Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-06-27


purpose. How often, after the crowd has
vanished. after the occasion Is over. do
the repcntlnt weep out In the silences
the regret of the action that was inspired
by influences artificial and superficial
a resolution to follow the Master
withersoever He goeth means more than
crowd and occasion signify. 1t means
going to the waste places of the earth
and often to obscurity. He who resolves
TO follow Christ everywhere should count
the cost. Honest determination in the
midst of the throng often becomes regret
ful faltering In the hours Of loneliness
In the excitement Of n great religious
camp meeting. I once knew woman 10
throw nil her ioweiry on the ground as
evidence Of her remuneration Of every
thing to follow Christ, and after the pco-
pie had dispersed. she crept back In the
dark. III earnest endcavor 10 recover that
which she had so lately discarded.
In great missionary conventions. there
are hundreds who volunteer for the
Foreign field. but when they come face
to face with cold reality. they shrink
from following the Master TO the remote
corners Of the world
"a CERTAIN SCRIBE"
This Scribe came out from the multi
tude to pledge to Jesus his public deter
mination to follow Him "wthersoever He
should lead" This Is the last we ever
hear Of this man. His name Is not
preserved. He Is called certain
Scribe. he might just as we'll have been
called "a certain fellow" Perhaps he
followed to see n miracle or 10 hear the
| beatitudes His desire to follow Jesus
may have been prompted by the
notoriety which would come to one living
near enough to Him to stand in his re-
Elected glory. Napoleon Ponaparte
playing with thrones. young man
playing with the wine-c and Ger
tain Scribe" playing with the popular
ity OF the Nazarine-these three are
kindred spirits. Pure selfishness Is the
motive Of all. In the enthusiasm of
the moment. this Certain Scribe"
made public avowal Of his determine
ton to follow Jesus wheresoever He
should go. but he had not counted the
cost-he did not know where he must
needs go with Jesus. His motive would
have been good had he known the
way the Master was to lead. and then
solved with sincere heart to follow
Him anywhere and everywhere.
Where does Jesus go to-day? He
goes the way Of purity II we follow
him In sincerity we go with Him be
cause we want to live the Beatitudes.
Jesus is always In the path Of duty.
81 came not to do mine own will. but
the will of Him that sent me- Those
who go with Christ must walk in the
path of plain duty. Many man
may have to walk to obscurity II he
walk in the path of duty. 1t does not
take much courage to do a thing for
fame. 1t does not take much courage
to do n thing for immortality. Bleed
ling wounds do not hurt in the presence
lof popular applause. 1t requires a
hero though. to do a thing for OBJ
lscurity. Is 1t hard thing to do your
duty when you're paid for It in mortal
praise? The path OF duty may some
times break mans heart. but that Is
the path all must tread who go
withersoever the Master goeth.
TO GLORY THROUGH SELF DENIAL.
II Ia not what we are getting out OF
Christ that Ia OF greatest value. bu,
the rather what we are doing for the
world through love Of Christ. The
high path Of self denial Is the road &c
eternal glory Enduring hardness as
good soldiers OF Jesus Christ and fol
lowing his leading. we 1.-Two for other;
rather than demand that others live
for US
The way that Christ takes Is the
way of patience. Some people stop al
once when others criticise them
Jesus Christ did not stop healing be-
cause they said He healed tn, ougr
Beelzebub."
: Sometimes rebellion COMES to q
heart smitten by great sorrow. but
$ If the sound OF battle and confusion
r In tho soul Is occasioned by disap
pointment or grief. it Is we'll to recall
that the Master Himself trod the darl
, pathway of human woe. and then re
solve TO endure hardness as good sol
1 diers Of Jesus Christ.
|, This Pauline exhortation. "endur,
| hardness must be h. eded by ever.
serious minded man and woman as n
future of humble obscurity or o
undying fame.
PARTNERSHIPS A FACTOR.
The future that lies Just ahead Of u
= IL heavy with problems of utmo s
! gravity and for their solution tn
n highest order Of courage will h
9 required. They are mistaken VIII
think ability. shrewdness dip
D., lomacy. 6nesse 20 he all-suf
J.. ficient. No one OF ordinary sense vii
y underYate the value Of the keen In
tellect as q factor in WORKING ont tn
great problems Of humanity. And we
. iit 10 not too much 10 say thar intel
= lectual alertness unaccompanied b
the fearless spirit will prove value
less In the service Of men. The In
|tellectuai giant. the mental exper
u and run when Sound Of battle Is 1
the land, and Of great destruction" an
then. l pray you. of what worth Is hi
genius or his training? During III
n days following the awful cataclysl
. at San Francisco In 1905. there wer
, lsome experienced physicians, skille
ia surgeons, trained nurses and expel
r. sanitary engineers who fled before tn
n rumblng earthquake and the destruC
;. tive holocaust from fear of their ow
10 peril. and all the knowledge they ha
- acquired In the schools was wors
than worthless because In the testin
time Of danger they were craver
hearted. How In contrast to thes
" were the cool heads and fearless sou
~ of the trained servants of the govern
~ ment who. standing ankle deep
IL flowing acids with hose In ham