Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-05-03
BISHOP HALLS SERMONS.
Righteousness the Theme OH the
First Evening.

Three Great opposing Forces 90 Right
eousness--Other DISCOURSE.
Bishop Hall has spoken to audiences
that have filled the hall at each service of
the past week and his earnest words have
been a real force for righteousness the
theme of the series OF sermons. The great
power of these discourses has been their
practicabieness New light has been
thrown on the Bible truths by plain and
telling Illustrations and the sermons must
have aroused in many a desire for higher
and uobler living
Beside speaking each evening at the hall
the bishop has given a Scripture eXpos-
ton at ST. Michaels Episcopal church
each afternoon. the general subject being
the appearances of Christ after his resur-
rection; first, to individuals: second, to
groups and companies. These afternoon
services have been well attended.
The opening sermon was given on Fri
dav evening. the text being taken from
Matthew ", Is. blessed are they which
do hunger and thirst after righteousness,
for they shall be filled" This. the bishop
/ said is one of the eight great blessings
/ mentioned in this sermon in which Jesus
/ laid down the law for his people Right
/ eousness is the one thing the preacher
/ comes to preach, not in any sensational,
/ sentimental or emotional spirit. but with
/ the earnest desire that II may lead to some
/ thing higher 1t is hard, especially in
( New England. TO dlsaOuse mems minds of
I the idea that religion is either faucitul or
formal Common terms are wrongly de-
fined Conversion is a turning round
salvation is moral health; righteousness Is
rightness. to be right with self. neighbor
and God: to be right in thought, word and
deed. There is no gap between goodness
and religion. Real righteousness must iu-
clude the relation to God.
The idea OF hungerlng and thlrstlng
after righteousness was beautifully illus
trated by the vivid recital OF stories from
the gospels with telling applications to the
present times
righteousness being the general theme
of the week services. three great opposing
forces TO righteousness were taken as the
subjects of the sermons on Saturday, sun
day and Monday evenings
The devil or temptation, was the
theme Saturday evening the text being /
Peter w., s. "Be sober be yigiiant, because
your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion
walketh about. seeking whom ne may de-
your" The devil, the bishop said, is a
fallen arcnangel, a spiritual personality
rather than material. Any material con
ception whether of hideous mien or of
overpOwering splendOr was Tepudated.
The spiritual teachings respecting tempta-
ton were dwelt upon Temptation is alb
solutey necessary Tor any moral being
The sweet reasona0leness' OF the Christian
faith was discussed. God honors us 10y al
lowing us to love him.
The hall was filled Sunday evening
many being obliged to stand throughout
the service and hundreds going away be-
cause they could not GET into the hall
The bishop text was from ! John IT,.
Is, Ii; love not the world neither the
things that are IN the world; if any man
love the world. the love of the Father is not
in him. The bishop spoke OF the variety
OF meanings attached 10 the term 1.-THE
world" 1t cannot be set of arbitrarily
one cannot say this thing is OF the world
and that Is not. That which we love more
and take in preference to God is a thing OF
the world. 1t may be pleasure or wealth
or political honOrs. The story OF the fal
OF our trst parents was graphically told
as being true TO the nature OF man no,
only of the Hebrew, the Greek, or the
Roman. but of all men OF the 10Th century
The sermon Monday was from the text
. l Peter Il IL. dearly beloved, / beseeCl
you as strangers and pilgrims abstain iron
tieshly lusts which war against the soul
His theme was 'Ihe flesh" The speaker
referred TO the many temptations that CONT
through the weakness OF our phvsica
nature Because the Savior assumed
mortal body we should keep the body il
purity and chastity In fighting the lust
OF the flesh there are five helps. First
courage second. flight: third. resisting the
= beginning OF temptation; fourth. acting OF
. moral instincts: fifth, anticipating tempta
? ton 10y praCucng seli-deuIa. Almighty
God mas given you some sense OF shame
don't disregard it. The great motives 10
purity are the dignity of the body and tin
power of the incarnation. In the cours,
of his sermon lac addressed the King
Daughters. who were present IN q body
eXhorting them TO stand as models OF purit,
and chastity
The resurrection was the theme of Tues
day evening sermon. the account as givei
in the eleventh chapter OF john OF tb
81 raising Of Lazarus being the Scripture con
} sldered the text being John -. -. Is. ~
A sharp distinction was drawn between
] I things liIeiess and things dead. those Onll
2 / being dead which have once had life an,
j lost IL. In each degree of the asCendiu
scale of life. from the mineral with it
/ simple existence, through the plant wit.
its power OF growth, the animal with it
power OF growth and motion. the human
/ being, which adds to these the intellectual.
moral ana spiritual powers-in each scale
the Bishop said, the living up to the posi-
, / blllues OF that scale was all that was re
! QulreG; but a class that was content q
have attained the highest development o
the scale below IL is dead to the best thing
. and becomes offensive. SO IN the humai
being. though all noble and worthy thing
/ be cultivated, if the spiritual side OF th,
nature be not developed, that highest par
which holds all together and forms the UP
ward power OF gravitatlOn. so TO speak, tn
s man is dead, spiritually. And after dealt
% follows corruption. The part fellow being
nave III raising those who are dead to tru
life are taught in Christ commands TO tn
p Dystanuers to remove the stone so that h
might have access TO Lazarus, and to loOs
from the lettering grave clothes the maj
q whose life had been restored these lesson
being for Christian people TO remove iron
L. surrounding circumstances and from thei
p own lives those things which hinder tn
lie glver and the spiritually dead iron