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BV 4810 TtS 1891
Tileston, Mary Wilder, 1843
1934.
Daily strength for daily
(^aJ/oL /r
/.
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Daily Strength
FOR
Daily Needs,
As thy days, so shall thy strength be.''^
SfUrtcti bg H}e EDitor of "©uirt |&ours.
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BOSTON:
ROBERTS BROTHERS.
1891.
Copyright,
By Mary W. Tileston
Sntbfrsita J^rcgs:
John Wilson and Sox, Cambridge, U. S. A.
PREFACE.
'nr^HIS little book of brief selections in
-^ prose and verse, with accompanying
texts of Scripture, is intended for a daily-
companion and counsellor. These words
of the goodly fellowship of wise and holy
men of many times, it is hoped may help to
strengthen the reader to perform the duties
and to bear the 'burdens of each day with
cheerfulness and courage.
M. W. T.
January 1,
They go frofn strength to strength. — Ps. Ixxxiv. 7.
First the blade., then the ear., after that the full
corn in the ear. — Mark iv 28.
Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,
As the swift seasons roll !
Leave thy low-vaulted past !
Let each new temple, nobler than the last,
Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,
Till thou at length art free,
Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea !
O. W. Holmes.
TIJIGH hearts are never long without hearing
some new call, some distant clarion of
God, even in their dreams ; and soon they are
observed to break up the camp of ease, and start
on some fresh march of faithful service. And,
looking higher still, we find those who never
wait till their moral work accumulates, and who
reward resolution with no rest ; with whom, there-
fore, the alternation is instantaneous and con-
stant ; who do the good only to see the better,
and see the better only to achieve it ; who are
too meek for transport, too faithful for remorse,
too earnest for repose ; whose worship is action,
and whose action ceaseless aspiration.
J. Martineau
January 2.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy
coming in from this tiuie forth^ and even for ever-
more. — Fs. cxxi. 8.
Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling-place in all
i^enerations. — Ps. xc. i.
With grateful hearts the past we own ;
The future, all to us unknown,
We to Thy guardian care commit,
And peaceful leave before Thy feet.
P. Doddridge.
TTTE are like to Him with whom there is no
])ast or future, with whom a day is as a
thousand years, and a thousand years as one day,
when we do our work in the great present, leav-
ing both past and future to Him to whom they
are ever present, and fearing nothing, because He
is in our future as much as He is in our past, as
much as, and far more than, we can feel Him to
be in our present. Partakers thus of the divine
nature, resting in that perfect All-in-all in whom
our nature is eternal too, we walk without fear,
full of hope and courage and strength to do His
will, waiting for the endless good which He is
always giving as fast as He can get us able to
take it in.
G. MacDonalal
January 3.
As thy days, so shall thy strength be. — Deut.
xxxiii. 25,
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. —
Matt. vi. 34.
Oh, ask not thou, How shall I bear
The burden of to-morrow ?
Sufificient for to-day, its care,
Its evil and its sorrow ;
God imparteth by the way
Strength sufficient for the day.
J. E. Saxby.
TUI E that hath so many causes of joy, and so
great, is very much in love with sorrow
and peevishness, who loses all these pleasures,
and chooses to sit down upon his little handful
of thorns. Enjoy the blessings of this day, if
God sends them ; and the evils of it bear pa-
tiently and sweetly : for this day is only ours, we
are dead to yesterday, and we are not yet born
to the morrow. But if we look abroad, and bring
into one day's thoughts the evil of many, certain
and uncertain, what will be and what will never
be, our load will be as intolerable as it is unrea-
sonable.
Jeremy Taylor.
January 4.
If we sin, we are Thine, knowing Thy power :
but we will not sin., knowing that we are counted
Thine. For to know 7hee is perfect righteousness :
yea, to know Thy power is the root of inimor-
tality. — Wisdom of Solomon xv. 2, 3.
Oh, empty us of self, the world, and sin,
And then in all Thy fulness enter in ;
Take full possession, Lord, and let each thought
Into obedience unto Thee be brought;
Thine is the power, and Thine the will, that we
Be wholly sanctified, O Lord, to Thee.
C. E. J.
" I^AKE steadily some one sin, which seems to
stand out before thee, to root it out, by
God's grace, and every fibre of" it. Purpose
strongly, by the grace and strength of God,
wholly to sacrifice this sin or sinful inclination to
the love of God, to spare it not, until thou leave
of it none remaining, neither root nor branch.
Fix, by God's help, not only to root out this
sin, but to set thyself to gain, by that same help,
the opposite grace. If thou art tempted to be
angry, try hard, by God's grace, to be very meek ;
if to be proud, seek to be very humble.
E. B. PUSFY
January 5.
That He 7nz^ht present it to Himself a <zlorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such
thing, but thiit it should be holy and without
blemish. — Eph. v. 27.
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual
house. — I Peter ii. 5.
One holy Church of God appears
Through every age and race,
Unwasted by the lapse of years,
Unchanged by changing place.
S. Longfellow.
A TEMPLE there has been upon earth, a
-^^ spiritual Temple, made up of living stones ;
a Temple, as I may say, composed of souls ; a
Temple with God for its light, and Christ for the
high priest ; with wings of angels for its arches,
with saints and teachers for its pillars, and. with
worshippers for its pavement. Wherever there is
faith and love, this Temple is.
J. H. Newman.
To whatever worlds He carries our souls when
ihey shall pass out of these imprisoning bodies,
in those worlds these souls of ours shall find
themselves part of the same great Temple ; for
it belongs not to this earth alone. There can be
no end of the universe where God is, to which
that growing Temple does not reach, — ihe Tem-
ple of a creation to be wrought at last into a per-
fect utterance of God by a perfect obedience to
God.
Phillips Brooks.
January 6.
I 71 all as;es entering into holy souls, she [IVis-
dom] inaketh them friends of God, and prophets. —
Wisdom of Solomon vii. 27.
Meanwhile with every son and saint of Thine
Along the glorious line,
Sitting by turns beneath Thy sacred feet
We '11 hold communion sweet,
Know them by look and voice, and thank them all
For helping us in thrall.
For words of hope, and bright examples given
To shew through moonless skies that there is light in
^^^^^^"- J. Keble.
TF we cannot live at once and alone with Him,
■*- we may at least live with those who have
lived with Him ; and find, in our admiring love
for their purity, their truth, their goodness, an
intercession with His pity on our behalf. To
study the lives, to meditate the sorrows, to com-
mune with the thoughts, of the great and holy
men and women of this rich world, is a sacred
discipline, which deserves at least to rank as the
forecourt of the temple of true worship, and may
train the tastes, ere we pass the very gate, of
heaven. . . . We forfeit the chief source of dig-
nity and sweetness in life, next to the direct com-
munion with God, if we do not seek converse
with the greater minds that have left their vestiges
on the world. t at
J. Martineau.
Do not think it wasted time to submit yourself
to any influence which may bring upon you any
noble feeling.
J. RUSKIN
January 7.
The exceeding greatness of His power to us-
ward who believe, according to the working of His
mighty power. — Eph. i. 19.
The lives which seem so poor, so low,
The hearts which are so cramped and dull.
The baffled hopes, the impulse slow,
Thou takest, touchest all, and lo 1
They blossom to the beautiful.
Susan Coolidge.
A ROOT set in the finest soil, in the best cli-
mate, and blessed with all that sun and air
and rain can do for it, is not in so sure a way of
its growth to perfection, as every man may be,
whose spirit aspires after all that which God is
ready and infinitely desirous to give him. For
the sun meets not the springing bud that stretches
towards him with half that certainty, as God, the
source of all good, communicates Himself to the
soul that longs to partake of Him.
\Vm. Law.
If we stand in the openings of the present
moment, with all the length and breadth of our
/acuities unselfishly adjusted to what it reveals,
we are in the best condition to receive what God
is always ready to communicate.
T C. Upham.
January 8.
As -we have therefore opportunity, let us do good
unto all men. — Gal. vi. lo.
Let brotherly love continue. — Heb. xiii. I.
I ASK Thee for a thoughtful love,
Through constant watching wise,
To meet the glad with joyful smiles,
And to w^ipe the weeping eyes,
And a heart at leisure from itself,
To soothe and sympathize.
A. L Waring.
OURELY none are so full of cares, or so poor
in gifts, that to them also, waiting patiently
and trustfully on God for His daily commands,
He will not give direct ministry for Him, increas-
ing according to their strength and their desire.
There is so much to be set right in the world,
there are so many to be led and helped and
comforted, that we must continually come in con-
tact with such in our daily life. Let us only take
care, that, by the glance being turned inward, or
strained onward, or lost in vacant reverie, we do
not miss our turn of service, and pass by those
to whom we might have been sent on an errand
straight from God.
Elizabeth Charles.
Look up and not down ; look forward and not
back ; look out and not in ; and lend a hand.
Edward E. Haie.
January 9.
And in every work that he began in the service
of the house of God, and in the law, and in the
commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all
his heart, and prospered. — 2 Chrox. xxxi. 21.
What shall we do, that we might work the works
of God? — ]oii^ vi. 28.
Give me within the work which calls to-day,
To see Thy finger gently beckoning on ;
So struggle grows to freedom, work to play,
And toils begun from Thee to Thee are done.
J. F. Clarke.
r^ OD is a kind Father. He sets us all in the
places where He wishes us to be employed ;
and that employment is truly " our Father's busi-
ness." He chooses work for every creature which
will be delightful to them, if they do it simply and
humbly. He gives us always strength enough,
and sense enough, for what He wants us to do ;
if we either tire ourselves or puzzle ourselves, it
is our own fault. And we may always be sure,
whatever we are doing, that we cannot be pleasing
Him, if we are not happy ourselves.
J. Rusk IN.
lo January 10.
Because Thy loving-kindness is better than life,
my lips shall praise Thee. — Ps. Ixiii. 3.
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose
it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve
it. — Luke xvii. 33.
O Lord I my best desires fulfil.
And help me to resign
Life, health, and comfort, to Thy will.
And make Thy pleasure mine.
Wm. Cowper.
T17HAT do our heavy hearts prove but that
other things are sweeter to us than His
will, that we have not attained to the full mastery
of our true freedom, the full perception of its
power, that our sonship is yet but faintly realized,
and its blessedness not yet proved and known?
Our consent would turn all our trials into obedi-
ence. By consenting we make them our own,
and offer them with ourselves again to Him.
H. E. Manning.
Nothing is intolerable that is necessary. Now
God hath bound thy trouble upon thee, with a
design to try thee, and with purposes to reward
and crown thee. These cords thou canst not
break ; and therefore lie thou down gently, and
suffer the hand of God to do what He please.
Jeremy Taylor.
January 11. 1 1
/ will be glad, and rejoice in Thy mercy ; for
Thon hast considered my trouble; Thou hast
known my soul in adversities. — Ps. xxxi. 7,
Nay, all by Thee is ordered, chosen, planned —
Each drop that fills my daily cup ; Thy hand
Prescribes for ills none else can understand.
All, all is known to Thee.
A. L. Newton.
/^OD knows us through and through. Not the
most secret thought, which we most hide
from ourseh^es, is hidden from Him. As then we
come to know ourselves through and through, we
come to see ourselves more as God sees us, and
then we catch some little ghmpse of His designs
with us, how each ordering of His Providence,
each check to our desires, each failure of our
hopes, is just fitted for us, and for something in
our own spiritual state, which others know not of,
and which, till then, we knew not. Until we
come to this knowledge, we must take all in faith,
believing, though we know not, the goodness of
God towards us. As we know ourselves, we, thus
far, know God.
E. B. PUSEY
12 January 12.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation
of my hearty be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord,
my strength^ and my redeemer. — Ps. xix 14.
The thoughts that in our hearts keep place.
Lord, make a holy, heavenly throng,
And steep in innocence and grace
The issue of each guarded tongue.
T. H. Gill.
HTHERE is another kind of silence to be culti-
vated, besides that of the tongue as regards
others. I mean silence as regards one's self, —
restraining the imagination, not permitting it to
dwell overmuch on what we have heard or said,
not indulging in the phantasmagoria of picture-
thoughts, whether of the past or future. Be sure
that you have made no small progress in the spir-
itual life, when you can control your imagination,
so as to fix it on the duty and occupation actually
existing, to the exclusion of the crowd of thoughts
which are perpetually sweeping across the mind.
No doubt, you cannot prevent those thoughts
from arising, but you can prevent yourself from
dwelling on them ; you can put them aside, you
can check the self-complacency, or irritation, or
earthly longings which feed them, and by the
practice of such control of your thoughts you
will attain that spirit of inward silence which
draws the soul into a close intercourse with God.
Jean N. Grou.
January 13. it,
Speak not evil one of another^ brethren. — James
Iv. II.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and
clafnor, and evil speaking, be put away from you,
with all malice. — Eph. iv. 31.
If aught good thou canst not say
Of thy brother, foe, or friend,
Take thou, then, the silent way,
Lest in word thou shouldst offend.
AnOxV.
TF there is any person to whom you feel disUke,
that is the person of wliom you ought never
to speak.
R. Cecil.
To recognize with delight all high and gener-
ous and beautiful actions ; to find a joy even in
seeing the good qualities of your bitterest oppo-
nents, and to admire those qualities even in those
with whom you have least sympathy, — be it either
the Romanist or the Unitarian, — this is the only
spirit which can heal the love of slander and ol
calumny.
F. W. Robertson
^4 January 14.
Thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my
lord the king shall appoint. — 2 Sam. xv. 15.
I LOVE to think that God appoints
My portion day by day ;
Events of life are in His hand,
And I would only say,
Appoint them in Thine own good time,
And in Thine own best way.
A. L. Waring.
TF we are really, and always, and equally ready
to do whatsoever the King appoints, all the
trials and vexations arising from any change in
His appointments, great or small, simply do not
exist. If He appoints me to work there, shall I
lament that I am not to work here ? If He ap •
points me to wait in-doors to-day, am I to be
annoyed because I am not to work out-of-doors?
If I meant to write His messages this morning,
shall I grumble because He sends interrupting
visitors, rich or poor, to whom I am to speak
them, or " show kindness " for His sake, or at
least obey His command, " Be courteous " ? If
all my members are really at His disposal, why
should I be put out if to-day's appointment is
some simple work for my hands or errands for
my feet, instead of some seemingly more impor-
tant doing of head or tongue ?
F, R. Havercai.
January 15. 15
For this is the will of God, even yoiir sancti"
^cation. — i Thess. iv. 3.
Between us and Thyself remove
Whatever hindrances may be,
That so our inmost heart may prove
A holy temple, meet for Thee.
Latin Mss. of 15TH Century.
"OEAR, in the presence of God, to know thyself.
Then seek to know for what God sent thee
into the world ; how thou hast fulfilled it ; art
thou yet what God willed thee to be ; what yet
lacketh unto thee ; what is God's will for thee
now; what thing thou mayest nonf do, by His
grace, to obtain His favor, and approve thyseli
unto Him. Say to Him, "Teach me to do Thy
will, for Thou art my God," and He will say unto
thy soul, " Fear not ; I am thy salvation." He
will speak peace unto thy soul ; He will set thee
in the way ; He will bear thee above things of
sense, and praise of man, and things which per-
ish in thy grasp, and give thee, if but afar off.
some glimpse of His own, unfading, unsetting.
unperishing brightness and bliss and love.
E. B. PusEV
1 6 January 16.
God^ even our Father, which haih loved us, and
hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope
through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish
you in every good wo'-d and work. — 2 Thess- ii-
16, 17.
When soitow all our heart would ask,
We need not shun our daily task,
And hide ourselves for calm ;
The herbs we seek :o heal our woe
Familiar by our pathway grow,
Our common air is balm.
J. Keble.
/^H, when we turn away from some duty or
^^^ some fellow-creature, saying that our hearts
are too sick and sore with some great yearning
of our own, we may often sever the line on which
a divine message was coming to us. We shut out
the man, and we shut out the angel who had sent
him on to open the door. . . . There is a plan
working in our lives ; and if we keep our hearts
quiet and our eyes open, it all works together;
and, if we don't, it all fights together, and goes
on fighting till it comes right, somehow, some-
where.
Annie Keary
January 17.
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery
trial which is to try you., as though some strange
thing happened ntito you : but rejoice., inasmuch
as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings. —
I Peter iv. 12, 13.
We take with solemn thankfulness
Our burden up, nor ask it less,
And count it joy that even we
May suffer, serve, or wait for 'I'hee,
Whose will be done !
J. G. Whittier.
O ECEIVE every inward and outward trouble,
every disappointment, pain, uneasiness,
temptation, darkness, and desolation, with both
thy hands, as a true oj^portunity and blessed oc-
casion of dying to self, and entering into a fuller
fellowship with thy self-denying, suffering Saviour.
Look at no inward or outward trouble in any
other view ; reject every other thought about it ;
and then every kind of trial and distress will
become the blessed day of thy prosperity. That
state is best, which exerciseth the highest faith in.
and fullest resignation to God.
Wm. Law
i8 January 18.
Thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the
Lord thy God hath given unto thee. — Deut. xxvi.
II.
Rejoice evermore. In everything give thanks. —
I Thess. v. 1 6, 1 8.
Grave on thy heart each past "red-letter day"!
Forget not all the sunshine of the way
By which the Lord hath led thee ; answered prayers,
And joys unasked, strange blessings, lifted cares,
Grand promise-echoes ! Thus thy life shall be
One record of His love and faithfulness to thee.
F. R. Havergal.
/^^RATITUDE consists in a watchful, minute
^-^ attention to tlie particulars of our state, and
to the multitude of God's gifts, taken one by
one. It fills us with a consciousness that God
loves and cares for us, even to the least event and
smallest need of life. It is a blessed thought, that
from our childhood God has been laying His fa-
therly hands upon us, and always in benediction ;
that even the strokes of His hands are blessings,
and among the chiefest we have ever received.
When this feeling is awakened, the heart beats
with a pulse of thankfulness. Every gift has its
return of praise. It awakens an unceasing daily
converse with our Father, — He speaking to us
by the descent of blessings, we to Him by the
ascent of thanksgiving. And all our whole life
is thereby drawn under the light of His counte-
nance, and is filled with a gladness, serenity, and
peace which only thankful hearts can know.
H. E Manning-
January 19. 19
Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. —
Ps. cv. 3.
The joy of the Lord is your strength. — Neh.
fiii. 10.
Be Thou my Sun, my selfishness destroy,
Thy atmosphere of Love be all my joy ;
Thy Presence be my sunshine ever bright.
My soul the little mote that lives but in Thy light.
Gerhard Tersteegen.
T DO not know when I have had happier times
in my soul, than when I have been sitting at
work, with nothing before me but a candle and a
white cloth, and hearing no sound but that of my
own breath, with God in my soul and heaven in my
eye. ... I rejoice in being exactly what I am, —
a creature capable of loving God, and who, as
long as God liv^es, must be happy. I get up and
look for a while out of the window, and gaze at
the moon and stars, the work of an Almighty
hand. I think of the grandeur of the universe,
and then sit down, and think myself one of the
happiest beings in it.
A Poor Methodist Woman, fSih Century
20 January 20.
The Lord taketh pleasure in His people : He will
beautify the meek with salvation. — Ps. cxlix. 4.
Send down Thy likeness from above,
And let this my adorning be :
Clothe me with wisdom, patience, love,
With lowliness and purity.
Joachim Lange.
TT is not in words explicable, with what divine
lines and lights the exercise of godliness and
charity will mould and gild the hardest and cold-
est countenance, neither to what darkness their
departure will consign the lovehest. For there
is not any virtue the exercise of which, even mo-
mentarily, will not impress a new fairness upon
the features ; neither on them only, but on the
whole body the moral and intellectual faculties
have operation, for all the movements and gest-
ures, however slight, are different in their modes
according to the mind that governs them — and
on the gentleness and decision of right feeling
follows grace of actions, and, through continu-
ance of this, grace of form.
J. RUSKIN.
There is no beautifier of complexion, or form,
or behavior, like the wish to scatter joy and not
pain around us.
K. W. Emerson.
January 21. 21
Even the youths shall faint and be weary ^ and
the yuiuig men shaU utterly fall ; but they that wait
upon the Lord shall renew their strength j they shall
mount up with wings as eagles j they shall run,
and not be weary j and they shall walk and not
faint. — IsA. xl. 30, 31.
Lord, with what courage and delight
I do each thing,
When Thy least breath sustains my wing !
I shine and move
Like those above,
And, with much gladness
Quitting sadness,
Make me fair days of every night.
H. Vaughan.
A/TAN, by living wholly in submission to the
Divine* Influence, becomes surrounded
with, and creates for himself, internal pleasures
infinitely greater than any he can otherwise attain
to — a state of heavenly Beatitude.
J. P. Greaves.
By persisting in a habit of self-denial, we shall,
beyond what I can express, increase the inward
powers <jf the mind, and shall produce that cheer-
fulness and greatness of spirit as will fit us for all
good purposes ; and shall not have lost pleasure,
but changed it ; the soul being then filled with
its own intrinsic pleasures.
ITenry More,
22 January 22.
Then shall we know^ if we follow on to know
the Lord. — Hose a vi. 3.
And, as the path of duty is made plain,
May grace be given that I may walk therein.
Not like the hireling, for his selfish gain,
With backward glances and reluctant tread,
Making a merit of his coward dread, —
But, cheerful, in the light around me thrown,
Walking as one to pleasant service led;
Doing God's will as if it were my own.
Yet trusting not in mine, but in His strength alone!
J. G. Whittier.
TT is by doing our duty that we learn to do it.
So long as men dispute whether or no a thing
is their duty, they get never the nearer. Let
them set ever so weakly about doing it, and the
face of things alters. They find in themselves
strength which they knew not of. Difficulties
which it seemed to them they could not get over,
disappear. For He accompanies it with the in-
fluences of His blessed Spirit, and each perform-
ance opens our minds for larger influxes of His
grace, and places them in communion with Him.
E. B. PUSEY.
That which is called considering what is our
duty in a particular case, is very often nothing
but endeavoring to explain it away.
Bishop Butler.
January 23. 23
If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry^ and
satisfy the afflitted soul ; then shall thy light rise in
obscurity^ and thy darkness be as the noonday ; and
the Lord shall guide thee continually. — ISA. Iviii,
10, II.
If thou hast Yesterday thy duty done,
And thereby cleared firm footing for To-day,
Whatever clouds make dark To-morrow's sun,
Thou shalt not miss thy solitary way.
J. W. VON Goethe.
f~\ LORD, who art our Guide even unto death,
^"^ grant us, I pray Thee, grace to follow Thee
whithersoever Thou goest. In little daily duties
to which Thou callest us, bow down our wills to
simple obedience, patience n'-^der pain or prov-
ocation, strict truthfulness of word and manner,
humility, kindness ; in great acts of duty or per-
fection, if Thou shouldest call us to them, uplift
us to self-sacrifice, heroic courage, laying down
of life for Thy truth's sake, or for a brother.
Amen.
C. G. ROSSETTI
24 January 24.
/ will bless the Lord, who hath giveri me counsel.
— Fs. xvi. 7.
Not slothful in business ; fervent in spirit; serv-
ing the Lord. — Rom. xii. 11.
Mine be the reverent, listening love
That waits all day on Thee,
With the service of a watchful heart
Which no one else can see.
A. L. Waring.
I^OTHING is small or great in God's sight;
whatever He wills becomes great to us,
however seemingly trifling, and if once the voice
of conscience tells us that He requires anything
of us, we have no right to measure its importance.
On the other hand, whatever He would not have
us do, however important we may think it, is as
nought to us. How do you know what you may
lose by neglecting this duty, which you think so
trifling, or the blessing which its faithful perform-
ance may bring? Be sure that if you do your
very best in that which is laid upon you daily,
you will not be left without sufficient help when
some weightier occasion arises. Give yourself to
Him, trust Him, fix your eye upon Him, listen
to His voice, and then go on bravely and cheer-
fully.
Jean Nicolas Grou.
January 25. 25
If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do
them. — John xiii. 17.
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and
doeth it not, to hi;ji it is sin. — James iv. 17.
We cannot kindle when we will
The fire that in the heart resides,
The spirit bloweth and is still,
In mystery our S(Hi1 abides :
But tasks in hours of insight willed
Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled.
Matthew Arnold.
TITURT not your conscience with any known
sin.
S. Rutherford.
Deep-rooted customs, though wrong, are not
easily altered ; but it is the duty of all to be firm
in that which they certainly know is right for
them.
John Woolman.
He often acts unjustly who does not do a
certain thing : not only he who does a certain
thing.
Marcus Antoninus.
Every duty we omit obscures some truth we
should have known.
John Ruskin
26 January 26.
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are His jndg-
7nents, and His ways past finding out I — Rom.
xi. 33-
// doth not yet appear what we shall be. — i John
IVo star is ever lost we once have seen,
We always may be what we might have been.
Since Good, though only thought, has life and breath,
God's life — can always be redeemed from death ;
And evil, in its nature, is decay,
And any hour can blot it all away ;
The hopes that lost in some far distance seem.
May be the truer life, and this the dream.
A. A. Procter.
C T. BERNARD has said : '' Man, if thou desir-
*^ est a noble and holy life, and unceasingly
prayest to God for it, if thou continue constant
in this thy desire, it will be granted unto thee
without fail, even if only in the day or hour of
thy death ; and if God should not give it to thee
then, thou shalt find it in Him in eternity : of
this be assured." Therefore do not relinquish
your desire, though it be not fulfilled immediately,
or though ye may swerve from your aspirations,
or even forget them for a time. . . . The love
and aspiration which once really existed live for-
ever before God, and in Him ye shall find the
fruit thereof; that is, to all eternity it shall be
better for you than if you had never felt them.
J. Tauler. 1 290-1361.
January 27. 27
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhab-
zteth eterttity, whose name is Holy ; I dwell in the
high and holy place, with him also that is of a con-
trite and hutnble spirit, to revive the spirit of the
hiunble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones,
— ISA. Ivii. 15.
Without an end or bound
Thy life lies all outspread in light ;
Our lives feel Thy life all around,
Making our weakness strong, our darkness bright ;
Yet is it neither wilderness nor sea,
But the calm gladness of a full eternity.
F. W. Faber.
r\ TRUTH who art Eternity ! And Love who
^■^^ art Truth ! And Eternity who art Love !
Thou art my God, to Thee do I sigh night and
day. When I first knew Thee, Thou liftedst me
up, that I might see there was somewhat for me
to see, and that I was not yet such, as to see.
And Thou streaming forth Thy beams of light
upon me most strongly, didst beat back the weak-
ness of my sight, and I trembled with love and
awe : and I perceived myself to be far off from
Thee in the region of unhkeness.
St. Augustine.
January 28.
O fear the Lord, ye His saints : for there is no
want to thetn that fear Him. — Ps. xxxiv. 9.
Thoji o penes t Thine hand and satisficst the desire
of every living thitig. — Ps. cxlv. 16.
What Thou shalt to-day provide,
Let me as a child receive ;
What to-morrow ma}' betide,
Calmly to Thy wisdom leave.
'T is enough that Thou wilt care ;
Why should I the burden bear 1
J. Xewton.
TIJAVE we found that anxiety about possible
consequences increased the clearness of
our judgment, made us wiser and braver in meet-
ing the present, and arming ourselves for the
future? ... If we had prayed for this day's
bread, and left the next to itself, if we had not
huddled our days together, not allotting to each
its appointed task, but ever deferring that to the
future, and drawing upon the future for its own
troubles, which must be met when they come
whether we have anticipated them or not, we
should have found a simplicity and honesty in
our lives, a capacity for work, an enjoyment in
it, to which we are now, for the most part,
strangers.
^. D. Maurfce.
January 29. 29
/ the Lord will hold thy right hattd^ saying unto
thee. Fear not; I will help thee. — Is A. xli. 13.
Show Thv marvellous loving-kindness, O Thou
that savest by Thy right hafid them which put their
trust in Thee. — Ps. xvii. 7.
I TAKE Thy hand, and fears grow still ;
Behold Thy face, and doubts remove ;
Who would not yield his wavering will
To perfect Truth and boundless Love ?
S. Johnson
T^O not look forward to the changes and
^"^ chances of this Hfe in fear ; rather look
to them wdth full hope that, as they arise, God,
whose you are, will deliver you out of them.
He has kept you hitherto, — do you but hold fast
to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely
through all things ; and, when you cannot stand,
He will bear you in His arms. Do not look
forward to what may happen to-morrow ; the
same everlasting Father who cares for you to-
day, will take care of you to-morrow, and every
day. Either He will shield you from suffering,
or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace then, and put aside all anxious
thoughts and imaginations.
Francis de Sales
30 January 30.
If I take the wings of the morni)ig^ and dwell m
the uttermost parts of the sea j even there shall Thy
hand lead fne, and Thy right hand shall hold me. —
Ps. cxxxix. 9, ro.
I CANNOT lose Thee ! Still in Thee abidmg,
The end is clear, how wide soe'er I roam ;
The Hand that holds the worlds my steps is guiding,
And I must rest at last in Thee, my home.
E. SCUDDER.
"LITOW can we come to perceive this direct
leading of God ? By a careful looking at
home, and abiding within the gates of thy own
soul. Therefore, let a man be at home in his
own heart, and cease from his restless chase of
and search after outward things. If he is thus
at home while on earth, he will surely come to
see what there is to do at home, — what God
commands him inwardly without means, and also
outwardly by the help of means ; and then let
him surrender himself, and follow God along
whatever path his loving Lord thinks fit to lead
him : whether it be to contemplation or action,
to usefulness or enjoyment ; whether in sorrow
or in joy, let him follow on. And if God do not
give him thus to feel His hand in all things, let
him still simply yield himself up, and go with-
out, for God's sake, out of love, and still press
forward.
J. Tauler.
January 31. 31
In all thy ways acknowledge Him^ and He sha'i
direct thy paths. — Prov. iii. 6.
He leadeth 7ne. — Ps. xxiii. 2.
In " pastures green " ? Not always ; sometimes He
Who knoweth best, in kindness leadeth me
In weary ways, where heavy shadows be.
So, whether on the hill-tops high and fair
I dwell, or in the sunless valleys, w^here
The shadows lie, what matter ? He is there.
Henry H. Barry.
•T^HE Shepherd knows what pastures are best
for his sheep, and they must not question
nor doubt, but trustingly follow Him. Perhaps
He sees that the best pastures for some of us are
to be found in the midst of opposition or of
earthly trials. If He leads you there, you may
be sure they are green for you, and you will grow
and be made strong by feeding there. Perhaps
He sees that the best waters for you to walk be-
side will be raging waves of trouble and sorrow.
If this should be the case. He will make them
still waters for you, and you must go and lie down
beside them, and let them have all their blessed
influences upon you.
H. W. S.
32 February 1.
Now the God of patience and consolation grant
you to be like-minded one toward another, according
to Christ Jesus. — Rom. xv. 5.
Let patience have her perfect work, — James
1. 4-
f Make me patient, kind, and gentle,
Day by day ;
Teach me how to live more nearly
As I pray.
Sharpe's Magazine.
nPHE exercise of patience involves a continual
practice of the presence of God ; for we
may be come upon at any moment for an almost
heroic display of good temper, and it is a short
road to unselfishness, for nothing is left to self ;
all that seems to belong most intimately to self,
to be self s private property, such as time, home,
and rest, are invaded by these continual trials of
patience. The family is full of such opportu-
nities.
F. W. Faber.
February 2. $2
Now ive exhort yoii^ bi'ethreii, ivarn them that
are unruly^ comfort the feeble-?ninded, support the
weak, be patient toward all men. — i Thess. Vc 14-
The little worries which we meet each day
May lie as stumbling-blocks across our way,
Or we may make them stepping-Stones to be
Of grace, O Lord, to Thee.
A. E. Hamilton.
"V\7E must be continually sacrificing our own
wills, as opportunity serves, to the will of
others ; bearing, without notice, sights and sounds
that annoy us ; setting f.bout this or that task,
when we had far rather be doing something very
different ; persevering in it, often, when we arc*
thoroughly tired of it; keeping company for
duty's sake, when it would be a great joy to us
to be by ourselves ; besides all the trilling unto-
ward accidents of life ; bodily pain and weakness
long continued, and perplexing us often when it
does not amount to illness ; losing what we value,
missing what we desire ; disappointment in other
persons, wilfulness, unkindness, ingratitude, folly,
in cases where we least expect it.
J. Keble.
3
34 February 3.
Sea7'ch me, O God, and know my heart ; try me,
and know my thoughts ; and see if there be any
wicked way in me, afid lead me in the way ever-
lasting. — Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24.
Save us from the evil' tongue,
From the heart that thinketh wrong,
From the sins, whate'er they be,
That divide the soul from Thee.
Anon
OUCH as are thy habitual thoughts, such also
will be the character of thy mind ; for the
soul is dyed by the thoughts. Dye it then with
a continuous series of such thoughts as these :
for instance, that where a man can live, there he
can also live well. But he must live in a palace :
well, then, he can also live well in a palace.
Marcus Antoninus.
Who is there that sets himself to the task of
steadily watching his thoughts for the space of
one hour, with the view of preserving his mind
in a simple, humble, healthful condition, but will
speedily discern in the multiform, self-reflecting,
self-admiring emotions, which, like locusts, are
ready to " eat up every green thing in his land,"
a state as much opposed to simplicity and humility
as night is to day?
M. A. Keltv.
February 4. 35
If any man offe?id not in word, the same is a
perfect jnan, and able also to bridle the whole body.
— James iii. 2.
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth ; keep the
door of fny lips. — Ps. cxli. 3.
What ! never speak one evil worcT,
Or rash, or idle, or unkind !
Oh, how shall I, most gracious Lord,
This mark of true perfection find ?
C. Wesley.
\^7HEN we remember our temptations to give
quick indulgence to disappointment or
irritation or unsympatliizing weariness, . . . and
how hard a thing it is from day to day to meet
our fellow-men, our neighbors, or even our own
households, in all moods, in all discordances be-
tween the world without us and the frames within,
in all states of health, of solicitude, of preoccupa-
tion, and show no signs of impatience, ungentle-
ness, or unobservant self-absorption, — with only
kindly feeling finding expression, and ungenial
feeling at least inwardly imprisoned ; — we shall
be ready to acknowledge that the man who has
thus attained is master of himself, and in the
graciousness of his power is fashioned upon the
style of a Perfect Man,
]. H. Thom
36 February 5.
Blessed are they thai keep J2idgment, and he that
doeth righteousness at all times. — Ps. cvi. 3.
Thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear : be-
cause thou shalt forget thy misery^ and rerneviber
it as waters that pass away. — Job xi. 15, 16.
In the bitter waves of woe,
Beaten and tossed about
By the sullen winds that blow
From the desolate shores of doubt,
Where the anchors that faith has cast
Are dragging in the gale,
I am quietly holding fast
To the things that cannot fail.
Washington Gladden
TN the darkest hour through which a human
soul can pass, whatever else is doubtful, this
at least is certain. If there be no God and no
future state, yet, even then, it is better to be
generous than selfish, better to be chaste than
licentious, better to be true than false, better to
be brave than to be a coward. Blessed beyond all
earthly blessedness is the man who, in the tem-
pestuous darkness of the soul, has dared to hold
fast to these venerable landmarks. Thrice blessed
is he, who, when all is drear and cheerless within
and without, when his teachers terrify him, and
his friends shrink from him, has obstinately clung
to moral good. Thrice blessed, because hii
night shall pass into clear, bright day.
F. W. Robertson
February 6. 37
Whoso pt4tteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe-
— Prov. xxix. 25.
/ will cry u7ito God most high; unto God, that
perfonneth all things for me. — Ps. Ivii. 2.
Only thy restless heart keep still,
And wait in cheerful hope ; content
To take whate'er His gracious will,
His all-discerning love hath sent ;
Nor doubt our inmost wants are known
To Him who chose us for His own.
G. Neumarck.
f~^ OD has brought us into this time ; He, antl
not ourseh^es or some dark demon. It
we are not fit to cope with that which He has
prepared for us, we should have been utterly unfit
for any condition that we imagine for ourselves.
In this time we are to live and wrestle, and in no
other. Let us humbly, tremblingly, manfully look
at it, and we shall not wish that the sun could go
back its ten degrees, or that we could go back
with it. If easy times are departed, it is that the
difficult times may make us more in earnest ; that
they may teach us not to depend upon ourselves.
If easy belief is impossible, it is that we may
learn what belief is, and in whom it is to be
placed.
F. D. Maurice.
38 February 7.
Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye
shall be my people : and walk ye in all the ways
that I have commanded yoic, that it may be well
unto you. — Jer. vii. 23.
And oft, when in my heart was heard
Thy timely mandate, I deferred
The task, in smoother walks to stray;
But thee I now would serve more strictly, if I may.
W. Wordsworth.
TDRAY Him to give you what Scripture calls
" an honest and good heart," or " a perfect
heart ; " and, without waiting, begin at once to
obey Him with the best heart you have. Any
obedience is better than none. You have to seek
His face ; obedience is the only way of seeing
Him. All your duties are obediences. To do
what He bids is to obey Him, and to obey Him
is to approach Him. Every act of obedience is
an approach — an approach to Him who is not
far off, though He seems so, but close behind this
visible screen of things which hides Him from us.
J. H. Newman.
As soon as we lay ourselves entirely at His feet,
we have enough light given us to guide our own
steps ; as the foot-soldier, who hears nothing of the
councils that determine the course of the great
battle he is in, hears plainly enough the word of
command which he must himself obey.
George Eliot,
February 8. 39
He leadeth 7ne beside the still waters. He resior-
eth my soul ; He leadeth me in the paths of Hi^ht-
eous7iess fo?- His naitie''s sake. — Ps. xxiii. 2, 3.
He leads me where the waters glide,
The waters soft and still,
And homeward He will gently guide
My wandering heart and will.
J. Keble
/^UT of obedience and devotion arises an
^"'^ habitual faith, which makes Him, though
unseen, a part of all our Hfe. He will guide
us in a sure path, though it be a rough one :
though shadows hang upon it, yet He will be
with us. He will bring us home at last. Through
much trial it may be, and weariness, in much
fear and fainting of heart, in much sadness and
loneliness, in griefs that the world never knows,
and under burdens that the nearest never suspect.
Yet He will suffice for all. By His eye or by
His voice He will guide us, if we be docile and
gentle ; by His staff and by His rod, if we wan-
der or are wilful : any how, and by ail means, He
will bring us to His rest.
H. E. M. 'INNING
40 February 9.
/ was afraid^ afid went and hid thy talent in the
earth : lo, there thou hast that is thi?ie. — Matt.
XXV. 25.
Time was, I shrank from what was right,
From fear of what was wrong ;
I would'not brave the sacred fight,
Because the foe was strong.
But now I cast that finer sense
And sorer shame aside ;
Such dread of sin was indolence.
Such aim at heaven was pride.
J. H. Newman
TF he falls into some error, he does not fret ov.-^r
it, but rising up with a humble spirit, he goes
on his way anew rejoicing. Were he to fall a
hundred times in the day, he would not despair,
— he would rather cry out lovingly to God, ap-
pealing to His tender pity. The really devout
man has a horror of evil, but he has a still greater
love of that which is good ; he is more set on
doing what is right, than avoiding what is wrong
Generous, large-hearted, he is not afraid of dan
ger in serving God, and would rather run the
risk of doing His will imperfectly than not strive
to serve Him lest he fail in the attempt.
Jeam Nicolas Grol'
February 10. 41
We have waited for Him, and He will save us :
this is the Lordj we have waited for Him, we will
be glad in His salvation. — Is A. xxv. 9.
Blest are the humble souls that wait
With sweet submission to His will;
Harmonious all their passions move,
And in the midst of storms are still.
P. Doddridge.
ir\0 not be discouraged at yoar faults ; bear
with yourself in correcting them, as you
would with your neighbor. Lay aside this ardor
of mind, which exhausts your body, and leads
you to commit errors. Accustom yourself grad-
ually to carry prayer into all your daily occupa-
tions. Speak, move, work, in peace, as if you
were in prayer, as indeed you ought to be. Do
everything without excitement, by the spirit of
grace. As soon as you perceive your natural im-
petuosity gliding in, retire quietly within, where is
the kingdom of God. Listen to the leadings of
grace, then say and do nothing but w^hat the Holy
Spirit shall put in your heart. You will find that
you will become more tranquil, that your words
will be fewer and more effectual, and that, with
^ess effort, you will accomplish more good.
Fexelon
I'ebruary 11.
/ have finished the work which TJiou gavest me
to do. — John xvii. 4.
She hath done what she could. — Mark xiv. 8.
He who God's will has borne and done,
And his own restless longings stilled ;
What else he does, or has foregone,
His mission he has well fulfilled.
From the German.
r^HEERED by the presence of God, I will do
at each moment, without anxiety, according
to the strength which He shall give me, the work
that His Providence assigns me. I will leave the
rest without concern ; it is not my affair. I ought
to consider the duty to which I am called each
day, as the work that God has given me to do,
and to apply myself to it in a manner worthy of
His glory, that is to say, with exactness and in
peace. I must neglect nothing ; I must be vio-
lent about nothing.
FlfeNELON.
It is thy duty oftentimes to do what thou
wouldst not \ thy duty, too, to leave undone what
thou wouldst do.
Thomas a Kempis
February 12. 43
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth tis with
benefits. — Ps. Ixviii. 19.
N'or trust in uncertain riches, bnt in the living
God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. — •
I Tim. vi. 17.
Source of my life's refreshing springs,
Whose presence in m}- heart sustains me,
Thy love ordains me pleasant things.
Thy mercy orders all that pains me.
A. L. Wakin!
A ND to be true, and speak my soul, when I
survey the occurrences of my Hfe, and call
into account the finger of God, I can perceive
nothing but an abyss and mass of mercies, either
in general to mankind, or in particular to myself;
and whether out of the prejudice of my affection,
or an inverting and partial conceit of His mercies,
I know not ; but those which others term crosses,
afflictions, judgments, misfortunes, to me who
inquire farther into them than their visible effects,
they both appear, and in event have ever proved,
the secret and dissembled favors of His affection.
