A Stray Thought

 The following piece is by Frederick W. Robertson, and like the title, "A Stray Thought", it is random but intrigues me. I have never read this subject addressed in this way and it puts to words many thoughts I've had. 

A Stray Thought

  “Perhaps no man can attain the highest excellence who is insensible to sensuous beauty. A sense of earthly beauty may, and often does, lead to softness, voluptuousness, and defilement of heart; but its right result is to lead on as a stepping-stone to the sense of a higher beauty. Sensuous beauty leaves the heart unsatisfied; it gives conceptions which are infinite, but it never give or realizes the infinite.

                  For human beauty is a sight

                  To sadden rather than delight,

                  Being the prelude of a lay

                  Whose burden is decay.

Still it leads on to the infinite. It answers partly to a sense which it does not satisfy, but leaves you craving still, and, because craving, therefore seeking. The true objective of that sense is moral beauty; and by degrees we find and feel, as the outward fades and crumbles away, that there is a type of super sensuous; through the visible the invisible loveliness. Through disappointment at the unreal phantom, we learn to believe in and live for the unchangeable. No man knows the highest goodness who does not feel beauty. The beauty of holiness is its highest aspect. To act right because it is beautiful, and because noble, true, self-denying, pure acts commend themselves to a soul attuned to harmony, is the highest kind of goodness.

 “To see the King in his beauty” is the loftiest and most unearthly attainment. Can any one be keenly alive to this who has no heart for external beauty? Surely he who is callous to form and color, and unmoved by visible beauty, is not above but below our nature; he may be good, but not in the highest order of goodness. Goethe says that "Beautiful is above the Good": probably meaning that the beauty of an action is a more spiritual and elevated notion that its obligation or usefulness.”

I like this final quote and Robertson's interpretation; deeds of obligation and usefulness are always appreciated, but when an action is not required or expected it has its own beauty. 

The following piece by John Newton speaks to the blessings found in prayer, Church, sacraments etc. I enjoy his writings because of his keen insight into the hearts of men; this practical piece is a good example.

  Real communion with the Lord, in his appointed means of grace, is likewise an important branch of His blessedness. They were instituted for this end, and are sufficient, by virtue of his power and Spirit, to answer it. I do not believe this enjoyment will always be equal. But I believe a comfortable sense of it, in some measure, is generally attainable. To read the Scripture, not as an attorney may read a will, merely to know the sense; but as the heir reads it, as a description and proof of his interest; to hear the Gospel, as the voice of our Beloved, so as to have little leisure either for admiring the abilities, or censuring the defects of the preacher; and, in prayer, to feel a liberty of pouring out our hearts before the Lord, to behold some glances of his goodness passing before us, and to breathe forth before him the tempers of a child, the spirit of adoption; and thus, by beholding his glory, to be conformed more and more to his image, and to renew our strength by drawing out of the wells of salvation – herein is blessedness.” 

Gales of hope and fear

  "It may be thought then but common prudence in a man not to change a better state for a worse, nor ever to quit that which he knows he shall take up again with pleasure; and yet if human life be not a little moved with the gales of hope and fears, there may be some danger of its stagnating in an unmanly indolence and security. It is a know story of Domitian, that after he had possessed himself of the Roman Empire his desire turned upon catching flies. 
Active and masculine spirits in the vigor of youth neither can nor ought to remain at rest; if they debar themselves from aiming at a noble object, their desires will move downwards, and they will feel themselves actuated by some low and abject passion. Thus if you cut off the top branches of a tree, and will not allow it to grow any higher, it will not therefore cease to grow, but will quickly shoot out at the bottom." 


I want to add something to this but it stands on its own so well I will leave it. 


Joseph Addison, photo from the Internet.

Sculpting men

 “Aristotle tells us that a statue lies hid in a block of marble; and that the art of the statuary only clears away the superfluous matter and removes the rubbish. The figure is in the stone, the sculptor only finds it. What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to an human soul. The philosopher, the saint, or the hero, the wise, the good, or the great man, very often lie hid and concealed in a plebeian (common or vulgar person), which a proper education might have disinterred, and have brought to light. I am therefore much delighted with reading the accounts of savage nations, and with contemplating those virtues which are wild and uncultivated; to see courage exerting itself in fierceness, resolution in obstinacy, wisdom in cunning, patience in sullenness and despair.” 

