merciless hold upon him. One
evening on his way home from work
n sleigh was dashing down the street.
Before he knew it the horse was al
most upon him. lie leaped back just
In time to escape being knocked down,
As he did this two women beautifully
dressed in furs laughed contemptu-
pusly at his p~redicament. The man be
gan to think. Why was he walking
when other people could ride and al
most ride over him and treat 1t all as
joke? Who were these rude rich
people? Looking after them, he recog'
nized these women as the wife and
daughter OF the saloon keeper from
whom he and his fellow wOrkmen
bought their daily drink.
II Paid to Do Right.
AS he watched the sleigh disappear