St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-02-09
Miss Martha johnson.

Mat. Xxxv: 10. ''Inasmuch as We have done it
unit" one "f the least of these my brethren, yc have
done II unit" nic.
Here again. as III vivid light of the
Judgment are We certified that hey that
shall hc save ed are those who live de
voted lives in this world. They believe
not only, hut thc} practice the lowly
duties of every day charity and self
denial for others. ''IuIc religion
(and 10y this term st. james means not
all there is i'll the Christian religion.
hui only the outward duties and offices
ot religion corresponding t" the ccrc-
monies and sacrifices of uld.) lis to
isiI the f;IthcIlr>S and widow in their
atilictinm. and To keep himself unspultcd
from the world.
trlcm"nic~ and forms are of small
account. but practical Kindness and
mercy are indispensable. This truth
dur- not IMPLY that crcedS. and cuni,.S-
sion of Christ before men, are needless.
nor does il make less demand than other
plain scripture tnr vital faith it only
declares that faith without works is
dead" \ true Christian lit, must have
RAIN tor its root. faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. ~ the prI$unltiCatiom of
mercy and love. AllIdras ofmrrcN origin
ate in the mercy ofGul Ia sinners. " hich
i> manifested in redemption. 1t l. he
cauSc God i> mcrciful that men have
the capacity and the motive to become
50 and since mercy is the one word
which best Describes God To the world
the prime quality III redemption il
is to he expected that the subjects of
grace will ais" he distinguished by it.
As the delicate tingr upon the morning
IL, If 1
forest. lake and mountain peak are gl"-
ritied III the same charming c"lurS. 81
where the grace of G"d comes. the sub
lrct of it lwc"ntS God like. and walks
in rllr light Of God. In the category nf
gr.ccs given 10y 81. Peter, charity is the
croNning one. -. Paul also declares
that ot the three permanent GTa"c>.
charity is the greatest. ln this text
We have this craving grace of the saved
emphasized. 1t is not said tn hr their
only worthy quality, nor he only one
which the judge will recognize. The
tree is known 10y its fruit" and this is
the fruit of II true Christian life. as il
were plucked from its stem. and placed
before It's in its riprmr>S.
You will observe. next. that there l.
nothing here to cnuntcnancc the comlim-
ing which makes il reasonable to ''pick
over the ohirctS of charity in order to
find the ''lrast of these Christ does
not say ''Nc confined NoIur ,t1oIt> to this
deprecated class" but the true ,,,.mti-
mrnt of the text L.. rather, I'VE have
shown the tuiincsS of Nnun love III that
We set no human limit to it. le gaN'
not of Your store alone. but also ot real
sympathy. and tender personal attcm-
tionS. lc We're content Ia bc ScrrdHt Is
tnr ChriSt'< sake. Even the untmiitN
and the unworthy We did not neglect.
If their WINS had brought them into
trouble Nc seized upon the opportunity
to administer saving Influences. lc
made them feel that they had 4 friend
moved 10y highel reasons than natural
affection. lc truly loved your neigh
bor ;I> yourselves and Ne are blessed"
There is II" commcndatiou of him
who gives hiS money Ia foreign work,
but makes the pool about him feel um-
welcome at his own door. Large h"lIt
cdncsS, which takes in the interests Of
all the world. and uSc$ Judgment - ia
where its own ctioitS ill help the most
this i> commented.
There is an E"l ptian hicrn%lN phic.
We are told. which represents the an
cient ideas of charity. 1t is Il child,
with its heart in its hand. giving honey
to Il winglcSs bee. The child repre-
Sentng the Innocence ana humility OF
chalitv.-thc heart in the hand. its
ready love, ana the giving denotes the
hclpleSSncsS, Yet worthimcSS of the OBJ
, ipct. and the discrimination of the riff
Perhaps might say without prrSumng
too much that the illustration well cX-
presses the Christian idea of giving the
word of God which is "swccter also
than honey" to those who have lost
" their privileges. and Yet are partakcrS
of Il spiritual nature. and through di-
vine grace shall vet he LAS the angels
of Cod"
We are taught. besides. to notice how
liSinterestcd the blessed have been
They were 50 absorbed in the actual
, need on earth that they entirely forgot
Il promised reward. They were doing
}. for those who were i'll need. not filled
t. with Il self seeking ambition to secure Il
future eNaltatiOn. They did not see
CHRIST in those they ministcrcd to. In
' deed they SAW any thing but that which
WAS like Him. but they saw that SOD,c-
. boiy ought to pity and to do. and they
p. went about the work ut once. They
said ..who knows hut. bye and bye.
i some of these may he brought to re-
prntancc - and SO they wrought on
u. not casting off even the unworthy, IL,
they felt them to he. There WaS III
deeper insight given them than Others
no power to discriminate those wht
(, should Yet come to Christ and he saved
They did not wait for any such dnec-
: tions. but labored on leaving results t,
Him who ''giveth the increase"
Both parties protest that they saw
. nothing of Christ Himself; but one
party fulfilled his commands i'll the
spirit of them, and the other waited fol
objects worthy of their srlt-estimatet
efforts.
e Finally we are to understand thai
r, r, our Lord Jesus Christ having assumed
our nature, and, III his obedience death
9 resurrection and gloritication hay ina
u become the "Second Adam, the heao
of our race for the purposes of redenp
tion-ftels for every individual as the
head feels for every member. The
body cannot be roughly handled, hui
the head knows all about it and remem
!. bers. The gentle hand cannot minister