The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-11-08
HERE AND HEREAFTER.
An ImpOrtan mt Distinction.

An Important Distinction.
On great occasio Richard Watson
declared: Zone fundamental prin
ciple of Wesleyan Methodism is anti
sectariansm and catholic spirit. ,
This is true, as all Methodist history
from Wesley down makes evident. Ye
it also shows that Methodism stand,
strongly for denominationalsm and {
spirit of loyalty to its own ideas. The
combination thus indicated seems tt
us just the right one. Any body OF
Christians is sure to be weak and un
influential that does not thoroughly
respect itself and vigorously carry out
its own special mission; but it can dc
this without despising or railing at
their bodies, or comprising heaven
and earth to make prosclytes from
them To live and let live, think and
let think, to be manly and at the same
time friendly, is Methodism's way
Cynicism is one of the shadows
which experience casts.
The frictions of life are what wear
out the delicate machinery. Work
hurts nobody.
| In a world where SO much is ever
seeking to unhalow our spirits, to
| render them common and profane,
how high the privilege of consecrating
them anew in prayer to holiness and
to God = Trench.
In looking forward to future life, let
us recollect that we have not to sustain
all its toll, to endure all it's sufferings,
or to encounter all its crosses at once.
nt,n ,ny,t la1n 30
own little burden, then flies, and is
succeeded by another no heavier than
the last; if one could be sustained, so
can another and another. Jane
Taylor.
We often live under cloud, and it
is well for us that we should do So
Uninterrupted sunshine would parch
our hearts we want shade and rain to
cool and refresh them. Only it be-
hooves us to take care that, whatever
cloud may be spread over us, it
should be cloud of witnesses. And
every cloud may be such, if we can
only look through to the sunshine that
broods behind it.
Unlike courage, fortitude has en-
tered the battle and seen the worst
without alarm. Worsted today, it has
strength and resources which assure
victory tomorrow. Fortitude puts on
a bold front, is conscious of resources
not his own, "endures as seeing Him
who is invisible" Fortitude has
strength and staying qualities; it
marches in the column of invincibles.
The martyrs were supported by this
great quality. In the conflicts of
human life, the person armed with
this virtue stands firm in his shoes,
to suffer or fight without
tiinching or signs of fear.
1t is impossible to mourn, and yet |
not repine; to be sad, and yet not un-
happy: to carry solemn memories, |
and still joyous and useful. Life is
largely what we make it. We may
call back images of bliss and gladness,
and thank God that such felicity was
once ours, thereby sweetening the
present moment with the pleasures of
bygone days. But we must not always
be looking back. If we do, we are
almost sure to go as we look. We
must turn our vision sometimes to the
future, and try to carve out from what
is left to us fortune for the coming
days. God has promised that the
reign of sorrow shall end. "God shall
wipe away tears from off all faces. "
We may not stop our own weeping, but
God can soothe us. Shall we not ask
Him to put an end to our woe, to
cleanse away our sin and selfishness,
to fill us with His own Joy, and to
make us spiritually glad? God can
accomplish this transformation. We
have only to resign ourselves actively
and trustfully to Him to gain ourselves
the sweet solace of the indwelling
Comforter.
The materials out of which heaven
md hell are builded are found in every
life, and the man who slowly builds
heaven within him has constantly the
5errible knowledge that he has only to
1ut his hand forth in another direc-
ton in order to build hell; both are
within reach. But as man builds
heaven, his vision of the Internal
of life grows clearer, and
lis horror of wrong doing becomes
more constant and controlling. The
lisguises under which evil hides itself
become more apparent, until the beau
iful mask no longer produces even
illusion; the hideous face
S seen at glance. When one has
ome TO see sin as it is, and to loathe
md hate it, not for its consequences
nut for itself, one has gone long way
oward that final redemption from its
lower which we call salvation. But
We are never saved until we have
ooked sin in the face and know that it
s not only terribly reality, but that
t has touched the best of us with its |
eflement; and that, at some moment {
n our lives, the noblest of us must G
ny: 80 God the Son, Redeemer of c
he world, have mercy upon us miser- c
BILE sinners 1.-THE Outlook.