Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-09-26

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with them. But when their souls lose their
eyes and their wings in this process Of world
accommodation. men begin to grovel and sink
into purely secular and earthly creatures. And
this is a process now only too plainly going
on.
The nineteenth century, and specially the
American representation Of it, knows that
something is wrong in our general life
wrong at the top as well as the bottom that
it is not ignorance, poverty, vice and crime
in the lower classes-the slums Of cities, the
frontiers of emigration, or Mt the mouths Of
our mines of coal and precious motals-but
in our schooled and socalized and cultured
class also. We tried for a while to think that
it was popular education that was going to
cure everything But education, IN the ab-
sence of moral training, is often found to be
Il curse, strengthening the power of mischief
and liberating new faculties 10 become the
tools Of sordid or diabolical passions. We are
now largely trying the influence Of aesthetic
culture, and make much Of pictures and mu-
sic and pottery, to which our youth give an
ever-increasing and much-adnired attention.
iNA MI Nut " AAllf II ~ fNlN'ul llNl II II hbl
reading and writing and arithmetic. nor draw
ing and coloring, nor music and soft manners
that can radically improve our condition.
What we suffer from is the decay of spiritual
life-of the awe Of God and the brooding
sense of eternity, Of the inner and hidden
life, composed Of faith and love Mr. Car
lyle has immortalized himself by his life
ness that has reduced England TO the vulgar
ity Of her recent disgraceful wars and treaties
aud imperial ambitions Mr. Emerson has
won his deathless crown 10y maintaining the
authority of spiritual substances against the
tyranny of debasing shows and shams But
both these great and spiritual men have EN-
phasized the individual soul at the expense OF
the common life incarnatcd in institutions
They have ignored the church and made
light Of the faith, which except for phenom-
cnal persons must be drawn from common
stock and instituted and cultivated by steady
aud public methods. There must be public
faith, embodied in a collective religious life
from which average men and women and
children can draw sustcnance, lean on for
hHIl'olt' anu ItllEHA lhtT Npllhtltli''n anu
the flame Of their devotion, blown upon, a.
they constantly are by the gusts Of the
worlds four winds
There never was Il period in our history
when religious institutions were suffering
more from neglect, or from a low view Of
their importance Empty and closed church
es are common. Many other churches are
r.
considerations Of cheupness. Thousands Of
people find their libraries and their newspa-
per- more attractive than the sanctunries on
the Lords day. The churches that are filled
ara too apt 10 he those where fashion or en-
tertaiumoui are more certainly found than
instruction or worship. But every day teach
Is as whittier -elf-eNhibition, the love Of pow
or and notoriety IN the so.callcd religious world
leads those who mistake their own glory for
the kingdom OF God. and nothing can be
more instructive and warning to congrega-
tious and ministers than the scandals, crimes
and ruin that have gathered about the eccen-
trio and gifted idols Of the pulpit in our gen
Grafton. The pulpit alas to renew its power
and influence, needs mainly genuine faith in
carnate in it's disciples that can teach com
municate and foster religion in others and
now-a-days the pulpit is too ant to seek lis
influence bv Il competition with literature
and platforms. where il is inevitably dis.
tanced and outshone. But piety, faith, god
illness of heart and life and tongue. are al
ways rare. precious and influential: and there
is nothing in which communities so much
need leadership, inspiration and example rs
in these. Before a more living and genuine
faith all pretension to better or more evan
geHeal doctrines gives way. The minister
who has most Of Gods spirit and power in
him must win the reverence Of his associates.
Men are religious in nature. whatever they
be in character. They need God rs they
need nothing else. He who will show them
God or make his reality felt amono tbcrp Is
priceless, benefactor. He who will make
Christ living Saviour by reproducing his
image and suirit in his own life and nourinp