The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-19
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
Sermon by the Rev. c. B. Hubert, President
of Middlebury College.


In the absence of Rev. Mr.. johnson, the
Rev. G. b. Hubert, president of Middlebury
college, occupied the pulpit of the Congre-
gational church Sunday. His sermon was
of a political character and admirably suit
ed to the need of to-day. He disclosed
fearlessly and strongly the defects of Amer
lean civilization, and pointed out the rem
edy. The following is a brief abstract.
The text was Eccesiastes, tx, IA, 10 and
16:-
There was little city, and few men within
It and there came great king against IL, and
besleged IT, and built great bulwarks against
Now, there was found in It poor wise man,
and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet
no man remembered that same poor man.
Then, said l, wisdom is better than strength
nevertheless the poor mans wisdom is de-
splsed, and his words are not heard.
The description in the text is supposed
by some to have been historic. But there
is better reason to suppose that Solomon
wrote it as parable, and that it is designed,
like the parallels of our Lord, to show the
superiority of spiritual wisdom over ma
terial power.
If the Lord should send US, to-day, a
message by host of angels in the words
of the text, we should be overwhelmed
with their power and the application to our
nation. As a nation we believe-or live as
if we believed-that the chief end of man is
to accumulate wealth. We place material
prosperity above spiritual wisdom or intel
lectual power. This has been n common
trait of human nature in all time. The
tendency of it has always been to drift into
idolatry, materialism, and sensuousness in
word, into paganism. But in all time
there has never been such theatre for the
display of this tendency as our country.
We glory in our great extent and material
prosperity, and point proudly to them as
the elixir of national life.
With the growth in this direction there
has not been corresponding growth in
virtue and character. We are descended
from the puritans, but the puritan princi-
pies have not been transmitted.
We have not been tried from without as
was the city mentioned in the text. Our
foes are within our national households our
peril is self-originated. Our first great evil
is our passion to amass wealth. The young
man sees the power of wealth and the nu-
merous advantages it opens to its possessor
and he abandons school and joins the
throng struggling to be rich. He cannot
| spend time over study; 1t will not pay
PAY. That is the verdict of father, mother
sister and brother. Put money in thy
purse is our daily song and the burden OF
our prayer. Our one absorbing passion i,
the love of money. Wealth is the Ameri
can nobility and the want of it a culpapl6
vulgarity. Our arithmetic contains one
table-federal money. Our standard mea
sure for all things-soul mind, body and
raiment alke-is the dollar and if there
be higher law with us it is the law OF
trade. Study is dry, thinking not 10 be
tolerated action is our motto and "busi-
ness" our life. He only lives who does
something, something tangible, palpable
spectacular What we do we do on paradei
| to make noise in the world is our voca.
| ton. Our eagerness to lose no advantage
keeps us on the run, and this spirit is moi
here and there, but is omnipresent in the
country.
This dedication of money would not be
so bad if it merely kept us in turmoil
| but it causes many other evils. 1t works
corruption; it exalts ''cheek" into fine
art Daily the papers are filled with &C
counts of attempts to get money without
earning it. The love of money is the roo
of these evils, and also, as believe, o
American intemperance. This heller skel
ter race exhausts our vitality and nervou
force; we regain them not by sleep-w
have no time for that-but by stimulants
This accounts for the enormous consump
ton of every kind of stimulant. Men be
GIN using them not far the love of then
but to gain strength they have no time Il
gain by sleep.
No one can observe widely without feel
ing that there are better ends to work 70
than those most of us pursue. The word
OF my text ought to be Numbered through
out the land as a warning to this people
| We can but believe, if we pause to think
| that the sin of the nation IL speaking to u
in the present continued financial deprvz
sion. TO Bible student 1t must seer
that God is seeking TO impress on us tn
lesson: "Wisdom is better than strength.
The country will be saved only by fallin
back on the wisdom of its wisest men
wherever found-even though they
poor men of thought and insphered i
truth these are our GROWING glory
Though multtudes, the majority of GU
people are absorbed in seeking wealth W
should not despair. The city of the tex
was saved by one wise man. We shout
note, however, that he did not save it
opposition to the will of the multitude
they sought him. If we refuse to seek OF
our wise men, we shall fall and expire 6
have the nations of history. If we desil
from the dedication of gold, II we encou
age young men not to take the rich man {
their ideal, our future is bright otherwii
our doom is sure.
In monarchies the education of the PEI
! pie is of small moment, butin governmei
where the people rule it is essential. TT
time was when greatness meant muscle
but to-day wisdom is strength. Thel
never was a great action not preceded /
I great thought The life of mankind hi
been often overturned by theorists ia the
closets. We need activities, but we nee
the motive power that lies unappreciatt
, behind them more.
The text enuncates the American theol
of government. Ignorance is the destru
ton of republic under it, law Civ
, place to chaos. No nation has ever
D manded 1.-THE Of the talent for its gui
: ance that ours does to-day. Look at OF
a situation-our complex population, our j
noranl masses, our dangerous extension
the elective franchise, cur great number
q religious sects, the great number with l
q religion, the assault that is today beiI
made on popular education-and tell me
it ia not time to awake. Do we not ne,
D wisdomp A survey of the state of the n
, ton shows the difficulties in our path; II '
l. would pass them safely we must seek he
from our wisest, truest, most thought
| men.