Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-12-11
Gems OF Thought,

BETTER is the life of a poor man in a cot
tage than delicate fare in another mans
house. BE it little or much, hold thee con-
tented for it is a miserable life to go from
house TO house.
GoD loves to give, and he loves to have
his people give. He does not like to have
them covetous; he does not like to see them
hoard; so, when we learn to give, and love
to give, we become like him.
THE best recipe for going through life in
an exquisite way, with beautiful manners, is
to feel that everybody, no matter how rich
or how poor, needs all the kindness he can
get from Others in the world.
If anybody shirks his daily duties for the
sake of living Christian life he will find
that he has done that which tends most
effectually from a Christian life. If you
would be a Christian, you must faithfully
do the things which you are called to do
to-day.
AS the sun does not wait for prayers and
incantations that he may rise, but shines at
once, aud is greeted by all, so neither wait
thou for applause and shouts and eulogies
that thou mayst do well but be sponta.
neous benefactor, and thou shalt be beloved
like the sun.
ligion, of which the rewards are distant, and
which is animated only by faith and hope,
will glide by degrees out of the mind, unless
it be invgorated and impressed by external
ordinances, by stated calls to worship, and
the salutary influence of example.
NONE are so likely to maintain watchful
guard over their hearts and lives as those
who know the comfort of living in near and
70 nj f,a1 60
their privilege, and fear lest they NAV lose
it. They will dread falling from their high
estate end marring their own comfort by
bringing clouds between themselves and
Christ.
SHIP on the broad, boisterous and open
ocean needeth no pilot. But it dare not
venture alone on the placid bosom of little
river, lest it be wrecked by some hidden rock.
Thus it is with life 'Tis not in our open,
exposed deeds, that we need the still voice
of the silent monitor, but in the small
secret, everyday acts of life, that conscience
warns us to beware of the hidden shoals of
what we deem too common to be dangerous.
We love our friends all the tilne-when
we are so absorbed in working for them
that we seldom think Of them, as well as
when telling them of our regards. Thus,
if it is the fixed purpose of our lives to
glorify God-if we have given ourselves to
him with unreserved affections-the hours
that we give to diligence in business will be
hours IN which we serve him, Just as truly
as in our conscious worship and in such
service we shall make constant progress in
Christian experience.
The most learned acute and diigent stu
dent cannot in the longest life obtain an en-
tire knowledge of this one book, the Bible.
The more deeply he works in the mine, the
richer and more abundant he finds the ore.
New light continually beams from this
source of heavenly knowledge to direct the
conduct and illustrate the works of God and
the ways of men. And he will at last leave
the world confessing that the more he studied
the Scriptures the more he saw his own ig-
norance and their inestimable value.
"HE will draw nigh to you" What a
sublime and beautiful conception--that of
God and man approaching each other, com
ing near together man the weak, the sin
full, the unworthy, and God the Almighty,
the infinitely merciful and good The man
approaches by faith God, with open aud
perfect vision. Man approaches penitently
God, forgivingly. Man comes in utter pow
erty God approaches with hands filled with
all good things. Man draws nigh sorrow
fully; God comes bearing the balm OF heav-
emily consolation, Man approaches diseased
and helpless; God approaches with the
power and will TO cleanse from all upright
eousness. II is meeting, not with dread on
the one hand and wrath on the other, but a
coming together within the atmosphere OF
} infinite and eternal mercy.-Zion's Herald