The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-01-07

p0rtunity, built upon the ancient foul
dation? What better work has tn
good old strong educational con
munity than thus TO equip the bel
2 daughters and sons of the state for
refined and useful life at home @
: abroad? l am confident that both thes
enterprises can succeed aud character
lze this community in time to come
There are absent sons of the town VIII
love their home and who have wealt
for noble ends. They and you her
with others can do as you will.
One of the serious needs of this plac
for sometime has been industrial pros
perity. A better day seems to be open
ing. To cherish the revival of manufac
turing industries will lay the founda
ton for greater usefulness In othe
things. All things must have basis o
secular enterprise
But all these are means to an end
We are thinking about Paul's words
"Be strong in the Lord and in the pow
er,of his might" Still, what have sale
has not been aside from this interest
but on the royal way to It. The Lore
is to be drawn in holy war. IL matter
very much of what stuff it was made
ana OF what temper it is, and what arm
wields it. There must be something
beside a good intention behind it. A
vigorous, disciplined hand must hold it
and vigilant trained brain guide it
Who shall be strong in the Lord2 II
makes great difference. A Paul, who
had sat at the feet of the learned? A
Peter, who knew men and practical life
and had grand strong nature2 A
John, gifted of God for philosophy as
for piety?
Do you know why the christianity OF
New England is 80 vital? Why does il
go into any pioneer settlement and
llnally become the formative power!
Other influences get there before it.
Usually pioneers are irreliginus, often
profane, reckless. Many of them are
infidel. The gambler keeps ahead with
the early wave of emigration. Why
do not these classes fix society after
their pattern?
For one reason, the New England
christianity is strong in intelligence.
IL is steadfast religion. 1t may come
in later, but sets itself down in place
to stay and to build the school house and
church after the pattern of the fathers.
Its religion is that of principle. BY the
time the log cabins give place to frame
houses, the old New England piety has
taken firm root and is bearing fruit.
The high school, the academy, the col
lege go up in the neighborhood and pre-
empt society for strong righteous life.
But these mental forces must have
direction and strength in the Lord.
This cannot be spared, whatever else
may be wanting. A highly cultivated
person is not necessarily useful. He
may do the greater harm for his equip
ment.
Even Paul said, "when | am weak
then am strong" When he felt his own
inadequacy for his work, was humble
and prayerful, and labored trusting in
the power of God, he was successful,
and then only. His sufficiency was OF
God. He said, in writing to the Corin-
thians: "And l was with you in weak
ness and in fear, and i'm much trembling.
And my speech and my preaching was
not with enticing words of mans wis
dom, but in demonstration of the spirit
and of power" When he exhorted the
Ephesians to be strong in the Lord and
in the power of His might, the armor
he would have them put on was spirit
ual one. The lOins were to be girt
about with truth, they were to have on
the breast plate OF righteousness their
feet were to be shod with the prepara-
ton OF the Gospel of peace; the shield
of faith they were to take, AND put on
the helmet Of salvation, and WELD the
sword of the spirit, which is the word
of God, praying always with all
prayer
My outlook for this community, that
you may be strong in the Lord, COM
mands the same needs and forces as sup
RENE. Abore all, amid all, fl ON genera
ton to generation, this com immunity must
continue to feel the regenerating iufuen-
ces of full Gospel and the spirit of God,
in order to be strong in the Lord. By
nothing short will it be secured to good
morals, and to strong work in the line
of Christ's might.
Nearly thirty years of acquaintance
in these respects, does not lead to an
comparison of the present
with the past, but the contrary. We
are accustomed to consider former days
better than these. In some respects
perhaps they were, here. There have
been strong, vigorous leaders of society
and of the church who have passed
away. But their works do follow
them. do not attempt to say whether
this day IS as strong in intellectual gifts
as that. But of this am positive, this
community as whole, is on higher
moral ground. Some strong men were
known to be irreligiOus and immoral.
Their influence in this was constructive
for evil. Death has interposed. For
one reason and another, the moral at
mosphere has been good deal renovat-
ed. Intemperance and impiety are un-
der ban. l know what speak, when
l say, that the wild days among the
young men when saw what was going
on behind the scenes, are not paralleled
now. The youth of our own families
are largely professedly religious. The
whole substance and texture of society
has seemed to take in a christian brac-
ing and coloring. There has been a
lifting of moral and spiritual standards
in private and social life.
| speak nothing but what any one,
who has had the same opportunity OF
observation can see. And the end
is not yet. There is quickening of
vital spiritual forces that need not be
stayed. can see as distinctly as day
that the way can be formed. There is a
christian intent that has not wrought
its best.
There is a philosophy of history, a
trend of the current, all underflow of
deep waters.
There is spiritual drift In commu-
mites. l have been in it here too long
and too vitality not to know whith er
the flow is. 1t certainly makes for
righteousness. The tendency for the
better in public improvements, in
highways and The like, is 10 more
positively for the better, than in spir-
ilual things. An intelligent citizen of
the state told me, but few days since,
that Middlebury has the best roads in
The state. l cannot say how that is.
But they are much better than they
were. 1t is not wise to measure our-
selves among ourselves in spiritual
things, but 1t may be we'll to note. at
such time as this, what is the drift OF
the current.
gave recently some statements con-