Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-03-19
THE REPUBLICAN.
RELIGIOUS MISCELLANY.

ures strike the deepest tones Of woe.
Two great principles hold good in
religion, as they also hold good in all
other departments of knowledge I;
one is, that truth is to be pursued for
its own sake and the other is, that
truth is ever the most powerful of
all ministers in the cause Of practical
utility. It is not hard 10 see how
this should be pre-eminently true of
theology.
The UsE OF RICHES. The good that
Is in riches lies altogether in their use.
If they are not broken, like box Of
ointment, and poured out for the re-
freshment of the Lord Jesus Christ,
or His distressed servants, they lose
their worth. Therefore the covetous
man may justly write upon his rust
ing heaps. "These are good fornoth-
ing" ST. Chrysostom tells us that
che is not rich who lays up much, but
he only who lays ont much !" and
that ''it is the same thing not to have
as not 10 use" / will therefore be
the richer by charitable laying out
while the wording shall be poorer
by his covetous boarding up. When
Thou, 0 Lord, takest the place of
man, and from Thy high abode where
Thou dwellest among the praises of
the blessed, askest my charity in the
person of Thy needy people, assist
me TO take Thy place, and to give
aims Of such things as | have. Teach
me, in giving aims, to give my mind,
to give my heart to commit to Thee
not only a little portion of my prop
erty, but also my body, my soul, my
salvation.
SOCIAL WINE DRINKING. AT an
Episcopal convention, discussion on
temperance brought up the swine
question" A part of the clergy ad-
vocated its entire disuse, and a part
took the other side At length an in.
fuontial clergyman rose and made a
vehement argument in favor of wine,
denouncing the radical reformers for
attempting TO Danish this token Of
hospitality from use. When he had
resumed his seat, layman, trembling
with emotion, rose and asked if il was
allowable for him to speak. The
chair having signifcd that he would
be heard, be said: "Mr Moderator, it
is not my purpose, in rising, TO answer
the learned argument you have just
listened to- Ny object is more hum
Bile, and ! hope more practical. /
once knew father in moderate cir
cumstances, who was at much incon-
venience to educate a beloved son at
college. Here this son became dissi.
pated; but after he had graduated
and returned to his father, the infu-
ence of home, acting upon generous
nature, actually reformed him. The
father was overjoyed as the prospect
that his cherished hopes of other days
were still to be realized. Several
years passed, when, the young man,
having completed his professional
study, and being about to leave his
father, to establish himself in bust |
ness, he was invited to dine with a
neighboring clergyman, distinguished
for his hospitality and social qualities
At this dinner, wine was introduced
and offered to this young man, who
refused; pressed upon him, and again
refused. This was repeated, and the
young man was ridiculcd for his sim
gular abstinence. The young man
was strong enough to overcome appe- |
tite, but he could not resist ridicule.
He drank, and fell, and from that mo-
ment became confirmed drunkard,
and has long since found q drunkard's
grave. Mr. Moderator, continued the
old man with streaming eyes, l am
that father; and it was at the table |
of the clergyman who has just taken
his seat, tha. bis token of hospitality
ruined the son shall never cease to |
mourn"
Now, as my senses respond to nat
ural landscape, so, when stand in
the presence of God, there comes to
me an experience which l cannot de-
scribe; my pulse throbs as it never
did before my reason darts as it new
er did before; my Imagination is
played upon as ii never was before /;
my heart rises up as in the presence
of some conscious ruler; all that is in
me lifts itself up, as though its Sow
ereign and King was there. And /
am in that presence. And full of Joy
unspeakable and glory unutterable
am l. And when / turn back and
say, al know that my Redeemer liy-
eth" am l to be met with the ques-
ton, "How do you know 2" As when
my physical eye looks on physical
truths, and certain facts follow, /
know them so when my moral eye
looks on moral truths, and certain
facts follow, know them too. The
higher nature moves by its laws as
the lower nature does by its laws.
And know that my Redeemer lives
and look back through my life TO
see how with faltering faith began
il; how ! knew my Savior in few
things; how steadily, in moments of J
expansion and illumination, with grow /
ing moral consciousness, with growing
strength, and with growing activity,
he developed himself more perfectly
and frequently upon my vision, until
no ~ the sun, that shone afar off as a
star, in the beginning, fills the whole
heavens with subtle an unveiled light.