The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-05-05

! SHts1 ~ SAilsii ~ SCA' -
to descend into that valley, over which all
must walk, before their feet can stand
upon the heights of Christian experience,
between which and Heavens door the
ascent is easy. wa 81
For my own part, shrink with horror
from a godle S woman. There seems to
be no light in her-no glory proceeding
from her. There is something monstrous
about her. l can see why men do not
become religious. 1t is hard thing-it
is, at least, if experience and observation
are to be relied on-for man whose will
has been made stern by encounters in the
great battle of life, who is conscious of
power and accustomed to have the minds
around him bend to his, who possesses
the pride of manhood and the self-esteem
that springs naturally in the mind of one
in his position, to become "as little
child" Woman has only to recognize
her dependence upon One higher than
man, AID, in doing this, is obliged to do
but little violence to her habits of thought,
and no violence at all to such sentiments
Of independence as stand most in the way
of man. So say that goddess woman
| is mopstrous woman. She is an unreal
sonable woman She is an offensive wo-
man. Even an utterly goddess man, I'M
less he be debauched and debased to the
position of IN animal, deems such wo-
man without excuse He looks on her
with suspicion. He would not have such
an one to take care Of his children. He
would not trust her.
| | do not propose to offer you any in
centives to piety drawn from future CON
dition of rewards and punishments. l
leave it to the pulpi:s whose ministrations
you attend, to talk of this matter in their
own way. My whole argument shall re-
late to the properties and necessities of
the present life. It is proper that you
serve the Being who made you, and that
you love the one who redeemed you. 1t
is proper that to all your graces you add
that of unselfshness. 1t is proper that
all the elements OF your character be har-
monized and sub!imated by the tenderest
devotion to the g One altogether lovely"
1t is proper that your heart be purified,
SO that all the influence which goes out of
it, through the varied relationships Of life,
be good, and only good. l mean by the
word "propcr" all that the word proper
can mean. 1t is eternally and immutably
fit. 1 mean that it is improper and unfit
that you should fail of piety. l mean
that by carrying with you rebellious and
cold and careless heart, you introduce
among the sweet harmonies of the world
harsh discord, which it is not fit and
/ proper that you should introduce. You
are wandering star. You are a voice
less bird. You are a motionlcss brook.
/ The strings of your soul are not in tune
with those chords which the Infinite hand
/ sweeps as he evolves the music of the uni
verse. Your being does not respond to
the touch of Providence; and if Beauty,
and Truth, aud Goodness, and Love,
come down toyou. ike angels out of hea-
! ven, and sing you their sweetest songs,
you do not see their wings, nor recognize
their home and parentage. I say tina. it
is not proper-it is inexpressibly unfit that
! you-a woman-with delicate sensibiii-
I ties and pure instincts and dependent
nature should ignore the relations which
exist between your soul and God, and put
veil of blackness between the light which
be has lighted within you and that Inf
mite fountain of light still open and ready
to fill all vour being with its divine radi-
ance.
Then, as TO your necessities: First,
remember what you are. You are really
the CONSIDERS of the world. You attend
the world in sickness; you give all its
medicines; your society soothes the world
after its toll, and rewards it for It's per-
plexities; you receive the infant when IT
enters upon existence; yoa drape the cold
form of the aged when life IS past; you
settle the little difficulties and assuage the
sorrows of childhood; you minister to the
poor and the distressed. Do you sup
pose that out of the resources of your
I poor heart you can supply all the draughts
that viii be made upon your sympathies
and their varied ministry? Do you be-
Eeye that Won carry within your own
bosom Fight for the dying, hope for the
despairiing, consolation Of the bereft, pa
tience for the sick Nay, do You believe
that ven have light and hope and eonso-
lation and patience sufficient for your own
souls wants. while performing the minis
tries 10 which in heavens economy. you
are appointed Piety is, then, an ALSO
lute necessity TO you You can no more
perform these Offices 70 which you are call