The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-09-06
THE ELDERS SERMON,

II really wish, deacon, that you would
tell me W. hat your candid opinion Of our
minister is"
Deacon Brown looked meditatively at
the speaker-a small, wiz looking man
whose features were almost as sharp as
the sharp, black eyes fixed 80 inten.ly
upon him.
II don't know, Brother Quimby, as a
candid opinion of our minister would do
him any good"
II dare say not, responded Mr.. QuIm.
by darkly; but then 1t would do me a
great deal Of good to hear it,"
Il don't know as to that, either"
There's no one in the church whose
opinion | think more Of" continued Mr..
Quimby. Not that approve of giving
1t to every one, But you needn't be
be afraid OF saying just what you think
to me, deacon, for it wont 20 any fur.
ther and it might serve to clear up some
doubts that trouble me.r
what doubts ~
"Wrll, about various things. But you
hayen'I told me what your opinion is,
deacon"
IL have only one opinion of Elder
Wakeman and that is that he is mar
who tries to do his duty in all the relt,
tions OF lIfe."
This WAS evidently something that Mr.
Quimby neither expected nor desired tC
hear and he stared blankly at the speak
or: But, quickly recovering himself, he
said
"Ha think understand you. dea
con. What yon cay is very well put in
deed. have thought that he might be
little more willing to take advice; but
there is no question in my mind but that
he tries to do his duty, as you say. But
is he sound ~
perhaps not. Some ministers are al
sound"
The merry twinkle in the good dea-
cons eyes found no reflection in the
solemn visage opposite him.
"lt's no laughing matter, deacon" re-
sponded Mr.. Quimby, with rebukine
shake Of the head, II am surprised
that you should speak on 80 serious 8
subject with such unseeming levity.
referred to being sound in doctrine.
have been a good deal exercised in my
mind in regard to this ever since heard
his sermon on Justification which il
w JuHtihSdNAOu hb dll, 40 uuueIbbhuu
it, and as good old DIR. Seaver used to
lay 1t down. Dear old man l wonder
what he would say il he could come
back and hear the new-fangled ideas
that are taught from the pulpit where
he preached such good, old-fashioned
doctrines nigh on to twenty years."
''lf he is where think he is he does
not want to come back. only hope
that some things he used to preach about
are clearer to him now than he succeed.
ed in making them to me-"
"There is no merit in believing where
everything is made clear. There are
mysteries in faith, deacon. that nobody
has any right to try to understand. Now
Elder Wakeman is forever preaching
about what we ought TO do, as though
such poor, weak creatures as we can do
anything toward effecting our salvation.
AS for me, am free to own that don't
consider anything have done or am
doing Of the least account whatever"
"a man ought to know better than
any one else the quality Of his own
works, Brother Quimby, so l wont dis
pute you on that score. So far as 1 am
concerned feel that the Lord will have
quite enough TO do in effecting the work
you sllude 10 il help him all l can"
"Well, deacon, wish l could have
my mind cleared up in regard to Elder
Wakeman. What did you think OF his
sermon last Sabbath morning p
There's one thing might say about
il, II l thought II prudent thing to do.
We can't be too careful speaking, espec-
tally IL it's anything that's likely to af-
feet the character and usefulness Of a
man like Elder Wakeman."
Very true, deacon. But you needn't
be afraid Of my telling; I'm not one Of
the leaky sort. | knew as well as l