Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1853-01-26
From the Vermont Chronicle, (Congrega,ionalist J
Pleasant Thoughts.

Whitfield on occasion was addressed by Qua
1 Friend, have been told thou has said Their
! are no Quakers in heaven is il true Delaying hi
answer the preacher assembled The pulpit. Announc
ing no text he broke forth in rapid questioning
"Father Abraham, there any Epscopalians il
heaven No. Are there any Presbyterians No.
Any Quakers No. Any Baptists No There i
neither Greek Jew, circumcision nor uncrcumcis
ion, Barbarian, Scythan, bond nor free but Chris
is all, and in all Col. iii. H."
/. This anecdote and text illustrate the fact thai
all denomnational prejudces will be sunk, in heaven
That the love of Christ will so absorb all the heart
and mind and soul as to make these points of bitter
earthly strife, wholly repulsive there How does thi:
Christian magnanimity light up that world with at
tractveness We see glory given to by this fact
We long to go, that we may find no narrow-minded.
ness, which will not recognize and admire the indwel-
ling Spirit, because of certain outward differences
about rites or doctrinal truths Heaven could not be
heaven if there TO be Congregatonaliss and Ban
fists, Churchmen and Dissenters there For such
separations here always, at least incidentally. pro-
ductive of walls and church castles We are thank
ful that such cannot be "blown sllyhigh" They are
earthly-they cannot reach the skies have thought
sometimes that when any sect builds up higher walls
than ordinary to shut themselves safely up for heav-
en- and others safely out for perdition or perhaps
stray, undiscovered chance of salvation, God comes
down TO introduce confusion among them so splitting
them up, that they not quite which is left in
possession of the "divine right of the keys and bat
Elements.
Ihere ieayen OF DIVISION among cnirsrIaus--
but it is the leaven of wickedness. And it may be
called by this name-"eXclusive claims" 1t is al
ways found in sinners-in everybody that has any sin.
Whether he is a peniten impenant sinner, it
makes no difference. 1t is the spirit of sefshness
which says, 81 am right and you must over to
my side" Now in heaven we shall be emptied of
self and filled full of Christ We shall say you are
right, for you on Chrsts sidc-you have Chrst's
spirit-you are like him. 1t reminds us of that scene
in Bunyan where every having unconsciouslv be-
come very beautiful, wonders at the ravshing beauty
of the others,-a beauty which was exceedingly go-
rious, for it Christ beauty shining through
On that mount Of TRANSPORTATION we shall be so
overpowered by the vision of the glory of Christ
when ''shall Him. that our eyes will behold
Him in every follower-every redeemed disciple
How shall we then love another discovering none
but Christ in each other.
But this was not the chief thought in our caption
We ready enough to think that there will be no
secls separations in heaven, no other name being
known but Chrst's there. Now there is another
thought included which is not so readily suggested
The other good to soften aspertes among those who
call themselves Christians, but this last is still better
IL. There are followers and disciples of Christ
among all secs--i. e., we to believe this if we
follow Bible suggestions. How easy II is to ''lOrbld
him because he followeh not with us''-but how
wrong. What makes Christian This is the pith
and core of the whole matter What is it that brings
one into salvable state Is it holding the doctrine
of the Trinity Is it holding to the proper divinity of
Christ! Is it believing in eternal DEGREES or the eter-
nal punishment of some? Is it any doctrnal belief
which thus far has oiyen n name IN anv en-
then no man can be saved who is a Unitarian-none
who is an Arminian-no one who is Universaist.
If we could venture on saying this should be mad.
1t is not then belief of any such doctrine which makes
or unmakes Christian. Again, who will affirm this
of any mode of Baptism other rite You are an
Episcopalian of the highest order but you dare not
say that dissenting Robert Hall did not enter heaven
or that Christ has chosen ones among the unbap-
tized, unconfrmed martyrs of Madagascar whose dy-
ing witness is yet fresh. No, no Neither forms nor
rites, neither circumcision uncircumcision neither
priestly baptism lay baptism, neither punging nor
sprinkling is anything in this matter of salvaton.-
One man is saved unbaptized another having been i'm
mersed or sprinkled There are hypocrites among
those whom the Bishop has consecraed who are good
church members and there are pure hearts, humble
trusting souls, who have spoken with priest
pastor or church about their eternal life. Church
membership, the want of it, does not make a man
Christ's He may be truly Godpraisng man, like
! Cornelius, the Centurion, who has heard of
Christ the Savior. And they may have-keen baptiz-
ed already by the Holy Ghost, who have not so much
as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost" And
the Christian missionary reports ga waiting for
the coming of light" whose heart had evidently out
run his head on the way to God and heaven.
What then is it that makes Christian, if it be
neither belief of doctrine technically called, nor
rites of any kind, membership in any visible
church What is that which enables us to predict of
any man, She will see God"-which raises good ex-
pectation of his eternal life-which stamps him a
Christian disciple!
A penent heart before God. II is brokenness of
spirit which in every case is the fitting for heaven
A man may have grown up in Central Africa. The
very name of God is Snknown to him. 1t is not in
] his language. Will you say he cannot be saved Is
il certain he cannot the Kingdom of God Is it
sure tharhe will be shut out Go we and learn what
! thai meaneth. The Lord ''dwelleth with him that is
of an humble and contrte spirit" 81 will have mer-
cy and not sacrifice" and "the sacrifices of God are
broken heart and contrte spirit" All, Christians
the greatest faith in Christs time came out of Syro-
phenicia, and out of the Roman army.
| love to think that the crowds of humble spirits
that 90 up yearly gathered from farthes India
from Central Africa where some broken-spirited sad
eyed knees, by all but God, in ''igno-
rant worship, AS well from civilized Europe and
missionary America. | love to think that Christ has
friends among all the children of earh redeemed by
His blood and sanctiied by his Spirit; and that in
heaven we shall trace the work Of God on the hearts
which felt and obeyed, but knew not the voice that
A 4 ...I., Il e.