Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-12-01
SERMON

REE. IL q. DE WITT d. d

NOV. A&ths IAA2.
IStcnosraphcally reported by 1. W. Goodner, an,
printed by rcquestl
o Lord, thy work in the midst Of the years
in the midst Of tho years make known; ia wrath re
member mercy. -Habakkuk, Ill., 2.
The tidal wave Of revival influence that ha,
swept over this and other lands has carried
CONSERVATION and confusion into the ranks OF
those opposed to vital piety, to the aggressiv,
work OF the gospel and to the orthodox faith
Just as the revival of tho sixteenth centur,
carried consternation aud confusion into the
ranks of the Romish church and into the heart
OF the devout Catholic. This opposition has
found vent in the most malignant and relent
less expressions of denunciation. Sometimes
they have said it was wildfire and delusion
sometimes the work of the devil; and al,rdy,
that 1t was hateful, and hurtful to the cause OF
God and the souls Of men. by these means
good people have been led to look upon these
seasons with suspicion and distrust, feeling
doubtful of their tendency and result. Doc
tors of divinity have not been wanting who
would cast their anathemas upon them and
indulge in coarse filings in their own pulpits
against the men and women who were irving
IN this way to establish the kingdom of the
Redcemer and secure the regeneration Of the
fallen race. This object seems to transcend
the conception of these detractors although
they are always ready to gather into their
churches all the converts given as the fruits
OF these reyyals. Bitterly they denounce
the bauk, whilo zoalously gathering up all
they can Of its issue. This might seem strange
did we not remember that on the day of Pen.
tecost, when the Spirit was given in tho visi-
BILE form OF cloyen tongues OF fire to rest up
on the heads Of the astonished people, and
when Gods voice, like q mighty wind, came
down from heaven, there were many unbe.
levers who scotfed and sneered, declaring
that these men were drunk with new wine.
Let us cast the mantle of charity over this
human weakness and want of consistency
hoping that opposition to a genuine revival
grows out Of a total misunderstanding of its
true nature, necessity and transcondcnt i'm
portance.
The history of the Church is history of
spiritual declensons and religious revivals
1t Is like the sacred waters of the Nile, evap.
Grating unseen into the air and drawn down
through the parched lips of the thirsty earth.
until 1t is only babbliug brook, with here
and there deeper pools where the fish are
congregated, painting for the coming floods.
Look cut upon the valley on either side. and
the land is parchod, shrivelcd and blighted
with drought there is not green thing on
the face of the earth. Men and women. birds
and beasts, move like spectres along the shore
Death seems brooding everywhere But soon
the SHOWS begin to melt from off the noun.
tains Of Central Africa. Noiselessly they run
down in little rivulets, until in one united tor
rent they spread out into the sovereign bed
of the river. The inhabitants now measure
the water, and it is to their ankles: anon it
Is to their knees, and then TO their loins
soon it fills the banks, and OVERLOOKING, car
res watery sceptrc and scatters life and
sgfff ny. oil IL. 1
has it always been with the church of Christ;
so will it be to the end of time. Ancestral
man stands face to face with his Maker; he
cOmmunes with God AS man with man. The
pure balmy breozes kiss his lips and fan his
brow; fragrant flowers regale him with their
blessing ripping waters, singing birds and
happy bowers are all about him. Let us
leave him ere the crown has fallen from his
head or the glory of his nature departed.
Count fifteen centuries, and look again. Men
have multiplied until hundreds of thousands
people the earth. With this rapid increase Of
inhabitants has been a correspondingly rapid
increase in the iniquity of the people Only
one family is left who know and worship the
true God it is the family of Seth-"Sons of
God. little farther ON, and they see tho
daughters of men, fair of face and form
there are none like them" Bewitched bv
their beauty, they take them for wives these
children Of Cain-'da daughters of men," Now
sin has greatly increased; men are giants in
sin as well as in size. Everything corrupts it's
way on the face of the earth. Itrepents God
that he has made man, aud grieves Him at
heart. ministry of warning comes by the
voice of Noah then retributiye Justice smites
the race. Out of the flood comes the regene.
rated earth. A knowledge of the true God
and his worship is fully revived. Again let us
depart, leaving the dawn of tLis new crea-
tion.
Centuries pass swiftly by. Idolatrous ma
tions are seen all over the earth A single
nation, the posterity of one man, is the only
living witness that God has upon the earth
and its people are slaves, held in cruel bond
age by powerful idolatrous nation. A little
farther on and they break their fetters. walk
down through the Red sea as if by dry land,
and go upon the other bank to be led by the
visible presence of God in a pillar of fire by
night and pillar of cloud by day, in their
journey to fair land Of promise-a land of
water brooks, of wheat, and of corn and bar
ley, where bread is given without scarcity.
Here, again. the knowledge and worship Of
God is fully revived. Again let US depart
The dark cloud of idolatry sweeps again
over all the sky of the race. We have now
approached period within six hundred years
of the birth of the Compromised Messiah.
A starless midnight gloom has spread over
every land. The prophet cries out in the Bit
terness of his soul: so Lord, revive thy
work in the midst of the years in the midst
of the years make known in wrath remem-
ber mercy" On through few more centu-
ries, and the very noon of night is reached
the darkest period earth ever saw. Then we
have tho birth of John the Baptist-"the
voice of one crying in the wilderness, Pre-
pare ye the way of the Lord, make straight
His paths" The Messiah appears walks
among men; they hear Him speak as never
man spake; His miracles are SO obvious that
no mau can deny them and yet He is be-
trayed, forsaken by every friend, accused by
every enemy, and led to His death. He fore
told period near at hand when the Spirit
should be given in the pleuitude Of His pow
err and told His disciples to wait to pray, to
watch for His coming, On the dey OF Pente-
cost-the crowning period in the development
of the divine plan for the redemption of a
fallen race-the Spirit comes as the rushing
of a mighty wind, fills all the place where
they are sitting, and they arc filled with the
Holy Ghost, and begin to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gives them utterance.
Conviction is flashed homo to three thousand,
who cry out, "AIen and brethren, what shall
/ do to be saved" A few days later five
men become obedient to the faith,
and the revival spreads over all the known
earth. The early disciples, catching the torch
from the hand of the Redeemer, spread the
light of knowledge of the true God among
every nation in very brief period of time.
Let us now leave them amid the joy of this
new-found faith in God, and pass on.
Again the church sinks down into spiritual
apathy, formality and consequent inefiiciency.
The gold becomes dim the most fine gold is
changed. Again general apostacy spreads
like a pail Of night over all christendom.
Then comes another period of great awaken
ing, As a faithful description of this period,
let me quote the language of John Milton
who has so graphically set it before the
world; "When l call to mind at last, after
so many dark ages wherein the huge, over
train of error had almost swept all
the stars out of the armament of the Church.
how the bright and blissful reformation, by
divine power, struck through the black and
settled night of ignorance and anti Christian
tyranny, methinks sovereign and reyiving