The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-01-10
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Have you ever sat down alone By
yourself and candidly thought over the
matter Of what is to become Of you
after death II 90 have you formed
any DEFINITE OPINIONS about IL that you
are determined to act upon-opinions
that will stay by you and last you over
night
/ Probably you have not, except as
the subject has been brought before
you by some minister o. visiting com.
mittee Of the church. II 30 am afraid
you will fail to pass examination before
the great aud fnal judge. That we are
TO be Judged after death every man 3
own conscience - 10 say nothing Of
bible proot-teIIs him. And II you
will but stop TO think minute, it will
be obvious to you that such questions
as these will be forced home to you.
What are you worth : Do you
amount to anything Is there any
thing to you 7 How have you spent
the life so kindly given to you Did
you rRl7rER AWAY your time , How
did you spend your evenings your
mornings and your Sundays p Have
you paid your debts Did you GROW
any Was you soul any larger when
you came to die than it was when you
were born What did you CARE FOR
when you were down there upon the
earth things terrestrial or things celes-
tial (? Can you appreciate what is
good and beautiful Did you ever
gaze for five minutes at time at the
myriads OF stars overhead that you
have walked under all the days of your
life Was your gaze fixed UP or
DOWN. bid you ever really once
thank Me for the rain and the sunshine
that | have 80 freely bestowed upon
you 2"
l tell you, friends, it is not going far
out of the way to suppose that a lew
such questions as these will in some
way, shape, or manner come before US.
Aud you might as well be getting
ready TO have a proper answer Tor
them Begin now to be somebody.
Love the strait unvarsished truth. BE
plain, blunt, out spoken and square to
the mark. HATE ALL HYPocRIsY. Spurn
hypocrite far from you. Put your
mark upon him.
Go sincerely and earnestly to work
to improve your whole being Avoid
all "gush' or got up excitement. If
you are to be silly in anything let it be
in something besides religion Have
more respect for it. If there is church
near you and the occupant Of its pull
pit delivers anything worth the hearing
attend it. II he does not, stay at home
aud spend your Sundays in some use
full manner You can't afford to waste
them. II the officers Of that church
persist in hiring men whose only quail
ilication is Rev" refuse to contrib
ute TO his support. II is the only way
you can represent your interests or
bring a bigoted deacon to terms, or
force the ministry up 10 proper stand
points When they come to find that
dried up cant ID received at uinety-nine
per cent discount, it will be "a little
more scarce, and they will be little
more scarce who deliver it.
Above all else connect all thoughts
Of true religion with GOOD SENSE. II
you can't have a sensible religion, a re.
ligion that can get at FACTS, aud that,
too, without going around ten acre
lot, you bad better LET it alone entirely,
When deacon or a minister makes o
proposition TO you, don't accept 1t I'M
til you have consulted your own good
sense II you do, you will as surely
turn into a hypocrite as block Of
wood thrown into furnace will turn
into smoke aud ashes. Don't believe
a thing because someone else believes
Iit. II you DO you viii sometime find
cut the facts 10 your case, viz that
there is no bottom TO you. Have a
mind Of your own. il you pretend 70
have any mind al all II you don't,
frankly say so aud not attempt TO die
tate to those who do. Don't think that
by taking the result Of someone's else
investigation and effort you can dis
pease with all investigation aud effort
upon your own part.
How are you in The line Of keeping
peace in your neighborhood! When
you meet your neighbor what do you
talk about Are sou sorry or do you
secretly rejoice when some fresh food
ior scandal is dfopt 10 your vicinity
DO you devour II or do you take ii up
with gloyed hands aud bury il' De
you gossip abou. your neighbor, or tai.
z with the reputation Of bis wife OF
daughter
II you do, as cure as there is God
ia Heaven you will be damned for it.
even though you may belong 70 :
Christian church aud say forgive us
our trespasses every morning alter
breakfast.