St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-07-06
The DcacOn'S Week.

The communion service of January
WAS just over III the church ut Sugar
Hollow, and people were waiting for
MIR. Parlles To give out the hymn. but
he did not give it out he laid his
book down on the table, and looked
about on his church.
He Was Il man of simplicity and
sincerity. fIily in earnest to do his
Lords WnIE and do it with all his
might, but ne did sometimes feel dis
outraged. His congregation WAS IL
mixture of farmers and mechanics, for
Sugar Hollow was cut in two by
Sugar Brook. brawling. noisy stream
that turned the wheel of many mill
and manutactorN, vet on the hills
around ii there WAS still Il scattered
population, eating their bread in the
full perception of the primcval curse.
SO he had to contend with the keen
brain and Skcptical comment of the
men who piqucd themselves on pow
cr to hammer on theological problems
as well as hot iron, with the jealousy
and rcpulSiOn and bitter feeling that
has bred the communiStic hordcS
| abroad and at home while perhaps
hc had "a still harder task to awaken
tine sluggish souls of those who used
their days to struggle with barren
hillside and rocky pasture for mere
food and clothing, and their nights to
sleep the full sleep of physical fatigue
and mental vacuity.
1t seemed sometimes to Mr.. ParkeS
| that nothing but the trump of Gabriel
could arouse his people from their
sins and make them believe on the
Lord and follow his footsteps. To-
day-nO-a long time before to day,
he had unused and prayed till an idea
took shape in his thought, and now
he was to put it in practice yet he
felt peculiarly responsible and solemn
! izcd as hc looked about him and fore
BODIED the success of his experiment.
Then there flashed across him, aS
words of Scripture will come back to
! the habitual Bible reader, the noble
utterancc of Gamalicl concerning
Peter and his brethren when they
stood before the council ''If this
counsel or this work he of men. it
will come to naught but if it he OF
God, We cannot overthrow it,"
So with il SENSE of strength, the min
lister spoke "My dear friends" ht
said, ''you all know, though | did
not give any notice to that effect
that this week is the week of prayer
have mind to ask you to make il
for this once Il week of practice in
stead. think we may discover
some things, some of the things ot
God, in this manner that Il succession
of prayer-meetings would not perhaps
80 thoroughly reveal to us. Now
when | say this, don't mean to have
you go home and vaguely endeavol
to walk straight in the old way
want You to take TOPICS as they arc
called, for the prayer meetings. FOl
instance, Monday is prayer for tn,
temperance work. Try all that dan
to be temperate in speech, in act. il
indulgence of any kind that is hurt
ful to you. The next day is for Sun
day schools 90 and visit your schol-
ars, such of You as are teachers, and
p try to feel that they have living soul,
to save. Wednesday is day for fcl
. lowship meeting we are cordially
invited to attend il union meeting q
this sort at Bantam. Few of us cal
90 twenty five miles to be with on
brethren there let us spend tha
. day in cultiVating our brethren here
let us go and see those who have beer
cold to us for some reason. heal III
our breaches of friendship. confes
our shortcomings one to another, an,
act as if, in our Masters words, al
We are brethren
"Thursday is the day to pray fo
the family relations let us each tr
uo be tn our families on that day. il
our measure, what the Lord is to hi
family, the church, remembering tn
words, Fathers, provoke not you
children to anger Husbands. low
your wives, and be not bitter agaims
h them These are texts rarely com
j, mented upon, have noticed, in on
:. conference meetings We are NOR
= apt to speak of the obedience du
from children, and the Submissio
and meekness our wives owe us. for
getting that duties are always re
ciprocal.
D Friday the church is to be praye
for. Let us then each for himself tr
to act that day as We think Chris
our great EXemplaI, would have act
: ed in our places. Let us try to prov
+ to ourselves and the world about u
! Ma. 4..l- 4.