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

Then they that s@@~A shs ls-A -Y~Ns
o,her and the Lord heArkened AMI heard IT, and boo
Of remembrance written before him Tot them that
feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name -
MALAcRl III. 49,
The first division of our subject is suggested
by the word "thsn." When7 They did thu.
in tho times Of Malachi II is only 10 reference
TO those times that we cln extract the true lie.
sou from the eonducs OF the holy men whose
behavior he praises We will consider
l. The times OF Malachi.
IL The patience OF the saints in evil times.
|. Not much is known OF the prophet Ma
Chi or his exact date We are sure, however,
that he was the last prophet Of the old dspen.
sati n, lie lived somewhere between tbs restora-
ton from captivity and the coming Of Christ.
Thus much we know Of those times from hs
tory The Jews were restored. From chap
lii, v 10, we learn that the Temple bad been
rebuilt But Israel's granduer was gone, al.
though still enjoying outward prosperity. The
nation bad sunk into a state OF political degrs-
dation, and had become successfully subject to
the Perslans, Syriaus, Romans. 1t is precisely
that political state in which national virtues do
not thrive, aud national decay is sure. Qtaly--
Spain.) They had a glorious past. They had
the enlightenment of present high civilization
But with this there was want OF unity, man
hood, and simple virtues There was Just suff-
cent gallingness in the yoke to produce faction
and sullenness but not enough curtailment OF
all physical comforts to rouse the nation as ono
man to reconauer freedom. II was a state IN
which there was no visible Divine interference.
Compare this period of lsrael's history with
all which had preceded it These four hundred
years belong to protane history. The writings
of that per cd are not reckoned inspired, 50
widely do they differ from the Scripture tone.
There were no prophets, no food OF light, " no
open vision The Word OF God was precious
as in that time between The death of Joshua and
the calling Of Samuel Except this solitary
voice prophecy has hushed her harp.
Now what was given to Israel in that period
reply, Retrospect, Pause, and Prospect.
Retrospect, is the sublime past which God bad
given her for her experience. 4" They have Nose,
and the prophets, lot them hear them On
them they we're to liye,-lheir nations sacred
history; Gods guidance and hithiuness tn,
sure truth that obedience was best
Prospect, is the expectation Of better times.
Dim, vague hints Of the Old Testament haC
pointed them to coming revelaton,--a day il
which God should be nearer 10 them, in whicl
socety should be more pure, An Advent, il
short.
And between these TWO ihero was Pause
They were left by God to use the grace an,
knowledge already given by Him,
Now this is parallel to Gods usual modes o
dealing. For example the Pause Of four bun
dred years in ile land Of Egypt, between tn
bright days when Abraham talked with GoI
and the deliyerance by Aloss.
The Pause in Canoan, when tic IJraelitisl
commonwealth was left, lkea building to settl
down before being built higher, between tn
times Of Joshua and OF Samuel.
The Pause in tho Captivity, and now again
Pause.
A pause after each revelation until the next.
So, in the natural world. just as in summe
there is a gush OF natures forces and shootin
forth and then the long autumn and winter
in which is no growth, but an opportunity
taught by past experience, or The husbaudma
TO manure his ground, and sow his seed, and
wait for new outpouring OF life upon the worlt
And just as in human li(o, between its mark
lessons there is pause, in which we live upo
past experience, looking back aud looking on
Experience and hope, that is human lito as
youth, expecting manhood, and then looking e
future changes in our condition, character 80
all Gods revelation system, thore have been D
RODS Of "open vision, and periods of pause :
). waiting men are left to experience and hop
y Ii is in vain that VIC have studied Gods Wol
i. Il we do not perceive that our own day ar
circumstances are parallel with those Of h
A Prophet Malachi. We live in the World
!. fourth great Pause.
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