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

acter is carried on in our day with a zeal that
knows no abatement and an earnestness pos
itively all-absorbing. l stood upon the corner
OF a street in Western city and gazed upon
the people as they were running hither and
thlther IN business pursuits. There was an ex-
preston Of the eye, aglow ofthe cOuntenance,
| and quick nervous movement of the whole
being that told me they were pursuing their
special calling with the most bounding prog
ress. J. would not check them in their zeal ;
l could not if l would. We live in a fast age
an age when men annihilate distance, and
outstrip time in its fight. l would not tear
up the network of railroads that run through
the valleys Of Vermont; l would not tear
down the poles that hold the telegraph and
the telephone wire / would not ask you to
! go back to the numbering stage coach
would not ask you to send your message along
n cowpath by newsboy, when, in one in
stance, you may step on the train and fly
| along the way almost as swiftly as the eagle
! cuts the air in another, you can step into
! your Office and converse with your friend as
though he stood at your side, il matters little
how many miles may lie out between you.
Commodore Vanderbilt, a little before his
death, rode from Rochester, to Syracuse, a
| distance of about seventy miles, in from for
| ty-fve to fifty minutes the swiftest time on
record made by any railroad train. l think
it "as dangerous speed and yet l did not
dare to step down beside the track and seize
the iron horse by his bride, that l might
check him in his break neck gait. Had 1 done
SO | should have received shock that would
have thrown me in the DITCH or buried me in
the dust and before 1 could have recovered,
the Commodore's train would have been out
of my sight. Thus the world is moving The
church mustkeep pace with the rapid dadvance-
ment of other things or she will be left, neg
lected and forgotten. Dr. Porter says that
''it seems folly for the church to think of
capturing an army while she fails to keep in
sight of the army she would be glad to sub
due" Mr.. Spurgeon says that he stood by
the side Of the track whena long train, freight.
ed with human life, was ready to move out
The swift engine was linked to tho train, the
conductor was on the platform, the engineer
at his post. Everything seemed ready, and
yet they waited beyond their time for starting
He asked the fireman, "Why don't you go p
And he answered, "The engine isn't ready"
''Whnt is the matter, haven't you any water ?"
''Oh, yes! water enough, but it isn't DHing" !"
The church seems remarkably well provided
in all the exlernals good meeting houses,
good organs, good singing everything all
ready; and yet they fail to move out for the
conquest of the world to Christ. But one
reason can be given There is water enough,
bat it isn't boiling There needs to be a large
'AAN94SAA u hLN ANAlblOua ClCIlSul lnbJ uttu
the quickeniug power Of the Holy Spirit
they need pure and powerful revivals OF re-
ligion, as the only means that can enable the
church to accomplish her God-given work
1t is only in this way that the fire of piety
can be kept burning on the altar of the hu-
man heart. Without it the most fourishing
churches have run down and finally become
extinct. Near my own home is a church that
for nearly thirty years enjoyed the pastoral
a Il LII. & II
in Israel. During his life the spiritual life of
the church was most healthful and vigorous He
ledthem out into all religious activities revival
followed revival the church was increased
in number and strength until they were the
largest church in all that region of country.
No worthy cause came asking help at their
hand and was turned away empty. But this
pastor died; circumstances with them
changed, and they changed with their cir
cumstances One came to minister to them
who aimed high, who sought to cultivate
their aesthetic nature-their love for the beau
tiful-who led them out into the bewildering
passages of speculation. The spirit of piety
began to decline the. fire burned low dis
sensons entered the church they were di-
vided and scattered. To-day there is left less
than scors Of MEMBERS who are struggling
hard to maintain a mere visibility. Had they
continued as they began they would have
been, not only great power for good in their
own community, but a mighty agency for the |
conversion of earth's teeming millions to |
Christ 1 never yet have known a Baptist |
church that exercised an influence for good |
in their own community, and whose influence |
was felt in the denomination, which was not |
built up by revival work and the men who |
have been leaders in our Zion as eminent and |
successful pastors, have, nearly every soul of |
them, prayed with the prophets and apostles,
for reviyals, and participated in their glorious |
results. Among these stand the names of |
Doctors Richard Fuller-the finest pulpit |
orator in all the great South-Lansing Bur
rows, Getter, Boyce, j. w. N. Williams, |
William Il. Williams, Armitage. II. @. Fish, |
and host of Others whose names would fill |
a volume. These men have also recognized |
the need of special help, just as the farmer
who has prepared the soil, sown the seed,
aud waited for the harvest, finds, now that
the fields are white and ready for the sickle
that he needs extra help in order to gather
this golden harvest that is to crown the labor
of the husbandman, lest, if he fail to get extra
help, the harvest be wasted and much of it
go back to be buried and lost. They recog-
nize also the adaptation of means to the end,
and that not all who are eminently qualified
to prepare for the harvest are themselves the
best reapers but they are ready always to
secure the best means to reap and gather,
that he who sows and he who reaps may re-
joice together.
Again, we need revivals to bring men and
women who never hear the gospel under the
power of the saving truth. 1t is n remarka.
bic fact that when the Spirit was poured out
on the day of Pentecost the multitude came
together. Tue same results have followed the
Spirit from that day to this In every revival
you see multitude who are never inside the
sanctuary at any other time, faithfully attend
ing divine worship, and even as sinners to be
savingly affected with divine truth.
Again, We need reyivals to help those who
are standing about the door of the kingdom
of Christ, and who refuse to enter in, though
they come a long journey from the careless
preyerless, carnal state in which they had so
long been living. Revival seasons help this
class to get over the line, and the "almost
persuaded" in large numbers become the 'ful.
ly persuaded" and enter with joy the kingdom
of Christ.
Again. those whom we hope, in charity are
Christians, but who refuse to identify them
selves with the church of Christ like a yes
sci, which, after making long voyage over
the stormy seas, at last enters the harbor, but
fails TO cast anchor, and is driven hither and
thither by the rising and falling tide-are, in
such times brought to anchor within the
church.
In conclusion, let me ask you to Join with
the prophet, whose inwrought prayer cried
unto God six hundred years before the birth
Of Christ aud he seemed TO know that reyiyals
were the choicest blessings of God and furn-
ish to US the brightest hope left to a fallen
world and let our prayer 90 up; "Oh, Lord,
revive Thy work in my heart" Aud when once
the work is revived in our hearts il will spread
like a contagion to other hearts, and we will
become magnetizing leaders, drawing them
xuif ktba aorIg ~ nd Atuff he ID /
of love- that they may run after Christ.
While my fellow labOrer and myself were on
the other coast a severe storm swept over the
Rocky and Sierra Nevada mountains All
along the Central Pacific and Central Union
roads the poles were broken down and the
wires lay fallen and tangled upon the ground.
No intelligence could be received from the