Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-02-07
NflIpIous salIsfsllanp.

ttVun hulhhit VI 'hithlth We nhNhiN
address ourselves far moro than we do
TO the sentiment of beauty in their
minds. We are eager TO fill our homes
with beautiful and costly objects, but
nre slow to ill our minds and theirs
with beautiful thoughts We are inn
patient to clothe ourselves and them
in the finest apparel, but we are alto
gether too patient OF repulsive habits
and deforming dispositions. We want
to see ourselves and make them see
that beauty, taste and elegance are
great things; and that all meanness,
ill-temper, fretfuness, falsehood and
wrong are utterly ugly. We need to
see for ourselves, and help them to feel
the unspeakable attractiveness ofmor-
al beauty, the lovliness of truth, the
charm OF a sweet, forgiving spirit, and
the splendor OF selt-sacrifce that
every bad habit is sin against taste
and beauty, as well as an offence
against the Holy Ghost; that soul
full of Christian goodncssi is as superb
or to pretty face and SNOWY dress
as a summer sunrise among the noun
tains excels any landscape of Church
or Landseer. And these lessons can
and ought to be taught and illustrat-
ed at all times. The bowed head is not
prayer, but that posture is in accord
ance with the best taste and usage,
and this attitude of devotion of itself
callsup devout and dprayerful thoughts,
and we are more likely to pray thus
than when gazing about the room.
Let everything in the room and the
service be designed and ordered with
n view to awaken the love of beauty,
and especially moral and spiritul beau
ty, in children. Let them learn to
associate religion with taste, refine
ment purity and propriety. Let
beauty and goodness be always con-
nected with each other in their lessons
and services and experience; and they
will come 10 love goodness as beauty,
and live in the good they love.
CHRIsTMAs.-It is well to celebrate
the birth of great and holy soul in
to earth and time for all true remem-
ing and revering bring us into closer
communion and completer harmony
with his greatness and holiness. And
in the case of Christ, let us remember
and celebrate, not on the 25th of De-
cember only, but every day, what he
did and what he was. We would not
diminish the volume nor detract from
the splendor of the praise that rolls up
from thousands of churches and homes
and hearts on that great occasion.
Only let not our reverence and praise
find its only vent in pomp and festivi.
ty. Let not our praise escape in lip
homage and float off in Intellectual
waves of sound on tho undulating air.
We honor Christ most by trying to
be like him. We praise him most by
doing most for men, Tor truth, for JUS
tice, for God. We celebrate him best
by feeding the hungry, clothing the
naked, visiting the prisoner, uplifting
the fallen, and breaking the bread Of
life to those in the shadow of spiritual
image, and taking on the features of
his sublime faith, his all-conquering
trust, his fidelity to duty, his spirit OF
love and sacrifice, and his oneness
with the Father.
Nor EXCITEMENT, BUT PIETY-
Preaching that stirs us up to a sense
of the peril of men under the law, ard
urges our responsibility in relation to
1t, possesses great power for time
but these feelings quickly wear out.
1t Is impossible for even the best of
people to live long under the influence
OF an excited conscience. They can
not bear it great while. A reaction
is sure TO come What we need is to
be brought into more fervent love of
God, more everfowing Joy in the Holy
Ghost, more Of that faith which feeds
and rests on Christ then the church
will have food, not for forty days, but
for forty years. We need an average
level of feeling and actions many
times higher than at present, where
the feelings grow out of higher class
OF Christian experience, which does
not wear out These promote health.
and never leave the body and mind to
that langonr which necessarily sue
ceeds excitement They keep up the
spiritual tone, and make Christian
work hearty and constant "needs
be- of the "new man."
The PATH OF LIFE.-Whv not
strew the path Of life with flowers
1t requires no stronger effort than to
plant thorns and briars. Is il not
strange that we bend all our efforts
in cultivating those plants which af.
ford no pleasure, but on the contrary.
abridgo our happiness; while we saf
fer to spring up, spontaneously, the
few strange flowers that occasionally
throw smile along our wayy 1t need
not be thus. The few happy men
around us should teach us an impor-
portant lesson. There is no reason in
the world why we should not be as
happy as they. If we would look on
the path of life as a road, we must
cultivate ourselves, and 20 diligently
about it. Less frequently would we
have cause to mourn over the bitter
past, or the dark and cloudy present.
If our years have run thus far TO
waste, let us with care influence the
future, and with all care and attention
cultivate those fruits and flowers that
will yield harvest of agreeable
pleasure.
DIscoURAGED.-We doubt not that
there will be seasons, even in the hap.
piest Christian pilgrimage, when the
soul will be discouraged because of
the way" When difficulties which |