Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-06-28
Vol. IX....No. 40....June 20, 1887.

the intellectual, and social, and moral
happiness which it might be made to BE-
stow, were only this life concerned, is
sufficiently deplorable. 1t is surely sad
enough to behold rational being prefer
ring the less to the greater, the unsub-
stantial to the certain, the worthless to the
valuable. But what shall we say, when
men peril their eternal salvation to secure
that which, were eternity out OF the ques-
ton, could not be secured without serl-
Gus and degrading loss. And yet that
very many men are acting thus, l fear Is
the melancholy fact I speak in sorrow
of heart, when l say that apprehend no
class of virtuous men so generally to re-
sist all the influences of the Gospel as
those anxiously engaged in the accumu-
lation of property. The love of acquisi-
ton occupies every thought, and occu-
pies it without cessation. The motives
of the Gospel urged in the house of God,
fall upon their ear UNDECIDED. When, in
private conversation, we press them to
prepare for eternity, they make this very
love of wealth a reason why they should
continue to disobey GoD and reject his
offers Of eternal life Hearer, l put the
question to thy own soul Hast thou not
frequently made thy desire Of riches
reason why thou shouldst be excused,
when We have urged thee to repentance.
Thou hast made gold thy portion, in the
place of thy Maker ask thee, now,
didst thou decide wisely and wilt thou
still abide by thy decision? Is all that
thou hast gained an equivalent for the loss
of thy immortal sou2
3. | remark, in the last place, that the
present crisis seems to render humiliation
before God the appropriate moral temper
for the whole community
The judgments of God rest heavily up
on our country. We have already suffer-
ed severe y under his sore rebuke. But
for all this, his wrath is not turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still. The
calamity, though wide-spread;ng, has been
limited In many respects to particular
classes. 1t now threatens to become uni
versal. Should the currency of the coun-
try be Frustrated, and thus the whole cir
culatlng medium be rendered worthless,
no one could by possibility escape. And
if to this should be added the calamity of
a scanty harvest, know not how to meas
ure the universal misery that would en-
sue. On the contrary, should our cur
rency be sustained, should spirit of stern
and unbending honesty, on the one hand,
and Of kindness and forbearance, on the
other, be shed abroad upon our citizens,
and should the fruits Of the earth be abun-
dant, business will soon resume its natural
channels, and we shall again enjoy all
the prosperity that is really for our good.
Now, every one must see that God
alone by his almighty power can avert
the evils which we have reason to dread,
and bestow the blessings which we so i'm
Peratively need He alone can succeed
the labors of the husbandman and the Ia
borer. He alone touches the springs of
human action, and turns the hearts of the
children of men, as the rivers of waters
are turned. Individuals and nations, eve
ry moment, from the very necessity of
their being, lie helpless in the hand of
Omnlpotence; but never was the helpless
ness more signally unveiled than in our
own case and in the present instance.
What then remains for US but to fall. in
lowly humiliation, before him. AS in
dlvIduaIs and as nation, let us confess
with shame those dispositions which have
offended him. Let US sincerely repent of
that abuse Of his favors of which we have
been guilty. Let us acknowledge the ius-
uce of those jud gments which have over
taken us. Let US break off our sins bv
righteousness. Then, may we draw near
even to his seat, and hope for pardon thro
the merits and intercession of his Son
He doth not Willingly grieve nor aff1ict the
children Of men. As father pitietb his
children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear
him. Trusting in his promises to the pen-
ltent, we may yet hope for his mercy-
God, who has brought this evil upon rs
ere we knew of its cause or SUSPECTED its
approach. can, with equal ease and bv
ways which we cannot foresee, Obstinate
the storm, and send us prosperity. And
should he even see fit to send us severer
calamity, 1t were worth all we ever shall
endure, to see this whole nation bovine
in humble prostration at the footstool IF
its God
AGRICULTURAL.