Sir T. Browne.
44 February 13.
The will of the Lord be done. — Acts xxi. 14.
Let Htm do to me as seemeih good unto Him. —
2 Sam. XV. 26.
To have, each day, the thing I wish.
Lord, that seems best to me ;
But not to have the thing I wish,
Lord, that seems best to Thee.
Most truh', then, Thy will is done,
When mine, O Lord, is crossed;
'T is good to see my plans o'erthrown,
My ways in Thine all lost.
H. BONAR.
f~\ LORD, Thou knowest what is best for us ;
^-^ let this or that be done, as Thou shalt
please. Give what Thou wilt, and how much
Thou wilt, and when Thou wilt. Deal with me
as Thou thinkest good. Set me where Thou wilt,
and deal with me in all things just as Thou wilt.
Behold, I am Thy servant, prepared for all things :
for I desire not to live unto myself, but unto
Thee ; and oh, that I could do it worthily and
P^^f^^t^y '' THOMAS A KeMPIS.
Dare to look up to God, and say, " Make use
of me for the future as Thou wilt. I am of the
same mind ; I am one with Thee. I refuse
nothing which seems good to Thee. Lead me
whither Thou wilt, clothe me in whatever dress
Thou wilt. Is it Thy will that I should be in a
public or a private condition, dwell here, or be
banished, be poor or rich? Under all these cir-
cumstances, I will testify unto Thee before men."
Epictetus.
February 14. 45
/ would have you without carefulness. — i CoR
di. 32.
O Lord, how happy should we be
If we could cast our care on Thee,
If we from self could rest ;
And feel at heart that One above,
In perfect wisdom, perfect love,
Is working for the best.
J. Anstice.
^AST all thy care on God. See that all thy
cares be such as thou canst cast on God,
and then hold none back. Never brood over thy-
self; nsver stop short in thyself; but cast thy
whole self, even this very care which distresseth
thee, upon God. Be not anxious about httle
things, if thou wouldst learn to trust God with
thine all. Act upon faith in little things ; com-
mit thy daily cares and anxieties to Him ; and
He will strengthen thy faith for any greater trials.
Rather, give thy whole self into God's hands,
and so trust Him to take care of thee in all lesser
things, as being His, for His own sake, whose
thou art,
E. B. PusEv
46 February 15.
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the Scrip-
ture^ Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself ye do
well. — James ii. 8.
Come, children, let us go!
We travel hand in hand ;
Each in his brother finds his joy
In this wild stranger land.
The strong be quick to raise
The weaker when they fall ;
Let love and peace and patience bloom
In ready help for all.
G. TersteegeN.
TT is a sad weakness in us, after all, that the
thought of a man's death hallows him anew
to us ; as if Hfe were not sacred too, — as if it
were comparatively a light thing to fail in love
and reverence to the brother who has to climb
the whole toilsome steep with us, and all our
tears and tenderness were due to the one who is
spared that hard journey.
George Eliot.
Would we codify the laws that should reign in
households, and whose daily transgression annoys
and mortifies us, and degrades our household
[ife^ — we must learn to adorn every day with
sacrifices. Good manners are made up of petty
^,acrifices. Temperance, courage, love, are made
ap of the same jewels. Listen to every prompt-
ing of honor.
R W Emerson
February 16. 47
Serve Him with a perfect hearty and with a
willing miftd. — i Chron. xxviii. 9.
And if some things I do not ask,
In my cup of blessing be,
I would have my spirit filled the more
With grateful love to Thee, —
More careful, — not to serve Thee much,
But to please Thee perfectly.
A. L. War. ^.
T ITTLE things come daily, hourly, within our
reach, and they are not less calculated to
set forward our growth in holiness, than are the
greater occasions which occur but rarely. More-
over, fidelity in trifles, and an earnest seeking to
please God in little matters, is a test of real devo-
tion and love. Let your aim be to please our
dear Lord perfectly in little things, and to attain
a spirit of childlike simplicity and dependence.
In proportion as self-love and self-confidence are
weakened, and our will bowed to that of God, sc
will hindrances disappear, the internal troubles
and contests which harassed the soul vanish, and
it will be filled with peace and tranquillity.
Jean Nicolas Grou
48 February 17.
My brethren^ count it all joy when ye fall into
divers teutplations \_or ^'■trials "], knowing this ^ that
the trying of your faith worketJi patie?ice. — James
For patience, when the rough winds blow !
For patience, when our liopes are fading, —
When visible things all backward go.
And nowhere seems the power of aiding !
God still enfolds thee with His viewless hand.
And leads thee surely to the Fatherland.
N. L. PROTHINGHAM, /?w« the German.
\T 7E have need of patience with ourselves and
with others ; with those below, and those
above us, and with our own equals ; with those
who love us and those who love us not ; for the
greatest things and for the least ; against sudden
inroads of trouble, and under our daily burdens ;
disappointments as to the weather, or the break-
ing of the heart ; in the weariness of the body,
or the wearing of the soul ; in our own failure of
duty, or others' failure toward us ; in every-day
wants, or in the aching of sickness or the decay
of age ; in disappointment, bereavement, losses,
injuries, reproaches ; in heaviness of the heart ;
or its sickness amid delayed hopes. In all these
things, from childhood's little troubles to the mar-
tyr's suffenngs, patience is the grace of God,
where])y we endure evil for the love of God.
E. B. TusEY
February 18. 49
// is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I
mii^ht learn Thy statutes. — Ps. cxix. 71.
But though He cause grief, yet will He have com-
passion, according to the multitude of His mercies,
— Lam. iii. 32.
And yet these days of dreariness are sent us from above ;
They do not come in anger, but in faithfuhiess and love •,
They come to teach us lessons which bright ones could
not 'yield.
And to leave us blest and thankful when their purpose
is fulfilled.
Anon.
IIJ EED not distressing thoughts when they rise
ever so strongly in thee ; nay, though tliey
have entered thee, fear them not, but be still
awhile, not believing in the power which thou
feelest they have over thee, and it will fall on a
sudden. It is good for thy spirit, and greatly to
thy advantage, to be much and variously exer-
cised by the Lord. Thou dost not know what
the Lord hath already done, and what He is
yet doing for thee therein.
I. Pextngton.
Why should I start at the plough of my Lord,
that maketh deep furrows on my soul? I know
He is no idle husbandman, He purposeth a crop
S. Rutherford.
50 February 19.
My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me,
and to finish His work. — John iv. 34.
I AM glad to think
I am not bound to make the world go right ;
But only to discover and to do,
With cheerful heart, the work that God appoints.
I will trust in Him,
That He can hold His own ; and I will take
His will, above the work He sendeth me.
To be my chiefest good.
J. Ingelow.
T~\ON'T object that your duties are so insig-
nificant ; they are to be reckoned of infinite
significance, and alone important to you. Were
it buc the more perfect regulation of your apart-
ments, the sorting-away of your clothes ana
trinkets, the arranging of your papers, — " What-
soever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy
might," and all thy worth and constancy. Much
more, if your duties are of evidently higher, wider
scope j if you have brothers, sisters, a father, a
mother, weigh earnestly what claim does lie upon
you, on behalf of each, and consider it as the
one thmg needful, to pay them more and more
honestly and nobly what you owe. What matter
how miserable one is, if one can do that ? That is
the sure and steady disconnection and extinction
of whatsoever miseries one has in this world.
T. Carlvi.e
February 20. 51
Let us not therefore judge one another any more :
but judge this rather, that 710 man put a stumbling-
block, or an occasion to fall, in his brothers way. —
Rom. xiv. 13.
Them that were etttering in, ye hindered. — Luke
xi. 52.
My mind was ruffled with small cares to-day,
And I said pettish words, and did not keep
Long-suffering patience well, and now how deep
My trouble for this sin ! in vain I weep
For foolish words I never can unsay.
H. S. Sutton,
A VEXATION arises, and our expressions
of impatience hinder others frorn taking
it patiently. Disappointment, aihiient, or even
weather depresses us ; and our look or tone of
depression hinders others from maintaining a
cheerful and thankful spirit. We say an unkind
thing, and another is hindered in learning the
holy lesson of charity that thinketh no evil. We
say a provoking thing, and our sister or brother
is hindered in that day's effort to be meek. How
sadly, too, we may hinder without word or act !
For \\Tong feeling is more infectious than wrong
doing ; especially the various phases of ill tem-
per, — gloominess, touchiness, discontent, irritabil-
ity, — do we not know how catching these are ?
F. R. Havergal.
52 Febniary 21.
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts tint o your children, how nnich more shall your
Father which is i7i heaven give good gifts to them
that ask Hi7n. — Matt. vii. 1 1.
For His great love has compassed
Our nature, and our need
We k'.iow not ; but He knoweth.
And He will bless indeed.
Therefore. O heavenly Father,
Give what is best to me ;
And take the wants unanswered.
As offerings made to Thee.
Anon.
T\7HATS0EVER we ask which is not for our
good, He will keep it back from us. And
surely in this there is no less of love than in the
granting what we desire as we ought. Will not
the same love which prompts you to give a good,
prompt yov. to keep back an evil, thing? If, in
our blindness, not knowing what to ask, we pray
for things which would turn in our hands to sor-
row and death, will not our Father, out of His
very love, deny us? How awful would be our lot,
if our wishes should straightway pass into reali-
ties ; if we were endowed with a power to bring
about all that we desire ; if the inclinations of our
will were followed by fulfilment of our hasty
wishes, and sudden longings were always granted.
One day we shall bless Him, not more for what
He has granted than for what He has denied.
H. E, Manning.
February 23. 5,
Be careful for nothing; but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving lei your
requests be made known unto God. — Phil. iv. 6.
We tell Thee of our care,
Of the sore burden, pressing day by day,
And in the light and pity of Thy face,
The burden melts away.
We breathe our secret wish,
The importunate longing which no man may see j
We ask it humbly, or, more restful still,
We leave it all to Thee.
Susan Coolidge-
nPHAT prayer which does not succeed in mode-
rating our wish, in changing the passionate
desire into still submission, the anxious, tumul-
tuous expectation into silent surrender, is no true
prayer, and proves that we have not the spirit of
true prayer. That life is most holy in which there
is least of petition and desire, and most of wait-
ing upon God ; that in which petition most often
passes into thanksgiving. Pray till prayer makes
you forget your own wish, and leave it or merge it
in God's will. The Divine wisdom has given us
prayer, not as a means whereby to obtain the
good things of earth, but as a means whereby we
learn to do without them ; not as a means where-
by we escape evil, but as a means whereby we
become strong to meet it.
F. W. Robertson
54 February 23.
Let the Lord do that which is good in His sight.
— I Chron. xix. 13.
Let Thy mercy ^ O Lord, be zipoti us, according as
we hope in Thee. — Ps. xxxiii. 22.
I CANNOT feel
That all is well, when darkening clouds conceal
The shining sun ;
But then, I know
He lives and loves ; and say, since it is so,
Thy will be done.
S. G. Browning.
IVTO felt evil or defect becomes divine until it
is inevitable ; and only when resistance to
it is exhausted and hope has fled, does surrender
cease to be premature. The hardness of our
task lies here ; that we have to strive against the
grievous things of life, while hope remains, as if
they were evil ; and then, when the stroke has
fallen, to accept them from the hand of God, and
doubt not they are good. But to the loving,
trusting heart all things are possible ; and even
this instant change, from overstrained will to sor-
rowful repose, from fullest resistance to complete
surrender, is realized without convulsion.
Martineau
February 24. 55
These thinos I have spoken unto you that in me
ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have
tribulation : but be of good cheer ; I have overcome
the world. — JOHX xvi. 33.
O Thou, the primal fount of life and peace,
Who shedd'st Thy breathing quiet all around,
In me command that pain and conflict cease.
And turn to music every jarring sound.
J. Sterling.
A CCUSTOM yourself to unreasonableness and
injustice. Abide in peace in the presence
of God, who sees all these evils more clearly than
ybu do, and who permits them. Be content with
doing with calmness the little which depends upon
yourself, and let all else be to you as if it were
not.
Fenelon.
It is rare when injustice, or slights patiently
borne, do not leave the heart at the close of the
day lilled with marvellous joy and peace.
Gold Dust
56 February 25.
But now thus saith the Lord that created thee^ O
Jacobs a7id He that foruied thee ^ O Israel, Fear not ;
for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy
na/ne J thou art inine. — ISA. xliii. i.
Thou art as much His care as if beside
Nor man nor angel lived in heaven or earth ;
Thus sunbeams pour alike their glorious tide,
To light up worlds, or wake an insect's mirth.
J. Keble.
/^^OD beholds thee individually, whoever thoa
^'^ art. " He calls thee by thy name." He
sees thee, and understands thee. He knows
what is in thee, all thy own peculiar feelings and
thoughts, thy dispositions and likings, thy strength
and thy weakness. He views thee in thy day of
rejoicing and thy day of sorrow. He sympathizes
in thy hopes and in thy temptations ; He inter-
ests himself in all thy anxieties and thy remem-
brances, in all the risings and fallings of thy spirit.
He compasses thee round, and bears thee in His
arms ; He takes thee up and sets thee down.
Thou dost not love thyself better than He loves
thee. Thou canst not shrink from pain more
than He dislikes thy bearing it ; and if He puts
it on thee, it is as thou wilt put it on thyself, if
thou art wise, for a greater good afterwards.
February 26.
The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon
Hi7n, to all that call upon Him in truth. — Ps.
^xlv. 1 8.
/ sou^^ht the Lord, and He heard nie, and deliv-
ired me from all my fears. — Ps. xxxiv. 4.
Be Thou, O Rock of Ages, nigh!
So shall each murmuring thought be gone ;
And grief and fear and care shall fly,
As clouds before the mid-day sun.
C. WESLEY:
nPAKE courage, and turn your troubles, which
are without remedy, int-o material for spir-
it \al progress. Often turn to our Lord, who is
watching you, poor frail little being as you are,
arnid your labors and distractions. He sends you
nelp, and blesses your affliction. This thought
should enable you to bear your troubles patiently
and gently, for love of Him who only allows you
to be tried for your own good. Raise your heart
continually to God, seek His aid, and let the
foundation stone of your consolation be your hap-
piness ni being His. All vexations and annoy-
ances will be comparatively unimportant while
you know that you have such a Friend, such a
Stay, such a Refuge. May God be ever in your
heart.
Francis de Sai.es
53 February 27.
Trust in the Lord^ and do good ; so shalt thou
dwell 171 the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. —
Ps. xxxvii. 3.
Build a little fence of trust
Around to-day ;
Fill the space with loving work,
And therein stay ;
Look not through the sheltering bars
Upon to-morrow,
God will help thee bear what comes,
Of joy or sorrow.
Mary Frances Butts.
T ET us bow our souls and say, " Behold the
handmaid of the Lord I " Let us lift up oui
hearts and ask, *' Lord, what wouldst thou have
me to do? " Then light from the opened heaven
shall stream on our daily task, revealing the grains
c'i gold, where yesterday all seemed dust ; a hand
shall sustain us and our daily burden, so that,
smiling at yesterday's fears, we shall say, " This
is easy, this is light ;^' every " hon in the way,"
as we come up to it, shall be seen chained, and
leave open the gates of the Palace Beautiful ;
and to us, even to us, feeble and fluctuating as
we are, ministries shall be assigned, and through
our hands blessings shall be conveyed in which
the spirits of just men made perfect might
delight.
Klizabf.th Charles.
February 28. 59
Beloved^ let us love one another : for love ts 0^ *
God; and every one that lo%>eth is borti of God^
and knoweth God. — i John iv. 7.
So to the calmly gathered thought
The innermost of life is taught,
The mystery, dimly understood,
That love of God is love of good ;
That to be saved is only this, —
Salvation from our selfishness.
J. G. Whittier.
T^HE Spirit of Love, wherever it is, is its o\\x\.
blessing and happiness, because it is the
truth and reality of God in the soul ; and there-
fore is in the same joy of life, and is the same
good to itself everywhere and on every occasion.
Would you know the blessing of all blessings?
It is this God of Love dwelling in your soul, and
killing every root of bitterness, which is the pain
and torment of every earthly, selfish love. For
all wants are satisfied, all disorders of nature are
removed, no life is any longer a burden, every day
is a day of peace, everything you meet becomes
a help to you, because everything you see or do
IS all done in the sweet, gende element of Love.
Wm. Law.
6o February 29.
Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun oj
Riohteous?iess arise with healing in his wings, —
Mal. iv. 2.
O send out Thy light and Thy truth; let them
lead me. — Ps. xliii. 3.
Open our eyes, thou Sun of life and gladness,
That we may see that glorious world of Thine I
It shines for us in vain, while drooping sadness
Enfolds us here like mist; come, Power benign,
Touch our chilled hearts with vernal smile,
Our wintry course do Thou beguile.
Nor by the wayside ruins let us mourn,
Who have th' eternal towers for our appointed bourn.
J. Keble.
T^ECAUSE all those scattered rays of beauty
and loveliness which we behold spread up
and down over all the world, are only the emana-
tions of that inexnaasted light which is above ;
therefore should we love them all in that, and
climb up always by those sunbeams unto the eter-
nal Father of lights : we should look upon Him,
and take from Him the pattern of our lives, and
always eying Him, should, as Hierocles speaks,
"polish and shape our souls into the clearest
resemblance of Him ; '' and in all our behavior in
this world (that great temple of His) deport our-
selves decently and reverently, with that humility,
meekness, and modesty that becomes His house.
Dk. John Sai itu, d. 1652.
March 1. 6i
Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat^
or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body,, what
ye shall put on. — Matt. vi. 25.
OxK there lives whose guardian eye
Guides our earthly destiny ;
One there lives, who, Lord of all,
Keeps His children lest they fall ;
Pass we, then, in love and praise.
Trusting Him through all our days.
Free from doubt and faithless sorrow, —
God provideth for the morrow.
R. HE8ER=
TT hjs been well said that no man ever sank
under the burden of the day. It is when to-
morrow's burden is added to the burden of to-day
that the weight is more than a man can bear.
Never load yourselves so, my friends. If you
find yourselves so loaded, at least remember
this : it is your own doing, not God's. He begs
you to leave the future to Him, and mind the
present.
G. MacDonald
02 March 2.
But to do good and to co7ninumcate forget not:
for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. —
Heb. xiii. i6.
For this is the jnessage that ye heard from the
beginnings that we should love one another. —
I John iii. ii.
Be useful where thou livest, that they may
Both want and wish thy pleasing presence still.
. . . Find out men's wants and will,
And meet them there. All worldly joys go less
To the one joy of doing kindnesses.
G. Herbert,
T ET the weakest, let the humblest remember,
that in his daily course he can, if he will,
shed around him almost a heaven. Kindly words,
sympathizing attentions, watchfulness against
wounding men's sensitiveness, - — these cost very
little, but they are priceless in their value. Are
they not almost the staple of our daily happiness?
PVom hour to hour, from moment to moment, we
are supported, blest, by small kindnesses.
F. W. Robertson,
Small kindnesses, small courtesies, small con-
siderations, habitually practised in our social in-
tercourse, give a greater charm to the character
than the display of great talents and accomplish-
ments.
M. A. Keltv.
March 3.
I jnade haste, and delayed 7iot to keep Thy com-
mandments.— Ps. cxix. 60.
Ye know not what shall be on the morrow. — ■
James iv. 14.
Never delay
To do the duty which the hour brings,
Whether it be in great or smaller things ;
For who doth know
What he shall do the coming day ?
Anon.
TT is quite impossible that an idle, floating spint
can ever look up with clear eye to God ;
spreading its miserable anarchy before the sym-
metry of the creative Mind ; in the midst of a
disorderly being, that has neither centre nor cir-
cumference, kneeling beneath the glorio-is sky,
that everywhere has both ; and for a life that is
all failure, turning to the Lord of the silent stars,
of whose punctual thought it is, that " not one
faileth." The heavens, with their everlasting
faithfulness, look down on no sadder contradic-
tion, than the sluggard and the slattern in their
prayers,
J. M.VRTINEAU
64 March 4.
But the souls of the 7'ighteous are in the hand of
Cod^ and there shall no toi'ment touch them. In
the sight of the nnwise they seemed to die : and
their departure is taken for niisery, and their going
from us to be utter destruction : but they are in peace.
' — Wisdom of Solomon iii. 1-3.
But souls that of His own good life partake,
He loves as His own self ; dear as His eye
They are to Him: He 'II never them forsake :
When they shall die, then God Himself shall die;
They live, they live in blest eternity.
Henry More
'T^ HOUGH every good man is not so logically
subtile as to be able by fit mediums to
demonstrate his own immortality, yet he sees it in
a higher light : his soul, being purged and enlight-
ened by true sanctity, is more capable of those
divine irradiations, whereby it feels itself in con-
junction with God. It knows that God will
never forsake His own life which He hath quick-
ened in it ; He will never deny those ardent
desires of a blissful fruition of Himself, which the
lively sense of His own goodness hath excited
within it : those breathings and gaspings after an
eternal participation of Him are but the energy 01
His own breath within us ; if He had had any
mind to destroy it, He would never have shown
it such things as He hath done.
Dr. Tohn Smith
March 5.
And every man that hath this hope in him puri-
fieth himself^ even as He is pure. — i John iii. 3.
Now, Lord, what wait I for ?
On Thee alone
My hope is all rested, —
Lord, seal me Thine own !
Only Thine own to be,
Only to live to Thee.
Thine, with each day begun,
Thine, with each set of sun.
Thine, till my work is done.
Anna Warner.
"VrOW, believe me, God hides some ideal in
ever,/ human soul. At some time in our
life we feel a trembling, fearful longing to do
some good thing. Life finds its noblest spring of
excellence in this hidden impulse to do our best.
There is a time when we are not content to be
such merchants or doctors or lawyers as we see
on the dead level or below it. The woman
longs to glorify her womanhood as sister, wife,
or mother. . . . Here is God, — God standing
silendy at the door all day long, — God whisper-
ing to the soul, that to be pure and true is to
succeed in life, and whatever we get short of that
will bum up like stubble, though the whole world
try to save it.
Robert Collyer
66 March 6.
The shadow of a great rock in a weary land. —
IsA. xxxii. 2.
In i'einr7iiiig and rest shall ye be saved j in
quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.
— IsA. XXX. 15.
O Shadow in a sultry land !
We gather to Thv breast,
Whose love, enfolding like the night,
Brings quietude and rest,
Glimpse of the fairer life to be,
In foretaste here possessed.
C. M. Packard
OTRIVE to see God in all things without ex-
ception, and acquiesce in His will with
absolute submission. Do everything for God,
uniting yourself to Him by a mere upward glance,
or by the overflowing of your heart towards Him.
Never be in a hurry ; do everything quietly and
in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inward peace
for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world
seems upset. Commend all to God, and then lie
still and be at rest in His bosom. Whatever
happens, abide steadfast in a determination to
cling simply to God, trusting to His eternal love
for you ; and if you find that you have wandered
forth from this shelter, recall your heart quietly
and simply. Maintain a holy simplicity of mind,
and do not smother yourself with a host of cares,
wishes, or longings, under any pretext.
Francis de Sales
March 7. 67
There are diversities of operations, but it is the
same God which luorketh all in all. — i CoR. xii. 6.
T form the lights and create darkness ; I make
peace, and create evil; I the Lord do all these things.
— ISA. xlv. 7.
" Alt. is of God that is, and is to be ;
And God is good." Let this suffice us still,
Resting in childlike trust upon His will,
Who moves to His great ends, unthwarted by the ill.
J. G. Whittier
nPHIS, then, is of faith, that everything, the very
least, or what seems to us great, every
change of the seasons, everything which touches
us in mind body, or estate, whether brought about
through this outward senseless nature, or by the
will of man, good or bad, is overruled to each of
us by the all-holy and all-loving will of God.
Whatever befalls us, however it befalls us, we
must receive as the will of God. If it befalls us
through man's negligence, or ill-will, or anger,
still it is, in every the least circumstance, to us
the will of God. For if the least thing could
happen to us without God's permission, it would
be something out of God's control. God's provi-
dence or His love would not be what they are.
Almighty God Himself would not be the same
God ; not the God whom we believe, adore, and
lov-e
E. B. PUSEY
68 March 8.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed. — 2 Tim.
ii. 15.
And let us not be weary in well-doing; for in
due season we shall reap if we faint not. — Gal.
^d. 9.
The task Thy wisdom hath assigned,
Oh, let me cheerfully fulfil ;
In all my works Thy presence find,
And prove Thine acceptable will.
C. Wesley,
•* T1[7HAT is my next duty? What is the thing
^^ that lies nearest to me ? " "That be-
longs to your every-day history. No one can
answer that question but yourself. Your next duty
is just to determine what your next duty is. Is
there nothing you neglect? Is there nothing you
know you ought not to do? You would know
your duty, if you thought in earnest about it, and
were not ambitious of great things." " Ah, then,"
responded she, " I suppose it is something very
commonplace, which will make life more dreary
than ever. That cannot help me." " It will, if it
be as dreary as reading the newspapers to an old
deaf aunt. It will soon lead you to something
more. Your duty will begin to comfort you at
once, but will at length open the unknown foun-
tain of life in your heart."
G. MacDonai.d
March 9. 69
Thou shall rejoice before the Lord thy God, in
all that thou puttest thine hands unto. — Deut.
xii. 18.
Beye thafikful. — Col. iii. 15.
Thju that hast given so much to me.
Give one thing more, a grateful heart.
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if thy blessings had spare days ;
But such a heart, whose pulse may be
Thy praise.
G. Herbert.
TF any one would tell you the shortest, surest
way to all happiness and all perfection, he
must tell you to make it a rule to yourself to
thank and praise God for everything that hap-
pens to you. For it is certain that whatever
seeming calamity happens to you, if you thank
and praise God for it, you turn it into a blessing.
Could you, therefore, work miracles, you could
not do more for yourself than by this thankful
spirit; for it heals with a word speaking, and
turns all that it touches into happiness.
Wm. Law
yo March 10.
IV/uii thou passest through the waters^ I will be
with thee ; and through tJie rivers, they shall not
overflow thee : when thou walkest through the fire.
thou shall not be burned; neither shall the flame
kindle upon thee. — ISA. xliii 2.
J am with thee to deliver thee. — Jer. i. 8.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow, shall not overflow ;
For I will be with thee thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
Anon.
nrURN it as thou wilt, thou must give thyself to
-■■ suffer what is appointed thee. But if we
did that, God would bear us up at all times in all
our sorrows and troubles, and God would lay His
shoulder under our burdens, and help us to bear
them. For if, with a cheerful courage, we sub-
mitted ourselves to God. no suffering would be
unbearable.
J. Tauler.
Learn to be as the angel, who could descend
among the miseries of Bethesda without losing
his heavenly purity or his perfect happiness.
Gain healing from troubled waters. Make up
your mind to the prospect of sustaining a certain
measure of pain and trouble in your passage
through life. By the blessing of God this will
prepare you for it ; it will make you thoughtful
and resigned without interfering with your cheer-
fulness.
J. H Newman
March 11. 71
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sus-
tain thee; He shall never sujfer the righteous to bt
moved. — Ps. Iv. 22.
Now our wants and burdens leaving,
To His care, who cares for all.
Cease we fearing, cease we grieving,
At His touch our burdens fall.
S. Longfellow.
'T^HE circumstances of her life she could not
alter, but she took them to the Lord, and
handed them over into His management ; and
then she believed that He took it, and she left all
the responsibility and the worry and anxiety with
Him. As often as the anxieties returned she
took them back ; and the result was that, although
the circumstances remained unchanged, her soul
was kept in perfect peace in the midst of them.
And the secret she found so effectual in her out-
ward affairs, she found to be still more effectual in
her inward ones, which were in truth even more
utterly unmanageable. She abandoned her whole
self to the Lord, with all that she was and all that
she had ; and, believing that He took that which
she had committed to Him, she ceased to fret and
worry, and her life became all sunshine in the
gladness of belonging to Him.
H. W. S.
'J 2 March 12,
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee j the Lord ?nake
His face shine upon thee, arid be gracious unto thee j
the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee^ and give
thee peace. — Num. vi. 24-26.
O Love, how cheering is Thy ray !
All pain before Thy presence flies ;
Care, anguish, sorrow, melt away,
Where'er Thy healing beams arise.
O Father, nothing may I see,
Nothing desire, or seek, but Thee.
P. Gerhardt.
'T^HERE is a faith in God, and a clear percep-
tion of His will and designs, and provi-
dence, and glory, which gives to its possessor a
confidence and patience and sweet composure,
under every varied and troubling aspect of events,
such as no man can realize who has not felt its
influences in his own heart. There is a com-
munion with God, in which the soul feels the
presence of the unseen One, in the profound
depths of its being, with a vivid distinctness and
a holy reverence, such as no words can describe.
There is a state of union with God, I do not say
often reached, yet it has been attained in this
world, in which all the past and present and
future seem reconciled, and eternity is won and
enjoyed ; and God and man, earth and heaven,
with all their mysteries, are apprehended in truth
as they lie in the mind of the Infinite.
Samuel D. Robbins.
March 13. 73
He that abideth in me, and I in him, hringeth
forth much fruit. — John xv. 5.
Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us
— Ps xc. 17
As some rare perfume in a vase of clay
Pervades it with a tragrance not its own,
So when Thou dwellest in a mortal soul,
All Heaven's own sweetness seems around it thrown.
H. B. Stovve
OOME glances of real beauty may be seen in
^ their faces, who dwell in true meekness.
There is a harmony in the sound of that voice
to which Divine love gives utterance, and some
appearance of right order in their temper and
conduct whose passions are regulated.
John Woolman.
I BELIEVE that no Divine truth can truly dwell
in any heart, without an external testimony in
manner, bearing, and appearance, that must reach
the witness within the heart of the beholder, and
bear an unmistakable, chough silent, evidence to
the eternal principle from which it emanates.
M. A. SCHIMMELPEXNINCK
74 March 14.
/ have called upon Thee, for Thou wilt hear me,
O God: incline Thine ear unto me, and hear my
speech. — Ps. xvii. 6.
Ye people, pour out your heart before Him : God
ts arefiige for us. — Ps. Ixii. 8.
Whatf/er the care which breaks thy rest,
Whate'er the wish that swells thy breast ;
Spread bef(jre God that wish, that care,
And change anxiety to prayer.
Anon.
r
" I TROUBLE and perplexity drive us to prayer,
and prayer driveth away trouble and
perplexity.
P. Melancthon.
Whatsoevf.r it is that presses thee, go tell
thy Father ; put over the matter into His hand,
and so thou shaltbe freed from that dividing, per-
plexing care that the world is full of. When thou
art either to do or suffer anything, wlien thou art
about any purpose or business, go tell God of it,
and acquaint Him with it ; yea, burden Him with
it, and thou hast done for matter of caring ; no
more care, but quiet, sweet diligence in thy duty,
and dependence on Him for the carriage of thy
matters. Roll thy cares, and thyself with them,
as one burden, all on thy God.
R I.KIGUTON
March 15. 75
Hear 7ne. O Lord^ for Thy Iflvinn^-kindness is
good: turn ttnto nie according to the multitude oj
Thy tender mercies. — Ps. Ixix. i6.
Let, I pray Thee, Thy ?nerciful kindness be for my
co/nfort, according to Thy word unto Thy servant,
— Ps. cxix 76.
Love d-vine has seen and counted
Every tear it caused to fall ;
And the storm which Love appointed
Was its choicest gift of all.
Axox
C\ THAT thou coLildst dwell in the knowledge
and sense of this ! even, that the Lord be-
holds thy sufferings with an eye of pity ; and is
able, not only to uphold thee under them, but
also to do thee good by them. Therefore, grieve
not at thy lot, be not discontented, look not out
at the hardness of thy condition ; but, when the
storm and matters of vexation are sharp, look up
to Him who can give meekness and patience,. can
lift up thy head over all, and cause thy life to
grow, and be a gainer by all. If the Lord God
help thee proportionably to thy condition of
affliction and distress, thou wilt have no cause to
complain, but to bless Lli.i na-.ne.
1. Pi \:ngton
Jb March 16.
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatso-
ever ye do, do all to the glory of God. — i CoR. x. 31.
With good will doing service, as to the Lord and
not unto men. — Eph. vi. 7.
A SERVANT, with this clause,
Makes drudgery divine :
Who sweeps a room; as for Thy laws,
Makes that and th' action fine.
G. Herbert.
O URELY the truth must be, that whatsoever in
our daily life is lawful and right for us to be
engaged in, is in itself a part of our obedience to
God ; a part, that is, of our very rehgion. When-
soever we hear people complaining of obstructions
and hindrances put by the duties of life in the
way of devoting themselves to God, we may be
sure they are under some false view or other.
They do no*^ look upon their daily work as the
task God has set them, and as obedience due to
Elim. We may go farther; and say, not only
that the duties of life, be they never so toilsome
and distracting, are no obstructions to a hfe of
any degree of inward holiness ; but that they are
even direct means, when rightly used, to promote
our sanctification.
II. E. Manning.
March 17. 77
Where hast thou gleaned to-day? — Ruth ii. 19.
What have I learnt where'er I 've been,
From all I 've heard, from all I 've seen ?
What know I more that 's worth the knowing?
What have I clone that 's worth the doing ?
What have I sought that I should shun ?
What duties have I left undone ?
Pythagoras
A LL of this world will soon have passed away.
But God will remain, and thou, whatever
thou hast become, good or bad. Thy deeds
now are the seed-corn of eternity. Each single
act, in each several day, good or bad, is a portion
of that seed. Each day adds some line, making
thee more or less like Him, more or less capable
of His love.
E. B. PUSEY.
There is something very solemn in the thought
that that part of our work which we have left
undone may first be revealed to us at the end of
a life filled up, as we had fondly hoped, with
useful and necessary employments.
AxNA, OR Passages from Home Life
•J?, March 18.
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having covipassion
one of another J love as brethren, be pitijul^ be
cotirteous. — i Peter iii. 8.
Make us of one heart and mind ;
Courteous, pitiful, and kind;
Lowly, meek, in thought and word,
Altogetlier like our Lord.
C. Wesley.
A LITTLE thought will show you how vastly
your own happiness depends on the way
other people bear themselves toward you. The
looks and tones at your breakfast- table, the con-
duct of your fellow-workers or ^employers, the
faithful or unreliable men you deal with, what
people say to you on the street, the way )our
cook and housemaid do their work, the letters
you get, the friends or foes you meet, — these
things make up very much of the pleasure oi
misery of your day. Turn the idea around, and
remember that just so much are you adding to
the pleasure or the misery of other people's days.
And this is the half of the matter which you can
control. Whether any particular day shall bring
to you more of happiness or of suffering is largely
beyond your power to determine. Whether each
day of your life shall give happiness or suffering
rests with yourself.
Gi.oRGE S. P.Ierriam
March 19. 79
Showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn
the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. —
Titus ii. 10.
If on our daily course our mind
Be set to hallow all we find,
New treasures still, of countless price,
God will provide for sacrifice.
J. Keble.
TF content and thankfulness, if the patient bear-
-■- ing of evil, be duties to God, they are the
duties of every day, and in every circumstance
of our Hfe. If we are to follow Christ, it must be
in our common way of spending every day.
Wm. Law.
He who is faithful over a few things is a lord
of cities. It does not matter whether you preach
in Westminster Abbey, or teach a ragged class,
so you be faitliful. The faithfulness is all.
G. MacDonald.
I WOULD have you invoke God often through
the day, asking Him to kindle a love for your
vocation within you, and saying with St. Paul,
'■''Lord, what wouldst Thou have me to do?'
Wouldst Thou have me serve Thee in the lowest
ministries of Thy house? too happy if I may but
serve Thee anyhow." And when any special
thing goes against you, ask " Wouldst Thou have
me do it? Then, unworthy though I be, I will
do it gladly."
Fkaxcis de Sales.
So Maich 20.
T/ioie shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Hi7n
only shalt thou serve. — Matt. iv. lo.
Blessed are they that keep His testmtoiiies^ and
that seek Him with the ivhole heart. — Ps. cxix. 2.
The comfort of a mind at rest
From every care Thou hast not blest;
A heart from all the world set free,
To worshijD and to wait on Thee.
A.. L. Waring.
"D ESIGN every forbidden joy ; restrain every
wish that is not referred to His will ; ban-
ish all eager desires, all anxiety. Desire only the
will of God ; seek Him alone, and you will find
peace.
F^NELON.
" I 'vE been a great deal happier since I have
given up thinking about what is easy and pleasant,
and being discontented because I could n't have
my own will. Our life is determined for us ;
and It makes the mind very free when we give up
wishing, and only think of bearing what is laid
upon us, and doing what is given us to do."
George Eliot
March 21. 8i
Vaiir heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need
of all these things. — Matt. vi. 32.
All as God \vills, who wisely heeds
To give or to withhold ;
And knoweth more of all my needs
Than all my prayers have told.
J. G. Whittier.
T ORD, I know not what I ought to ask of
■^ Thee ; Thou only knowest what we need ;
Thou lovest me better than I know how to love
myself. O Father ! give to Thy child that which
he himself knows not how to ask. I dare not
ask either for crosses or consolations ; I simply
present myself before Thee ; I open my heart to
Thee. Behold my needs which I know not
myself; see, and do according to Thy tender
mercy. Smite, or heal ; depress me, or raise me
up ; I adore all Thy purposes without knowing
them ; I am silent ; I offer myself in sacrifice ; I
yield myself to Thee ; I would have no other
desire than to accomplish Thy will. Teach me
to pray ; pray Thyself in me.
Fenelon
d>2 March 22.
He that cotitemneth small tilings shall fall by
little and little. — Ecclus. xix. i.
One finger's-breadth at hand \vi
A world of light in heaven afar,
A mote eclipse a glorious star,
An eyelid hide the sky.
J. Keele.
A SINGLE sin, however apparently trifling,
however hidden in some obscure corner
of our consciousness, — a sin luhich we do 7iot
intend to renounce, — is enough to render real
prayer impracticable. A course of action not
wholly upright and honorable, feelings not en-
tirely kind and loving, habits not spotlessly
chaste and temperate, — any of these are impas-
sable obstacles. If we know of a kind act which
we might, but do not intend to, perform, — if we
be aware that our moral health requires the
abandonment of some pleasure which yet we do
not intend to abandon, here is cause enough for
the loss of all spiritual power,
F. P. Coi:be.
It is astonishing how soon the whole con-
science begins to unravel, if a single stitch
drops ; one little sin indulged makes a hole you
could put your head through.
Charles Buxton
March 23. 83
Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou
doest. — 3 John 5.
And this also we wish^ even your perfection. —
2 Cor. xlii. 9.
In all the little things of life,
Thyself, Lord, may I see ;
In little and in great alike
Reveal Thy love to me.
So shall my undivided life
To Thee, my God, be given ;
And all this earthly course below
Be one dear path' to heaven.
H. BONAR.
TN order to mould thee into entire conformity
to His will, He must have thee pliable in
His hands, and this pliability is more quickly-
reached by yielding in the little things than even
by the greater. Thy one great desire is to follow
Him fully ; canst thou not say then a continual
"yes'' to all His sweet commands, whether small
or great, and trust Him to lead thee by the
shortest road to thy fullest blessedness ?
H. W. S.
With meekness, humility, and diligence, apply
yourself to the duties of your condition. They
are the seemingly little things which make no
noise that do the business.
Henry More.
84 March 24.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep j for
Thou, Lordf on/y niakest me dwell in safety, —
Ps. iv. 8.
He giveth His beloved sleep. — Ps. cxxvii. 2.
He guides our feet, He guards our way,
His morning smiles bless all the day;
He spreads the evening veil, and keeps
The silent hours while Israel sleeps.
I. Watts
n W/E sleep in peace in the arms of God, when
we yield ourselves up to His providence,
in a delightful consciousness of His tender mer-
cies ; no more restless uncertainties, no more
anxious desires, no more impatience at the place
we are in ; for it is God who has put us there,
and who holds us in His arms. Can we be
unsafe where He has placed us ?
Fi;NELON.
OxE evening when Luther saw a little bird
perched on a tree, to roost there for the night, he
said, " This little bird has had its supper, and
now it is getting ready to go to sleep here, quite
secure and content, never troubling itself what its
food will be, or where its lodging on the morrow.
Like David, it * abides under the shadow of the
Almighty.' It sits on its little twig content, and
lets God take care."
March 25. 85
/ will hear what God the Lord will speak : for
He will speak peace u?ito His people. — Ps. Ixxxv. 8.
There is a voice, " a still, small voice " of love..
Heard from above ;
But not amidst the din of earthly sounds,
Which here confounds;
By those withdrawn apart it best is heard,
And peace, sweet peace, breathes in each gentle word.
Anonymous.
TJTE speaketh, but it is witli us to hearken or no.
It is much, yea, it is everything, not to
turn away the ear, to be willing to hearken, not
to drown His voice. " The secret of the Lord is
with them that fear Him." It is a secret, hushed
voice, a gentle intercourse of heart to heart, a
still, small voice, whispering to the inner ear.
How should we hear it, if we fill our ears and our
hearts with the din of this world, its empty-
tumult, its excitement, its fretting vanities, 01
cares, or passions, or anxieties, or show, 01
rivalries, and its whirl of emptinesses?
E. B. PUSEY
S6 March 26.
Ar^i they not all ininistermg spirits? — -Y^v:^
i- {4.
May I reach
That purest heaven, be to other souls
The cup of strength in some great agony,
Enkindle generous ardor, feed pure love,
Be the sweet presence of a good diffused,
And in diffusion ever more intense !
So shall I join the choir invisible
Whose music is the gladness of the world.
George Eliot.
/"^ERTAINLY, in our own little sphere, it is
^"^ not tlie most active people to whom we
owe the most. Among the common people whom
we know, it is not necessarily those who are
busiest, not those who, meteor-like, are ever on the
rush after some visible charge and work. It is the
lives, like the stars, which simply pour down on us
the calm light of their bright and faithful being,
up to which we look and out of which we gather
the deepest calm and couiage. It seems to me
that there is reassurance here for many of us who
seem to have no chance for active usefulness.
