Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-12-28

and the needed reiisf from tbe mopotonv and
burden of life's ordinary cares. or probibitiop
and its enforcement will be simnIv dammine tho
stream temporari,v which will at ,ast breah over
mr. break down tho barriers and snread nav d.
struction in its coprse Thu church has tried tn
mako man s;n,ess Tbere Ia n ;ober aim for her
to secure for man n generous full and harmo.
nious develonmant Tho mn, ,ybo 90 pever does
ANYTHING wrong" NAV be merelv n neoatjon. n
oipber. after all.--meager sbr,ve,ed and worth.
less. We wan, man and woman who sbal, be
broad.minded. of wide experience and sympathies,
vigorous positive forces for good in the world.
Let the church unbeatatipoIv and with n good
conscience assert her rghtful authority over this
broader domain, then, and not leave the field Of
amusements to the mercenary and the immoral
Doubtless In acting in sphere in which she is
comparatively inexperienced she will make mis-
takes and fall short of her ideals but let her per-
sist and the results will be more and more salts
factory But while we maintain thai merriment
and Christianity are not antagonists let us also
remember that life is not holiday. II Jesus was
not an ascetc, neither was he triner, Willing
away his hours in vain pleasures, and multiplying
devices Ito kill time" III he was opposed to the
precisonists he was equally opposed to the profit
gates And let us recognize the magnanmity
with which the men of contrasting Methods
Jesus and his forerunner, testified their appre-
citation OF each other. Each acknowledged the
value OF the others work; and, with a touching
harmony both united in the conviction that he
stood highest, and would most increase in power
and sway through the ages, who calmly braved
all misconceptions with the words "The Son OF
Man came eating and drinking :" "A Sunday
school Christmas service was held In the vestry in
the evening. at which an admirable selection of
rectations and readings appropriate to the season
was given, and number of hymns and carols
were sung.
To ruv n ,pr,s,r Cu,rycu Thu sphiect of tho
sermon Mt the Baptist church was "God'e Gift"
John ~: 16. Gle gave His only beeotten Son Z"
The discourse began with the statement that the
morning and the day was the beginning of the
off season. time Of low and good wishes. of
planning happy surprises for friends near and
absent The nastor's morning creating was the
message of the angel 70 the shepherds on the
NIGHT Of .Jesus' birth. BEHOLD bring Won good
tidinps Of great iov. which shall be to all tn @
neonle But this Christmas ia a dav of double
low. for upop it coincide the celebration of the
birth Of Jesus bringing the promise of salvation.
and nj tho resurrection Of .Jesus from the grave
into which he had been crushed BY the world s
sin This coincidence suggests the caution that
Christmas il in no wise to be compared with the
Lords dav in Importance The inspred writer's
no xvhere emnhasize the birth of Christ The bur-
den Of the apostolic preachiug was Christ cru
| Gifted " and the Resurrection" The transcen-
| dent theme of the chanted praises of the snless
angels and of the redeemed in heaven. as John
heard it and gave II to us in the Revelation is not
the birth of Christ but the Lamb that was slain
| and has redeemed us with his blood" The res
direction is fixed by the Scriptures on the first
dav of the week But the day or week or month
or year of Iesus' birth no one can tell. God made
known the dav that Christ arose Int concealed
the dav of his birth. A second caution il against
making Christmas n season of thouphtless sci
| oho,do, 20 mara marry making and nleasure
| ,horoh !, sborld navar ha regardad as in any
| sorsa sacrad dav or n cbnrch dav or n religious
festiva, having no sanctions based mon the Word
~ Goa and With scarce,v even a Christian origin
rot I, hoars tho mama of Christ and sbould he
| oo,ohrotod in bornory with tho life and purnose
~ him vvbosa mama II beara The family and tn,
avail soo;,l c;rco oro tho hos, r,aces for the cole
hrat;or ~ Christmas II indeed there mnst he .
U
With offs from both old and voung for som,
uor,hr oh;oc, ,oward which Christ gave bis toi
ana h;s no rathor than ohiec,.lesson he whic,
oh,,dror arc 70 he Taught tha, thew are IN be re
oa;,,or,,,,, pou,hoIora Iosrs h;r,sa1t said. {. 7
ia mora hiassed N o;va than IN receven 90,
,-ara ond CRIT, r.re and ,hoso who oooor, hin
40 saviour sbould seel, 10 be like him The mr.
rose NJ Jesu. in sneaking of Gods off was 10 in
drce tho ,earnad ru,er wbo couId not urder
stapd the birth of tbe Shirt because NJ his nm
belief and wopld not spbm;t IN tho birth n
water s;pnifving his entrance unon n life of obe
d;ence IN Christ and faith in bis atonpg death
tn give himself To God Faith arises not from
demonstration but from evidences and the rule
had already acknow,edged the div;pe author,t,
of tho w;tness. " Tbor art n teacber and from
codn 10 Nicodemrs cor,d NOT ba,ieyo tbo tas
t;mopv NJ him who alone had coma down from
heaven in sucb earthly matters as the new birth
and as the profession Of the change from the oil
life to the new by the public avowa of 1t by bar
tism, he could not understand the deeper mystel
les of the heavenly kingdom He had never III
derstood the significance of the "serpent LITE
up in the wilderness" He could not understan
Gods gift But the highest did give to the To-
and the base. He gave his greatest gift, his Sol
b; his only begotten He gave because Of his low
Q He loved the world, not the highest and pures
g To him there were no high nor low, but all wei
perishing and rebellious His love for the lo
/ was measured by the gift he gave. "God con
I mended his love to us in that while we wei
q yet sinners Christ died for u.s." He gave that
might save the perishing, who should believe O
his Son and accept him, and that he might b.
stow what Nicodemus sought, eternal life. 7
d give ourselves to God will be our highest gil
I and it will be in imitation of God who gave h
9 greatest gift, and OF Christ who gave himself 4
!, us. We should give from love, because he fir
loved us, and that we also might rescue and bril-
J. the knowledge of life to the perishing. . TT
o evening service was beautiful Sunday-scho
s exercise arranged by Mrs H. Nj. Fales and MI
J. w. Leland. 1t consisted of songs, hymns al
selections from the Scriptures rected, readin
IS and remarks, all grouped impressivey about Il
h central thought of Jesus birth
10 IN Cup,sr Curpcu ia peedless IN nav IN
e Cbrist chprcb Kant Christmas dav II did bo
,r ever and with n greater warmth and annron
N | ateness than aver The sorvicas consjsted
a manning nraver followed nv the bolv %,
l. munion which was received by A great numb,
a The music was elaborate we'll chosen and mil
rs ing. and conduced To endowment and deyotio
es The voices were "a follows. f. w Bancro
IS tenor IL c. Gleason. bass. Josie Roleau a