The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-07-15
Religious afllstellanp.
Both Sides of the Christian.

There is beautiful symmetry in
yonder maple tree, which / see from my
window; no limb obtrudes so far from
the outer line of foliage as to disturb
the equipoise of the tree; mathcmati-
clan could hardly have given it more
perfect balance. In Christian charac-
ter symmetry is equally important as
an element of both beauty and useful
ness. There is what may be called the
Mdrthd-side, which is occupied in be-
nevolent activties-iu giving, teaching,
toiling and other diifusive methods
Some good people rather overdo this
side, and neglect the Mary-side, which
consists in self-study, reading, medita-
ton, and heart-communion with their
Master. They are necessarily on the
90, in round of constant excitement;
and there is a tendency to noise, haste,
and general superficiality. Shallow
brooks often raise racket; the still
streams that run deep do not so soon
run dry. A life of Jealous activity re-
duires constant replenishing. The
should often take Mary's place at the
dear Masters feet, both to learn his
will and to be filled with his spirit. If
a bucket is to be filled from rain
spout, the right place for that bucket is
under the stream until it is full. We all
exhaust our supplies of grace pretty
soon, and must be constantly replen-
ished if we would be filled unto all the
fulness of God. The New Testament
does not tell us much about Paul's
quiet hours or private devotions. The
soiourn in Arabia, the time spent over
his tent-needle, and the confinement in
several prisons, may have afforded him
ample opportunities for meditation.
Such life of outflow must have re-
quired constant inflow. He must have
had close fellowship with his Lord,
deep heart-study and a perpetual soul
filling, or else he never could have
stood the hard strain and the heavy
drain of his public achievements. The
mighty men, like Augustine, Luther,
Pascal, Bunyan, Edwards and Wesley
the effective women, like Elizabeth Fry
and Mary Lyon-have drawn their sup
plies of strength from secret COM
munion with the Divine Fount-head.
AT the feet of Jesus all these powerful
Christians were little children. Abid-
inc in him, they drew the vital sap and
Welded the rich revenue of fruit.
Every Christian requires repose and
recruiting. No healthy believer can
afford to live in a perpetual whirl.
Daniel needed to have an " Olivet " in
his chamber amid the roar and revelry
of Babylon; and William Wherefore
the busiest philanthropist of his age, tells
us that he was forced often to withdraw
from the distracting hustle, in order tC
keep body, mind and soul in whole
some condition. In large towns the
temptations to incessant motion arc
very great; the opportunities for think
ING, praying and resting are pro
portionately few. A beloved and hon
ored friend. whose name is as widely
known as his beneiicence, secured his
feeding-time and filling-time by giving
a good hour to private devotions every
morning. The result was that he KEEP
his balance and never degenerateC
into a noisy enthusiast, or fell off into ;
disheartened pessimst. AT seventy
five he possessed the alert and arden
hopefulness of boy: as the admirable
new revision of the ninety-second Psalm
has it, he o brought forth fruit in oil,
age; he was full Of sap and green
There was one side of him which The
world saw, Duu lnere was announcer Slu'
of him which Sd1c God. We should al
look vastly better to the eye of thu
world if our own eyes were oftene
turned in humble, steadfast study o.
our Divine Teacher and EXemplar
He is the highest style of Christian
who is perpetually flowing out, because
he is perpetually filling up; who is a
strong on the side towards God as OF
the side towards his fellow-men; AM
who keeps his balance between eXter
nal activities and internal intercours
with his Master. Theodore l.. Cuyle,
DID,, IN the Evangelist.