Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-04-08
SUNDAY READING.
RRACING THE MIND.

BRACING THE MIND.
Travellers tell us that in some of the
Eastern seas, where the wonderful coral
| islands exist. the insects that form the
coral within the reefs, where they are
under the shelter of protecting rocks, out
of the reach of wind aud Waves work
quicker, and their work is apparently
sound and good. But on the other hand,
those little workers who work outside those
reefs, in the foam and dash of waves, are
| fortified and hardened, and their work is
| frmer and more enduring.
| And so believe it is with men. The
more their minds are braced up by con-
fict, by the necessity of forming opinions
upon difficult subjects, the better they will
be qualified to go through the hard wear
and tear of the world, the better they will
be able to hold their own in that conflict
of opinion which, after all, it is man S
duty to meet.-Canar00n.
THOUGHTS AND FLOWERS.
It is with our thoughts as with our flow
ers those that are simple in expression
carry their seed with them those that are
DOUBLE charm the mind but produce moth
ing.
| DR.. Hague says this good word for poor
divinity students !: No class of persons
| on the earth are more worthy OF remem-
gift may turn the trembling scale in favor
of health and success. There are those
| here now exhibiting the heroic martyr
spirit as much as any that ever lived on
prison fare for Christ's sake. These are
now His hidden ones till the day of
their showing unto Israel."
THE ONLY HOPE.
On huge cross by the side of an Ital-
ian highway hung hideous caricature of
the Beloved of our souls, who poured out
his life for our redemption. Out of rever-
ence to the living Christ, we turned aside
disguised from the revolving image, but
not until We had espied the words Spes
Uaica in capitals over its head
Here was truth emblazoned on an idol
Yes, indeed. Jesus, our now exalted but
once crucifed Lord, is the sole and only
hope of man. Assuredly, 0 Lord Jesus,
thou art Spes Unica TO our soul.
"Other refuge have We none,
Hangs our helpless soul on thee"
We found this diamond in the mire OF
superstition does it sparkle any the less
&C. II. Spurgeon.
LITTLE MERCIEs
If one should give me a dish of sand,
and tell me there were PARTICLES of iron in
it, [ might look for them with my clumsy
fingers, aud Ee unable to detect them but
let me take a magnet and sweep through
it, and how it would draw to itself the
most invisible part les by the mere power
of attraction !
The unthankful heart, like my finger ia
the sand, discovers no mercies! but let the
thankful heart sweep through the day, as
the magnet finds the iron, so it will find
in every hour some heavenly blessings;
only the iron in Gods sand is gold.-Dr.
o. II. Holmes.
Prayer, to make it acceptable, requires
neither genius, eloquence nor language;
but sorrow for sins, faith and humility.
It is the cry Of diOtreoo, the aanao of want. |
the abasemeut of ccntrition, the energy of
gratitude. 1t is not an el. D3fate string of |
we'll arranged periods, nor al exercise of
ingenuity, nor an effort OF the memory, |
but the devout breathing of soul struck |
with the sense of its own misery, and of |
the holiness of Him to whom it is address, !
ed
AGENCY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
The eye of corpse, so long as it's
transparency remains unlmpaired, will re-
ceive picture of the object on the rati-
na, as we'll as if the organ was in the head |
of living person, but there is no CORES
ponding expression produced on the brain.
And so truths may enter the mind and
be conveyed to the heart, but to have the
heart feel them and be benefited by them,
there must be the presence and agency of
the Holy Spirit.
THE OLD WELL
"There was we'll near here" said by
''and very good water used to
come from it; but it has been filed up for
d long time
Indeed ! I never knew there was
we'll here, much less tasted the water. How
did it become filled up %
''Neglect sir. Some rubbish got in, then
part of the surrounding soil and, as it
was not cleared out at once, it got worse
and worse till it is as you see it-quite
choked up. I wonder if there is any water
at the bottom ?"
These last words set me thinking. I
wonder if there is any water at the bottom?
thought how much this old we'll was like
some Christians. The Lord Jesus spoke
Of the life he gives to the believer as ''a
we'll Of water to him." John iv. 14); but
are there not many who are supposed to
be Christians in whom We do not see any
water; and of whom we can say, as of this
Did we'll, IT wonder if there is any water
at the bottom 2?
COUNTY PoLITICs.-The political caul-
Iron of this county contains a decided {
middle. Everything that can read and
write wants "offis." TO see their actions
md imaginative parceling out of that which I
g within the gift of q motley crowd and {