We can do nothing for our fellow-men. But still
it is good to know that we can be something for
them ; to know (and this we may know surely)
that no man or woman of the humblest sort can
really be strong, gentle, pure, and good, with-
out the world being better for it, without some-
body being helped and comforted by the very
existence of that goodness.
Phillips Brooks
March 27. Sy
If we love one another^ God dwelleth in tcs, and
His love is perfected in ns. — i John iv. 12.
And he that kecpeth His commandments dwelleth
in Hitn, and He in him. And hereby we know
that He abidcth in 7is. by the Spirit which He hath
given lis. — i John iii. 24.
Abide in me; o'ershadow by Thy love
Each half-formed purpose and dark thought of sin ;
Quench, ere it rise, each selfish, low desire,
And keep my soul as Thine, calm and divine.
n. B. Stowe.
npHE Spirit of Love must work the works, and
speak the tones, of Love. It cannot exist
and give no sign, or a false sign. It cannot be a
spirit of Love, and mantle into irritable and selfish
impatience. It cannot be a spirit of Love, and
at the same time make self the prominent object.
It cannot rejoice to lend itself to the happiness of
others, and at the same time be seeking its own.
It cannot be generous, and envious. It cannot
be sympathizing, and unseemly ; self-forgetful, and
vain-glorious. It cannot delight in the rectitude
and purity of other hearts, as the spiritual
elements of their peace, and yet unnecessarily
suspect them.
J. H, Thom
'^
8S March 28.
Giving thanks always for all things unto God
— Eph. v. 20.
For blessings of the fruittui season,
For work and rest, for friends and home,
For the great gifts of thought and reason. —
To praise and bless Thee, Lord, we come.
Yes, and for weeping and tor wailing,
For bitter hail and blighting frost,
For high hopes on the low earth trailing.
For sweet joys missed, for pure aims crossed.
E. vSc UDDER.
'M'OTWITHSTANDLNG all that I have suf-
fered, notwithstanding all the pain and
weariness and anxiety and sorrow that necessa-
rily enter into life, and the inward errings that are
worse than all, I would end my record with
a devout thanksgiving to the great Author of my
being. For more and more am I unwilling to
make my gratitude to Him what is commonly
called "a thanksgiving for mercies," — for any
benefits or blessings that are peculiar to myself,
or my friends, or indeed to any man. Instead of
this, I would have it to be gratitude for all that
belongs to my life and being, — for joy and
sorrow, for health and sickness, for success and
disappointment, for virtue and for temptation, for
life and death ; because I believe that all is meant
for good.
Orvtt,le Dewey
March 29. 89
There shall no evil befall thee. — Ps. xci. 10.
Whoso hearkejiein unto 7ue shall dwell safely^
and shall be quiet from fear of evil. — Prov. i. 33.
I ASK not, " Take away this weight of care ; "
No, for that love I pray that all can bear.
And for the faith that whatsoe'er befall
Must needs be good, and for my profit prove.
Since from my Father's heart most rich in love,
And from His bounteous hands it comethall.
C. J. P. Spiita.
T3E like the promontory, against which the
waves continually break ; but it stands firm,
and tames the fury of the water around it. Un-
happy am I, because this has happened to me ?
Not so, but happy am I, though this has hap-
pened to me, because I continue free from pain,
neither crushed by the present, nor fearing the
future. Will then this which has happened prevent
thee from being just, magnanimous, temperate,
prudent, secure against inconsiderate opinions
and falsehood? Remember, too, on every occa-
sion which leads thee to vexation to apply thio
principle : that this is not a misfortune, but thai
to bear it nobly is good fortune.
Marcus Antoninus
90 March 30.
Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel^ andaftcr-
ward receive me to glory . — Ps. Ixxiii. 24.
There remaitieth therefore a rest to the people oj
God. — Heb. iv, 9.
Guide us through life ; and when at last
We enter into rest,
Thy tender arms around us cast,
And fold us to Thy breast.
H. F. Lyte,
Cg
O forth to meet the solemnities and to con-
quer the trials of existence, believing in a
Shepherd of your souls. Then faith in Him will
support you in duty, and duty firmly done will
strengthen faith ; till at last, when all is over here,
and the noise and strife of the earthly battle fades
upon your dying ear, and you hear, instead
thereof, the deep and musical sound of the ocean
of eternity, and see the lights of heaven shining
on its waters still and fair in their radiant rest,
your faith will raise the song of conquest, and in
its retrospect of the life which has ended, and
its forward glance upon the life to come, take
up the poetic inspiration of the Hebrew king,
" Surely goodness and mercy have followed me
all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever."
Stopford a Brooke.
March 31. 91
Thoii shalt be in league with the stones of the
fields and the beasts of the field shall be at peace
with thee. A nd thon shalt know that thy tabernacle
shall be in peace. — Job v. 23, 24.
Love had lie found in huts where poor men lie ;
His daily teachers had been woods and rills,
The silence that is in the starry sky,
The sleep that is among the lonely hills.
\V. Wordsworth.
' I ^HAT spirit which suffices quiet hearts, which
seems to come forth to sucli from every
dry knoll of sere grass, from every pine-stump,
and half-embedded stone, on which the dull
March sun shines, comes forth to the poor and
hungry, and to such as are of simple taste. II
thou fill thy brain with Boston and New York,
with fashion and covetousness, and wilt stimulate
thy jaded senses with wine and French coffee,
thou shalt find no radiance of wisdom in the
lonely waste of the pine-woods.
R. W. ElMERSOX
April 1.
For Thou lovest all the things that are, and ab-
h arrest nothing which Thou hast made : for neiier
luouldest Thojt ha-'e made any thing, if Thou hadst
hated if. But Thou sparest all : for they are Thine,
O Lord, Thou lover of souls. — Wisdom of Solo-
mon xi. 24, 26.
He prayeth best who loveth best
All things both great and small ;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.
S. T. Coleridge.
" I ^O know that Love alone was the beginning
of nature and creature, that nothing but
Love encompasses the whole universe of things,
that the governing Hand that overrules all, the
watchful Eye that sees through all, is nothing but
omnipotent and omniscient Love, using an infin-
ity of wisdom, to save every misguided creature
from the miserable works of its own hands, and
make happiness and glory the perpetual inheri-
tance of all the creation, is a reflection that must
be quite ravishino; to every intelhgent creature
that is sensible of it.
Wm. Law
April 2. 93
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwelleih in you ? — i CoR.
Ui. i6.
Father ! replenish with Thy grace
This longing heart of mine ;
Make it Thy quiet dwelling-place,
Thy sacred inmost shrine !
Angelus SiLEsrus.
^M'OT man's manifold labors, but his manifold
cares, hinder the presence of God. . . .
AVhatsoever thou doest, hush thyself to thine
own feverish vanities, and busy thoughts, and
cares ; in silence seek thy Father's face, and the
light of His countenance will stream down upon
thee. He will make a secret cell in thine heart,
and when thou enterest there, there shalt thou
find Him. And if thou hast found Him there,
all around shall reflect Him, all shall speak to
Him, and He will speak through all. Outwardly
thou mayest be doing the work of thy calling ;
inwardly, if thou commend thy work to God,
thou mayest be with Him in the third Heaven
E. B. PUSEY.
94 April 3.
As for t/iee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered
thee so to do. — Deut. xviii. 14.
Lord, for the erring thought
Not into evil wrought ;
Lord, for the wicked will
Betrayed and baffled still ;
Por the heart from itself kept,
Our Thanksgiving accept.
W. U. How ELLS.
T17HAT an amazing, what a blessed dispropor-
^ ^ tion between the evil we do, and the evil
we are capable of doing, and seem sometimes on
the very verge of doing ! If my soul has grown
tares, when it was full of the seeds of nightshade,
how happy ought 1 to be 1 And that the tares
have not wholly strangled the wheat, what a
wonder it is ! We ought to thank God daily for
the sins we have not committed.
F. W. Faber.
We give thanks often with a tearful, doubtful
voice, for our spiritual mexQit?, positive ; but what
an almost infinite field there is for mercies nega-
tive ! We cannot even imagine all that God has
suffered us 7iot to do, 7iot to be.
F. R. Havergal.
You are surprised at your imperfections —
why? I should infer from that, that your self-
knowledge is small. Surely, you might rather be
astonished that you do not fall into more frequent
and more grievous faults, and thank God for His
upholding grace.
Jean Nicolas Grou
April 4. 95
Well done, ^s^^od atid faithful servant : thou hasl
been faithfil over a few things, I ivill make thc(
ruler over many things : enter thou into the joy of
thy Lord. — Matt. xxv. 23.
O Father ! help us to resign
Our hearts, our strength, our wills to Thee ;
Then even lowliest work of Thine
MoR.t noble, blest, and sweet will be.
li. M. Kimball.
NOTHING is too little to be ordered by our
Father ; nothing too little in which to see
His hand ; nothing, which touches our souls, too
little to accept from Him ; nothing too little to
be done to Him.
E. B. PUSEY.
A SOUL occupied with great ideas best performs
small duties ; the divinest views of life penetrate
most clearly into the meanest emergencies ; so
far from petty principles being best proportioned
to petty trials, a heavenly spirit taking up its
abode with us can alone sustain well the daily
toils, and tranquilly pass the humiliations of our
condition.
J. Martineau,
Whoso neglects a thing which he suspects he
ought to do, because it seems to him too small a
thing, is deceiving himself; it is not too little,
but too great for him, that he doeth it not.
E. B PuSEY.
96 April 5.
Vet I liave left vte seven thousand ht Israel^ all the
knees ivJiich have not boived nnio Baal, and evcrv
month which hath not kissed him. — i Kings xix. i8.
Back then, complainer ; loathe thy life no more,
Nor deem thyself upon a desert shore,
Because the rocks the nearer prospect close.
Yet in fallen Israel are there hearts and eyes
That day by day in prayer like thine arise :
Thou know'st them not, but their Creator knows.
J. Keble.
T_T E went down to the great school with a glim-
-*■ -*• mering of another lesson in his heart, —
the lesson that he who has conquered his own
coward spirit has conquered the whole outward
world ; and that other one which the old prophet
learnt in the cave in Mount Horeb, when he hid
his face, and the still small voice asked, " What
doest thou here, Elijah ? " that however we
may fancy ourselves alone on the side of good,
the King and Lord of men is nowhere without
His witnesses ; for in every society, how^ever
seemmgly corrupt and godless, there are those
who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
Thomas Hughes.
So, then, Elijah's life had been no failure, after
all. Seven thousand at least in Israel had been
braced and encouraged by his example, and
silently blessed hnn, perhaps, for the courage
which they felt. In God's world, for those who
are in earnest there is no failure. No work truly
done, no word earnestly spoken, no sacrifice
freely made, was ever made in vain.
F. W. Robertson,
April 6. 97
In the multitude of my thoui^hts within rne Thy
comforts delight my soul. — Ps. xciv. 19. ^
Perplexed, but not in despjirj cast down, but not
destroyed. — 2 CoR. iv. 8, 9.
Discouraged in the work of life,
Disheartened by its load,
Shamed by its failures or its fears,
I sink beside the road ; —
But let me only think of Thee,
And then new heart springs up in me.
S. Longfellow.
T^ISCOURAGEMENT is an inclination to
give up all attempts after the devout life,
in consequence of the difficulties by which it is
beset, and our already numerous failures in it.
We lose heart ; and partly in ill-temper, partly in
real doubt of our own ability to persevere, we
first grow querulous and peevish with God, and
then relax in our efforts to mortify ourselves and
to please Him. It is a sort of shadow of despair,
and will lead us into numberless venial sins the
first half-hour we give way to it.
F. W. Faber.
Never let us be discouraged with ourselves ;
it is not when we are conscious of our faults that
we are the most wicked ; on the contrary, we are
less so. We see by a brighter light ; and let us
remember, for our consolation, that we never per-
ceive our sins till we begin to cure them.
Fenelon
98 April 7.
That xe may prove what is that good, and accept-
able, and perfect will oj God. — Rom. xii. 2.
Tiiou knowest what is best ;
And who but Thee, O God, hath power to know ?
In Thy great will my trusting heart shall rest;
Beneath that will my humble head shall bow.
T. C. Upham.
npO those who are His, all things are not only
-^ easy to be borne, but even to be gladly
chosen. Their will is united to that will which
moves heaven and earth, which gives laws to
angels, and rules the courses of the world. It is
a wonderful gift of God to man, of which we that
know so little must needs speak little. To be at
the centre of that motion, where is everlasting
rest ; to be sheltered in the peace of God ; even
now to dwell in heaven, where all hearts are
stayed, and all hopes fulfilled. " Thou shalt
keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed
on Thee."
H. E. Manning.
Study to follow His will in all, to have no will
but His. This is thy duty, and thy wisdom.
Nothing is gained by spurning and struggling but
to hurt and vex thyself; but by complying all is
gained — sweet peace. It is the very secret, the
mystery of solid peace within, to resign all to His
will, to be disposed of at His pleasure, without
the least contrary thought.
R. Leighton.
April 8. 99
The Lord is my shepherd j I shall not want. —
Ps. xxiii. I.
They that seek the Lord shall not want any good
thins:. — Ps. xxxiv. lo.
God, who the universe doth hold
111 his fold,
Is my shepherd kind and heedful,
Is my shepherd, and doth keep
Me, his sheep.
Still supplied with all things needful.
F. Davison.
TJ/HO is it that is your shepherd ? The Lord 1
Oh, my friends, what a wonderful an-
nouncement ! The Lord God of heaven and
earth, the ahnighty Creator of all things, He who
holds the universe in His hand as though it were
a very little thing, — He is your shepherd, and
has charged Himself with the care and keeping
of you, as a shepherd is charged with the care and
keeping of his sheep. If your hearts could really
take in this thought, you would never have a fear
or a care again ; for with such a shepherd, how
could it be possible for you ever to want any good
thing?
H. W S
lOO April 9.
Watch and pray ^ that ye enter not into temptation.
— Matt. xxvi. 41.
I WANT a sober mind,
A self-renouncing will,
That tramples down and casts behind
The baits of pleasing ill ;
A spirit still prepared.
And armed with jealous care.
Forever standing on its guard,
And watching unto prayer.
C. Wesley.
■\17HEN you say, " Lead us not into tempta-
tion," you must in good earnest mean to
avoid in your daily conduct those temptations
which you have already suffered from. When
you say, " Deliver us from evil," you must mean
to struggle against that evil in your hearts, which
you are conscious of, and which you pray to be
forgiven. ... To watch and pray are surely in
our power, and by these means we are certain of
getting strength. You feel your weakness ; you
fear to be overcome by temptation : then keep
out of the way of it. This is watching. Avoid
society which is likely to mislead you ; flee from
the very shadow of evil ; you cannot be too care-
ful ; better be a litde too strict than a litde toG
easy, — it is the safer side. Abstain from reading
books which are dangerous to you. Turn from
bad thoughts when they arise.
T. T^. Newman
April 10. loi
Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord,
and not unto men. — Col. iii. 23.
Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers ; but in
singleness of heart, fearing God. — Col. iii.
'>?
Teach me, my God and King,
In all things Thee to see,
And what I do in anything.
To do it as for Thee.
G. Herbert.
'T^HERE is no action so slight nor so mean but
it may be done to a great purpose, and
ennobled therefore ; nor is any purpose so great
but that slight actions may help it, and may be so
done as to help it much, most especially, that
chief of all purposes — the pleasing of God.
J. RUSKLV
Every duty, even the least duty, involves the
whole principle of obedience. And little duties
make the will dutiful, that is, supple and prompt
to obey. Little obediences lead into great. The
daily round of duty is full of probation and of dis-
cipline ; it trains the will, heart, and conscience.
We need not to be prophets or apostles. The
commonest life may be full of perfection. The
duties of home are a discipline for the ministries
of heaven.
H. E. Manning
02 April 11.
Wherefore^ beloved . . . be diligent that ye may
be found of Him in peace ^ ivithoiit spot, and blame-
less. — 2 Peter iii. 14.
His conscience knows no secret stings,
While grace and joy combine
To form a life whose holy springs
Are hidden and divine.
I. Watts.
"p^VEN the smallest discontent of conscience
may render turbid the whole temper of the
mind ; but only produce the effort that restores
its peace, and over the whole atmosphere a breath
of unexpected purity is spread ; doubt and irrita-
bility pass as clouds away ; the withered sympa-
thies of earth and home open their leaves and
live ; and through the clearest blue the deep is
seen of the heaven where God resides.
J. Martin EAU.
The state of mind which is described as meek-
ness, or quietness of spirit, is characterized in a
high degree by inward harmony. There is not,
as formerly, that inward jarring of thought con-
tending with thought, and conscience asserting
rights which it could not maintain.
T. C. Ul'HAM
April 12. 103
Be perfect^ be of oood comfort, be of oiie miiid^
live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall
be with you. — 2 CoR. xiii. 1 1.
He that lo-jeih not his brother whom he hath
seen^ how can he love God 7uho?n he hath not seen ?
— I John iv . 20.
Lord ! subdue our selfish will ;
Each to each our tempers suit,
By Thy modulating skill,
Heart to heart, as lUte to lute.
C. Wesley.
TT requires far more of the constraining love of
Christ to love our cousins and neighbors as
members of the heavenly family, than to feel the
heart warm to our suffering brethren in Tuscany
or Madeira. To love the whole Church is one
thing ; to love — that is, to delight in the graces
and veil the defects — of the person who misun-
derstood me and opposed my plans yesterday,
whose peculiar infirmities grate on my most sen-
sitive feelings, or whose natural faults are precisely
those from which my natural character most re-
volts, is quite another.
Elizabeth Charles.
04 April 13.
/;/ all these things we are more than conquerors
through Him that loved us. — Rom. viii. 37.
Thus my soul before her God
Lieth still, nor speaketh more,
Conqueror thus o'er pain and wrong,
That once smote her to the core ;
Like a silent ocean, bright
"With her God's great praise and light.
Winkler, 17 13.
ly/TY mind is forever closed against embarrass-
ment and perplexity, against uncertainty,-
doubt, and anxiety ; my heart against grief and
desire. Calm and unmoved, I look down on all
things, for I know that I cannot explain a sin-
gle event, nor comprehend its connection with
that which alone concerns me. In His world
all things prosper ; this satisfies me, and in this
belief I stand fast as a rock. ... My breast is
steeled against annoyance on account of per-,
sonal offences and vexations, or exultation in
personal merit ; for my whole personality has
disappeared in the contemplation of the purpose
of my being.
J. G. FiCIITE
April 14.
All things are yotirs J whether Paul, or Apollos,
or Cephas^ or the world, or life, or death, or things
p7'esent, or things to come ; all are yonrs. — i CoR.
iii. 21, 22.
As having 7tothi?ig, and yet possessing all
thittgs. — 2 Cor. vi. lo.
Old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be,
As more of Heaven in each we see :
Some softening gleam of love and prayer
Shall dawn on every cross and care.
J. Keble.
/^UT of love and hatred, out of earnings, and
^^^ borrowings, and lendings, and losses ; out
of sickness and pain ; out of wooing and wor-
shipping ; out of travelling, and voting, and watch-
ing, and caring ; out of disgrace and contempt,
comes our tuition in the serene and beautiful
laws. Let him not slur his lesson ; let him learn
it by heart. Let him endeavor exactly, bravely,
and cheerfully, to solve the problem of that life
which is set before hi7?i. And this, by punctual
action, and not by promises or dreams. Believ-
ing, as in God, in the presence and favor of the
grandest iniiuences, let him deserve that favor,
and learn how to receive and use it, by fidelity
also to the lower observances.
R. W. Emerson
io6 April 15.
IVc know that all thin<^s work together for good
to them that love Goa. — Ro.vi. viii. 28.
As for yoii,ye thought evil aji^aiust ifie ; but God
meant it nnto good. — Gen. 1. 20.
Ill that He blesses is our good,
And unblesi good is ill ;
And all is right that seems most wrong,
If it be His 3vveet Will.
F. W. Facer.
T^O those who know themselves, all things
-*■ work together for good, and all things
seem to be, as they are to them, good. The
goods which God g'ves seem " very good," and
God Himself in them, because they know that
they deserve them not. The evils which God
allows and overrules seem also "very good," be-
cause they see in them His loving hand, put
forth to heal them of what shuts out God from
the soul. They love God intensely, in that He
is so good to them in each, and every, the least
good, because it is more than they deserve ;
how much more in the greatest ! They love
God for every, and each, the very greatest of
what seem evils, knowing them to be, from His
love, real goods. For He by whom "all the
hairs of our head are numbered," and who
" knoweth whereof we are made," directs every-
thing which befalls us in life, in perfect wisdom
and love, to the well-l)eing of our souls.
E B. PUSEY.
April 16. 107
The very God of peace sanctify you wholly^ and
I pray God yoiir whole spirit, and soul, and hody^
be preserved blameless. Faithful is He that calletk
you, who also will do it. — i Thess. v. 23, 24.
Be still, my soul ! — the Lord is on thy side ;
Bear patiently the cross of grief and pain ;
Leave to thy God to order and provide, —
In every change He faithful will remain.
Hymns from the Land of Luther.
TT was no relief from temporal evils that the
Apostle promised. . . . No ; the mercy of
God might send them to the stake, or the lions ;
it was still His mercy," if it but kept them "un-
spotted from the world." It might expose them
to insult, calumny, and wrong ; they received it
still as mercy, if it " established them in every
good word and work." O brethren ! how many
of you are content with such faithfulness as this
on the part of your heavenly Father? Is this,
indeed, the tone and tenor of your prayers ?
Wm. Archer Butler.
io8 April 17.
Blessed is that mail that maketh the Lord his
trust. — Ps. xl. 4.
That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. —
I Tim. ii. 2.
Just to let thy Father do
What He will ;
Just to know that He is true,
And be still ;
Just to trust Him, this is all !
Then the day will surely be
Peaceful, whatsoe'er befall,
Bright and blessed, calm and free.
F. R. Havergal.
"pVERY morning compose your soul for a
tranquil day, and all through it be careful
often to recall your resolution, and bring your-
self back to it, so to say. If something discom-
poses you, do not be upset, or troubled ; but
having discovered the fact, humble yourself
gently before God, and try to bring your mind
into a quiet attitude. Say to yourself, "■ Well, I
have made a false step ; eow I must go more
carefully and watchfully." Do this each time,
however frequently you fall. When you are at
peace use it profitably, making constant acts of
meekness, and seeking to be calm even in the
most trifling things. Above all, do not be dis-
couraged ; be patient ; wait ; strive to attain a
calm, gende spirit.
i'RANCis DE Sales
ZLpnl 18 109
What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but
to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all His ways,
and to love Hii/i, and to serve the Lord thy God
with all thy heart and with all thy sou-t? — Deut-
X. 12.
What asks our Father of His children save
Justice and mercy and humility,
A reasonable service of good deeds,
Pure living, tenderness to human needs,
Reverence, and trust, and prayer for light to see
The Master's footprints in our daily ways ?
No knotted scourge, nor sacrificial knife,
But the calm beauty of an ordered life
Whose every breathing is unworded praise.
J. G. Whittier.
/^ IVE up yourself to God without reserve ; in
^^^ singleness of heart, meeting everything
that every day brings forth, as something that
comes from God, and is to be received and gone
through by you, in such an heavenly use of it, as
you would suppose the holy Jesus would have
done, in such occurrences. This is an attainable
degree of perfection.
Wm. Law.
We ought to measure our actual lot, and to
fulfil it ; to be with all our strength that which
our lot requires and allows. What is beyond it,
is no calling of ours. How much peace, quiet,
confidence, and strength, would people attain, if
they would go by this plain rule.
H. E Manning.
no April 19.
The hand of 07ir God is upon all them for good
that seek Him. — Ezra viii. 22.
Into Thy hand I commit my spirit. — Ps. xxxi. 5.
Thou layest Thy hand on the fluttering heart,
And sayest, " Be still ! "
The silence and shadow are only a part
Of Thy sweet will ;
Thy presence is with me, and where Thou art
1 fear no ill.
F. R. Havergal.
"DE Still and cool in thy own mind and spirit
from thy own thoughts, and then thou wilt
feel the principle of God, to turn thy mind to the
Lord God, from whom life comes ; whereby thou
may est receive His strength, and power to allay
all blustering storms and tempests. That is it
which works up into patience, into innocency,
into soberness, into stillness, into stayedness, into
quietness, up • to God with His power. . . .
Therefore be still awhile from thy own thoughts,
searching, seeking, desires, and imaginations, and
be stayed in the principle of God in thee, that it
may raise thy mind up to God, and stay it upon
God ; and thou wilt find strength from Him,
and find Him to be a God at hand, a present
help in the time of trouble and need.
George Fox.
April 20. Hi
/ waited patiently for the Lord ; and He in-
clined imto me, and heard my cry. — Ps. xl. i.
Tribiilation worketh patience ; and patience., ex-
perience ; and experie7tce, hope. — Rom. v. 3, 4,
Lord, we have wandered forth through doubt and sorrow,
And Thou hast made each step an onward one ;
And we will ever trust each unknown morrow, —
Thou wilt sustain us till its work is done.
S. Johnson.
TT is possible, when the future is dim, when our
depressed faculties can form no bright ideas
of the perfection and happiness of a better world,
— it is possible still to cling to the conviction of
God's merciful purpose towards His creatures, of
His parental goodness even in suffering ; still to
feel that the path of duty, though trodden with a
heavy heart, leads to peace ; still to be true to
conscience ; still to do our work, to resist
temptation, to be useful, though with diminished
energy, to give up our wills when we cannot
rejoice under God's mysterious providence. In
this patient, though uncheered obedience, we
become prepared for light. The soul gathers
force.
Wm. E. Channing.
112 April 21,
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom,
though noiv ye see Him not, ye 7'ejoice with joy un-
speakable, aiid full of glory. — I Peter i. 8.
If ye love jhj, keep ?ny comjnandments. — John
xiv. 15.
Blest be Thy love, dear Lord,
That taught us this sweet way,
Only to love Thee for Thyself,
And for that love obev.
J. Austin.
'T^O love God is to love His character. For
instance, God is Purity. And to be pure
in thought and look, to turn away from unhal-
lowed books and conversation, to abhor the mo-
ments in which we have not been pure, is to love
God. God is Love ; and to love men till pri-
vate attachments have expanded into a philan-
thropy which embraces all, — at last even the evil
and enemies with compassion, — that is to love
God. God is Truth. To be true, to hate every
form of falsehood, to live a brave, true, real life, —
that is to love God. God is Infinite ; and to
love the boundless, reaching on from grace to
grace, adding charity to faith, and rising upwards
ever to see the Ideal still above us, and to die
with it unattained, aiming insatiably to be perfect
even as the Father is perfect, — that is to love
God.
F. W. Robertson.
April 22. 1 13
Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. — Matt.
XXV. 23.
Serving the Lord ; rejoicing in hope. — Rom.
xii. II, 12.
If our love were but more simple,
We should take Him at His word;
And our lives would be all sunshine
In the sweetness of our Lord.
F. \V. Faber.
V\7HAT would it be to love absolutely a Being
absolutely lovely, — to be able to give our
whole existence, every thought, every act, every
desire, to that adored One, — to know that He ac-
cepts it all, and loves us in return as God alone
can love? . . . This happiness grows forever.
The larger our natures become, the wider our
scope of thought, the stronger our will, the more
fervent our affections, the deeper must be the
rapture of such God-granted prayer. Every sac-
rifice resolved on opens wide the gate ; every
sacrifice accomplished is a step towards the para-
dise within. Soon it will be no transitory glimpse,
no rapture of a day, to be followed by clouds and
coldness. Let us but labor, and pray, and wait,
and the intervals of human frailty shall grow
shorter and less dark, the days of our delight in
God longer and brighter, till at last life shall be
nought but His love ; our eyes shall never grow
dim, His smile never turn away.
Y. P. CoBl'.E
8
14 April 23.
These were the potters^ and those thai dwelt
ai}tong plants and hedges : there they dwelt with
the ki?ig for his work. — i Chron. iv. 23.
A LOWLIER task on them is laid,
With love to make the labor light;
And there their beauty they must shed
On quiet homes, and lost to sight.
Changed are their visions high and fair,
Yet, calm and still, they labor there.
Hymns of the Ages.
A NYWHERE and everywhere we may dwell
'^ " with the King for His work." We may
be in a very unlikely or unfavorable place for
this ; it may be in a literal country life, with
little enough to be seen of the "goings" of the
King around us ; it may be among hedges of all
sorts, hindrances in all directions ; it may be,
furthermore, with our hands full of all manner of
pottery for our daily task. No matter I The
King who placed us " there " will come and dwell
therewith us ; the hedges are all right, or He would
soon do away with them ; and it does not follow
that what seems to hinder our way may not be
for its very protection ; and as for the pottery,
why, that is just exacdy what He has seen fit to
put into our hands, and tlierefoVe it is, for the
present, " His work."
F. R. Havergal.
April 24. 115
Bear ye one another's burdens^ and so fulfil the
law of Christ. — Gal. vi. 2.
Is thy cruse of comfort wasting ?
Rise and share it with another.
And through all the years of famine,
It shall serve thee and thy brother.
Is thy burden hard and heavy ?
Do thv steps drag heavily ?
Help to bear thy brother's burden ;
God will bear both it and thee.
Elizabeth Charles.
TJOWEVER perplexed you may at any hour
become about some question of truth, one
refuge and resource is ahvays at hand : you can
do something for some one besides yourself.
When your own l:)urden is heaviest, you can
always lighten a little some other burden. At
the times when you cannot see God, there is still
open to you this sacred possibility, to show God ;
for it is the love and kindness of human hearts
through which the divine reality comes home to
men, whether they name it or not. Let this
thought, then, stay with you : there may be times
when you cannot find help, but there is no time
vvhen you cannot give help.
George S. Merrlam.
ii6 April 25.
Surely^ I have behaved and quieted ?nyself^ as a
child that is iveaned of his fnother ; my soul is
^ven as a iveajicd child. — Ps. cxxxi. 2.
Quiet, Lord, my fro ward heart,
Make me teachable and mild.
Upright, simple, free from art,
Make me as a weaned child ;
From distTust and envy free,
Pleased with all that pleaseth Thee.
J. Newton
/^H ! look not after great things : small breath-
^^ ings, small desires after the Lord, if true
and pure, are sweet beginnings of life. Take
heed of despising " the day of small things," by
looking after some great visitation, proportion-
able to thy distress, according to thy eye. Nay,
thou must become a child ; thou must lose thy
own will quite by degrees. Thou must wait for
life to be measured out by the Father, and be
content with what proportion, and at what time.
He shall please to measure.
I. Penixgton.
" When Israel was a child, then I loved him "
(Hosea xi. i). Aim to be ever this little child,
contented with what the Father gives of pleas-
ure or of play ; and when restrained from pleas-
ure or from play, and led for a season into the
chamber of sorrow, rest quiet on His bosom,
and be patient, and smile, as one who is nestled
in a sweet and secure asylum.
Anon
April 26.
If we hope for that ive see 7tot, then do we with
patiefice wait for it. — Rom. viii. 25.
One day is with the Lord as a thousand years,^
and a thousand years as one day. — 2 i'ETER iii. 8.
Lord! who Thy thousand years dost wait
To work the thousandth part
Of Thy vast plan, for us create
With zeal a patient heart.
J. H. Newman.
T BELIEVE that if we could only see beforehand
what it is that our heavenly Father means
us to be, — the soul beauty and perfection and
glory, the glorious and lovely spiritual body that
this soul is to dwell in through all eternity, — if
we could have a glimpse of this, we should not
grudge all the trouble and pains He is taking
with us now, to bring us up to that ideal, which
is His thought of us. We know that it is God's
way to work slowly, so we must not be surprised
if He takes a great many years of discipline to
turn a mortal being into an immortal, glorious
angel
Annie Keary
ii8 April 27.
Speak ye every man the truth to his neigJibor. —
Zech. viii. i6.
For our rejoicing is this^ the testimony of our con-
science, that in simplicity and godly sincerity . , .
we have had our conversatioti in the world. —
2 Cor. i. 12.
Appear I always what I am ?
And am I what I am pretending ?
Know I what way my course is bending ?
And sound my word and thought the same ?
Anon.
AMI acting in simplicity, from a germ of the
Divine life within, or am I shaping my
path to obtain some immediate result of expe-
diency? Am I endeavoring to compass effects,
amidst a tangled web of foreign influences I can-
not calculate ; or am I seeking simply to do what
is right, and leaving the consequences to the
good providence of God?
M. A. SCHIMMELPENNINCK.
Let it not be in any man's power to say truly
of thee that thou art not simple, or that thou art
not good ; but let him be a liar whoever shall
think anything of this kind about thee ; and this
is altogether in thy power. For who is he that
shall hinder thee from being good and simple ?
Marcus Antoninus
April 28. 119
The Lord is thy keeper ; the Lord is thy shade
upon thy right hand. — Ps. cxxi. 5.
Great peace have they which love Thy law; and
nothing shall offend them. — Ps. cxix. 165
I REST beneath the Ahnighty's shade,
My griefs expire, my troubles cease ;
Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed,
Wilt -keep me still in perfect peace.
C. Wesley.
/^'\NE great sign of the practical recognition
^^ of tlie "divine moment,"' and of onr find-
ing God's liabitation in it, is constant calmness
and peace of mind. Events and things come
with the moment : but God comes with them
too. So that if He comes in the sunshine, we
find rest and joy ; and if He comes in the storm,
we know He is King of the storms, and our
heart: are not troubled. God Himself, though
possessing a heart filled with the tenderest feel-
ings, is, nevertheless, an everlasting tranquillity ;
and when we enter into His holy tabernacle,
our souls necessarily enter into the tabernacle of
^^^^' T. C. Upham.
My soul was not only brought into harmony
with itself and with God, but with God's provi-
dences. In the exercise of faith and love, I en-
dured and performed whatever came in God's
providence, in submission, in thankfulness, and
silence.
Madame Guyon
I20 April 29.
I ivill arise afid go to jny Father. — Luke xv. i8
0 MV God, my Father ! hear.
And help me to believe ;
Weak and weary I draw near ;
Thy child, O God, receive.
1 so oft have gone astray ;
To the perfect Guide I flee ;
Thou wilt turn me not away,
Thy love is pledged to me.
Hymns of the Spirit.
/^ CHILD, hast thou fallen? arise, and go, with
^■^^ childlike trust, to thy Father, like the prod-
igal son, and humbly say, with heart and mouth,
" Father, I have sinned against hea\'en, and before
Thee, and am no more \vorthy to be called Thy
son ; make me as one of Thy hired senants."
And what will thy heavenly Father do but what thai
father did in the parable ? Assuredly He will not
change His essence, which is love, for the sake
of thy misdoings. Is it not His own precious
treasure, and a small thing with Him to forgive
thee thy trespasses, if thou believe in Him ? for
His hand is not shortened that it cannot make
tliee fit to be saved.
John Tauler
April 30. 121
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go
forward. — Ex. xiv. 15.
A^o man, having put his hand to the plough, and
looking back, is Jit for the kingdom of God. — Luke
ix. 62.
Be trustful, be steadfast, whatever betide thee.
Only one thing do thou ask of the Lord, —
Grace to go forward wherever He guide thee,
Simply believing the truth of His word.
Anon.
'T^HE soul ceases to weary itself with planning
and foreseeing, giving itself up to God's
Holy Spirit within, and to the teachings of His
providence without. . . . He is not forever -fret-
ting as to his progress, or looking back to see
how far he is getting on ; rather he goes steadily
and quietly on, and makes all the more progress
because it is unconscious. So he never gets
troubled and discouraged ; if he falls he humbles
himself, but gets up at once, and goes on with
renewed earnestness.
Jean Nicolas Grou
122 May 1
/ will bless the Lord at all tunes : His praise
ihall cojitimtally be in my niottth. — Ps. xxxiv. i.
I will praise Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart ;
I will show forth all Thy ?narvellous works. —
Ps. ix. I.
Thrice blest will all cur blessings be,
When we can look through them to Thee;
When each glad heart its tribute pays
Of love and gratitude and praise.
M. J. COTTERILL
T^HAT which befits us, embosomed in beauty
and wonder a? we are, is cheerfulness, and
courage, and the endeavor to realize our aspira-
tions. Shall not the heart which has received so
much, trust the Power by which it hves? May it
not quit other leadings, and listen to the Soul that
has guided it so gently, and taught it so much,
secure that the future will be worthy of the past ?
R. \V. Emerson.
I HAVE experienced that the habit of taking out
of the hand of our Lord every little blessing and
brightness on our path, confirms us. in an especial
manner, in communion with His love.
M. A. SCHIMMELPENNINCK
May 2. 123
The ornajnent of a meek a7id qmet spirit^ ivhich
is in the sight oj God of great price. — i Peter
iii. 4.
To present you holy, and iinblameahle^ and un-
reproveable in His sight. — Col. i. 22.
Thy sinless mind in us reveal,
Thy spirit's plenitude impart !
Till all my spotless lite shall tell
The abundance of a loving heart.
C. Wesley.
IIJOLINESS appeared to me to be of a sweet,
pleasant, charming, serene, calm nature.
It seemed to me, it brought an inexpressible pu-
rity, brightness, peacefulness, and ravishment to
the soul ; and that it made the soul like a field
or garden of (jod, with all manner of pleasant
flowers, that !.s all pleasant, delightful, and un-
disturbed ; enjoying a sweet cahn, and the
gently vivifying beams ot the sun. The soul of
a true Christian appeared like such a litde
white flower, as we see in the spring of the year,
low and humble on the ground, opening its
bosom to receive the pleasant beams of the sun's
glory , rejoicing, as it were, m a calm rapture ;
diftusmg around a sweet fragrancy ; standing
peacefully and lovingly in the midst of other
flowers round about, all m like manner opening
their bosoms to drink in the light of the sun.
ToNATHAN Edwards.
124 ^^7 3.
T/ie Lord is good, a strong-hold In the day of
trouble; and He kiioweth them that trust in
Him. — Nahum i. 7.
Leave God to order all thy ways,
And hope in Him, whate'er betide.
Thou 'It find Him in the evil days
Thy all-sufficient strength and guide ,
Who trusts in God's unchanging iove,
Builds on the rock that nought can move.
G. Neumarck.
(^UR whole trouble in our lot in this world
rises from the disagreement of our mind
therewith. Let the mind be brought to the lot,
and the whole tumult is instantly hushed ; let it
be kept in that disposition, and the man shall
stand at ease, in his affliction, like a rock un-
moved with waters beating upon it.
T. Boston.
How does our will become sanctified? By
conforming itself unreservedly to that of God.
We will all that He wills, and will nothing that
He does not will ; we attach our feeble will to
that all-powerful will which performs everything.
Thus, nothing can ever come to pass against our
will ; for nothing can happen save that which
God wills, and we find in His good pleasure an
inexhaustible source of peace and consolation.
F^NELON
May 4. 125
Who through faith subdued kingdoms^ wrought
righteousness^ obtained pro7nises^ stopped the
mouths of lions, out of weakness were made
strong. — Heb. xi. 2>1>^ 34.
She met the hosts of Sorrow with a look
That altered not beneath the frown they wore,
And soon the lowering brood were tamed, and took.
Meekly, her gentle rule, and frowned no more.
Her soft hand put aside the assaults of wrath.
And calmly broke in twain
The fiery shafts of pain,
And rent the nets of passion from her path.
By that victorious hand despair was slain ;
With love she vanquished hate, and overcame
Evil with good, in her great Master's name.
W. C. Bryant.
A S to what may befall us outwardly, in this
•^ confused state of things, shall we not trust
our tender Father, and rest satisfied in His will?
Shall anything hurt us ? Can tribulation, distress,
persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword,
come between the love of the Father to the
child, or the child's rest, content, and delight in
His love ? And doth not the love, the rest, the
peace, the joy felt, swallow up all the bitterness
and sorrow of the outward condition ?
I. Penington
26 May 5.
// thou hast run with the footmen^ and they
have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend
with horses? and if in the land of peace wherein
thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt
thou do in the swelling offordan ? — Jer. xii. 5.
How couldst thou hang upon the cross,
To whom a weary hour is loss ?
Or how the thorns and scourgmg brook,
Who shrinkest from a scornful look ?
J. Keble.
A HEART unloving among kindred has no
love towards God's saints and angels. If
we have a cold heart towards a servant or a
friend, why should we wonder if we have no fer-
vor towards God ? If we are cold in our private
prayers, we should be earthly and dull in the
most devout religious order ; if we cannot bear
the vexations of a companion, how should we^
bear the contradiction of sinners ? if a little pain *
overcomes us, how could we endure a cross? if
we have no tender, cheerful, affectionate love to
those with whom our daily hours are spent, how
should we feel the pulse and ardor of love to
the unknown and the evil, the ungrateful and
repulsive ?
H. E. Manning.
May 6. 127
Be kindly aff~ectioned one to another with broth-
erly love. — Rom. xii. 10.
ht her tongue is the law of kindness. — Prov
xxxi. 26.
Since trifles make the sum of human things,
And half our misery from our foibles springs ;
Since life's best joys consist in peace and ease,
And though but few can serve, yet all can please ;
Oh, let the ungentle spirit learn from hence,
A small unkindness is a great offence.
Hannah More.
A LL usefulness and all comfort may be pre-
vented by an unkind, a sour, crabbed
temper of mind, — a mind that can bear with no
difference of opinion or temperament, k spirit
of fault-finding ; an unsatisfied temper ; a con-
stant irritability ; little inequalities in the look,
the temper, or the manner ; a brow cloudy and
dissatisfied — your husband or your wife cannot
tell why — will more than neutralize all the good
you can do, and render life anything but a
blessing.
Albert Barnes
You have not fulfilled every duty, unless you
have fulfilled that of being pleasant.
