The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-08-08

so destitute that he particularly mentbns
the old cloak that they bring to bis uees-
-iHcs Thgse are uat mentioned 10 dis
SUMMARY of his victories They we're
merely accidents, II We may So spak,
something that did not essentially ,ear
0n ihe great pIan lis lite bad become
wholly religious, secular matters wee of
thc moment momeutary. A. he TODD
there, at Tie time of his Offering, q he
wanted 10 say was he noble shot q
spiritual victory - have fought agood
eight ! have iiuishd my course. lhaye
kept the faith" We come to realize that
this is all there is ofany momcut il any
lie as we apply the retrospective from
the diving hour. We may have urious
standards Of judgement We doemlhings
Of Importance to-day which we WI call
trivial tomorrow, as we have lready
done iu the past, We al1 thus So wayed
ia our estimates thatt impression gains
upon us that the only absolute aprecia-
ton, the only accurate estimdion Of
things is to be had through the Ight Of
the Eternal. And the nearer we approach
to that world where we shall be sen even
as We are seen aud not througha glass
darkly, whom the interests Of the present
life lose their charm on the heirt aud
the solemn presence Of eternity isfelt, are
we The better prepared to contemplate
and decide on the relative importance OF
things The brother may have Ind many
experiences, but we are sure hat they
were estimated as nothing compared to
the reality Of that life which heindulged
lie may have made mistakes, but they
were Intellectual to check theturrent Of
his being flowing outward and onward to
his God, lie may have had bis doubts but
they were only as the mists, which arise
only to be driven away by the Increasing
spleudor Of the sun Of bis hopei. He may
have borne bis troubles, which sorrowed
bis spirit, but they only turned his face
and opened his heart more directly and
elIectually toward his God. These all
seemed as nothing in view of the great
work Of his life, the faith Of his fathers,
the gospel Of Christ, the anticipation OF
his heart
Third--A life through the spirit fruit
ful work.
We have stepped from the doer to the
deed, and now We advance from the deed
to Its fruition. We remember that the
labor Of spring is naught, the WEAKNESS
Of summer pain without the appearance
OF the autumn. Paul said bis spring and
summer uvih ae 80 us.e Lattoi bat his
autumn reward was crown Of well do
ing. lie had, indeed, looked in vain
among men for justice. Man held every
where III Rome, as well as in Jerusalem,
his reckless misrue. This last was to be
to him, only battlefield lie knew that
he was victor, even while his foe thought
him crushed; he knew that the crown
was there, while his foe would decapitate
him with his sword. Paul was uncon-
scious Of his situation, unmindful of his
enemy, as his eye saw in his lile-work
the pledges Of his future. What Of un-
just Judges? what Of the world2 where
be could see God everywhere in his life,
the earnest Of heaven to his soul. AS
he had fought so he should be crowned
as he had sowed so should he reap; as
he had achieved 50 should be his reward
Let us not give undue significance to
this fact Of reward. The apostles situa-
ton must be borde IN mind. He was a
condemned criminal, according TO Jewish
hate and Roman law. But his conscious
ness Of the reclitude Of bis cause, and the
blamelessness Of his life was such that
in laying his case before the Judge Of all
the earth, that there awaited him, he
could have no doubt not an acquital mere
~, but crown of well-doings The
name Of the distinction asserts its quality,
II is not to be a bauble which fatter.
personal pride; but crown Of righteous
ness; nota glittering fancy that earth
mouarchs war, but a substantial reality,
a spiritual diadem, that completeness and
perfection Of character, which is the legit-
innate fruit Of the discipines, the strug-
giles and the triumphs Of earth.
So we stand at death, where Paul stood
az bis martyrdom. As far as he could
see God ia bis life, SO far could he see
heaven IA hts future, lie was on The
mountain top at lis DEATH and the light
came sweeping up to him from the east,
from the new rise Of bis christian life,
rolled also over and beyond the summit
under a SKY that knows no limit, and to-
ward a west That knows 10 boundary,
Ifthe future is dismal % any heart, II IL
because their christian day Is small, and
the loaden horizon sinks down sullenIy
70 tie width OF their footballs II wa.
not thus with Paul We trust Il was not
ttu@ Win tilt aNNAAFNAt n Nlllise CJillt1
forth on his conntenauce At his death,
which may signify 10 Bis friends that hi.
spirit knows no gloom. While such
marks as this mas haye their effect, they
are uot Ike The substantial testimonies
OF liie Of struggles and victories The
great operations may hayc been accom-
plisbed when no eye but biz sayiom''
marked the dcecpning combat; his adj
herence to tbe truth may have continued
undcf temptations tbaf his ftiends did not
suspect and bis course flushed, aud
faith scpi with that unswavcring loyalty
which eternity oaly can reveal Heart
histories arc written ~ long siieneest
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