To be near unto God - pagina 41

''SONGS IN

THE NIGHT." For most people sleep

is a going out from life, in order, in the course of seven or eight hours, to come back to it. When they fall asleep, they are gone. And when the hour-hand on the dial points, say some seven or more hours further on, they arise and resume their

Night

is

a mj^stery.

There is at most an occasional of a dream, but for the rest it is all third part of life is spent in sleep. At a blank. thirty years of age a man has practically lived part

in

life.

remembrance

A

but twenty. The remaining ten years have passed away in unconsciousness. But sleep serves a purpose. We retire weary in body and mind and with new strength we arise. As far as we know, we were inactive in sleep. We did not think, nor observ'e, nor will, nor work. This entire cessation of activity is the real ordinance of night. As long as we are in health and in full possession of our powers, and not overburdened with cares, we sleep, undisturbed by out-

ward things, in this way and in no other. WTiy this has been so ordained, we do not know. For though we say that we become weary through work, that our strength is exhausted and demands rest to recuperate, it means nothing. For at once we ask: WTiy this exhaustion of strength? He, after whose Image we are created, never wearies. The heavenly hosts of angels do not sleep. Of the new Jerusalem we read: ''There shall be no more night." We can imagine a being, who does not exhaust his strength and therefore needs no sleep.

Why God

appointed 37

life

for us with the

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen