Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-10-20


IT is the evident duty of parents TO sec that
all filth and offensive doors are removed
from their premises, TO keep their children
properly fed and clothed, 10 save them from
needless exposure 10 damp air and the
damp ground-an to keep cheerful. We
should not advise our friends in adjoining
towns to take their children 10 any house,
hold afflicted with diphtheria, hero or else
where, but other than this we can conf
IDENTIFY assure them that they may now as
safely and as freely as ever visit Brattle-
boro as business or pleasure may dictate.
REV. DIR. WALKERS SERMON LAST SUNDAY
MORNING.
Rev. DR.. Walkers sermon last Sunday
morning at the Centre Congregational
church, was specially adapted to the pres
ent season of the year. The text was from
Isaiah lxiv;6-"We all do fade as a leaf"
DR.. Walker said:-
God speaks to man In many ways and in
"a varied language" lie is not confined
to one form of expression, nor arc the
words of God His most eloquent utterance.
No word is so convincing as is the simplest
decd or act, and in acts of grace aud of ma
ture is shown Gods usual way of teaching
men. His most furcible lessons are not
entrusted to perishabe language. "Ihe
heavens declare the glory o: God, and the
armament showeth his handiwork." Do
you ask proof of this power? He hangs
the world upon nothing. His holinessP
He has so fashioned the heart OF man that
it testfies to the truth of this attribute. His
mercy? Thiss best displayed not by words
of prophet OF priest; nor by sacrifice or
psalm; but by the manger Of Bethlehem,
the memorial table of our Lord, the living
sacrifice Of Calvary, aud by the opening
skies above the Mount of Ascension. These
furnish 10 us convincing arguments of
Gods attributes and perfection. 1t argues
both mental and moral insensibility not TO
see and recognize the proofs which God has
scattered through all His works,-proofs
both of His and our spiritual and moral
nature. / shall therefore take the poetic
pro pbesy of Isaiah as suited to the spirit
and circumstances of the present time, and
will briefly point out some OF the moral
analogies of the autumnal voices of the
| year.
The specta Gle now presented 10 us by ma
ture was designed TO be typo of our own
evanesceHt life as fraught with instruction
as with beauty. II suggests a beautiful
analogy TO The mild and serene frame of
| spirit which we love 10 see accompanying
old age. The passion of youth is subdued;
the ardent desires and ambitions OF man
hood vex and consume us no more. Their
abs ence favors the growth of charity, and
kindly feeling regarding men, and regard
| ng their necessities and their temptations.
| This beautiful spirit of brotherhood with
all seldom comes until old age has settled
upon life. \ kind of moral grace higher
in its developm ent than that exercised by
most of our race, beauties their closing
days like the royal tints of the "sere aud
yellow leaf" 1 have asked myself, why is
this special loveliness reserved for decay?
Why is it that age alone can light that
smile peculiar in its purity and peaceful
happiness7 And the answer returned is,
this smile symbolizes hope that life can
not bestow, nor decay make dim. By this
hope death is made the most beautiful
change possible, and quickened sense is
gained OF that glory which shall be reveal
ed in us. The aged Christian, ripened by
the discipline of years, falters not to ap-
proach the grave; his spirit never was 50
well apparelled before, though its temporal
vestments are soon TO rest in The damp de-
cay OF the tomb. The spirit was never so
well satisfied with earth, though so soon to
leave ii. Would that Christians would so
live that such experience would be more
common.
But whatever other resemblancos we
trace in the comparison of the text, we
must recognize that OF Immortality. The
scent Of decay new comes TO US from every
hand. The great mystery OF death, quench-
ing the equal mystery OF life, now encon-
passes the wide zone. There are several
things which prevent our feeling the force
of this analogy as we might otherwise do.
One reason why the mortality Of the sensi-
BILE world teaches us less sensibly than
might be is this We cannot escape the
changes of the outer world. They appeal
to each Of our senses. The mournful winds
sigh through The denuded branches, and
your ear catches their wailing requiem
The leaves swiftly falling or heaped along
your pathway arrest the eye by their mo-
ton or their brilliancy. 1t is otherwise
with mau,-the change is gradual. The
leaves drop from the great living tree OF
humanity daily, hourly. Fading, still
fading" they driit away silently and unno-
ticed by the busy world. Again the slmile
fails of full impres.iveness because of the
gradual approach of human decay. In ma
ture one week brings the change which be-
tokens the end. No such general sweep
marks the decay OF man. The sowing of
Gods acre is in every month of the round
year in every day of every month do men
die. Gray hairs steal upon us unk
The chisel of time is very delicate in its
touch, and one days work is seldom no.
ticed. Suppose there was a great DEATH
m onth Of the year; what awful solicitude
would gather round our hearts when the
time approached for The harvests of death.
o, Godl what cries of desolalion would
rise 10 Thy throne over the dead of year
How strangely would the survivors look
at each other TO see the added import of a
twelvemonlh TO their friends faces How
real TO each of us would be the words, tive
all do fade as leafP Yet The ravages of
mortality are not the less sure because un-
observed in the human tree of life. Every
m oment saps little of the strength, vigor
or beauty OF our life. Decay creeps slowly
through our blood with its daily subtle sub
traction. There is no calculable moment
when our turn will come; any day, any
moment may take us to "the bourne from
which no traveller returns" How unre.
garded our approach to the grave, had moi
nature enacted before us YEARLY the drama