Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-09-17
Purity of intention.

We should never rise from our knees in the
morning until In our secret prayers we have
earnestly asked God to keep through the day
our intention pure. If our miserable self-seek-
ing, our vanity, our low aims are to be correct
ed or cast out, it must be under the direct
teaching and aiding of God the Holy Ghost.
and that teaching and aid will be given to US if
we thus earnestly seek it. Thus shall we be
beforehand with the enemy when he comes with
his foul breath of temptation to whisper his
poisonous suggestions in our ears. He will find
us pre- occupied by the thought of God, to
whose direct glory we have solemnly devoted
all the day. But then beyond this, through
the day we must often, even in the midst of
our busiest occupations, renew this offering OF
sible we should pause before we begin any new
occupation, and In secret prayer, shot up like an
arrow to Him, pray Him to purify our Intention
in beginning it, and to accept what we offer
We must live more and more in secret inter-;
course and direct communion with Him we
must often retire, at least in thought and aspira
ton, from business, pleasure, nay, even from
outward service Itself, into the sacred shrine of
His presence in that presence the most subtle
delusions of the tempter stand exposed to our
gaze. We see the emptiness of all the rewards
OF this world and its prince; his entertainments
fade away; the bewtching countenance of seem
ing beauty turns under the light of that eye
into the hollowness and corruption of the grave
we see the worm in its loathsomeness where all
looked but now enticing and we hear the soft.
sounds of fattery turn into the malignant ex-
THE BIBLE.-Life's last hours are grand
testing hours; death tries all principles and lays
bare all our foundation. Many have acted the
hypocrite in life, who had to be honest in the
hours of death. Msgivings of heart, that we
have kept secret through life have come out in
death and many also who seemed all right and
fair for Heaven have had to declare that they
have been selfdeceived. A Gentleman of
renown was on his dying bed, when friend
| near him spoke of the Saviour.
GAS to the Bible he replied, ''it may be
| true [ don't know"
"What then are your prospects," he was
asked.
He replied in whispers, which indeed were
thunders:
"Dark-very dark
But have you no light from the Sun OF
Righteousness? you done justice to the
Bible?'
perhaps not, he replied, ''but it is now
too late-too late |"
A mother who had laughed at and ridiculed
religion and religious people, was seen restless
and miserable on her death bed. She desires
that her children should be called. They came.
In impassioned accents she addressed them :
My children, / have been leading you in the
wrong road all your life. | now find the broad
road ends in destruction. did not believe it
before. Oh! seek to serve God, and try to find
the gate to Heaven, though you may not see
your mother there" Her lips were closed for
ever, and her spirit departed to his account,
while the household, terror struck, looked on.
Mother! father would you die thus? oh, no.
Let us then point to Heaven and lead tht
; way. ui