Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-05-01
RELIGIOUS MISCELLANY.
Personal HOLINESS.

is danger that personal holiness will be
too little attended to, in those who are &C.
lively engaged in spreading Christianity
over the land and over the world, No,
that there is any incompatibility between
active effort and personal holiness. By
no means. Personal holiness will almost
certainly be lacking in those who are not
actlvel y engaged for the interests of reli-
glon: But there is a possibility of neg
Letting needful cultivation of the heart,
personally, while we are devoting our
strength and our substance to the cause of
religion and morality. Suchneglect should
be carefully guarded against by every
christian, not only for his own sake, and
that he may glorify God in his own hearts
pure devotion but for the sake of more
{judicious design and more efectual opera
ton, in his efforts for the promotion of the
cause of God generally.
In our desire for the Qualification of
Christ and the blessing of mankind, bv
e! the subsection of all the world to the Di-
vine government, we should not forget to
give him our hsart to glorify him in. its
perfect subsection to his law of love, and
to secure to ourseIces the present and eter-
nal blessing attendant upon holiness of
heart and life. We can plead nothing as
excuse for neglect to secure and maintain
this. The public good cannot require
such neglect; it forbids it rather. 1t is
our privilege and duty to appropriate suf,
fcient attention and time to the cultivation
of our own hearts, to procure and main-
tain the perfected reign of the Spirit OF
Christ in US. Every one who would eff
tectually serve the cause of God and hu-
manity, should seek first of all, his. own
full sanctiication. He should daily ap-
propriate time sufficient for preserving a
proper tone of spirituality in his Own soul.
One has compared the attention bestowed
in this manner, by private meditation,
reading the word and prayer, to the time
and attention devoted by the laborer to the
sharpening of his tools and keeping them
in proper order. Thelaborer accomplish
es his work better, and does more, by
spending some of his time in this way,
than by constantly using his tools with
out sharpening or repairing. 49,. -
Without attention to personal holiness,
the operative Christian and phiianthropist,
is IN great danger of committing grievous
errors in his best intentions. He is. in
danger Of some bad spirit, informing Cling
with his Vlrtuous feelings and his benevo-
lent plans; by which the cause to which
he is devoted may be seriously injured
Indeed there is no way ty which we can
serve God and our fellow men, as we
should, but by the thorough saneiifcaiion
of our very hearts For the accomplish
men: of holy work, God chooses holy
instruments; and this is peculiarly obvi
Gus when we contemplate that instrument
atty as identified with free agency
Mornlng Star.
ABOLITION IN THE CHURCHES.
REV. JOHN RANKIN's LETTER. The
writer OF the following letter, the Rev
S John Rankin of Ripley, Ohio, is the pas
tor OF one of the most fourishing churche
Tia that part Of the West If mistake no
he has built up the church from small be
ginnings He has been instrumental to-
>: In raising up number Of other chuIche
in the vicinity, and has been in his owl
e congregation and in the region round
: abundant in labors for the upbuildng
f. the Redeemer's Kingdom.
Mr.. Rankin possesses one of the clear
, est heads and pulest hearts in the West.
f.. E. w. CHESTER.
-. ~ RIPLEY, Feb sth, 1889.
Brother Hast5ngs:-l received your
of Jan. 10th. I readily comply wit
: your request. You ask me if the subie,
Of abolition has been introduced into m
: church. answer it has, and with goo
:, effect. Soon after It's introduction th
II state of the church improved until rev
= val ensued, and fifty persons were adde
ut to our communion and the church sti
it continues to prosper.
4. During our revival, we held anti-slavt
. ~ meetings, and remembered the poe
Il slave in bonds. Plying the poor wi
y never grieve away the Holy Spirit. I'll
r best way to promote revival is, to pleas
IN him with whom are the issues Of life
at pure religion and undefled before &c
g. and the father is this, to visit the father
- less and widows in their af1iction, and
- keep himself unspotel from the world"
y When Paul was sent forth to preac
r. the Gospel to the Gentiles, it was en]oll
4? ed upon him that he should rememb'
d. the poor, and this he says he was forwal
av to do. the slaves are all poor n
NJ slave-motber can call her husband h.
- own, no slave child can call its father
81 own the husband and father is held
SIS property, and is every hour liable to
en- sold and driven to market at the viii
cir the master. Hence all slaves are SO pc
be as not to own their own souls and bodl'
Of they are deprived ofthat which gives val
ali to existence and to every thing else. n