The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-07-20
From tile Practical Christian.
THE SPIRIT OF REFORM.

THE SPIRIT OF REFORM.
BR. BALLoU had the pleasure of
attending the Conference Of Practical
Christians which was held on the 9Th,
9th, 10th, and 18th instant at Mill vile.
1t was meeting somewhat new to me
10 kind, having been accustomed only
10 the fashionable religion ofthe worlc
but trust it was not entirely unproft-
able to me to be there. 1t was not be-
cause of multitudes in attendance, their
dazzling equi9nge, the display of elo-
auence, or the amount of talk, that |
was affected, for these l have seen and
heard before. But it was that the parti
ton walls of sect were thrown down,
that party names and all outward insig-
mia were disregarded, and that all we're
invited to stand on common platform,
having one heart, devoted to one cause
of truth and love, as children of one
common Father, that rendered the meet
ing delightful to me- have long had
dislike for popular opinions and prac
..ttces, created by an inward monitor, en-
hghtened, / suppose, by the doctrines
OF the New Testament. And here
founl an atmosphere strengthening 10
my thoughts and aspirations. Here |
feIt .thatmy relations to God and man
were not affected by the pew | sat in,
tie amount paid the minister, or the
color Of my skin. have often felt my
self regarded as a stranger or Iooker-on
in the religious wor d, divided as it is
by conventional lines and outward signs,
and in whatsoever place Of worship
Glanced to call, have felt myself to be
an unlimited and unwelcome guest, not
having on a proper dress-an uncIrcum-
eIsed Gentle, an inhabitant Of Jubiter,
or some other di tant anet, and a
creature of some other God. But here,
I felt myself to be child of earth, and
member of the great family of man,
whose God is spirit, to lie worshpped
in spirit and in truth, who ruleth all
things and is no respecter of persons !;
that was called 10 the same duties tha
others are, the same labours and trials,
the same joys and sorrows, the same
immortal life, and the same eternal des-
tiny that Christ died to save me from
sin, darkness and misery, and to reveal
10 me the resurrection and a life to
come that with HIM | am TO be CO.
worker TO overcome the evil passions Of
= my own heart, and to establish peace,
harmony and love in the world; that
this head, this heart, and these hands of
mine, however weak and inferior to the
favored ones among men, have each of
them a calling from above, to think, feel,
act, and to be sac ifced, like Christ,
for the good Of mankind The injunc-
ton came with force upon me, to "walk
worthy Of the vocation wherewith | was
called"
When one has been tossed up and
down in the earth in the confusion of
the moral elements engendered by the
spirit of evi aud has seen little of
beauty, harmony, humility, meekness
and charity, exhibited among men as it
was by jesus Christ ; but on the con-
trary, whore war, strife, slavery, ignor-
ance and degradation are found whorey-
er man is found, and where the pretend
cd sacrifices to God are really sacrifices
TO PRIZE and Selishness and the god of
this world, as shown by the gaudy, cost
ly, and magnificent ediices for public
worship which stand thick through the
land, pointing their shining spires to-
wards the sky, by the side ofignorance
and wretchedness unaIevated, and by
the division of the people into sects
which are striving 10 out-number, out
show, aud out-talk each other, it is mat
fer Of rejoicing that tokens of a better
state appear ; that the regenerating
spirit of love and humanity is spreading
and deepening in the hearts ofmen, and
that the thick scales of the bigotry and
prejudice Of past ages are falling from
many eyes. When reflect that the hui
man race are required to work out
their own salvation, sunken as men are
in the lowest depths Of pollution, am
led almost to despair. But another re-
Election, that we have Guide, the Cap
tain of our salyation,' who is greater
than Moses, and who is able to divide
The read sea of blood and sin, and lead
us to the Canaan OF light and peace,
am encouraged, and look around the
great moral why ard, filed with slavery,
war, ignorance and sorrow, and inquire
=" Lord, what wilt thou have me to
do ?" s.
IRISH DENIAL.-An Irish lad APP
piled to a man for work, and being