Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-04-04

However valuable quietude may be
to contemplation it Is not necessary
that we shall be, numerically, alone
centre of the jostling crowd, IN the
midst Of the rush and the roar and
the excitement of the street life OF
the great metropolis, in the midst OF
the worries, the discomforts, the
trials of business life a man may be
just as truly alone with God as
though he were alone upon the noun
tain top with silence only for his COM
panion. God may teach us lessons
that shall clarity our minds and sane
tify our souls in the face Of the most
distracting conditions If we will.
There is a lesson for us in every man,
in every crowd, in the noise and the
roar itself We need but, in the face
of humanity, to be still before God
and await His revelations in order to
enter into enlarged knowledge and
into the perception of increasing WIS.,
ions.
In the face of many-sided nature
| we may read the lessons God has for
us to learn. But we cannot learn the
most enduring lessons until we see in
nature not an end in herself, but
rather a means to an end. We cannot
enjoy the divinest blessings until we
shut out even nature itself, with all
| it's loveliness, its beauty and its charm
and in solitude and expectancy wait
| in stiffness upon God.
The loudest prayer is not the pray
er that brings the greatest blessing.
The oft repeated words are not the
surest of reply. The prayer that tells
| God what we need is not always the
most acceptable or the most effica-
cious. We are most blessed of God
| in prayer when we are simply still.
| Our Father hath knowledge OF our
necessities before we ask. 1t Is
| good thing for us to be constantly in
an attitude of receptivity toward God.
| If we would talk less to God and let
| God speak more to us we should be
better Off We learn most OF the
facts of the kingdom in prayer that is
not too voluble. He is wise Chris.
tian Who lets God speak to him. That
| is to say, he is wisest who is prayer
fully contemplative.
! Relaxation is as necessary as rush.
The man who is continually rushing
himself is the man who is cumula-
lively wearing himself out. His end
is at hand. None of us is better
man because of over-eXercise. Moth
| ing is more dangerous than to destroy
| to-day the vital forces that are stored
up for tomorrow use. Men cannot
escape the necessity for quietude.
They cannot live without it 70" long.
Every man must, for his own self.
protection, now and then withdraw
himself from the world. And that
which is true of the physical man in
his material relations is equally so oi
humanity in it's intellectual and spir.
itual departments. We must have in
tellectual relaxation To rush the
brain is to invite the madhouse. To
rush the soul is to invite spiritual
weariness Men must have relaXa.
ton.
And it is in these hours Of stiffness.
of relaxation of recuperation, OF com.
munion and contemplation that the
soul of man enjoys growth and invig.
Grafton.
Much as we may grow In the midst
of the conflict and the noise we do
not expand in the fullest measure ex.
cent in our hours of communion and
contemplation. Then it Is that we
see with the clearest vision, then it Is
that we comprehend the vastly truths
of Cod kingdom And as we do not
enjoy the fullest growth except in our
times of contemplation so true is II
that we are truly invigorated by our
moments of communion. The rush
may give us the energy that comes
from excitement and endeavor, but II
is but momentary strength. 1t IL
inevitably followed by reaction, Tur'
moil and tremendous endeavor may
minister sustentation for the time to
our nervous force, but it is in the
hours of contemplation, of quietude.
of communion that we are really in
yigorated, that we find true rest.
BE still" May God give us al!
the wisdom to be still and learn from
Him, learn that He is God.