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June 9. 1909. Devotional an THE SILENCES OF OU1 By. Rev. Thomas "Jesus held H One of the defects of our silence. Every one wishes to listen and learn. Men invent vise means for talking to the rpnrn/llicinnr ^ C 4.U . V|/.v/uuvi?g wiiv YUIVta U1 LI I round," says Carlyle, "on the 1 words with little meaning, act loves to reflect on the great I than the stars?deeper than tl The gift of silence may be speech. Even Job's comforte sat down with him upon the seven nights,_and none spake ; saw tnat ins grief was very gr Dutch Republic had the best p power of keeping counsel in William the Silent. "No one, "is safe to speak, but he wh peace." There is something to be silences as well as from the v lence," says Ignatius, "is chai of mankind. The acts which are worthy of the Father; an the word of Christ is aole even A long silent preparation w piublic ministry. So far as th< cerned, by far the greater pan silence. The prophet had said cry, nor cause His voice to \ Three years of speaking demai of silence. Only once during veil lifted, and even then we fi learning and asking of those His ministry began it had long would go up to a mountain 1 night in prayer to God. In tl "He withdrew to a solitary j And He impressed the need disciples. He warned them ag tation. He bade them give ali: pray in secret. The lesson is one for us all. recognized the need for silence munities men have placed th< silence, some not opening thei or Quakers are sometimes ki silence," from their practice Spirit moves them to speak. ' oles: h lit it ic nnt tr> onv nno'c " f _ ,w ..VI. I.V tttijr v/liV o V. talk and will never listen. V reason of our much speaking AVe would air do well to spend silence, and in thinking of thi ness or our pleasure. Sometimes our Lord could THE PRESBYTERI/ d Selections R LORD ON EARTH. Marjorimanks. [is peace." * modern lite is its want of speak; few are willing to : universal languages, dpends of the earth, or for e very dead. "Looking loisy inanity of the world, ions with little worth, one empire of Silence?higher ie kingdoms of Death." as valuable as the gift of rs began well when "they or r rill 11 f] cnvon rlmro n -? A vyviiiu WJV ? VII via^o aiiu i word unto him : for they eat. ' The founder of the >ossible tribute paid to his the name he still bears? " says Thomas a Kempis, 10 would rather hold his learned, then, from the yords of our Master. "Si acteristic of God, speech r*u *-i. t j ? jurist nas aone in silence d he that truly possesses i to hear His silence." as needed for our Lord's e world without was cont of His life was spent in I, "He shall not strive nor be heard in the streets." nded for Him thirty years these silent years is the nd Him not teaching, but who taught. Even after ; intervals of silence. He to pray, and continue all ic hour before His agony >lace, and there prayed." of a like silence on His ainst anything like ostenns in secret, fast in secret^ True religion has always . In some religious comimselves under a vow of r lips for years. Friends nown as "children of of sitting dumb till the These are extreme examredit that he must always Ve miss a great deal by and our vain repetitions. I some part of our day in ngs other than our busiteach better by silence lN of the south. than by speech. His silence brought out force that would mailt. To the woman of Canaai beseeching Him to heal her c swered not a word. But this the effect of trying her faith, a till her object was won. It is in some such way that i His answer. To our most e reply is often a silent one, an< and His lips dumb. Yet this very helpful. We do not alwa; tion at once, but often wait to without such silence on God's p for faith on ours. In a life that h and plain, interest and asnira does God remain silent foreve swered as surely as Christ ansi naan, "Great is thy faith: be it wilt." Another effective use which was as a means of rebuke. It rebuke which must be used sp; best to answer a question cour think the question unnecessary, for which silence is the only sul nent curiosity is one of these, a our Lord met it. "When Hen "he was exceedingly glad: for h< for a long season, because he h Him; and he hoped to have set Him. Then he questioned wit but He answerer! him nr?thitmr " & deal with a man of such coarse see a miracle, not for any good one else, but simply to gratii And for that very reasoh our L miracle, nor deign him one word must be treated in the same wj that deserve no reply; actions ment must be silence. Indecent cpnversation, too?c ultpmnne tall- !c Kost ^ WM*i\ to UVOl IIIV. I IJ brought to Jesus a woman who asked His opinion on her cast and with His finger wrote upoi He heard them not." As the was the first to point out, He v to a foul story. He could not m< crowd, or the accusers, or the w therefore, and made as though 1 is the best way to meet all simi rebuke may do more harm tha least be silent. We can refuse nr follAur itn O A up a UUUL/liUl line U story by telling another. Indet should be met, as Christ met it, Most impressive of all is our 1 fering. "He was oppressed," ss afflicted; yet He opened not His as a lamb to the slaughter, an< shearers is dumb, so He opene< 9 had a testing effect; it otherwise have lain dorn, for example, who came laughter, He at first an? perplexing silence had nd making her persevere vc oiten have to wait for arnest prayers His first J we think His ear deaf silence of His may be ys answer a child's cjuesdraw out a better. And art there were little room ad everything made clear tion would cease. Nor r. Our prayers are angered the woman of Caunto thee even as thou Christ made of silence is, no doubt, a form of aringly. As a rule, it is teously, even though we Yet there are offenses fficient rebuke. Impertind it was by silence that 3(1 saw Jesus," we read, ; was desirous to see him ad heard many things of :n some miracle done by h Him in many words; It was the only way to fibre. Herod wanted to ' it would do him or any fy his vulgar curiosity. ,ord would show him no I. There are people who ly ; questions and letters on which the only comnarco r>r .it, /-.? wv vi pi viauv. ui Uitt3 y silence. When men had sinned, and eagerly "Jesus stooped down, i the ground, as though author of Ecce Homo ^as ashamed of listening ;et the eyes of either the oman. He turned aside, -le had not heard. That lar conversation. Open in good; but we can at to smile at a coarse jest, f talk, or cap one bad :ency, like impertinence, with silent contempt. Lord's silence under suflys Isaiah, "and He was mouth : He was brought) 1 as a sheep before her i not His mouth." We