The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-16
NONASTFEIfS.

BE subject to no sight but mine anC
thine.
Invisible TO every cye-ball else. '-Shaks
No one questions that monasteries nave
done good work in their DAY. 1hey
were nurseries of devotion and piety,
they were protectors Of good men; they
were keepers of learning. They served
q great purpose when Christianity was
young, and heathenism overspread the
world. And they taught and impressed
upon the world most important lesson
That lesson was the necessity or a GER
tain amount OF seclusion and solitude Tor
The preservation Of pure truth, and Tor
tie cultivation Of character. Monaster-
les served their generations, did their
work in their time. outlived their day.
wore out passed into abuse, and went
ont Of fashion, were abolished.
Still the Monastic idea remains. The
Saviour taught IL: when thou prayest
enter into thy closet, and pray TO thy
Father in secret. Let not thy right hand
know what thy left hand doeth. lie
went out into a mountain apart TO p'ay.
After the death Of John the Baptis,. lie
went of 10 Himself 10 be alone with the
Father.
Wisdom's self oft seeks to sweet, re-
tired Solitude, where. with her best nurse,
Contemplation, She opens her soul To-
wards Heaven. And every human being,
who is half IL man or woman, Graves 10
Dc absolutely alone sometimes. Other-
wise, we lose our identity, We become
lost In the general throng. and are In
way annihilated. or absorbed. The Wofld
calls IL dissipafed. which is not far from
meaning utterly wasted.
There are unsocial exclusive, and se-
elusive people, who are alone in crowd,
like Fortunatus' man. who almost froze
10 death in flaming fire. 1nore are
dark-lOoking. 30 cOntrived. unlucky
mothers Of vinegar. the very sight OF
whom gives us the heartburn. That's
not solitude. but self-imprisonmont. them
selves are their own dungeons. gloomy
and peculiar. They are warming against
sclhshness. As the old Turk on Broad
way. when Dee showed his son dude,
said 20 him: Ny son. behold what thou
maycst become. ar thou neglect inc
Koran. sour man g. a warning against
unsOciability, dude is Il warning against
being too much in the worlds eye. The
one is concentrated bitterness, the otner
is an outside. run 10 weeds.
III VIC are on good terms with ourselves,
and our happiness has its seat and cul-
tnre in our bosoms. if within We keep a
sweet temper warm affections and
bright hopes ana gentle just thoughts
towards others. we will bee sure 10 be
good company for ourselves alone and
the light OF devotion will burn clear and
strong. We VIII be- monasteries In per
fiction. refugees for men. as shadows OF
great rocks in a. weary land. and We
may pray as earnestly and effectively as
amy monk. Such natures. whether alone
on i'm cOmuauV are VnTitahie temples
OF the Spirit OF the living God. Their
sacrifcial fires never go out.
The sincere. unambluous. unostenia'
uous lowly Christian. whose heart is
set ON learning and cheriiling the truth
I'm his soul. and exercising himself On
good WILL kind acts. and faithful SER
vice. may. in every place Of duty, Wheth-
er in public or private, do the tull or
flee of the most consecratcd recluse.
The historian tells as that Charles v
retired from the throne, and. shut ul
in clOistor. kept himself fully inform
"a Of all that was going on I'M the world
and in full sympathy with ~. Again
historians ten us that Thomas Beckett
beneath his splendid oanoncals, was
found TO wear. close 10 his skin. a loath-
some hair shirt. and that Sir Thomas
Store. I'm the royal robe o
Chancellor OF England. tortured himself
into lowliness by the same painful gar
ment. Cucullus non facit momentum
the hood does not make the monk. ~
f. the bowed soul. i'm spite OF the out
side. We need not retire TO monas
ferries 10 DE monks: but the fresher oui
svmpathies. The more earnest viii DE ou
prayers. Our cNn souls may DE Gun
oycr-ready cl0istcr.