Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-01-14
Religious.
Unconscious Influence.

"The Bible calls the good mans life light,
and it is the nature of light to flow out sponta-
neously in all directions, and fill the world un-
consciously with its beams, So the Christian
shines, | would say, not so much because he
WILL as because he is luminous obj Jet. Not
that the active influence of Christians is made of
no account in the figure, but only that this sym
Dol Of light has its proPriety, in the fact that
their unconscious influence is the chief influence,
and has the precedence in its power over the
world And yet there are many who will be
ready to think light is a very tame and feeble
instrument, because it is noiseless An earth
quake, for example, is to them much more Vlg-
orous and effective agency. Hear how it comes
laundering through the solid foundation OF ma
ture! 1t rocks whole continent. The nobIest
works of man, cities, monuments and temples
are in moment leveed to the ground, or swal-
lowed down the opening CULTS of fire. Little
do they think that the light of every morning,
the soft and genial and silent light, is an agent
many times more powerful. But let the light of
the morning cease and return no more-let the
hour of morning come, and bring with 1t no
dawn-the outcries of horror stricken world
would fill the air, and make, as it were, the
darkness audible The beasts go wild and fran
tic at the loss of the sun. The vegetable
growths turn pale and die. A chill creeps on,
and frosty winds begin to howl across the freez-
ing earth. Colder and yet colder is the night.
The vital blood at length of all creatures, stops
CONCEALED Down goes the frost towards the
earth's centre. The heart of the sea is frozen;
nay, the earthquakes are themselves frozen IN,
under their fiery caverns The very globe ITSELF
too, and all the fellowpunes that have lost their
sun, are become mere balls Of ice swinging ST.
lent in the darkness. Such is the light which
revists us in the silence of the morning. II
makes no shock or scar 1t would not wake an
infant in his cradle. And yet it perpetually new
creates the world, rescuing it, each morning, as
prey from night and chaos. So the Christian
is light, even "the light of the world" and we
must not think that because he shines insenslbly
or silently, as mere luminous object, he Is
therefore poweress. The greatest powers are
ever those which lie back of the little stirs and
connections of nature; and verify believe, tina
the insensible influences of good men are much
more potent than what have called their voIun
tary or active, as the gre at silent powers of ma
ture are Of greater consequence than her little
disturbances and tumults,-Dr. BUSHNELL
1t is the bubling spring which flows gently, TIL
little rvulet which gldes through the meadow
and which runs along day and night by tn
farm house, that is useful, rather than the swo
len flood of the cataract. Niagara excites on
n wonder; and we stand amazed at the power an
u greatness of God there, as he "pours it from tn
hollow of his hand" But one Niagara is {
), nough for continent or world; while thu
u same world needs thousands and tens of thol
sands Of silver fountains and gentle flowing ri
&c uletS, that shall water every farm, and ever