Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-10-23
A Honiely Grace.

One of the most distinguished preachers
of New England is the Rev. DIR. George
Leon Walker, a native of Pttsford YER
mont, and now a resident of Brattleboro.
The Springfield Republican of last Sunday
contains sermon of his on the sin of ly-
ing, so timely, just and striking that it ought
to be stereotyped and circulated broadcast
through the whole country. We verify be-
leve that it is for lack of such preaching as
this that the morality of so large a portion
of the church.eoing public has grown fabby
in the last twenty-five years. We judge that
DIR. Walker thinks so too, for he places at
the head of his sermon, Immediately before
the text, these words of the historian
Froude:
MANY hundred sermons have heard in
England many dissertation on the mysteries of
the faith, on apo>tOlical succession, ON bishops
and Justification, and the theory of good works
and the efficacy of the sacraments; but never,
during these thlty wonderful years, never one
that | cin rec Illevt on common honesty, or those
primitive commandments, thou shalt not lie, and
thou shalt not steal.
DR.. Walker, in introducing his subject,
says:
THE honest fact, my hearers, is just this
truthfnlness is one OF the rarest Of human vir-
ues Lying is one Of the commonest Of human
sins. There is no congregation of men and wo-
men on earth which does not contain many tn
whom the admonition against ialstv is not an
admunltiOn pertinent to the need. There Is not
religions assembly in which the august and
awful claims Of sincerity do not require some
times at least to be publicly enforced"
Would to God that other preachers would
sometimes follow the example of Dr. Walker
and, leaving their theological technicalties
out of sight for the moment, bring them
selves squarely down to the facts and needs
of daily life. There is altogether too much
talk about sin in general sense-too little
about sins.
And this reminds us of another New Eng.
land preacher, Rev. j. II. Merrill, of An
dover, a patriarch in the orthodox ministry,
who says:
81 have become persuaded that not few Of
our orthodox ministers do not put honesty fairly
up among the Christian graces. 1t is treated as
u form OF morality as distinguished from relig-
ion Probably might go farther and say that
too many OF MS do not ignore, indeed, but do
make too little OF all the sins against the second
table OF the law, as bitterness, wrath anger,
Clamor envy ings, eyil-speaking, hatred, malice
and too little OF all the opposite virtues included
in the comprehensive charity of the New les
lament
Mr.. Merrill does not remember to have
seen during the last thirty years any con-
siderable number of sermons which care
fully defined and enforced the duty of hon
esty or which held it up Gas distinct and
essential element in the charity without
which there is no religion" To his fellow
minister he pux these plain questions
Z" Have they lifted the doctrine and duty of
honesty out OF the realm Of the propretes and
moralities and put it-where il belongs--On the
high plane of religion? Have they yentured to
affirm, not only that a dishonest man is not u
Christian, not only that stlict honesty is one Of
the greatest and hardest too, of the Christian
duties, but also that the practice of 1t is of
II real piety2'