Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-02-03

The everyday duties of life are too apt to
be overborne by the sweeping forces of
habit and the scramble for money, that alb
serbs every other effort OF the present age.
Labor and toll seem comparatively easy
where apparent success in life rests directly
upon them, but whenever success seems
attainable by shorter and easier method
than pursuing our daily course of duty in
our ordinary avocatons, we are ready to
grasp at chances to attain an eminencc at
once.
Providence has put a rich continent into
the hands of the American people, where
free scope is given to energy and ambition,
and whore opportunity and stimulus are
freely offered for the highest achievements.
But there is also a temptation in this to
neglect our daily duty, on which alone the
future progress and welfare of our people
and nation depend. The work of the pres
ont hour is Gods direct gift and message to
us, and to do it faithfully and well is to full
fiji the requirements of the law and the
gospel. Our religion, to be valuable must
enter into our every day life, and its spirit
must be shown by temper of kindness
and love to our fellow men, and doing
thoroughly and well the work we have in
hand. Good done TO those with whom we
associate is always an acceptable service to
God. He that contributes in any way to
the comfort and welfare of others, and adds
to the sum of human progress. is support
ing the living principles of the Christian
religion. In true fidelity to daily duty lies
the only hope of reaching high position
in the Christian world. That joy and bless
edness to which the soul aspires, can only
be reached through patient continuance in
| the daily duties of life.
Hectic Joys may sometimes spring up in
n life that is fitful and hayward, but lasting
peace and true happiness can only be hoped
for by persistent effort day by day, to per-
form honestly and well whatever duty is
encumbent ON us rs individuals. 1t mat
tiers but little in what business we engage,
| If not INJURIOUS to ourselves or the public
good; to insure success be faithful a honest.
| Nothing is more amentable at this age than
the fact that a large majority of the young
men are looking upon manual labor as de-
grading their position in human society,
] anu arc surviving ny al IpoSSlplt means 10
avoid it. To get money without earning it
is the goal of human ambition, and he that
gets the most with the least labor, is the
most universally applauded, and peoples
worth is too often measured by the amount
of money invested in tickets and games at
fairs and festivals for charitable purposes.
If the present mode of raising funds for
religious and charitable purposes continues,
it is not difficult to predict the condition
into which our churches and religious or
CARNATIONS are rapidly tending. Christian
ity in the past was the fruit of right living;
the primitive Christians made this the pole
star of their professions, the moral insight
the inspiration, the substance of all rel gion
To nculcatc a right mode of conduct tow
ards each other is the greatest development
of Christian philosophy, the foundation on
which to build the science Of morals, of
government and theology. The holy men
of olden time supported religious insttu-
tions as purely a spiritual and moral duty;
to them II was tho kingdom of righteous
ness. Its fruits were peace, joy, long-suf-
fering meekness, faith, goodness, temper
ance. five expect the church of the future
to be above the church of the past, we must
not suffer it to be corrupted by practices of
selfish and immoral tendency. II.