Charles Buxton
128 May 7.
He healeth the broken in hearty and bindeth up
their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars ;
He calleth them all by their na^nes. — Ps. cxlvii.
3.4-
Teach me your mood, O patient stars !
Who climb each night the ancient slcy,
Leaving on space no shade, no scars,
No trace of age, no fear to die.
R. W. Emerson.
T LOOKED up to the heavens once more, and
the quietness of the stars seemed to reproach
me. " We are safe up here," they seemed to say ;
"we shine, fearless and confident, for the God
who gave the primrose its rough leaves to hide
it from the blast of uneven spring, hangs us in
the awful hollows of space. We cannot fall out
of His safety. Lift up your eyes on high, and
behold ! Who hath created these things — that
bringeth out their host by number ? He calleth
them all by names. By the greatness of His
might, for that He is strong in power, not one
faileth. Why sayest thou, O Jacob ! and speak-
est, O Israel ! my way is hid from the Lord, and
my judgment is passed over from my God? "
G. MacDonalik
May 8. 129
This is the day which the Lord hath made ; we
will rejoice and be glad in it — Ps. cxviii. 24.
Why stand ye here all the day idle? — Matt.
XX. 6.
So here hath been dawning another blue day;
Think, wilt thou let it slip useless away?
Out of eternity this new day is born;
Into eternity at night will return.
T. Carlyle.
OMALL cares, some deficiencies in the mere
*^ arrangement and ordering of our lives,
daily fret our hearts, and cross the clearness of
our faculties ; and these entanglements hang
around us, and leave us no free soul able to give
itself up, in power and gladness, to the true work
of life. The severest training and self-denial, — a
superiority to the servitude of indulgence, — are
the indispensable conditions even of genial
spirits, of unclouded energies, of tempers free
from morbidness, — much more of the practised
and vigorous mind, ready at every call, and
thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
J. H. Thom.
True, we can never be at peace till we have
performed the highest duty of all, — till we have
arisen, and gone to our Father ; but the perform-
ance of smaller duties, yes, even of the small-
est, will do more to give us temporary repose,
will act more as healthful anodynes, than the
greatest joys that can come to us from any other
quarter.
G. MacDonald
9
I30 May 9.
The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away j
blessed be the name of the Lord. — Job i. 21.
What Thou hast given, Thou canst take,
And when Thou wilt new gifts can make.
All flows from Thee alone ;
When Thou didst give it, it was Thine ;
When Thou retook'st it, *t was not mine.
Thy will in all be done.
John Austin.
TT7E are ready to praise when all shines fair;
but when life is overcast, when all things
seem to be against us, when we are in fear for
some cherished happiness, or in the depths of
sorrow, or in the solitude of a life which has no
visible support, or in a season of sickness, and
with the shadow of death approaching, — then
to praise God ; then to say, This fear, loneliness,
affliction, pain, and trembling awe are as sure
tokens of love, as life, health, joy, and the gifts
of home : " The Lord gave, and the Lord hath
taken away ; " on either side it is He, and all is
love alike ; " blessed be the name of the Lord, " —
this is the true sacrifice of praise. What can
come amiss to a soul which is so in accord with
God? What can make so much as one jarring
tone in all its harmony? In all the changes of
this fitful life, it ever dwells in praise.
H. E. Manning,
May 10. 131
The Lord redeemeth the soul of His servants;
and none of them that trust in Him shall bz
desolate. — Ps. xxxiv. 22.
Though He slay me^ yet will I trust in Him. —
Job xiii. 15.
I PRAISE Thee while my days go on ;
I love Thee while iiiy days go on :
Through dark and dearth, through fire and frosty
With emptied arms and treasure lost,
I thank Thee while my days go on.
E. B. Browning.
'T^HE sickness of the last week was fine medi-
cine ; pain disintegrated the spirit, or be-
came spiritual. I rose, — I felt that I had given
to God more perhaps than an angel could, — had
promised Him in youth that to be a blot on this
fair world, at His command, would be acceptable.
Constantly offer myself to continue the obscurest
and loneliest thing ever heard of, with one pro-
viso, — His agency. Yes, love Thee, and all Thou
dost, while Thou sheddest frost and darkness on
ev^ery path of mine.
Mary Moody Emerson
132 May 11.
Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and
shall we not receive evil? — Job ii. lo.
Thou hast dealt well with Thy servant, O Lord,
accordinj^ to Thy word. — Ps. cxix. 6$.
Whatsoe'er our lot may be,
Calmly in this thought we '11 rest, —
Could we see as Thou dost see,
We should choose it as the best.
Wm. Gaskell
TT is a proverbial saying, that every one makes
his own destiny; and this is usually inter-
preted, that every one, by his wise or unwise con-
duct, prepares good or evil for himself: but we
may also understand it, that whatever it be that
he receives from the hand of Providence, he may
so accommodate himself to it, that he will find
his lot good for him, however much may seem
to others to be wanting.
Wm. von Humboldt.
Evil, once manfully fronted, ceases to be
evil ; there is generous battle-hope in place
of dead, passive misery; the evil itself has be-
come a kind of good.
T- Carlylr
May 12. 133
Fear none of those things which thou shall
suffer : , . . ye shall have tribulation ten days : be
thou faithful unto death, and J will give thee a
crown of life. — Rev. ii. 10.
Then, O my soul, be ne'er afraid,
On Him who thee and all things made
Do thou all calmly rest ;
Whatever may come, where'er we go.
Our Father in the heavens must know
In all things what is best.
Paul Flemming.
/^^UIDE me, O Lord, in all the changes and
varieties of the world ; that in all things
that shall happen, I may have an evenness and
tranquillity of spirit ; that my soul may be wholly
resigned to Thy divinest will and pleasure, never
murmuring at Thy gentle chastisements and
fatherly correction. Amen.
Jeremy Taylor.
Thou art never at any time nearer to God
than when under tribulation ; which He permits
for the purification and beautifying of thy soul.
M. M CLIN OS.
Prize inward exercises, griefs, and troubles ;
and let faith and patience have their perfect
work in them.
I. Penington
134 May 13.
/ pray not that Thoti skojildest take them out oj
the world, but that Thoit shoiildest keep them from
the evil. — John xvii. 15.
In busy mart and crowded street,
No less than in the still retreat,
Thou, Lord, art near, our souls to bless,
With all a Father's tenderness.
I. Williams.
/^NLY the individual conscience, and He
who is greater than the conscience, can
tell where vvorldliness prevails. Each heart
must answer for itself, and at its own risk. That
our souls are committed to our own keeping, at
our own peril, in a world so mixed as this, is the
last reason we should slumber over the charge,
or betray the trust. If only that outlet to the
Infinite is kept open, the inner bond with eter-
nal life preserved, while not one movement of
this world's business is interfered with, nor one
pulse-beat of its happiness repressed, with all
natural associations dear and cherished, with all
human sympathies fresh and warm, we shall yet
be near to the kingdom of heaven, within the or-
der of the Kosmos of God — in the world, but
not of the world — not taken out of it, but kept
from its evil.
[. H. Thom.
May 14. 135
And ivhat doth the Lord 7'equire of thee, but to
do justly, and to love inei'cy, and to walk humbly
with thy God? — MiCAH vi. 8.
Pttt on therefore . . . kindness, humbleness of
mind^ meekness, long-stiffering. — CoL. iii 12.
Plant in us an humble mind,
Patient, pitiful, and kind ;
Meek and lowly let us be,
Full of goodness, full of Thee.
C. Wesley.
T^HERE is no true and constant gentleness
without humility ; while we are so fond of
ourselves, we are easily offended with others.
Let us be persuaded that nothing is due to us,
and then nothing will disturb us. Let us often
think of our own infirmities, and we shall become
indulgent towards those of others.
FlfeNELON.
Endeavor to be patient in bearing with the
defects and infirmities of others, of what sort so-
ever they be ; for that thyself also hast matiy
failings which must be borne with by others.
If thou canst not make thyself such an one as
thou wouldest, how canst thou expect to have
mother in all things to thy liking?
Thomas a Kempis.
136 May 15.
My presence shall go with thee^ and I will give
thee rest. — Ex. xxxiii. 14.
Thou wilt show me the path of life : in Thy
presence is fulness of joy j at Thy right hand there
are pleasures for evermore. — Ps. xvi. 11.
Thy presence fills my mind with peace,
Brightens the thoughts so dark erewhile,
Bids cares and sad forebodings cease,
Makes all things smile.
Charlotte Elliott.
TITOW shall we rest in God? By giving our-
selves wholly to Him. If you give your-
self by halves, you cannot find full rest ; there
will ever be a lurking disquiet in that half which
is withheld. Martyrs, confessors, and saints have
tasted this rest, and " counted themselves happy
in that they endured." A countless host of
God's faithful servants have drunk deeply of it
under the daily burden of a weary life, — dull,
commonplace, painful, or desolate. All that
God has been to them He is ready to be to you.
The heart once fairly given to God, with a clear
conscience, a fitting rule of Hfe, and a steadfast
purpose of obedience, you will find a wonderful
sense of rest coming over you.
Jean Nicolas Grou
May 16. 137
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and
i?i the power of His might. — Eph. vi. lo.
No man ca7i serve two masters. — Matt. vi. 24.
Oh, there are heavenly heights to reach
In many a fearful place,
Where the poor timid heir of God
Lies blindly on his face ;
Lies languishing for grace divine
That he shall never see
Till he go forward at Thy sign,
And trust himself to Thee,
A. L. Waring.
"D ESERVATIONS lie latent in the mind con-
cerning some unhallowed sentiments or
habits in the present, some possibly impending
temptations in the future ; and thus do we cheat
ourselves of inward and outward joys together.
We give up many an indulgence for conscience'
sake, but stop short at that point of entire
faithfulness wherein conscience could reward us.
If we would but give ourselves wholly to God,
— give up, for the present and the future, every
act, and, above all, every thought and every
feeling, to be all purified to the uttermost, and
rendered the best, noblest, holiest we can con-
ceive, — then would sacrifice bear with it a
peace rendering itself, I truly believe, far easief
than before.
F. P. COBBE.
138 May ir.
Wherefore comfort yourselves together^ and edify
one another^ even as also ye do. — i Thess. v. ii.
Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself — Matt.
XIX. 19.
So others shall
Take patience, labor, to their heart and hand,
From thy hand, and thy heart, and thy brave cheer,
And God's grace fructify through thee to all.
The least flower with a brimming cup may stand,
And share its dewdrop with another near.
E. B. Browning.
VI7HAT is meant by our neighbor we cannot
doubt ; it is every one with whom we are
brought into contact. First of all, he is literally
our neighbor who is next to us in our own family
and household ; husband to wife, wife to hus-
band, parent to child, brother to sister, master
to servant, servant to master. Then it is he
who is close to us in our own neighborhood, in
our own town, in our own parish, in our own
street. With these all true charity begins. To
love and be kind to these is the very beginning
of all true rehgion. But, besides these, as our
Lord teaches, it is every one who is thrown
across our path by the changes and chances of
life ; he or she, whosoever it be, whom we have
any mxcans of helping, — the unfortunate stranger
whom we may meet in travelling, the deserted
friend whom no one else cares to look after.
A. P. Stanley
Hay 18. 139
We know that we have passed from death icnto
life^ because we love the brethren. — i John iii. 14.
He that loveih not knoweth not Godj for God
is love. — I John iv. 8.
Mutual love the token be,
Lord, that we belong to Thee ;
Love, Thine image, love impart;
Stamp it on our face and heart j
Only love to us be given ;
Lord, we ask no other heaven.
C. Wesley.
/^H, how many times we can most of us re-
^^ member when we would gladly have made
any compromise with our consciences, would
gladly have made the most costly sacrifices to
God, if He would only have excused us from
this duty of loving, of which our nature seemed
utterly incapable. It is far easier to feel kindly,
to act kindly, toward those with whom we are
seldom brought into contact, whose tempers
and prejudices do not rub against ours, whose
interests do not clash with ours, than to keep up
an habitual, steady, self-sacrificing love towards
those whose weaknesses and faults are alwa3^s
forcing themselves upon us, and are stirring up
our own. A man may pass good muster as a
philanthropist who makes but a poor master to
his servants, or father to his children.
F. D. Maurice.
I40 May 19.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. —
Ps. xxxvii. 7.
Trust in Him at all times. — Ps. Ixii. 8.
Dost thou ask when comes His hour ?
Then, when it shall aid thee best.
Trust His faithfulness and power,
Trust in Him, and quiet rest.
Anon.
r HAD found [communion with God] to con-
sist, not only in the silencing of the outward
man, but in the silencing also of every thought,
and in the concentration of the soul and all its
powers into a simple, quiet watching and waiting
for the food which its heavenly Father might
see fit either to give or to withhold. In no case
could it be sent empty away : for, if comfort,
light, or joy were withheld, the act of humble
waiting at the gate of heavenly wisdom could
not but work patience in it, and thus render it,
by humility and obedience, more " meet to be a
partaker of the inheritance of the saints in hght,"
and also more blessed in itself.
M. A. Kelty.
"Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for
Him." In Hebrew, " be silent to God, and let
Him mould thee." Keep still, and He will
mould thee to the right shape.
Martin Luther.
May 20. 141
To be spiritually minded is life and peace* —
Rom. viii. 6.
Stilled now be every anxious care ;
See God's great goodness everywhere ;
Leave all to Him in perfect rest :
He will do all things for the best.
From the German.
VI7E should all endeavor and labor for a
calmer spirit, that we may the better
serve God in praying to Him and praising Him ;
and serve one another in love, that we may be
fitted to do and receive good; that we may
make our passage to heaven more easy and
cheerful, without drooping and hanging the wing.
So much as we are quiet and cheerful upon good
ground, so much we live, and are, as it were, in
heaven.
R. Sibbes.
Possess yourself as much as you possibly can
in peace ; not by any effort, but by letting all
tilings fall to the ground which trouble or excite
you. This is no work, but is, as it were, a set-
ting down a fluid to settle that has become tur-
bid through agitation.
Madame Guyon,
142 May 21.
The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by
Him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day
long. — Deut. xxxiii. 12.
Whate'er events betide,
Thy will they all perform ;
Safe in Thy breast my head I hide,
Nor fear the coming storm.
H. F. Lyte.
T HAVE seemed to see a need of everything God
gives me, and want nothing that He denies
me. There is no dispensation, though afflictive,
but either in it, or after it, I find that I could
not be without it. Whether it be taken from or
not given me, sooner or later God quiets me in
Himself without it. I cast all my concerns on
the Lord, and live securely on the care and wis-
dom of my heavenly Father. My ways, you
know, are, in a sense, hedged up with thorns,
and grow darker and darker daily; but yet I
distrust not my good God in the least, and live
more quietly in the absence of all by faith, than
I should do, I am persuaded, if I possessed
them.
Anon, 1810,
May 22. 143
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most
High shall abide under the shadow of the
Almighty. — Ps. xci. i.
They who on the Lord rely,
Safely dwell though danger 's nigh ;
Lo ! His sheltering wings are spread
O'er each faithful servant's head.
When they wake, or when they sieep,
Angel guards their vigils keep ;
Death and danger may be near,
Faith and love have nought to fear.
Harriet Auber.
^"T^HERE shall no evil befall thee, neither
shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling,"
is a promise to the fullest extent verified in the
case of all " who dwell in the secret place of the
Most High." To them sorrows are not "evils,''
sicknesses are not " plagues ; " the shadow of
the Almighty extending far around those who
abide under it, alters the character of all things
which come within its influence.
Anon.
It is faith's work to claim and challenge lov-
ing-kindness out of all the roughest strokes of
God.
S. Rutherford.
44 "^^7 23.
Be content with such things as ye have. — Heb.
xiii. 5.
/ have learned^ in whatsoever state I a?n, there-'
with to be content. — Phil. iv. 11.
No longer forward nor behind
I look in hope or fear ;
But, grateful, take the good I find,
The best of now and here.
J. G. Whittier.
TF we wished to gain contentment, we might
try such rules as these : —
1. Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not
even of the weather.
2. Never picture thyself to thyself under any
circumstances in which thou art not.
3. Never compare thine own lot with that of
another.
4. Never allow thyself to dwell on the wish
that this or that had been, or were, otherwise
than it was, or is. God Almighty loves thee bet-
ter and more wisely than thou dost thyself.
5. Never dwell on the morrow. Remember
that it is God's, not thine. The heaviest part of
sorrow often is to look forward to it. " The Lord
will provide."
E. B. PUSEY,
May 24. 145
N^ow no chastening for the present seemeth to be
joyous^ but grievous: nevertheless afterward it
yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto
ihetn which are exercised thereby. — Heb. xii. 11.
I CANNOT say,
Beneath the pressure of life's cares to-day,
I joy in these ;
But I can say
That I had rather walk this rugged way,
If Him it please.
S. G. Browning.
''T^HE particular annoyance which befell you
this morning ; the vexatious words which
met your ear and " grieved " your spirit ; the
disappointment which was His appointment for
to-day ; the slight but hindering ailment ; the
presence of some one who is " a grief of mind '*
to you, — whatever this day seemeth not joyous,
but grievous, is linked in " the good pleasure of
His goodness '' with a corresponding afterward
of *' peaceable fruit," the very seed from which,
if you only do not choke it, this shall spring and
ripen.
F. R. Haver GAL
10
14C) May 25.
O my Father^ if it be possible^ let this atp pass
from me ; nevertheless not as I will^ but as Thou
wilt. — Matt. xxvi. 39.
0 Lord my God, do Thou Thy holy will, —
I will lie still.
1 will not stir, lest I forsake Thine arm,
And break the charm
Which lulls me, clinging to my Father's breast,
In perfect rest.
J. Keble.
"DESIGNATION to the will of God is the
whole of piety ; it includes in it all that is
good ; and is a source of the most settled quiet
and composure of mind. Our resignation to the
will of God may be said to be perfect, when our
will is lost and resolved up into His ; when we
rest in His will as our end, as being itself most
just, and right, and good. And where is the im-
possibility of such an affection to what is just
and right and good, such a loyalty of heart to
the Governor of the universe, as shall prevail
over all sinister indirect desires of our own ?
Joseph Butler.
There are no disappointments to those whose
wills are buried in the will of God.
F. W. Faber.
Lord, Thy will be done in father, mother,
child, in everything and everywhere ; without a
reserve, without a but, an if, or a limit.
Francis de Sales.
May 26, 147
The Lord heareth your murmurings, which ye
murmur against Him, — Ex. xvi. 8.
Without murmur, uncomplaining,
In His hand,
Leave whatever things thou canst not
Understand.
K. R. Hagenbach
^^NE great characteristic of holiness is never
to be exacting — never to complain.
Each complaint drags us down a degree, in our
upward course. If you would discern in whom
God's spirit dwells, watch that person, and notice
whether you ever hear him murmur.
Gold Dust.
When we wish things to be otherwise than
they are, we lose sight of the great practical parts
of the life of godliness. We wish, and wish —
when, if we have done all that lies on us, we
should fall quietly into the hands of God. Such
wishing cuts the very sinews of our privileges and
consolations. You are leaving me for a time ;
and you say that you wish you could leave me
better, or leave me with some assistance : but, if
it is right for you to go, it is right for me to meet
what lies on me, without a wish that I had less to
meet, or were better able to meet it.
R Cecil
148 May 27.
He that is faithful in that which is least i^
faithful also in much. — Luke xvi. 10.
The Lord preserve th the faithful. — Ps. xxxi. 23,
The trivial round, the common task,
Would furnish all we ought to ask;
Room to deny ourselves ; a road
To bring us, daily, nearer God.
J. Keble;
"PXACTNESS in little duties is a wonderful
source of cheerfulness.
F. W. Faber.
The unremitting retention of simple and high
sentiments in obscure duties is hardening the
character to that temper which will work with
honor, if need be, in the tumult or on the
scaffold.
R. W. Emerson.
We are too fond of our own will. We want to
be doing what we fancy mighty things ; but the
great point is, to do small things, when called to
them, in a right spirit.
R. Cecil
It is not on great occasions only that we are
required to be faithful to the will of God ; occa-
sions constandy occur, and we should be sur-
prised to perceive how much our spiritual
advancement depends on small obediences.
Madame Swetciiine
May 28. 149
Strengthened with all 7night, according to His
glorious power, unto all patience and long-sitffering
with joyficlness. — Col. i. ii.
God doth not need
Either man's works or His own gifts ; who best
Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best ; His state
Is kingly ; thousands at His bidding speed,
And post o'er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait.
J. MlLTO!9.
TX/E cannot always be doing a great work,
but we can always be doing sometbing
that belongs to our condition. To be silent, to
suffer, to pray when we cannot act, is acceptable
to God. A disappointment, a contradiction, a
harsh word, an annoyance, a wrong received and
endured as in His presence, is worth more than
a long prayer ; and we do not lose time if we
bear its loss with gentleness and patience, pro-
vided the loss was inevitable, and was not caused
by our own fault.
F^NELON
50 May 29.
Be not slothful, but followers of them who
through faith and patience inherit the promises.
— Heb. vi. 12
Where now with pain thou treadest, trod
The whitest of the saints of God !
To show thee where their feet were set,
The light which led them shineth yet.
J. G. Whittier.
T ET us learn from this communion of saints
"^ to live in hope. Those who are now at
rest were once like ourselves. They were once
weak, faulty, sinful ; they had their burdens and
hindrances, their slumbering and weariness, their
failures and their falls. But now they have over-
come. Their life was once homely and common-
place. Their day ran out as ours. Morning and
noon and night came and went to them as to us.
Their life, too, was as lonely and sad as yours.
Little fretful circumstances and frequent disturb-
ing changes wasted away their hours as yours.
There is nothing in your life that was not in
theirs ; there was nothing in theirs but may be
also in your own. They have overcome, each
one, and one by one ; each in his turn, when
the day came, and God called him to the trial.
And so shall you likewise.
II. E. Manning.
May 30. 151
And thus this man died, leaving his death for
an example of a nobie courage, atid a tnemorial of
virtue, not only unto young men, but unto all his
nation. — 2 Mac. vi. 31.
Zebulo7i and Naphtali were a people that jeop-
arded their lives unto the death in the high places
ofthejield. — Judges v. 18.
Though Love repine, and Reason chafe,
There came a voice without reply, —
'Tis man's perdition to be safe,
When for the truth he ought to die.
R. W. Emerson.
OOME say that the age of chivalry is past.
The age of chivalry is never past, so long
as there is a wrong left unredressed on earth, or
a man or woman left to say, " I will redress that
wrong, or spend my life in the attempt." The
age of chivalry is never past, so long as we have
faith enough to say, " God will help me to re-
dress that wrong ; or, if not me. He will help
those that come after me, for His eternal Will is
to overcome evil with good."
C. Kings LEY.
Thus man is made equal to ever}^ event. He
can face danger for the right. A poor, tender,
painful body, he can run into flame or bullets 01
pestilence, with duty for his guide.
R. W. Emerson
152 May 31.
Let all those that put their trust in Thee re-
joice: . . . let them also that lo7'e Thy name be joy-
ful in Thee. — Ps. v. 1 1 .
He maketh Die to lie down in green pastures. —
Ps. xxiii. 2.
I CAN hear these violets chorus
To the sky's benediction above ;
And we all are togeiher lying
On the bosom of Infinite Love.
Oh, the peace at the heart of Nature 1
Oh, the light that is not of day !
Why seek it afar forever,
When it cannot be lifted away ?
W. C. Gannett.
TTTHAT inexpressible joy for me, to look up
^^ through the apple-blossoms and the flut-
tering leaves, and to see God's love there ; to
listen to the thrush that has built his nest among
them, and to feel God's love, who cares for the
birds, in every note that swells his Httle throat ;
to look beyond to the bright blue depths of the
sky, and feel they are a canopy of blessing, — •
the roof of the house of my Father; that if
clouds pass over it, it is the unchangeable light
they veil ; that, even when the day itself passes,
I shall see that the night itself only unveils new
worlds of light; and to know that if I could un-
wrap fold after fold of God's universe, I should
only unfold more and more blessing, and see
deeper and deeper into the love which is at the
heart of all.
Elizabeth Charles
June 1. 153
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will 1
seek after J that I may dwell in the house of the
Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty
pf the Lord^ and to enquire in His temple. — Ps-
xxvii. 4.
Thy beauty, O my Father! All is Thine;
But there is beauty in Thyself, from whence
The beauty Thou hast made doth ever flow
In streams of never-failing affluence.
Thou art the Temple ! and though I am lame, —
Lame from my birth, and shall be till I die, —
I enter through the Gate called Beautiful,
And am alone with Thee, O Thou Most High !
J. W. Chadwick.
/^ONSIDER that all which appears beautiful
outwardly, is solely derived from the invisi-
ble Spirit which is the source of that external
beauty, and say joyfully, " Behold, these are
streamlets from the uncreated Fountain ; behold,
these are drops from the infinite Ocean of all
good ! Oh ! how does my inmost heart rejoice
at the thought of that eternal, infinite Beauty,
which is the source and origin of all created
beauty ! "
L. SCUPOLI
154 June 2.
We all, with open face, beholding as in a glass
the glory of the Lord, are changed into the saine
image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of
the Lord. — 2 Cor. iii. 18.
Then every tempting form of sin,
Shamed in Thy presence, disappears,
And all the glowing, raptured soul
The likeness it contemplates wears.
P. Doddridge.
'T^HEN does a good man become the taber-
nacle of God, wherein die divine Shechinah
does rest, and which the divine glory fills, when
the frame of his mind and life is wholly accord-
ing to that idea and pattern which he receives
from the mount. We best glorify Him when
we grow most Hke to Him : and we then act
most for His glory, when a true spirit of sanctity,
justice, meekness, etc., runs through all our ac-
tions ; when we so live in the world as becomes
those that converse with the great Mind and
Wisdom of the whole world, with that Almighty
Spirit that made, supports, and governs all things,
with that Being from whence all good flows, and
in which there is no spot, stain, or shadow of
evil ; and so being captivated and overcome by
the sense of the Divine loveliness and goodness,
endeavor to be like Him, and conform ourselves,
as much as may be, to Hmi.
Dr. John Smith.
June 3. 155
The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and
shall trtist in Him.— Ps. Ixiv. 10.
Whoso trusteih in the Lord, hapPy is he. —
Prov. xvi. 20.
The heart that trusts forever sings,
And feels as light as it had wings,
A well of peace within it springs, —
Come good or ill,
Whate'er to-day, to-morrow brings,
It is His will.
I. Williams.
"U E will weave no longer a spotted life of
shreds and patches, but he will live with
a divine unity. He will cease from what is base
and frivolous in his life, and be content with all
places, and with any service he can render. He
will calmly front the morrow, in the negligency
of that trust which carries God with it, and so
hath already the whole future in the bottom of
the heart.
R. W. Emerson.
He who believes in God is not careful for the
morrow, but labors joyfully and with a great
heart. " For He giveth His beloved, as in sleep."
They must work and watch, yet never be careful
or anxious, but commit all to Him, and live in
serene tranquillity ; with a quiet heart, as one
who sleeps safely and quietly.
Martin Luther
15© June 4.
Therefore^ my beloved brethren^ be ye stedfast^
xinmoveable^ always aboiindiuiJ in the work of the
Lord^forastnuch as ye know that you f labor is not
in vain in the Lord. — I CoR. xv. 58.
Say not, 'T was all in vain,
The anguish and the darkness and the strife ;
Love thrown upon the waters comes again
In quenchless yearnings for a nobler life.
Anna Shipton.
"IPVID you ever hear of a man who had striven
all his life faithfully and singly toward an
object and in no measure obtained it? If a man
constantly aspires, is he not elevated ? Did ever
a man try heroism, magnanimity, truth, sincerity,
and find that there was no advantage in them, —
that it was a vain endeavor ?
H. D. Thoreau.
Do right, and God's recompense to you will
be the power of doing more right. Give, and
God's reward to you will be the spirit of giving
more : a blessed spirit, for it is the Spirit of God
himself, whose Life is the blessedness of giving.
Love, and God will pay you with the capacity
of more love ; for love is Heaven — love is God
within you.
F. W, Robertson.
June 5. 157
speak, Lord; for IJiy servant hearetk. — i Sam.
iii. 9.
Though heralded with nought of fear.
Or outward sign or show :
Though only to the inward ear
It whispers soft and 1o\y ;
Though dropping, as the manna fell,
Unseen, yet from above,
Noiseless as dew-fall, heed it well, —
Thy Father's call of love.
J. G. Whittier.
npHIS is one result of the attitude into which
we are put by humihty, by disinterested-
ness, by purity, by calmness, that we have the
opportunity, the disengagement, the silence in
which we may watch what is the will of God con-
cerning us. If we think no more of ourselves
than we ought to think, if we seek not our own
but others' welfare, if we are prepared to take all
things as God's dealings with us, then we may
have a chance of catching from time to time
what God has to tell us. In the Mussulman de-
votions one constant gesture is to put the hands
to the ears, as if to listen for the messages from
the other world. This is the attitude, the posture
which our minds assume, if we have a standing-
place above and beyond the stir and confusion
and dissipation of this mortal world.
A. P. Stanley
158 June 6.
Him that overcometh will T make a pillar in the
temple of my God. — Rev. iii. 12.
In whom ye also are builded together for an habi-
tation of God through the Spirit. — Eph. ii, 22.
None the place ordained refuseth,
They are one, and they are all,
Living stones, the Builder chooseth
For the courses of his wall.
Jean Ingelow.
Q^ LOWLY, through all the universe, that temple
of God is being built. Wherever, in any
world, a soul, by free-willed obedience, catches
the fire of God's likeness, it is set into the grow-
ing walls, a living stone. When, in your hard
fight, in your tiresome drudgery, or in your terri-
ble temptation, you catch the purpose of your
being, and give yourself to God, and so give
Him the chance to give Himself to you, your life,
a hving stone, is taken up and set into that grow-
ing wall. . . . Wherever souls are being tried and
ripened, in whatever commonplace and homely
ways ; — there God is hewing out the pillars for
His temple. Oh, if the stone can only have some
vision of the temple of which it is to lie a part
forever, what patience must fill it as it feels the
blows of the hammer, and knows that success for
it is simply to let itself be wrought into what
shape the Master wills.
Phillips Brooks
June 7. 159
Ve are all the children of light, and the children
of the day. — i Thess. v. 5.
Light is sow7ifor the righteous, and gladness for
the upright in heart. — Ps. xcvii. 1 1.
Serene will be our days and bright,
And happy will our nature be,
When love is an unerring light,
And joy its own security.
W. Wordsworth.
"VrOTHING can produce so great a serenity
of life, as a mind free from guilt, and kept
untainted, not only from actions, but purposes
that are wicked. By this means the soul will be
not only unpolluted, but not disturbed ; the foun-
tain will run clear and unsullied, and the streams
that flow from it will be just and honest deeds,
ecstasies of satisfaction, a brisk energy of spirit^
which makes a man an enthusiast in his joy, and
a tenacious memory, sweeter than hope. For as
shrubs which are cut down with the morning
dew upon them do for a long time after retain
their fragrancy, so the good actions of a wise
man perfume his mind, and leave a rich scent
behind them. So that joy is, as it were, watered
with these essences, and owes its flourishing to
them.
Plutarch
:5o June 8.
Who hath despised the day of S7nall things ? —
Zech. iv. lo.
Little things
On little wings
Bear little souls to heaven.
Anon.
AN occasional effort even of an ordinary holi-
ness may accomplish great acts of sacri-
fice, or bear severe pressure of unwonted trial,
specially if it be the subject of observation. But
constant discipline in unnoticed ways, and the
spirit's silent unselfishness, becoming the hidden
habit of the life, give to it its true saintly beauty,
and this is the result of care and lowly love in
little things. Perfection is attained most readily
by this constancy of religious faithfulness in all
minor details of life, consecrating the daily efforts
of self-forgetting love.
T. T. Carter.
Love's secret is to be always doing things for
God, and not to mind because they are such
very little ones.
F. W. Faber.
There may be living and habitual conversa-
tion in heaven, under the aspect of the most
simple, ordinary life. Let us always remember
that holiness does not consist in doing uncommon
things, but in doing everything with purity of
heart.
n. E. Man.mng
June 9. i6i
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty j
and he that riileth his spirit than he that taketJi a
city. — Prov. xvi. 32.
Purge from our hearts the stains so deep and foul.
Of wrath and pride and care ;
Send Thine own holy cahn upon the soul,
And bid it settle there !
Anon.
T ET this truth be present to thee in the ex-
citement of anger, — that to be moved by
passion is not manly, but that mildness and gen-
tleness, as they are more agreeable to human
nature, so also are they more manly. . . . For in
the same degree in which a man's mind is nearer
to freedom from all passion, in the same degree
also is it nearer to strength.
Marcus Antoninus.
It is no great matter to associate with the
good and gentle, for this is naturally pleasing to
all, and every one willingly enjoyeth peace, and
loveth those best that agree with him. But to
be able to live peaceably with hard and penerse
persons, or with the disorderly, or with such as
go contrary to us, is a great grace, and a most
commendable and manly thing.
Thomas a Kempis.
1 62 June 10.
Who is ajjiong you that feareth the Lord, that
obeyeth the voice of His servajit, that walketh in
aarkness, and hath no light ? let hi7n trust in the
name of the Lord, a?id stay icpon his God. — Is A.
1. lo.
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness
— Ps. xviii. 28.
When we in darkness walk,
Nor feel the heavenly flame,
Then is the time to trust our God,
And rest upon His name.
A. M. TOPLADY.
T_TE has an especial tenderness of love towards
thee for that thou art in the dark and hast
no light, and His heart is glad when thou dost
arise and say, " I will go to my Father." For He
sees thee through all the gloom through which
thou canst not see Him. Say to Him, " My
God, I am very dull and low and hard ; but
Thou art wise and high and tender, and Thou
art my God. I am Thy child. Forsake me net."
Then fold the arms of thy faith, and wait in
vjuietness until light goes up in the darkness.
Fold the arms of thy Faith, I say, but not of thy
Action : bethink thee of something that thou
oughtest to do, and go and do it, if it be but the
sweeping of a room, or the preparing of a meal,
or a visit to a friend ; heed not thy feelings : do
thy work.
G. MacDonald
June 11. 163
In the day when I cried Thou answeredst me,
and stre7igthenedst me with strength in my soul. —
Ps. cxxxviii. 3.
It is not that I feel less weak, but Thou
Wilt be my strength ; it is not that I see
Less sin ; but more of pardoning love with Thee,
And all-sufificient grace. Enough ! And now
All fluttering thought is stilled ; I only rest,
And feel that Thou art near, and know that I am blest.
F. R. Havergal.
'VT'EA, though thou canst not believe, yet be
not dismayed thereat ; only do thou sink
into, or at least pant after the hidden measure of
life, which is not in that which distresseth, dis-
turbeth, and filleth thee with thoughts, fears,
troubles, anguish, darknesses, terrors, and the
like ; no, no ! but in that which inclines to the
patience, to the stillness, to the hope, to the wait-
ing, to the silence before the Father.
I. Penington.
We have only to be patient, to pray, and to
do His will, according to our present light and
strength, and the growth of the soul will go on.
The plant grows in the mist and under clouds as
truly as under sunshine. So does the heavenly
principle within.
W. E. Channing
164 June 12.
Then answered he me^ and said ^ This is the cofi-
dition of the battle ivhich man that is born npo?i the
earth shall fight ; that, if he be overcome^ he shall
suffer as thou hast said : but if he get the victory,
he shall receive the thing that I say. — 2 EsDRAS
vii. IT, 58.
One holy Church, one army strong,
One steadfast high intent,
One working band, one harvest-song,
One King omnipotent.
S. Johnson,
TXT^E listened to a man whom we felt to be,
with all his heart and soul and strength,
striving against whatever was mean and unmanly
and unrighteous in our little world. It was not
the cold clear voice of one giving advice and
warning from serene heights to those who were
struggling and sinning below, but the warm living
voice of one who was fighting for us and by our
sides, and calling on us to help him and ourselves
and one another. And so, wearily and little by
little, but surely and steadily on the whole, was
brought home to the young boy, for the first time,
the meaning of his life ; that it was no fool's or
sluggard's paradise into which he had wandered
by chance, but a battle-field ordained from of
old, where there are no spectators, but the
youngest must take his side, and the stakes are
life and death.
Thomas Hughss
June 13. 165
If we walk ill the light as He is in the light, 7ue
have felloiuship one with another. — i JOHX i. 7.
God is not tinrighteons to forget yojir work and
labor of love^ which ye have showed toward His
name, iti that ye hai'e ininistertd to tne saints^ and
do minister. — Heb. vi. 10.
Wherever in the world I am,
In whatsoe'er estate,
I have a fellowship with hearts,
To keep and cultivate,
And a work of lowlv love to do
For the Lord on whom I wait.
A. L, Waring.
TT/E do not always perceive that even the
writing of a note of congratulation, the
fabrication of something intended as an offering
of affection, our necessary intercourse with char-
acters which have no congeniality with our own,
or hours apparently trifled away in the domestic
circle, may be made by us the performance of a
most sacred and blessed work ; even the carry-
ing out, after our feeble measure, of the design of
God for the increase of happiness.
Anna, or Passages from Home Life.
Definite Avork is not always that which is cut
and squared for us, but that which comes as a
claim upon the conscience, whether it 's nursing
in a hospital, or hemming a handkerchief.
Elizabeth M. .Sewell
1 66 June 14.
The Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow^
and from thy fear^ and from the hard bondage
wherein thou wast made to serve. — IsA. xiv. 3.
^ Today, beneath Thy chastening eye,
I crave alone for peace and rest ;
Submissive in Thy hand to lie,
And feel that it is best.
J. G. Whittier.
(~\ LORD, who art as the Shadow of a great
^-^^ Rock in a weary land, who beholdest Thy
weak creatures weary of labor, weary of pleasure,
weary of hope deferred, weary of self; in Thine
abundant compassion, and unutterable tenderness,
bring us, I pray Thee, unto Thy rest. Amen.
Christina G. Rossetti.
Grant to me above all things that can be de-
sired, to rest in Thee, and in Thee to have my
heart at peace. Thou art the true peace of
the heart, Thou its only rest ; out of Thee all
things are hard and restless. In this very peace,
that is, in Thee, the One Chiefest Eternal Good,
I will sleep and rest. Amen.
Thomas a Kempis.
Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord ; and
our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.
St. Aur.usTiNE.
June 15. 167
God is our refuge and sti'ength, a very present
help in trozible. Therefore will not we fear ^ ihoiigh
the earth be removed^ and though the mountains be
carried into the 7nidst of the sea. — Ps. xlvi. i, 2.
Though waves and storms go o'er my head,
Though strength and health and friends be gone.
Though joys be withered all, and dead,
Though every comfort be withdrawn.
On this my steadfast soul relies, —
Father ! Thy mercy never dies.
JOHANN A. ROTHE.
\/'OUR external circumstances may change, toil
may take the place of rest, sickness of
health, trials may thicken within and without.
Externally, you are the prey of such circum-
stances ; but if your heart is stayed on God, no
changes or chances can touch it, and all that
may befall you will but draw you closer to Him.
Whatever the present moment may bring, your
knowledge that it is His will, and that your
future heavenly life will be influenced by it, will
make all not only tolerable, but welcome to you,
while no vicissitudes can affect you greatly, know-
ing that He who holds you in His powerful hand
cannot change, but abideth forever.
Jean Nicolas Grou
1 68 June 16.
N'oTV ititto Him that is able to do exceeding abun-
dantly above all that we ask or think, according to
the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory.^
throughout all ages, world witho2it eiid. Amen. —
Epii. iii. 20, 21.
AVe would not meagre gifts down-call
When Thou dost yearn to yield us all ;
But for this life, this little hour,
Ask all Thy love and care and power.
J. Ingelow
G
OD so loveth us that He would make all
things channels to us and messengers ot
His love. Do for His sake deeds of love, and
He will give thee His love. Still thyself, thy
own cares, thy own thoughts for Him, and He
will speak to thy heart. Ask for Himself, and
He will give thee Himself. Truly, a secret
hidden thing is the love of God, known only to
them who seek it, and to them also secret, for
what man can have of it here is how slight a
foretaste of that endless ocean of His love !
E. B. PUSEY.
June 17. 169
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. —
Matt. vi. 28.
They do not toil :
Content with their allotted task
They do but grow ; they do not ask
A richer lot, a higher sphere,
But in their loveliness appear,
And grow, and smile, and do their best,
And unto God they leave the rest.
Marianne Farningham.
TNTERPOSE no barrier to His mighty life-
giving power, working in you all the good
pleasure of His will. Yield yourself up utterly
to His sweet control. Put your growing into
His hands as completely as you have put all your
other affairs. Suffer Him to manage it as He
will. Do not concern yourself about it, nor even
think of it. Trust Him absolutely and always.
Accept each moment's dispensation as it comes
to you from His dear hands, as being the needed
sunshine or dew for that moment's growth. Say
a continual " yes " to your Father's wtII.
H. W. S.
Thine own self-will and anxiety, thy hurry and
labor, disturb thy peace and prevent Me from
working in thee. Look at the little flowers, in
the serene summer days; they quietly open
their petals, and the sun shines into them wqth
his gentle influences. So will I do for thee, if
thou wilt yield th\ self to Me.
G. Tersteegen
I/O June 18.
Wherefore^ if God so clothe the grass of the field,
which to-day is, and to-jnorrow is cast into the.
oven, shall He not mnch more clothe you^ O ye of
little fait k ?— Matt. vi. 30.
/ trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. —
Ps. lii. 8.
Calmly we look behind us, on joys and sorrows past,
We know that all is mercy now, and shall be well a..
last;
Calmly we look before us, — we fear no future ill,
Enough for safety and for peace, if Thou art with us
still.
Jane Borthwick.
"^EITHER go back in fear and misgiving to
the past, nor in anxiety and forecasting to
the future ; but He quiet under His hand, having
no will but His.
