Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-02-01
Triumphant.

In early life he was accustomed to get in
toxicated, but protesting conversion he was
admitted to the church. Soon his old habit
overcame him, and the elders of the church
formally waited on him in reference to it.
He expressed great sorrow and made promise
of amendment, but he was suspended for a
time from the communion of the church.
Again and again was this repeated, each
time the subject expressing repentance, and
as often was he received again into the fold.
When about fifty years of age his children,
except the youngest son, being away from
home, he never spent any more money for
rum, and began to accumulate little prop
erty. He died at eighty-four years of age,
and though illiterate and uncultured, no
more devoted Christian was in that com
munity. He was in appearance and man.
ner patriarchal. When eighty-two years of
age he said TO his pastor, q won't be at
church next Sabbath. There will be COM
munion at X. (the place where he had first
united with the church) and | want to go
and lift up my head among my brethren
there once more" Shortly after this his
pastor went to another charge but it was
only a few miles away, and the old man,
thinking his end would come soon, went to
ask him if he would preach his funeral SER
mon when he died. He made every posi-
BILE preparation for his death and burial
He had good hope of eternal life through
Jesus Christ as his Saviour, and as TO the
disposal Of his body he made particular
preparations even to providing board upon
which to be I" laid out" His wife-the wife
of his youth--who had been with him
through all his falls and triumphs too, died
| about four years before him in the triumphs
of the Christian faith When his own time
| Of departure came, like Israel of old he
gathered up his feet into the bed and gave
| up the ghost" 1t was really as the minis
ter said at the funeral, "Not time of sad
ness but of triumph" l have been thus
particular in this relation for several
reasons az To encourage the eldership to
bear long with an offending brother Ex-
postulate, warn, persuade, but do not break
the bruised reed nor quench the smoking
| fax. You know not how strong the temp
tation is, nor how weak the will is to resist
| it. The grace of God does not give new
faculties it sanctifes the old, and does it
| by degrees. The Christian life is warfare
enemies without and enemies within, and
when they gain temporary advantage do
not Join with them and overcome the poor
soldier entirely. (2) To the tempted. Do
not give up or be discouraged because you
have fallen in the fight Remember Christ
is just as willing to receive you now as ever
He "will not break the bruised reed nor
quench the smoking flax" He knows ain,
iallibly whether you are truly penitent OF
not, and his blood cleanses from all sin -
all sin. (3) The grace of God is greatly
magnifed in such cases. A Paul, a Peter
and many another who meet some lion in
the way" are examples of this. But nc
matter what 1t is, the grace of God car
overcome, and make the weakest, as well a.
the strongest character, triumphant over sir
and Satan in every form.-Seiecied,