  This paragraph by Joseph Addison is so relative when working with men in Teen Challenge; many men have come from prison or homelessness and although by no means do I consider them as “savages”, they have nonetheless displayed the traits he attributes to savages. Street smart, resourceful, and cunning are all virtues developed to get along in the hostile places some of the men come from. When gospel light, work ethic and Godly wisdom are applied, and as the rubbish falls away, we see emerging a glorious new creature.

Sculpture by Philippe Faraut

I picked up a copy of this movie at a garage sale and watched it the other night; wow! what a powerful movie that illustrates its title. Morgan Freeman plays a great part as a mentor to a young English boy caught in the madness of Hitlers hatred and persecution. It takes place in the 30's in South Africa and the cast and acting is wonderful. Soooooo inspirational but bring your handkerchief.
.

The keen mind, full of thought, rejoiceth in a quiet hour. 
While dullards hold it irksome, to be killed as best they can. 
M. Tupper

silence

I ran across the following quotes on silence; now after 41 years of rearing children silence may mean more to me than some. 


Silently as a dream.
Silent as a standing pool. 
Silent as a thought. 
Silent as a night. 
Silent as falling dews. 
Silent as the foot of time. 
Silent as the growth of flowers. 
Silent as your shadow.
Silent as snow falls on the earth. 
Silent as the day gives away to night. 
Silent as the grave. 


I like that. 


Photo from the internet

Trifles

  Charles Dickens, in "All the Year Round," says, "Some one was asked, 'What is genius?' He replied, 'A being who pays attention to trifles.' Columbus was about the best possible illustration of this. We know what an eye for incidents upon which to found conjectures he had. In the last days of his tour of discovery, when even he himself was a quarter disposed to turn back, and side with his men in their discontent at the barrenness of the voyage, he could bring forward that strong muster of trifling observations which together meant America.

   'You know that we have for several days been able to fathom; and the nature of the material  brought up by the lead seems to me auspicious. The clouds about the sun toward evening are of a different form and color from what they were a few days ago. The atmosphere, as you can feel, is warmer and softer than it was. The wind no longer blows with the same force, nor in so straightforward and unwavering a manner; it is inclined to hesitate and change, as though broken by some impediment. To these signs add that of the piece of sugar cane we discovered in the sea, which bore marks of having been recently severed, and the little branch of a tree with fresh red berries upon it; besides the swarms of birds thats pass over us, though they have deceived us before, are now so frequent and vast that I think there must be some special reason for their appearance. In short, all these omens together make me very hopeful and expectant."This was from the diary of Columbus.
Orison Swett Marden, The Secret of Achievement.

  "Christ brings about all that is good in the soul through judgment, and that so sweetly that many, by a dangerous error, think that that good which is in them and issues from them is from themselves, and not from the powerful work of grace." Richard Sibbes 1635

  This 'dangerous error' is apt to be committed by the young Christian more often; feeling the intensely meaningful connections that God establishes in and through us can naturally lead one to suppose there is a great good within us, but a short 'dark night of the soul' can soon clear that up. God is doing much and chooses to use humans as his customary vehicle, but the work is His and the more we step aside and let Him work the better the results.

  I like this picture I got from the Internet, to me it illustrates the connections that God establishes, and with the least complication in children.

Hope for him of weak grace

  God may communicate the less of his assisting strength, so that He may show the more of his supporting strength, in upholding him of weak grace. 

We do not wonder when we see a man of strong constitution, that eats his bread heartily and sleeps soundly, live. But for a crazy body, full of ails and infirmities, to be so patched and shored up by the physician’s art that he lives to old age, this begets some wonder in the beholders. It may be thou art a poor trembling soul, thy faith is weak, and thy assaults from Satan strong, thy corruptions stirring and active, and thy mortifying strength little, so that in thy opinion they rather gain ground on thy grace, rather than give ground to it. Ever and anon thou art ready to think thou shalt be cast as a wreck on the devil’s shore; and yet to this day thy grace lives, though full of leaks. Now is it not worth the stepping aside to see this strange sight?

