Connecticut western news., 1890-04-30

eous with the wicked, yet they cannot damage the Christians soul, although they may shrivel his body. The win try blast that howls about your dwell ing you may call your brother, and the south wind coming up on June day by way of flower garden you may call your sister. Though so mighty in circumference and diameter, the sun and the moon have a special charge concerning you. ''The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night" Elements and forces hidden in the earth are now harnessed and at work in producing for you food and clothing. Some grain field that you never saw presented you this day with your morning meal. The great earth and the heavens are the busy loom at work for you; and shooting light, and silvery stream, and sharp lightning are only woven threads in the great loom, with Gods foot on the shuttle. The same spirit that converted your soul has also converted the elements from enmity toward you into invio- liable friendship, and furthest star and deepest cavern, regions of everlasting cold as well as climes of eternal sum- mer, all have d mission of good, direct or indirect, for your spirit.
 THE STUDY OF NATURAL OBJECTS.
 Now infer from this that the study of natural objects will increase our re- ligious knowledge. If David and Job and John and Paul could not afford to let go without observation one passing cloud, or rift of snow, or spring bios som, you cannot afford to let them 20 without study. Men and women of God most eminent in all ages for faith and zeal indulged in such observa- tions-Payson and Baxter and Dod- dridge and Hannah More That man is not worthy the name of Christian who saunters listlessly among these magnificent disclosures of divine pow CT 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 shiver 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 mind and heart as soft sentimentalities, and because they be- lieve 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 constella- tions,- and illustrated with sunset and thunder cloud and spring morning.
 l infer, also, the transcendent lm- portance of Christ's religion. Nothing is so far down. ,sand nothing is so high up, and nothing so far out, but God makes it pay tax to the Christian re- ligion. If snow and tempest and dragon are expected to praise God, suppose you he expects no homage from your soul2 When God has writ ten his truth upon everything around you, suppose you he did not mean you to open your eyes and read it2
 Finally, learn from this subject what an honorable position the Chris tian occupies when nothing is so great and glorious in nature but 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 unbe- friended, this springs soft wind, and next summers harvest of barley, and next autumn's glowing fruits, and next winters storms, all seasons, all elements zephyr and eurocly don, rose's breath and thundercloud, gleaming light and thick darkness, are sworn to defend you, and cohorts of angels would fly to deliver you from peril, and the great God would unsheath his sword and arm the universe in your cause rather than that harm should touch you with one of its lightest fn- gers. "As the mountains around about Jerusalem, so the Lord is around about his people from this time forth for evermOre."
 OH FOR MORE SYMPATHY WITH NATURE. Oh for more sympathy with the nat ural world, and then we should al- ways have Bible open before us, and and we could take lesson from the most feeting circumstances, as when storm came down upon England Charles Wesley sat in room watch ing it through an open window, and frightened by the lightning and thun- der 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 it's heart, he turned to his desk and wrote that hymn which will be sung while the world lasts:
 Jesus, lover of ny soul
 Let me to thy bosom fly,
 While the pillows near me ron
 While the tempest still is night
 Hide me- O my Saviour, hide,
 | Till the storm of life be past.
 Safe into the haven guide.
 o receive my soul at last.