Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-05-10


the state OF the Corinthian Church.
But we arc LETT to the great Gospel principle
which have been already Civ. and which ~
to be our food 10 the next fl >od OF Gods Spirit
the next Revelation, that which the Scripture
calls the " Second Advent
And the parallel holes in another respect
The Jews had but underlined hints Of that wbicl
was to be- Yet they knew the general outline
aud character OF the coming time they kne 4
! that 1t would be searching time, ii was to b.
The " Refner's day they knew that he shoulC
urn The hearts Of tho fathers to the children
and they knew that the messenger age must b
preceded by falling back on simpler life, and d
return TO first principles, as Malachi had pre-
dcted, and as John the Baptist called them to
They knew that it was an age in which the true
sacrifice would be offered.
And so now, we know not set what shall
be " but we know that when He shall appear
we shall be like Him as he is "And every
man that hath this hope 10 Him pur,feth him
solG"
We know that it will be the union Of tn,
human race,-they will be " one-told."
This is the outline and character Of the Rev.
elation and we may work at least, fowdrds IT,
" Ye are not in darkness, that that day should
overtake you as a thief Ye are all the children
Of the light. and the children of the day.
Wherefore comfort yourselves together nod
edify one another, even as also ye do" TostrVe
alter personal purity and attempt at producing
unity, that is our work.
We rest on that we have, and hope for that
We see not And only for the glimpse that hope
gives us Of that, is life worth having
III. Let us consider the conduct of different
classes in these evil timee.
|. Some lived recklessly
Foremost among these were tn: priests, as ha,
been always found in evil times. The riot Of
priest is worse than that OF the laiiy. Mutual
corruption, Against the priests Malacbs de
Dunciatons are chiefly directed.
places (ctap. i. 6,7). OF sacrifice degraded
(yerses II, l3) Vice honored (chap. ii. l7), In
that they called good evil and evil good. BY
these men belsf in God was considered ridicu
lous.
And then it was that one Of these glorious
promises was made, to be fulfilled in after times.
Malachi loresaw that the Gentiles would take
up the neglected service (chap. i 10, H. }, and
the vision of an universal Kingdom OF God be-
came the comfort Of the faithful few.
2. Others lived useles,ly because despond
ingly.
The languor and despair Of their hearts IA
read in the words chap. iii IA, l5) and in
deed 1t is not surprising; to what point could
good men look with satisfaction The nation
was enslayed, and worse they had become
slaves in spirit. Their ancient purity was gone,
The very priests had become atheists. Where
was the promise of Ills coming! Such, too, il
the question Of these latter timos And our re-
ply is from past experience.
That dark day passed. and glorious Revela-
ton dawnsd on the world. From what has been,
we Justly infer what will be- Promises fulfilled
are ground OF hope for those yet uniulfled
Where is the promise noD oil holier times? Yes
but remember lho question seemed to be jus. a'
unanswerable then it was Just sr unanswerabl,
in the days of tho Judges, and IN the captivity
il Egypt and in Babylon.
This" Scripture was written for our admon
ton, on whom the ends of the world are come. =
Then the consolation of St. Peter becomes in.
telligible, " We have 4 more surc word OF
prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take
heed as unto a light that shinelh in dark
place, until the day dawn, and the day'star
aris, in your hearts,
3. But in these evil times there were a lew
who compared with one another their hopes and
sought strength in Christian communion and
fellowship. Of them the tex. speaks.
This communion oil saints is two-fold il la
cudes church fellowship and personal friend
ships.
1t is plain that from church fellowship in
those days they could gain little. Unity there
was not, but only disunion. Over that state
Malachi lamented in that touching appeal
" Have we not all one father' hath not one. God
created us2 why do we deal ueacherously every
man against his brother, BY profanng the cov.
enant oil our isthersf" Dial. ii. l0) Israel
had forgotten that she was family.
And it is true that in our day church fellow
ship is almost only name. The Christianity
OF the nation does not bind us as individuals
| Well, the Church? Are there many
traces Of a common ieeling7 When church priv
lleges are insisted on to produce unity, do they
not produce diyision7 Are not these words ol
the Prophet true to usi Where are the traces
Of Christian brotherhood,
/ Herein this town. here thi, congre.
cation? at the Holy Supper which we join in
to-day' Snail we meet to get private good, OF
/ to lee we are partakers of the same Body and
I
union as the remedy would be to miss the spe-
oial meaning Of this verse. The malady Of our
dsunon has gone too deep to be cured by you
i or me.
We will consider it, therefore, n reference to
Christian friendship. We find that within the
outward Jewish Church there was an inner cir.
Gle, knit together by closer bonds than circum
cislon or the passover, by an union OF religious
sympathies. :" Then they that feared the Lord
spoke often one to another v. they =" though
upon his name"
Let US consider tho blessing Of Christian
friendship. 10 such times it discharges a double
office
/. For the interchange Of Christian hop,
aud Christian ieelng. Ii is dreary to sery,
God alone desoate to have no one in our owl
circle or family from whom We can receive sym
pathy in our hopes. Hopes die.
2 IL isa mighty instrument in guarding
against temptation. 1t isa safeguard in th
way Of example, aud also asa STANDARD 0
opinion. We should become tainted BY tn
world il it were not for Christian friends.
Therefore, In conclusion, cultivate familiar In
timacy only with those who love good and God
Doubtless there are circumstances which Dc
termne ntimaces, such as rank, station, sim
Iar,y of tastes. But one thing must be para
mount to and modify them all,-Communiou i
God. Not in a sectarian splri, Weare not !
form ourselves into party with those who thin
as we do, and use the formulas tha, we do. Bu
the spirit of the ieSt requires U, to feel srongl
that there is a mighty gulf between those VII
: love aud those who do not love God To N
: one class we owe cIvility, courtesy, kindness
+, even tenderness. Il is only those who love III
Lord who should find in our hearts home.
! LirE or WILLIAM HIsoKLEY PREscor n
: Ernrra lnLnnr Rnstnn Tcknnr A Einlds