Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-06-02

hadn't chance to repent Just as
quick as the pistol went off he fell, and
couldn't think about it,
Here you have emotional piety set
over against solid character. You all
know which is the higher; you all know
which society rests on; you all know
which is best in your sons. in your
daughters, in business men, in citizens
generally wild impulse of religion or
solid morality ingrained into the very
fibre of ones manhood. And yet emo
tional piety take man to Heaven (and
so little of it that [ think it is mostly
frotE), and solid character lets him
down the other way Now, mark you,
| recommend and plead for emotional
piety Better that man should show
a religious interest, as did Nicodemus
at the burial of his Lord, than not at
all. Better for the hayward son to say,
the last hour before he dies, Father, [
|
renounce this wicked living of mine
ask your pardon for the wrong done
There is comfort in that; but when you
come to say that the prodigal son de-
serves more at the hands of his God
than the son who had lived faithfully,
and nobly. and generously all the while,
you utterly prevent the New Testament.
In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the
father shows his gratitude by many ex-
pressive acts that the hayward son has
come home, but do you think he put
that son in his affection and codfdence
above that son who had. remained faith
fully by him and been dutiful all the
while?
Furthermore, such spectacles as am
considering, as educational influences,
are mischievous AS if man should
say. WELL now, if | murder another |
shall probably be hung So far as hui
u, L
suffer the penalty, but so far as the di-
vine law is concerned, | know how to
get rid of that. | can manage that
part can live forty aud nine years
in sin. and wipe away the consequences,
but cannot do anything against mans
law without in all probability being ar
rested. These detectives are so terribly
searching in their inquiries that it is
, pretty hard to get rid of them; but so
: far as God rs concerned, | know how to
, elude his law, and shirk the penalty of
it. am not troubled about that -
; Now. contend that everything of that
r kind is demoralizing. 1t is not giving
: a man his deserts [ maintain that the
r conviction ought to rest upon your heart
5 and mind that if we 90 through the
5 world in opposition to God, He will hold
e US answerable for those things, not only
Y while we live. bnt after we pass out Of
this body as well and that the charac-
q ter ingrained into the human organiza
n ton cannot be wiped out by any ejacu
!. latory sentences at any time.
J.. | am reminded here of what Jesus
said to the thief on the cross. 1t seems
;. in the judgment of many, to stand IL
opposition to what | am teaching. II
reference to what our Lord said to tn,
II man who was cruciied by His side
there are two facts to be stated:
First-lt is confessedly difficult t.
determine how much the robber under
= stood about the mission of Christ. Fo
it hardly seems probable that he under
= stood that Christ had set up spiritua
- kingdom when His disciples suppose'
= He was setting up material kingdom
. If the apostles, when they found GU
- Lord was crucifed, supposing His wor
- had come to an end, went their way,
- is net likely that this criminal under
stood much about Christ's spiritua
- kingdom.
Second-Precisely what is meant b
~ the word Paradise is not clear, an
At perhaps never can be now. Some ind
,e viduals say it means estate of tn
10 dead" as if our Lord meant to say
II You ask me to remember you when
n. come into my kingdom. Why. this ola
III both of us are to be in the state of tn
a. dead, and, therefore, what can you el
as pect in my kingdom? Others under
e. stand it to include something more tina
W. the state of the dead-to incluoe VIII;
TO the Greeks meant by the word Elipium.
m In view of all the facts, it seems to n
#. that our Lord referred to the spiritu;
n world into which they were both soon
,is pass, and that He meant in some way
10. speak approvingly of the condition
he the penitent thief in connection wit
# that reference. But. as already SAT-
nv the precise meaning it is difficult to a
n firm There is, however, no reason
in suppose that our Lord meant to sa
n This day you will be a perfect hums
d. being; this day you will be an angel
,ss light or this day you will be with n
70. in Heaven" because that is contradl
Ter tory of what our Lord says subsequent
he For, after His resurrection, when Ma
If. met Him in the garden, near the ton
sr- in which His body had been placed,
he recorded in the 18th verse of the 20