Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-04-04
Fast Day Service In Montpelier.

The union service of Fast Day was held at Trinity
church with good audience. Prayer by Rev. Mr.
| Glazier of the Baptist church Reading of Scrip
tHre selections from Isaiah lviii. Jonah Ill, Mat
| thew vi. 49, xvii: IA. by Rev. Mr.. Fulton of the
| Methodist church. The discourse was by Rev
NJ. d. Kneeland, from |. Kings xviii: II, 1s.
Mr.. Kneeland drew A portrait of Elijah. present.
ing him as the grandest and most romantic char
acter in the history Of Israel, and contrasting him
with Ahab. Elijah, in the strength Of his God,
boldly dared to dare all and conquered. lie took
| Ahab's question " Art thou he that troubleth
| Israeli and Eliiahs answer. 81 have not trou-
bled Israel. but thou and thy fathers house. in
| that We have forsaken the commandments OF the
| Lord and tbou hast folio,ced Baalim. as repre-
senting two opposite judgments in regard to the
cause of sin and sufferine-the Judgment of the
| world and the Judgment of the people of God-the
philosopby of ALI history and the truth of Rev
| citation. Ahab represents the first. and Elijah
| the last
Abab charges the famine and suffering of
Israel upon Elijah and his prayers; shifting it
from himself short.siuhted he holds Elijah re-
sponsible for IL Elijah charges II upon Ahab and
the idolatrv Of his family The first charge is
false and delusive The last IL true Sin il the
cause of the evil and suffering and death that il
| in the world These owls are Gods testimony
and Judgment AGAINST sin. Gods creatures are
the occasion and in this sense the cause of their
own ills
why did Jehovah send distress upon Israel?
It was because of the sins of Jereboam and Ahab
and ,Jezebel So national unriphteousness has
ever brought national distress and destruction
History teaches nothing more clearly than this
that the divine cnrse has ALWAYS fallen upon ma
tioual sins The sneaker illustrated this truth by
brief reference to Nineveh, Greece and Rome
which, notwithstanding many things praise
worthy, fell because they were lacking in essen
tial righteousness, and gave themselves up to
wckedness. Their sins were the thunderbolt
that smote them and blasted them. So the in
ternal foes Of the republic are those most danger
Gus to its life. Our fathers-patriots and great
men-Washington, Adams, Webster and Lincoln,
realized this and cried out against sin and cor
ruption Righteousness is tower of strength,
sin a breach in the walls of any government"
The speaker here paid a fine tribute to the virtue
and integrity OF Vermont ny compared with New
York drawing his illustrations from the pure air
and the beautiful and bold scenery in which the
Green Mountain State abounds But Vermont
has evils against which she must watch, and sins
to repent OF.
The principle that applies to nations, applies
also to families. The curse causeless does not
come in the family-it is entaied and breaks
out from time to time in disgrace, distress and
death, unto the third and fourth generations.
The church is under the same law. II the
church harbor evil and allow sin to hide in it, it
will work death Many a church has its Achan
or Jonah
Noris it less true with individuals than the
church and the state 1t is true everywhere
what man "sows that shall he also reap"
" The wages of sin il death" It is for sin then
individual sin-for the sins of the nation and
state are only the sins of Northumberland we are
to fast and pray for here only can we effect cure
Most Of the states have dropped the custom of
Fast Day. Vermont, to her honor still cngs to it.
And who knows but this recognition Of God, and
prostration before him, is the key to her pros
perity and virtue, and has been during her hun
dred Fast Days
The discourse closed with an appeal to each one
to humble himself before God, and thus be fitted
to cry out for the state and nation We must first