Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-05-08

the CLEAN of stars above, so, in these
great depths of divine truth, all objects
in nature are grandly reflected. We
walk forth in the spring time and
every thing breathes of the resur-
rection. Bright blossom and spring
ing grass speak to US of the
coming up of those whom we have loved,
when in the white robes of their joy and
coronation they shall appear. And when
in the autumn of the year nature breaches
thousands of funeral sermons from
the text 1--WE all do fade as leaf" and
scatters her elegies in our path, we can
not help but think of sickness and the
tomb. Even winter, "being dead, yet
speaketh."
Another contribution which the natur-
al world is making to the kingdom Of
Christ, is the defense and aid which the
elements are compelled to give to the
Christian personally. There is no law
of nature but is sworn for the Christians
defense. In Job this thought is pre-
scented as a bargain made between the
inanimate creation and the righteous
man: ''Thou shalt be in league with
the stones of the field" What q
grand thought that the ightnings,
and the tempests, and the hail, and
the frosts, which are the enemies Of I'M
righteousness, are all marshalled as the
Christians body-guard. They fight for
him. They strike with an arm of fire,
or clutch with their fingers of ice. Ever
lasting peace is declared between the
fiercest elements of nature and the good
man. They may in their fury seem to
be indiscriminate, shifting down the
righteous with the wicked, yet they can
not damage the Christians soul, al
though they may shrivel his body.
Now l infer from this that the study
of natural objects will increase our re-
ligious knowledge. II David and Job
and John and Paul could not afford to
let go without observation one passing
cloud or rift of snow or spring blossom
you can not afford to let them 60 with
out study. Men and women of God most
eminent in all ages for faith and zeal
INDUCED in such Observations-PaysoL
and Baxter and Doddridge and Hannah
More. That man is not worthy the
name of Christian who saunters listless-
ly among these magnificent disclosures
of the divine power around, beneath and
above us, stupid and uninstructed. They
are not worthy to live in desert, for
that has it's fountains and palm trees
nor in regions of everlasting
ice, for even there the stars kindle
their lights and auroras flash and huge
icebergs SILVER in the morning light and
Gods power sits upon them as upon a
great white throne. Yet there are
Christians in the church who look upon
all such tendencies of heart and mind
as soft sentimentalities, and because
they believed this printed revelation of
God are content to be infidels in regard
to all that has been written in this great
book of the universe, written in letters
of stars, in paragraphs of cOnstellat ons,
and illustrated with sunset and thunder
cloud and spring morning.
/, infer, also, the transcendent impor-
lance of Christ's religion. Nothing Is
so far down, and nothing is so high up,
and nothing so far out, hut God makes
it pay tax to the Christian religion. II
snow and tempest and dragon are ex-
pected to praise God, suppose you He
expects no homage from your soul?
Where God has written His truth upon
every thing around, suppose you He did
not mean you to open your eyes and
read it?
Finally, / learn from this sub;ect
what an honorable position the Christian
occupies when nothing is so great and
glorious in nature but it is made to
edify, defend and instruct him. Hold
up your heads, sons and daughters of
the Lord Almighty, that l may see how
you bear your honors. Though now you
may think yourself unbefriended, this
springs soft wind, the next summers
harvest of barley, and next autumn's
glowing fruits, and next winters storms,
all seasons all elements, zephyr and
euroclydon, roses breath and thunder
cloud, cleaning light and thick dark
ness, are sworn to defend you and Co
horts of angels would fly to deliver you
from peril, and the great God would I'M
sheathe His sword and arm the universe
in YOUR cause rather than harm should
touch you with one of its lightest fingers.
'As the mountains around about Jeru-
so!em, so the Lord is around about His
people from this time forth for ever
more"
Oh, for more sympathy with the nat
ural world, and then we should always
have a Bible open before us, and we
could take a lesson from the most fleet
ing circumstances, as when storm
came down upon England Charles Wes-
lev sat in a room watching it through
an open window, and frightened by the
lightning and thunder a little bird flew
in and nestled in the bosom of the
sacred poet, and as he gently stroked it
and felt the wild beating of its heart,
he turned to his desk and wrote that
hymn which will be sung while the
world lasts:
Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the pillows near me roll,
VIII e the tempest still is high;
Hide me, o, my Saviour, hide,
ill the storm of life be past,
Safe into the haven guide,
o, receive my soul at last.
xT;. poforY, Nou PosSfhla