Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-10-06

was the ready reply. Why, them" re-
piled the boy, pulling the crust from be
hind his coat, how could you give your
poor brother this moaldy piece of bread2 2"
From the Christian Investigator.
NATURE AND DISTINGUISHED FEATURES
OF A TRUE CHRISTIAN REFoRMA-
TON OF Continued
6. cE-HUMILIATIoN-C
FEssIoN.
There can be no genuine reformation
of morals, without repentance, humiIia-
ton, and confession ofsin. And especial
iy are Christians, ministers and churches
called to this duty, when, as is commonly
the case, the ministry and the churches
are involved in the guilt of the commun-
ty and the nation. Such is impathicaIly
the condition of our American churches
in regard 10 our great national sins. To
say, then, that the work Of public refor-
and to churches, is TO say that they are
called upon to humble themselves before
God, on account Of their sins. And who
can deny that this is the case? To a
general confession and humiliation we
are indeed often exhorted. But why
should we not likewise be exborted to
specific confession of the particular sins of
| which we are so manifest1y guilty? In
all the narratives given US in scripture, OF
saIutary and permaneLe retormations,
great prominence is giveTI to this feature
of the reform. AS the calf of the mess
engers of God, to the du,4 of repentance,
never expended itself in 81 ERE va que gen.
eralities and indefinite abb factions, but in
cluded the most pointed Specifications of
the particular sins to be 4epented of, SO
the confessions made by tht penitents were
always of an equally defnIte and explicit
character. There was nd covering up Of
the particular sin by mere general and un-
meaning expressions. Instead Of com.
planning because Veneratef ancestors and
exalted statesmen and ecilesiastics were
implicitly involved in the barge preferred
against the church and the nation, the con-
fession was wont TO run tn s." We have
sinne1, and our fathers u ave sinned"-
eve aud our rulers have Isinned.' Re-
; formers were accustomed % mngle their
penitent confessions with their bold re-
proofs, and to confess their own sins to-
gether with the sins of their kindred and
people. The spirit of Pbariseeism was
thus repressed, and the reproof, however
severe, was seen to be honest, meek. be-
nevolent and impartial. The reGormer
, evidently did not set himself up as demi-
5 god to be worshiped, or as an infaIlible
and fauItIess leader 10 be piicitly follow
ed. The individuality and the social ma
> ture of man were alike recognized in such
/ confessions. The confessions of national
D sins was the confession Of the individual
J. sins of the component: pars of the nation.
d And the confessions of individuals were on
It account of their paIticipancy in national
l. guilt.
IS 1t might be profitable to review the re-
v formatory efforts of the present day, in the
light of this prominen: characteristic of a
:. true Bible reformation in morals. Have
~ the churches and ministry of this coun-
! try humbed themselves on account OF
:. their own particiPancy in our national
= sins2 In the temperance reformation.
Il has this been the fact? And to what ex.
II tent and degree has this been true, even
:. with those who have, In some way, fallen
N in with the reformation, and to some ex-
: tent, been active and busy in promoting
=" h2
Has there not been a manifest and al
I'd arming defect on this radical point What
L is the tale told by the common allegation
J. that those who are still involved in the sin
lie whatever it may be, (whether the sustain
le ing of intem2erance or oppression,) ough
ID not to be reproved for their sin, because
s. we ourselves were so recently involved
a in the same condemnation % What /:
v this, but saying, in other words, that WI
do rot hold ourselves very much guilty
II for our former participaney in these sins
re that ace have never repeDled of them, yer.
% bitterly, ourselves, and that therefore W.
~ do not think that Others should be caIle'
ie upon 10 do 500 What, indeed, IS the tru
OF meaning of the common complaint of "un
re charitableness and denunciation,' if 1t b
Nv not this-lhat the evil could be more cas-
er ily removed without insisting upon to-
ed disagreea5le duty ofrepenting OF sin? TO
=, !, is nothing more or less than the eharg
o. IF sinfulness, that raises the cry OF " IN
To- charitabIeness, accommodation. and pre-
lie, scription 2''-Who does not know tina
~ these are the stereotyped complaints OF al
pc who do not like to be called upon to reper
or of their sins2 And especially of thos
who deride penal law, and proclaim in
" punity TO the wIcked2
o. Ii we have any national sins to be IL
ne formed, then those sins should be specifics
re and the conviction OF guilt fastened upo