Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-03-02
Theology of Common Things.

said. We said at Burlington that we Sc.
cured more practical knowledge of the doc.
trino OF total dcrravity in teaching rollick
ing calf to drink than we did 10 years of pro.
fessional study, and emphasized the word
practical" which is u very different thing
rom saying 1--WE enjoyed teaching calves to
drink more than all our studies" as every
report, save Mr.. Cheever's of the N. H.
Farmer, made us say. We would have CIV.
cry man secure all the culture possible but
1t is important that We see things as they are
and take life as it is, and then make it bet.
ter If possible. One theological aspect of
teaching calves to drink is 10 keeping cool, II
or as the wise man said ale that is slow to
anger is better than the mighty" another
thing is common sense, in pcrplexing mat
ter "the wisdom of the prudent is to under.
stand his way;" still another is the value Of
patience, "be not weary in we'll doing !" and
while you will be at your wits ends quite
often it is well to bear in mind the principle
involved in the problem of that ancient man
Of Uz, "Canst thou draw out evlathan with
a hook 2" and finally you will learn that he
couquers Nature best who runs in Natures
grooves, and for theological illustration
read Kings 3:16-2S.
The more we think of it, the more we see
this matter has theological aspects, and sCri.
ously, if farmers would but put themselves to
the work, accept the opportunity we should
rather say, they would ind nature, aud life Of
the beasts Of the field and their herds wonder.
fully suggestive Of higher things, or as Shake
peare says:
There are more things In heaven and Garth, Horato,
Than are dreamt Of IN your philosophy"
Especially true Of the "earth," which is as
surcharged with these PHILOSOPHERS as the
orange is with juice. The hieroglyphics
which adorn so many ancient works in Egypt
are very perplexing, but they have a moan.
ing So the trend OF the valleys. the contour
Of the mountains, tho channels Of the rivers,
the location Of the inland lakes and ocean
bays, as well as the varied mineral and other
deposits Of the earth, are the Gre ators hand.
writing on Natures open page for us to in
terpret if we will. Aud they are not
Footprints on tho sands of Ii me-"
which the first wavelet may wash away, but
a veritable "testimony in the rocks" by Civ
ing heed unto which we may be guided into
a larger personal development and wider
and more benefcent usefulness, as we'll as
higher and more satisfactory kind of happi.
ness. Did not Bryant say truly as well as
"To him who in tho love mature holds
Communion with her visible forms, she
Speaks various language"
Surely she does, but we do not at all hear it,
and here is where the theology" comes 10
we read Of a voice from heaven approving
the Saviours conduct, and Of those who
heard some said sit thundered; others said
an angel spoke to Him" Only a few had
the moral ear to distinguish between the roll
ing thunder and the voice of ministering an.
gel. And how many of us hear in the wailing
wind anything beyond or above tho wind,
not recognizing "that grand old harper" and
in the moaning woods do not hear the winds
chamberlain of pines !" forgetting when we
wander through the forests that we are 10
Natures cathedral with its opening vistas Of
nave and transept and groinel arches and
chiseled columns, surprising in beauty those
which made the fame Of Greece immortal,
for we're not "The groves Gods first templos?"
That we do net hear this celestial music or
see unrivalled beauties, and gather wisdom
and comfort and inspiration, is no proof that
they do not exist for US, for the theology"
comes in here again, "but their eyes were
holden" We need to cultivate more of the
reverent, receptive, child like spirit and not
b. 80 cold and material as he whom Words.
worth describes,
"Tho soft blue sky did never molt
Into his heart"
Sometimes while in the fields alone with
the hills, and the trees, and the brooks, and
the clouds, and the winds, the sense Of
grandeur aud significance and glory of these
things has come over US when it really seem
ed that
"ro win the secret Of a weeds plain heart"
were an achievement worthy any mans pow.
ers, and then we remembered that he who
was known as the peOr of wisdom in the ages
long ago, not only ruled kingdom but in
the midst Of life's steruer duties took occa.
sion to make the familiar acquaint anCe of
the "cedar that is in Lebanon, even unto the
hyssop that spriugeth out of the WALL" also
of the beasts aud the fowls aad the fishes
and creeping things. But there is no end
to this matter; common things are intensely
and if betimes we seem hedged
in by the "limits of q vulgar fate" let us
not forget, in the midst of the conflicting
claims aud pretensions of science, and philos-
oPhy aud some theOlogies as we'll, that emf
nently practical, theological" lesson of old,
The secret things belong unto the Lord our
God, but the things that are revealed unto
Us aud our children forever"
-s-S-s-
Friend Henry Of Chester is 10 trouble.
He has heard that Bellows Falls proposes to
Nolanhonau n.af.nn Govk.ni, Dir. NJ.