Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-05-02

IiELPFULNEss OF CHRISTIANITY. -Piety
is expansion, 1t does not cramp and fetter
the nature. 1t enlargos and liberalizes it ;
shoo s it out in all mariner of activities.
and widens it with II thousand generous
impulses. A small mean man cannot
represent Christianity any more than II
thorn tree ctn represent II forest. The
Church is not II treadmill, as some seem
to regard it, where sad-featured men and
women toll and tramp continually between
set limits, longing to break loose and dash
out, but are unable. The religion of
Christ teaches Il man that it is better to
fly than to crawl, that virtue is sweeter
than vice; that restraint is nobler than IL
cense, and that man, we care not how
poor, weak and erring he may be, may by
the grace Of God, yet recover himself and
go to the grave with hope in him that
shall cause the portals of it to glow like
the Illuminated gateway of palace when
the king returns from battle, preceded by
news of II glorious victory.-Go.den Rae.
like, says DR.. Plummer, the story of the
old minister in Kentucky. Some one
rudely said TO him, You have been
preaching heroabouts for twenty wears,
and | have never heard of your convert
ing but one man." And who was thatP''
said the humble preacher. A man of fine
Christian character was named to him.
He modcslly said, q had not heard Of
that before. Blessed be God for so great
mercy. And now, by Divine help, here
is at it for twenty years more, and if God
shall save another soul, that will be two.
and either one of them will be worth
more than all this world"
The future is always fairyland to the
young. Life is like beautiful and wind
ing lane, on either side bright flowers. and
beautiful butterflies, and tempting fruits.
which we scarcely pause to admire and to
taste, so eager are we to hasten To nm
opening which we imagine will be moro
beautiful still. But by degrees, rs we nd.
vance, the trees grow bleak, the flowers
and butterflies tai,the fruits disappenr md
we find we have arrived to reach a desert
waste.
Many man drops nickel into the con.
tribution box, and then INDUCES in a feel.
ing of great complacency because he hac
done more for the church than the moor
widow who was commended for putting in
a" mite" But the scriptural point of The
story consists in what the woman kent Coy
herself, not what she gave. She kent o m.
ly mite" and gave all the rest Go
and do likewise, and there will be no mora mO
church debts. '''''
In all Buddhist temples tall and broad
leaved lily stands directly on the front Of
the altar. Its idea is as beautiful as ito IT,,
Workmanship. 1t represents that inst as
the pure white flower may grow out oftbs
mire and filth, and blossom into loneliness
SO may the heart of man raise itself above
the wickedness and corruption of tho
world unto state of spolless purity.
A religious body having resolved to
build a church, the pastor went about
begging very zealously, accepting not oUs
ly the widows but the child's mite. In
school one Sabbath, while instrnotin"
them, he compared himself to shenher{
and then inquired what the latter did win
his flock one bright eyed little fellow
promptly replied, HE shears them" ""