St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-12-16
Religious ReadiHg.
The Blessed Privilege OF Many
Years.

The gift of push, stir, outward ac-
tivity, is specially made to the young.
1t is in part a physical gift, coming
with the fresh, breezy vitality of
Younger years. 1t helps us wonderful
iy in an aggressive Christianity. AS
we grow older. as the snOwtiakes catch
in our hair. we find that we are losing
this power. We may desire to treas
ure up this precious elixir. but it drib-
bles away from us inevitably. The
power may go very slowly, like per
fume passing out of our atmosphere by
such insensible gradations that we can
not tell when it is departing, and when
gone it is some time ere we are per
suaded that it has really left us.
When gone, we may so mourn over
the fact as to consider our services
trivial in Christ's church. But we
find here a law of compensation at
work, so that if we lose in one direc-
ton, it is our privilege to gain III an
other. We are familiar with the prin-
ciple in nature that force Is never lost.
Ii NAV change its form of manifesto
ton, but its life is perpetuated. The
Christian activity exercised by any IN
their younger days is continued III the
lives of others that may have been
reached and bettered. The stream
flows on which once we started, and
up on the heights of many years 1t may
be our privilege to stand and see the
now distant current of power we sent
out broadening and deepening in the
prayerful, earnest lives of others. II
makes a vision of some garden of God
for the eyes of the aged disciple.
Another source of power, and the
privilege of many years, is the infiu-
ence of that which we are. Great Ii
the power of u character gained and
maintained i'll community. The eX-
perience of younger days will not give
it. We must meet and survive the
temptations of middle age, be equa
also To its responsibilities, our gooc
name in "A community going up like 1
tower to greater and greater heights
People single out the possessor of TIM
tried character, and say, That Is ;
good man, IA good woman" The title
If grander than that of any kingship
for great is the power going out from
such life, making itself felt III every
direction.
Another privilege of many years IL
that of power with God through prayer
There is withdrawal from the out
ward activities of life, that there may
be IA retreat to those serener heights o
old age where men may build taberna
cles and there abide III prayer to the
divine Saviour. If the earth narrOws
the skies widen. Bnt actually Will
this broadening of the sky comes I
broadening of the earth, for there is n'
way in which we are so sure to have
influence with man as to have powel
with God. And what power attends
the prayers of aged Christians How
much is dependent on them 1t takes
the PRAYERS of one half of ChristendOn
to make of the highest value be ac
tivity of the other half. From these
clouds of prayer on the mountain tOI
come the gentle rains, distilling noise
lessly upon and making fruitful thu
cultivated fields. Here, too, is the
source of impulses not only helping
and developing many Christian enter
prises, but starting them. We remem
Der the case of lady who felt that sh'
could not die until she had seen ont
more revival i'll the church of Christ IL
her own town. How much her prayer
may have awaited in starting the mex
special work of grace In the cloud
about the secluded SUBMITS is tn,
home of many streams that flow dow
to water the valleys. Let us not un
derestimate the blessed privilege OF
many years. Rev. f. A. Rand.