The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1895-05-10

got hold OF you that don't understand
/ heard you were down at those religious
meetings" But tho converted man
would not allow things to stand in that
way, and so the intldel said; well,
now, you can pay me the value of the
sheep, and 6 per cent interest from that
time to this, and shan't SAL anything
moro about 1t, Just go away from me. "
What was the matter with the two farm
ers? In che one case convicted con.
science leading him to honesty, and in
tho other case convicted conscience
warning against infidelity.
Converted Conscience.
Thomas Oliver WAS ono of John Yves.
lcy's preachers. Tho early part of his
life had been full of rccklessncas, and he
had made debts wherever he could bor-
row. He was converted to God, and
then he went forth to preach and pay
his debts. He had a small amount of
property left him, and Immediately set
out to pay his debts, and everybody
knew he was in earnest, and to consum
mate the last payment he had to sell his
horse and saddle and bride. That was
conscience. That is converted conscience
That is religion. Frank Tiebout, con-
vorted rumseller, had large amount Of
liquor on hand at the time Of his con-
version, and he put all the kegs and bar.
rels and demijohns in wagon ara took
them down in front of the old Church
where he had been converted and had
everything emptied into the street. That
is religion Why tho thousands of dol
lars sent every year to the United States
treasury at Washington as conscience
money!" Why, it simply means there
are postmasters and there arc attorneys
and there are officials who sometimes
retain that which does not belong to
them, and THE men are converted, or
under powerful pressure of conscience,
and make restitution. If all the moneys
out of which the state and the United
States treasures have been defrauded
should come back to their rightful ex-
chequers, there would be money enough
to pay all the state debts and all the
United States debt by day after tomor-
row.
Conversion amounts to nothing unless
the heart is converted, and the pocket
book is converted, and the cash drawer
is converted. and the ledger is convert
ed, and the fireproof safe is converted,
and the pigeonhole containing the CORE
spondence is converted, and his i'm
provement is noticed even by the canary
bird that sings in the parlor, and the cat
that ticks the platter after the meal, and
the dog that comes bounding from the
kennel to greet him. A man half CON
verified, or quarter converted, or thou
sandth part converted is not converted
at all. What will be the great book in
the day of Judgment? Conscience. Con-
science recalling misimproved opportu
mites Conscience recalling unforgiven
sins. Conscience bringing up all the
past. Alas, for this governor, Pontius
Plate! That night after the court had
adjourned, and the sanhedrists had gone
home, and nothing was heard outside
the room but the step Of the sentinel, /
see Pontius PLATE arise from his tapes
tried and sleepless couch and go to the
laver and begin to wash his hands, cry
ing. "Out, out, crimson spot! Tellest
thou to me, and to God, and to the
night, my crime? Is there no alkai to
remove these dreadful stains? Is there
no chemistry to dissolve this carnage?
Must to the day of my death carry the
blood of this innocent man ON my heart
and hand? Out, thou crimson spot p
The worst thing man can have is an
evil conscience, and the best thing a
man can have is what Paul calls good
conscience.
A sunlit Dispensation.
But is there no such thing as moral
publication? If man is q sinner once,
must he always be sinner, and an I'M
forgiven sinner? We have all had con-
science after us. Or do you tell me that
all the words of your life have been just
right, and all the thoughts of your heart
have been just right, and all the actions
of your life just right? Then you do not
know yourself, and I take the response
bility of saying you are a pharisee, you
are hypocrite, you are Pontius Pr
late, and do not know it. You commit
the very same sin that Plate commit
ted. You have crucifed the Lord Of
Glory. But if nine-t enths of this au-
dience are made up of thoughtful and
earnest people, then nine-tenths of this
audience are saying within themselves
is there no such thing as moral puri-
fication? Is there no laver in which the
soul may wash and be clean?" Yes, yes,
yes. Tell it in song, tell it in sermon,
tell it in prayer, tell it to the hcmi-
spheres. That is what David cried out
for when he said, "Wash me thoroughly
from my sin, and cleanse me from mine
iniquities +" And that is what, in anoth-
er place, he cried out for when he said,
"Wash me and / shall be whittier than
snow" Behold, the laver of the gospel,
filled with living fountains Did you
ever see the picture Of the laver in the
ancient tabernacle or in the ancient tenn
pie? The laver in the ancient tabernacle
was made out of the women's metallic
looking glasses 1t was a great basin,
standing on a beautiful pedestal, but
when the temple was built, then the
LAYER was an immense affair, called the
brazen sea, and, oh, how deep were the
floods there gathered! And there were
ten LAYERS besides-five at the right and
five at the left-and each laver had 30C
gallons of water. And the outside Of
these LAYERS was carved and chased with
palm trees SO delicately cut you could
almost see the leaves tremble, and lions
SO true to life that you could imagine
you saw the nostril throb, and the c!eru-
BIN with outspread wings. That mag.
nificent laver Of the old dispensation is Z
feeble type of the more glorious Ever q
our dlspensation-our srnlit dispcrsa
ton
Divine Mercy.
Here is the laver holding rivers Of SAL
walton, having for its pedestal the Roc}
of Ages. carved with the figure Ct uel
lion Ct Jrdlh's tribe, and having nah
branches for victory and wings srrges'
I've Of the SOILS fl ght towar, t.aa +