Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1866-12-20

At the hres OF heaven
Life and Death are both before usi
Each but echoes the sublime
Measures Of the mighty chorus
Rolling down the sands Of Time.
PRAYER is an errand TO Godi 1t Is
reverent, earnest, and definite.
The gospel has made the most rap
ia strides when Christians have been
engaged in aggressive movements;
and, except at such time, 1t is difficult
TO show that it has moved at all, ex-
cept backward.
The teaching of this and that opin-
ion may please a mans fancy, but 1t IS
only the preaching Of Christ That
changes the heart, that conquers the
heart. that turns the heart. Peter, |
by preaching a crueihed Christ, con
verts three thousand souls at once.
The agents and representatives OF
Christianity, individuals or individual
churches, have failed in the exercise
of high moral power mainly IN con
sequence of divesting religion OF Is
aggressive character. 1t fallsi with
the natural propeLsities of the heart
10 believe that the objects Of religion
are selfish. and that the ends of church
organization are 10 enable Christians
the more successfully to live to them
selves. and when this was proposed
and received ms a matter Of faith II
was to have been expected that the
world without would be uncared for,
so that the professor "but safely reach
his home" and that the influence OF
the church, like that OF salt which has
lost its sayor, would be "henceiorth
good for nothing" or AS near To that
as possible,
God often appears in glory to me as
one of his builders, and | will tell you
in what respect When have been
sitting to see inquirers ! have some
times found that God has blessed to
the conversion Of souls some OF my
worst sermons-those which ! thought
l could weep over which seemed
more than ordinarily weak. and lack
ing in all the elements likely to make
them blessed, except that they were
sincerely spoken When ] have seen
that the work was done though the
workman NATURALLY weak, WAS on that
occasion more than usually depressed
with infrmity, have been able to
lift up my hands and say Now, Lord,
thou appearest in thy glory, since thou
dost build up Zion, and convert sin-
ners by the most unlikely means, and
the truth, when apparently the most
feebly spoken, works the mightiest
results; this is TO make thy name glo-
rious, indeed y
When love to Jesus ceases to be the
master affection Of the soul. the spir-
ituaI decline has commenced, and the
sad effects soon strike outward into
the life As the inward fire burn,
low. lukewarmness begins. Ii the
love of Christ does not draw a man "a
the gathering, a serse OF duty
will soon cease 20 drive him there. II
Christ is not allowed to keep Christ
ian's purse, selfishness will soon steal
il. fla Christian is not contormed to
Christ, he will very speedily become
conformed to the world. His mora
sense becomes bluntcd. He gets usec
to negleriing his closet; used Il
shrinking his duties he gets used I,
shining! A small excuse Is enough "a
satisfy him. Instead Of giving Christ
"the casting vote, in every decision
he gives il to selfshness Instead o
growing in grace, he dwindles every
day. Having a name to live, he is dy
ing at the root: have seen sucl
Christians gasping away like pro-
animal under the exhausted glass ere
ceiver" OF an air-pump Put a scor,
of such professors OF religion into
prayer-mceting and il becomes au ice
house. Put a church.iull Of such pro
fessors into a community, and it doe
about as much good as monstc
snow-bank in fence corner does u
ferllize a field. ] would not ex
change the prayers aud the power q
q single servant girl that ! have in M
Brooklyn church, for five hundred q
these petrifed professors sittinI
ingless mockery Of a crueihed Master
IMMORTALITY The belief in IA
ture state of existence is an instinc
in our being, planted within our soul
as light to guide our uncer ain step
through nature labyrinth OF evil an
sensualism 10 a highcrvantagc ground
whose open plains are illumined by th
Son of Righteousness Aud this ligh
10 not only recognized by Christian
", but is blindly and touchingly groI
Cd for by the lowest order OF pagan
ism. This belief CLEANS taintl
through many of the various rite
and supersiitions OF heaihenisH
Shining dimly from the symbol
forms that decorated their tempt
walls and crowned their sculpture
domes, gathering siregth and bright
ness through the revolutions OF SUI
ceeding ages, until, strong aud radiau
as the MONDAY sun, the belief in in
mortality shines in Que broad blaze
glory upon the nineteenth century
Beiefinimmortality is the very brcat
Of life TO the Christian; the atm,
sphere in which he lives and breath
Shall the Almighty Father of OF
Spirits, who has fitted up with sue
infinite beauty our dwelling place 4,
a day, condemn the children of II
love, longing for the holicr beauty
eternal worlds, to moulder in the sic,
of eternal death llark TO the 10
full answer from the heavenly work
81 am the resurrection aud the life