Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-04-01

would be worthy of Il name and long re-
membrance must be willing to bear, if no.
cheertully, at least patiently, the adverse
Judgment of the unworthy and the abuse
OF the base at heart. They may ceast
their needless speech or their cold malice
when looking on ones grave, and pause to
consider, and then to acknowledge what
was noble, generous, even highly virtuous,
but this is hardly to be hoped for before
Ill. Nevertheless the good name is tc
be chiefly esteemed and heartily chosen.
1t is to be chosen for the good there is d0nt
IN the way Of obtaining II. Our life is
worthy only as we do good 1t is til,
most glorified by lis in proportion as We
do good. Mankind are made happier and
the world is advanced by every man effort
to do good. In the pursuit Of good name
there is constant seeking to do good
Ones best thoughts and best affections are
bent in this direction.
View is constantly had to what will be
right and useful Purposes and actions
are weighed with regard to their ultimate
issue in what is honest and of good report.
Therefore the pathway of one who is
worthily seeking Il good name is boz dered
and beautifed with what is good.
And there is Il dcliqhtM satisfaction in
this pursuit. To feel that ones conscience
is void Of intentional offense towards all
men is to have u most pleasurable feeling;
to be conscious of an Interchangeable choice
10 be true to the truth. and dutifu to duty,
is Il very blessed consciousness; to read
ones own history unstaincd hy passages al
immortality and cnbtllished with many
deeds of Righteousness, beth common anu
peculiar, Is reading Of unusual interest to
tle soul. And if. in addition. men show
H. some apprcciaIion of the good we do
and make to us some worthy acknowledge
mt Mt thereof, ls they are wont consider
ably to do, then is our happiness still more
enhanced: we taste the sweet rewards OF
virtue and are amply repaid for what we
suffer and perform.
At the same lime we may have gained
comfortable competence of this worlds
gOodS for he choice of good name does
not preclude the choice OF a fair uegree of
riches. \ good name may he obtained in
he way we pursue a lawful and lucrative
calling. My the calling must not absorb
thoughts, affections. time and efforts that
should be given To righteousness, and no
part of the pursuit should be in any man
ner unrightcouS. Neither should tie gains
thWart any impulses to generosity, but the
name. tcC uroid or sScupc mann dalqcrS
which lie in the track of the choice of great
riches. The god OF imunev-wcalth-h has a
host of corruptionS subject to his command
and if one i known OF reputcd To he a
Mammonite, that one is 4 fair object for
acquaintance with these corruptionS and
an easy dupc to their Establishments To
set ont confeSScdly in pursuit OF riches is
usually to hid farewell to a tirst-clasS
character. 1t is repeatedly proved in hu-
man experience, - lc cannot serve God
and mammon." TO forsake God entirely
is TO forSake all righteousness; to submit
to mammon completely i to dctmone
virtue from the heart. And the number
is not small whose inner temple of holiness
Is ruined by neglect and abuse in the mad
strife for riches. But what shall it profit
a man if he shall gain the whole world
and lose his own soul?
In the choice and consequent effort for
good name there is superior mpcuSdti0u
J0r the iab0r that is eTptuded. The choice
of riches is not a choice of case: but of
much sclf-devotion and hard struggling.
MOney-getting has its price. of intense
work and intense anxiety. The body
must be bent and often bruised and worn.
and the mind strained and sometimes
s"relS distracted, frequently it approaches
the verge of insanity. Sometimes il passes
over the verge, and then farewell to riches
they are worthless if they are attained
And in the most favorable circumstances.
wealth is uncertainty held. At the end of
life it must he LEFT to others and held in
their name. But better is the reward of Il
good name. One, in a sense. never loses
possession Of his name. II attaches TO
him forever. Pauls name is Paul'- now,
Luthcr's name is Luthcr's. John Howard'>
name is John Howard's. President Lin
coin 5 name is President Linroln'>. Charles
Summers name will be Charles Summers
to the end Of time But the money Of
Crnsus, and Peter the Great and stephen
Girard, and George Peabody belongs to
somebody else Much of it to unknown
names. The goodth that men do i pcrpctuated
in association with their names Their
names mentioned calls to mind the rood
they have done. History is bright with
their illustrious deeds. P0>teritv calls
them blessed, and points to their example
for imitation.
". Hence consider finally that the best
beginning of the choice of Il good name i
TO choose Christ Jesus, rs ones eNcmplar,
counselor and Saviour. Why? 10 study
his life. follow his prcCepts and seek the
assistance OF his grace, opens the most
direct and hopeful WAY to the name He
was declared by the people of his day no
knew him best to be II good man: and suc-
cteding generations have commended and
confirmed their Judgment. Ills enemies
almost without exception. rs we'll us his
tlitnUS, say he was g00d man even the
perfect man. 10 initiate him. therefore. is
10 NJ proach his perfection ana share in II
degree his name. His precepts require all
the courses OF conduct we have considered
as living at the foundation II Of Il good name.
and more like them. Ihcre Is no erccUency
Of tCOrd or deed Hut docs not tnter into the
composition Of q ChrjSttu11 chdracttr.
Christ commands sclf-denial in the in
tercsts Of humanity, even rs he practiced
it He enjoins a strong and perpetual
zeal for the principles of Righteousness even
unto death, if need he-eVen as he died
He calls for unwearicd diligence in we'll
doing in the way of ones duty even rs he
while on the cross, failed not to speak his
truth and proclaim his saving power. He
died seeking to save the lost He expects
nothing less than spotle>s integrity from
those who will fully obey his word. As
no guile found in his mouth. he wants
none to be found in the mouths of them
who learn of him. In all the excellent
purity of his walk and conversation, in all
the grandeur, peerless goodness and truth.
he says unto his disciples, " Follow me .
And with exceeding clearness and force
he lays upon his professed followers the
obligation of Il careful, kind and generous
demeanor towards all men, especially
towards the poor, whether in body or spirit
so; the lowly in circumstances, and the
sorrowing in soul. No mans words ever
exceeded the weight of his in this direction,
and no mans devotion ever surpassed his
in the same way. Many have copied his
philanthrophy with considerable and note
worthy success, but none have come fully
up to his divine standard. He still holds
up the supreme mark for human attain
ment And the nRLnutnne of CkciStinu