Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-10-13

seek to chase the cares, or enliven the
solitude, or rouse the lethargy, or rally
the dependency Of his family of disciples,
with acetious stories, with Iudicrous as
sociations, with low, pitiful jests2 The
very mention of such supposition strikes
The mind at once with sensation border
ing upon horror. But why should not
the man of Nazareth have done this, if it
were proper to be done2 His example,
without doubt, was intended for the imita-
ton of his followers, and especially of
those who would exert an extensive in
duence on the world. as reformers. If
the first christians did not need the cord
lal of worldly levity to cheer them, under
their affections, neither should their sue
cessors. If the Savior and the Holy
Comforter provided better consultations for
the children of God, then they are equally
ready to do the same now. Foolish talk
ing and Jestiug are not convenient. Alas
for the Christian reformers that cannot
keep themselves and each other ia a state
of cheerfulness, good humor, and elasticity
of spirits, without resort to such expedi-
ents Are 1.-The consultations of God"
thus "small" and cheap, in their estima-
ton, insomuch that "the cracking Of
thorns under pot" the FOOLS mirth'
is accounted of more value to lhem2
If there were ever a time when foolish
lests were convenient, the time of grave
and important public reformation, surely,
cannot be that time. Ifthere be time TO
laugh, there is also time to weep. The
time for mirth cannot be the "day when
the Lord God of Hosts calls to weeping,
and to mourning, and to badness, and to
girding with sackc 10TH" Isaiah xxi, l2.l
And when can this be said to be the case,
if it be not to the day when nations, COM
munites, churches and ministers are call
ed upon to humble themselves before God,
on account of great national sins? Hy-
pocrites may indeed counterfeit such a
humiliatton-they may" bow down their
head like bulrush, and spread sackcloth
and ashes under them, and call it a FAST"
while they nevertheless refuse to break
the yoke of oppression. But this fur
nishes no good reason why Jeremiah
should cease to weep. and Ezra refuse 10
confess, and why Isaiah should suspend
his terrible denunciations of divine judg-
ment, to crack merry jokes2 The scribes
and Pharisees could indeed deceive men
with their sad countenances and disfgur-
ed faces" while they devoured widows
houses" but there was none the less
occasion that the Prince of Reformers
should weep over their city, nor did it full
nish any just excuse for Peter and James
and John to make sport, and lampoon each
other for diversion, in order to prove that
they were not hypocritical Pharisees2
We repeat it, there is no room for lev,
ity, while the judgments of Heaven are
hanging over our guilty nation, for its
sins. If a sceptical statesman could
"tremble for his country" half a century
ago, in anticipation of those jud gments, is
it not most lamentable that Christian re-
formers and ministers should now think 10
rouse the nation to repentance, by inter-
mingling and spicing their solemn ex.
hortations, with facetious jibes! Was it
thus, (does any one beIieve) that the Nine
vites were led to humble themselves, and
:, abandon their sins Is it marvellous that
men do not t-emble and repent, under the
denunciatiovs Of orators who show that
they themselves are so little affected with
the solemn considerations and the fearful
apprehensions which they urge on the at
tention of others, that in almost the same
breath in which they settled convictions
that the nation must speedily repent or De
; destroyed, and that the churches must be
thoroughly purified or subverted. they
suddenly slide into the facetious and the
ludicrous, as though intent on testing the
extent of their powers over their hearers,
and as if disposed to exhibit the skill and
tact and success with which they can dis.
/ pei the soIemnity they had spread over the
- faces of their auditors, and how readily
. they can convulse them with laughter,
y while the tears are still coursing down
= their cheeks?
We know there are objections and
cavils against efforts for reformations, and
against practical regard for human
rights, which it is difficult to meet wthou
showing them to be, what they really are
r ridiculous and absurd. On such exhibi
e tons, the hearers may sometimes smile
3 without the fault Of the speaker. But tn
i, tendency 10 merriment, over exhibitions @
o popular folly and wickedness, should al
: ways be vigilantly watched, and scrupu
e. ous!y depressed. Fools make mock E
ID sin, but wise men weep over it. TIL
Id thought of foolish directors is always sill
j. and as such it should be compassionate
&c deplored and earnestly reproved. Th
e. philosopher who laughed al human foIIie
tn was less lover of his race than he wh
ly contemplated them with tears. 1t was {
ire account of human folly that the SaVl'
he was man of sorrows and acquainted Wi
ey grief. If the prophets used irony, it WI
= of the solemn, severe, denunciatory. r
If. proving kind. which sinners are little a