Gospel Herald, 1859-12-10

              GOSPEL HERALD.
Devoted, to Christianity, Morality, the IntereetB of Sabliath Schools, Social Improvement, Temperanoe, Bdu.oatior>., and General Netvs.
"BEHOLD,   I   BKING   YOU   GOOD   TIDINGS   OF   GEEAT   JOY ....  ON   EARTH   PEACE,   GOOD   AVILL   TQ-WAKD   MEN."
VOL. 16.
DAYTON, 0., SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1859.
NO. 31.
SELECT POETRY.
'Tis' a pleasant thing to Live.
BY LILLA N. CU8HM.UJ.
Gh! the light of life is pleasant
To the young and gay of heart. And pleasant 'tis to see the sun.
Ere tlie joys of earth depart, But Tfhen the heart seems free from care,
And all earth is fair aud gay; Thero are angels come unbidden,
And they bear our joys a.iFray.
Oh 1 tho light of life ie pleasant
Ere Bon'o-* clouds o'er the brow, 'While the forma -we love are round us,
And our hearts with pleasure glow ; Bre the bitter tears of anguish
From our weary eyelids fall. Oh ! the light of life is pleasant.
Is a joyous thing to all.
But when the cold wave of sorroiy
Breaks with force upon tlie heart, And the loving and tho lovely
In the bloom of life depart, 'When the household band is broken,
And in fragments at our feet. Oh! the thought of death ia pleasant,
And the hope of heaven ia sweet.
ORIGINALITIES.
Written for the Cktsptl Herald,
The Closet of Prayer. BYn. K. m'oonell.
" But thou when thou prayeat, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy l''ather which is in secret, and thy Father which soeth in secret, shall re¬ ward the openly."—Math. 0: 0. The Saviour did not mean by the use ot this language to oppose public prayer, for this would have been con¬ trary to his own example. He pray¬ ed in the presence of the Twelve. John 17:1: 26; in the presence of the JetvB, ¦when he raised Lazarus from the dead. John H: 42. He prayed in tho presence ofthe vast assembly which witnessed his persecution and cruci¬ fixion. Luke 23: 46:34. Bnt the Jews were in the habit,/or pretence, of mak¬ ing long prayers in public places and on occasions of large assemblies. It is said that some of their prayer cere¬ monies required three hours to per¬ form them. Then they were very pre¬ cise aa to the hoar appointed for their prayer, so thoy would pray at the time, let them be where they would, but they preferred having the hour of prayer overtake them while in the street where thoy would be conspicu¬ ous.
Commentators think tho Synagogues spoken of in Math. 6: 5: were places built near the markets, for the accom¬ modation of the proud Jew; that he might exhibit himself, the better while praying and not the Synagoguge pro¬ per. Whether this ia correct or not, iheydid build rostrums in public parts ofthe city for this purpose; they were at groat expense for tho nn-^vorthy, in- oompeteiat dosiga of making them- eelvos notorious. ¦ It was this burden¬ some formality—this vain pomp and Bclf-exattation, that the Saviour meant to correct in inealcating the doctrine of secret prayer. Then, there is great proprietor and eonsiBtency in   eecret
prayer. It has an important relation to the existence and growth of life in the soul. It is ,18 oil to the burning taper, or the refreshing shower to tlio tender flowers.
1. 'Love for secret prayer is a strong evidence of our own sincerity. It is a law in all philosophy that every effect must have an adequate cause. When the lover of secret devotion and communion comes to analyze his or her feeling, there can be found in them noadequa'te cause for such exercise, but- a sincere love for divine fellowship and communion. It is impossible that it arises from a desire to be seen of men, for none but spiritual beings can look into the closet. It cannot be to be heard of men for none but tho ear of God and angels can hoar the silent whisperings of the heart. There can be no just rea son for your love ofthe closet of pray¬ er, but your pious sincerity. Then if you deeply love your closet, you have one clear, satisfactoiy evidence ofthe purity of your motives, and your fel¬ lowship with God.
2. The closet ia a well chosen place to free ourselves from all distracting influences. The diiferent. senses aro but 80 many avenues to the mind; and in proportion as they receive the in fluenee of objects adapted to them, in the same proportion they tend to call tho mind in that direction. So when surrounded by objects attractive to the eye; and hear sounds harmonious to the ear; and are in an atmosphere scen¬ ted with the pleasant breath of spring, all these different influences tend to distract the mind from any special, close train of thought. When you en¬ ter your closet you shut your door be¬ hind you, thus leaving the world with its sights, sounds, tastes and smells be¬ hind to serve you when needful; but in the quiet of your retreat, you seek on¬ ly to hear the foot-fall of the angel messenger who comes with commis¬ sion from the Eternal One, tohear your prayer and commune with j'ou, and import the divine blessing.
Coleridge says, "prayer is the high¬ est intellectual efi"ort of which man is capable." Tiiis is true; therefore, the mind should when called upon to per¬ form this highest function, De allowed the complete use of its internal.self.— This it can best have when most se¬ cluded from the visible and audible world.
Then again, the very place and pro¬ cedure are emblematic, and act like charms. The mind conceives of but two states—the world, a,nd the pres¬ ence of the Divine Father. . As you go out of the world into the closet, you feel that you enter the presence, cham¬ ber of tho Almighty. Thus realiziiig yourself in hia presence yon havo the essential fitness for prayer. Prayer would be infinitely more effectual did we but retilizo the truth: " Thou God seeat me."
Tho quiet of the closet suggests the presence of God and heavenly thoughta. The Lord was not in tho wind, nor the eai'thquake, nor the fire, but in the still voice. 1 JtJng, Ii): 12.
