The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-12-20
Jewels of Thought and Devotion.

DECEMBER.
Dear month that gave US Christ Ring sweet ring
strong,
q bells of Christmas Quickened BY your chime.
our eager wishes. like swift birds that climb
Far preaching heights. soar up to catch the song
That wondering shepherds heard Will it be long
Before the sweetness Of that strain sublime
Shall set itself to earth poor, rugged rhyme
Beneath the starry silence, keeping guard
Tending our patient hopes, like ockS by night.
DO We not sometimes, from yon heavenly height
Catch taintcst whisper of thu, advent word
Heraldng Christ once more = Peace and good will
Peace upon earth"' o shepherds, keep watch still
Never reflect on a past action which was done
with good motive. and with the best of Judgment
at the time
tod commands men to work out their own sal
Walton and it is warTantabe inference that no
man can be saved without working
Religious principles incucated in childs heart
are like golden nails which time drives in faster.
and no philosophical claw can completely draw out
1t is an easier matter to begin to do good than
To continue therein; and the reason is, there is
not 50 much Of a Christians cross in the beginning
of work as there is in a continual hearty. CON
Scientious practice thereof
Manners are the shadows Of virtues: the mo-
meutary display Of those qualities which our feel
low creatures love and respect. If strive to
become then, what we strive to appear. manneN
would often be rendered useful guides to the per
tormauce Of our duties. ESydney Smith
Evil is easily discovered; there is al indefinite
variety. Good is almost unique, But some kinds
Of evil almost difficult to discover as that
which we call good: and often particular evil of
This class passes for good 1t needs even a certain
greatness Of soul to attain this as to that which
is good. Pascal
1t is inst as true that if a man will not work he
cannot live and prosper spiritually that he can
not 1--we and prosper temporarily without work
As a rule, the men who gain and retain earthly
riches are the men who work longest and hardest
for them. SO the men who gain the richest heaven
are the men who do the most work for it,
DO the work of your life well and whether shoe
black or prime minister. You will stand on the same
plane at the judgment day. Now if any Young
mar or young woman struggling with poverty or
adversely should read this. let such take courage
ana remember that good heart with noble pur-
poses will place one higher in the love and king
dom of God than all the riches and talent that
could possibly be possessed.
day 1t has risen upon US from the great deep
ot eternity, glrt round with wonder emerging from
the womb of darkness: a new creation of life and
light spoken into being by the word of God In
itself one entire and perfect sphere of space and
time filled and emptied of the sun. Every past
generation is represented in it it is the towering
of all history. And in SO much it is richer and
better than all other days which have preceded it
And are have been recreated to new opportunities
and new powers called to this utmost promon-
tory of actual time,-this centre of all convergng
life. And it is for to DAYS work we have been en-
lowed 1T Is for this that we pressed and sur
rounded with these facilities The sum of our en-
tire being is concentrated here: and to dav is all
the time we absolutely have. [Chapin,