St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-01-10
A MONTH WITH JESUS.

Handbook tor 1896, almost the HTSt
words that caught my eye were
these, A Month with Jesus.
discovered at glance that they
referred to the daily Bible readings
on the life of our Lord contained in
the four gospels in which we are in
vited to unite during the mouth of
January.
The Christlike Character, Jesus Our
Example in Prayer, In Service,
Christ's Tender Compassion, The
Cup Of Cold Water Jesus in the
Home, Jesus as a Guest, and other
similar titles, suggest the richness
and beauty Of the themes, and their
value to the spiritual lite of any one
who will avail himself of prayerlul
study Of them.
How can we resist such a feast as
this? What could be more attrac-
tive or inspiring? But my thought
ran on-if the privilege of actually
spending month with Jesus were
now offered us for the first time how
overwhelming its magnitude and sig
nihcance would appear What an
unspeakable honor
We all know how it is when we re-
ceive an invitation to visit in the
home of some beloved friend. Wea
cept it and anticipate gladly the
coming pleasure. We put aside other
things and give the first place to
necessary preparations. We picture
to ourselves the loving welcome, the
matters Of common interest which
will engross our conversation, the
variety of entertainment that will be
provided, and best of all, the heart.
to.heart communion and counsel to-
gether and the free and happy inter
change of mutual affection.
But wealth of meaning attaches
to all this when we think ofJesus our
dearest Friend as the one who invites
us. To sit at his feet, to look into
his face, to behold his beauty and
share his blessed presence; to walk
by his side, and talk witk him dav
alter day, to hear him speaking with
in our hearts by his gracious inspir-
ations-O, will it not be heaven upon
earth
How then can we plan to make
this month with Jesus one of highest
profit to ourselves, and especially
pleasing to him -?
1. We must not so cucumber our
selves with cares as to leave noroom
for living, personal communion with
him. The first thought OF all is, to
take time to enjoy him, and give him
time to enjoy us. There is nothing
presuming or irreverent in this last,
Tor 1.-THE Lord taketh pleasure in his
people," He notices when we turn
aside to meet him, and draws near
to us when we draw near to him.
2. We want to set apart an hour,
if possible, each day for the uninter-
rupted study of the Word, with the
earnest purpose of deepening upper.
sonal acquaintance with Christ and
tor calm meditation and prayer. We
have little to bring him, we know,
but he has the infinite riches of his
grace for us whenever we place our
selves in a longing, receptive attitude
before him. Upon all such souls he
sheds an abundance of his precious
balm and sweetness. In the silence
of the inner chamber he breathes the
choicest whispers of his love INTO the
ear of the lingering, not the hurried,
listener.
We all know too little and think too
little Of Jesus. Affairs OF daily life
press upon us and crowd out the
more vital interests that belong to
our higher and spiritual nature, till
we grow cold and barren in our
Christ love and our religious life be-
comes hardly more than dull march
over desert of formalities. O. we
need to spend more time with Christ
alone. We need to study carefully
his life and character and blessed
among men on earth.
There is no phase of ourlives which
he has not touched with his own,
and with which he is not in tender
and loving sympathy. The things
that make us glad and the things
that make us sad-our temptations,
our burdens and anxieties, our hopes
and aspirations-he takes them all
on to his yearning heart and bears
them for us, and shows us how we
may rest serenely in his all encom-