Year: 1876

needs to refresh and strengthen both more
than any of his hearers; and that 1t is right
and assuredly expedient to choose the same
time for the holiday of both pastor and peo-
pie. Our grumblers are not to be appeased.
The threwd Scotch clerk whose sole intel
ectual effort is to pick flaws In the minister's
discourse, and the tired housekeeper whose
weekly recreation it ia to look at the hats ana
gowns in the neighboring pews and compare
them with her own, are likely to grumble
most loudly at their deprivation of spiritual
food. .t


But, after ALL may there not have been benefit
in even these closed churches, ii we chose to
look for itf Far be it from us to hint that
there are too many churches or too much
church going; provided churches and public
praise are only casual expressions of deep in
dividual piety, and do not take the place OF
it. Our grumbling reader must Judge for him
self whether his religion has been mat
ter of pew-holding and pew-illine, OF contri-
buttons to church funds, a loud singing OF
hymns and joining in responses, or daily
patient abnegation of self and devotion OF life
to the service of lOwly Master and his fell
low-men. If it is the latter, the temporary alb
sence from certain church could make no
difference in his habitual posture toward his
Maker OF his neighbOr. If it be the former, he
has had chance to try if there be not some
better kind of religion than that which
has hitherto sufficed. In either case it
will have done him good to prac-
tice new methods of worship. He might
have tried to make a sermon for him
of h,f ffxrx, ,a6 from
the Magdalen who brushed against his sleeve I;
to find out the moral lesson in the life OF his
wife he might have taken himself to pieces for
his own Improvement; taken stock OF his faults
and his virtues looked back at the whole current
of events since he was little animal at his IA
theirs table, and seen how he has been made
the saint or scoundrel that he is;-fOund the
overruling Power and the hidden meaning in
the whole story. No other history could be so
dramatic or tragic for him, or could be laden
with so profound significance. He would
have found preacher within if he called on
it loudly enough to waken it, who could point
this sermon with an eloquence and force be-
yond that of any mortal man.


Or If he tired of himself as subject
he might have found missionary work
unuer nlS own rooi' IL ii"o D'oD ~
very well to give bank notes to foreign
missions, but what OF his brother who
has served him as clerk or stood behind his
chair at dinner these years backf What has
he done to make life's load easier for them, to
convince them with hearty good will that this
Is good world, with a good God overhead,
and that there is better one beyond to which
II we 90 at all we must go hand in hand in
company It was when Elijah was alone that
tho still small voice came to him; mighty vis-
ions came to Daniel upon his bed; the shepherd
first sang among the hills with none but his
flock and God to hear the hymns which have
served humanity for all ages. Let US be sat
isfied now and then to be done with wor-
Shipping crowds, and shut ourselves in with
our own souls and the two dread Presences
which contend for us from birth until death.