Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-01-05
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE
1t will pain the hearts Of mutitudes, to
learn that Mr.. Bliss and wife, the author Of
the inspiring Sunday School melody, "llold
the Fort" were on the fated train at the
Ashtabula disaster, aud have not been heard
from since. Mr.. Moody, with characteristic
decision and generosity, raised fund Of
10000, the Income Of which is to 60 to the
support of Mr.. Bliss two orphaned children.
We learn that Miss Fanny f. Townsley
and Miss Buck have concluded eleven days
meetings with the Congregational church in
Williamstown. Some sixty conversions are
reported, one a man over so years old. Says
one correspondent: Whatever opinion per.
son may entertain about female preachers
he cannot speak against these workers or
their work, to this people, without seeing
his judnmept Of truth less esteemed.
Prominent among the improvements going
on in Vergennes, is the new Baptist church.
which bids fair, when completed, to be the
handsomest ecclesiastical structure in the
city Pastor Hubbard has labored most in.
detatgably the past year to bring about the
results now happily reached. The walls,
including window and door mouldings, cor
nice, etc., are up, aud the roof is ready for
the slate. 1t is designed to have the base.
ment prepared for occupancy within few
weeks, and with the opening of Spring, to
complete the upper portions. The society
are joyous and hopeful, and, altogether,
Baptist interests appear Enthusiastically "look-
ing up" in 1.-THE oldest city IN Vermont
Free Press.
This is what Eugene Thayer says of
church music My conclusions are:
First: Have true church music or none
for choir, hymns, the hymn anthem, or full
hymn tune; for congregations, the choral or
hymn tunes of 4 similar character.
Second; Sing only such hymns as are
singable read the others or let them alone.
Third: Have true choirs, or give up
choirs altogether, and do your own singing.
Fourth Let organsts and singers, on
other days than Sunday, give free to the
people, all the good music they can ;, always
letting the people take generous share in
this musical service.
Fifth and lastly; Open your churches
freely to the people, and let music speak to
them, to comfort. cheer and strengthen them I;
and they will soon lore to come to church,
lore to join in alteration and praise aud
when they enter the house Of God, it shall
be as home to them, and they shall all see,
know AMI feel His loving presence and sweet
benediction.
The Baptist Church at Windsor are hay.
ing course of lectures to raise funds towards
paying the debt on their house of worship.
They will have the satisfaction Of the good
Of the lectures, whether they secure much
money or not. They have had generous
sum offered them provided they would raise
another specified amount. We wish them
success The church 10 Rutland is another,
burdened with debt, which they are trying
hard TO lift. If these hard times do nothing
else, we trust they will bring churches to
their senses about building beyond their
means. How much grace is there in a
church, building n house Of worship, in
expense three or four times beyond its abili.
ty, and then hope the Lord will help them
OUT? We know not, but surmise it is not
a very large amount, aud we are glad the his
tory Of the past does not argue much SUPER
town in the country has from one to twenty
churches burdened, crippled, and all but par
alyzed in this way. We suggest to country
churches the wisdom Of putting up some
such simple, but neat house, as the one on
Railroad Street in this place, to which Col
Fuller of Brattleboro, 50 generously gave
the needed aid Tor his brethren. Conventions
associations, aud domestic missionary organ
zations Of all kinds, have to be burdened on
account of these unwise building enterprises,
and the work which they might aud should
do in other directions will be hinderod
Sankey says every church should have O
large Christian choir trained from the Sab
bath school, and situated near the pulpit and
! minister, and that is where Mr.. Sankey il
just right. The church choir question will
never be settled till this is done by some
wise Christian man. whose only aim is tht
good of man aud the glory Of God.
Now the reason that Christ had these uni
versal connections was because he came b
assist men in reference to these conditions o
want that are universal. In him the perfec
constitution had organization. In feeling il
thinking, in suffering and gadness, in mourn
ing aud Joy, in every capacity which mel
have; in every condition in which men stan,
he was akin to them. From every bosom
sympathetic chord ran up into his, and h
) could, therefore sense the needs of ever
bosom. He sympathized with every phas
of humanity, because his humanity was pei
: feet enough in its sensitiveness to be intell
gent with every phase, As the atmOspher
Q takes in all movements Of the wind, 50 hi
s consciousness could accommodate the passag
of all human impulse and feel the agitatio
of every possible emotion. He was, more
over, universal in his connection as to tim
and duration. lie understood the dignity {
y being immortal. Ile could forecast th
!, growing sublimity of progressive existence
J, lie could bend with solieitude over the lit
germ, and watch it with his care, becaus
Q his eyes could see in vision the vastness q
a the trunk, and the majesty Of the branche
N which were destined to grow out Of it. II
IN was the only man that could see the end fro
10 the beginning the only man that could star