St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-11-24


governors signature.
Work for Young Men-HOw the
Pastors Treated the Subject.
Sunday was young mems day in the
churches. OF the sermons the accom-
panying abstracts will give an idea.
The pastors of the Baptist and Free
Baptist churches, who wore expected
to preach sermons appropriate to the
day, were deferred from doing so on
account of absence from town and 9TH
er causes.
AT THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Rev. w. r. Laird spoke from Ps.
1919, (preferred translation }, "By
what means can young man cleanse
his way, so as to keep it according to
thy word ?" Tempted as we are, this
is with any of us a most difficult mat
ter. Considering the peculiar tempta-
lions to which young men are exposed
it is in their case, if possible, IA more
trying task. But what a glorious OPP
portunity young man has to have
such a character possible; and more
than that, to have God encourage him
to seek it, giving him directions as to
how he shall surely succeed. The
question now is: How can young
man make the Bible to have this influ-
ence in his life |. By studying the
Bible with the one purpose of obtain
ing from it his rule of conduct I; =. by
Obeying the Bible because of the one
mOtive-love to Jesus; 3. by making
such public professions of renewed
fidelity to Christ as will make perma-
nent every attainment.
AT THE SOUTH CHURCH.
Rev. E. T. Fairbanks took for his
illustrations Esau and Jacob, Gen. % {:
%, "And the boys grew: and Esau
was a cunning hunter, a man of the
field and Jacob was plain man liv-
ing in tents" Boys grow; a few fly
ing years and the sports of youth are
over. The boys have come up to be
young men; point in striking con-
trast with their former boyish life.
The world puts on new face to them.
They come to see the necessity of de-
cision in many things. Something must
be done. Some course of learning
must be marked out, some trade must
be shaping their character. All things
seem to come at once, and there is a
great pressure of decision. They must
learn to be strong of decision. Esau
and Jacob were unlike as boys, yet as
men they were far more striking III
contrast as to character. While Jacob
is at home contented with the quiet OF
| his fathers house, Esau is out i'll the
field or plains with his bow. AS they
first appear on the stage of life, Esau
has apparently the advantage. AL
though adventuresOme he was of III
| was SCliCiphFf hiN
was appreciative of the lesser blessings
after the greater had been transferred
to his elder brother. Esau in type OF
character is dangerous he was want
ing in stability of character. Man mus
have moral ballast to keep his equilib-
rum, so we can know where and how
| 70 find him, r = nl
that he be a good fellow and of kindly
feeling toward mankind. Character is
a matter of will, not of feeling. Viii
that controls feeling is character
Character, too, costs effort. 1t is OBJ
tanned through effort. Adam had NJ
character; when he was tempted h'
fell. Character might and would hav,
been obtained by the struggle. Mel
who rely upon this good feeling TOWARD
others are inclined to hold religion
lightly. They are dangerous friends
Religion restraints men, and without i
they drift away until beyond reach
Esau held Gods favor lightly. Speak
ing in the average, is it not true of IL
all that we hold Gods favor lightly
cheaply, in comparison with the wa.
we ought7 Gods favor was in tina
birthright, but Esau held it lightly
Esau was impulsive and despised God
of character. If we accept Gods favO
we have right to the birthright G
salvation; shall we despise it? jacob
: from his moral crookedness, rose up o
, his feet, and became a man of prayer
He searched diligently, eagerly, an
deeply into the depths of Gods love
: and God made a new man out of ia
: cob. Esau rejected his opportunit
and it never came again, and he trans
. mitted the loss of that opportunity t
t his race. Opportunities of youth new
e CT come again. The birthright we ma
, claim to-day may be lost by careless
q ness.
= AT THE NORTH CHURCH.
Rev. H. w. Jones spoke from tn
J., words of 1. John, =: IA: ~ have writ
!, ten unto you, young men, because y
d are strong, and the word of God abiC
S eth in you, and We have overcome til
:, evil one" This, the speaker said, wa
o an apparent reference to a former wri
d ing. 1t is also true of every tru
: Christian, who is strong in Christ, an
s who is thus enabled to battle wit
r wrong and overcome it. Youth is I'll
: period for achievements and il is I'll