H. E. Manning.
I saw a delicate flower had grown up two feet
high, between the horses' path and the wheel-
track. An inch more to right or left had sealed
its fate, or an inch higher ; and yet it lived to
flourish as much as if it had a thousand acres of
untrodden space around it, and never knew the
danger it incurred. It did not borrow trouble,
nor invite an evil fate by apprehending it.
Fenrv D. Thoreai'
June 19. 17
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: Hi>
shall preserve thy soul. — Ps. cxxi. 7.
Under Thy wings, my God, I rest,
Under Thy shadow safely lie ;
By Thy own strength in peace possessed,
While dreaded evils pass me by.
A. L. Waring,
A HEART rejoicing in God delights in all
His will, and is surely provided with the
most firm joy in all estates ; for if nothing can
come to pass beside or against His will, then
cannot that soul be vexed which delights in Him
and hath no will but His, but follows Him in all
times, in all estates ; not only when He shines
bright on them, but when they are clouded.
That flower which follows the sun doth so even
in dark and cloudy days : when it doth not shine
forth, yet it follows the hidden course and motion
of it. So the soul that moves after God keeps
that course when He hides His face ; is content,
yea, even glad at His will in all estates or condi-
tions or events.
R. Leighton.
Let God do with me what He will, anything
He will ; whatever it be, it will be either heaven
itself or some beginning of it.
Wm. Mountford
1/2 June 20.
Be ?fierciful unto me, O God, be merciful un(o
me: for my soul trustetli in Thee: yea, in the
shadow of Thy wings will I make my rejuge, until
these calamities be overpast. — Ps. Ivii. i.
My God ! in whom are all the springs
Of boundless love and grace unknown,
Hide me beneath Thy spreading wings,
Till the dark cloud is overblown.
I. Watts
TN time of trouble go not out of yourself to
seek for aid ; for the whole benefit of trial
consists in silence, patience, rest, and resigna-
tion. In this condition divine strength is found
for the hard warfare, because God Himself
fights for the soul.
M. MOLINOS.
In vain will you let your mind run out after
help in times of trouble ; it is like putting to sea
in a storm. Sit still, and feel after your princi-
ples ; and, if you find none that furnish you with
somewhat of a stay and prop, and which point
you to quietness and silent submission, depend
upon it you have never yet learned Truth from
the Spirit of Truth, whatever notions thereof you
may have picked up from this and the other
description of it.
M. A Kei.ty.
June 21. 173
Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee. —
Ps. Ixxxi. 7.
Be strong, and of good courage; dread not, tior
be dismayed. — i Chrox. xxii. 13.
Thou canst calm the troubled mind,
Thou its dread canst still ;
Teach me to be all resigned
To my Father's will.
Heinrich Puchta.
^T^ HOUGH this patient, meek resignation is to
be exercised with regard to all outward
things and occurrences of hfe, yet it chiefly re-
spects our own inward state, the troubles, per-
plexities, weaknesses, and disorders of our own
souls. And to stand turned to a patient, meek,
humble resignation to God, when your own im-
patience, wrath, pride, and irresignation attack
yourself, is a higher and more beneficial per-
formance of this duty, than when you stand
turned to meekness and patience, when attacked
by the pride, or wrath, or disorderly passions of
other jDeopIe.
Wm. Law.
1/4
June 22.
There hath no temptation taken you, but such as
is common to man : but God is faithful, who will
not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able ;
but will with the temptation also make a way to
escape, that ye may be able to bear it. — i CoR. x.
13, 14-
Not so, not so, no load of woe
Need bring despairing frown ;
For while we bear it, we can bear,
Past that, we lay it down.
Sarah Williams.
PVERYTHING which happens, either hap-
■"^ pens in such wise that thou art formed by
nature to bear it, or that thou art not formed by
nature to bear it. If then, it happens to thee in
such way that thou art formed by nature to bear
it, do not complain, but bear it as thou art
formed by nature to bear it. But, if it happens
in such wise that thou art not able to bear it, do
not complain ; for it will perish after it has con-
sumed thee. Remember, however, that thou art
formed by nature to bear everything, with respect
to which it depends on thy own opinion to make
it endurable and tolerable, by thinking that it is
either thy interest or thy duty to do this.
Marcus Antoninus.
June 23. 175
Why art ihou cast down, O my soul? and why
art thou disquieted within me ? hope thou in God ;
for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my
countenance, and my God. — Ps. xlii. 1 1.
^ Ah ! why by passing clouds oppressed,
Should vexing thoughts distract thy breast ;
Turn thou to Him in every pain,
Whom never suppliant sought in vain ;
Thy strength in joy's ecstatic day,
Thy hope, when jov has passed away.
H. F. Lyte.
T3EWARE of letting your care degenerate into
■■-^ anxiety and unrest ; tossed as you art
amid the winds and waves of sundry troubles,
keep your eyes fixed on the Lord, and say, " Oh,
my God, I look to Thee alone ; be Thou my
guide, my pilot ; " and then be comforted.
AVhen the shore is gained, who will heed the toi)
and the storm ? And we shall steer safely through
every storm, so long as our heart is right, our in-
tention fer\'ent, our courage steadfast, and our
trust fixed on God. If at times we are some-
what stunned by the tempest, never fear ; let us
take breath, and go on afresh. Do not be dis-
concerted by the fits of vexation and uneasiness
which are sometimes produced by the multiplicity
of your domestic worries. No indeed, dearest
child, all these are but opportunities of strength-
ening yourself in the loving, forbearing graces
which our dear Lord sets before us.
Francis de Sales.
i^C June 24.
Ei'en so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy
sight. — Matt. xi. 26.
Let nothing make thee sad or fretful,
Or too regretful ;
Be still ;
What God hath ordered must be right,
Then find in it thine own delight,
My will.
P. P'lemming.
TF we listen to our self-love, we shall estimate
-*■ our lot less by what it is, than by what it is
not ; shall dwell on its hindrances, and be blind
to its possibilities ; and, comparing it only with
imaginary hves, shall indulge in flattering dreams
of what we should do, if we had but power ; and
give, if we had but wealth ; and be, if we had no
temptations. We shall be forever querulously
pleading our difficulties and privations as excuses
for our unloving temper and unfruitful life ; and
fancying ourselves injured beings, virtually frown-
ing at the dear Providence that loves us, and
chafing with a self-torture which invites no pity.
If we yield ourselves unto God, and sincerely
accept our lot as assigned by Him, we shall
count up its contents, and disregard its omissions ;
and be it as feeble as a cripple's, and as narrow
as a child's, shall find in it resources of good
surpassing our best economy, and sacred claims
that may keep awake our highest will.
J. Marti NEAU
June 25. 177
My times' are iii Thy hand. — Ps. xxxi. 15.
Every purpose of the Lord shall be performed.
■ — Jer. li. 29.
I AM SO glad ! It is such rest to know
That Thou hast ordered and appointed all,
And wilt yet order and appoint my lot.
For though so much I cannot understand,
And would not choose, has been, and yet may be,
Thou choosest, Thou performest, Thou, my Lord.
This is enough for me. *
F. R. Haverg/\l.
" W/E mustn't be in a hurry to fix and choose
our own lot ; we must wait to be guided.
We are led on, like the little children, by a way
that we know not. It is a vain thought to flee
from the work that God appoints us, for the sake
of finding a greater blessing to our own souls ; as
if we could choose for ourselves where we shall
find the fulness of the Divine Presence, instead
of seeking it where alone it is to be found, in
loving obedience."
George Eliot.
Everywhere and at all times it is in thy
power piously to acquiesce in thy present con-
dition, and to behave justly to those who are
about thee.
Marcus Antoninus
12
178 June 26.
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have
alight against any ; that your Father also which is
in heave7i may forgive you your trespasses. But
if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which
is in heaven, forgive your trespasses. — Mark xi.
25, 26.
'T IS not enough to weep my sins,
'T is but one step to heaven : —
When I am kind to others, — then
I k.iow mvself forgiven.
F. W. Faher.
"pVERY relation to mankind, of hate or scorn
"^ or neglect, is full of vexation and torment.
There is nothing to do with men but to love
them ; to contemplate their virtues with admira-
tion, their faults with pity and forbearance, and
their injuries with forgiveness. Task all the in-
genuity of your mind to devise some other thing,
but you never can find it. To hate your adver-
sary will not help you ; to kill him will not help
you ; nothing within the compass of the universe
can help you, but to love him. But let that love
flow out upon all around you, and what could
harm you ? How many a knot of mystery and
misunderstanding would be untied by one word
spoken in simple and confiding truth of heart !
How many a solitary place would be made glad
if love were there ; and how many a dark dwell-
ing would be filled with light !
Orville Dewky.
June 27. 179
The kingdom of God is within yoti. — Luke
xvii. 21.
Oh, take this heart that I would give
Forever to be all Thine own ;
I to myself no more would live, —
Come, Lord, be Thou my King alone.
G. Tersteegen.
"UEREIN is the work assigned to the individ-
■*- -*- ual soul, to have life in itself, to make our
sphere, whatever it is, sufficient for a reign of
God within ourselves, for a true and full reign of
our Fathers abounding spirit, — thankful, unut-
terably thankful, if with the place and the com-
panionship assigned to us we are permitted to
build an earthly tabernacle of grace and good-
ness and holy love, a home like a temple ; but,
should this be denied us, resolved for our own
souls that God shall reign there, for ourselves at
least that we will not, by sin or disobedience or
impious distrust, break with our own wills our
filial connection with our Father, — that whether
joyful or sorrowing, struggling with the perplexity
and foulness of circumstance, or in an atmos-
phere of peace, whether in dear fellowship or
alone, our desire and prayer shall be that God
may have in us a realm where His will is law, and
where obedience and submission spring, not from
calculating prudence or ungodly fear, but from
communion of spirit, ever humble aspiration,
and ever loving trust.
J. H. Thom
i8o June 28.
The Lord preserveth tJie simple. — Ps. cxvio 6.
Thy home is with the humble, Lord I
The simple are Thy rest ;
Thy lodging is in childlike hearts ;
Thou makest there Thy nest.
F. W. Faber.
'T^HIS deliverance of the soul from all useless
and selfish and unquiet cares, brings to it
an unspeakable peace and freedom \ this is
true simplicity. This state of entire resignation
and perpetual acquiescence produces true lib-
erty ; and this liberty brings perfect simplicity.
The soul which knows no self-seeking, no inter-
ested ends, is thoroughly candid ; it goes straight
forward without hindrance ; its path opens daily
more and more to " perfect day," in proportion
as its self-renunciation and its self-forgetfulness
increase ; and its peace, amid whatever troubles
beset it, will be as boundless as the depths of the
sea.
Fenelon.
June 29. iSi
Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast
himself as he that putteth itoff.— \ Kings xx. i r.
Put on the whole armor of God. — Eph. vi. 1 1 .
Was I not girded for the battle-field ?
Bore I not helm of pride and glittering sword ?
Behold the fragments of my broken shield,
And lend to me Thy heavenly armor, Lord !
Anon.
/^H, be at least able to say in that day, — •
^-^ Lord, I am no hero. I have been care-
less, cowardly, sometimes all but mutinous.
Punishment I have deserved, I deny it not.
But a traitor I have never been ; a deserter I
have never been. I have tried to fight on Thy
side in Thy battle against evil. I have tried to
do the duty which lay nearest me ; and to leave
whatever Thou didst commit to my charge a
little better than I found it. 1 have not been
good, but I have at least tried to be good.
Take the will for the deed, good Lord. Strike
not my unworthy name off the roll-call of the
noble and victorious army, which is the blessed
company of all faithful people ; and let me, too,
be found wTitten in the Book of Life ; even though
1 stand the lowest and last upon its list. Amen.
C. KlNGSLLY.
82 June 30.
And the work of righteousness shall be pence j
and the effect of rightcoicsness, quietness and assur-
ance forever. — ■ IsA. xxxii. 17.
The heart that ministers for Thee
In Thy own work will rest ;
And the subject spirit of a child
Can serve Thy children best.
A. L. Waring.
TT matters not where or what we are, so we be
His servants. They are happy who have a
wide field and great strength to fulfil His mis-
sions of compassion ; and they, too, are blessed
who, in sheltered homes and narrow ways ot
duty, wait upon Him in lowly services of love.
Wise or simple, gifted or slender in knowledge,
in the world's gaze or in hidden ■ paths, high
or low, encompassed by affections and joys of
home, or lonely and content in God alone, what
matters, so that they bear the seal of the living
God? Blessed company, unknown to each
other, unknowing even themselves !
H. E. Manning.
July 1. 183
In the viornins^, then ye shall see the glory of the
Lord. — Ex. xvi. 7.
Serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope. — RoM.
xii. II, 12.
Every day is a fresh beginning,
Every morn is the world made new.
You who are weary of sorrow and sinning,
Here is a beautiful hope for you -,
A hope for me and a hope for you.
Susan Cooi.idge.
"DE patient with every one, but above all with
yourself. I mean, do not be disturbed be-
cause of your imperfections, and always rise up
bravely from a fall. I am glad that you make a
daily new beginning ; there is no better means
of progress in the spiritual life than to be contin-
ually beginning afresh, and never to think that
we have done enough.
Francis de Sales.
Because perseverance is so difficult, even
when supported by the grace of God, thence is
the value of new beginnings. For new begin-
nings are the life of perse\^erance.
E. B. PUSEY
1 84 Jnly 2.
Herein do I exercise inyself, to have always a
conscience void of offence toward God, and toward
men. — Acts xxiv. i6.
/ will i?istruct thee and teach thee in the way
which thou shall go; I will guide thee with mine
eye. — Ps. xxxii. 8.
Oh, keep thy conscience sensitive ;
No inward token miss ;
And go where grace entices thee ; —
Perfection lies in this.
F. W. Faber.
TT/E need only obey. There is guidance for
each of us, and by lowly listening we
shall hear the right word.
R. \V. Emerson.
The heights of Christian perfection can only
be reached by faithfully each moment following
the Guide who is to lead you there, and He re-
veals your way to you one step at a time, in the
little things of your daily lives, asking only on
your part that you yield yourselves up to His
guidance. If then, in anything you feel doubt-
ful or troubled, be sure that it is the voice of
your Lord, and surrender it at once to His bid-
ding, rejoicing with a great joy that He has be-
gun thus to lead and guide you.
H. W. S.
July 3. 185
He shall redeem Israel fro7n all his iniquities.
— Ps. cxxx 8.
Be it according to Thy word ;
Redeem me from all sin ;
My heart would now receive Thee, Lord,
Come in, my Lord, come in !
C. Wesley.
\17HEN you wake, or as soon as you are
dressed, offer up your whole self to God,
soul and body, thoughts and purposes and de-
sires, to be for that day what He wills. Think
of the occasions of the sin likely to befall you,
and go, as a child, to your Father which is in
heaven, and tell Him in childlike, simple words,
your trials — in some such simple words as
these — " Thou knowest, good Lord, that I am
tempted to — \^then name the temptations to it,
and the ways in which you sin, as well as you
know the77i\. But, good Lord, for love of Thee,
1 would this day keep wholly from all \iiamtng
the- sin'\ and be very \jiaming the opposite
grace\. I will not, by Thy grace, do one [N.]
act, or speak one [N.] word, or give one [N.]
look, or harbor one [N.] thought in my soul. If
Thou allow any of these temptations to come
upon me this day, I desire to think, speak, and
do only what Thou wiliest. Lord, without Thee
1 can do nothing; with Thee I can do all."
E. B. PUSEY
1 86 July 4.
Look at the generations of old, and see ; did ei'er
any trust in the Lord, and was confounded ? or
did any abide in His fear, and was forsaken ? or
whom did He ever despise, that called upon Him f
— ECCLUS. ii. TO.
Remember, O Lord, Thy tender mercies, and
Thy loving-kindnesses ; for they have been ever of
old. — Ps. XXV. 6.
My Father ! see
I trust the faithfulness displayed of old,
I trust the love that never can grow cold —
I trust in Thee.
Christian Intelligencer,
"DE not so much discouraged in the sight of
what is yet to be done, as comforted in
His good-will towards thee. 'T is true, He hath
chastened thee with rods and sore afflictions ;
but did He ever take away His loving-kindness
from thee? or did His faithfulness ever fail in
the sorest, blackest, thickest, darkest night that
ever befell thee ?
I. Penington.
We call Him the '*' God of our fathers ; " and
we feel that there is some stabiHty at centre,
while we can tell our cares to One listening at
our right hand, by whom theirs are remembered
and removed.
f. Martineau.
July 5. 187
He slayeth His rough wind in the day of the
east wind. — IsA. xxvii. 8.
A bruised reed shall He not break. — IsA. xlii. 3.
All my life I still have found,
And I will forget it never ;
Every sorrow hath its bound,
And no cross endures forever.
All things else have but their day,
God's love only lasts for aye.
P. Gerhardt.
T17E never have more than we can bear.
The present hour we are ahvays able to
endure. As our day, so is our strength. If the
trials of many years were gathered into one, they
would overwhelm us ; therefore, in pity to our
little strength, He sends first one, then another,
then removes both, and lays on a third, heav-
ier, perhaps, than either; but all is so wisely
measured to our strength that the bruised reed
is never broken. \\'e do not enough look at our
trials in this continuous and successive view.
Each one is sent to teach us something, and al-
together they have a lesson which is beyond the
power of any to teach alone.
H. E. MANNiNa
1 88 July 6.
/ the Lord ha7>e called thee in righteousness^ and
will hold thine hand, and will keep thee. — Is A.
xlii. 6.
O keep my sonl, and deliver me: for I pnt
my trust in Thee. — Ps. xxv. 20.
' I DO not ask my cross to understand,
My way to see ;
Better in darkness just to feel Thy hand,
And follow Thee.
Adelaide A. Procter.
/^ LORD, if only my will may remain right
and lirm towards Thee, do with me what-
soever it shall please Thee. For it cannot be
anything but good, whatsoever Thou shalt do
with me. If it be Thy ^yill I should be in dark-
ness, be Thou blessed ; and, if it be Thy will I
should be in light, be Thou again blessed. If
Thou vouchsafe to comfort me, be Thou blessed ;
and, if Thou wilt have me afflicted, be Thou
equally blessed. O Lord ! for Thy sake I will
cheerfully suffer whatever shall come on me with
Thy permission.
Thomas a Kempis.
My soul could not inchne itself on the one
side or the other, since another will had taken
the place of its own ; but only nourished itselt
with the daily providences of God.
aIadame Guyon.
July 7. 189
The Lord is my light and my salvation ; whom
shall I fear f The Lord is the strength of my lifej
of 'who7n shall I be afraid? — Ps. xxvii. i.
Thou hidden Source of calm repose,
Thou all sufficient Love divine,
My Help and Refuge from my foes,
Secure I am while Thou art mine :
And lo ! from sin, and grief, and shame,
I hide me. Father, in Thy name.
C. Wesley.
\^I7HATEVER troubles come on you, of
' • mind, body, or estate, from within or
from without, from chance or from intent, from
friends or foes — whatever your trouble be, though
you be lonely, O children of a heavenly Father,
be not afraid !
J. H. Newman.
Whatsoever befalleth thee, receive it not
from the hand of any creature, but from Him
alone, and render back all to Him, seeking in all
things His pleasure and honor, the purifying and
subduing of thyself. What can harm thee, when
all must first touch God, within whom thou hast
enclosed thyself ?
R. Leighton.
How God rejoices over a soul, w^hich, sur-
rounded on all sides by suffering and misery,
does that upon earth which the angels do in
heaven; namely, loves, adores, and praises
God!
G. TERSTEEGEWr
190 July 8.
Be ye kind one to another. — Eph. iv. 32.
C She doeth little kindnesses
Which most leave undone or despise ;
For nought which sets one heart at ease.
And giveth happiness or peace,
Is low-esteemed in her eyes.
J. R. Lowell-
"IIT'HAT was the secret of such a one's power?
What had she done ? Absohitely noth-
ing; but radiant smiles, beaming good-humor,
the tact of divining what every one felt and
every one wanted, told that she had got out of
self and learned to think of others ; so that at
one time it showed itself in deprecating the
quarrel, which lowering brows and raised tones
already showed to be im.pending, by sweet
words ; at another, by smoothing an invalid's pil-
low ; at another, by soothing a sobbing child ; at
another, by humoring and softening a father who
had returned weary and ill-tempered from the
irritating cares of business. None but she saw
those things. None but a loving heart could see
them. That was the secret of her heavenly
power. The one who will be found in trial ca-
pable of great acts of love, is ever the one who
is always doing considerate small ones.
F. W. Robertson
July 9. 191
Love is of God ; a7id every one that loneth is
bom of God, and knoweth God. — I JOHX iv. 7.
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one an-
other, if any man have a quarrel {or " complaint^^^
against any. — Col. i i i . 13.
Oh, might we all our Kneage prove,
Give and forgive, do good and love;
By soft endearments, in kind strife,
Lightening the load of daily life.
J. Keble.
TITE may, if we choose, make the worst of one
another. Every one has his weak points ;
every one has his faults ; we may make the worst
of these ; we may fix our attention constantly
upon these. But we may also make the best of
one another. We may forgive, even as we hope
to be forgiven. We may put ourselves in the
place of others, and ask what we should wish to
be done to us, and thought of us, were we in
their place. By loving whatever is lovable in
those around us, love will flow back from them
to us, and life will become a pleasure instead of
a pain ; and earth will become like heaven ; and
we shall become not unworthy followers of Him
whose name is Love.
A. P. Stanley
92 July 10.
The Lord will perfect that which co7icertteth me :
Thy mercy, O Lord, endnreth forever j forsake fwt
the works of Thine own hands. — Ps. cxxxviii. 8.
As God leads me, will I go, —
Nor choose my way ;
Let Him choose the joy or woe
Of every day :
They cannot hurt my soul,
Because in His control :
I leave to Him the whole, —
His children may.
L. Gedicke.
VT^HY is it that we are so busy with the
future ? It is not our province ; and is
there not a criminal interference with Him to
whon 't belongs, in our feverish, anxious at-
tempts to dispose of it, and in filling it up with
shadows of good and evil shaped by our own
wild imaginations ? To do God's will as fast as it
is made known to us, to inquire hourly — I had
almost said each moment — what He requires of
us, and to leave ourselves, our friends, and every
interest at His control, with a cheerful trust that
the path which He marks out leads to our per-
fection and to Himself, — this is at once our
duty and happiness ; and why will we not walk
in the plain, simple way?
William E. Channinc
July 11. 193
When He givcth quietness^ who then can make
trouble ? — Job xxxiv. 29.
None of these things move me. — Acts xx. 24.
I 'VE many a cross to take up now,
And many left behind ;
But present troubles move me not,
Nor shake my quiet mind.
And what may be to-morrow's cross
I never seek to find ;
My Father says, " Leave that to me,
And keep a quiet mind."
Anon.
T ET us then think only of the present, and
not even permit our minds to wander with
curiosity into the future. This future is not yei
ours ; perhaps it never will be. It is exposing
ourselves to temptation to wish to anticipate
God, and to prepare ourselves for things which
He may not destine for us. If such things
should come to pass, He will give us light and
strength according to the need. Why should we
desire to meet difficulties prematurely, when we
have neither strength nor light as yet provided for
them ? Let us give heed to the present, whose
duties are pressing ; it is fidelity to the present
which prepares us for fidelity in the future.
F^NELON.
Every hour comes with some little fagot 01
God's w^ill fastened upon its back.
F. W. Faber
194 J"u.ly 12.
Be strong, and pf a good courage, fear not, nor be
afraid . . . for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth
go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake
thee. — Deut. xxxi. 6.
The timid it concerns to ask their way,
And fear what foe in caves and swamps can stray.
To make no step until the event is known,
And ills to come as evils past bemoan.
Not so the wise ; no coward watch he keeps
To spy what danger on his pathway creeps ;
Go where he will, the wise man is at home,
His hearth the earth, — his hall the azure dome ;
Where his clear spirit leads him, there 's his road,
Ey God's own light illumined and foreshowed.
R. W. Emerson.
T^HOUGH I sympathize, I do not share in
the least the feeling of being disheartened
and cast down. It is not things of this sort that
depress me, or ever will. The contrary things,
praise, openings, the feeling of the greatness of
my \vork, and my inability in relation to it, these
things oppress and cast me down ; but little hin-
drances, and closing up of accustomed or ex-
pected avenues, and the presence of difficulties
to be overcome, — I 'm not going to be cast
down by triors such as these.
James Hinton.
July '13. 195
And the Lord shall guide thee continually^ and
iatisfy thy soul in drought. — Is A. Iviii. 11.
Wherever He may guide me,
No want shall turn me back ;
My Shepherd is beside me,
And nothing can I lack.
His wisdom ever waketh.
His sight is never dim, —
He knows the way He taketh,
And I will walk with Him.
A. L. Waring
A BANDON yourself to His care and guid-
ance, as a sheep in the care of a shepherd,
and trust Him utterly. No matter though you
may seem to yourself to be in the very midst of a
desert, with nothing green about you, inwardly
or outwardly, and may think you will have to
make a long journey before you can get into the
green pastures. Our Shepherd will turn that
very place where you are into green pastures, for
He has power to make the desert rejoice and
blossom as a rose.
H. W. S
196 July 14.
Be not conformed to this world j but be ye tratis-
forined by the renewing of your mind. — Rom.
xii. 2.
Fathfr, let our faithful mind
Rest, on Thee alone inclined ;
Every anxious thought repress,
Keep our souls in perfect peace. C. Wesley.
"D ETIREMENT from anxieties of every kind ;
•*-^ entering into no disputes ; avoiding all
frivolous talk : and simplifying everything we
engage in, whether in a way of doing or suffer-
ing ;. denying the imagination its false activities,
and the intellect its false searchings after what it
cannot obtain, — these seem to be some of the
steps that lead to obedience to the holy precept
in our text. James P. Greaves.
Retire inwardly ; wait to feel somewhat of
Gods Spirit, discovering and drawing away from
that which is contrary to His holy nature, and
leading into that which is acceptable to Him.
As the mind is joined to this, some true light
and life is received. I . Penington.
Act up faithfully to your convictions ; and
when you have been unfaithful, bear with your-
self, and resume always with calm simplicity
your little task. Suppress, as much as you pos-
sibly can, all recurrence to yourself, and you
will suppress much vanity. Accustom yourself to
much calmness and an indifference to events.
Madame Guyon.
July 15. 197
Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift
them up, ye everlasting doors ; and the King of
glory shall come in. — Ps. xxiv. 9.
Ye are the temple of the living God. — 2 COR.
vi. 16.
Fling wide the portals of your heart,
Make it a temple set apart
From earthly use for Heaven's employ,
Adorned with prayer, and love, and joy.
So shall your Sovereign enter in,
And new and nobler life begin.
Weiszel,
" I "HOU art to know that thy soul is the centre,
habitation, and kingdom of God. That,
therefore, to the end the sovereign King may
rest on that throne of thy soul, thou oughtest to
take pains to keep it clean, quiet, and peaceable,
— clean from guilt and defects ; quiet from
fears ; and peaceable in temptations and tribula-
tions. Thou oughtest always, then, to keep thine
heart in peace, that thou mayest keep pure that
temple of God ; and with a right and pure inten-
tion thou art to work, pray, obey, and suffer
(without being in the least moved), whatever it
pleases the Lord to send unto thee.
M. MOLINOS
98 July 16.
Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast
laid up for them that fear 'Thee j which Thou
hast wrought for them that trust in Thee. — Ps.
xxxi. 19.
/ will sing unto the Lord^ because He hath dealt
bountifully with me. — Ps. xiii. 6,
Thy calmness bends serene above
My restlessness to still ;
Around me flows Thy qui^ening life,
To nerve my faltering will ;
Thy presence fills my solitude;
Thy providence turns all to good.
S. Longfellow.
Vl^ITH a heart devoted to God and full of
God, no longer seek Him in the heavens
above or the earth beneath, or in the things under
the earth, but recognize Him as the great fact
of the universe, separate from no place or part,
but revealed in all places and in all things and
events, moment by moment. And as eternity
alone will exhaust this momentary revelation,
which has sometimes been called the Eternal
Now, thou shalt thus find God ever present and
ever new ; and thy soul shall adore Him and feed
upon Him in the things and events which each
new moment brings ; and thou shalt never be
absent from Him, and He shall never be absent
from thee.
T. C. Upham.
July 17. 199
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present
ti77ie are not worthy to he compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us. — Rom. viii. 18.
The power of an endless life. — Heb. vii. 16.
Believ'st thou in eternal things ?
Thou knowest, in thy inmost heart,
Thou art not clay; thy soul hath wings,
And what thou seest is but part.
Make this thy med'cine for the smart
Of every day's distress ; be dumb,
In each new loss thou truly art
Tasting the power of things that come.
T. W. Parsons.
"PVERY contradiction of our will, every little
ailment, every petty disappointment, will,
if we take it patiently, become a blessing. So,
walking on earth, we may be in heaven ; the ill-
tempers of others, the slights and rudenesses of
the world, ill-health, the daily accidents with
which God has mercifully strewed our paths, in-
stead of ruffling or disturbing our peace, may
cause His peace to be shed abroad in our hearts
abundantly.
E. B. PUSEY
200 July 18.
A new coinviand77ient I give ttnio yoii^ That ye
lo:>e one another ; as [have loved yoic, that ye also
love one another. — John xiii. 34.
And the Lord 7nake yon to increase and abound
in love, one toward another., and toward all men.
— I Thess. iii. 12.
Let love through all my conduct shine,
An image fair, though faint, of Thine ;
Thus let me his disciple prove,
Who came to manifest Thy love.
Anon.
VX T'E should arrive at a fulness of love extend-
ing to the whole creation, a desire to im-
part, to pour out in full and copious streams the
love and goodness we bear to all around us.
J. P. Greaves.
Goodness and love mould the form into their
own image, and cause the joy and beauty of love
to shine forth from every part of the face. When
this form of love is seen, it appears ineffably
beautiful, and affects with dehght the inmost hfe
of the soul.
SWEDENBORG,
The soul within had so often lighted up her
countenance with its own full happiness and joy,
that something of a permanent radiance remained
upon it.
Anna, or Passages from Home Life
Jul/ 19. 20 1
The Lord is good to all j and His tender inercies
are over all His ivorks. — Ps. cxlv. 9.
For evejy beast of the forest is Mitie^ a?id the
cattle upon a thousand hills. — Ps. I. 10.
Maker of earth and sea and sky,
Creation's sovereign Lord and King,
Who hung the starry worlds on high,
And formed alike the sparrow's wing ;
Bless the dumb creatures of Thy care,
And listen to their voiceless prayer.
Anon.
T BELIEVE where the love of God is verily
perfected, and the true spirit of government
watchfully attended to, a tenderness towards all
creatures made subject to us will be experienced ;
and a care felt in us, that we do not lessen that
sweetness of life in the animal creation, which
the great Creator intends for them under our
government. . . . To say we love God as un-
seen, and at the same time exercise cruelty
toward the least creature moving by His life, or
by hfe derived from Him, was a contradiction in
itself.
John Woolman.
I WOULD give nothing for that man's religion
whose very dog and cat are not the better for it.
Rowland Hill.
02 July 20.
Then f said, I have labored in vain, I havt
spent my strength for nought, and in vain. — Is A.
xlix. 4.
Because I spent the strength Thou gav^est me
In struggle which Thou never didst ordain,
And have but dregs of life to offer Thee —
O Lord, I do repent.
Sarah Williams.
M
IND, it is our best work that He wants, not
the dregs of our exhaustion. I thuik He
must prefer quahty to quantity.
George MacDonald.
If the people about you are carrying on their
business or their benevolence at a pace which
drains the life out of you, resolutely take a slower
pace ; be called a laggard, make less money, ac-
complish less work than they, but be what you
were meant to be and can be. You have your
natural hmit of power as much as an engine. —
ten-horse power, or twenty, or a hundred. You
are fit to do certain kinds of work, and you need
a certain kind and amount of fuel, and a certain
kind of handling. Georcu- S. Mekriam.
In your occupations, try to possess your soul
in peace. It is not a good plan to be in haste
to perform any action that it may be the sooner
over. On the contrary, you should accustom
yourself to do whatever you have to do with tran-
quillity, in order that you may retain the posses-
sion of yourself and of settled peace.
Madamk GrvoN
July 21. 203
For which cause ive faint not ; but^ tho7is[h our
outward man perish, yet the inward man is 1 e~
newcd day by day. — 2 CoR. iv. 16.
Let my soul beneath her load
Faint not through the o'erwearied flesh ;
Let me hourly drink afresh
Love and peace from Thee, my God !
RiCHTER.
TN my attempts to promote the comfort of my
family, the quiet of my spirit has been dis-
turbed. Some of this is doubtless owing to
physical weakness ; but, with every temptation,
there is a way of escape ; there is never any need
to sin. Another thing I have suffered loss from,
— entering into the business of the day without
seeking to have my spirit quieted and directed.
So many things press upon me, this is sometimes
neglected ; shame to me that it should be so.
This is of great importance, to watch carefully,
— now I am so weak — not to over-fatigue my-
self, because then I cannot contribute to the
pleasure of others ; and a placid face and a gen-
tle tone will make my family more happy than
anything else I can do for them. Our own will
gets sadly into the performance of our duties
sometimes.
Elizabeth T. King, 1856
204 July 22.
Whoso is ivise^ and will observe these tilings^
even they shall understand the loving-kindness of
the Lord. — Ps. cvii. 43.
What channel needs our faith, except the eyes ?
God leaves no spot of earth unglorified;
Profuse and wasteful, lovelinesses rise ;
New beauties dawn before the old have died.
Trust thou thy joys in keeping of the Power
Who holds these changing shadows in His hand;
Believe and live, and know that hour by hour
Will ripple newer beauty to thy strand.
T. W. HiGGINSON.
T WONDERED over again for the hundredth
time what could be the principle which, in
the wildest, most lawless, fantastically chaotic,
apparently capricious work of nature, always kept
it beautiful. The beauty of holiness must be at
the heart of it somehow, I thought. Because
our God is so free from stain, so loving, so un-
selfish, so good, so altogether what He wants us
to be, so holy, therefore all His works declare
Him in beauty; His fingers can touch nothing
but to mould it into loveliness ; and even the
play of His elements is in grace and tenderness
of form.
G. MacDonald.
July 23. 205
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and ivilh all thy soul, and with all thy
strength, and with all thy mind. — Luke x. 27.
O God, what offering shall I give
To Thee, the Lord of earth and skies ?
My spirit, soul, and flesh receive,
A holy, living sacrifice.
J. Lange.
irO love God "with all our heart," is to
-■- know the spiritual passion of measureless
gratitude for loving-kindness, and self-devoted
ness to goodness ; to love Him " with all our
mind," is to know the passion for Truth that is
the enthusiasm of Science, tiie passion for Beauty
that inspires the poet and the artist, when all
truth and beauty are regarded as the self-reveal-
ings of God ; to love Him " with all our soul," is
to know the saint's rapture of devotion and gaze
of penitential awe into the ^ce of the All-holy,
the saint's abhorrence of sin, and agony of desire
to save a sinner's soul ; and to love Him " with
all our strength," is the supreme spiritual passion
that tests the rest ; the passion for reality, for
worship in spirit and in truth, for being what we
adore, for doing what we know to be God's
word ; the loyalty that exacts the living sacrifice,
the whole burnt-offering that is our reasonable
service, and in our coldest hours keeps stead-
fast to what seemed good when we were aglow.
J. H. Thosl
2o6 July 24.
IVa/k ivorihy of God, ivJio hath called you unto
His kingdom and glory, — i Thess. ii. 12.
Surely the Lord is 7n this place; and I knew it
not. — Gen. xxviii. 16.
Thou earnest not to thy place by accident,
It is the very place God meant for thee ;
And shouldst thou there small scope for action see,
Do not for this give room to discontent.
R. C. Trench.
A CCEPT the place the divine providence has
found for you, the society of your contem-
poraries, the connection of events.
R. W. Emerson.
Adapt thyself to the things with which thy lot
has been cast ; and love the men with whom it
is thy portion to live, and that with a sincere af-
fection. . . . No longer be either dissatisfied with
thy present lot, or shrink from the future.
Marcus Antoninus.
I LOVE best to have each thing in its season,
doing without it at all other times. I have never
got over my surprise that I should have been
born into the most estimable place in all the
world, and in the very nick of time too.
H. D. Thoreau.
July 25. 207
He knoweth the way that / take. — Job xxiii. 10.
Mans goings are of the Lord; ho-iV can a man
then understand his own way ? — Prov. xx. 24=
Be quiet, why this anxious heed
About thy tangled ways ?
God knows them all, He giveth speed.
And He allows delays,
E. W.
V\7E complain of the slow, dull life we are
forced to lead, of our humble sphere of
action, of our low position in the scale of society,
of our having no room to make ourselves known,
of our wasted energies, of our years of patience.
So do we say that we have no Father who is di-
recting our life ; so do we say that God has for-
gotten us ; so do we boldly judge what life is
best for us ; and so by our complaining do we
lose the use and profit of the quiet years. O
men of little faith ! Because you are not sent
out yet into your labor, do you think God has
ceased to remember you? Because you are
forced to be outwardly inactive, do you think
you, also, may not be, in your years of quiet,
" about your Father's business " ? . . . It is a pe-
riod given to us in which to mature ourselves for
the work which God will give us to do.
Stopford a. Brookk.
2o8 July 26.
They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount
Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
As the mountains are round about Jerusalem^ so
the Lord is round about His peopie from henceforth
even for ever. — Ps. cxxv. i, 2.
How on a rock they stand,
Who watch His eye, and hold His guiding hand !
Not half so fixed amid her vassal hills,
Rises the holy pile that Kedron's valley fills.
J. Keble.
r
T^HAT is the way to be immovable in the
midst of troubles, as a rock amidst the
waves. When God is in the midst of a kingdom
or city, He makes it firm as Mount Sion, that
cannot be removed. When He is in the midst
ol a soul, though calamities throng about it on
all hands, and roar like the billows of the sea,
yet there is a constant calm within, such a peace
as the world can neither give nor take away.
What is it but want of lodging God in the soul,
and that in His stead the world is in men's
hearts, that makes them shake like leaves at
every blast of danger ?
R. Leighton
July 27. 209
He that received seed into the good groiind is
he that heareth the word, and undti'standeth it j
ivhich also beareth fncit, and bringeth forth, some
an hundredfola, some sixty ^ some thirty. — Matt.
xiii. 23.
Then bless thy secret growth, nor catch
At noise, but thrive unseen and dumb ;
Keep clean, bear fruit, earn life, and uatch
Till the white-winged reapers c -me.
H. Vaughan.
TLTE does not need to transplant us into a dif-
ferent field, but right where we are, with
just the circumstances that surround us. He
makes His sun to shine and His dew to fall upon
us, and transforms the very things that were be-
fore our greatest hindrances, into the chiefest and
most blessed means of our growth. ... No diffi-
culties in your case can baffle Him. No dwarf-
ing of your growth in years that are past, no
apparent dryness of your inward springs of life,
no crookedness or deformity in any of your past
development, can in the least mar the perfect
work that He will accomplish, if you will only
put yourselves absolutely into His hands, and let
Him have His own way with you.
H. W. S.
2IO July 28.
But [ would not have you to be ignorant^ breth-
ren^ concenii/ig them which are asleep, that ye sor-
row not, even as others which have no hope. — i
Thess. iv. 13.
Yet Love will dream, and Faith will trust
(Since He who knows our need is just),
That somehow, somewhere, meet we must.
Alas for him who never sees
The stars shine through his cypress trees;
Who hath not learned in hours of faith,
The truth to flesh and sense unknown,
That life is ever Lord of Death,
And Love can never lose its own.
J. G. Whittier.
TITHILE we poor wayfarers still toil, with hot
^ ^ and bleeding feet, along the highway and
the dust of life, our companions have but
mounted the divergent path, to explore the
more sacred streams, and visit the diviner vales,
and wander amid the everlasting Alps, of God's
upper province of creation. And so we keep up
the courage of our hearts, and refresh ourselves
with the memories of love, and travel forward in
the ways of duty, with less weary step, feeling
ever for the hand of God, and listening for the
domestic voices of the immortals whose happy
welcome waits us. Death, in short, under the
Chri.stian aspect, is but God's method of coloni-
zation ; the transition from this mother-country
of our race to the fairer and newer world of our
emigration.
J. Martineau.
July 29. 211
But this I say, brethren, the time is short. — i
Cor. vii. 29.
I SOMETIMES feel the thread of life is slender,
And soon with me the labor will be wrought ;
Then grows my heart to other hearts more tender.
The time is short.
D. M. Craik.
/^H, my dear friends, you who are letting mis-
^""^ erable misunderstandings run on from
year to year, meaning to clear them up some
day ; you who are keeping wretched quarrels
alive because you cannot quite make up your
mind that now is the day to sacrifice your pride
and kill them ; you who are passing men sullenly
upon the street, not speaking to them out of
some silly spite, and yet knowing that it would
fill you with shame and remorse if you heard that
one of those men were dead to-morrow morning ;
you who are letting your neighbor starve, till you
hear that he is dying of stan'^ation ; or letting
your friend's heart ache for a word of apprecia-
tion or sympathy, wiiich you mean to give him
some day, — if you only could know and see and
feel, all of a sudden, that " the time is short,"
how it would break the spell ! How you would
go instantly and do the thing which you might
never have another chance to do.
Phillips Brooks
212 July 30.
Remember not the sins of my youth^ 7ior my trans-
gressions ; accordin;^ to Thy ifiercy remember 1 hou
fhe, for Thy goodness^ sake, O Lord. — Ps. xxv. 7.
When on my aching, burdened heart
My sins lie heavily,
My pardon speak, new peace impart,
In love remember me.
T. Haweis
"1^7 E need to know that our sins are forgiven.
