Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-12-10

On waxing 1rOm steep eac0 new Day
being devoted ~to reading the scrip
lures, to meditation and prayer-a
sort OF holy exercising of the evil
spirits and feshly lusts, a washing
out OF the fret and soreness Of the
heart, the a1ointing OF the inner SELF
with heavenly ideas. I entreat YOU
to establish this morning watch.
Keep your Jerusalem windows open.
Believe the presence Of the Almighty
about you and hear Him say: IT
will be to them as little sanctuary
in the countries where they shall
come"
Shall we not esteem our mountain
top our castle for refuge? In olden
times in Germany or France or Eng
land at the morning light through
the castle gates issued the people,
each to his farming or trading or
journeying. When enemies came, or
nightfall. into the castle they hied
for safety. Castle-surrounded is my
soul while keep unprofaned tryst-
ing place with God. Assaults are
made separate the world by haul
ing in across the moat the drawbridge
of worldly thought. let the port
cp1lis call. hide within the protec-
tfon of Him who is my fortress.
Come hither, tempted men and wom-
FEN! Come, any Margaret cast OF by
any Faust! Come. every Simon Peter
who falls! Make haste to the castle!
Shall we not consider our mountains
top a communion closet? Christ dis.
| closed the first secret of prayer thus:
when thou prayest enter into thy
closet, and when thou hast shut the
door pray" We simply must some-
times leave the world out there.
Grant yourself little release from
our terrible New York turmoil. Oc-
casionally shut outside your secret
prayer-door even your dearest earthly
| friends. Depths OF divine communion
wait in which you can enter only
when alone. An often used prayer
cell would be the best possible feature
in New York Office building and
would prevent many tragedy Of
character sad enough to make an
archangel weep.
Shall we not seek our mountain
top for inspiration? Are not our ma
lures like stagnant waters needing
| to be lifted in looms Of light and
woven into vapors, reborn in the sky,
| to descend in benedictions on the
land? What inspiration, what ex-
| altation, what sense of other Worldli-
ness the TRANSPORTATION brought to-
Christ and the three disciples! De-
| tacned it seemed they were from
eartH-there in exhilarance. De-
| tached from time they were-eras of
Moses and Elijah and Jesus merged
there is the atmosphere of eter-
| nifty. Detached from fear-even
| death spoken OF as an exodus. =
transit out Of Egypt into Canaan
| there is fullness of Joy. And what
| cI,oll cou9-of fhaf 0hokfnQf n
hight that clothes the Mount? OF the
I Masters raiment white from the
woofs OF God? OF His sunlike shin-
ing face? OF the voice ethereal
trumpeting: "This is My beloved
SOM" OF the rapture well nigh past
endurable?
But yonder is an afflicted boy, down
in the mountains shadoW-pity that
poor lad Any moment convulsion
takes him, hurls him into fire or
water His body now is rigid, now is
limp. His teeth chatter and-Why
does he not speak? Disease has slain
his power of speech. No sound hears
he A demon tyrannizes over his
spirit. From childhood's days, year
on year his malady has been to him q
living death. Take back your lnoun-
tain top words, Simon Peter, 1t is
good for US to be here-And Let us
make three tabernacles. y Could ye
Sit and sing yourselves away to ever
lasting bliss up there and let this
tortured youth go on dying and yet
not dying?-Christ and His three
, I disciples descend the mountain and
behold the lad unshackled from h1a
agony! Granted are the mountain
top experiences that all may. render
/ the lowlands better service. Freely
, re have received; freely give"