Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-06-09
The Silence OF Love.

Mr.. Editor The following article may
be of comfort to some readers of the your
paper who may have passed through expert.
ences similar to that referred to. The au-
thor was gifted lady in England, who died
some months ago. just previous TO her
DEATH while lying in an apparently uncon-
scious state, she suddenly opened her eyes,
and reaching out her arms, as if to grasp
some one, smile of rapture spreading over
her face, she said with cooling voice "Oh !
he is coming he is comingl' and in few
moments expired. SCI
An invalid was left alone one evening for
little while. After many days of acute
pain there was lull. "Now,' she thought,
| shall be able to pray little" But she was
too wearied out and exhausted for this /;
feeling that utter weakness of mind and
body which cannot be realized without ac-
tual experience, when the very lips shrink
from the exertion of whisper, and it seems
too much effort of thought to shape even
unspoken words. Only one whisper came :
Lord Jesus, / am so tired !" She prayed
no more; she could not frame even petit
tion that, as she could not speak to him, he
would speak to her. But the Lord Jesus
knew all the rest he knew how she had
waited for and wanted the sweet conscious
communing with him, the literal talking to
him and telling him all that was in her
heart; and he knew that, although quiet
and comparatively painless hour had come,
she was so tired that she could not think
Very tenderly did he, who knows how to
,t,p 10 tt,.., ahA
a message in reply to that little whisper,
mothers hush " to one whom his mother
comforteth. 1t was quite enough, as every
spiritgiven word is and the acquiescent
silence was filled with perfect peace. Only
real friends understand silence. With
passing guest or ceremonial acquaintance
you feel under an obligation to talk; you
make effort to entertain them as matter of
courtesy; you may be tired or weak, but no
matter you must exert yourself. But with
very dear and intimate friend sitting by
you, there is no feeling of the kind To be
sure, you may talk if you feel able; pouring
out all sorts of condolences, relieved and re-
freshed by the interchange of thoughts and
sympathies. But if you are very tired you
know you do not need to say a word. You
are perfectly understood, and you know it.
You can enjoy the mere fact of your friends
presence, and find that does you more good
than conversation. The sense of that pres
ent and sympathetic affection rests you more
than any words. And your friend takes it
as the highest proof of your friendship and
confidence, and probably never loves you so
vividly as in these still moments. No mat
ter that twilight is falling, and that you can
not see each others faces, the presence and
the silence are full Of brightness and elo.
quence, and you feel they are enough
Even so we may be silent to the Lord.
Just because we know he loves us so really
and understands us so thoroughly There
Is no need when very weary, bodily or men
tally, botb to force ourselves to entertain
him, so to speak; to go through sort of
duty-work of certain amount of uttered
words or arranged thoughts. That might be
If he were only to us as a way.faring man
that turneth aside to tarry for night, but
not with the beloved and gracious One who
has come in to abide with us, and is always
there If this is his relation to us, there is
no fear but what there will be, at other
times, plenty of intercourse but now, when
we are $50 tired" we must Just be silent to
him instead of speaking to him.
This is one of the expressions which are
exclusively used concerning the things of
God. There is no such thing as being silent
to any one else. Silent with a mortal friend,
but never silent TO any one but the Immor-
tai One. Though it has its earthly analogy,
it is not identically the same. For none but
our Lord can interpret the unseen pulsings
of that which to human ken is only silence
He hears the music they are measuring out
before him He takes the confidence of
that hush at its full value of golden love.
He sees the souls attitude of devotion and
faith through the shadows which hide it
from itself.
Sometimes he takes the opportunity of
our silence TO speak himself. He answers
it "with good words and comfortable
words" And do we not know that one
such word from him is more than anything
else, worth ten thousand-fold all the weari-
ness or exhaustion of pain which brought us
to be silent
But sometimes he answers silence with
silence. What then Are we to conclude
that he is gone away, or is not thinking
about us, forgetting to be gracious We
are judging him as he would not Judge us.
lie did not put such an Interpretation on
our silence; then why should we on his
Let us take his Interpretation of it, surely,
we should believe what he himself asserts
He will be silent in his love-" (Zephaniah
iii, II, margin) Can any words be more
beautiful ? 1t is as il he, even he, who made
mans mouth, had made no words which
could express his exceeding great love, and
therefore he could only expand it in the ST.
lence which lies above aud below and be-
yond all language. When we have said, as
very likely we have often done, Why art
thou silent unto me, o Lord ?" Why did
we not take his own exquisite answer, and
trust the love that was veiled in the silence
For whenever we can say, Truly my soul
waiteth upon (Heb. is silent toy God" we
may rest assured that any apparent waiting
on his part is only that he may be gracious
unto thee"
We may be sure he has many things to
say to us when he sees we can bear them.
But till his time to speak is come let our ST.