Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-06-03


/ think that a great many persons
are more anxious to know whether they
have the evidence of conversion, than
whether they are living in the exercise
of Christian dispositions. Many give
themselves thought upon thought-anx-
ious thoughts to know whether the great
change has passed upon them, whether
they may not be deceived, whether they
are indeed the disciples of Christ, and
have right to the ordinances and-mem-
bership of a Christian church and shall
be saved at last. These things are in
the mind more than the thought: "Am
1 living in Christian dispositions, and
performing day by day Christian du-
ties ?"
Men wait; they feel as though to per-
form Christian duties before being
Christian was wrong done. They say:
"If was Christian l would pray, but
1 am not Christian. OF course, 1
should not get angry as | do now if l
was Christian, but not being Chris
tian, it is not so bad for me to do it."
So they stand and look on all the pro-
prieties of life and say, When | am
converted, l am going to take up all
these things" and they wait for that Pc
culiar mental shock which they consider
indispensable before they can perform
these Christian duties.
1t makes no difference whether you
are a Christian or not Christian, it is
your bounden duty to do right This is
the duty of every living creature before
and after conversion. 1t is The uniyer-
sal duty it belongs to every living man
to live after the standard of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Whether man is a
Christian or not he should walk hum
bly, and meekly before the Lord. Do
you ask: sis this an evidence of being
a Christian ?" Christ said eff you
love me keep my commandments" He
who knows and does Christ's command
ments is Christian. What makes 9
man a husbandman A man buys some
rocky ground it is full of weeds and al
grown over to Canada thistles. The
barns are full of rats, mice and other
vermin. The man goes in and takes
possession. He walks about his farm
every morning-sleeps in the leaky old
house. He is full of rheumatism and
all sorts of complaints. He never Grad
icates weed or plants seed. He bare
ly lives, yet every morning he goes GU
and looks at his farm bearing nothing
but weeds, and says: "I'm husband
man." He is not. He only owns TWEEN
ty acres of dirt and weeds. 4 He is n,
husbandman.
is poor clayey soil. But early and lat
he sticks to it. He works hard upon ii
He plants potatoes, and gets out abou
as many as he puts in. He raises a lit
tie crop of grass. But he has no CAPT
tai, and does not make much headway
Nevertheless he is a husbandman-
poor one, but according to the soil, he
doing the best he knows how. Anothe
man has better spot his ground slope
to the south in places; there are othe
parts that are poor. but four or fv
acres there are that shine-they ar
the garden of the farm. But there al
breaks in his fence the cattle get il
and he loses his temper. There al
spots that produce we'll. He is hui
bandman better than the first and bette
than the second, yet very imperfect h
does not bring all his land into use.
Another man has better land tina
that. He is more thorough he hs
more productive crops. His annual r
ceipt is better than all the others. Al
other farmer is getting rich. He h;
heavy crops, and they are getting bett,
every year. Another is rich, fat, 10,
full, and prosperous old farmer. He
able to take care of himself and all h
neighbors. Yet he is no more hu
bandman than the first who on accoul
of the poverty of his land, cannot
much. This figure of the husbandma
is the Lords figure, and may be used
as to fit Christians.
A man has all things against hir
He makes fight. The weeds are a
over him, and people say to him: "Wf
don't you cut them down 2" 81 ha
Z tried, but they grow SO large, and
must do something to raise bread" I
is making feeble fight; he is a DO
Christian. Yes but he may be bett
than-many of US. Another works BE-
ter. Although he may have got into
and forbidden ways, some right thin
are more congenial to his nature, so tn
he does well with spots. He is bette
though not very good.
Another produces more fruit by t
heat of the Sun of Righteousness
he. though much better Christian.
not any more Christian than the fir
The Lord regards you from the poi
where you started. If you started on
one hundred leagues away, you will {