Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-05-10

condemns ancient CIVILIZATION; 1t con-
demns modern civilization. Wise men
we have since had, and good men but
his Golllean youth strobe before the world
whole thousands of years,-so much of
Divinity was in him. His words solve
he questions of this present age. In him
The Godlike and the Human met and en-
Jraced, and divine Life was born
Measure him by the worlds greatest
sons how poor they are. Try him by
the best of me0, how lutte and low they
appear. Exalt him as much as we may,
we shall Yet. perhaps, come short of the
mark. But sill was he not our brother
the son Of man, dS we are: the Son OF
God, like ourselves His excellence,
was il not human excellence His wis
dom, love, piety,-sweeI and celestial as
they were,-are they not what we also
may attain In him, as Ia mirror, we
may SEE The image of God, and 20 on
from glory 10 glory, ill we are changed
into the same image, lei by the spirit
which enlightens the humble. Viewed
in this way, how beautiful is the life Of
Jesus. Heaven has come down to earth,
or, rather, earth has become heaven
The Son of God. come OF age, has taken
possession OF his birIhright. The bright
est revelation is thlS,-of what is possible
for all men, if not now at least hereafter.
How pure is his spirit, and how encour-
aging its words. "Lowly suff.rer," he
seems 10 say, " see how bore the cross.
Patient aborer, be strong; see how |
toleG for the unlhankfuI aud the mercliess.
Mistaken sinner, see of what thou art Ca
pabIe. Rise up, and be blessed"
But if, as some early Christians began
10 do, you take u heaIhen view, and make
him God, the Son OF God in a peculiar
and exclusive sense-much of he sl9nf
Icance Of his character Is gore His viz
tue has no merit; his love no feeling !;
his cross no burden; his agony no pain.
His death is an illusion his resurrection
bat show. For if he we're not man,
bu! god, what are all these things !;
what his words, his life, his excellence Of
achievement?-lt is al! nothing, weighed
against the illImitable greatness OF Him
vino created the worlds and fills up all
time and space Then his resignation is
no lesson; his life no model his death
no triumph to you or me,-who are not
gods. but mortal men, that know not what
cay shall bring forth, and walk by faith
dim sounding on our perlious way" =
Alas, we have despaired OF man, and so
cut off his brightest hope.
| In respect Of doctrines as well as forms
we see all is transltory. Every where
is instability aud insecurity" Opinions
have changed most, on points deemed
most vital. Could we bring up a Chris.
lian teacher of any age,-from the sixth
TO the fourteenth century, for example,
though teacher OF undoubted soundnes;
of faith, whose word filled the churches
Of Chrstendom, clergymen would scarce
allow him TO Enee at their altar, or 81
down with them at the Lords table. Hi:
notions of Christianity could not be ex
pressed in our forms; nor could our no
lions be made Ineligible 10 his ears
The questions of his age, those Oh which
Christianity was thought to depend, =
questions which perplexed and divided lh'
subtle doclors,-are no questions 10 US
The quarrels which then drove wise mel
mad, now only excite smile or tear, a
we are disposed to laugh or weep at tn
: frailtv of man. We have other straWs @
I; ! our own to quarrel for. Their ancieu
! ! books of devotion do not speak 10 US
! /, their theology is vain word. To looI
back but short period, the theologca
! specuIations Of our fathers during the las
two centuries their practical divinity !;
even the sermons written by genius an
: piely are, with rare exceptions, found vi
: readable; such change is there in th
= doctrines. .
! Now who shall tell US that the chang
" is to stop here? That this sect or ina
: or even all sects united, have exhaust
!, the river oflife and received it all IN the
u canonized urns, so that we need draw |
e more out oil the eternal well, but get T
freshmen nearer al hand2 Who sEa
pi tell US that another age will not smile
Il our doctrines, disputes and unchrstla
g quarrels about Christianity, aud max
n wide the mouth at men who walked bra
!, in orthodox raiment, delig hing TO black'
:, the names of heretcs, and repeat aga
N the old charge he hath blasphemed' Z,
,s Who shall tell US they will not weep
s. the folly of all such as fahcled Iru
IN shone only into The contracted nook
re their school, or sect, or colerie! Men
er other times may look down equally on
lie heresy-hunters, and men hunted for hel
III sy, aud wonder at bo;h. The met OF
d, ages before US, were qaite as confident
We we, that their opinion was truth 1; u
ed their notion was Christianity and I
= whole thereof. The men who 1T |
Of fires Of persecution, from the first mar;
en- to Christian bigotry down to the last mi
lat der OF the innocents, had no doubt tn
&c opinion was divine. The contest abe
he ,ransubslantiation, and the immacu
d. nnriiu Of the HeLrew and Greek text