A Brief Quote on Prayer and Praise

"Prayer is the child of faith; praise of love. Prayer is prospective; praise takes in, in its wide range, enjoyment of present, remembrance of past, and anticipation of future, blessings. Prayer points the only way to heaven; praise is already there."

- Hannah More

Breaks and Such

To the Readers:

I've been out of town (and thus away from my source materials) more often than not for the past 6 months, which may serve as an explanation for my long breaks in posting here. Some of my trips away from home I have taken materials with me to type up and post, but others it hasn't worked out to do that. If I'm away from home I also can't just wander around until I find an interesting book -- which makes my selections much more mundane (although I hope still worth reading). I don't exactly have it in me to trek around the country with rare old Puritans in fragile (or not so fragile) bindings. I apologize again for my lack of posts and hope to start up again toward the end of this month or perhaps in January -- and continue again more faithfully whilst I am in the Philadelphia area (for as long as that may or may not be).

Assuming I have time, I'm looking forward to delving into (or back into) Baxter, Gillespie, a few letters I ran across by a well-known Presbyterian whose name currently slips my mind, and a volume which is to the best of my Dad's knowledge the only Puritan book on the subject of dreams. Those are my known targets, who knows what I might actually lay my hands on.

In Christ,
SML

Working Christians

the
Presbyterian Magazine
April, 1858.
edited by Rev. C. Van Rensselaer, D.D.
Published in Philadelphia by Joseph M. Wilson.

Fragments. p192.

“Working Christians”

Learn to be working Christians. “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” It is very striking to see the usefulness of many Christians. Are there none of you who know what it is to be selfish in your Christianity? You have seen a selfish child go into a secret place to enjoy some delicious morsel undisturbed by his companions. So it is with some Christians. They feed upon Christ and forgiveness; but it is alone, and all for themselves. Are there not some of you who can enjoy being a Christian, while your dearest friend is not, and yet you will not speak of Him? See, here you have got work to do. When Christ found you, he said, “Go, work in my vineyard.” What were you hired for, if it was not to spread salvation? What blessed for? Oh, my Christian friends! How little you live as thought you were the servants of Christ! How much idle time and idle talk you have! This is not like a good servant. How many things you have to do for yourself! How few for Christ and his people. This is not like a servant.—McCheyne.