Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-09-27

A SERMON PREACHED DY REV. O. L. Stafford,
D, D SEPT. 6ru, 1873.


saving of their divine author: "IIeave
and Earth shall pass away, but my word
shall not pass away" They arc true fol
ever. They fit this age. as they did that i
which they were spoken.
They contain for US the answer t. a Gues
tion OF every thoughtful observer upon tn
signs Of the times.
What is the antidote, men ask, to the cor
ruption of the age? 1t is surely sisnif
cant fact that the problem that now th
nation studies, Is not how to build up, bu
rather how to prevent what is alread
builded from falling down. 1t is not hoy
to quicken life, but how to arrest decay
And you must observe that the putting @
the problem thus is not the work Of eyni
cal pulpit. that may be charged with mi
croscopic eye for evil and blind one fo
the good that does not just fit its imprac
tIcable dreams.
Ii is the work of thinking men and O
patriots throughout the land. The lectur
ers, the journalists, all men OF observation
and thought who hold dear the welfare o
mankind, confess and lament the corrup.
tion that prevails in public and private
lie. A chapter of crime in every daily
newspaper, murders followed BY suicides
fresh inventions in the endless art of steal
ing. adulteration OF every kind of merchan
disc. rObberies by icrce, by embezzlement
by forgery. by perversion of law. combina.
tons public and shameless to turn the laws
OF trade against the interests of trade, on
richlng tie few BY plunder Of the many,
conspirscies to give fictitious prices to
money and to merchandise, the existence oil
men whose sole business it is to raise or to
lower prices in utter disregard of values.
venal legislation and venal justice-what a
phrase. what a fact The existence Of
legislators and judges who arc paid attor-
neys Of the men to be enriched by their
i oihclal action, tho cOrruptiOns in political
1 life and in civil administratiOn-these are
the facts that force themselves upon the at
tentlon OF thinking men, and make the
| finding OF remedies the chic. problem Of the
age. Some read the future out of the past !;
they remember that in the rising and fall
ing OF other civilizations, integrity and in
dustry at the outset brought in time wealth,
then wealth brought luxury and vice ; and
then Gllowed decay. 1t is the same cir
cut, they say, which society is doomed per-
petually to repeat. And We, these prophets
tell US, are fastening to the end with the
greater speed for the mental activity of the
people. Others. looking simply at present
facts. declare that integrity and uprigb
ness have fled. They say ths: the fOunda-
tions of the republic are taken away, and
they see in the future only disaster. Some
who look at us from across the ocean, :,
charge that We are proving anew the in
herent weakness Of a Democratic gov
ernment, and they count it among the
tokens Of European folly that some states OF
Europe wish to Join us in the costly proof
Ii is not. as | said, the work of cynical
pupit.-this declaration of prevailing
wickedness and anticipation of rum. On
the contrary. the gospel of Christ gives
the only hopeful answer to the question
that men sre asking in their fear What
remedy is there?" The answer of the
gospel is this. "Christian character" And
here is the difference between those who
look into the future by the light Of the
Scriptures, and Others: All see alike the
corruption that exists and tho destruction
that threatens. But it is only the gospel
OF Christ that enables men to look hopefully
into the future IL is the distinction OF the
Christian pulpit that it can offer words OF
encouragement. The words of Christ IN
the text teach that Christian character is the
preserving power in society. Ii is to some
illustrations Of this that ask Your atten-
ton this morning.
Describe to yourselves Christian cbarac-
ter. think what it includes and what it tx-
cludes, take q few men who represent your
best ideal Of Christian character and des-
tribute them among the trades. put them
into the departments of government, let
Christian character rule in tho parlor and
in the bed chamber. let it be wOrthily rep
resented in all our various industries and
if you would follow out the result in your
thought, you would hardly need farther
illu-trstion of the fact stated in the text.
