Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-08-05
Christ at the Door.


Behold, stand At the door and knock.n
These are tho words Of the one in whose
name we are gathered tonight. There are
some who are called after him to whom his
name is a mere sound They are called
Christians, but Christ Is not real TO them
A gulf Of centuries intervcnes between
them and him. The story Of his life comes
to them ike a legend.
My friends, wish could sweep away
from your minds the fog Of custom. l
wish | could drive away the notion that
many Of you probably have, that | stand to
speak tonight because it is my business to
do So This is not so, for | am not min
lister. speak this evening because want
to speak and | want to speak Of Christ
because he is to me Tie only Interpretation
Of life.
have for years done as some Of you
have done have been pondering the old,
old story Of the life Of Christ, and every
year the glory shines brighter | see more
beauty and more to attract me to it, l am
attracted because | SEQ in this man Sc
crot, and kuow--or at least think-that
| God has no secrets which he intends to
keep always, and | feel sure that | may
learn some Of Gods secrets by learning
Christ
Christ has lived and died, and has left
but a short, brief story of his life. We
often wish we had more, but, if we knew
everything he said aud did, We might not
be any better than we are. We have, how.
ever, the author himself, and with hin, we
may become better acquainted, and in doing
this we shall certainly be made better. We
ought not to use the word was with ref
erence to Christ, for ne is not a being sim
ply Of the past Indeed, be himself says
II am with you always" and in our tex
he says, Behold stand at the door anC
knock"
1t is not the perplexities Of the worlC
which trouble Us so much, but the perpex
ites Of our own souls. If the soul wer,
right, all the perplexities would vanish
My friend, do you think yourself all right
Do you think yourself as good as you
friends think you2 Or, do you feel dis
satisfied with yourself2 If you do see you
own unworthiness, | am glad. Bette
think yourself worm than think yoursel
ct to sit on a throne in your own glory
: My friend, have picture Of you in IN
mind, which wish to describe.
e see you alone in your house at nigh
e The wind is bowling around your dwelling
It The rain is beating against the window
a The night is cold and you are trying
c make the fire burn, aud you meet with yer
n poor success. You have been living
1t good many years, and you have gatherC
a very much which you call treasure Bl
d this treasure does not make the fire burr
lie the frost creeps in, and even your heart
y getting cold. A tap at the door is hear
t You say, "Perhaps it is a neighbor, but
le vau ~ nUehtug nJI uie now. nnu YET,
ie spite of this thought, you open the do'
ID but you find no one there, and you rotu
e, to your house more lonely than ever.
e. But the tap is heard again, and you op
he the door with the same result as befo
v And still the tapping is heard aud tn
vel you remember there is another door to 70
er house 1t has not been used for years, a
rd the chest containing your treasures
d. haan nlaced aoainst II The thought con
,e oso" Pa sLe, ~ .t 10 an ;mnor,an, vi,
le ~ a,' '4aa .aon '1'1 araa ,Le olJ cbdst from
cd anu ~. % e,.aa va, a. an5 ,Soro s,anJs
Il a'''vss ~ So - rooonniza , ,,ou onI r,o
m IIo H U, ~nO," ~ ,a Is;,h son and bc - W
mt ing to take anything you may set bei
Ith him. You say to him. " Lord, | have
No i Nv w. S,taIi tnIi - - : tbino 49, ~ ~
m. ,OIG, o,s,L ''' a. har" boon na,bor;n, mn III
". .o,nsn. ~ An. ~ an or no ,,so ~ 10 ~ :,
Is .teasuies, .tls Wv 'r' a All ,Lo e-;,
a. my Nv NV ,I''ay ~, % aad ~ a;,h ron m
ok 5e's ~ o oo"a anS ' bo v,aro ,ho onI, Gr;e1ds
u ~ SUu ,a.id %0 a ~ mv % hearers % J r. this n;c,
.HV WIZ, 's' "a, f.;an5 M ~, r., :,