And how shall we know this? By feel-
ing that we have peace with God, — by feeling
that we are able so to trust in the divine compas-
sion and infinite tenderness of our Father, as to
arise and go to Him, whenever we commit sin,
and say at once to Him, " Father, I have sinned ;
forgive me." To know that we are forgiven, it
is only necessary to look at our Father's love till
it sinks into, our heart, to open our soul to Him
till He shall pour His love into it ; to wait on
Him till we find peace, till our conscience no
longer torments us, till the weight of responsibil-
ity ceases to be an oppressive burden to us, till
we can feel that our sins, great as they are, can-
not keep us away from our Heavenly Father.
J. F. Clarke,
July 31. 213
/ have blotted out^ as a thick cloudy thy tmns-
gressions^ ajid, as a cloud, thy sins : return unto Me,
for I have ledeenied ihee. — IsA. xliv. 22.
He ufill turn agaifi. He will have compassion
upon us; He will subdue our iniquities j and
"J hou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the
sea. — MiCAH vii. 19.
If my shut eyes should dare their lids to part,
I know how they must quail beneath the blaze
Of Thy Love's greatness. No ; I dare not raise
One prayer, to look aloft, lest it should gaze
On such forgiveness as would break my heart.
H. S. Sutton.
r~\ LORD God gracious and merciful, give us,
^^ I entreat Thee, a humble trust in Thy
mercy, and suffer not our heart to fail us.
Though our sins be seven, though our sins be
seventy times seven, though our sins be more in
number than the hairs of our head, yet give us
grace in loving penitence to cast ourselves down
into the depth of Thy compassion. Let us fall
into the hand of the Lord. Amen.
C. G. ROSSETTI
214 August 1.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be an^ry ; for anger
resteth in the bosom off.ols. — Eccles. vii. 9.
Let not the sicn go down upon your wrath. —
Eph. iv. 26.
QuF.NCH thou the fires of hate and strife,
The wasting fever of the heart;
From perils guard our feeble life,
And to our souls Thv peace impart.
J. H. Newman, Tr.from Latin.
TT7HEN thou art offended or annoyed by
others, suffer not thy thoughts to dwell
thereon, or on anything relating to them. For
example, " that they ought not so to have treated
thee ; who they are, or whom they think them-
selves to be ;" or the like ; for all this is fuel and
kindling of wrath, anger, and hatred.
L. SCUPOLI.
Struggle diligently against your impatience,
and strive to be amiable and gentle, in season
and out of season, towards every one, however
much they may vex and annoy you, and be sure
God will bless your efforts.
Francis de Sales
August 2. 215
Behold, God is my sahiation ; I will trusty and
not be afraid : for the Lord Jehovah is my strength
and my song j He also is become my salvation. — •
ISA. xii. 2.
Why are ye so fearful ? How is it that ye have
no faith? — Mark iv. 40.
Stii.l heav)' is thy heart ?
Still sink thy spirits down?
Cast off the weight, let fear depart,
And every care be gone.
P. Gerhardt.
/^O on in all simplicity ; do not be so anxious
to win a quiet mind, and it will be all the
quieter. Do not examine so closely into the
progress of your soul. Do not crave so much to
be perfect, but let your spiritual life be formed
by your duties, and by the actions which are
called forth by circumstances. Do not take over-
much thought for to-morrow. God, who has
led you safely on so far, will lead you on to the
end. Be altogether at rest in the loving holy
confidence which you ought to have in His
heavenly Providence.
Francis de Sales
2i6 August 3.
T/wu hast made him exceeding glad with Thy
(02intenance. — Ps. xxi. 6.
My heart for gladness springs,
It cannot more be sad,
For very joy it laughs and sings.
Sees nought but sunshine glad.
P. Gerhardt.
ANEW day rose upon me. It was as if
another sun had risen into the sky ; the
heavens were indescribably brighter, and the
earth fairer; and that day has gone on brighten-
ing to the present hour. I have known the
other joys of hfe, I suppose, as much as most
men ; I have known art and beauty, music and
gladness ; I have known friendship and love and
family ties ; but it is certain that till we see God
in the world — God in the bright and boundless
universe — we never know the highest joy. It
is far more than if one were translated to a world
a thousand times fairer than this ; for that
supreme and central Light of Infinite Love and
Wisdom, shining over this world and all worlds,
alone can show us how noble and beautiful, how
fair and glorious they are. Orville Dewey.
When I look like this into the blue sky, it
seems so deep, so peaceful, so full of a mys-
terious tenderness, that I could lie for centuries
and wait for the dawning of the face of God out
of the awful loving-kindness.
G. MacDonald.
August 4. 217
He satisjieth the longing soul^ andfilleth the hun-
gry soul with goodness. — Ps. cvii. 9.
That ye might be filled with all the fulness of
God. — Eph. iii. 19.
Enough that He who made can fill the soul
Here and hereafter till its deeps o'erflow ;
Enough that love and tenderness control
Our fate where'er in joy or doubt we go.
Anon.
r\ GOD, the Life of the Faithful, the BHss of
^■^^ the righteous, mercifully receive the prayers
of Thy suppliants, that the souls which thirst for
Thy promises may evermore be filled from Thy
abundance. Amen.
Gelasian, a.d. 490.
God rr.akes every common thing serve, if thou
wilt, to enlarge that capacity of bliss in His love.
Not a prayer, not an act of faithfulness in your
calling, not a self-denying or kind word or deed,
done out of love for Himself; not a weariness
or painfulness endured patiently; not a duty
performed ; not a temptation resisted ; but it
enlarges the whole soul for the endless capacity
of the love of God.
E. B. PUSEY
2 . 8 August 5.
O receive the gift that is gtjcn you, and be glad,
giving thanks nnto Him that hath called you to the
heavenly kingdom. — 2 Esdras li. 37.
Thanks be nnto God for His unspeakable gift. —
2 Cor. ix. 15.
O Giver of each perfect gift !
This day our daily bread supply ;
While from the Spirit's tranquil depths
We drink unfailing draughts of joy.
Lyra Catholica-
'T^HE best way for a man rightly to enjoy him-
self, is to maintain a universal, ready, and
cheerful compliance with the divine and uncreated
Will in all things ; as knowing that nothing can
issue and flow forth from the fountain of good-
ness but that which is good ; and therefore a
good man is never offended with any piece of
divine dispensation, nor hath he any reluctancy
against that Will that dictates and determines all
things by an eternal rule of goodness ; as know-
mg that there is an unbounded and almighty
Love, that without any disdain or envy, freely
communicates itself to everything He made ;
that always enfolds those in His everlasting arms
who are made partakers of His own image, per-
petually nourishing and cherishing them with the
fresh and vital influences of His grace.
.Dr. John Smith.
august 6. 219
Bless the Lord, O iiiv soul, and forget not all
His benefits. — Ps. ciii. 2.
Wiser it were to welcome and make ours
Whate'er of good, though small, the Present brings, —
Kind greetings, sunshine, song of birds, and flowers,
With a child's pure delight in little things.
R. C. Trench
TNTO all our lives, in many simple, familiar, j
homely ways, God infuses this element oi
joy from the surprises of life, which unexpectedly
brighten our days, and fill our eyes with light.
He drops this added sweetness into his children's
cup, and makes it to run over. The success we
were not counting on, the blessing we were not
trying after, the strain of music in the midst of
drudgery, the beautiful morning picture or sun-
set glory thrown in as we pass to or from our
daily business, the unsought word of encourage-
ment or expression of sympathy, the sentence
that meant for us more than the writer or speaker
thought, — these and a hundred others that every
one's experience can supply are instances of what
I mean. You may call it accident or chance —
it often is ; you may call it human goodness —
it often is ; but always, always call it God's love,
for that is always in it. These are the overflow-
ing riches of His grace, these are His free gifts.
S. 'Longfellow
:20 August 7.
If tJiou canst believe^ all things are possible to
him that believe th. — Mark ix. 23.
Nothing shall be impossible unto you. — Matt.
xvii. 20.
So nigh is grandeur to our dust,
So near is God to man,
When Duty whispers low, TJiou must.
The youth replies, / cafi.
R. W. Emerson.
T/'NOW that "impossible," where truth and
mercy and the everlasting voice of nature
order, has no place in the brave man's dictionary.
That when all men have said *' Impossible," and
tumbled noisily elsewhither, and thou alone art
left, then first thy time and possibility have come.
Tt is for thee now : do thou that, and ask no
man's counsel, but thy own only and God's.
Brother, thou hast possibihty in thee for much :
the possibility of writing on the eternal skies the
record of a heroic life.
T. Carlyle.
In the moral world there is nothing impossible,
if we bring a thorough will to it. Man can do
everything with himself; but he must not attempt
to do too much svith others.
Wm. von Humboldt.
August 8. 221
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith
Christ hath made us free^ and be not entanglea
again with the yoke of bondage. — Gal. v. i.
J believed^ and therefore have I spoken. — 2 CoR.
iv. 13.
They are slaves who fear to speak
For the fallen and the weak ;
They are slaves who will not choose
Hatred, scoffing, and abuse,
Rather than in silence shrink
From the truth they needs must think ;
They are slaves who dare not be
In the right with two or three.
J. R. Lowell.
n^HE real corrupters of society may be, not
the corrupt, but those who have held back
the righteous leaven, the salt that has lost its
savor, the innocent who have not even the moral
courage to show what they think of the effrontery
of impurity, — the serious, who yet timidly suc-
cumb before some loud-voiced scoffer, . — the
heart trembling all over with religious sensibilities
that yet suffers itself through false shame to be
beaten down into outward and practical acqui-
escence by some rude and worldly nature.
[. H. Thom
222 August 9.
The things which are impossible with 77ten are
possible with God. — Luke xviii. 27.
Unless the Lord had been my help., my soul had
almost dwelt in silence. — Ps. xciv. 17.
When obstacles and trials seem
Like prison walls to be,
I do the little I can do,
And leave the rest to Thee.
F. W. Faber.
'T^HE mind never puts forth greater power over
itself than when, in great trials, it yields up
calmly its desires, affections, interests to God.
There are seasons when to be still demands im-
iiieasurably higher strength than to act. Com-
posure is often the highest result of power.
Think you it demands no power to calm the
stormy elements of passion, to moderate the
vehemence of desire, to throw off the load of
dejection, to suppress every repining thought,
when the dearest hopes are withered, and to turn
the wounded spirit from dangerous reveries and
wasting grief, to the quiet discharge of ordinary
duties? Is there no power put forth, when
a man, stripped of his property, of the fruits of
a life's labors, quells discontent and gloomy fore-
bodings, and serenely and patiently returns to the
tasks which Providence assigns?
Wm. E. C manning
August 10. 223
The cup which my Father has give7i me^ shall
I not drink it ? — John xviii. 1 1.
Whatsoe7)er is brought upon thee, take cheerfully^
— EcCLUS. ii. 4.
Every sorrow, every smart,
That the Eternal Father's heart
Hath appointed me of yore,
Or hath yet for me in store.
As my lite riows on, I '11 take
Calmly, gladly, for his sake,
No more faithless murmurs make.
P. Gerhardt.
"^ I "HE very least and the very greatest sorrows
that God ever suffers to befall thee, proceed
from the depths of His unspeakable love ; and
such great love were better for thee than the
highest and best gifts besides that He has given
thee, or ever could give thee, if thou couldst but
see it in this light. So that if your little finger
only aches, if you are cold, if you are hungry or
thirsty, if others vex you by their words or deeds,
or whatever happens to you that causes you dis-
tress or pain, it will all help to fit you for a noble,
and blessed state.
J. Tauler
2 24 August 11
The Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy
works ^ and in all that thou p attest thitie hand
unto. — Deut- XV. lo.
My place of lowly service, too,
Beneath Thy sheltering wings I see ;
For all the work I have to do
Is done through sheltering rest in Thee.
A. L. Waring.
T THINK I find most help in trying to look on
all interruptions and hindrances to work that
one has planned out for oneself as discipline, trials
sent by God to help one against getting selfish
over one's work. Then one can feel that per-
haps one's true work — one's work for God — •
consists in doing some trifling haphazard thing
that has been thrown into one's day. It is not
waste of time, as one is tempted to think, it is the
most important part of the work of the day, — the
part one can best offer to God. After such a
hindrance, do not rush after the planned work ;
trust that the time to finish it will be given some-
time, and keep a quiet heart about it.
Annie Keary
August 12. 225
Master^ what shall I do to inherit eternal life ?
— Luke x. 25.
Whatsoever thy handfindeth to do, do it with thy
might. — EccLEs. ix. 10.
" What shall I do to gain eternal life ? "
" Discharge aright
The simple dues with which each day is rife,
Yea, with thy might."
F. VON Schiller.
A MAN is relieved and gay when he has put
his heart into his work, and done his best ;
but what he has said or done otherwise, shall
give him no peace.
R. W. Emerson.
Be diligent, after thy power, to do deeds of
love. Think nothing too litde, nothing too low,
to do lovingly for the sake of God. Bear with
infirmities, ungentle tempers, contradictions;
visit, if thou mayest, the sick ; relieve the poor ;
forego thyself and thine own ways for love ; and
He whom in them thou lovest, to whom in them
thou ministerest, will own thy love, and will pour
His own love into thee.
E. B. PUSEY
In
226 August 13.
In your patience possess ye your souls. — Luke
xxi, 19.
What though thy way be dark, and earth
With ceaseless care do cark, till mirth
To thee no sweet strain singeth ;
Still hide thy life above, and still
Believe that God is love; fulfil
Whatever lot He bringeth.
Albert E. Evans
nPHE soul loses command of itself when it is
impatient. Whereas, when it submits with-
out a murmur it possesses itself in peace, and
possesses God. To be impatient, is to desire
what we have not, or not to desire what we have.
When we acquiesce in an evil, it is no longer
such. Why make a real calamity of it by resist-
ance? Peace does not dwell in outward things,
but within the soul. We may preserve it in the
midst of the bitterest pain, if our will remains
firm and submissive. Peace in this life springs
from acquiescence even in disagreeable things,
not in an exemption from bearing them.
F^NeLON
The chief pang of most trials is not so much
the actual suffering itself, as our own spirit of
resistance to it.
Jean Nicolas Grou
August 14. 227
/ will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from
whence cometh ?ny help. — Ps. cxxi. i.
My grace is sufficient for thee. — 2 CoR. xii. 9.
I LOOK to Thee in every need,
And never look in vain ;
I feel Thy touch, Eternal Love,
And all is well again :
The thought of Thee is mightier far
Than sin and pain and sorrow are.
S. Longfellow,
IIJ OW can you live sweetly amid the vexatious
things, the irritating things, the multitude
of little worries and frets, which lie all along your
way, and which you cannot evade ? You cannot
at present change your surroundings. Whatever
kind of life you are to live, must be lived amid
precisely the experiences in which you are now
moving. Here you must win your victories or
suffer your defeats. No restlessness or discontent
can change your lot. Others may have other
circumstances surrounding them, but here are
yours. You had better make up your mind to
accept what you cannot alter. You can live
a beautiful life in the midst of your present
circumstances. j. r. Miller.
Strive to realize a state of inward happiness,
independent of circumstances.
J. P. Greaves
228 August 15.
God hath not given us the spirit of fear j but of
power ^ and of love, and of a sound mind. — 2 Tim.
i. 7.
We cast behind fear, sin, and death ;
With Thee we seek the things above ;
Our inmost souls Thy spirit breathe,
Of power, of cahnness, and of love.
Hymns ok the Spirit.
T MUST conclude with a more delightful sub-
-*• ject, — my most dear and blessed sister. 1
never saw a more perfect instance of the spirit
of power and of love, and of a sound mind ;
intense love, almost to the annihilation of selfish-
ness — a daily martyrdom for twenty years,
during which she adhered to her early-formed
resolution of never talking about herself; thought-
ful about the very pins and ribands of my wife's
dress, about the making of a dolls cap for a
child, — but of herself, save only as regarded
her ripening in all goodness, wholly thoughtless,
enjoying everything lovely, graceful, beautiful,
high-minded, whether in God's works or man's,
with the keenest relish ; inheriting the earth to
the very fulness of the promise, though never
leaving her crib, nor changing her posture ; and
preserved through the very valley of the shadow
of death, from all fear or impatience, or from
every cloud of impaired reason, which might mar
the beauty of Christ's spirit's glorious work.
Thomas Arnold
August 16. 229
Whatsoever a man soiveih^ that shall he also
reap. — Gal. vi. 7.
The life above, when this is past,
Is the ripe fruit of life below.
Sow love, and taste its fruitage pure ;
Sow peace, and reap its harvest bright;
Sow sunbeams on the rock and moor,
And find a harvest-home of light.
H. BONAR.
nPHE dispositions, affections, inclinations of
soul, which shall issue hereafter in perfec-
tion, must be trained and nurtured in us throughout
the whole course of this earthly life. When shall
we bear in mind this plain truth, that the future
perfection of the saints is not a translation from
one state or disposition of soul into another,
diverse from the former ; but the carrying out,
and, as it were, the blossom and the fruitage of
one and the same principle of spiritual life, which,
through their whole career on earth, has been
growing with an even strength, putting itself forth
in the beginnings and promise of perfection,
reaching upward with steadfast aspirations after
perfect holiness?
H. E. Manning
August 17.
O turn unto ine^ and have 7nercy upon me; give
Thy strength unto Thy servant^ and save the son
of Thy hand77iaid. — Ps. Ixxxvi. i6.
Thou art my King —
My King henceforth alone ;
And I, Thy servant, Lord, am all Thine own.
Give me Thy strength ; oh ! let Thy dwelling be
In this poor heart that pants, my Lord, for Thee !
G. Tersteegen.
TTZHEN it is the one ruling, never-ceasing
desire of our hearts, that God may be the
beginning and end, the reason and motive, the
rule and measure, of our doing or not doing,
from morning to night ; then everywhere, whether
speaking or silent, whether inwardly or outwardly
employed, we are equally offered up to the eter-
nal Spirit, have our life in Him and from Him,
and are united to Him by that Spirit of Prayer
which is the comfort, the support, the strength
and security of the soul, travelling, by the help of
God, through the vanity of time into the riches
of eternity. Let us have no thought or care, but
how to be wholly His devoted instruments ;
everywhere, and in everything. His adoring, joyful,
and thankful servants.
Wm I^w.
August 18. 231
Beloved^ if our heart condeimi us Jiot^ then have
we confidence toward God. — i John iii. 21.
O Lord, how happy is the time
When in Thy love I rest :
When from my weariness I climb
E'en to Thy lender breast.
The night of sorrow endeth there,
Thy rays outshine the sun ;
And in Thy pardon and Thy care
The heaven of heavens is won.
W. C. Dessler.
"M"OTHING-doth so much establish the mind
amidst the rollings and turbulency of pres-
ent things, as both a look above them, and a look
beyond them ; above them to the good and
steady Hand by which they are ruled, and beyond
them to the sweet and beautiful end to which,
by that Hand, they shall be brought. . . . Study
pure and holy walking, if you would have your
confidence firm, and have boldness and joy in
God. You will find that a little sin will shake
your trust and disturb your peace more than the
greatest sufferings : yea, in those sufferings, your
assurance and joy in God will grow and abound
most if sin be kept out. So much sin as gets in,
so much peace will go out.
R. Teighton
232 August 19.
Teach tne Thy way, O Lord, and lead vie in a
plain path. — Ps. xxvii. ii.
Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,
Lead rhou me on ;
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet ; I do not ask to see
The distant scene ; one step enough for me.
J. H. Newman,
C~^0\) only is holy; He alone knows how to
^^ lead His children in the paths of holiness.
He knows every aspect of your soul, every thought
of your heart, every secret of your character, its
difficulties and hindrances ; He knows how to
mould you to His will, and lead you onwards to
perfect sanctifi cation ; He knows exactly how each
event, each trial, each temptation, will tell upon
you, and He disposes all things accordingly.
The consequences of this belief, if fully grasped,
will influence your whole life. You will seek to
give yourself up to God more and more unre-
servedly, asking nothing, refusing nothing, wish-
ing nothing, but what He wills ; not seeking to
bring things about for yourself, taking all He
sends joyfully, and believing the " one step " set
before you to be enough for you. You will be
satisfied that even though there are clouds around,
and your way seems dark, He is directing all,
and that what seems a hindrance will prove a
blessing, since He wills it.
Jean Nicolas Grou-
August 20. 233
IVaii on the Lord : be of good courage^ and He
shall strengthen thine heart : wait^ I say, on the
Lord. — Ps. xxvii. 14
He giveth power to the faint ; and to them that
have no ?niglit He increuseth strength. — Is A. xl. 29.
Leaning on Him, make with reverent meekness
His own thy will,
And with strength from Him shall thy utter weakness
Life's task fulfil.
J. G. Whittier.
Q^HOULD we feel at times disheartened and
discouraged, a confiding thought, a simple
movement of heart towards God will renew our
powers. Whatever he may demand of us, he
will give us at the moment the strength and the
courage that we need.
Fexelox.
We require a certain firmness in all circum-
stances of life, even the happiest, and perhaps
contradictions come in order to prove and exer-
cise this ; and, if we can only determine so to
use them, the very effort brings back tranquillity
to the soul, which always enjoys having exercised
Its strength in conformity to duty.
Wm. von Humboldt.
234 August 21.
We then that a''e strong ought to bear the injinn-
ities of the wcak^ and not to please ourselves. —
Rom. XV. i.
The Lord God hath given nie the tongne of the
learned, that I should kiioiv how to speak a word
in season to him that is weary. — Isa. 1. 4.
If there be some weaker one,
Give me strength to help him on ;
If a blinder soul there be,
Let me guide him nearer Thee.
J. G. Whittier.
r
' A SK Him to increase your powers of sympa-
thy : to give you more quickness and depth
of sympathy, in little things as well as great.
• Opportunities of doing a kindness are often lost
from mere want of thought. Half a dozen lines
of kindness may bring sunshine into the whole
day of some sick person. Think of the pleasure
you might give to some one who is much shut
up, and who has fewer pleasures than you have,
by sharing with her some little comfort or enjoy-
ment that you have learnt to look upon as a nec-
essary of life, — the pleasant drive, the new book,
flowers from the country, etc. Try to put your-
self in another's place. Ask " What should I like
myself, if I were hard-worked, or sick, or lonely ? "
Cultivate the habit of sympathy.
G. H. Wilkinson
August 22. 235
/ beseech you therefore^ brethren, by the mercies
of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice^
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. — Rom. xii. i.
Thou hast my flesh, Thy hallowed shrine,
Devoted solely to Thy will ;
Here let Thy light forever shine,
This house still let Thy presence fill ;
O Source of Life, live, dwell, and move
In me, till all my life be love !
JOACHIM Lance.
IV/TAY it not be a comfort to those of us who
feel we have not the mental or spiritual
power that others have, to notice that the liv-
ing sacrifice mentioned in Rom. xii, i is our
"bodies"? Of course, that includes the mental
power, but does it not also include the loving,
sympathizing glance, the kind, encouraging word,
the ready erra?id for a?iother^ the work of our
hands, opportunities for all of which come oftener
in the day than for the mental power we are
often tempted to envy? May we be enabled to
offer willingly that which we have.
Anos-
2^6 August 23.
Seekest thou great things for thyself ? seek them
not. — Jer. xlv. 5.
I WOULD not have the restless will
That hurries to and fro,
Seeking for some great thing to do,
Or secret thing to know ;
I would be treated as a child,
And guided where I go.
A. L. Waring.
/^H ! be little, be little ; and then thou wilt
^^ be content with little ; and if thou feel,
now and then, a check or a secret smiting, —
in that is the Father's love ; be not over-wise,
nor over-eager, in thy own willing, running, and
desiring, and thou mayest feel it so ; and by de-
grees come to the knowledge of thy Guide, who
will lead tliee, step by step, in the path of life,
and teach thee to follow. Be still, and wait for
light and strength.
I. Penixgton.
Sink into the sweet and blessed httleness,
where thou livest by grace alone. Contemplate
with delight the holiness and goodness in God,
which thou dost not find in thyself. How lovely
it is to be nothing when God is all !
G. Tersteege\.
k.
August 24. 237
Ajid that which fell among thorns are they^
which ^ when they have heard ^ go forth ^ and are
choked with cares, and riches and pleasures of
this life, and bring 710 fruit to perfection. — Luke
viii. 14,
Preserve me from my calling's snare,
And hide my simple heart above,
Above the thorns of choking care,
The gilded baits of worldly love.
C. Wesley.
A NYTHING allowed in the heart which is
contrary to the will of God, let it seem
ever so insignificant, or be ever so deeply hidden,
will cause us to fall before our enemies. Any
root of bitterness cherished towards another, any
self-seeking, any harsh judgments indulged' in,
any slackness in obeying the voice of the Lord,
any doubtful habits or surroundings, any one of
these things will effectually cripple and paralyze
our spiritual life, 1 believe our blessed Guide, the
indwelling Holy Spirit, is always secretly discover-
mg these things to us by continual little twinges
and pangs ol conscience, so that we are left with-
out excuse.
H. W. S.
238 August 25.
See that ye refuse not Nim that speaketh. —
Heb. xii. 25.
From the v/orld of sin and noise
And hurry I withdi-aw ;
For the small and inward voice
I wait with humble awe ;
Silent am I now and still,
Dare not in Thy presence move ;
To my waiting soul reveal
The secret of Thy love.
C. Wesley,
T17HEN therefore the smallest instinct or de-
sire of thy heart calleth thee towards
God, and a newness of Hfe, give it time and
leave to speak ; and take care thou refuse not
Him that speaketh. ... Be retired, silent, pas-
sive, and humbly attentive to this new risen
light within thee.
Wm. Law.
It is hardly to be wondered at that he should
lose the finer consciousness of higher powers and
deeper feelings, not from any behavior in itself
wrong, but from the hurry, noise, and tumult in
the streets of life, that, penetrating too deep into
the house of life, dazed and stupefied the silent
and lonely watcher in the chamber of conscience,
far apart. He had no time to think or feel.
G. MacDonai.d.
August 26. 239
Be silent, O all fiesh, before the Lord. — Zech.
ii. 13.
Be earth, with all her scenes, withdrawn ;
Let noise and vanity be gone :
In secret silence of the mind,
My heaven, and there my God, I find.
I. Watts.
TT is only with the pious affection of the will
^ that we can be spiritually attentive to God.
As long as the noisy restlessness of the thoughts
goes on, the gentle and holy desires of the new
nature are overpowered and inactive.
J. P. Greaves.
There is hardly ever a complete silence in our
soul. God is whispering to us wellnigh inces-
santly. Whenever the sounds of the world die
out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear these
whisperings of God. He is always whispering to
us. only we do not always hear, because of the
noise, hurry, and distraction which life causes as
it rushes on.
F. \V. Fablr.
The prayer of faith is a sincere, sweet, and
quiet view of divine, eternal truth. The soul
rests quiet, perceiving and loving God ; sweetly
rejecting all the imaginations that present them-
selves, calming the mind in the Divine presence,
and fixing it only on God.
MOI.INOS
240 August 27.
Being confident of this very thing, that He which
hath begun a good work in yon will perform it. —
Phil. i. 6.
He that endureth to the end shall be saved.—
Matt. x. 22.
Fill with inviolable peace ;
Stablish and keep my settled heart ;
In Thee may all my wanderings cease,
From Thee no more may I depart :
Thy utmost goodness called to prove,
Loved with an everlasting love !
C. Wesley.
TF any sincere Christian cast himself with his
-^ whole will upon the Divine Presence which
dwells within him, he shall be kept safe unto the
end. What is it that makes us unable to perse-
vere? Is it want of strength? By no means.
We have with us the strength of the Holy Spirit.
When did we ever set ourselves sincerely to any
work according to the will of God, and fail for
want of strength ? It was not that strength failed
the will, but that the will failed first. If we could
but embrace the Divine will with the whole love
of ours ; cleaving to it, and holding fast by it, we
should be borne along as upon " the river of the
water of life." We open only certain chambers
of our will to the influence of the Divine will.
We are afraid of being wholly absorbed into it.
And yet, if we would have peace, we must be al-
together united to Him.
II. E. Manning
August 28. 241
They that knoiv Thy name will put their trust
in Thee : for Thou^ Lord, hast not forsaken theitt
that seek Thee. — Ps. ix. 10.
Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good. —
Ps. IxXXV. 12.
In Thee I place my trust,
On Thee I calmly rest ;
I know Thee good, I know Thee just.
And count Thy choice the best.
H. F. Lyte.
THHE souls that would really be richer in duty
in some new position, are precisely those
who borrow no excuses from the old one ; who
even esteem it full of privileges, plenteous in oc-
casions of good, frequent in divine appeals, which
they chide their graceless and unloving temper
for not heeding more. Wretched and barren is
the discontent that quarrels with its tools instead
of with its skill; and, by criticising Providence,
manages to keep up complacency with self.
How gentle should we be, if we were not pro-
vo"ked ; how pious, if we were not busy ; the sick
would be patient, only he is not in health ; the
obscure would do great things, only he is not
conspicuous !
J. Martineau
16
242 August 29.
Am I my brother's keeper? — Gen. iv. 9.
Because I held upon my selfish road,
And left my brother wounded by the way,
And called ambition duty, and pressed on —
O Lord, I do repent.
Sarah Williams
f T OW many are the sufferers who have fallen
amongst misfortunes along the wayside of
life ! "By chance,'' we come that way ; chance,
accident, Providence, has thrown them in our
way ; we see them from a distance, like the
Priest, or we come upon them suddenly, like the
Levite ; our business, our pleasure, is interrupted
by the sight, is troubled by the delay ; what are
our feelings, what our actions towards them? . . .
"Who is thy neighbor?" It is the sufferer,
wherever, whoever, whatsoever he be. Wher-
ever thou hearest the cry of distress, wherever
thou seest any one brought across thy path by
the chances and changes of life (that is, by the
Providence of God), whom it is in thy power to
help, — he, stranger or enemy though he be, —
he is thy neighbor.
A. P. Stanley.
August 30. 243
Walk -ivorth / of the vocation wherewith ye are
called^ with ali iowliness and meekness^ with long-
sufferings forbearing one another in love. — Eph-
iv. I, 2.
Help us, O Lord, with patient love to bear
Each other's faults, to suffer with true meekness;
Help us each other's joys and griefs to share,
But let us turn to Thee alone in weakness.
Anon.
'VT'OU should make a special point of asking
God every morning to give you, before all
else, that true spirit of meekness which He
would have His children possess. You must
also make a firm resolution to practise yourself
in this virtue, especially in your intercourse with
those persons to whom you chiefly owe it. You
must make it your main object to conquer your-
self in this matter ; call it to mind a hundred
times during the day, commending your efforts
to God. It seems to me that no more than this
is needed in order to subject your soul entirely
to His will, and then you will become more gen-
tle day by day, trusting wholly in His goodness.
You will be very happy, my dearest child, if you
can do this, for God will dwell in your heart ; and
where He reigns all is peace. But if you should
fail, and commit some of your old faults, do not
be disheartened, but rise up and go on again, as
though you had not fallen.
Francis de Sales
244 August 31.
Now therefore keep thy sorrow to thyself and
bear with a good coiirage that which hath befallen
thee. — 2 ESDRAS x. 15.
Go, bury thy sorrow,
The world hath its share;
Go, bury it deeply,
Go, hide it with care.
Go, bury thy sorrow.
Let others be blest ;
Go, give them the sunshine.
And tell God the rest.
Anon.
/^UR veiled and terrible guest [Trouble] brings
^■'^ for us, if we will accept it, the boon of for-
titude, patience, self-control, wisdom, sympathy,
faith. If we reject that, then we find in our
hands the other gift, — cowardice, weakness, is-
olation, despair. If your trouble seems to have
in it no other possibility of good, at least set
yourself to bear it like a man. Let none of its
weight come on other shoulders. Try to carry
it so that no one shall even see it. Though
your heart be sad within, let cheer go out from
you to others. Meet them with a kindly pres-
ence, considerate words, helpful acts.
G. S. Merriam
September 1. 245
Let them that suffer accordifig to the will of God
commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well-
doings as unto a faithful Creator. — i Peter iv. 19.
The Lord is very pitiful^ and of te7ider mercy.
— James V. 11.
On Thy compassion I repose
In weakness and distress :
I will not ask for greater ease,
Lest I should love Thee less.
Oh, 't is a blessed thing for me
To need Thy tenderness.
A. L. Waring
/^H, look not at thy pain or sorrow, how great
^^^ soever ; but look from them, look off them,
look beyond them, to the Deliverer ! whose
power is over them, and whose loving, wise, and
tender spirit is able to do thee good by them.
The Lord lead thee, day by day, in the right
way, and keep thy mind stayed upon Him, in
whatever befalls thee ; that the belief of His love
and hope in His mercy, when thou art at the
lowest ebb, may keep up thy head above the
billows.
Isaac Peningtoh
246 September 2.
Blessed are the peacemakers : for they shall be
called the children of God. — Matt. v. 9.
Grant us Thy peace, clown from Thy presence falling.
As on the thirsty eartli cool night-dews sweet ;
Grant us Thy peace, to Thy pure paths recalling.
From devious ways, our worn and wandering feet.
E. SCUDDER.
(~\ GOD, who art Peace everlasting, whose
^-^ chosen reward is the gift of peace, and
who hast taught us that the peacemakers are
Tny children, pour Thy sweet peace into our
souls, that everything discordant may utterly
vanish, and all that makes for peace be sweet
to us forever. Amen.
Gelasian, a. d. 492.
Have you ever thought seriously of the mean-
ing of that blessing given to the peacemakers?
People are always expecting to get peace in
heaven ; but you know whatever peace they get
there will be ready-made. Whatever making of
peace they can be blest for, must be on the earth
here : not the taking of arms against, but the
building of nests amidst, its " sea of troubles "
[like the halcyons] . Difficult enough, you think?
Perhaps so, but I do not see that any of us try.
We com])lain of the want of many things — we
want votes, we want liberty, we want amusement,
we want money. Which of us feels or knows that
he vvants peace?
J. RUSKIN.
September 3. 247
The eyes of all wait upon Thee j and Thou giv-
est them their meat in due season. — Ps. cxlv. 15.
What time I am afraid^ I will trust in Thee.
— Ps Ivi. 3.
Late on me, weeping, did this whisper fall :
" Dear child, there is no need to weep at all !
Why go about to grieve and to despair ?
Why weep now through thy Future's eyes, and bear
In vain ro-day to-morrow's load of care ? "
H. S. Sutton.
'T^HE crosses of the present moment always
bring their own special grace and conse-
quent comfort with them ; we see the hand of
God in them when it is laid upon us. But the
crosses of anxious foreboding are seen out of the
dispensation of God ; we see them without grace
to bear them ; we see them indeed through a
faithless spirit which banishes grace. So, every-
thing in them is bitter and unendurable ; all
seems dark and helpless. Let us throw self
aside ; no more self-interest, and then God's
will, unfolding every moment in everything, will
console us also every moment for all that He
shall do around us, or within us, for our
discipline.
F^XELON
248 September 4.
His delight is in the law cf ike Lord. And he
shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water ^
that brincreth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf
also shall not wither ; and whatsoever he doeth
shall prosper. — Ps. i. 2, 3.
The wind that blows can never kill
The tree God plants ;
It bloweth east; it bloweth west;
The tender leaves have little rest,
But any wind that blows is best.
The tree God plants
Strikes deeper root, grows higher still,
Spreads wider boughs, for God's good-will
Meets all its wants.
LiLLIE E. Barr.
TT is a fatal mistake to suppose that we cannot
be holy except on the condition of a situation
and circumstances in life such as shall suit our-
selves. It is one of the first principles of holi-
ness to leave our times and our places, our going
out and our coming in, our wasted and our
goodly heritage entirely with the Lord. Here,
O Lord, hast Thou placed us, and we will glo-
rify Thee here !
T. C. Upham.
It is not by change of circumstances, but by
fitting our spirits to the circumstances in which
God has placed us, that we can be reconciled to
life and duty.
F. W. Robertson.
September 5. 249
O Lord^ I ajn oppressed j undertake for me.
— ISA. xxxviii. 14.
Being perplexed, I say,
Lord, make it right I
Night is as day to Thee,
Darkness is light.
I am afraid to touch
Things that involve so much ; —
My trembling hand may shake,
My skill-less hand may break :
Thine can make no mistake.
Anna Warner.
" I "HE many troubles in your household will
tend to your edification, if you strive to
bear them all in gentleness, patience, and kind-
ness. Keep this ever before you, and remember
constantly that God's loving eyes are upon you
amid all these little worries and vexations, watch-
mg whether you take them as He would desire.
Offer up all such occasions to Him, and if some-
times you are put out, and give way to impa-
tience, do not be discouraged, but make haste to
regain your lost composure.
Francis de Sales
250 September 6.
If anv man will come after me, let him dtuy
hiimelf^ a7id take tip his cross daily ^ and foliow
me. — Luke ix. 23.
There lies thy cross ; beneath it meekly bow ;
It fits thy stature now ;
Who scornful pass it with averted eye,
'T will crush them by and by.
J. Keble.
" I ^O take up the cross of Christ is no great
action done once for all ; it consists in the
continual practice of small duties which are dis-
tasteful to us. J. H. Newman.
On one occasion an intimate friend of his was
fretting somewhat at not being able to put a cross
on the grave of a relation, because the rest of the
family disliked it. " Don't you see," he said to
her, *' that by giving up your own way, you will
be virtually putting a cross on the grave? You '11
have it in its effect. The one is but a stone
cross, the other is a true spiritual cross."
Life of James Hinion.
I WOULD have you, one by one, ask yourselves,
Wherein do I take up the cross daily ?
E B. PUSEY.
Every morning, receive thine own special
cross from the hands of thy heavenly Father.
L. SCT'POLl
September 7. 251
Pure 1-eligion and undcfiled before God and the
Father is this. To visit the fatherless and widows
in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted
from the world. — James i. 27.
Not to ease and aimless quiet
Doth that inward answer tend,
But to works of love and duty
As our being's end.
J. G. Whittier.
TT is surprising how practical duty enriches the
fancy and the heart, and action clears and
deepens the affections. Indeed, no one can have
a true idea of right, until he does it ; any genuine
reverence for it, till he has done it often and with
cost ; any peace ineffable in it, till he does it al-
ways and with alacrity. Does any one complain,
that the best affections are transient visitors with
him, and the heavenly spirit a stranger to his
heart? Oh, let him not go forth, on any strained^
wing of thought, in distant quest of them ; but
rather stay at home, and set his house in the
true order of conscience ; and of their own ac-
cord the divinest guests will enter.
J. Martineau
252 September 8.
Continue in pi'ayer, afid watch in the same with
thanksgiving. — Col. iv. 2.
Watch ye, stan i fast in the faith, quit you like
men, be strong. — i CoR. xvi. 13.
We kneel liow weak, we rise how full of power.
Why therefore should we do ourselves this wrong,
Or others — that we are not always strong,
That we are ever overborne with care.
That we should ever weak or heartless be.
Anxious or troubled, when with us is prayer,
And joy and strength and courage are with Thee ?
R. C. Trench.
TT is impossible for us to make the duties of our
lot minister to our sanctification without a
habit of devout fellowship with God. This is the
spring of all our hfe, and the strength of it. It is
prayer, meditation, and converse with God, that
refreshes, restores, and renews the temper of our
minds, at all times, under all trials, after all con-
flicts with the world. By this contact with the
world unseen we receive continual accesses of
strength. As our day, so is our strength. With-
out this healing and refreshing of spirit, duties
grow to be burdens, the events of hfe chafe our
temper, employments lower the tone of our minds,
and we become fretful, irritable, and impatient.
H E. Manning.
September 9. 253
This is a faitlifiil sayings and these things I will
that thou aJJl?'7Ji constantly, that they which have
believed in God might be careful to maintain good
works. — Titus iii. 8.
Faith's meanest deed more favor bears
Where hearts and wills are weighed,
Than brightest transports, choicest prayers,
Which bloom their hour and fade.
J- H. Newman.
/^NE secret act of self-denial, one sacrifice of
^-^ inclination to duty, is worth all the mere
good thouglits, warm feelings, passionate prayers,
in which idle people indulge themselves.
J. H. Newman.
It is impossible for us to live in fellowship with
God without holiness in all the duties of life.
These things act and react on each other. With-
out a diligent and faithful obedience to the calls
and claims of others upon us, our religious pro-
fession is simply dead. To disobey conscience
when it points to relative duties irritates the whole
temper, and quenches the first beginnings of de-
votion. We cannot go from strife, breaches, and
angry words, to God. Selfishness, an imperious
will, want of sympathy with the sufferings and
sorrows of other men, neglect of charitable offices,
suspicions, hard censures of those with whom
our lot is cast, will miserably darken our own
hearts, and hide the face of God from us.
H- E. Manning
254 September 10.
Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and
my head. — John xiii 9.
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and " beautiful " for Thee.
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
F. R. Havergal.
TF a man may attain thereunto, to be unto God
■*■ as his hand is to a man, let him be therewith
content, and not seek further. That is to say,
let him strive and wrestle with all his might to
obey God and His commandments so thoroughly
at all times, and in all things, that in him there
be nothing, spiritual or natural, which opposeth
God ; and that his whole soul and body, with all
their members, may stand ready and willing for
that to which God hath created them ; as ready
and wiUing as his hand is to a man, which is so
wholly in his power, that in the twinkling of an
eye, he moveth and turneth it whither he will.
And when we find it otherwise with us, we must
give our whole diligence to amend our state.
THEOLOGIA GeRMANICA.
When the mind thinks nothing, when the soul
covets nothing, and the body acteth nothing that
is contrary to the will of God, this is perfect
sanctification.
AnonvM(jus, in an old Bible ^ 1599
September 11. 255
Thy kingdom coijte. — Matt. vi. 10.
The kingaom of established peace,
Which can no more remove ;
The perfect powers of godliness,
The omnipotence of love.
C. Wesley
ly/IY child, thou mayest not measure out thine
offering unto me by what others have done
or left undone ; but be it thine to seek out, even
to the last moment of thine earthly life, what is
the utmost height of pure devotion to which I
have called thifie own self. Remember that, if
thou fall short of this, each time thou utterest in
prayer the words, '* Hallowed be Thy name, Thy
kingdom come," thou dost most fearfully con-
demn thyself, for is it not a mockery to ask for
that thou wilt not seek to promote even unto
the uttermost, within the narrow compass of thine
own heart and spirit?
