Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1860-01-27

] Ht'VhuesN, Nl"lHNliN hlIultSS, anu Cn0fltN
as some of the Christian graces. do moi
see them in this man. Therefore, common
report must be ia error
j have paid him good many hundred.
of dollars since opened my shop here,
said the mechanic. with The manner of one
who felt hurt. If | am poor, hard-work.
ing man, | try to be honest. Sometimes
| get little behind hand, as | am now, be-
cause people work for don't pay up as
they should. 1t happened twice before
when | wasn't Just square with Nr. Gray,
that he pressed down very hard upon me,
and talked just as you heard him to-day.
He got his money. every dollar of it and
he will get his money now. | did think
knowing that he had joined the church and
made profession of religion, that he would
bear little patiently with me this Time.
That as he had obtained forgiveness, as al
| legged, of his sins towards Heaven, he would
be merciful TO his fellow-man. Ah well
These things make US very scfptical about
the honesty Of men who call themselves re-
lgious. My experience with professors
has not been very encouraging. AS a gen.
eral thing find them quite as greedy for
gain as other men. We outside people of
the world get 10 be very sharp-sighted.
When a man sets himself up to be of bet
ter quality than we, and calls himself by a
name significant of heavenly virtue, we
Judge him naturally, by his own standard,
and watch him very closely. If he remain
as hard, as selfish, as eXacting, and as ca
ger after money as before, VIC do not put
much faith in his profession, and are very
apt to class him with hypocrites. His pray
ing, and fine talk about faith, and heavenly
love, and being washed from all sin, excite
in US contempt rather than respect. We
ask for good works, and are. never satisfied
with anything else. BY their fruits ye shall
know them
On the next Sunday / saw Mr.. Gray in
church. Ny eyes were on him when he
entered. noticed that all the lines of his
face were drawn down, and that the whole
aspect and bearing of the man were sol.
emn and devotional. He moved to his
place with slow step, his eyes cast to the
floor. On taking his seat, he leaned his
head on the pew in front of him, and con-
tinued for nearly minute in prayer. Du-
ring the services | heard his voice in the
singing and through the sermon, he main
tanned the most fixed attention. 1t was
communion Sabbath; and he remained, af-
ter the congregation was dismissed, TO join
in the holiest act of worship.
Can this man be indeed self-deceived j?
| asked myself, as l walked homeward.
Can he really believe that heaven is to be
gained by pious acts alone. That every
Sabbath evening he can pitch his tent
days march nearer Heaven, though all
the week he have failed in the com
monest offices of neighborly love ?
It so happened that had many oppor-
tunities for observing Mr.. Gray, who after
Joining the church, became an active work
er I'm some Of the public and prominent
charities of the day. He contributed liber-
ally in many cases, and gave good deal of
time to the prosecution of benevolent en-
terprise, in which men of some position
were unconcerned. But, when | saw him
dispute with poor gardener who had laid
the sods in his yard, about fifty cents, take
off a sixpence off weary strawberry wo-
man. or chatter with his bootblack over an
extra shilling, / could not think that it was
genuine love for his fellow men that prompt
ed his ostentatious charities.
In no instance did / find any better esti.
nation Of him in business circles; for his
religion did not chasten the ardor of his
selfish love of advantage in trade nor
make him more generous; nor more inclin-
ed, to help or befriend the weak and needy.
Twice ] saw his action in the case Of un-
happy debtors, who had not been success
full in business. In each case his claim was
among the smallest; but he said more un-
kind things, and was the hardest to satisfy,
Of any man among the creditors. He as
sumed dishonest intention at the outset, and
made that plan for the most rigid exac-
ton; covering his own hard selfshness
with offensive cant about mercantile honor,
Christian integrity, and a religious observ-
ance of business contracts. He was the
only man among all the creditors, who made
his church-menmber-ship prominent thing
few Of them were even church -goers--
and the only man who did not readily make
concessions to the poor, down-trolden debt
ors.
is lie Christian?' asked, as | walk
ed home in some depression of spirits,
1FOHl Ilt ESl Vi tiitSC iiCtliieSs anu i
could but answer MOTOR TO be Chris
tian is to be Christ-lke.
AS ye would that men should do TO you,
do We even so to them This is the divine /
standard. Ye must be born agair,' leaves |
to us no latitude of Interpretation. There |
must be death of the old natural, selfish [
loves, and new birth of spiritual affec-
tions. As man feels, so viii he act. Ifl
the affections that rule his heart be divine
affections, he will be a lover of others
and seeker of their good. He will not be
a hard, harsh, exacting man in natural
things, but kind, forbearing. thoughtful of
others. and Welding. In all his dealings t
with men, his actions will be governed by
the heavenly laws of justice and judgment.
He will regard the good of his neighbor
equally with his own. Ii is in the world
where Christian graces reveal themselves,
if they exist at all. Religion is not a mere
Sunday affair, but the regulator of a mans
ronduct among his fellow-men. Unless il
loes this, it is a false religion, and he who
depends upon it for the enjoyment of h"av-
enly f.Iicitities in the next life. he VIII find
himself in miserable error. Heaven can
not be earned by mere acis Of piciy, for
Heaven is the complement Of all divine ai-
'eciions in the human soul and n man
Il. -.