The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-06-09
Extracts from Beecher,s GLife
.er Thoughts,

Extracts from Beecher's GLife
M TsOughts.''
GoD designed men to grow as trees,
grow in open pastures, full-boughed al
around; but men in society grow like
trees in forests, tall and spindling, the
lower ones oyershadowed by the higher,
with only a little branching, and that at
the top. They borrow Of each other the
power to stand; and if the forest be
clrared, and one be left alone, the first
wind which comes uproots it.
Men plant prayers and cndeavors, and
go the next day looking to see if they
have borne graces. Now, God does not
send graces as he sends light and rain,
but they are wrought in US through long
days Of discipline and growt''. Acorns
and gracos sprout quickly, but grow long
before rpening.
THERE is an ugly kind of forgiveness
in this worid--a kind of hedgehog for
givenness, shot out like quilts. Men take
one who has offended, and set him down
before the blow-pipe of their indignation,
and scorch him, and burn his fault into
him; and when they have kneaded him
sufficiently with their fiery fists, then
they forgive him.
Our people, noH,adic as the Arabs,
impetuous as the Cloths and Huns, pour
themselves along our Western border,
carrying with them all their wealth and
all their institutions. They drive schools
along with them as shepherds drive sheep,
and troops of colleges go lowing over the
| Western plains, like Jacobs kline.
IT Is with the singing of q congrega-
ton as with the signing of the wind in
the forest, where the notes of the million
rustling leaves, and the boughs striking
upon each other, altogether make har-
| discords.
| II IS not work that kills men; it is
worry. Work is healthy; you can hardly
put more on Il man than he can bear.
Worry is rust upon the blade. 1t is not
the revolution that destroys the machin-
erv, bu. the friction. Fear secretes acids
but love and trust arc sweet juices.
Nor parties, but principles. Let us be
of no party but Gods party, and use all
other agencies as we use railroad cars
travelling on one train as far as it will take
us in the right direction, and then leaving
it for another.
WHEN we think of the labor required
to rear the few that are in our house
holds-the wearincss, the anxiety, the
burden of lifc-how wonderful seems
! Gods work! for he carries heaven, and
earth, and al realms in his bosom.
MANY men want wealth; not a compc-
tence alone, but fve story competence.
Everything subseryes this; and religion
they would like as sort of lightning rod
to ter houses, to ward off, by and by,
the bolts Of divine wrath.
ONE of our greatest troubles, as minis
ters, is to keep people from wishing tc be
awfully converted. There are those who
Will not come into Gods kingdom unless
thcv can come as Dante went into para
disc, by going through hell.
THERE are many christians who like,
about once in twelve months, to have a
good revival in their hearts. They think
that, like the year, they can make up for
freezing and showing all winter by pc
Rod of intense heat in the summer.
A WEEK filled with selfishness, and the
Sabbath stuffed full of religious exercises,
will make a good Pharisee, but a poor
christian. There are many persons who
think Sunday is a sponge with which to
wipe out the sins of the week.
WHEN flowers are full of heaven-de-
scended dews, they always hang their
heads; but men hold theirs the higher
the more they receive, getting proud as
they get full.
A MAN ought to carry himself IN the
world as an orange tree would if it could
walk up and down in the garden, SWING
ipe perfume from every little censor 1t
holds up to the air.
A CHRISTIANITY which will not help
those who are struggling from the bottom
to the top of society, needs another CHRIST
ID die for it.
A HELPING word to one in trouble is
often like switch on a railroad track
but one inch between wreck and a smooth
rolling prosperity.
A LIE always noedsa truth for handle