Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-11-08

Orphaned Christians.
LrrrERs FRoN wuEArnEDoE.

Ny Dear George.--I often wish | knew
Greek, so that | could read my New Testa-
ment in the original tongue. mean that my
boy, whether he becomes q minister or no,
shall have a chance to learn both Greek and
Hebrew, that he may read the poetry Of David
as David wrote it, and the eloquence Of Paul
and of Jesus in the very words that thrilled
the audiences who first heard them. This
want has been brought to my mind this af-
teruoon in readiug the l4th chapter Of John
The 18th verse is, in our English Bible, "
will not leave you comtortless,' but in the
margin it is, will not leave you orphans" ."
| do not know which is right, but it seems to
me that here is a wonderful significance in the
/ latter translation, and so | take it. That is
not a very good critical reason, but then |
am not a critic.
There seem to me, George, to be host Of
orphaned Christians. And as have been
pondering and praying over your perplexi-
ties, that seems to me to be the root of them
all. You are an orphaned Christian Do
you ask me what | mean by an orphaned
Christian
What is an orphau2 Not one who really
has no father nor mother. He has the sweet
memory Of their past presence 1t is dearer
to him than the presence Of any living friend.
There are hours 10 that past that no earthly
consideration would induce him to efface
But they are past, and he can never recall
them, except dimly and as a vision. He has
living hope in future meeting with those
parents They stand on the shore of the far
future, and the expectation Of again being in
| .kn.- e &c tka hrif,b too
that ever cheers his dreams by day or by
night. But now and here he has them not
in weakness and struggle no fathers strength
to which he may appeal, in sorrow and in tri-
al no mothers sympathy in which to confde,
and from which to seek sweet consultations. And
so, despite memory and hope, he is alone.
BY orphaned Christians, my dear George,
l mean those whose God is a memory of the
past, or a hope of the future nothing more.
They look back to a Jehovah who once
guided his people through the wilderness, and
who revealed himself to them in vision and
in dream, to Christ who walked with hi,
disciples the fields Of Galilee and the streets
of Jerusalem, aud on whose bosom the be-
loved disciple rested and wonder why there
is no longer any open vision" They look
back in their own experience to the hour
when first they saw the Lord, and felt his
pardoning love- and long with inexpressiblC
yearning for a return Of that experimental
experience which, alas is like the covenant
bow OF promise, being in the sky but for al
hour to grow dim and disappear and leave
the cold hard, pitiless rain of this sorrowfu
life to come back again. They look forwarC
with hope, often dim, sometimes bright anc
eager, to an hour when they shall awake il
His likeness and be satisfied because thel
see him as he is a hope that Just tingc
their dark life with light, as the long nigh
is lightened by hope Of coming day, Will
the sun is far below the horizon, and before
as yet, even the birds have begun to sing it
prophetic welcome. But of present God
here and now, they know nothing, They nev
er 60 up into the mount to see him, but re
main at the base where all is cloud, an,
smoke and storm. They never seem to know
that God is present help in time Of trouble
He is not their strength in hours of weak
ness, nor their consolation, to whom in hour
of weeping they Ay that as mother com
forteth her children he may comfort them
When they stand at the grave weeping, the
do not recognize their Lord in the garden
When they walk the dusty road, they do no
know Him whose very presence makes thei
blind hearts burn. They believe in God {
a glorious past, in God too yet to arise in
glorious future but now and to them ontomt
ed and silent.
But ah George, our God is living Goo
our Saviour is present Saviour. He is ye
Emmanuel, God with us. He still walks th
world as of old, our pillar of cloud by day
of fire by night, the bosom on whom we res
our weary, way worn heads, our strength i
weakness, our consolation in sorrow, our a
d. and in ALL We walk by sight, not faitl
George, if we must see and handle and hol
familiar intercourse with him to trust in hin
We walk by faith not sight when we beliey
in God who dwelleth in those that are of
contrite spirit have read some and hear
many arguments on the " evidences !" bu
there is one evidence" wish could hel
more Of in prayer meeting and from pulp
than | do;
4" The Spirit itself beareth witness in OF
spirit that we are the children of God"