The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-08-26
jA!nral anh KrIipians.
THE KINDNESS OF GOD.
From the Independent.


ro,b;nc more central and essential to Just
system of religious doctrine, than the prac''-
raj conviction Of the infinite personal Kind
nces OF Cool Yet the sense Of this, it must
lc feared. is far more rare than it should be.
even among truly Christian persons. Some
times one awakrS TO it almost with start,
always with quckcning thrill of happiness.
as lie mctl:tates amid nature, or pondcrs the
Scriptures and the point at which he thus
perceivcs it, will afterwards be memorable to
him. The soul, on the instant. is serene
:, strong, and full of light. 1t sings to itself
and sings to God, in inar,iculate but real
hvmns of thanksgiving and praise" IT feels
1T the moment such swelling and irrepres>iblc
love TO its Author. it is so sensible OF hi> glory.
that it seems that nothing To come thereafter
can check or mar its perfect peace. II is IN
warly superior to the cxriten,ents of temp
tation. in the. beautiful cner"v of this PURE
passion. 1t can meet sorrow anl 'si>alloint-
mcnt-this is its thou1ht-wi'h the un'loubt
Ing confidence Of this newborn affection.
even welcoming the opportunity Of attesting
its fidelity to Him whom it 50 entirely loves.
And all the labor accomplished for him will
hold within it hereafter It's own reward II
will be always a sweet Office Of Love; and
never again a toilsome task. performed under
strong cOnstrant Of conscience.
This is the instan; thon.It Of the soul. to
which there has been revealed. hv an inner
illumination, the Kindness of God. How
trivial oiientimcs. may be the occasions
which this is made; vet how uniform and
constant are the results so produced iv it =
One watches an insect. creeping swiftly over
the rustic seat, while shadows from the shell
tering trees play back and forth over its
path and at once tie thought comes with
yiyiinesS silence and sudlcnncsS a of LIGHT
breaking ON. uron darkness How wonder
full is this What perfect colttrivance for the
happiness ofthiS creature What sIlcndor>
Of color. what lithcnc>>, grace. and huoyanc,
Of form, what evident bounding gaincs, and
pleasure filling the frame. a. the result Of
Coils plan. And vet this is hut one On
every one of these millions that fill the wood,
whose hrowsv :-nrmur ladies' the air an equal
care hath been expended And that same
Kindness. il!u>trious here. is equally real. and
is really as manifest to The penetrating eye.
on all the forms of life and motion 1t fills
the creation. 1t beams upon the sunshine
Its evidence ralpitatcs each glt'cring rip
pie of yon si!vcry bay. 1t is shown ever
freshly in our happy sensations. 1t is on orr
breath, in our life, at all moments. Oh
God, thou infinitely kind. thank and praise
thee
This is one mode. an Obvious one, in which
the impression of the bounl!ess and perfect
Kindness Of God may imprint itself on the
heart. so tie sense of it may come TO US as
We watch the animated movement Of child
hood; as We let the eve battle itself in the H!o-
rics of the sunset as We listen to the merry
Or passionate song of the bird who swings on
the bendin. tip Of the elastic lranrh. There
are mvriads Of facts and forms amid nature
each one Of which rs considered becomes a
separate glowing star-po:rt. Through which
shines the Glory that i: ever overhead. The
changing aspects Of the day. the light and
darkness. the sunshine and ,lc rain. clouds
breezes, Eocn-camne>S. twilight "'oamin". al
give snn-Iic,urcs % the Kindness that or,lain
Cd them: and all may th"s mediate 20 Us
new revelation: may br;..rn from within
till thew become to us an Evauycl.
And then. WHEN we open the PAGES OF tn
Scriptures, to read their iu>i ircd representa-
tons amid nature, tron villa. innUmcrab!
texts beams the same vivid meaning. w
have been accustomed to think Of God. pei
haps, as a Being of power chiefly. or of j"
tee and Of ma cstv. Ccrtainl, it has SCENE
10 us that the P>aln,i>tS and Prophets of Il
elder 'li<pcnsa:ion 50 chiefly conceived c
him, Blu. now, on a sudden. how full are a
the Scriptures seen to be of "lal'lcst tru
and exut,ion in lii kINpNf>- The Lon
is nierciul. and full of compassion slow
anger, and Of great mercy: tins seems,
the newlv-cnliu hicnrl ewes. to he a!nio-: Il
burden of the Old Testament revelations
And when we come to The New, and me-
God there as presented and inrarna'cd in Il
person of Jesus. the whole narrative, Il
whole portrai'urc becomes luminous wi
This spirit The bale in the nlanarr is h
locd with it. The youth in the temple >ho
il. no less than a supernatural wisdom. 7
eye, 1t the man who books u;!on .!c.u~:..'
are fearful with It's e,i,lcncc The voice
~, friend who makes he cottage so hcau;ii
and sacred to its aiic,toratc inmates hc5
the p1hOS ofthc tcndcrc>t scnsilility towar
others on all its liquid harmonious tones.
Through :hc whole life of Jesus shows t
Kindness Of Cod; not riicminatc or unl
eliminating Yet coru:> and perfect. \
IL the scenes Of his death it is conccntra.
t. an ciiu,gence before which the hart II
at,entivt,v considers it must melt into sy
,athy. or be turnc,bto ashes OF this il
mite Kindness God is shown to us tlrou
Jesus. And thus nature becomes more
:..:n0us than ever the Hebrew Scrirtn,
take clearer significance, as related to Il
perfect expression Of his character: as int
A. I, H. a. A.