Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-09-03
RELIGIOUS MISCELLANY.

PRAYER FROM TIE HEART.-It is observable
| that when a man is to swim over some river,
having thrown himself into the water, he
: passeth as far as he can by the strength Of
! his first stroke, and then being as it were at
! a stand he fetched another stroke, and so a
! third, and a fourth, till he comes to the place
where he would be. So in the matter of
PRAYER in our addresses unto God, we must
do as that cody martyr of Christ, Mr. John
! Bradford was said 10 do, not to ra-able from
one petition to another, till he had brought
! his heart into perfect frame OF prayer, so
| that every passage Of prayer had It's full
work As for instance, in the Lords Prayer,
when a man shall say, Thy kingdom come,
and then shall be thinking with himself, o,
/ but if it should now come, what case am L
! in, that am thus unprOvided! Then in the
midst of these thoughts, say, Thy will be
! done on earth, as it is in heaven, letting the
tongue 90 on, while the heart is on something
! else this is an error, green wound easy TO
/ be cured, being one good thought instead OF
/ another Wich is to be done by serious and
! deliberate attendance, and careful dwelling
on one particular till another be presented.
HUMAN AsPIRATIONs-All lower natures
! find their highest good i'll semblance and
sceIings of that which is higher and better.
| All things strive to ascend, and ascend in
their striving. And shall man alone stoop?
| Shall his pursuits and desires, the reflections
! of his inward life, be like the reflected image
| of a tree on the edge of pool, that grows
! downward and seeks to mock heaven in the
! unstable element beneath it, in the neighbour
hood with the Shiny water-weeds and Oozy
| bOttOm-grass, and are vet better than itself
and more noble, in as far as substances that
| appear as shadows are preferable to shadows
/ arIl- M II no q
| higher good to make you happy. While you
/ labor for anything below your proper human
ity, you seek a happy life in the region of
death. -Co5eTjoye.
y Preachers REPUTATIoN.-A preachers
reputation ought to be a sacred thing with
| his congregation, because he is their minis
! ter. Whatever damages his reputation, I'M
! pairs his usefulness and in lures their church.
! Moreover, he is Christs ambassador and
whatever obstructs his cause is an impedi-
ment to the Sayiour's mission. Beware how
| you speak Of men who are doing the work of
! Cod lest, exciting prejudice against them,
! and preventing sinners from hearing the
| Word Of Life and giving it due attention, the
blood Of souls be found on your skirts. Let
! congregations take care of their minister's
reputation, and let minister's take care of
! their own characters.
A CHRISTIANS TRUsT.-If you have been
looking at works, duties and qualifications,
| instead of looking to Christ, it will cost thee
| dear. No wonder you go COMPLAINING
! Graces are no more than evidences; the mer-
its of Christ alone, without thy graces, must
be the foundation of thy hope. Christ alone
is the hope Of glory He that builds upon
/ graces, &c, knows not the merits of the Sa-
yiour. This makes believing so hard, and so
far above nature. If thou believcst, thy
graces, thy duties, thy tears, thy humblings,
Will follow; but beware, lest thou make them
thy dependence. Nothing but Christ must
be held up. The others are born of faith
and love toward Him.-WHson.
NOTHING BUT LovE-Christ will not take
sermons, prayers, fastings-no, nor the Civ
ing our goods, nor the burning our bodies
instead of love; and do we love Him and yet
not care how long we are for Him? Was it
| such JOY to Jacob to see the face of Joseph
i'll Egypt? And shall we be contented With
out the sight of Christ in glory, and yet say
we love Him? | dare not conclude that we
have no love at all when we are so loath to
die; but dare say, were our love more we
should die more willingly; by our unwilling
ness to die, it appears are little weary of
sin. Did we take sin for the greatest evil
we should not be willing to have its company
so lOng.-BartG'
= There is an error of aScribing to arts, to
literature, and to politeness that power of
softening and correcting the human heart
which is, i'll truth, the exclusive prerogative
of religion. Really to mend the heart and
purify the principle, is a deeper work than
the most finished cultivation Of taste has ever
been able to ef1ect.-HaRndh Moore.
- Erase all thoughts and fear of God from
|
will absorb the whole man. Appetite, know
ing no restraint and poverty and suffering,
having no solace nor hope, would trample in
scorn on the restraints Of human laws.-CAa3e-
| ming.
If proper sentiments of religion and
sound morality are not into the minds of the
people, the restraints of law are nugatory,
and penal terrors cannot repress delinquency.
| -H,tnh .Koore.