For what is Christina character? 1t is
a hrntpssIAn /. "A nre.H IA |
an organization like Il church. IL Is a real |
thing, aquality Of substantial anhood, |
and that the best
When one of our most noted preachers
said at banquet given in honor OF an en-
inent man of science, tha: the purpose of |
the gospel was to make a true manhood, he
said what nigh have thoroughly non-re-
ligious meaning thrust into it, hut what
was as true and devout sn utterance as a
man could make. Christian character il
just this the very best shape that manhood
can take. Ii l. tho manhood thst God
meant at the creation Ii Is the manhood
that Christ meant vi hen lie undertook re-
dcmpton. Suppose man whose charac-
ter is wholly Christian, what is there pc
cuhar to him? The foundation OF his life is
The fear and the lows OF God. Hi~ heart il
in pruioundcst sympathy with Him from
Thom all thought OF goodness Comes and
m whom goodness is perfect. ln the main
purpose OF his life he a Cody man, God
ike man and all things that he does
,artake Of the character of his controlling
pirlt lle il the earthly embodiment of
heavenly ideal, Gods likene,s in human
orm, good man sp, aking and ding good,
,ond only.
|. But io5 more particular illustration OF
he fact before US. Observe that Christian
pirit Is a mans best protection against the
plausible reasoniOgs ihst are current to
Justify wrong. The world Is not y-t 50 far
zone in compact with iniquIty that 1t IL in
ltferent to the name of virtue Everything
bat is not made positively criminal by the
tstute, has ITS apUlog lsi, and many things
hat are made criminal And II crimes them
elves are not justified the ,peeiJus reason
ny comes in to obetruct the administration
f justice. rhe very iuiluitits. The improv
methods oi mudera knavery that chiefly J
xcite alarm, have their speciuus apologies. ,,
few men, more reckless than others of
hings most sacred. introduce II corrupt
ustOm, then the muliitudS are snared by
peciOuI reasons TO tolerate, In support Gus ,
Im- that never could BOAR close scrutiny.
believe that the mas ui mca v hO are r
rlwn into corrupt practices, are not in
haracter quite a. bad ~ their practice.
ut they have very lnt'c character of their
wn. Others lead thea make their Gus
,ms iOr them. and show them how TO
sade tho restrictions OF horr>iy. A man /,
ho cannot. or dies, sc the tFuo nature :.
his own habits at iIit, whose notions Of +,
. ght and wrOLg are - uh>cura thst alm Jst :
lythng can be made tu seen right 10 n
i'm that has in II Il suro prospect Of gam, !,
eeds pity and blame together \ boiogged a
al tha. .,nhI.rrIaa
IN work on, is a calamity and Il sin This !,
the first and chief peril that every man .
intentions good in vague and general Ii
ay. ha, to meet. lie means right on the |,
hole, and if anything can be made to seem
ght and useful he Will not examine too il
osely, bat will presume that it is right, at W
ast right enough, especially il men of re- u
lite endorse it. r,
Now in cOntrac. with this first peril, the I"
st great protection that the thoroughly n
hristian nan enjoys Is clearnesS OF moral ~
ght The first question with him IL u
neither the thing is riC hit. and the stand
d of his Judgment Is what he reads ont OF m
DDS holiness and not out OF man : customs. hi
liz first que stiOn dwHris all others moth ri
= else claims attention until this l. settled. ci
10 claim of personal friendship l. second III
v. the prospect ut gain u not to be i'll II
stigated, while the question nf right re- oi
,ins unsettled lta man has his heart sct OF
gain, he will become skilled in the laws al
gain So il man has his heart set d'
.iply on the doing OF right, he will by cl
tural law become skilled in the know ct
lee of right and IN the application of its ia
les to the affairs OF Ito. Much more til
llled in this viii one be who solcIts and Je'
Is continually the guidance of the Divine
irlt. pr
Al have moro understanding. writes the sc
almist, than sll my teachers. for Thy p'
tlmonies are my meditation. understand III
re than tho ancicnts because | keep Thy II
'cepts." ~
The Christian conscience that is kept fresh 'n
4 vigorous by tho loye OF God, g,
= through the mask that iniquity n, ~
ars. Such conscience makes u"
'rt work with popular sophistry. 1t ,,r' G'
Gets false conclusion, even though II
V not refute the reasoning that supports 'i'
Il conclusion. The man of proude>t in-
ect, if that be his best guide, will not be