Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-05-04


profession in which you see only too |
often the bruised and bleeding travel |
ers who have fallen among the thieves |
on the Jericho road and who have not |
one strong legal friend to come to their |
rescue?
The noble lawyers greatest influence
should be traced in the spiritual realm.
1t is necessary for him to plead the
cause which will affect the individual
temporal destiny. Is 1t not much more
important for him to plead that cause
which will affect another's life not
only for time, but for eternity? Ey-
cry great lawyer is leader in the COM
munity In which he lives. If he wishes,
he may become leader in municipal
politics and statecraft-a leader in all
the reformatory movements. Shall he
not be a leader before the throne Of
grace?
Some people are foolish enough to
suppose that a lawyer demeans his
office when he champions the gospel,
Just as a minister nearly always de-
grades his spiritual office when he be-
comes embroiled in the bitternesses of
local politics. When Sir Thomas More
used to visit his old home on the Sab
bath day, he could always be found In
the Episcopalian chancel taking part
in the service as lay reader. A state
officer one day came to him and said:
"Sir Thomas, do you not think you are
casting a slur upon your official posi-
ton under the king? Ought the Eng
lish chancellor to perform the humble
duties of a lay reader?" YES" an
swered the great statesman, "a chan
cellor always serves his earthly king
better when he is truly serving the
King of kings" The lawyer who hon.
ors Christ above all is the lawyer who
will be the most faithful to his earthly
clients.
The noble Christian lawyer Is most
anxious to serve Alright his associates
in q spiritual and in a temporal sense.
Why? He knows that some day all
| the acts of his life shall be passed
| upon by the greatest of all supreme
| courts, the great judgment seat OF
| Christ lawyer is always more care
| full of a case if he thinks that case Is
going to be appealed to higher court.
| One misstatement in brief or the
| lack of the sworn testimony of wit
ness may mean the reversal Of the
lower courts decision. How much
more, then, should the fact be ever
present to him that he will one day
have to stand at the bar of God. The
true Christian lawyer is the man who
Is prayerfuIly careful of every word
and deed and act Of his life. All these
acts are to be recorded in the Book of
Life and read at the great ''assiZe of
heaven" Will you, my legal friend,
live and work with this one thought
before your mind? Live with the idea
that some day the Christ who once
stood as a defendant before PLATE is
the Christ, who as a judge will have
Plate as a defendant before him.
Remember the Great Assize.
Some young lawyers in the impul-
siveness of their youth do not stop to
consider this. One day a professor
said to a wild college lad, my boy,
what do you intend to make out of
life?' "Well," answered the boy, II
|
what then?' Then intend to enter
the law school and work hard and
make my mind a great repository OF
legal lore" what thenY "Oh, then
l shall throw myself, body, soul and
mind, into my work. l shall force my
self in the front ranks of the great
lawyers of my time. l shall be known
1 hope, as a man with eloquence and
power. My fees will be large; my cir
Gle of friends greater" What then?
why, then I shall turn my attention
to politics. | shall stand upon the ros
trum. Perhaps shall be able to plead
in the United States senate or sit a:
chief justice upon the supreme cour
bench" What then?' ''Then in my
: old age l shall retire from work.
shall have a country and city home
l shall be known as sage and live IL
quiet and ease" What then?' sail
the professor with the way you ar
living in sin shall your life never b.
brought into review and passed upol
by God?' Then the young man hun!
. his head, for he could say nothing. s.
today force this truth upon every on
: here present | will state not onl,
what the noble Christian lawyer be
j lieves, but also what we are all com
: PEELED to believe. Every act, ever
: deed, every hope and prayer and sin o
our earthly existence must some da
. be passed in review by the great as
SIZE So live that, with Christ as you
e Advocate, you can win the verdict o
;. everlasting life. --
l Young men about to enter the legs
profession. congratulate yOu-my col
{ CALCULATIONS because you are going
enter the profession of Judge John NJ
. Lean, the Christian; of Elder McDol
= gal, the late leader of the Cincinna
!. bar, the Christian; of Benjamin Harr
II son, who used to pass bread and wiz
at the holy communion; of Judge Nei