Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-05-14
Shut up with God.

When man has learned that he is shut
up TO God, you will soon find him shutting
himself up with God doing it of his own
accord, pressed to it by the constraint of a
great necessity, and the ardor of one who
has begun to learn the secret of power.
When a church has learned that her might
as a church is not in her folio of names, her
unriyalled choir, and easy finances, but in
her humble, godly, childlike and prayerful
souls, and sees that leaning on worldly re-
sources is like Israel staying itself upon
Egypt, and that so doing she had no right
to expect God to accept her sacrifices, then
it may be expected that fathers and mothers
and children will be seen very eagerly, very
tenderly, very earnestly seeking to be shut
up with God. No wonder the chariots draw
heavily. They were unwheeled and un-
horsed. Now closets for prayer have a new
attraction. Now TO be alone with God has
a benediction in it. Now expedients of this
sort and that, for getting up stir, seem
very stale, and altogether despisable. How
leaden and lustreless, in the light of a genu-
inc, divine illumination of the Spirit, seem
the worldly expedients to which the church
sometimes resorts to do the Lords ca work
What is that to the shekinah of Gods pres
ence and the glory of it Once we read.
He that goeth forth bearing precious seed
shall doubtless come again with rejoicing
bringing sheaves' The great words "and
weepeth " were not seen. There was no
lack of going FORTH but the weeping seed
sowers-l say not sad and sombre, but the
weeping for JOY of faith and hope in God
as the giver of increase-they are not SO
common.
1t is first thing in spiritual life, growth
and fruit-bearing, that we are shut up to
God for all this. No less does this shut us
up with God in the Joy of communion with
him; in the sweet sense of dependence
upon him; in the consciousness that we are
touching the sources of power, and for the
purpose of pleading with him for the church
and the perishing.
Day breaks yet more into brighter dawn
when this and that one is finding it a
blessed thing, a necessitous thing, to be shut
up with God; when the meetings for social
prayer grow solemn and tender, and un.
wonted faces are seen there, eager TO shut
out the world and be shut up with God
Look for this cloud of blessing now, and the
plentiful rain, for this day to favor Zion has
come-the days of refreshing are nigh al
hand. Does he see this all over this land OF
ours, that his people are asking after the old
paths; kneeling in unfrequented places
gathering in circles for prayer; coming
thoughtfully to his house; opening neg
leeted Bibles-al as if the old seif-conf
dence was broken down, and it was being
confessed on all sides, The world has dis
appointed me- the mistakes of my life are
many, the sins of my heart are more p
go that ! Were as in months past, as in tn,
days when God preserved me, when hii
candle shined upon my head" Is this no
an imminent, widespread need just now
A more prayeriul spirit in the church a re
vival of a devotional spirit, to put fire anC
love, tenderness and power in our manifold
religious machinery, into our busting activ
tiles, and JUNCTION and fervor into our relig
ious services, as well as righteousness int,
( our secular affairs Men who feel them
selves shut up to God, and abiding mucl
with God, have always been the men whom
he has honored. Times characterized b,