Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-01-30
THE REPUBLICAN.
RELIGIOUS MISCELLANY,

right over him, or OF the limits OF
your right, but exercise this right so
that the child shall feel and ackhowl-
edge it himself without thinking of
looking for its limits.
CARELESS CHAmTY.-One has no
more right to give money to beggar
merely because he is beggar than
he has to give rum to a man because
he is a drunkard The Bible recon-
mend liberality but not prodigality.
IT. tells men TO "communicate, but
not to throw away 1t urges the du-
ty of distributing TO the necessities Of
saints, but not of contributing to the
Incidence and bad habits of besotted
sinners.
HYMNS AND CHILDREN-We sus-
pect that it is the teachers that are
tired of hearing the same hymns, not
the children. Many of the common
Sunday school hymns are exquisitely
beautiful, and can never fail to have
beneficial effect. If they are linked
with one tune, and with that alone,
they will become favorites for life
and even if they are not firstrate in
point of poetic merit, somehow they
get deep down into the heart, and re-
main with us forever. Hymns pro-
ducing such an effect cannot become
stale to Sunday school scholars, who
attend the school only for eight or
nine years at the utmost, and gener-
ally for much shorter period AT
the same time, we have no objections
to new hymns being made. The Sun
day school teacher will examine these
and by and by some of them may be-
come as great favorites as the old.
SILVER ToNGUE.-When / was
boy, and a number of my playmates
had rambled through the fields and
woods till, quite forgetting the fading
light, we found ourselves far from
home. Indeed we had lost our way.
1t did so happen that we were nearer
home than we thought; but how to
get to 1T was the question By the
edge of the field we saw a man COM
ing along and we ran to ask him to
tell us. Whether he was in trouble
or not | do not know, but he gave us
some very surly answers. Just then
there came along another man, a near
neighbor, with merry smile on his
face. "Jim, F" said he, "a mans tongue
is like that Of cat. 1t is either a
piece of velvet or a piece of sand pa
per Just as he likes to use it or makes
it; and declare you always use your
tongue like sand paper. Try the vel
vet, man, try the velvet principle"
This was said to the surly man, but
have always remembered it.
Drinking is the simplest of all phys
ical processes. One has but to open
his lips and swallow the contents of
yonder brimming cup that is handed
from the spring. The infant drinks
in its nourishment as its first instinc-
tive act. Christ likens the souls re-
ception of himself to the simple ee-
mentary process. He says, "lf any
man thirsts let him come unto me and
drink" The gospel plan of salvation
is the simplest and plainest method
possible. II some great thing were
demanded of every one who would
be saved-some prodigious exercise
Of the intellect-or some large expen-
diture OF time, money or brain power
then multitudes might find good
excuse for rejecting the gospel. But
it is Just like our blessed Saviour to
make his terms Of acceptance so sim
pie that child can understand and
receive them. ''Go and wash" said
the prophet to the Syrian leper; Ma
aman went, washed and was cleansed
"Come to me and drink" says the
loving Redeemer; and, oh why is it
that single sinner thirsting for life
can stay away.
Much of what's called religion has
no roots. 1t is set up and propped,
or it may be inserted in the soil, but
it is not planted. 1t is like the twigs
which in our childhood we took, and
with gleeful delight put in our mimic
gardens, but which never grew. A
tree is never truly planted if it be
dead. You can no more be said TO
plant a dead tree than q stone pillar.
The pillar may be as deeply and as
firmly fixed in the earth as the tree,
but no one would speak of it as plan
ted. 1t vas in no sympathy with the
soil. 1t is held up by mechanical
pressure and constraint. A tree is
never planted except it is living and
establishes vital affinity with the soil.
When it's roots begin TO send forth its
tender fibres, and they suck in their
appropriate nutriment from the soil |
and transmit it through trunk and
branch and twig, then it is planted. !
1t has taken hold of the earth, and !
therefore It lives but when the earth !
takes hold of it, and the tree does not
return the friendly grasp, it is dead
And when it is dead the soil which |
once fed its life rots it, just as the at
mosphere, which is our vital air while
we are living, will hasten the putre-
faction Of our bodies as soon as our
last breath is drawn.
SMoTnERED.-In n recent sermon, |
Rev. Henry Ward Beeoher having as.
sured his hearers that they should get |
worldly goods and use them for Christ
speaks Of their danger if successful in |
business Now many of you are in
imminent peril God is multiplying
the sources of your power. Your re-
sources are becoming numerous as
sands of the sea. ! am sorry; / am
glad but | am anxious that you
should rise up in the midst OF these
things, and show yourselves greater
than nrOsppritv and stronger and