Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-01-10

weak hearts our wandering desires, and not IL
our nurse in all godlnsss not Him, who paid
for il with His blood
The temple Of the Lord are these, these hun
drcds who are before me the whole is Gods
building, built on Christ as the foundation, and
each member should be living stone, a stone Of
fair colors in the spiritual house. Are there not
such among you9 Yes thank God, there are.
Men and women who do honor to this church, as
did their fathers and mothers before them pure,
generous selfdenying. merciIul ut work in
Church and Sunday School liberal, because
Christ spared not himself temperate and sober,
because Temperance and sobermndedness are
spiritual strength beautiful in action and bear.
ing because " beauty is the sscnment6f good.
ness" courteous and noble, because "iirtue is
the true nobility, and noble manners arc the fruit
Of noble minds. gentle, meek, lowly in heart,
because Christ hath found them and given rest
and peace to their souls. These are the stones Of
fair colors in the sapphirc-founded building, vary
ing in their size, varying in their splendorsi but
all beautiful worthy to be built on the precious
corner stone. Jesus Christ. Give us a church
like this, and we shall ask no diviner temple, no
piurer sanctuary no happier home temple in
which our sons and daughters shall he easant
stones shining with the lustre Of the Son Of God
a sanctuary in which old and young shall be clad
with the grace Of the Lamb Of God, and learn The
swift path. Of Christian usefulness and obcdi-
cnce home in which the light Of the fathers
eye, and the joy Of the mothers heart, and the
helpfulness and peace Of the children shall never
fail Give usa church like this, filled with the
strains Of penitepce the songs OF love. the music
of Christian work, and the hopes Of life and i'm
mortality, and we are content. The IDEAL trans
lated into fact, will be q more splendid vision than
even theradant symbols Of the prophet described
And now, what more shall say have said
but little Of what feel you have wished should
say, and yet | have cared not to repcat6gh |
have recently or remotely said before. Twenty
five years have made many changes In this audi
ence in me. speak 10 few 10 whom / first
spoke. As | look over my life cannot say that
| could desire it 70 have been otherwheres
though often wish it might have been otherwise.
There have been days of trouble and depression,
when said -" o, that bad wings like dove,
| for then would fly away and be at rest. Yet
my grief has been turned into blessing and the
seed Of discipline alwered fair and bore swcetcr
and stronger fruit than | dreamed. As | look
over my life, find no disappointment no sorrow
/ should wish 10 lose. The cloudy morning ha,
turned into sunny day and the wounds Of enemies
have blessed me more than the kisses Of friends.
| am not sorry that my life has been thus far in
terlaced with yours for one thing am sure Of.
| Nowhere else could have better learned the
wealth and power Of the generous feelings Of
men.
! II have taught you, my friends, any vital,
Christian truth, or reused any emotions that are
real and divine, let me urge you to apply them 10
your lives. never can have told you half the truth
or half kindled your Christian feeling and love.
But do not you stop when | could g. no further,
for after so long teaching, feel tina, have jusl
begun to learn just begun to work, | shall
never cease to be thankful for your kindness.
which has borne with me 50 much and long, foi
your sympathy, always nearest when needed most
for your examples Of noble, generous life, and for
the souls, given to so unworthy a minister, to
be az stars in the crown Of Ills rejoicing
II | could have but these young men, from
twenty to thirty-6ye years OF age, and older too
to work with IN c in the service Of God, and fol
the benefit Of their fellows to substitute active
enmity with evil for the mere passive pursuit.
of good, and for love of the world, throwing
the full tide of their ardor aud enthusiasm int,
the cause of Jesus Christ should he more thai
content would that to you, to your fathers
who organized this church and sustained it witt
their labors and prayers, might come the de-
| light Of those