St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-01-22

VIII. What says the Mas
yer Oh MS word? If I would be in his
intimate circle. must "meditate IN h,s
law day and night" This will give mo
principles. which will illumine tbs wind
and exercise the Judgment. and n,oka
lie sensitive to his aprpoach. And
what says my Master in the con.
science! must steadily consult its
guidance as being that of a "lamn I'M.
70 my feet and light unto NV nath "
mus must be an explorer in tbe
Kings desires. and | must seek for
tLem as for hidden treasure. In the
second place, 1t implies painstaking dis.
crlhlnatlon. do not always find that
the VIII of the Lord becomes c,eor
anu optrus1ve in moment. The hal.
ance does not tilt violently and MAKO
it Immediately clear where the weight
% revelation falls. More frequently
the balance seems to turn with a hair
ana have to watch most scrupuIouslv
10 recognize the turning. Now and
again the case is SO clear that nv iury
can give verdict without leaving the
box. At other times the jury retires to
consider Its verdict, and Judgment is
temporarily stayed. Now, it Is in those
emergencies, when have to exercise
delicate discrimination, that find
moral discipline and moral growth NV
Lord puts this responsibility upon me
In order that ! may be exercised in
spiritual discernment, and may become
more and more sensitive in the percep.
ton OF his will. And still a third thing
Is Implied, and that is a determined
appreciation. Once know the will,
once the road Is clear before me,
must walk 1t with unwavering and un-
anesitating decision. Once | know the
Kings commandments, must conse-
crate every power to chivalrous ODE
dience. And now can bring this rea-
eoning to bear upon the great words of
my Lord. He graciously tells me that
If thus seek to do his will, the very
obedience will be instrumental in the
creation of vital ties Of friendship be-
tween the soul and him. 1t Is not mere
ly that my obedience is labeled friend
ship; 1t is that obedience creates
friendship. generating those wonderful
intimacies which are the richest and
sublimest of the soul
Intimacy Must Be Vital.
Now let us glance at some of the
primary characteristics of friendship,
in order that we may see something
Of the fair realm in which our souls
may find an entrance in the home Let
us survey some of the outstanding
things which are significant OF excel
lent friendship. First of all, there are
kindred tastes. Can two walk together
except they be agreed?" There must
be some identity of inclination If the
Intimacy is to be one of vital union.
There is enough similarity among the
Lake school of poets to enable them
to come together and sit at the COM
mon feast And yet, even in this init
mate school there are wide differences
In the scale of friendship. The fellow
ship Of Wordsworth and De Quincy
might be placed in the outer circle of
associates; that of Wordsworth and
Coleridge comes much nearer the CEN
ter: that of Wordsworth and Dorothy
Wordsworth dwells in the innermost
heart. Their tastes were SO akin that
the two beings almost constituted
one soul. And so 1t is with the friends
of the Lord. BY sacred obedience we
are introduced into the innermost
realm of fellowship, where we feast
upon common delights, and drink OF
the river OF his pleasures.
And surely another characteristic OF
friendship is the readiness OF one
friend to catch the others point OF
view 1t is quite possible to do this
with an author with whom we have
t,,d intimate communion. We can
hecome. so familiar with his mental
attitade. with his spiritual pose, that
we can tell in any new set of circum-
stances how he will confront them
And 50 II is with personal friend !;
nc can so enter into the bfases and
;nc,ination of his soul that we can
onnrehend his attitude before ne mas
axnressed it Il know how he will
,oar at it," We are able to make
his deductions. to draw his differences
and TO arrive at his conclusions. And
ara we not justified in applying this
.aasoning to the friendship OF the
,o,,l and the Lord? 1t is one OF the
Characteristics of high spiritual com
,nupion that it possesses flne appre
cation OF the Lords point OF view
1--WE have the mind of Christ. by
osad;enca the deliberative becomes the
instructive, and we Know A :
also we are known.
Mutual Dependency.
. anai,v there is this gracious
Anu . a of all true friendship
cna . ne friends stand ready a. mu
ta a cali One Is no sooner r. SICK g - .I ne
MS ll tha soul and the Lord. slano
wit ~ attention, and II he calls -. an mares
a. "a AFT # ! call upon him, me- 'ou. n ! vii,
Anu reply. Before he calls snr
speedy l IT, True friends are sur
ansM to mutual service ondsb,r
Al ~. ,n.' ord. And, therefore yo :
win ~ IN not dealing with aDs Ia
see. a. am not describing some e aas
real attitude to q raoian' friend. tn.
i I've ideal Nor IL our !, ,r t,uence, :
sive . mere posthumous inn ,.u.,ns II
LORD, d Leaf blind energy, hslns :
! -sl 4