The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-08-08
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TUESDAY. AUGUST 3, 1871.
Commencement.

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house, and largo numbers from the other
churches in this and neighboring towns,
and quite number Of visitors and friends
of the College who had already arrived
to spend Commencement week with us.
Music was furnished by the choir, Mr..
James G. Porter, presiding at the organ.
The Doctor selected for the foundation
of his discourse, the passage found in ]
Cor. Z: II. CAS- God hath distributed
to every man, as the Lord hath called
every one, so let him walk"
His Subject was 1.-The Doctrine Of Di.
vine Distribution and Calling" We can
only give an abstract.
After briefly referring to the apostolic
Office of arbitrator to decide doubtful
questions, and the record of these decis-
ions in the Epistles, he announced, by way
preface, the meaning of this particular
decision of permanent and universal au-
thority, that all men are Gods servants
held by indefeasible right as agents of
His will who gave them being-his SER
wants whether willingly and wisely obedi-
ent, or foolishly disobedient
He then proposed to consider the rule
of our service as here laid down, viz =
that Gods distributions to man carry in
them Gods callings of men to their pro.
per service. Gods gifts to each contain
for him divine vocation-every man to
the work that is given him to do.
First, the doctrine of Divine distribu-
ton teaches that God accomplishes all
this unfolding of human history by pro-
videntally shaping its causes-fashioning
the course of events, in the agents He
creates and sends forth to accomplish it.
Having in his purpose what he will do
in each age and land, he prepares the
agents for the work, moulding and TEN.
pering the actors of each age that they
may be fit doors of his will in that time.
In word God sends forth on the earth
his workmen duly stamped in the creative
mint, his distribution of power and apti-
tudes, so providing that each generation
shall have in it for the next, the very souls
needed. Among the young souls of the
present are just those which the coming
time is about to require.
Souls differ in their very making-in
original oontorte nd 8, al i-..- ~rrv;'.t-
ments-in style, measure Of force, bent
and grain of their being. They come for
different purposes and are composed and
strung accordingly and the very gifts
demanded need but to be found and used
Not only is it true of the rarer styles of
genius, but quite as true it is of the rank
and file and along all the lowlier lines of
service. God sends Just such and so many
as the want requires, gifted in every var.
iety- the beautiful, the brave, the strong
the sensible, the solid, the patient, teach
ere, preachers thinkers, practical minds,
business men, executive geniuses--each
with his own special fold in his brain, his
own cunning tingling in his fingers. Such
il Gods distribution.
Second, the doctrine Of the divine call.
ing of each man to his way of service. 1t
is already clear that Gods distributions
contain his call. His gifts declare his
purpose. They divinedly nominate each
TO the service he is fitted to render and
it goes well or i'll with us, and with the
whole world as men find their own work
and do it, or missing their vocation, con.
fuse Gods purpose and put square souls
in round places and the round in the
square.
We recognize this divine calling to oul
work in protesting to consider that min.
isters Of the gospel are called of God
This is but minim of truth with max.
i'm of error. 1t lodges the grip of the
whole great doctrine by concediug frac.
ton. The Christian ministry is not call.
ed Of God otherwise than any other man
of us all No lawyer goes to his work
no merchant, teacher, farmer, banker less
divinely called than the preacher. And
woe to the gifted man that obeys not his
call, no matter whether men call it secu-
lar or sacred. When we say that a man
is called to the ministry we mean that in
his gifts mental, moral, providentia, in
the sort of man God made him, there are
good reasons for his accepting that as the
work in which he can best serve Gods
ends. Is he pious? All men should be
pious, Is he gifted ? All are gifted.
Some to this work and some to that. And
if you lack these, your default is no bar
to Gods claim on you. You are Gods
servant, docile or rebel We don't dodge
responsibility by disobeying, either here
or hereafter. 1t is a hercsy which claims
that aside from the ministry men are their
own to do what they will. The truth is
everyone has his God-given work to do,
Gods callings are as manifold and vari-
Gus as his distributions. Yield obedience
to all these calls and VIC have that nobler
civilization which the quickcned heart Of
our humanity yearns for. The world has
had its civilizations not Christian, sopsu-
Gus, false in heart and aim aud method.
This civilization rescued and regenerate,
is within the scope of Christ purpose
Is in the purchase of Calvary, and is to
be saved, renovated, Christianzed In.
Unite grace takes effect, first and most vi.
tally in regenerate souls, born TO the new
life and made to be Gods salt in race
running TO rottenness, reaching widely
with its conserving power, down into the
heart, and ont into the world. From the
nour Of the cross new force has been nj
work in human history, lifting the world
upward. inaugurating justice, morality
humanity, penetrating our social life with
Christian decencies and comeier customs
laws and proprieties.
We must hold our doctrine Of divine
eallings, then, on this high level of Gods
whole purpose for our race. All tha
ministers to this redemption of humanity
is Gods service. The man who work.
truly by his gift in any direction faithful
to what is in him, is Gods minister there
in. And we are none the less his servants
though we mean amiss. Mans wrath oft
en- praises God We either serve God o.
He serves Himself of us. Every lawyer
merchant, engineer, soldier, poet, man
all trua nanl,, mon huau In Lonant mail.