Year: 1861

There were few houses of the old time IN


New England that did not rontnin we'll


thumbed volume of the Pilgrims Progress ;


and there were few children who did


not become acquainted with its contents,
either through its text or its pictures. ]
am sure that all the children felt as | did


very tired with sympathy for the poor
pilgrim who was obliged TO lug that ugly
pack from picture to picture, and very


glad and lightsomo" when at last it
fell from his shoulders, and went tumbling
down the hill We did not marvel that
"he stood still awhile, TO look and wonder, -
or that che looked, aud looked again even
till the springs that were in his head sent
the waters down his cheeks" 1t was a
great thing for q man who was bent on pro-
gress to be freed from an unnecessary bur
den and it may he pleasant to know that
at the foot of the hill of life the same sepu.
cher which swallowed the burden Of Bun
ynn's Pilgrim, so that he "saw it no more,
still stands open, and has room in it for all
the burdens Of all the pilgrims there are in
the world.


/ wonder whether all the pilgrims who
have undertaken the journey from this world
to that which is 10 come ever lose the pack
whose fasteningS were so quick dissolved
when our favorte old Pilgrim looked upon
the Cross | doubt it, | hear many peo-
pie groaning throughout the whole course
OF their Christian experience with the op-
preSsive weight Of this same burden In.
stead Of losing it at the sight of the cross,
! they hold to it, and will not let it go. They
mean well enough bnt they do not under
stand that the cross was reared, and the
meek sufferer nailed to it, that the burden
Of the pentcnt soul might he forever rolled
off. They carry their own sins, and never
yield the pack to Him who bore it for
them "in His own body on the tree" They
are never Eight and gNdsome" with a sense
of great relief and their Christian pro
gress is sadly impeded by the burden from
which the central truth of the Christian
scheme releases them If there be any
such thing As torgiuuess then there is such
thing as reense but think there are
many uljcctS of free aud full forgiveness
hoinsist on carrying their old, dirty packs
TO their graves, staggering under them all
the way.


But this is not what / started to write
about A great many men carry their
life us an author carries book which he is
wrting-never losing The sense OF their bur,
den. When a writer undertakes a book,
aud feels the necessity of perfect continu.
| ily Of thought aud symmetry Of structure,
he can never lay it wholly aside. When
ouce he has taken up the first chapter aud
| comprehendcd his materials machinery and
| end, he does not dare to lay down bis work
or diverge from the grand channel of his
thought, until the last chapter is finished
II can take no three months vacation he
can read no books that do not contribute
to his progress in the chosen direction he
can never wholly lay aside the burden that
is on him 1t is like lifting upon ones shoul.
der the end of long pole and then walk,
lug under it from end to end The burden
upon the shoulder is not relieved until the
whole length has been passed, and il drops
as we walk from under it, Such is the wny
that many men, and perhaps, most men,
carry life. If their business troubles them.
they have no power TO throw it off aud no
disposition to trXro do it. They are entire.
Iy aware that they gain noihng by carry.
ing their tedious burden, but they carry it.
Not content with doing their duty, and try.
ing their best while actively engaged, they
take home with them lolg face, breathe
Sighs around them in the saddcst fashion,
aud really unfit themselves for the healthy
exercise of their reason, and the active en-
ployment Of their facilities


With men of this stamp, it makes little
difference whether they are prosperous or
otherwise, Iftimes are good and they real.
ly have no fault to fhd with matters as they
exist, they become troubled about bad times
that may possibly lie jnst ahead. "Oh, its
all well enough to-day" they say, "but yon
can't tell what is coming )" SO they bind the
burden of the future upon them, and under !
take to steal march on Gods providence. |
Such thing as doing the duty of a single
day and doing it well, and then throwing
off the burden Of care, and having q gool |
time in some rational way, until the hour
comes for the commencement of the next
days duty, they are strangers to. They |
walk into their houses with Q cloud upon |
their faces. They have no words of cheer
for those whom they have left at home dur
ing the day. They are moody and sulIsa !
aud sad-absorbed by their troubled thoughts
-laklHB no Interest III tue SClemeS, aDu |
having no sympathy with the trials, of Their
wives aud children, and making no effort
to relieve themselves of their burdens nj
they prOy at oil, they practically pray like
this: "Give US this day our daily bread to.
morrow and next day, and the day after,
and the next year, and fifty years to come
and lest Thou should forget it, or neglect to
answer US, we have undertaken to look af.
ter the matter ourselves"


To say nothing of the constant sadness,
uneasneSs and discomfort Of such a life as
this, to all those who lead it, and all who
are intimately associated with them, the
permanent effect Of it upon the character of
its subjects is to make them selfish and
hard, lud small and mean. Whatever may
be their circumstances. they become sensi.
tive upon any expenditure Of money for pur-
poses beyond the simplest necessities of
personal and family life. This result is |
both natural and inevitable A mau whose
life, in aud out of his counting room, is ab,
sorbed by business, ceases, at last, to be any
thing but man Of business and his mind |
contracts and hardens down to iIS central,
motive idea. That which becomes the dom
inant aim the grand end of life, always de- |