Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-02-15
Che green an.


RY REV VI ' H. NNO-N'
To have tiycd in one of the great epochs
Of tb.,as, as that of C@,ar or Shakes
peare or oi he revolution oi our own
connuv or F,nnce, is n thought that no
doubt snmrtIme4 comes into the heart OF
many u reader OF his ory have nearn
some declare how gIad they would have
h ,en to see Jesus personally. thinking II
thev amid have met Him and listened L"
His cr,cion- words it would have been SO
much easier to bsl!eve They neeaeu
remember that glamour is thrown upon
such past euochs by the distance we are
removed from tnem and By the attributes
of mind that we unconsciously bring TO
onr corceution of them, after they are
] wroruht ont, As the minu W OF land
scape disappears the further we are re
moved from 1t, and only prominent points
n are to be discerned. 80 the condition and
surroundings of such ages are generally
lost SIGHT of, and we see only the God
man. in His unapproachable grandeur. Oh
Caesar or Washington or the volcanic
French revolution. Ages have been made
heroic in The past. mostly by an individual,
or I, least bv few, while the sansculot
tjsm of the masses was only too true.
N After all, we live in the true golden age
of all time. Every department Of human
activity is developed AS never before No
9sone nation dominates the world, suppress
inc many of the dearest principles OF hu.
man life and striving. 1t is the age OF the
people, becoming more and more so
through constitutional government free
dom of speech and press.
Changes, as s,upendous as those OF any
whols century before, have taken place
within the memory of middle aged per-
sons. Never before was information so
widespread.
This afternoon | sat down to Boston
morning newspaper that had como a
hundred and twenty miles, which was
printed ptst midnight, and this paper con
tame reliable news Of our state elections
the second day after they took place
though that news had 10 be gathered from
an area amoa the -izo of Europe; news
of the French affairs in Tunis. and the
m n,s,erial crisis ut PARIS; news of the
troub us of England wlh her obsteperous
A Irish. AMI Afghan reebooters; then there
3 new' from St. Petersburg, Berlin
Vienna Ro n, the Arctic search for thu
Je mn tta, be,i les the local news from
Washington and half Il dozen sovereign
states. rhink OF cit En of Rome, who
81 shuul hear hon all parts OF the va-'
N empire every morning what took place th'
day before.
This is the ago Of emancipation of thu
muAions OF our own slaves, and those o
all Other civilized nations; the age of Sa' 4
Panama and asprn-BEck Sea canals, I"
Atlantic c,brs, OF Pic tic railroads. "
ship railways, Of gigantic ieats of en-
glneerny and hum IN triumph over nature
rivllling the lirrcuIran lahors of the gols
Mr. dit the human race as such. evpI
before h sve the chances 1t now has for Ill
advancement.
Histories nave been written that charm
US. and give some information, it wouIC
seem, iu spite of themselves, of the develop
ment of The human family, but which ar
mostly made up of the reigns of dynas
& tie, tho campaigns of heroes, the domina
tion of some statesman, thinker or priest
B 1t histories Of this century, and reachini
into he last, have to tell Of the people
for such, instead of blinded king, nov
4 I'M the state.
NJ pras too, are rapidly growing better
II Things were tolerated in society centur
Il ago winch now would only need to
a guessed to be hoolcd out of existence
III finer sense of the true. good and beautifu
u marks this age. not only in our own coun
d try. hut among other Christian peoples
Society is not pure enough yet, bU
is 50 much better that all can take create
hope. Following our revolutionary period
for several decades, French intiIel opin
ions eXerted great influence in thi
country, but q healthy reaction has nue.
more than restored what was lost.
y In spite Of the claims of the foes {
# Christianity, also, that there is now upo
us and before us great moral interree
mum. facts go to show that there is Chris
tian activity never before equaled.
diminuive eddy here and there does nj
really affect great current. 1t is doubles
not as vigorous a revival season as som
past epochs Of wonderful converting actiy
81 iy, yet there are gains of membership
all the great denominations of our ow
land. and most pleasing advancemcl
made in other countries am )ng evangelics
churches. The Baptists alone last yea
claim gains OF more than sixty thousant
Looking, then, over the field in this az
the friend Of progress, Of truth, of hnmal
ity, has ground to rel ice. One had bette
live in this than any preceding aye. If n
gigantic figure spans the world Colossus
like, the millions were never so elevated
IF it is producing no Socrates or Shake
peare, it is a time when all read and tkir
for themselves, If it is not an age
Alex nder and Htpoleon, it is an age
comu rec, OF free institutions, OF engnee
ing teaIs, Of mat rial development, whe
Y the forces OF nature are made subservicl
q TO man; "n nGe OF free speech, frt
Il tho gnt, iree press principles which
along vita the Messiah, have been tt
"desire OF aI nations"
--------~----4--Saa-S---
Editor f IN ldel of the Washinqte