Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-01-11

ed; religious duties became burden, and
world.mess pleasant, and was INDUCED as
far as your fears would permit. AS a
natural consequence, while Christians
were enjoying the duties of benevolence
and the pursuit of holiness, you was a
slave TO conscience, to sin, and to fears Of
hell. What good you attempted, was
done from regard 10 the preservation of
your Christian character before the world,
or to secure the fIvor OF God, and the re-
fore little was accomplished. Answer me
candid,y, could the SEASON of your reli-
glous exercises, union with the church,
and first joys have been obIterattd from
memory, would you have had the least
ground to believe you were Christian?
p. lconfess should not. | was NOR
al in my department., aid even engaged
/ in the labors OF the Sabbath school and re-
vivaIs, but l perceive habit, Sympathy,
selfshness, and even pride influenced me
to it. am convinced, and yet feel no
wish 10 oppose God.
= M. 1t would be strange indeed if YOU
should nduIg &c yourself in this, after being
habituatt to regard him as your friend.
But confer not with your deceitfuI heat;
rather consult your reason and follow its
dictates, or your selfish inclinations will
bring ruin on the soul. Are you con-
WINGED of your mistake, and do you now
abandon your false hopes? Is there any
reason existing " hy you should not
p. [ know Of none, and now renounce
them. Before | feared, but now know
that my soul is in spiritual death. thank
God for the discovery.
NJ. Sir, you are indeed in the gall of
bitterness and bonds of jniquity-without
an interest in Christ, and in the hands of
God who is a consuming fire The curse
OF the law hangs over you, and hell be-
meath is moved for yon, to meet YOU
Woe 10 their SOUL" saith Jehovah, OF
! the wicked, 1.-The reward of their hands
shall be given them" Your way is dark,
1t leads to an eternity of woe, and you do
truly deserve your fate God has requir-
ed you 10 live TO his glory, and whatever
may have been your pretences, you have
! lived to yourself in selfshncss and in sin.
Your labors in the church. in the Sabbath
school, in vivals-indeed all your &C
tons, although men may applaud them,
are unacceptable to God, because polluted
with entire seIfshness Of motive. Con
slider the sins attending your public pro-
fession, and the dclusive show Of Gods re-
llglon you have presented 10 immortal Is
around you, stumbling block in the way
of redemption. What insults have YOU
not offered in your solemn mockery OF
1ho Moet LJ;-h ~
conscience have united to expel you, you
have deliberateI " approached the table o.
the Lord, and there, clothed in the Dor.
rowed garb of his children, have eat an
drank damnation TO your own soul L
you deserve not the wrath of God, never a
lost spirit does. Instead of loving, God
hates you-Ps V. She will do right
and his righteous wrath calls for ven
geance. Do you think you can escape ?
p. do not. | have sinned, and de-
serve his displeasure and must be lost.
M. Be assured you will receive it,
Destruction is certain, and should YOU
now cease to breathe, your next groan
would resound through the caverns Of
damnatlon, where the worm dieth not
where the fire is not quenched God new,
er will forgive the nrept nting rebel
l.. Sir, | See nv damnation is sure-
direct me how 10 submit.
M. Would that it could with propriety
be dome Immediately, but | must not i
would endanger your soul, by inducing
} another false hope. You are probably
still entertaining delusive views, the in.
fuence of which will prevent submission
|. Your first work having been spuri.
Gus, and knowing no other way, the mind
always ran in the same channel when du.
ty was attempted, and the results were
uniformly unsuccessful. This is sufficient
, to satisfy you that an act essentially diff
: ferent from any you have yet done, is ne.
r cessary to submission.
2. You have mistaken the nature O.
, the feelings Of God towards the sinner, OF
, have misappied them in reterenceto your
self.
: We should carefully guard against ap
. p ylng to the impt intent the feelings which
? God entertalns only towards the saints
e and mistakes on this point haye been the
cause OF much error and incalcuabIe mis-
q GHETTO the souls Of men. 1t is often said
t that God is very anxious to forgive thu
}, lmPenltent, and that Christ died purpose
e to save them from hell By such view'
# the inquirer is led to imagine that Chris
willing to pardon # he will do some &C
e of duty, while in fact he is determined t.
: punish him; he concludes he has nothin!
g TO do but throw himself into the hands O
Il God to be saved, and accordingly submit
s. to the mercy, and not to the justice
God. a..
Il P. l have entertained and acted upo
u these views.
: M. And have consequently RENAME
II impenitent Our Lord, in making tn
or ! afnnarnnnt Al IA. ID r.:-a-:I.. Ia coz