Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-06-01
How TO | cad a Spiritual Life.

How is the spiritual mind to be kept
spiritual? viii a renewed heart keep
sweet of itself; or will it tend back toward
corruption again? VIII grace live within
us without watching? Will spirituality
grow without tillage Of the heart-garden?
To these questions Christian experience
says, No! Conversion brings a man into
new state-"all things become new" but
yet there is a stiff undercurrent running to-
ward the old state. No converted man,
however thoroughly renewed by the Divine
Spirit, viii stag c0Rrerted unless God watch
over him and he watch over himself. Con-
version is simply the turning of the heart
from sin to the Saviour; and unless the
heart hold fast to Christ, and Christ hold
fast to it, that heart will drop away into
self-indulgence, pride, unbelief, and heset-
ting sins. Paul would not have remained
Paul for four and twenty hours if divine
power had not kept him. Not l, but
Christ that liveth in me-" Il can do all
things-tbr0uqb Christ which strengthen
eth me-" What are the essential things to
maintain Observation-Disclosures?
|. Prayer Of course, comes among the
foremost. Not sayiagprayers; but praying.
A dull, formal, mOnOtOnOus repetition of
devout phrases every night and morning
puts conscience to sleep, Just as surely as a
low grooming tune puts baby to sleep in a
cradle. But genuine prayer is quite differ
cut thing from that. 1t is the souls keep
| ing the track open, and maintaining con-
slant intercourse tcith God. Prayer is just
as vital thing to my heart a. are the wa
| ter-pipes in my house that connect with the
Ridgewood Reservoir A double office be-
longs to the conduit-pipe of prayer; and
receive the gifts to be thankful for. And
our prayers do not smell enough of the
sweet, holy fragrance Of gratitude. For q
sinner to be dngl0here out of perdition is &
matter for thanksgiving but to be actually
on the highway to heaven, with the love
light OF Jesus's face streaming on us, /,
enough to make our eject to be like hind.
feet" and set Us to leaping like the roe
''m crerHhjHg give thanks"
Prayer then, Is the channel for gratitude
and pcnitence to flow Godward the chan
mel for grace and strength 10 flow from hin
into our dry hearts v hen the channe
gets clogged up with doubts and unbeliet
or gets frozen up with seltishness and indif
ference, the supplies stop and death begins
Just as soon attempt to keep up a blOOmn!
and frUitbearing piety without perpetua
prayer as to set Your geraniums into fdl
flower by locking them in q Greenwoo,
vault. ! have always observed that back
/. slidings begin with a neglected closet ant
a neglected prayer-meeting. why don
the water run in my house to-day" | sen
, for the plumber; he says to me: "Frieuc
the connection is broken Woe to tina
protesting Christian who has broken ii
, connection with his God.
70 / sometimes think OF prayer rs "A celestia
/ telegram. Our messages 20 upward wit
Z the speed OF though. Tie return OF mercie
r flows downward with the promPtness OF di
/ vine love. Sometimes the answer antic
} pates the request. Sometimes the answt
/ Is delayed; then we can only wait. Some
2 times it comes in a startling shOck-like
r dcath-message over the wires But it is a
e tight. God makes no mistakes. Fat
, says: If l put myself in connection wit
the God OF love, / must take just what b
, wisdom sends. 9hv viii be done ,"
Y All there is something Tar worse than
!, receive dispcnsations of trial from yond
= Father oflights 1t j. to have the telegraI
|. of PRAYER 50 OK OF order through dlsus
{ or SO broken do"n, that ali communicate
- stops. and the soul is cut off from heaye
But healthy Christians spiritual tele
raph is ever busy; it worketh by the eIe
tricity OF love. Up into the All-hearil
ear flOweth the constant stream of comic
l. sion, penitence, desire, gratitude, and pei
z. ton; and downward cometh the grace 81
y ticient,' the strength equal to the day, Il
IjOys in the Holy Ghost. Then, broth
pray tritb0ut ceGstRg. A true child Ofgra
II was never born dumb.
n II. The second essential to spiritual
e is watchfulness. what / say unto you
-e say unto all Watch "' Christ knew p,
is iectiy well to whom he was talking.
lie coupling together prayer and self-watchm
W he married the sovereignty Of God TO t
- Christians free agency. Never yet ha
m we seen the heart that could be trust
II without oversight. 1t must be Il clio
weary, waketui watch. II YOU we're set
Keep q bird sitting unfdstened on the pa
Is OF your hand, YOU would know what
Is meant by Keeping the heart lctd at al
geace. Have the arm Of Cody resoIuti
ready-ready to seize it the moment it
tempts to fly away into sinful indulgen
Do not take of your eye one instant. I
price of a spiritual life is eternal vi
b+ lance" The lusts of the flesh will steal
lent marches on US; temper will start
y like an unclaimed mastitf, and bite betC
We are aware; the unruly tongue gets loos
pride gets the reins; or some other bes
ting sin is on the move "Wherefore :
ar unto all, Watch" Watch the sly
proaches Of the tempter. Watch t
thought-cradles in your own soul wher,
nd the infant purposes are nursed. Wat
over your own resolutions. Watch
headings OF God. Watch for Opportunit
to do good. Watch for the coming of "
Master. While the Martha of your ind
try and your benevolence is busy with
let the Mary of your devout vigilance
ever on the lookout for the coming of "
Lord. Blessed are those servants who
when the Master cometh, He shall f
or 'Catching!
beyond the watching and the weeping,
an Beyond the waking and the sleeping,
-, Beyond the sowing and the reaping
al We shall be soon.
Love-rest-and home,
Sweet home!