Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-07-21

in his troubles the hand of God has
been leading him, that all things work
together for good for those who love
the Lord. Then as he sits there in the
woods upon the hillside with the brook
gurgling by his side he Will think that
he is sitting at Christ's feet, Just the
same as the disciples of old used to do
IN the open air. Then he will hear
chirp. When he looks up, he will see q
little bird swinging upon the tree
branches over his head He will turn
and read from Matthew: Are not two
sparrows sold for a farthing, and one
of them shall not fall on the ground
without your Father. Fear We not there
fore; We are of more value than many
sparrows." AS the Christian wife
walks through the fields and picks the
daisies and clover tops and the golden
rod and the bright yellow buttercups
she will remember the words Jesus
spoke when he said that as he cared
for the lilies of the fields so he would
care for her. There is no place on earth
where man can get SO close to God
as with an open Bible in the quietude
of the woodA
Never was / more impressed with
this thought than some years ago when
l visited a humble little country church
nesting among the Berkshire hills
People have often asked me what was
the most impressive religious service |
ever attended. | have worshiped in
the Metropolitan tabernacle of London
and witnessed the marvellous power
Charles III. Sturgeon had over his great
audience. | have been at the feet of
Joseph Parker, the mightiest one man
religious force today in all England. |
have heard Henry Ward Beecher and
often Mr.. Moody. l have heard nearly
all of the great living preachers this
side of the Atlantic and many from be-
yond the seas, but the most impressive
religious service l ever attended was in
that little white meeting house way up
among the Berkshire hills. There were
only about thirty-fve people present.
The little organ was not worth more
than SO. The young girl who sat and
played the hymns knew but little about
music, but for three long hours before
| entered that building / had been COM
muning with God in the quietude of the
hills. Alone with my Heavenly Fa-
Their l saw the setting sun. Alone with
my Heavenly Father, l had been living
in memory over my past sinful life.
Alone with my Heavenly Father, l was
telling the Saviour about my troubles
And when | saw the little light of the
meeting house l was beckoned in. Then
the first prayer melted my heart until
the whole room for me was filled with
the Holy Spirit.
Take Christ Along.
Oh my brother and sister, l want
you to go out into the country not only
to get a physical rest, but, like the
disciples of old, 1 want you to take
Christ along. In the quietude of the
woods, with your open Bible, | want
you to keep open a receptive ear so
that your Heavenly Father may talk to
you, and by prayer | want you to talk
to your Heavenly Father. If you will
only do this, you will not only in the
country draw nearer to your Heavenly
Father, but you will find that Christ
during all the long oncoming winter
months will stay very close to you. 1
Wait you W yet
with Christ. | want you to realize that
he is the dearest, the tenderest, the
kindest, the most forgiving and the
most loving companion a pardoned sim
ner could ever have.
But there is one other advantage of
summer vacation about which l
would speak few words. That ad-
vantage is the desire which comes to
all true Christian hearts to get back
into the harness to do the work which
God has given them to do after the
summer vacation is ended. In the
spring the tired schoolteacher is apt
to complain. She says to herself:
"Why did l ever become a public
school teacher? Many of the mothers
only send their children to me because
they are too lazy to take care of the
children themselves" But after the
Christian schoolteacher has had a rest
in the country with God she begins to
realize her opportunities, and she says:
| ooh, how good God is to me! Think
of the opportunity of usefulness |
have. Perhaps by the grace of God
shall not only influence these children,
but also the sinful homes from which
they come" After the minister has
been off alone with Christ to rest
awhile he longs to be back in his pull
pit to preach again about the Christ
whom he has so learned to love. The
t mother the tired mother, after she
5 has had her rest comes back with a
happier heart, a sweeter smile and a
j gentler prayer. May God pity today
r the men and the women who are sc
4 physically exhausted that they think
!; their religious opportunities for doing
! good are perpetual burden. By the
s power of recreating rest may all Chris
j tan workers during the coming sum
e mer months have their spiritual eyes
i opened. May they rapturously see that