Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-06-26
Religious Worship.

ton, which | share, believe, with num-
bers, of the universal decay and now al.
most death of faith in society. The soul
is not preached. The Church seems TO
totter to its fall, almost all life extinct.
On this occasion, any complaisanee
would be criminal, which told you whose
hope and commission it is preach the
faith of Christ, that the faith Of Christ is
preached.
1t is time that this Unsurpassed muir
muir of all thoughtful men against the
famine of our churches this moaning Of
the heart because it is bereaved of The
consolation, the hope, the grandeur, that
come alone out Of the culture of the NOR
al nature should be heard through the
sleep Of Incidence, and over the din Of
routine. THIS great and perpetual office
of the preacher is not discharged
Preaching is the expression of the moral
sentiment in application TO the duties of
life. In how many churches, by how
many prophets, tell me, is man made
sensible that he is an infinite soul that
the earth and heavens are passing into
his mind; that he is drinking forever
the soul Of God? Where now sounds
the persuasion, that BY its very melody
imparadses my heart and so affirms its
own origin in heaven? Where shall !
hear words such as in elder ages drew
men to leave all and follow-father and
mother, house and land, wife and child !?
Where shall | hear these august laws OF
moral beings so pronounced, as to fill
my ear, and feel ennobled by the offer
of my uttermost action and passion !!
The test Of the true faith, certainty,
should be its power to charm and com
mand The soul, as the laws Of nature con-
troll the activity of the hands--so com
handing that we fad pleasure and hon
or in obeying. The faith should blend
with the light of rising and setting suns,
with the flying cloud, the singing bird,
and the breath Of flowers. But now the
priests Sabbath have lost the splendor
Of nature; it is unlovely we are glad
when it is done we can make, we DO
make, even sitting in our pews, a far
better, boiler, sweeter, for ourselves.
Whenever the pulpit is usurped by al
journalist, then is the worshipper defraud-
ID and disconsolate. We shrink as soon
as the prayers begin, which do not up
lift, but smite and offend us. We are
ain to wrap our cloaks about US, and Sc
,ure, as best we can, solitude that
1ears not. | once heard a preacher
who sorely tempted me TO say, l would
20 to church no more. Men 90 thought
|, where they are wont TO go, else had
no soul entered the temple in the after
loon. A snow storm was falling around
Is. The snow storm was real; the
preacher merely spectral; and the eye
elt the sad contrast 10 looking at him,
and then out Of the window behind him,
INTO the beautiful meteor of snow. He
lad lived in vain. He had no word in.
imating that he had laughed or wept,
v as married or in love. had been com
nended, or cheated, or chagrined. If he
lad ever lived and acted, we were none
he wiser for it. The capital secrets Of
MS profession, namely, to convert life
INTO truth, he had not learned. Not one
act in all his experience had he yet i'm
parted into bis doctrine. This man had
Dloughed, and planted, and talked, and
bought, and sold; he had read books; he |
mad eaten and drunken; his head aches !;
his heart tnrobs; he smiles and suffers :;
} : was there not a surmise, hint, in all
Tue "'S-nurse, shat he had ever lived att
all. Not Gne did ne draw out of real
history. The 'rue preacher can be
known by this, that he deals v.t to the
people his life-life passed throug1 the
fire of thought. But the bad preache-
1t could not be told from his sermon
what age OF the world he fell in wheth.
er be had father or child whether
he was freebooter or pauper; wheth.
err he was a citizen or a countryman; or
any other fact of his biography. 1T
seemed strange that the people should
come to church. 1t seemed as IT their
houses were so unentertaining that they
should prefer this thoughtless clamor-
It shows that there is a commanding at
raction in the moral sentiment, that can
cad faint tint of light to dullness and
ignorance, coming in its name and place.
The good nearer is sure he has been
ouched sometimes; is sure there IS
to be reached, and some word
hat can reach it. When he listens to
hese vain words, he comforts himself by
heir relation to his remembrance of
letter hours, and so they clatter and echo