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Page047

. on him th e pu re love of J esu s . A voice from


th e soul would then speak to him of hope , of


God, of heaven. l\ l ethillks suc h a voice


would hav e po we r. The heart would bow in


rever enc e be fore it.


Reader, am I right in th ese reflections? ­Oh,


' thell what a work we hav e to do. It i;


g reat and g lorio us. \ Ve ar e 110 lon ger dog .~


mntlcnlly to cont end one with another for the


essentialsof reli gion, for th ey a re nil cOlnrl) 0ll.


\ Ve a re no lon ge r to di spute with unbeli evers ,


for so to 110 is usel ess, But in th e spir it of


love, in kind like th at which filled th e bosom ,


of Ch r ist, we a re to go out and mingle with th,!!


brotherhood of IIl/ 1n . Our whole soul mu st


Imthe in that , pu re unrl fathomless fountain of


heu evol en ce, which gu shes from the bosom of


l nfin ite love. •


, W hat heart will withstand suc h influ en ce?


' Vho are th ey ready to Uller imprecations 111' ­on


reli gion , wh en in its OWII lovelin ess it is


seen and felt to be th e ' one thing needful ? ' ­Oil,


that pr ofessed Christia ns IIIight feel th e


pow er of th ei r mission, 111111thus proclaim th at


' hope which is liS IlII a nc hor to th e SOIlI.'-


• WOllld th e whole army of en ro lled sold ie rs of


th e Cros s, live ill th'e spirit of 100' e like th at


which moved th e forgiving prayer ofJ esus on


Cn lvllry, lIlHl I hllli almost- snid, th er e would


n or he a sceptic ~ r worldling ben eath th e s un.


{\ nri ies o f th e un converted would flock to the


Gospel fea st, from th e north , so uth, east 111111


west, like th e troubled do ve to th e Putri a rch ' s


window. '


Without God! \ Vho is th e mall thus


wrereh ed P I heh eld him 11m yeste rday, de,


formed hy d isea se, entin g th e hrend of .. IIUI'ily,


she lterer ] hy th e roo f of , rhe poor hou se. A


pil grim e utre nc hed with pa in lind poverrv, nl­1II0St


trleu . lless on ear th, wi th ' no Father in .


heaven, no hope of Iii" beyond ' the grave l­O


h, wre tc hed bro the r! My heart fi. ilell me a~.


L un erupted hy IIr;: ulI ll, 1lt to so lve th e momen ­tous


qu esli ou,-' If a man di e, s ha ll he live


ngain P' I will weep nnd pra y in so litude , that


thv soul mny be tou ch ed by the love of Go d


1 ; nn s ure with the , illtelligent mind thou do~;


) JOs;; fJSS; lirg ulllc lII is not needful totlghten he,'


for e th ee the [ lath to th e tomb, whither th ou


a r t so rapi, lIy hastening. May thy heart of


s ton « become one ofjlellh, and thou shalt know


of rhe doctrille of Christ , a nd he d eliver ed


thull s iu uud death. •


Withnut Go d ! Let th ese terrific words


move us to unweari ed dil igence in lifl ing " I'


the ' fi! lI en nnd' friend less,' Let us put ' on th e


h rea{ tpillte of'fairh and 10I" e,' and for a helmet,


t he hope o f salva tion, that we may rescu e th e


wun rleriug fro m the darkness of lin beli ef.


Br ethren , OUI' field is as lal'ge us the world;


0 111' wo rk as lusting as tim e. Let th er e be 110


, f\'; s pa ir 0 1' fil iterlllg. ' Remembe r, ' we are


sund e partak ers o f Chr ist, if we hold th e be­{;


innillg o f ou re~ n fi de nce unto th e e nd ,'


G, w, S .


'" I.' HE KI NGD OM Ot' · HEA VE N SHOULD HE SOUGHT


THE PRACTICAL , CH R IST IAN.


I being entirely free from s in ; and our only


I hope of ever being en tire ly free from sin , is


• . . . . . . _ ." •. u I that we stru ggle with it till it be ov erCOIl) e­.


. ~ . _'. __ __ I that we ~ eek ' r igh teousness and true holin ess


I with our whole hearts, Oh! may ' we be wise


.. ., . __ 1Je. I unto afull and complete salvation !


w, H, r.


47


' Love truth, as mu ch us you love he alth, van­ity,


freedom, pleasure, even your fancy, and


you will filld it. Be as cu rious ! Oknow Hint


who made you, 1II1l1 to wh om yOll owo every­thing,


as th e low est mind ed men are to sa! isfy


th eir ear thly desi res. und you will find God and


life et ernal. ....,- F e, nelo71.


, ,


' Ve s ha ll soo ne r see tile , manna fall from


, '


heav en in th e dese rt, tha n th e c hild re n of God


sh all want support.- lb .


Ai m to be a ll you are ca pa ble of bein g.

Page 47 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840