St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-11-07

are all singing Ill the bought CT the
Tree of Life.
Ny friends that are gone-1 have not
lost them. They are all safe in the
kingdom of Gods glory. And how
much better it is for them, how much
better it is for one and another whom
your memory will call up as You hear
these words, of those who have gone
out from our midst during the year
that is past, whose estate is in the
cloudless realm and who rejoice as the
angels CT God!-H. ". Beecher.
Two or Three Women to enc Man in
the Churches.
The victories of Christianity must be
largely gained in the hearts Of the
young. "Heaven lies about us in our
Infancy" The delicate suscertihilities
of the soul TO spiritual things soon be-
come hardened by the world and lose
their power, us the down is worn from
the peach by rude handling, the mind,
and the truths of salvation, become
dead to each other. The world must be
saved, if it is saved at all, before it is
twenty-one. After that age, as rule,
it is lost. 1t is proved by statistics that
the average age when criminals in our
country are first sentenced, is twenty
four. They have had an early educa
tioB in sin and error at the time when
impressions are easiest made, and it has
borne fruit in crime. They are lost be-
fore society wakes up 10 see their dan
ger and begins to tbink IF sowing the
words of life.
A great proportion of Christians be-
come such before they are tweDty-fOur.
1t is sore toll to attempt to lead souls
to Christ after this age, and the success
is small. The forces Of this world get
such 4 hold hefore that time that there is
little room fer the good seed. You may
labor and preach for years to lead the
father to accept Christ, and when he
makes the decision at last, it is like the
moving of Il mountain. But his son of
fifteen will come with him in confession
OF Christ with scarce an effort. We ago
niZe for the salvation of the mature por-
ton of our congregation, year after
year, and gain, now and then, one,
leaving the young to grow up without
Christ, and get likewise ensnared in the
bondage of worldliness and sin, when,
should we reverse the effort, and work
for the young, and leave the old as
practically beyond hope, we should
save vastly more souls with 1.-THE OF
the labor. We persist i'll working at
the greatest disadvantage. We leave
the young and tender plants to tougher
into thOrns and briars, and spend most
of our time on the autumn thistles which
only prick us for our pains.
If we turn to the church records we
find that the great religious denomina
tiOns of our land, Congregational, Pres
byterian, Baptist and Methodist, and so
on, have between two and three female
members 10 one male. Out of church
of one hundred and fifty, one hundred
aud over will be women. This is a sad
and alarming fact. 1t reveals the false
theory upon which churches are work
ing. They do not begin with the young
and expect them to be brought to Christ
and received into his fold. They wait,
with the idea that the boys and girls
cannot Ee converted and led into the
church, I'll. their golden opportunity is
past, and the boys have grown up and
gone out into the world and got under
its sway and beyond the reach Of both
parent and pastor. The boys have lost
this best time in their history to begin
the religious life, because those who
lead and teach them have been guided
by the wrong theory, that it was too
early Tor them to truly give their heal is
to Christ and take Ills VOWS upon them.
So the churches ale made up largely of
women. 1t is an unhappy detection on
the Christian guides who have brought
this sentiment about. Prodigious pow
or and effort are spent in converting
the men after they have come to be
thGrns, and who ought years ago in the
Christian home, to have been led ingo
the new life and come into the church,
while the young are still neglected, tn
be hardened ilio this same kind OF
thorn bearing. When converts are
gained from these ranks, they not only
are more difficult TO win, but to the end
OF their days are not, as Iule, so ac-
tive and efficient Christians. You can
make the most Of man in any line OF
effort, by beginning with him yOung.
The noble mothers of our land long
for a mission, and take up effectively
many things, but they have not taken
up, as they ough', the greatest work OF
bhC Cttiy SdlNdl Oh Iueli chill
dreu, training them to become members
OF the church of God, before the Young
men stay cut into the world and come
nnder its power. They have not been
clearly taught by the leaders in reii.
giOus thought and work that they
might. They have been warned agains
1t. If by prayer and fidelity in training
they have led Il son to accept Christ a:
his Saviour, they have been cautioned
not to bring him into the church fol-
fear he is slill kid and not lamb
and so they have that most trying o
all things on hand, Christian VIII,
cannot enter the church, aud be full
and out-aud-Out disciple, confirmed il
faith and confidence and service. Soon
OF course, such ones go back into an in
differ ence which is seldom overcome.
The Jewish mothers know how {,
make Jews. They seldom fail. The,
do it at an age so early that the son
and daughters are alike held, receivip,
from the beginning of their work all tn,
aids of their religious oIdinauces. TIL
Catholic mothers know how to max
Catholics, and they have all the help O
all the ordinances of the church. VIII,
should Protestant mothers have less
Why should they fall behind in tn
success of their methods, or reach few
er III number7 A Catholic was aske
why he stuck by his faith SO firmly
1.-The ould woman" he said, ''put it int