The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-09-12

s'arvc, but, taking our belief that corn
WIN v, be valuable, will gently press for all
they can get.
And these are Sunday Thoughts. We
look from our window upon pear, peach,
pl"m' apple and other trees. The pear
'roes show many yellow leaves. TIE
wlld'gooSc plum shows red ones. We
observe that summer is past. Tie
trees say so. They are only whispering
now, and oh ! if we would only listen
to and heed the whispers of vice when
it whispers in the talt--.for it is fall all the
time to those who listen patiently to
such whlsperngs We see the decay OF
nature alrcady-that is, we see the de-
cay Of the nummcry, the fashion, the
bangs and Mother Hubbards, the stuck
up styles, in the decay of the annual
leaves beautiful in death. They were
green before, and death gives them res
pect. Would to God that all the infer
nal hypocrlsies, blind faiths, false pcrse
cutions, ridiculous superstitions, unjust
comments, ignorant surmises. contempt
iblc tatile, unchristion judgments-alI
ills Of this kind that afilict the persons
who pray by night and steal your char.
acier from you by day-would all these
could be put down by the sccdmcn Il,
annual.
Oh ! we ought to have gone to church
to-day. But, "Cm Bonof Mr.. Cur.
rcy, what good? We are so glad that
we have churches and preachers, and
a devil. If we had no devil, your occu
patton would be gone. We feel SOME
respect for the devil tins ugly day. All
the sin that is committed is laid on tho
devil. a good man Of the church, moi
long since IN Winchester, said he wa,
hasiy in saying something to us-thaj
it was the work of the derH and not tho
spirit Of the Master that ac,uatcd him.
Well, we thought afterwards Of how
much was laid upon the devil-hov
much the devil lad to bear for tho
mcanncSs Of men. Really, the churcl
is putting too much on the devil. II
We had oar way We would say to Chris
tians You shall not attempt Il
shoulder off" your sins on the devil
The devil has enough to bear. and you
must come strictly up to the law Of tn,
church. If YOU have been forgiven yor
will do right under all circumstances, N
Christ did, and not allow yourself to b,
influenced by the devil, for that is ad
hitting that the devil has more powe
than God.
Well, we ought to have gone t,
church to-day, but il We had gone ant
our heart was dead, and our thought
atar, what good? We have looked sad
ly upon the faint premoniton Of Natur
that summer is past and we should "la,
in" our wood and coal. The little vel
low leaves that fluttcr awhile to tn,
cold breeze and then 90 zigzagging t,
earlh--sweet messcngers--ihey tell Il
that we must prepare for winter. The.
tell us Of death, also. But we do no
want to think OF death The majorit,
OF men me slow to do 50. We do no
want to 60 to the dark valley, not evel
if it should lead to Paradise. As Prem
tice said: 1--WE do not want to 90 down
in the damp graves, even with prince
for bed-iellows." And Prentice alluded
to the beautiful dream of lon, and tina
hope OF immortality 50 eloquently Ut
tered by the death devoted Greek,
when about to yield his life as n sacriic
to fate, and said in reply to Clcmanth
as to whether they should meet again
~ have asked that question Of the hill
that look eternal of the clear stream
that flow forever; of the stars anon
whose fields of azure my raised spirit
have walked in glory; all are dumb
But as | gaze on thy loving face fee
that there is something in love tina
mantles through its beauty that canno
wholly perish. We shall meet again
Clemanthc."
This was beautifully said by PREF
ticc, hut we sit here this Sunday an
wonder if Prenticc-the gifted poet
wasn't writing ircm faith and not erp
rience. However, grief brings out on
noblest virtues, Just as the fragrar
arbor vitae yields its virtue to cruz
pressure. Just so it was that the crue
ty of persecution of the Christian sec
made humanity relent in their favor
which redounded to the glory of Go
and the establishment of His accrcditc
son, Jesus Christ, all over this land
And sitting here, lonely, this Sabbat
day, with malice towards none, we hop
our erratic Sunday Thoughts may nc
fill unproftably the space they do in thi
weeks Home Journal, for we are sic
and weary, and could not 60 to Church
And yet, this dismal day we are pu
to thinking of the host of follies and sin
we have to answer for-as many almos
as DR.. White, of the Lebanon Heral
but we would wipe away all teal
from all eyes and fill every heart wit
sunshine and happiness. Such fee
ing must surely possess the bosom of e'
cry one who is truly n Christian, els
professions of Christianity are false an
utterly sinful