The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-07-30
Reliaiuus sMisrsllanw.
Kept from Falling.

Yesterday, when the veterans of the
Army of the Potomac marched through
our crowded streets, the empty sleeves
and wooden legs and tattered flags aroused
the heartiest huzzahs. Those were the
scars won in the service of liberty and
law. But when we encounter limping
backslider with his crippled character, we
look upon him with pity and with shame
those scars we're got in the service of the
devil. A face dis6gured by bursting
shell is face to be proud of; a face
bloated by the bottle is face to be
ashamed Of know of many sturdy
Christian whose poverty is badge OF
honor it was the price paid by conscience
for integrity. Other church members |
wot of who have wasted their substance
in wanton extravaganza or in wild specu-
lations; their poverty is a punishment
and disgrace. Failures are not always
falls. There have been numerous fail.
ures lately in the circles of business, but
no man has really fallen who has saved
his character. The most frequent source
of danger is trihing with conscience;
this invariably "goes before fall" No
professed Christian can indulge in any
practice, or take any step which conscience
condemns, without straining the very
fibre of character, and without provoking
God to let him tumble into the dust. A
healthy conscience always keeps a safe
margin between the pathway of conduct
and the precipice of temptation. The
moment that we venture to the danger
Gus edge in order to grasp some forbid
den flower or fruit, the eye grows dizzy
and we lose our balance; in that moment
we have really no claim on God to keep
us from falling-any more than David
had when he leaned over the precipice of
lust. That many venturesome Chris
tian who has discovered his danger and
cried unto God for help, has been rescued,
we do not doubt but it is equally true
of temptation lie multitudes of mangled
forms. Christ's sustaining, unfolding
power is Infinite but it is only secured
to US through faith" If that connec-
tion is cut, we are gone; and it is in cur
power to cut it. The same Peter who had
been upheld once from sinking in the
waves, afterwards detached himself from
Christ and instantly fell. The spirit of
boastful presumption, the reckless tam
pering with sin, and every willful disobe-
dience of Christ's commandments, forfeit
the protection of divine grace. There
are paths and practices and pursuits in
which the protecting arm of God is no
more assured to US than it would be in the
rapids of Niagara. How can church
member expect his Master to preserve
him from drunkenness while he is tam
pering with his decanter? How can he
expect to be saved from reproach or ruin
while he il using trust.fuuds for his own
benefit, or is rsking his good name on
the gambling.table of reckless speculation?
How can any of our Christian daughters
keep the heart pure while peopling it with
unclean images from licentious litera-
ture, or an impure stage? So on through
the whole category of sin. Grace never
suspends law-never nullifies law. The
Christian who asks God to keep him from
falling, must also keep his own heart with
all diligence, and keep himself in the love
OF Christ, and keep conscience void OF
offense. When we have done our best
and utmost, we have been dependent on
the divine help for that very doing With.
out the indwelling grace and without the
EMBEDDING arm not one Of US would be
safe for moment; without that, whole
church-even with Westminster Con-
fession in its hands-might slide away
from the sacramental table into apostacy
and perdition. Here in this world none
of us are "blameless %; but when the
pierced hand has brought us into the
presence of his glory, he will "present ui
faultless." The cleansing blood will ther
leave US without blemish. Acquitted fol
the past through Jesus and perfected fol
the future With united breath we shall
ascribe all our conquests to the Lamb
and one of the joyful surprises of HEAVIER
will be to look back and see how Close
we often came to dizzy dangers and dis
graceful discomftures, and were onl,
held back by the unseen hand We shall
then adore the grace that kept US from
falling ten thousand times over. Pau
will wonder at the grace that made sucl
saint out of such sinner. John Calvin
and John Wesley will join in singing
"None but Christ" There will be n
discords in that grateful halleluja h.burs
of praise" Now unto him who kept u
from falling, aud has presented us with
out blemish before the presence of hi
glory, to the only wise God, our Savior, b
the majesty, the glory, dominion an
power, both now and forevermore J.
Rev. Theodore L. Cuyler.