Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-03
Reli9tuus department.
condvc,.a ,v Ruv. r.. n. sourua ArE
PURITY AND seLF.REsPEcT.

The man of pure heart is blest with
PEACEFUL sELF-REsPEoT. He is not happy
who cannot respect himself. 1t is Gods
law. As if there was a judge within US,
whose constant care is to pronounce upon
our deeds, and fine US with rcmorse or re-
ward us with joy. And no man can respect
himself who is living in more or less con-
slant communion toith bad thoughts and
| eoa pictures Of imagination. Suppose we
grant that we are not altogether responsible
for our thoughts, but by the complications
Of daily life, before we know it we have
planned a sin; or, by Satan's foes beleagur-
ed, we are thrust upon by pictures OF in
Equity. Still my proposition is true that no
such life could be happy one. Could the
master Of strong house be at peace, even
if bolts and bars and granite strength kept
all his foes at bay, it ever and Anon the
mob thrust the deaths head at his windows
Aye, more, could he respect himself if now
and then, as impure hearts do, he showed q
face for parley, or cautiously, yet surely,
invited one of the red.shirted horde within
to see how he looked near by2 The sun.
flower might say Of wasps, and hornets, and
bees; "Why do they poster me, and so hang
about ~ And the wasps would reply I:
"You entertain us, sir; you have what We
love-" So the judge within man, true to
his heaven-given instinct, makes reply to
him pestered by bad thoughts: There's
something, sir, about you that these buzz
ards love-" And hence he parts with self
respect. There are those who, in thought,
creep to the utmost, and sketch upon paper
the very figures of dishonest gains then
look, aud think, aud look again with hest.
fancy. Aye, tear it up, sir, and say: I'll
be true" But you hare lost your Self.re-
speet /; yon are nat the soul Of honor. There
are those who buy questionable illustrated
papers at the ferry newsstand, and turn
them over furtively, and, blushing, say,
,chen they hare seen the last picture !.
"Why, must not carry that home Why
did l buy IT'D" Aye, thow it away, sir,
thow it.away but yom hare lost your setf.
respect you are not the soul of chastity.
There are those who have been wronged by
a neighbor, and conjure in imagination how
that guilty one could be made to suffer. Imag-
nation sees them suffer. Aye, turn from it
and say "No; | am too noble TO take
revenge !" But you hare lost your self:re-
Spect; you are not The soul Of torgiping
Tore. saw by Lake Lcman the old castle
of Chillon. Up above, the royal, tapestry
hung apartments of the Duke of Savoy and
his gay bride; down below, the dungeon
where Downward was chained, where creep
ing things crawl forth TO oge at the visitors,
and instruments OF torture are. And
wondered il never, in some scene Of revelry
above, the groans Of martyrs rose TO stir the
arras on gorgeous walls. There are those
we meet in social life, the rooms Of whose
souls, which are open to friends, are fair as
palaoc. But alas who shall tell US Of the
secret kept unseen? Not so Pure heart. L
do not pretend to say that'ever on this earth
We are freed from all solicitations of evil !;
but there Is many soul so "bessed" that,
when winged thoughts OF sin come flying to
the windows, Gods angel RISES mp and
dra,1S the shutters TO; when disturbing
thoughts of hate, revenge, avarice and pride
draw near, Gods angel meets them at tho
outer gate and bids them all begone.-Rep.
Emory J. Haynes; in Oford's Pulpit o.
the Day.