3. AVhen we pray in the closet, we Cftcapethe observation of others. There are-, diflTereiit motives in history to pray¬ er; one is^ to applaud the petitioner, another to-reproach kim, and another to  criticise tho  language  or alyle; bo
that many feel embarrassed to pray in the public audience. The young dis¬ ciple ofthe Saviour dreads the cross of prayer, for fear of the soorner or the critic. But in the closet there is no need ofthis fear, for when you shut your door, you shut them out. Obey then the voice ofthe Saviour, and be¬ come strong in spirit through the ben¬ efit of the closet, that you may not shun any duty any where.
4. In the closet of prayer, we may more fully pour out our souls. There we may freely tell all our grief, labors and cares; trials, temptations and sins. We speak in the closet to one who feels every throb of our hearts, and appreciates our every feeling.
As the child seeks its mother in the absence of all else, so we should seek special communion with him whose love bore oiir grief and with whose stripes we are healed-
5. In secret, we can best struggle with our own feelings. We should pray in secret, therefore that we may the better subdue all of our passions and thus become complete masters of oarsclvcB.
"He that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city."
Analogy proves clearly to us that the closet is the place to subdue, and discipline the mind. The Spartan youths were, from their early child¬ hood, rigidly drilled in tactics by their mothers, wlio acted from the impiilse of the truth that the battle field was not the place to learn discipline but toprac- tice it. The mariner watches the bar¬ ometer, and seeing the fluid in its tube rapidly sinking, though the sky is yet clear and tlie face of the ocean yet un¬ disturbed, save by the gentle breeze, he calls for haste in preparing the ves¬ sel for a storm. A few moments and the angry storm makes its appearance like the shade of death; the deep, dark fields ofthe cloud roll alniost on the water's surface. The boistrous ocean heaves itfl waves into the bosom ofthe storm-cloud, and as it approaches, it snatches the vessel in among the rag¬ ing elements, beyond- the hope of safety were it not made ready by timely in¬ dustry. iSo with the mind; if not dis¬ ciplined in secret—in the closet, when we come in-contact with the raging winds and waves of public life, it leaps beyond our control, and experience makes it but more indomitable, while deprived of the necessary discipline and culture of the closet. Eld I)avid Purvianoe, in tho Spirit of his Master, who went from the mountain of secret prayer to calm the contrary wind that perplexed his diseiplee in their vdy- ago, used before preaching special sub¬ jects, or on special occasions on which he more than ordinarily wished to con¬ centrate all the forces of his mind, -to spend a day in- fasti ng and secret prayer. The example of this worth}', devoted and successful man of God is not un¬ worthy of notice and respect; specially when we find it so fully authorized by tho theory and practice of the Son of Mary. Washington before all impor^ tant movements of the Bevolutionary Army, spent a time in secret commun¬ ion with the Ijord of Sabbaoth; to which. is owing mnch of the extraordinary" composure and mildneee with which he directed the motions of his compar¬ atively raw troops to the  great sur¬
prise of the "flo-wer of the Imperial ar¬ my."
Much might bo said to the point on secret prayer, but it is hoped, enough is already said to provoke many to the delightful duty of daily commun¬ ion with God in the closet. If you were assured that with bo little labor as tho closet requires, you could see and hold converse with some loved one; a father or mother, a brother or sister, or a child,
" Who hare gone to the home beyond the title,"
would you spend a day -without the enjoyment of such apriviloge? Surely not, when you go flo often to the cold clay-spot that only covers "the other clay," that yon may only read the name, and remember the life past of the missing one. O, you ask, is there .any thing in the closet equal to this? — Is there communion in the dost so sweet? Yes, more sweet, infinitely more. As God is greater than our friends, so is the communion of his earthly presence-chamber more sweet and promising than the communion of friends. Friends cannot save'us, they cannot comfort us, they can not eon- duct us in life and in death, unless they be di vinely commissioned, and thi a commission will only be given for those who love tho Closet of prayer. Greenville, 0:
  ^ 1!   ¦>   M > 	
WriUmfor Iht Gospel Herald.
The imperfection of that happiness which rests solely on worldly pleasure-
UY W. 8. MANVILLE.
Perfect happiness or pleasure un¬ alloyed without pain, is not attainable by fallen finite,man in thiig life. Every thing around him is marked with im¬ perfection. Man was happy in his primeval state of innoceney, being ho¬ ly, pure, and good, not stained with sin and shame; created in the image of the Divine Father, the Creator of all that was made to enjoy. The powers of lan¬ guage would fail, to describe the pleas¬ ure that was felt by the first pair that was placed in the garden of .delights. It was the morn of time. Tho begin¬ ning of a newcroatiun. The Sun shone in bis strength, and splendor. The bashful Queen or. pale Empress _of the night, throwed her silvery light, as borrowed from the sun, toliglit up the pathway of this pair. ¦ The aongsters of the grove-, tuned their'voices in joyful lays, in notes of sweetest melody—in harmony sublime, if possible to awa¬ ken in theirflowing hearts a sense of gratitude. The morning zephyrs with their spicy breeaes fans them, and brings odors of sweet perfume.-— The running liquid stream, flowing a- long smoothly through the grove in its crystal appearance speaks to them of bliss and happiness. But oh, how sad the change, when man. fell—all, all, was marred—^man mu.st die—no dis¬ charge in that 'war—to dust he must return. .Earth groaned and heaved ono mournful sigli. The once beauti¬ ful foliage now turns pale, sickly, and dies. The waters seem \o murmer— howling winds sighed a-nd -attered a mournful sound--the birds King thoir mournful requiinma, and .chattered like the dove that had lost her mat*.. Angels with solemn awe, stood looking on with wonder, at viewing the great chiuige that had Tfteenmade in this
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