St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-10-03
Reliainns Reading.
The Lords Cherishing.
BY FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL.
"Cherisheth it.r-EPH. V. %.

a
also for the smallest part. Lest any
one should think the Individual is
rather lost in the great whole, the gra-
cious word of our God comes down to
meet the possible or passing tremOr,
and says: "Ye are" not only the body
of Christ, but "members in particu-
lar"
Do not hesitate to take all the reve-
lation of love that shines softly through
this one word "cherisheth,n for your
own self; for the more you feel your
self to be the weakest imaginable mem
Der of Christ, unworthy to be member
at all of his glorious body, the more
closely and sweetly will it apply tC
you.
For it necessarily implies, on the one
side, weakness and inferiOrity and
need. 1t would be nothing to us if we
felt extremely strong and capable and
self-contained. The Lord would never
have taken the trouble to cause it to be
written for such people. They would
neither want it nor thank him for it.
We do not talk about cherishing an
oak tree, or an athletic, or even a
"strongminded woman" Our heart
welcome to this beautiful word, and our
sense of its preciousness will be just IN
proportion to our sense of being among
the Lords little ones, or weak ones, no
matter what others suppose us to be.
After all, are not even those who are
chasing thousands, but little ones; and
those who are Staying Goliaths, but
weak ones in theiI real and hidden
relationship to their own great and
/. Il II fO
Their in Christ or a mother in Israel may
turn with the heart of little child,
loving and gratefully, and perhaps very
YEARLY, too, to their cherishing Lord i,
to be comfOrted afresh with the old
comforts, and hushed to rest on the
little pillow of some very familiar text.
The Lord Jesus has said of all who
love him, 81 will love him and will
manifest myself to him." See how He
manifested Himself to you in these
words as your Cherisher. The word
conveys on his side nothing but atfec-
ton, and gentle, thoughtful care. How
do we cherish a little weak plant ?
There were plenty of handsomer ones,
but this little cutting, or seeding was
perhaps gift in the first place and
then we took fancy to it, so that we
cared doubly for it. Then we felt sort
of pity for it, because it was such a
delicate little thing; so we shielded it.,
and perhaps re-potted it, that it might
strike its little roots more freely. We
watched it day by day, giving it just
enough water, and not too much. We
set it in the light when it was ready, and
turned it round now and then, so that
even too much light might not make it
grow One-sidedly. And when at last it
put out a flower for us, we thought
more of that than of any ninety-nine
blossoms i'll the great garden. Is not
this something like our Lords cherish
ing? 1851 l.E 1882
Then think how ga nurse cherisheth
her children" q Thess. ii. ~ That is,
a gentle and wise one. How the little
ailments are watched and attended to
how the little weary heads are laid on
her shoulders and stroked to sleep
how the little meals are regulated and
given neUer fOrgotten-whO ever heard
of such thing How the little gar
ments are kept clean and comfortable,
changed and mended, as need may be.
How the nursery fire is looked after
(while all the while the guard is kept
on the bars,) so that the room should
not be too hot or too cold. How the
little bodies are cared for and loved
every inch, even the little fingers and
toes How the little fancies are borne
with and entered into, not unheeded or
scOrned and the silly little questions
patiently answered, and the baby les
sons taught, and the small tempers
managed, checked and forgiven! That
is cherishing. Need we trace its close
resemblance to the dealings of our in
finitely patient and gentle Lord ?
Then think of the still higher and
closer cherishing of the weak wife by
the strong husband-itself shown by the
only possible stronger figure, mo man
ever yet hated his OUn flesh, but nour-
isheth and cherisheth it - this set forth
by the Holy Ghost through the pen of an
Apostle, to convey to you some dim
idea of the Lords love and care and
thought for goa. What could he say
more For even thus the Lord cherish
eth you-He gives you his name to
bear as your honour, and his very heart
to dwell in as the home of your soul.
He gives you the right of constant ac-
cess, the right of continual dwelling in
his presence. He makes you partaker
of his very nature, joining you unto
himself, not only in perpetual cove
nant, but as zone spirit" with him. He
pays all your debts, and now all your
wants lie upon him, and these wants
are each and all foreseen and provided
for, and supplied with untiring love.
He knows in an instant when you are
weary or ailing, whether in body OF
tn l.,
right word for either, speaking verify
to your heart-knOws, too, when to be
silent fol little while. His cherishing
goes on night and day-just as much in
the dark as in the light; and will go
on, faithfully, ceaseleSsly, all through
your lifelong need of it, unto the end ;
and there is no shadowing whisper to
fall upon this lifelong manifestation OF
love-nO such words as "till death us
do part" No absence of your Lord
shall deprive you of it !; and all that
death can do is to take away the last
veil, that you may see face to face and
know even as you are known. His care
over you will soon be exchanged fol
perfect joy over you. "He shall see OF
the travail of his soul and be satisfied. ,
Work in the Great Harvest Field.
AT HOLY WELL IN IRELAND.-Fol
several miles our road was bounded by
bog on one side and rocks on the other
There were no evidences of human
habltation, yet here and there we pass
ed peasant-some crippled, all plung.
ed IN profound misery. l inquired the
errand OF these poor creatures, and was
informed that it was st. Somebody,
Day, and they were going to her wei
near by to be healed