A broken ship with masts and hull rent and torn, thus towed along by almighty power through an angry sea, and armadas of sins and devils, safely into it harbor. In a word, to see a weak stripling in grace held up in God’s arms till he beats the devil craven! This God is doing in upholding thee. Thou art one of those babes, out of whose mouth God is perfecting praise, by ordaining such strength for thee, that thou, a babe in grace, shalt yet foil a giant in wrath and power.”

This word of encouragement is from William Gurnall’s book titled the Christian in Complete Armour. Charles Spurgeon recommends this book be in every Christian’s library and David Wilkerson blesses the day he found this book and says it breathes holiness on every page.

Not a bad recommendation. 

There is a Jewish tradition concerning Moses……….That the great prophet, it is said, was called up by a voice from heaven to the top of a mountain, where in a conference with the Supreme being, he was permitted to propose to God some questions concerning His administration of the universe.

In the midst of this Divine conference he was commanded to look down on the plain below. At the foot of the mountain there issued out a clear spring of water, at which a soldier alighted from his horse to drink. He was no sooner gone than a little boy came to the same place, and finding a purse of gold, which the soldier had dropped, took it up and went away with it. Immediately after this came an infirm old man, weary with age and travelling, and having quenched his thirst, sat down to rest himself by the side of the spring. The soldier, missing his purse, returns to search for it, and demands it of the old man, who affirms he had not seen it, and appeals to Heaven in witness of his innocence. The soldier, not believing his protestations, kills him.

Moses fell on his face with horror and amazement, when the Divine Voice thus prevented his expostulation, ‘Be not surprised, Moses, nor ask why the Judge of the whole earth hath suffered this thing to come to pass; the child is the occasion that the blood of the old man is spilt; but know, that the old man whom thou sawest was the murderer of that child’s father’. Joseph Addison from The Spectator.

“We know in part and see through a glass dimly”.

Life plant

"There is a plant in Jamaica called the Life-plant, because it is almost impossible to kill it or any portion of it. When a leaf is cut off and hung up by a string, it sends out white thread-like shoots,

gathers moisture from the air, and begins to grow new leaves. Even when pressed and packed away in a botanist's herbarium, it has been known to grow out beyond the leaves of the book in which it is pressed. You can kill it by the heat of a hot iron, by boiling water, or by mashing it to pulp, but by no gentler means."

This little piece comes from Orison Swett Marden's book titled "The Secret of Achievement".

This comes from the chapter on the power of habit.

Rise in me

"Perish policy and cunning!

Perish all that fears the light!"

Ah, God! for a man of heart and hand,

Like some of the simple great ones gone

forever and forever by;

One still strong man in a blatant land,

Whatever they call him, what care I? ---

Aristocrat, democrat, autocrat, --- what care I? ---

One who can rule and dare not lie:

And ah, for a man to rise in me,

That the man I am may cease to be. ---- Tennyson

Deformed/beautiful

Human nature appears a very deformed, or a very beautiful object, according to the different lights in which its viewed. When we see men of inflamed passions, or of wicked designs, tearing one another to pieces by open violence, or undermining each other by secret treachery; when we observe base and narrow ends pursued by ignominious and dishonest means; when we behold men mixed in society as if it were for the destruction of it; we are even ashamed of our species.....

Addison

I read this the morning after I watched "Black Hawk Down", for the second or third time. This time I was so grieved by the violence and lack of concern that the warlords displayed. I went to bed feeling so "ashamed of our species", but didn't have the words for it. When I read this piece the next morning it put words to my emotions and strengthened my resolve to be part of the beautiful in the world and do all I can to overturn the evil.

Old ways

Well, it finally happened, one of the students went on a pass home and on the night before he returned he ran across some of his old drug friends and they had some heroin. He fell to the temptation and shot up the way he had done some thousand times before, but of course, this time he had been clean from the drug for months and his tolerance had reduced, so what was once a normal dose now became lethal; he died Sunday night of an overdose. It has been a sad time at the center as we all process his death in our individual ways.