The Divine Master.
If you do not wish for His kingdom, don't
pray for it. But if you do, you must do more
than pray for it ; you must work for it.
J. RUSKIN
256 September 12.
She obeyed not the voice ; she received not correc-
tion j she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not
near to her God. — Zeph. iii. 2.
Oh I let us not this thought allow ;
The heat, the dust upon our brow,
Signs of the contest, we may wear ;
Yet thus we shall appear more fair
In our Almighty Master's eye,
Than if in fear to lose the bloom.
Or ruffle the soul's lightest plume,
We from the strife should fly.
R. C. Trench.
TF God requires anything of us, we have no
right to draw back under the pretext that we
are hable to commit some fault in obeying. It is
better to obey imperfectly than not at all. Per-
haps you ought to rebuke some one dependent
on you, but you are silent for fear of giving way
to vehemence ; — or you avoid the society of cer-
tain persons, because they make you cross and
impatient. How are you to attain self-control, if
you shun all occasions of practising it? Is not
such self-choosing a greater fault than those into
which you fear to fall ? Aim at a steady mind to
do right, go wherever duty calls you, and believe
firmly that God will forgive the faults that take
our weakness by surprise in spite of our sincere
desire to please Him.
Jean NfcoLAS Orou.
September 13. 257
It is good that a man should both hope and quiet-
ly wait for the salvation of the Lord. — Lam. iii. 26.
Truly 7ny soul waiteth upon God : from Him
Cometh my salvation. — Ps. Ixii. i.
Not so in haste, my heart ;
Have faith in God, and wait ;
Although He linger long,
He never comes too late.
Anon.
'T^HE true use to be made of all the imper-
fections of which you are conscious is
neither to justify, nor to condemn them, but to
present them before God, conforming your will
to His, and remaining in peace ; for peace is the
divine order, in whatever state we may be.
P^^NELON.
You will find it less easy to uproot faults, than
to choke them by gaining virtues. Do not think
of your faults ; still less of others' faults ; in every
person who comes near you look for what is good
and strong : honor that ; rejoice in it ; and, as
you can, try to imitate it ; and your faults will
drop off, like dead leaves, when their time
comes.
J. RUSKIN
258 September 14.
Call unto 7ne, and I will answer ihee, and skow
thee great and mighty things which thou knowest
not. — jEii. xxxiii. 3.
And I ha7)e also given thee that which thou hast
not asked. — i Kings iii. 13.
No voice of prayer to Thee can rise,
But swift as light Thy Love replies ;
Not always what we ask, indeed,
But, O most Kind ! what most we need.
H. M. KlMKALL,
FF you have any trial which seems intolerable,
pray, — pray that it be relieved or changed.
There is no harm in that. We may pray for any-
thing, not wrong in itself, with perfect freedom,
if we do not pray selfishly. One disabled from
duty by sickness may pray for health, that he may
do his work ; or one hemmed in by internal im-
pediments may pray for utterance, that he may
serve better the truth and the right. Or, if we
have a besetting sin, we may pray to be delivered
from it, in order to serve God and man, and not
be ourselves Satans to mislead and destroy. But
the answer to the prayer may be, as it was to
Paul, not the removal of the thorn, but, instead, a
growing insight into its meaning and value. The
voice of God in our soul may show us, as we look
up to Him, that His strength is enough to enable
us to bear it.
J. F. Clarke.
September 15. 259
Can ye drink of the cup thai I drink of? and be
baptizt d with the baptisjn that I am baptized with ?
— Mark x. -^Z.
Whate'er my God ordains is right ;
Though I the cup must drink
That bitter seems to my faint heart,
I will not fear nor shrink.
S. RODIGAST.
nPHE worst part of martyrdom is not the last
■*■ agonizing moment ; it is the wearing, daily
steadfastness. Men who can make up their minds
to hold out against the torture of an hour have
sunk under the weariness and the harass of small
prolonged vexations. And there are many Chris-
tians who have the weight of some deep, incom-
municable grief pressing, cold as ice, upon their
hearts. To bear that cheerfully and manfully is
to be a ma'rtyr. There is many a Christian be-
reaved and stricken in the best hopes of life.
For such a one to say (juietly, " Father, not as I
will, but as Thou wilt," is to be a martyr. There
is many a Christian who feels the irksomeness of
the duties of life, and feels his spirit revolting
from them. To get up every morning with the
firm resolve to find pleasure in those duties, and
do them \v ell, and finish the work which God has
given us to do, that is to drink Christ's cup.
The humblest occupation has in it materials of
disciphne for the highest heaven.
F. W. Robertson.
:6o September 16.
For the whole world before thee is as a little grain
of the balafice, yea, as a drop of the morning dew
that falleth down npon the earth. But Thou hast
7nercy Jipon all. For Thou lovest all the things
that are. — Wisdom of Solomon xi. 22-24.
Oh ! Source divine, and Life of all,
The Fount of Being's fearful sea,
Thy depth would every heart appal,
That saw not love supreme in Thee.
J. Sterling.
TUTE showed a little thing, the quantity of a
■*• -** hazel-nut, lying in the palm of my hand,
as meseemed, and it was as round as a ball. I
looked thereon with the eye of my understanding,
and thought, " What may this be ? " and it was
answered generally thus, " // is all that is made^
I marvelled how it might last ; for methought it
might suddenly have fallen to naught for little-
ness. And I was answered in my understanding,
" // lasteth, and ever shall : For God loveth it.
And so hath all thing beijig by the Love of God-'*
In this little thing I saw three properties. The
first is, that God made it. The second is, that
God loveth it. The third is, that God keepeth it.
For this is the cause which we be not all in ease
of heart and soul : for we seek here rest in this
thing which is so little, where no rest is in : and
we know not our God that is all Mighty, all Wise,
and all Good, for he is very rest. God wills to be
known, and it pleaseth Him that we rest us in
Him. For all that is beneath Him, sufficeth not
us. Mother Juliana, 1373.
September 17. 261
Whosoever will be great among you, shall be
your minister ; and whosoever of you will be the
chief est, shall be servant of all. For even the Son
of man came not to be ministered unto, but to miti-
ister. — Mark x. 43-45.
A child's kiss
Set on thy sighing lips, shall make thee glad ;
A poor man served by thee, shall make thee rich ,-
A sick man helped by thee, shall make thee strongs
Thou shalt be served thyself by every sense
Of service which thou renderest.
E. B. Brown' iNG.
T ET every man lovingly cast all nis thoughts
"^ and cares, and his sins too, as it were, on
the Will of God. Moreover, if a man, while busy
in this lofty inward work, were called by some
duty in the Providence of (jod to cease therefrom,
and cook a broth for some sick person, or any
other such service, he should do so willingly and
with great joy. If I had to forsake such work,
and go out to preach or aught else, I should go
cheerfully, believing not only that God would be
with me, but that he would vouchsafe me it may
be even greater grace and blessing in that ex-
ternal work undertaken out of true love in the
service of my neighbor, than I should perhap?
receive in my season of loftiest contemplation.
John Tauler
202 September IS.
A /I the paths of the Lord are mercy and tncth
unto s^uch as keep His cove7iant and His testi7no-
nies. — Ps. XXV. lo.
Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth,
Speak peace to my anxious soul,
And help me to feel that all my ways
Are under Thy wise control ;
That He who cares for the lily.
And heeds the sparrows' fall,
Shall tenderly lead His loving child;
For He made and loveth all.
Anon.
TT is not by seeking more fertile regions where
toil is lighter — happier circumstances free
from difficult complications and troublesome
people — but by bringing the high courage of a
devout soul, clear in principle and aim, to bear
upon what is given to us, that we brighten our
inward light, lead something of a true life, and
introduce the kingdom of heaven into the midst
of our earthly day. If we cannot work out the
will of God where God has placed us, then why
has He placed us there?
J. H. Thom
September 19. 263
Pray for us unto the Lord thy God . . . that
the Lord thy God may sh^w us the way ivhercin
we may walk^ and the thing that we may do-
— Jer. xlii. 2, 3.
That which I see not, teach Thou me. — Job
xxxiv. 32.
O Father, hear !
The way is dark, and I would fain discern
What steps to take, into which path to turn ;
Oh ! make it clear.
Christian Intelligencer.
'* XX/E can't choose happiness either for our-
selves or for another ; we can't tell
where that will lie. We can only choose whether
we will indulge ourselves in the present moment,
or whether we will renounce that, for the sake of
obeying the Divine voice within us, — for the sake
of being true to all the motives that sanctify our
lives. I know this belief is hard ; it has slipped
away from me again and again ; but I have felt
that if I let it go forever, I should have no
light through the darkness of this life."
George Eliot.
There was a care on my mind so to pass my
time, that nothing might hinder me from the
most steady attention to the voice of the true
Shepherd.
John Woolman
264 SeptemDer 20.
Thou shalt hide ihe7n in the secret of Thy pres-
e7ice from the p fide of man ; Thou shalt keep thejn
secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
— Ps. xxxi. 20.
Thk praying spirit breathe,
The watching power impart,
From all entanglements beneath
Call off my anxious heart.
My feeble mind sustain,
By worldly thoughts oppressed ;
Appear, and bid me turn again
To my eternal rest.
C. Wesley
A
S soon as we are with God in faith and in
love, we are in prayer.
Fenelon.
If you could once make up your mind in the
fear of God never to undertake more work of
any sort than you can carry on calmly, quietly,
without hurry or flurry, and the instant you feel
yourself growing nervous and like one out of
breath, would stop and take breath, you would
find this simple common-sense rule doing for you
what no prayers or tears could ever accomplish.
Elizabeth Prrntlss
September 21. 265
How excellent is Thy lovino-kindness. O God /
therefore the children of men put their t? nst iindey
rhe shadow of Thy wings. — Ps. xxxvi. 7.
The eternal God is thy refuoe^ and underneath
are the everlasting arms. — Deut. xxxiii. 27.
Within Thy circling arms we lie,
O God ! in Thy infinity :
Our souls in quiet shall abide,
Beset with love on every side.
Anon.
''T^HE Everlasting Arms." I think of that
whenever rest is^sweet. How the whole
earth and the strength of it, that is almightiness,
is beneath every tired creature to give it rest ;
holding us, always ! No thought of God is closer
than that. No human tenderness of patience is
greater than that which gathers in its arms a
little child, and holds it. heedless of weariness.
And He fills the great earth, and all upon it,
with this unseen force of His love, that never for-
gets or exhausts itself, so that everywhere we
may lie down in His bosom, and be comforted.
A. D. T. Whitney
266 September 22.
The word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouthy
and in thy hearty that thou may est do it. — Deut.
XXX. 14.
But, above all, the victory is most sure
For him, who, seeking faith by virtue, strives
To yield entire obedience to the Law
Of Conscience ; Conscience reverenced and obeyed,
As God's most intimate presence in the soul.
And His most perfect image in the world.
W. Wordsworth.
TT THAT we call Conscience is the voice of Di-
vine love in the deep of our being, desir-
ing union with our will ; and which, by attracting
the affections inward, invites them to enter into
the harmonious contentment, and " fulness of
joy " which attends the being joined by '' one
spirit to the Lord."
J. P. Greaves.
I REJOICE, that God has bestowed upon you a
relish and inclination for the inner life. To be
called to this precious and lofty life is a great and
undeserved grace of God, to which we ought to
respond with great faithfulness. God invites us
to His fellowship of love, and wishes to prepare
our spirit to be His own abode and temple.
Gerhard Tf.rstef.gen
September 23. .767
Show me Thy ways, O Lord j teach vie Thy
paths. — Fs. XXV. 4.
Whf.n we cannot see our way,
Let us trust and still obey ;
He who bids us forward go,
Cannot fail the way to show.
Though the sea be deep ami wide,
Though a passage seem denied ;
Fearless let us still proceed,
Since the Lord vouchsafes to lead.
Anon
TTHAT which is often asked of God, is not so
much His will and way, as His approval of
our way.
S. F. Smilfy.
There is nothing like the first glance we get
at duty, before there has been any special plead-
ing of our affections or inclinations. Duty is
never uncertain at first. It is only after we have
got involved in the mazes and sophistries of wish-
ing that things were otherwise than they are, that
it seems indistinct. Considering a duty is often
only explaining it away. Deliberation is often
only dishonesty. God's guidance is plain, when
we are true.
F. W. Robertson.
268 September 24.
IV/un I awake, T am still with Thee. — Ps.
cxxxix. i8.
Let the glow of love destroy
Cold obedience faimly given ;
Wake our hearts to strengfh and joy
With the flushing eastern heaven.
Let us truly rise, ere yet
Life be set. Rosen koth
VV/'ITH his first waking consciousness he can
* * set himself to take a serious, manly *^iew
of the day before him. He ought to know pretty
well on what lines his difficulty is likely to come,
whether in being irritable, or domineering, or
sharp in his bargains, or self-absorbed, or what-
ever it be ; and now, in this quiet hour, he can
take a good, full look at his enemy, and make up
his mind to beat him. It is a good time, too,
for giving his thoughts a range quite beyond him-
self, — beyond even his own moral struggles,
— a good time, there in the stillness, for going
into the realm of other lives. His wife, — what
needs has she for help, for sympathy, that he
can meet? His children, — how can he make
the day sweeter to them? This acquaintance,
who is having a hard time ; this friend, who
dropped a word to you yesterday that you
hardly noticed in your hurry, but that comes
up to you now, revealing in him some liner
trait, some deeper hunger, than you had guessed
before, — now you can think these things over.
So you get your day somewhat into right per-
spective and proportion before you begin it.
G. S. Merriam
September 25. 269
Ve shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand
unto, ye and your households, wherein the Lord thy
God hath blessed thee. — Deut. xii. 7.
Sweet is the smile of home ; the mutual look
When hearts are of each other sure ;
Sweet all the joys that crowd the household nook,
The haunts of all affections pure.
J. Keble.
TS there any tie which absence has loosened, or
which the wear and tear of every-day inter-
course, httie uncongeniahties, unconfessed mis-
understandings, have fretted into the heart, until
it bears something of the nature of a fetter?
Any cup at our home-table whose sweetness we
have not fully tasted, although it might yet make
of our daily bread a continual feast? Let us
reckon up these treasures while they are still ours,
in thankfulness to God.
Elizabeth Charles.
We ought daily or weekly to dedicate a little)
time to the reckoning up of the virtues of our
belongings, — wife, children, friends, — and con-
templating them then in a beautiful collection.
And we should do so now, that wt may not par-
don and love in vain and too late, after the be-
loved one has been taken away from us to a
better world.
Tean Paul Richter-
2/0 September 26.
Vea, though T walk through the vaUey of th*
shadow of death, I will fear no evil ; for Thou an
with me; Thy rod and Thy staffs they comfort me.
— Ps. xxiii. 4.
O Will, that wiliest good alone,
Lead Thou the way, Thou guidest best;
A silent child, I follow on,
And trusting lean upon Thy breast.
And if in gloom I see Thee not,
I lean upon Thy love unknown ;
In me Thy blessed will is wrought,
If I will nothing of my own.
Gerhard Tersteegen
" I ^HE devout soiii is always safe in every state,
if it makes everything an occasion either of
rising up, or falling down into the hands of God,
and exercising faith, and trust, and resignation to
Him. The pious soul, that eyes only God, that
means nothing but being His alone, can have no
stop put to its progress ; light and darkness
equally assist him : in the light he looks up to
God, in the darkness he lays hold on God, and
so they both do him tne same good.
Wm. Law
September 27. 271
When I sit in darkness^ tiie Lord shall be a light
unto me. — Micah vii. 8.
There he many that say, Who will show us any
good? Lord, lift Thou up the light of Ihy counte-^
nance upon us. — Ps. iv. 6.
How oft a gleam of glory sent
Straight through the deepest, darkest night,
Has filled the soul with heavenly light,
With holy peace and sweet content.
Anon
OUPPOSE you are bewildered and know not
what is right nor what is true. Can you
not cease to regard whether you do or not,
whether you be bewildered, whether you be hap-
py ? Cannot you utterly and perfectly love, and
rejoice to be in the dark, and gloom- beset, be-
cause that very thing is the fact of God's Infinite
Being as it is to you ? Cannot you take this trial
also into your own heart, and be ignorant, not
because you are obliged, but because that being
God's will, it is yours also? Do you not see
that a person who truly loves is one with the In-
finite Being — cannot be uncomfortable or un-
happy? It is that which is that he wills and
desires and holds best of all to be. To know
God is utterly to sacrifice self.
James Hinton
2 72 September 28.
My little children^ let its not love in word, neither
in tongue; but in deed, and in truth. — i John
iii. i8.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only^
deceiving your own selves. — James i. 22.
Thrice blest whose lives are faithful prayers,
Whose loves in higher love endure ;
What souls possess themselves so pure,
Or is there blessedness like theirs ?
A. Tennyson.
T ET every creature have your love. Love,
■^ with its fruits of meekness, patience, and
hurnihty, is all that we can wish for to ourselves,
and our fellow-creatures ; for this is to live in
God, united to Him, both for time and eternity.
To desire to communicate good to every creature,
in the degree we can, and it is capable of receiv-
ing from us, is a divine temper ; for thus God
stands unchangeably disposed towards the whole
creation.
Wm. Law.
What shall be our reward for loving our neigh-
bor as ourselves in this hfe? That, when we
become angels, we shall be enabled to love him
better than ourselves.
E SWEDENBORG
September 29. 273
Blessed are the piwe in heart ; for they shall see
God. — Matt. v. S.
Follow peace with all 7nen^ and holiness^ without
which no man shall see the Lord. — Heb. xii. 14.
Since Thou Thyself dost still display
Unto the pure in heart,
Oh, make us children of the day
To know Thee as Thou art.
For Thou art light and life and love;
And Thy redeemed below
May see Thee as Thy saints above,
And know Thee as they know.
J. Montgomery.
"P^OUBT, gloom, impatience, have been ex-
"^ pelled ; joy has taken their place, the hope
of heaven and the harmony of a pure heart, the
triumph of self-mastery, sober thoughts, and a
contented mind. How can charity towards all
men fail to follow, being the mere affectionateness
of innocence and peace ? Thus the Spirit of God
creates in us the simplicity and warmth of heart
which children have, nay, rather the perfections
of His heavenly hosts, high and low being joined
together in His mysterious work ; for what are
implicit trust, ardent love, abiding purity, but
the mind both of little children and of the adoring
Seraphim 1
J. H. Newman,
iS
274 September 30.
Lord^ who shall abide in Thy tabernacle ? Who
shall dwell in Thy holy hill f He that walketh
iip?'i:lhtly, and worketh righteousness^ and speaketh
the truth in his heart. — Ps. xv. i, 2.
How happy is he born or taught,
That serveth not another's will,
Whose armor is his honest thought, —
And simple truth his utmost skill.
H. WOTTON.
TF thou workest at that which is before thee,
following right reason, seriously, vigorously,
calmly, without allowing anything else to distract
thee, but keeping thy divine part pure as if thou
shouldest be bound to give it back immediately,
— if thou holdest to this,' expecting nothing, fear-
ing nothing, but satisfied with thy present activity
according to nature, and with heroic truth in
every word and sound which thou utterest, thou
wilt live happy. And there is no man who is
able to prevent this.
Marcus Antoninus
October 1. 275
Be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the
Lord, and work ; for I ain with yoic._ saith the Lord
of hosts. — Haggai ii. 4.
Yet the world is Thy field, Thy garden;
On earth art Thou still at home.
When Thou bendest hither Thy hallowing eye,
My narrow work-room seems vast and high,
Its dingy ceiling a rainbow-dome, —
Stand ever thus at my wide-swung door,
And toil will be toil no more.
L. Larcom
nPHE situation that has not its duty, its ideal,
was never yet occupied by man. Yes,
here, in this poor, miserable, hampered, despica-
ble Actual, wherein thou even now standest, here
or nowhere is thy Ideal : work it out therefrom ;
and working, believe, live, be free. Fool ! the
Ideal is in thyself, the impediment too is in
thyself: thy condition is but the stuff thou art
to shape that same Ideal out of: what matters
whether such stuff be of this sort or that, so the
form thou givest it be heroic, be poetic. O thou
that pinest in the imprisonment of the Actual,
and criest bitterly to the gods for a kingdom
wherein to rule and create, know this of a truth :
the thing thou seekest is already with thee, "here
or nowhere," couldst thou only see !
T. Carlyle
2/6 October 2.
/ a?Jt purposed thai my mouth shall not trans-
gress. — Ps. xvii. 3.
In the 7niiltitude of words there wanteth not sin .
but he that refraineth his lips is wise. — Pro v.
X. 19.
Prune thou thy words ; the thoughts control
That o'er thee swell and throng ;
They will condense within thy soul,
And change to purpose strong.
J. H. Newman.
'pEW men suspect how much mere talk fritters
-^ away spiritual energy, — that which should
be spent in action, spends itself in words. Hence
he who restrains that love of talk, lays up a fund
of spiritual strength.
F. W. Robertson.
Do not flatter yourself that your thoughts are
under due control, your desires properly regulated,
or your dispositions subject as they should be to
Christian principle, if your intercourse with others
consists mainly of frivolous gossip, impertinent
anecdotes, speculations on the character and
affairs of your neighbors, the lepetition of former
conversations, or a discussion of Uie current petty
scandal of society ; much less, if you allow your-
self in careless exaggeration on all these points,
and that grievous inattention to exact truth, which
is apt to attend the statements of those whose
conversation is made up of these materials.
H. Ware, Tr
October 3. 277
Judge not, that ye be 7iot judged. — Matt. vii. 1.
Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy
brothers eye j but perceives t fiot the beam that is
in thine own eye ? — Luke vi. 41.
Judge not ; the workings of his brain
And of his heart thou canst not see ;
What looks to thy dim eyes a stain,
In God's pure light may only be
A scar, brought from some well-won field.
Where thou wouldst only faint and yield.
Adelaide A. Procter.
T17'HEN you behold an aspect for whose con-
stant gloom and frown you cannot ac-
count, whose unvarying cloud exasperates you by
its apparent causelessness, be sure that there is
a canker somewhere, and a canker not the less
deeply corroding because concealed.
Charlotte Bronte.
While we are coldly discussing a man's career,
sneering at his mistakes, blaming his rashness,
and labelling his opinions — " EvangeHcal and
narrow," or " Latitudinarian and Pantheistic,"
or " Anglican and supercilious •" — that man, ic
his solitude, is perhaps shedding hot tears because
his sacrifice is a hard one, because strength anc^
patience are failing him to speak the difficult
word, and do the difficult deed.
Georgk Eliot
ly^ October 4.
Be strong, and of a good courage ; be not afraid,
neither be thou dis77iayed : for the Lord thy God ts
with thee whithersoever thou goest. — JoSH. i. 9,
By Thine unerring Spirit led,
We shall not in the desert stray;
We shall not full direction need,
Nor miss our providential way ;
As far from danger as from fear,
W^hile love, almighty love, is near.
Charles Wesley.
"VT7ATCH your way then, as a cautious trav-
eller ; and don't be gazing at that moun-
tain or river in the distance, and saying, "■ How
shall I ever get over them?" but keep to the
present little inch that is before you, and accom-
plish that in the little moment that belongs to it.
The mountain and the river can only be passed
in the same way ; and, when you come to them,
you will come to the light and strength that
belong to them.
M. A. Kelty.
Let not future things disturb thee, for thou
wilt come to them, if it shall be necessary, hav-
ing with thee the same reason which thou now
usest for present things.
Marcus Antoninus
October 5. 279
Say to them that aj-e of a fearful hearty B/>.
strong, fear fiot. — IsA. xxxv. 4.
Why shouldst thou fill to-day with sorrow
About to-morrow,
My heart ?
One watches all with care most true.
Doubt not that He will give thee too
Thy part.
Paul FlemmIxNg.
" I ^HE crosses which we make for ourselves by
a restless anxiety as to the future, are not
crosses which come from God. We show want
of faith in Him by our false wisdom, wishing -to
forestall His arrangements, and struggling to sup-
plement His Providence by our own providence.
The future is not yet ours ; perhaps it never \\\\\
be. If it comes, it may come wholly different
from what we have foreseen. Let us shut our
eyes, then, to that which God hides from us, and
keeps in reserve in the treasures of His deep
counsels. Let us worship without seeing ; let us
be silent ; let us abide in peace.
Fenelo.n
28o October 6.
/ had fainted^ unless I had believed to see the
goodness of the Lo?'d in the land of the living.
— Ps. xxvii. 13.
/ will surely do thee good. — Gen. xxxii. 12.
Thou know'st not what is good for thee,
But God doth know, —
Let Him thy stro;ig reliance be,
And rest thee so.
C. F. Gellert.
T ET us be very careful of thinking, on the one
hand, that we have no work assigned us to
do, or, on the other hand, that what we have as-
signed to us is not the right thing for us. If ever
we can say in our hearts to God, in reference to
any daily duty, " This is not my place ; I would
choose something dearer; I am capable of
something higher ; " we are guilty not only of
rebellion, but of blasphemy. It is equivalent to
saying, not only, "My heart revolts against Thy
commands," but "Thy commands are unwise;
Thine Almighty guidance is unskilful; Thine
omniscient eye has mistaken the capacities of
Thy creature ; Thine infinite love is indifferent
to the welfare of Thy child."
Elizabeth Charles
October 7. 281
And because ye are sons, God hath sent the spirit
of His Son into your hearts, cry if i^, Abba, Father-
— Gal, iv. 6.
O Lord, forgive my sin,
And deign to put within
A calm, obedient heart, a patient mind ;
That I may murmur nut,
Though bitter seem my lot ;
For hearts unthankful can no blessing find.
RuTiLius, 1604-
T) ESIGNATION to the Divine Will signifies a
cheerful approbation and thankful accept-
ance of everything that comes from God. It is
not enough patiently to submit, but we must
thankfully receive and fully approve of every-
thing that, by the order of God's providence,
happens to us. For there is no reason why we
should be patient, but what is as good and as
strong a reason why we should be thankful. ^Mien-
ever, therefore, you find yourself disposed to un-
easiness or murmuring at any thing that is the
effect of God's providence over you, you must
look upon yourself as denying either the wisdom
or goodness of God.
Wm. Law
282 October 8.
Ye sha'l not go out with haste, for the Lord will
go before you ; and the God of Israel will be your
rereward. — IsA. lii. 12.
He that believe th shall not make haste. — Is A.
xxviii. 16.
Holy Spirit, Peace divine !
Still this restless heart of mins;
Speak to calm this tossing sea,
Stayed in Thy tranquillity.
S. Longfellow.
FN whatever you are called upon to do, en-
-*• deavor to maintain a calm, collected, and
prayerful state of mind. Self-recollection is of
great importance. " It is good for a man to
quietly wait for the siivation of the Lord."
He who is in what may be called a spiritual
hurry, or rather who runs without having evidence
of being spiritually sent, makes haste to no
purpose. T. C. Upham.
There is great fret and worry in always run-
ning after work ; it is not good intellectually or
spiritually.
Annie Keary.
Whenever we are outwardly excited we should
cease to act ; but whenever we have a message
from the spirit within, we should execute it with
calmness. A fine day may excite one to act,
but it is much better that we act from the calm
spirit in any day, be the outward what it may.
J. P. Greaves
OctolDer 9. 2S3
As for tne and my house, we ijill serve the LorcL
— Josh. xxiv. 1 5.
O HAPPY house ! and happy servitude !
Where all alike one blaster own;
\yhere ^laily duty, in Thy strength pursued,
Is never hard or toilsome known ;
Where each one serves Thee, meek and lowly.
Whatever Thine appointment be,.
Till common tasks seem great and holv,
When they are done as unto Thee.
C. J. P. Spitt.a.
A T Dudson there was no rushing after anything,
'^^' either worldly or intellectual. It was a
home of constant activity, issuing from, and
retiring to, a centre of deep repose. There was
an earnest application of excellent sense to the
daily duties of life, to the minutest courtesy and
kindness, as well as to the real interests of others.
Everything great and everything little seemed
done in the same spirit, and with the same degree
of fidelity, because it was the will of God ; and
that which could not be traced to His will was
not undertaken at all. . . . Nothing at Dudson
was esteemed too little to be cared for, and
nothing too great to be undertaken at the com-
mand of God ; and for this they daily exercised
their mental and bodily powers on the things
around them ; knowing that our Lord thoroughly
furnishes each of His soldiers for his work, and
places before each the task he has to do.
M. A. SCHrMMFLPENXINCK
284 October 10.
Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace
always, by all means. — 2 Thess. iii. i6.
The Lord will give strength unto His people; the
Lord will bless His people with peace. — Ps. xxix.
II.
In the heart's depths a peace serene and holy
Abides, and when pain seems to have its will,
Or we despair, — oh, may that peace rise slowly,
Stronger than agony, and we be still.
S. Johnson.
13 UT if a man ought and is willing to lie still
under God's hand, he must and ought also
to lie still under all things, whether they come
from God, himself, or the creatures, nothing
excepted. And he who would be obedient,
resigned, and submissive to God, must and ought
to be also resigned, obedient, and submissive to
all things, in a spirit of yielding, and not of
resistance ; and take them in silence, resting
on the hidden foundations of his soul, and having
a secret inward patience, that enableth him to
take all chances or crosses willingly ; and, what-
ever befalleth, neither to call for nor desire
any redress, or deliverance, or resistance, or
revenge, but always in a loving, sincere humility
to cry, " Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do ! "
Theologia Germanica.
October 11. 28 q
And when the people complained^ it displeased the
Lord. — Num. xi. i.
When tbou hast thanked thy God
For every blessing sent,
What time will then remain
For murmurs or lament ?
R. C. Trench
L
ET him, with a cheerful and thankful spirit,
yield himself up to suffer whatever God
shall appoint unto him, and to fulfil, according to
his power, by the grace of God, all His holy will
to the utmost that he can discern it, and never
complain of his distresses but to God alone with
entire and humble resignation, praying that he
may be strong to endure all his sufferings accord-
ing to the will of God.
John Tauler.
He who complains, or thinks he has a right to
complain, because he is called in God's Provi-
dence to suffer, has something within him which
needs to be taken away. A soul whose will is
lost in God's will, can never do this. Sorrow
may exist ; but complaint never.
Catherine Adorna
286 October 12.
Singing and fnaking melody in your heart to the
Lord. — Eph. v. 19.
Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, — i Pe-
ter iii. 15.
There are in this loud stunning tide
Of human care and crime,
"With whom the melodies abide
Of th' everlasting chime ;
"Who carry music in their heart
Through dusky lane and wrangling mart.
Plying their daily task with busier feet,
Because their secret souls a holy strain repeat.
J. Keble
OTRIVE to carry thyself with a total resigna-
tion to the Divine Will, that God may do
with thee and all thine according to His heavenly
pleasure, relying on Him as on a kind and loving
Father. Never recall that intention, and though
thou beest taken up about the affairs of the con-
dition wherein God hath placed thee, yet thou
wilt still be in prayer, in the presence of God,
and in perpetual acts of resignation. " A just
man leaves not off to pray unless he leaves off to
be just." He always prays who always does well.
The good desire is prayer, and if the desire be
continued so also is the prayer.
M. MOLINOS
October 13. 2%^
We desire that every one of you do show the same
diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end.
— Heb. vi. II.
The Lord is faithful^ who shall stablish you^ and
keep you from evil. — 2 Thess. iii. 3.
Long though my task may be, )
Cometh the end.
God 't is that helpeth me,
His is the work, and He
New strength will lend.
Anon.
Q*ET yourself steadfastly to those duties which
have the least attractive exterior ; it matters
not whether God's holy will be fulfilled in great
or small matters. Be patient with yourself and
your own faiHngs ; never be in a hurry, and do
not yield to longings after that which is impossi-
ble to you. My dear sister, go on steadily and
quietly ; if our dear Lord means you to run, He
will "strengthen your heart."
Francis de Sales.
Always begin by doing that which costs me
most, unless the easier duty is a pressing one,
Examine, classify, and determine at night the
work of the morrow ; arrange things in the order
of their importance, and act accordingly. Dread,
above all things, bitterness and irritation. Never
say, or indirectly recall anything to my advantage.
Madame Swetchine.
288 October 14.
He that sinneth against Me wrongeth his own
soul: all they that hate Me love death. — Pro v.
viii. 36.
But now being inadc free from sin^ and become
servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness,
and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin
is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord. — Rom. vi. 22, 23.
O Sovereign Love, to Thee I cry !
Give me Thyself, or else I die !
Save me from death ; from hell set free !
Death, hell, are but the want of Thee.
Quickened by Thy imparted flame,
Saved when possessed of Thee, I am :
My life, my only heaven Thou art ;
O might I feel Thee in my heart !
C. Wesley
QIN itself is hell, and death, and misery to the
soul, as being a departure from goodness
and holiness itself; I mean from God, in con-
junction with whom the happiness, and blessed-
ness, and heaven of a soul doth consist. Avoid
it, therefore, as you would avoid being miserable.
Samuel Shaw.
*' I COULD n't live in peace if I put the shadow
of a wilful sin between myself and (jod." .
George Eliot.
Unholy tempers are always unhappy tempers.
John Wesley
October 15. 289
Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me^ so thai
I am not able to look up ; thet'efore my heart faileth
me. Be pleased^ O Lord, to deliver me j O Lord,
make haste to htlp me. — Ps. xl. 12, 13.
Sin shall not have dominion over you. — RoM-
vi. 14.
O Thou, to whose all-searching sight
The darkness shineth as the light I
Search, prove my heart ; it pants for Thee :
Oh, burst these bonds, and set it free !
G. Tersteegen.
'VT'ES, this sin which has sent me weary-hearted
to bed and desperate in heart to morn-
ing work, that has made my plans miscarry until
I am a coward, that cuts me off from prayer, that
robs the sky of blueness and the earth of spring-
time, and the air of freshness, and human faces
of friendliness, — this blasting sin which perhaps
has made my bed in hell for me so long, — this
ca?i he conquered. I do not say annihilated, but,
better than that, conquered, captured and trans-
figured into a friend : so that I at last shall say,
'' My temptation has become my strength ! for
to the very fight with it I owe my force."
W. C. Gannett
»9
290 October 16.
/ am not worthy of the least of all the mercies^
and of all the truths which Thou hast showed unto
Thy servant. — Gen. xxxii. 10.
Some murmur if their sky is clear,
And wholly bright to view,
If one small speck of dark appear
In their great heaven of blue :
And some with thankful love are filled,
If but one streak of light.
One ray of God's good mercy, gild
The darkness of their night.
R. C. Trench.
LTABITUAL sufferers are precisely those who
least frequently doubt the Divine benevo-
lence, and whose faith and love rise to the seren
est cheerfulness. Possessed by no idea of a
prescriptive right to be happy, their blessings are
not benumbed by anticipation, but come to them
fresh and brilliant as the first day's morning and
evening light to the dwellers in Paradise. With
the happy it is their constant peace that seems
to come by nature, and to be blunted by its com-
monness, — and their griefs to come from God,
sharpened by their sacred origin : with the
sufferer, it is his pain that appears to be a thing
of course, and to require no explanation, while
his relief is reverently welcomed as a divine in-
terposition, and, as a breath of Heaven, caresses
the heart into melodies of praise.
J, Maktjneau-
October 17. 291
Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings
and sacrifices ^ as in obeying the voice of the Lord ?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. — i Sam.
XV. 22.
Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of
the Lord, which He will show to you to-day.
— Ex. xiv. 13.
The folded hands seem idle :
If folded at His word,
*T is a holy service, trust me,
III obedience to the Lord.
Anna Shipton.
TT is not the multitude of hard duties, it is not
constraint and contention that advance us
in our Christian course. On the contrary, it is
the yielding of our wills without restriction and
without choice, to tread cheerfully every day in
the path in which Providence leads us, to seek
nothing, to be discouraged by nothing, to see
our duty in the present moment, to trust ail else
without reserve to the will and power of God.
Fenelon,
Godliness is the devotion of the soul to God,
as to a living person whose will is to be its law,
whose love is to be its life. It is the habit of
living before the face of God, and not the simply
doing certain things.
J. B Brown
292 October 18.
Except your righteousness shall exceed the right-
eoHSfiess of the scribes and Pharisees^ ye shall in
no case e7iter into the kingdom of heaven. — Matt.
V. 20.
The freedom from all wilful sin,
The Christian's daily task, —
Oh these are graces far below
What longing love would ask !
Dole not thy duties out to God.
F. W. Faber.
"VT'OU perhaps will say that all people fall short
of the perfection of the Gospel, and there-
fore you are content with your failings. But
this is saying nothing to the purpose : for the
question is not whether Gospel perfection can
be fully attained, but whether you come as near
it as a sincere intention and careful diligence can
carry you. Whether you are not in a much
lower state than you might be if you sincerely in-
tended and carefully labored to advance your-
self in all Christian virtues.
Wm. Law.
We know not exactly how low the least degree
of obedience is, which will bring a man to
heaven ; but this we are quite sure of, that he
who aims no higher will be sure to fall short even
of that, and that he who goes farthest beyond
it will be most blessed.
John Keble
October 19. 293
Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy
One of Israel ; I am the Lord thy God which
teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the
way thou shouldest go. — ISA. xlvii;. 17.
I SEEK Thy aid, I ask direction,
Teach me to do what pleaseth Thee ;
I can bear toil, endure affliction,
Only Thy leadings let me see.
Anon.
/^F all paths a man could strike into, there is,
^"'^ at any given moment, a best path for every
man ; a thing which, here and now, it were of
all things ivisest for him to do ; which could he
but be led or driven to do, he were then doing
"like a man," as we j)hrase it. His success, in
such case, were complete, his felicity a maximum.
This path, to find this path, and walk in it, is the
one thing needful for him.
T. Carlyle.
Every man has his own vocation. There is
one direction m which all space is open to him.
He has faculties silently inviting him thither to
endless exertion. He is like a ship in a river ;
he runs against obstructions on every side but
one ; on that side all obstruction is taken away,
and he sweeps serenely over a deepening chan-
nel into an infinite sea.
R. W. Emlrsun.
294 October 20.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with
good. — Rom. xii. 21.
Come, in this accepted hour ;
Bring Thy heavenly kingdom in ;
Fill us with Thy glorious power,
Rooting out the seeds of sin.
C. \yESLEY.
TF we wish to overcome evil, we must overcome
it by good. There are doubtless many ways
of overcoming the evil in our own hearts, but the
simplest, easiest, most universal, is to overcome
it by active occupation in some good word or
work. The best antidote against evil of all kinds,
against the evil thoughts which haunt the soul,
against the needless perplexities which distract
the conscience, is to keep hold of the good we
have. Impure thoughts will not stand against
pure words, and prayers, and deeds. Little
doubts will not avail against great certainties.
Fix your affections on things above, and then
you will be less and less troubled by the cares,
the temptations, the troubles of things on earth.
A. P. Stanley
October 21. 295
/ atn the Almighty God; walk before 7ne, and
be thou perfect. — Gen. xvii. i.
Consecrate yourselves to-day to the Lord. — Ex.
xxxii. 29.
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days ;
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
F. R. Havergal.
T HAVE noticed that wherever there has been
' a faithful following of the Lord in a con-
secrated soul, several things have inevitably
followed, sooner or later. Meekness and quiet-
ness of spirit become in time the characteristics
of the daily Hfe. A submissive acceptance of the
will of God as it comes in the hourly events of
each day ; pliability in the hands of God to do
or to suffer all the good pleasure of his will;
sweetness under provocation ; calmness in the
midst of turmoil and bustle ; yieldingness to the
wishes of others, and an insensibility to slights
and affronts ; absence of worry or anxiety ;
deliverance from care and fear : — all these, and
many similar graces, are invariably found to be
the natural outward development of that inward
life which is hid with Christ in Cxod.
H. W. S
296 October 22.
Father^ if Thou be ivilling, remove this cup from
me ; tievertheless, 7iot my will^ but Thine, be done.
— Luke xxii. 42.
Just as Thou wilt is just what I would will;
Give me but this, the heart to be content,
And, if my wish is thwarted, to lie still,
Waiting till puzzle and till pain are spent,
And the sweet thing made plain which the Lord meant.
Susan Coolidge.
T ET your will be one with His will, and be
-^ glad to be disposed of by Him. He will
order all things for you. What can cross your
will, when it is one with His will, on which all
creation hangs, round which all things revolve?
Keep your hearts clear of evil thoughts ; for as
evil choices estrange the will from His will, so
evil thoughts cloud the soul, and hide Him from
vs. Whatever sets us in opposition to Him
makes our will an intolerable torment. So long
as we will one thing and He another, we go on
piercing ourselves through and through with a
perpetual wound ; and His will advances moving
on in sanctity and majesty, crushing ours into
the dust.
H. E. Manning
October 23. 297
Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God:
Thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of up-
rightness.— Ps. cxliii. 10.
The battle of our life is won,
And heaven begun,
When we can say, " Thy will be done !"
But, Lord, until
These restless hearts in Thy deep love are still,
We pray Thee, " Teach us how to do Thy will ! "
Lucy Larcom.
" X/'OUare seeking your own will, my daughter.
-^ You are seeking some good other than the
law you are bound to obey. But how will
you find good ? It is not a thing of choice ; it
is a river that flows ft-om the foot of the Invisible
Throne, and flows by the path of obedience.
I say again, man cannot choose his duties.
You may choose to forsake your duties, and
choose not to have the sorrow they bring. But
you will go forth, and what will you find, my
daughter ? Sorrow without duty — bitter herbs,
and no bread with them."
George Eliot.
However dark and profitless, however painful
and weary, existence may have become ; how-
ever any man, like Elijah, may be tempted to
cast himself down beneath the juniper- tree, and
say, " It is enough, O Lord ! " — life is not done,
and our Christian character is not w^on, so long
as God has anything left for us to suffer, or any-
thing left for us to do.
