Year: 1877

FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.


THE DAY is DONE"


In this one of LoDgtellow's poems, so
beautiful in thought and exquisite in taste,
he describes to US the close of the day, the
influence of the gathering twilight, and the
Sights from the village cleaning through
the rain and mist, and the desire that one
feels after the days work is ended-to be at
rest There is a repose, restfulneSs about
it that faScinates while it makes you wonder
where the magic comes from. 1t is that in-
discribable witchery that poets sometimes
weave into the web of thought.


And yet is it not fraught with deeper, a
higher meaning? The Dag is DOne!" Is
it record of time well spent, or has it been
spent in vain? Does it tell of wasted facul-
ties and lost opportunities? Has it been
aimlsss, violating Gods grand law Of order ?
If so, the soul within will bear witness to it's
Own criminslity by its restlessness, uneasi-
ness and dissatisfaction. 1t will re-echo the
truth that every rational and moral being
should live with some distinct and well de-
fined end in view.


What have we done for Christ to day p
We have decked our poor bodies, but how
much in proportion have we given to the
Lords treasury? Did you ask your friend
who spent the evening if he was Christian,
or did he leave you this evening and many
such evenings, and never felt the force of
your Christian ife2 Is there SO much time
for discussing George EiOt's last novel, and
none for Christ? Is our religion a gsrb to
be so easily dOnned and laid aside? Surely
it is not subject that need be fraught with
gloom, but one full Of brightness and hope,
full of interest and variety. Indeed we are
but cowardly followers of Christ if We fear to
speak in his behalf; when other objects en-
gross almost all our time and thought, and
the remnant is given to God This is not
the life that Christ came to give US, when
BE said, &" sm come that they might have
life and that they might have it more abun
dantly." If we have abundant life We will
be delicately sensitive of the approach of
sin. We must have this "delicate touch of
abundant life before We can do much for
God. We must feel the weight Of uncon-
verted souls pressing on our hearts. We
must not expect to escape from spiritual
pain. We know that there is something in
the constitution of the brain that makes some
persons more sensitive than others, and they
will have greater pain. Itis just 50 in reli-
gjOn. Some persons have more quickness of
apprehension and delicate appreciation of
their duty to God, and they will suffer
greater spiritual pain.


1t is this abundant, growing life that God
requires at our hands; that does not stop to
ask, "Lord, what shall do p but finds
much to do, and does it with alacrity- Go
into his vineyard, and there among the many
cultured and luxuriant vines you will find
some that need pruning and many that are
dying. A truly religious life can never be a
hidden life. The talent laid away in the
napkin can be of no service to God or man.
" Nature abhors a vacuum and knows no
greater satisfaction or more exubersnt hope
than when actively engaged in the pursuit Of
some desired object. Then how much purer
must be the spiritual nature, and how much
higher the end toward which its capacities,
affections and capabilities are directed.


1t seems somewhat anomalous to hear
Christian say, 81 can't talk on the subject
of religion, was never gifted in that way"
And yet they can talk freely and Charmingly
about other things. They are fond of Natu-
rsl Science, and Poetry, and EIoquence.-
But where do you 6nd these things in their
greatest strength and beauty? In the Bi-
be. God has linked hand in hand With re-
lgion all that is beautiful in nature, all that
is good in philosophy, all that is symbolic in
prophecy, all that is pathetic in poetry and
sublime in eloquence. Hence if We cannot
talk about Christ and His religion, the def
cheney must be somewhere else.


We must get that seusitiVeness that will
make us quickly appreheusive of the needs
of the hour. When we arise in the morning
we should remember that the page on which
our actions will be written has not been IN
rolled-let US be careful about the blOts.-
Work to-day; a word ftly spoken may do
much good. There may be some soul weary
and heavy laden with sin, and knows not how
to come to Christ. There may be others
looking upon Christ as severe judge, a
hard exscsor. 1t will be easy to tell them
how full of love He is-of pure, unalterable
love. Then indeed


"The night will be filed with music,


and we shall come into Gods presence with
the harp and the voice of psalm, with
trumpets and sound of cornet in that day
shall aever be done. s. NJ. 2.


A MERRY companion is better than music
and "a usefuI m a melancholy mind. ss al