St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-07-08
The Way of Salvation.

si-s. what must do to be saved? And they
I'D Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
thou shalt be saved Acts 16: 80, 81.
TSermon preached by Rev. E. M. Chap
man, at the Congregational Convention
at Burlington, June 81.
What was it that the Philippian gaoler
saw? Two plain men who had come
into his city to be of use there-not to
oct but to give. They had rebuked super
stitution. They had been hailed before
the magistrates by those to whom super
stition brought gain. They had been
pulawfully beaten, cast into prison and
set in the stocks. And behold They
faced the magistrates with quiet dignity;
thev bore their undeserved stripes with
natience; they lightened the long weari-
ness of the stocks with singing. But
more An earthquake came with all its
unnatural indictments to terror and in
this case with its sudden opportunity for
escape. But these strange men scarce
ceased their singing for it. The keeper
sprang in pale and trembling. expecting
to read his own death sentence in the
empty cells. Let behold again! The
men were where he left them. Their
bronzed cheeks, unblanched by fear,
glowed ruddy as ever in the Pickering
light, and their first words spoken in
Paul's steady voice were literally words
of life to him. 1t passed his experience
to find men thus able to fit themselves
into strange environment; thus adequate
to circumstance; thus calm, serene and,
as it were, at home, amid alarms. And
the man who felt lost cried out to the
men who seemed safe, "Sirs, what shall
do? Show me the way. Reveal to me
the secret" Help me to safety.
See now what Paul and Silas told him.
Believe" said they. "in the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved" This
was what was said. Upon the strength
of it tie man acted and found it true.
But the point of the whole story lies, not
so much in the fact that the gaoler found
immediate peace as in the tact that his
feet were set that night in way Of
peace, way of forgiveness, way OF
courage, way of efficient service,
way of adequacy to circumstance lin
brief, a way of salvation. The Thou
shalt" OF the apostles related not to the
episode of night but to the experience
OF eternity. 1t concerned what we call
his conversion, but it concerned as really
all the life into which conversion was to
introduce him.
1t is because OF this that / dare to speak
to you as company of Christian people
met in representative capacity in behalf
of the Christian churches of Vermont upon
this theme. / want to speak about
way OF salvation, not about a scheme of
salvation. Iwant to speak about lille not
about mere episode in life. And when
ever use this word salvation today beg
that you will understand me to refer to
a spiritual condition instead of spr-
itua incident.
What constitutes a saved life! In the
text, as interpreted through the gaoler's
eyes, it was clearly life that was equal
to all demands upon it and unscared by
all threats against it. The thing he
wanted was share in this amazing
adequacy to circumstance which he per-
ceived 10 the apostles. You know what
the saved and safe life is in the physical
realm. 1t is simply the life that has and
uses the ability to adapt itself to envi'
ronment. Here are two men, let us sup.
pose, one temperate, self-controlled, intel
ligent in the exercise Of every bodily func-
ton; the other, wastefuland careless OF
himself. The two may be exposed to
Indictment weather, and simultaneously
to the attack OF the germs of disease.
All the reserves of the first mans splen-
did physique are marshalled for the COM
bat. He meets his enemy, the storm,
half way, rejoicing in the struggle. max
ing it pay him tribute in Redeemed blood
and toughened fibre. So that when the
disease germ comes it finds no soil made
ready for its growing; it can get no hold
and fails of it's fell purpose. But the
other mans health, instead Of being
ready for Defence is open to conquest.
The trial that braced and invigorated
his fellow 'debilitates him and the citadel
of his life surrenders when summoned by
disease. 1t is simply question of adap-
taton to environment; adequacy to
circumstance in the interests of life, One
life is saved because it is equal to what
comes; because it can use it II in any wise
it be capable of use because it can refuse
and defeat it if it be hostile. The other
life is lost because it is nerveless and
incapable of making gain OF circum.
stance. One experience looks toward
higher and richer Developments more
abundant physical salvation; the other,
toward death.
The eternal life promised by Jesus is
strictly analogous. 1t was to begin here
and now in a virile, outreaching, adven-
turous grapple with circumstance, with
out hurry or fear or hampering anxiety.
There was to be Joy in it, and struggle
in it; there was to be giving of what
was good, and getting OF what was
better; there was to be purpose and con-
tinuity OF effort and eventual success.
Death was to come, of course, some day
(what men called death" that is), but
it was to come as part of the days work
and if rightly met, that last earthly day
might prove to be the best day OF all.
The great experience of salvation was.
however, to go on forever. The saved
man was to find himself in Christ's grace
and strength equal to circumstance
through all eternity.
Now ask you, has the Christian lite
of Vermont, as embodied in the churches
which we represent, the comfort anc
efficiency which saved life ought to have
Do we find anxious and sorry people
coming to the church and saying, "Yor
have something which we lack-some
thing that gives you peace and powel
and Joy amid the restlessness and impo
tence and sorrow of this world. Th'
world never seems to catch you una