The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-01-20

Paul sou nded in the ears of his younger
brethren at Colosse when he exclaimed,
d" If We then be risen with Christ, seek
those things which are aboveP In
whatever way we apply these words,
whether as meaning a preparation for
heaven, or a coveting of heavenly treas
ures or an upward push in the Chris
tian life, they still breathe the same
spirit of aspiration. Jesus had deliv-
cred those brethren from the sepulchre
of sin. They had risen with Christ.
Now instead OF still lingering in the
atmosphere of the charnel house, the
great apostle eXhorts thtm TO cast
away their grave-clothes, and to live as
Christ's freemen and the heirs TO
magnificent inheritance. Look higher!
Live higher! These were the inspir-
ing calls of the veteran to his younger
felow-sodiers in the warfare for Christ.
He eXhorts them to " set their minds y
on the things that are above, and also
TO " seek them.
There was to be an inward longing,
and an outward living Chrstward.
Paul's bugle-call is needed in our times
to vast numbers of Gods people, who,
like Bunyan's man with his muck rake,
are grubbing away among the straws
and rubbish, without even lifting their
eyes towards the crown above their
heads. Tens of thousands, whose
names are on the rolls of our churches,
are barely alive. Instead of growing
they are only gasping. Their pulse is
feeble. Their joys are few; only an oc-
casiOnal sun-gleam in a watery sky.
Their assurance of hope is so scanly
that they can barely say" well, hope
that l am a Christian. | think that l
was converted several years ago, and
when l die l trust that l shall be
saved" There is no muscle in their
faith, no power in their prayers, no
ring in their voices, no force in their
daily example, no fruit of the Spirit.
In commercial phrase, their Christian
life does not pay expenses; they are
running behind every year.
Now what shall these hating,
doubling, crippled and almost useless
professors do? Shall they lie still just
where they are-with the desperate
hope that when death overtakes them
they will somehow scramble into
heaven? This is too tremendous a risk
to run. And even if by Gods grace
they are saved from hell they will have
a wretchedly poor and meager prepara-
ton for heaven. No crowns awaiting
them there! No sheaves; not more
than spear or two of grain. All this
style of existence is better than death !;
but it is not genuine living.
Every one of these cumberers of the
soil may become fruit bearer to-
morrow if he only will. Every back
slider may become a joyous, useful
servant of Christ at once if he will
only heed Paul's bugle-call, and awake
to the glorious possibilities before him.
What you need, my friend, is to get
your eyes open to your own lamentable
condition, and to see what you might
be if you will only quit your muck-rake,
and grasp the offered crown. Seek the
things abOvel That is the first thing.
1t is your privilege, your possibility and
your duty to reach the highest, hottest
and happiest life that divine grace can
impart to you. Just what happened to
the disciples when they sought and OBJ
tanned the power from on high" may
in no small measure be your expe-
rlence If you will seek a fresh baptism
of the Holy Spirit and make fresh
and full surrender of yourself to Christ
That will be a reconversion. What q
different man Peter is in the Acts OIL
the Apostles from the crude, inconstant
Peter in the book of John! No more
vain boastings and cowardly lies now
Peter on the Day of Pentecost is as SUI
perior to Peter in Pilates court yarC
as a stalwart man from a puny
stumbling child. He had risen with
Christ and into Christ. He had beer
baptized into a clearer illumination
and lifted into a close, vital and victo
rious union with his Lord 1t was
prodigious push that carried the sleeper
in Gethsemane and the coward in Pi
late's yard up to the heroic thundere
whose sermon converted three thou
sand souls.
Something similar to this in kind
though not in degree-has happened Il
thousands of Gods people. They hav,
awakened to their low condition, in
stead of quenching the Holy Spiri
they have come to Jesus on their knee
In honest confession, and have sough
new baptism. They have begun t.
clear out the sins that have monopo
lized most of the house-room in thei
hearts. They have sought reconver
sion, fresh quickening from on high
New light has burst in, new strengtl
has been impaired, new JOY has beef
kindled. They have flung off tn
grave-clothes and "put on Christ.
Now they can sing with Charles Yves
ley,
Thou, oh Christ, art all / want
More than all in thee find"
What different men and women the
are in prayer-meeting, in the Sunday
school, in the church; yes, and at hom
and in their places of business Wit
what new tongue do they pray an
with what new liberality do the
givel No longer gasping in the hos
pital, or skulking in the tent, they ar
out in the field with armor on, and vic
tory in their smashing blows.
This is the true higher life that is SO
before every one who is now lying i
Observation-Disclosures minimum