F. W. Robertson.
298 October 24.
The Lord is my strength^ and my shield; my
heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore
my heart greatly rejoiceth ; and with my S07ig will
I praise Him. — Ps. xxviii. 7.
Well may Thy happy children cease
From restless wishes, prone to sin,
And, in Thy own exceeding peace,
Yield to Thy daily discipline.
A. L. Waring.
" I ^ALK of hair-cloth shirts, and scourgings, and
sleeping on ashes, as means of saintship !
there is no need of them in our country. Let
a woman once look at her domestic trials as
her hair-cloth, her ashes, her scourges, — accept
them, — rejoice in them, — smile and be quiet,
silent, patient, and loving under them, — and the
convent can teach her no more ; she is a vic-
torious saint.
H. B. Stowe.
Perhaps it is a greater energy of Divine Provi-
dence, which keeps the Christian from day to
day, from year to year — praying, hoping, run-
ning, believing — against all hindrances — which
maintains him as a living martyr, than that which
bears him up for an hour in sacrificing himself at
the stake.
R. Cecii.
October 25. 299
For I a7n persuaded that neither dcath^ nor life,
nor angels^ nor priiicipaliiies, nor powers^ nor
things present^ nor things to come, nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to sepa-
rate us frojn the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord. — Rom. viii. 38, 39.
I KNOW not what the future hath
Of marvel or surprise,
Assured alone that life and death
His mercy underlies.
J. G. Whittier.
TDE of good faith, my dear Friends, look not out
at any thing ; fear none of those things ye
may be exposed to suffer, either outwardly or in-
wardly ; but trust the Lord over all, and your life
will spring, and grow, and refresh you, and ye
will learn obedience and faithfulness daily more
and more, even by your exercises and sufferings ;
yea, the Lord will teach you the very mystery of
faith and obedience ; the wisdom, power, love,
and goodness of the Lord ordering every thing
for you, and ordering your hearts in every thing.
I. Penington.
300 October 26.
Turn ye to the stro7ighold, ye prisoners of hope.
— Zech. ix. 12.
Their strength is to sit still. — Is A. xxx. 7,
O POWER to do ; O baffled will !
O prayer and action ! ye are one.
Who may not strive, may yet fulfil
The harder task of standing still,
And good but wished with God is done.
J. G. Whiitier.
" I ^HAT God has circumscribed our life may
add a peculiar element of trial, but often
it defines our way and cuts off many tempting
possibilities that perplex the free and the strong ;
whilst it leaves intact the whole body of spiritual
reality, with the Beatitude thereon, " that if we
know these things, happy are we if we do them."
We know that God orders the lot ; and to meet
it with the energies it requires and permits, neither
more nor less, — to fill it at every available point
with the light and action of an earnest and spirit-
ually inventive mind, though its scene be no wider
than a sick chamber, and its action narrowed to
patient suffering, and gentle, cheerful words, and
all the light it can emit the thankful quiet of a
trustful eye, — without chafing as though God
had misjudged our sphere, and placed us wrong,
and did not know where we could best serve
Him, — this is what, in that condition, we have
to do.
J. H. Thom.
October 27. 301
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities^ in re-
proaches^ in necessities^ in persecutions, in distresses
for Christ'* s sake : for when I am weak, then am 1
strotig. — 2 Cor. xii. 10.
Whate'er God does is well !
In patience let us wait ;
He doth Himself our burdens bear,
He doth for us take care,
And He, our God, knows all our weary days.
Come, give 1:1 im praise.
B. SCHMOLCK.
IVrOTHING else but this seeing God in every-
thing will make us loving and patient with
those who annoy and trouble us. They will be
to us then only the instruments for accomplishing
His tender and wise purposes towards us, and we
shall even find ourselves at last inwardly thanking
them for the blessings they bring us. Nothing
else will completely put an end to all murmuring
or rebelling thoughts.
H. W. S.
The subjection of the will is accomplished by
calmly resigning thyself up in everything that in-
ternally or externally vexes thee ; for it is thus
only that the soul is prepared for the reception of
divine influences. Prepare the heart like clean
paper, and the Divine Wisdom will imprint on it
characters to His own liking.
M. MOLINOS.
302 October 28.
/ ktiow the thoughts that I think toward you,
saiih the Lord^ thoughts of peace^ and not of evil,
to give you an expected end. — Jl:r. xxix- ii.
Thy thoughts are good, and Thou art kind.
E'en when we think it not ;
How many an anxious, faithless mind
Sits grieving o'er its lot,
And frets, and pines by day and night.
As God had lost it out of sight,
And all its wants forgot.
P. Gerhardt.
'VT'OU are never to complain of your birth, your
training, your employments, your hard-
ships ; never to fancy that you could be some-
thing if only you had a different lot and sphere
assigned you. God understands His own plan,
and He knows what you want a great deal better
than you do. The very things that you most
deprecate, as fatal limitations or obstructions, are
probably what you most want. What you call
hindrances, obstacles, discouragements, are prob-
ably God's opportunities. Bring down your soul,
or, rather, bring it up to receive God's will and do
His work, in your lot, in your sphere, under your
cloud of obscurity, against your temptations,
and then you shall find that your condition is
never opposed to your good, but really consistent
with it.
H. BUSHNELL.
October 29. 303
Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver ;
I have chosett thee in the furnace of affliction.
— ISA. xlviii. 10.
Be patient, suffering soul ! I hear thy cry. ^
The trial fires may glow, but I am nigh.
I see the silver, and I will refine
Until My image shall upon it shine.
Fear not, for I am near, thy help to be ;
Greater than all thy pain, My love for thee.
H. W. C.
/'"^OD takes a thousand times more pains with
us than the artist with his picture, by many
touches of sorrow, and by many colors of circum-
stance, to bring man into the form which is the
highest and noblest in His sight, if only we re-
ceived His gifts and myrrh in the right spirit.
. . . But when the cup is put away, and these
feelings are stifled or unheeded, a greater injury
is done to the soul than can ever be amended.
For no heart can conceive in what surpassing
love God giveth us this myrrh ; yet this which we
ought to receive to our soul's good, we suffer to
pass by us in our sleepy indifference, and noth-
ing comes of it. Then we come and complain :
'' Alas, Lord ! I am so dry, and it is so dark
within me ! " I tell thee, dear child, open thy
heart to the pain, and it will do thee more
good than if thou wsrt full of feeling and de-
voutness.
J. Tauler.
504 October 30.
Thai good thiiio which was committed unto thee,
keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in tcs. —
2 Tim. i. 14.
Oh that the Comforter would come !
Nor visit as a transient guest,
But fix in me His constant home,
And keep possession of my breast :
And make my soul His loved abode,
The temple of indwelling God !
C. Wesley.
'T^HY spirit should become, while yet on earth,
-*- the peaceful throne of the Divine Being ;
think, then, how quiet, how gentle and pure, how
reverent, thou shouldst be.
Gerhard Tersteegen.
I CANNOT tell you how much I love you. But
that which of all things I have most at heart,
with regard to you, is the real progress of your
soul in the divine life. Heaven seems to be
awakened in you. It is a tender plant. It re-
quires stillness, meekness, and the unity of the
heart, totally given up to the unknown workings
of the Spirit of God, which will do all its work
in the calm soul, that has no hunger or desire
but to escape out of the mire of its earthly Hfe
into its lost union and life in God. I mention
this, out of a fear of your giving in to an eagerness
about many things, which, though seemingly
innocent, yet divide and weaken the workings of
the divine life within you.
Wm. Law.
October 31. 305
And Enoch walked with God; and he was not_,
for God took him. — Gen. v. 24.
Oh for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heavenly frame ;
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb !
\V. COWPER
TS it possible for any of us in these modem days
to so live that we may walk with God?
Can we walk with God in the shop, in the office,
in the household, and on the street ? When men
exasperate us, and work wearies us, and ihe
children fret, and the servants annoy, and our
best-laid plans fall to pieces, and our casties in
the air are dissipated like bubbles that break at
a breath, then can we walk with God? That
religion which fails us in the every-day trials and
experiences of life has somewhere in it a flaw.
It should be more than a plank to sustain us in
the rushing tide, and land us exhausted and
dripping on the other side. It ought, if it come
from above, to be always, day by day, to our
souls as the wings of a bird, bearing us away
from and beyond the impediments which seek
to hold us down. If the Divine Love be a con-
scious presence, an indwelling force with us, it
will do this.
Christian Union
306 November 1.
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth
is fiajned. — Eph. iii. 15.
One family, we dwell in Him;
One church above, beneath ;
Though now divided by the stream, —
The narrow stream of death.
One army of the living God,
To His command we bow :
Part of His host has crossed the flood,
And part is crossing now.
C. Wesley-
T ET us, then, learn that we can never be
"^ lonely or forsaken in this life. Shall they
forget us because they are " made perfect " ?
Shall they love us the less because they now have
power to love us more ? If we forget them not,
shall they not remember us with God? No trial,
then, can isolate us, no sorrow can cut us off
from the Communion of Saints. Kneel down,
and you are with them ; lift up your eyes, and
the heavenly world, high above all perturbation,
hangs serenely overhead ; only a thin veil, it
may be, floats between. All whom we loved,
and all who loved us, whom we still love no less,
while they love us yet more, are ever near, be-
cause ever in His presence in whom we live and
dwell.
H. E. Manning.
November 2. 307
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about
luith so great a cloud of witnesses^ let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset
us, and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us, — Heb. xii. i-
When the powers of hell prevail
O'er our weakness and unfitness,
Could we lift the fleshly veil.
Could we for a moment witness
Those unnumbered hosts that stand
Calm and bright on either hand ;
Oh, what joyful hope would cheer,
Oh, what faith serene would guide us ?
Great may be the danger near.
Greater are the friends beside us.
Anon
T Tt 7 E are compassed about by a cloud of wit-
' '^ nesses, whose hearts throb in sympathy
with every effort and struggle, and who thrill with
joy at every success. How should this thought
check and rebuke every worldly feeling and un-
worthy purpose, and enshrine us, in the midst of
a forgetful and unspiritual world, with an atmos-
phere of heavenly peace ! They have overcome
— have risen — are cro mi ed, glorified ; but still
they remain to us, our assistants, our comforters,
and in every hour of darkness their voice speaks
to us : " So we grieved, so we struggled, so we
fainted, so we doubted ; but we have overcomes
we have obtained, we have seen, we have foundj
— and in our victory behold the certainty of thy
own."
H. 1>. SrowE.
3o8 November 3.
Wherefore putting aivay lyings speak every man
truth with his neighbor : for we are member's one
of another. — Eph. iv. 25.
In conversation be sincere;
Keep conscience as the noontide clear j
Think how All-seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.
Thomas Ken.
" I "HE essence of lying is in deception, not in
words ; a lie may be told by silence, by
equivocation, by the accent on a syllable, by a
glance of the eye attaching a peculiar significance
to a sentence ; and all these kinds of lies are
worse and baser by many degrees than a lie
plainly worded ; so that no form of blinded con-
science is so far sunk as that which comforts it-
self for having deceived because the deception
was by gesture or silence, instead of utterance.
J. RUSKIN.
He that is habituated to deceptions and artifi-
cialities in trifles, will try in vain to be true in
matters of importance ; for truth is a thing of
habit rather than of will. You cannot in any
given case by any sudden and single effort will
to be true, if the habit of your Ufe has been
insincerity.
F. W. Robertson
November 4. 309
A soft answer tiirneth away wrath : but griev-
ous words stir tip anger. — Pro v. xv. i.
Doest thou well to be angry ? — Jonah iv. 4.
Renew Thine image, Lord, in me,
Lowly and gentle may I be ;
No charms but these to Thee are dear;
No anger mayst Thou ever fip.d,
No pride in my unruffled mind,
But faith, and heaven- born peace be there.
P. Gerhardt.
"^EITHER say nor do aught displeasing to
thy neighbor ; and if thou hast been want-
ing in charity, seek his forgiveness, or speak to
him with gentleness. Speak always with mild-
ness and in a low tone of voice.
L. SCUPOLI.
Injuries hurt not more in the receiving than
in the remembrance. A small injury shall go as
it comes; a great injury may dine or sup with
me ; but none at all shall lodge with me. AMiy
should I vex myself because another hath vexed
me? Grief for things past that cannot be reme-
died, and care for things to come that cannot be
prevented, may easily hurt, can never benefit
me. I will therefore commit myself to God in
both, and enjoy the present.
Joseph Hali.
3IO November 5.
The temple of God is holy^ which temple ye
are. — i CoR. iii. 17.
Now shed Thy mighty influence abroad
On souls that would their Father's image bear;
Make us as holy temples of our God,
Where dwells forever calm, adoring prayer.
C. J. P. Spitta.
'T^HIS pearl of eternity is the church or temple
of God within thee, the consecrated place
of divine worship, where alone thou canst wor-
ship God in spirit and in truth. When once thou
art well grounded in this inward worship, thou
wilt have learned to live unto God above time
and place. For every day will be Sunday to thee,
and, wherever thou goest, thou wilt have a priest,
a church, and an altar along with thee. For
when God has all that he should have of thy
heart, when thou art wholly given up to the
obedience of the light and spirit of God within
thee, to will only in His will, to love only in His
love, to be wise only in His wisdom, then it is
that everything thou dost is as a song of praise,
and the common business of thy life is a con-
forming to God's will on earth as angels do in
heaven.
Wm. Law
November 6. 311
He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him :
He also will hear their C7y, and will save them. —
Ps. cxlv. 19.
Delight thyself also in the Lord j and He shall
give thee the desires of thine heart. — Ps. xxxvii. 4.
Though to-day may not fulfil
All thy hopes, have patience still ;
For perchance to-morrow's sun
Sees thy happier days begun.
P. Gerhardt
TTIS great desire and delight is God; and
by desiring and delighting, he hath Him.
Delight thou in the Lord, and He shall give thee
thy heart's desire, — Himself ; and then surely
thou shalt have all. Any other thing commit it
to Him, and he shall bring it to pass.
R. Leighton.
All who call on God in true faith, earnestly
from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will
receive what they have asked and desired, al-
though not in the hour or in the measure, or the
ver}^ thing which they ask ; yet they will obtain
something greater and more glorious than they
had dared to ask.
Martin Luther
312 November 7.
/ was 7iot disobedient unto the heavenly vision. —
Acts xxvi. 19.
The Lord our God will we serve., and His voice
will we obey. — Josh. xxiv. 24.
I WILL shun no toil or woe,
Where Thou leadest I will go,
Be my pathway plain or rough ;
If but every hour may be
Spent in work that pleases Thee,
Ah, dear Lord, it is enough !
G. Tersteegf.n.
A LL these longings and doubts, and this in-
ward distress, are the voice of the Good
Shepherd in your heart, seeking to call you out of
all that is contrary to His will. Oh, let me en-
treat of you not to turn away from His gentle
pleadings.
H. W. S.
The fear of man brings a snare. By halting in
our duty and giving back in the time of trial, our
hands grow weaker, our ears grow dull as to
hearing the language of the true Shepherd ; so
that when we look at the way of the righteous, it
seems as though it was not for us to follow them.
J. WOOLMAN.
November 8. 313
Lo^ I come to do Thy will, O God. — Heb. x. 9.
Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my
God. — Ps. cxiiii. 10.
Lo ! I come with jo}- to do
The Father's blessed will;
Him in outward works pursue,
And serve His pleasure still.
Faithful to my Lord's commands,
I still would choose the better part ;
Serve with careful Martha's hands.
And loving Mary's heart.
C. Wesley.
A SOUL cannot be regarded as truly subdued
* and consecrated in its will, and as having
passed into union with the Divine will, until it has
a disposition to do promptly and faithfully all that
God requires, as well as to endure patiendy and
thankfully all that He imposes.
T. C. Uph.\m.
When we have learned to offer up every duty
connected with our situation in life as a sacrifice
to God, a settled employment becomes just a
setded habit of prayer.
Thomas Erskine.
" Do the duty which lies nearest thee^'' which
thou knowest to be a duty. Thy second duty
will already have become clearer.
T. Carlylk
314 November 9.
Say not thou^ I will hide myself from the Lord:
shall any remember me from above f I shall not
be rejiiembered atnong so inany people : for what
is 7ny soul among such an infyiife number of crea-
tures?— ECCLESIASTICUS, xvi. I7.
Among so man}', can He care ?
Can special love be everywhere?
A myriad homes, — a myriad ways, —
And God's eye over every place ?
I asked : my soul bethought of this ; —
In just that very place of His
Where He hath put and keepeth you,
God hath no other thing to do !
A. D. T. Whitney.
r^ IVE free and bold play to those instincts of
^"^ the heart which believe that the Creator
must care for the creatures He has made, and
that the only real effective care for them must
be that which takes each of them into His love,
and knowing it separately surrounds it with His
separate sympathy. There is not one life which
the Life-giver ever loses out of His sight ; not
one which sins so that He casts it away ; not one
which is not so near to Him that whatever
touches it touches Him with sorrow or with
joy.
Phillips Brooks
November 10. 315
In Him we live, a7idmove, and have our being. —
Acts xvii. 28.
Whither shall I go from 7hy spirit ? or whither
shall I flee from Thy presence ? — Ps. cxxxix. 7.
Yea ! In Thy life our little lives are ended,
Into Thy depths our trembling spirits fall ;
In Thee enfolded, gathered, comprehended.
As holds the sea her waves — Thou hold'st us all.
E. SCUDDER.
Vy HERE then is our God ? You say, He
is everywhere : then show me anywhe7-e
that you have met Him. You declare Him
everlasting: then tell me any vi07nent that He
has been with you. You believe Him ready to
succor them that are tempted, and to lift those
that are borwed down : then in what passionate
hour did you subside into His calm grace? in
what sorrow lose yourself in His " more exceed-
ing" joy? These are the testing questions by
which we may learn whether we too have raised
our altar to an " unknown God " and pay the
worship of the blind ; or whether we commune
with Him " in whom we live, and move, and have
our being."
J. Martineau.
3 1 0 November 1 1 .
Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pieasijig,
being frititfiil in every good work, and increas-
ing in the knowledge of Godj strengthened with
all mighty according to His glorious power, unto
all patience and lojig-siiffering with joyfulness. —
Col. i. lo, II.
To be the thing we seem.
To do the thing we deem
Enjoined by duty ;
To walk in faith, nor dream
Of questioning God's scheme
Of truth and beauty.
Anon.
'T^O shape the whole Future is not our problem ;
but only to shape faithfully a small part
of it, according to rules already known. It is
perhaps possible for each of us, who will with
due earnestness inquire, to ascertain clearly what
he, for his own part, ought to do ; this let him,
with true heart, do, and continue doing. The
general issue will, as it has always done, rest well
with a Higher Intelligence than ours. . . . This
day thou knowest ten commanded duties, seest
in thy mind ten things which should be done for
one that thou doest ! Do one of them ; this of
itself will show thee ten others which can and
shall be done.
T. Carlyle.
November 12. 317
/ i7Utst work the works of Him that sent me^
while it is day j the night cometh^ when no man
zan work. — JOHX ix. 4.
Wherefore have ye tiot fulfilled your task ? —
Ex. V. 14.
He who intermits
The appointed task and duties of the day
Untunes full oft the pleasures of the day ;
Checking the finer spirits that refuse
To flow, when purposes are lightly changed.
W. Wordsworth.
TDY putting off things beyond their proper
-*-^ times, one duty treads upon the heels of
another, and all duties are felt as irksome obliga-
tions, — a yoke beneath which we fret and lose
our peace. In most cases the consequence of this
is, that we have no time to do the work as it
ought to be done. It is therefore done precipi-
tately, with eagerness, with a greater desire simply
to get it done, than to do it well, and with very
little tJiought of God throughout.
F. W. Faber.
Sufficient for each day is the good thereof,
equally as the evil. We must do at once, and
with our might, the merciful deed that our hand
findeth to do, — else it will never be done, for
the hand will find other tasks, and the arrears
fall through. And every unconsummated good
feeling, every unfulfilled purpose that His spirit
has prompted, shall one day charge us as faithless
and recreant before God.
J. H. Thom.
31 8 November 13.
Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest^ O
Lord, and teachest him out of Thy law. — Ps.
xciv. 12.
Truly this is a grief, and I jnust bear it. — Jer.
X 19.
Hold in thy murmurs, heaven arraigning 1
The patient see God's loving face ;
Who bear their burdens uncomplaining,
'T is they that win the Father's grace.
Anon.
T^O not run to this and that for comfort when
you are in trouble, but bear it. Be uncom-
fortably quiet — be uneasily silent — be patiently
unhappy.
J. P. Greaves.
Hard words 7vill vex ; unkindness ivill pierce ;
neglect luill wound ; threatened evils ivill make
the soul quiver; sharp pain or weariness will
rack the body, or make it restless. But what
says the Psalmist? "When my heart is vexed,
I will complain." To whom? Not ^God, but
to God.
E. B. PU.SEY.
Surely, I have thought, I do not want to have
a grief which would not be a grief. I feel that
I shall be able to take up my cross in a religious
spirit soon, and then it will be all right.
James Hinton
November 14. 319
Thou art my servant J I have formed thee ; thou
art my servant; O Israel^ tlioic shalt not he for-
gottett of me. — Is A. xliv. 21.
Oh, give Thy servant patience to be still,
And bear Thy will ;
Courage to venture wholly on the arm
That will not harm ;
The wisdom that will never let me stray
Out of my way ;
The love, that, now afflicting, knoweth best
When I should rest.
J. M. Neale.
A CCEPT His will entirely, and never suppose
'^^ that you could serve Him better in any
other way. You can never serve Him well, save
in the way He chooses. Supposing that you
were never to be set free from such trials, what
would you do ? You would say to God, " I am
Thine — if my trials are acceptable to Thee, give
me more and more." I have full confidence that
this is what you would say, and then you would
not think more of it — at any rate, you would
not be anxious. Well, do the same now. Make
friends with your trials, as though you were al-
ways to live together ; and you will see that when
you cease to take thought for your own deliver-
ance, God will take thought for you ; and when
you cease to help yourself eagerly, He will help
you.
Francis de Sales.
Ah, if you knew what peace there is in an
accepted sorrow !
Madame Guyon
320 November 15.
Fear thou not ; for I am with thee : be not dis-
mayed; for I am thy God : I will strengthen
thee; yea^ I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee
with the right hand of my righteousness. — Is A.
xli. 10.
Lord, be Thou near and cheer my lonely way ;
With Thy sweet peace my aching bosom fill ;
Scatter my cares and fears ; my griefs allay,
And be it mine each day
To love and please Thee still
P. CORNEILLE.
VI7HAT if the wicked nature, which is as a
sea casting out mire and dirt, rage against
thee? There is a river, a sweet, still, flowing
river, the streams whereof will make glad thy
heart. And, learn but in quietness and stillness
to retire to the Lord, and wait upon Him ; in
whom thou shalt feel peace and joy, in the midst
of thy trouble from the cruel and vexatious spirit
of this world. So, wait to know thy work and
service to the Lord every day, in thy place and
station ; and the Lord make thee faithful therein,
and thou wilt want neither help, support, nor
comfort.
I. Penington
November 16. 3:^1
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind
is stayed on Thee ; because he trusteth in Thee, —
IsA. xxvi. 3.
What comforts, Lord, to those are given,
Who seek in Thee their home and rest !
They find on earth an opening heaven,
And in Thy peace are amply "blest.
W. C. Dessler.
r^ OD is a tranquil Being, and abides in a tran-
^-^ quil eternity. So must thy spirit become
a tranquil and clear little pool, wherein the serene
light of God can be mirrored. Therefore shun all
that is disquieting and distracting, both within
and without. Nothing in the whole world is
worth the loss of thy peace ; even the faults
which thou hast committed should only humble,
but not disquiet thee. God is full of joy, peace,
and happiness. Endeavor then to obtain a con-
tinually joyful and peaceful spirit. Avoid all
anxious care, vexation, murmuring, and melan-
choly, which darken thy soul, and render thee
unfit for the friendship of God. If thou dost
perceive such feelings arising, turn gently away
from them.
G. Tersteegen
322 November 17.
Every day ivill I bless Thee, and I will praise
Thy name for ever atid ever. — Ps. cxlv. 2.
Commit thy works tinto the Lord, and thy thoughts
shall be established. — Pro v. xvi. 3.
Lord, I my vows to Thee renew ;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with Thyself my spirit fill.
Thomas Ken.
TV/f ORNING by morning think, for a few mo-
ments, of the chief employments of the
day, any one thing of greater moment than
others, thine own especial trial, any occasions
of it which are likely to come that day, and by
one short strong act commend thyself before-
hand in all to God ; offer all thy thoughts, words,
and deeds to Him — to be governed, guided, ac-
cepted by Him. . . . Choose some great occasions
of the day, such as bring with them most trial
to thee, on wdiich, above others, to commend
thyself to God.
E. B. PUSEY.
Will you not, before venturing away from your
early quiet hour, "commit thy works" to Him
definitely, the special things you have to do
to-day, and the unforeseen work which He may
add in the course of it?
F. R. Havergal.
November IS. 323
Hereby know we that we dwell in Hini^ and He
in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit. —
I John iv. 13.
WiTHTN ! within, oh turn
Thy spirit's eyes, and learn
Thy wandering senses gently to control ;
Thy dearest Friend dwells deep within thy soul,
And asks thyself of thee.
That heart, and mind, and sense, He may make whole
In perfect harmony.
G. Tersteegen.
T17AIT patiently, trust humbly, depend only
^^ upon, seek solely to a God of Light and
Love, of Mercy and Goodness, of Glory and Maj-
esty, ever dwelling in the inmost depth and spirit
of your soul. There you have all the secret, hid-
den, invisible Upholder of all the creation, whose
blessed operation will always be found by a
humble, faithful, loving, calm, patient introversion
of your heart to Him, who has His hidden
heaven within you, and which will open itself
to you, as soon as your heart is left wholly
to His eternal, ever-speaking word, and ever-
sanctifying spirit within you. Beware of all
eagerness and activity of your own natural spirit
and temper. Run not in any hasty ways of
your own. Be patient under the sense of your
own vanity and weakness ; and patiently wait
for God to do His own work, and in His own
way.
Wm. Law
324 November 19.
If any man a7nong you seem to be religious^ and
bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own hearty
this man''s religion is vain. — James i. 26.
/ said, I wiil take heed to ?ny ways, that i sin
not with my tongue. — Ps. xxxix. i .
No sinful word, nor deed of wrong,
Nor thoughts that idly rove;
But simple truth be on our tongue,
And in our hearts be love.
St. Ambrose.
T ET us all resolve, — First, to attain the grace
of SILENCE ; Second, to deem all fault-
finding that does no good a sin, and to resolve,
when we are happy ourselves, not to poison the
atmosphere for our neighbors by calling on them
to remark every painful and disagreeable feature
of their daily life ; Third, to practise the grace
and virtue of praise.
Harriet B. Stowe.
Surrounded by those who constantly exhibit
defects of character and conduct, if we yield to
a complaining and impatient spirit, we shall mar
our own peace without having the satisfaction of
benefiting others.
T. C Upham.
November 20. 325
V^ have 7ieed of patience, that, after ye have done
the will of God, ye might receive the promise. —
Heb. X. 36.
Sweet Patience, come :
Not from a low and earthly source, —
Waiting, till things shall have their course, —
Not as accepting present pain
In hope of some hereafter gain, —
Not in a dull and sullen calm, —
But as a breath of heavenly balm,
Bidding my weary heart submit
To bear whatever God sees fit :
Sweet Patience, come !
Hymns of the Church Militant.
TDATIENCE endues her scholars with content
of mind, and evenness of temper, prevent-
ing all repining grumbling, and impatient desires,
and inordinate affections ; disappointments here
are no crosses, and all anxious thoughts are dis-
armed of their sting ; in her habitations dwell
quietness, submission, and long-suffering, all fierce
turbulent inclinations are hereby allayed. The
eyes of the patient fixedly wait the inward power
of God's providence, and they are thereby
mightily enabled towards their salvation and
presen-ation.
Thomas Tryon
326 November 21.
Man shall not live by bread alone^ but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. —
Matt. iv. 4.
A jnatt's life consisteth not in the abundance of
the things which he possesseth. — Luke xii. 15.
Whate'er God does is well,
Whether He gives or takes !
And what we from His hand receive
Suffices us to live.
He takes and gives, while yet He loves us still.
Then love His will.
B. SCHMOLCK
TS that beast better, that hath two or three moun-
tains to graze on, than a little bee, that feeds
on dew or manna, and lives upon what falls every
morning from the storehouse of heaven, clouds,
and providence ? ,
Jeremy Taylor.
For myself I am certain that the good of hu-
man life cannot lie in the possession of things
which for one man to possess is for the rest to
lose, but rather in things which all can possess
alike, and where one man's wealth promotes his
neighbor's.
B. Spinoza.
Every lot is happy to a person who bears it
with tranquillity.
BOETHIUS.
November 22. 327
Vour Father knoweth what things ye have need
of.' — Matt. vi. 8.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His right-
eousness^ and all these things shall be added unto
you. — Matt. vi. 33.
Thy kingdom come, with power and grace,
To every heart of man ;
Thy peace, and joy, and righteousness
In ail our bosoms reign.
C. Wesley.
/^^OD bids us, then, by past mercies, by present
grace, by fears of coming ill, by hopes in
His goodness, earnestly, with our whole hearts,
seek Him and His righteousness, and all these
things, all ye need for soul and body, peace, com-
fort, joy, the overflowing of His consolations,
shall be added over and above to you.
E. B. PUSEY.
GR.A.NT us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, always
to seek Thy kingdom and righteousness, and of
whatsoever Thou seest us to stand in need, mer-
cifully grant us an abundant portion. Amen.
Be content to be a child, and let the Father
proportion out daily to thee what light, what
power, what exercises, what straits, what fears,
what troubles He sees fit for thee.
I. Pkxingto.n'
328 Novembei 23.
/ have taught thee in the way of wisdom j I have
led thee in right paths. — Prov. iv. ii.
We know not what the path may be
As yet by us untrod ;
But we can trust our all to Thee,
Our Father and our God.
Wm. J. Irons
Tl 7E have very little command over the cir-
cum stances m which we may be called by
God to bear our part — unlimited command over
the tem|.er of our souls, but next to no command
over the outward forms of trial. The most ener-
getic will cannot order the events by which our
spirits are to be perilled and tested. Powers
quite beyond our reach — death, accident, for-
tune, another's sin — may change in a moment
all the conditions of our hfe. With to-morrow's
sun existence may have new and awful aspects
for any of us.
J. H. Thom.
Oh, my friend, look not out at what stands in
the way ; what if it look dreadfully as a lion, is not
the Lord stronger than the mountains of prey?
but look in, where the law of life is written, and
the will of the Lord revealed, that thou mayest
know what is the Lord's will concerning thee.
I. Penington
November 24. 329
Be of good coi(ra(^e, aiid He shall strengthen your
heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. — Ps. xxxi. 24.
Let not your heart be troubled^ neither let it be
a/raid. — John xiv. 27.
In heavenly love abiding,
No change my heart shall fear ;
And safe is such confiding,
For nothing changes here.
A. L. Waring.
A TRUE Christian, that hath power over his
own will, may live nobly and happily, and
enjoy a clear heaven within the serenity of his
own mind perpetually. When the sea of this
world is most rough and tempestuous about him,
then can he ride safely at anchor within the
haven, by a sweet compliance of his will with
God's will. He can look about him, and with
an even and indifferent mind behold the world
either to smile or frown upon him ; neither will
he abate of the least of his contentment for all
the ill and unkind usage he meets withal in this
life. He that hath got the mastery over his own
will feels no violence from without, finds no con-
tests within ; and when God calls for him out
of this state of mortality, he finds in himself
a power to lay down his own life ; neither is it
so much taken from him, as quiedy and freely
surrendered up by him.
Dr. T<^hn Smith.
330 November 25.
And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee ;
He will be with thee. He will not fail thee, 7ieither
forsake thee : fear not, neither be dismayed. — ■
Deut. xxxi. 8.
Know well, my soul, God's hand controls
Whate'er thou fearest ;
Round Him in calmest music rolls
Whate'er thou hearest.
J. G. Whittier,
T^HE lessons of the moral sentiment are, once
for all, an emancipation from that anxiety
which takes the joy out of all life. It teaches
a great peace. It comes itself from the highest
place. It is that, which being in all sound
natures, and strongest in the best and most
gifted men, we know to be implanted by the
Creator of men. It is a commandment at every
moment, and in every condition of life, to do the
duty of that moment, and to abstain from doing
the wrong.
R. W. Emerson.
Go face the fire at sea, or the cholera in your
friend's house, or the burglar in your own, or
what danger lies in the way of duty, knowing
you are guarded by the cherubim of Destiny.
R. W. Emerson
November 26. 33
Behold^ I am with thee, and will keep thee in all
places whither thoit goest. — Gen. xxviii. 15.
Be quiet, soul :
Why shouldst thou care and sadness borrow,
Why sit in nameless fear and sorrow,
The livelong day ?
God will mark out thy path to-morrow
In His best way.
Anon.
T HAD hoped, Madame, to find you here, and
was rejoicing in that hope ; but God has
sent you elsewhere. The best place is wherever
He puts us, and any other would be undesirable,
all the worse because it would please our fancy,
and would be of our own choice. Do not think
about distant events. This uneasiness about the
future is unwholesome for you. We must leave
to God all that depends on Him, and think only
of being faithful in all that depends upon our
selves. When God takes away that which He
has given you, He knows well how to replace it,
either through other means or by Himself
Fexelon
33-2 November 27.
The Lord hath been tnindful of jis : He 'will
jless us. — Ps. cxv. 12.
My Father ! what am I, that all
Thy mercies sweet like sunlight fall
So constant o'er my way .''
That Thy great love should shelter me,
And guide my steps so tenderly
Through every changing day .''
Anon.
\T7HAT a strength and spring of life, what
hope and trust, what glad, unresting
energy, is in this one thought, — to serve Him
who is "my Lord," ever near me, ever looking
on ; seeing my intentions before He beholds
my failures ; knowing my desires before He sees
my faults ; cheering me to endeavor greater
things, and yet accepting the least ; inviting my
poor service, and yet, above all, content with
my poorer love. Let us try to realize this, what-
soever, wheresoever we be. The humblest and
the simplest, the weakest and the most encum-
bered, may love Him not less than the busiest
and strongest, the most gifted and laborious.
If our heart be clear before Him ; if He be to
us our chief and sovereign choice, dear above
all, and beyond all desired ; then all else matters
little. That which concerneth us He will perfect
in stillness and in power.
H. E. Manning
November 28. 333
Vea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love;
therefore with loving-kindness have 1 drawn thee.
— Jer. xxxi. 3.
On the great love of God I lean,
Love of the Infinite, Unseen,
With nought of heaven or earth between.
This God is mine, and I am His ;
His love is all I need of bliss.
H. Bonar.
TF ever human love was tender, and self-
sacrificing, and devoted ; if ever it could
bear and forbear ; if ever it could suffer gladly
for its loved ones ; if ever it was willing to pour
itself out in a lavish abandonment for the comfort
or pleasure of its objects ; then infinitely more
is Divine love tender, and self-sacrificing, and
devoted, and glad to bear and forbear, and to
suffer, and to lavish its best of gifts and blessings
upon the objects of its love. Put together all
the tenderest love you know of, the deepest you
have ever felt, and the strongest that has ever
been poured out upon you, and heap upon it
all the love of all the loving human hearts in the
world, and then multiply it by infinity, and you will
begin, perhaps, to have some faint glimpse of
what the love of God is.
H. W. S.
334 Novein"ber 29.
My sons^ be not jioiv negligetit : for the Lord hath
chosen yoii to stand before Him, to serve Him. —
2 Chron. xxix. II.
Bright be my prospect as I pass along ; —
An ardent service at the cost of all, —
Love by untiring ministry made strong,
And ready for the first, the softest call.
A. L. Waring.
'T^HERE are many things that appear trifles,
which greatly tend to enervate the soul,
and hinder its progi-ess in the path to virtue and
glory. The habit of indulging in things which
our judgment cannot thoroughly approve, grows
stronger and stronger by every act of self-gratifi-
cation, and we are led on by degrees to an excess
of luxury which must greatly weaken our hands
in the spiritual warfare. If we do not endeavor
to do that which is right in every particular cir-
cumstance, though trifling, we shall be in great
danger of letting the same negligence take place
in matters more essential.
Margaret Woods.
The will can only be made submissive by
frequent self-denials, which must keep in subjec-
tion its sallies and inclinations. Great weakness
is often produced by indulgences which seem of
no importance.
M. MOLINOS.
November 30. 355
Why art thou cast down^ O my soul ? and ivhy
art thou disquieted in me ? hope thou in God ;
for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His couti-
tenance. — Ps. xlii. 5.
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed.
— 2 Cor. iv. 8.
Oh, my soul, why art thou vexed ?
Let things go e'en as they will ;
Though to thee they seem perjjlexed,
Yet His order they fulfil.
A. H. Francke.
'T^HE vexation, restlessness, and impatience
-*■ which small trials cause, arise wholly from
our ignorance and want of self-control. We may
be thwarte^ and troubled, it is true, but these
things put us into a condition for exercising
patience and meek submission, and the self-
abnegation wherein alone the fulness of God is to
be found.
De Renty.
Every day deny yourself some satisfaction : —
bearing all the inconveniences of life (for the
love of God), cold, hunger, restless nights, ill
health, unwelcome news, the faults of servants,
contempt, ingratitude of friends, malice of ene-
mies, calumnies, our own failings, lowness of
spirits, the struggle in overcoming our corrup-
tions ; — bearing all these with patience and
resignation to the will of God. Do all this as
unto God, with the greatest privacy.
Bishop Wilson
I
335 December 1.
Charity envieth not, . . . tJiinketh no evil. —
I Cor. xiii. 4, 5.
Why dost thou judge thy brother ? or why dost
thou set at nought thy brother ? — RoM. xiv. 10.
He that despiseth his neighbor^ sinneth. — Prov.
xiv. 21.
Look thou with pity on a brother's fall,
But dwell not with stern anger on his fault;
The grace of God alone holds thee, holds all ;
Were that withdrawn, thou too wouldst swerve and halt.
J. Edmeston.
F, on hearing of the fall of a brother, however
differing or severed from us, we feel the least
inclination to linger over it, instead of hiding it in
grief and shame, or veiling it in the love which
covereth a multitude of sins ; if, in seeing a joy or
a grace or an effective service given to others, we
do not rejoice, but feel depressed, let us be very
watchful ; the most diabolical of passions may
mask itself as humility, or zeal for the glory of
i.od.
Elizabeth Charles.
[ Love taketh up no malign elements ; its spirit
prompteth it to cover in mercy all things that
ought not to be exposed, to believe all of good
that can be believed, to hope all things that a
good God makes possible, and to endure all things
that the hope may be made good.
J. H. Thom.
December 2. 337
Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man., whoso-
ever thou art that jtidgest: for wherein thou judg-
est another^ thoti coudemtiest thyself j for thon thai
judgest doest the same things. — RoM. ii. i.
Search thine own heart. What paineth thee
In others, in thyself may be ;
All dust is frail, all flesh is weak ;
Be thou the true man thou dost seek.
J. G. Whittier.
A SAINT'S life in one man may be less than
common honesty in another. From iis,
whose consciences He has reached and enlight-
ened, God may look for a martyr's truth, a Chris-
tian's unworldly simplicity, before He will place
us on a level even with the average of the exposed
classes. We perhaps think our lives at least
harmless. We do not consider what He may
think of them, when compared with the invita-
tions of His that we have slighted, with the aims
of His Providence we are leaving without our
help, with the glory for ourselves we are refusing
and casting away, with the vast sum of blessed
work tliat daily faithfulness in time can rear with-
out overwork on any single day.
J H. Thom
22
338 December 3.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peace in believing^ that ye may aboiuid in hope^
through the power of the Holy Ghost. — ROxM.
XV. 13.
To heaven I lift my waiting eyes ;
There all my hopes are laid ;
The Lord that built the earth and skies
Is my perpetual aid.
I. Watts.
f~~^ ROVEL not in things below, among earthly
^^ cares, pleasures, anxieties, toils, if thou
wouldst have a good strong hope on high. Lift
up thy cares with thy heart to God, if thou
wouldst hope in Him. Then see what in thee is
most displeasing to God. This it is which hold-
eth thy hope down. Strike firmly, repeatedly, in
the might of God, until it give way. Thy hope
will soar at once with thy thanks to God who
delivereth thee.
E. B. PUSEY.
The snares of the enemy will be so known to
thee and discerned, the way of help so manifest
and easy, that their strength will be broken, and
the poor entangled bird will fly away singing,
from the nets and entanglements of the fowler ;
and praises will spring up, and great love in thy
heart to the Forgiver and Redeemer.
I. Penington.
December 4. 339
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold 07i eter-
nal life, 'wliereiinto tJwu art also called. — i Tim.
Oh, dream no more of quiet life ;
Care finds the careless out ; more wise to vow
Thy heart entire to faith's pure strife ;
So peace will come, thou knowest not when or how.
Lyra Apostolica.
TTTHO art thou that complainest of thy Hfe of
toil? Complain not. Look up, my wea-
ried brother ; see thy fellow-workmen there, in
God's Eternity ; surviving there, they alone
surviving ; sacred band of the Immortals, ce-
lestial body-guard of the empire of mankind.
To thee Heaven, though severe, is not unkind ;
Heaven is kind, — as a noble mother ; as that
Spartan mother, saying while she gave her son
his shield, " With it, my son, or upon it," Thou
too shalt return ho^ne in honor ; to thy far-distant
Home, in honor ; doubt it not, — if in the battle
thou keep thy shield ! Thou, in the Eternities
and deepest death-kingdoms art not an alien ;
thou everywhere art a denizen. Complain not.
T. Carlvlk
340 December 5.
The God of all grace, who hath called us unto
His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye
have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish,
strengthen, settle you. — i Pet. v. io.
Take heed, and bj quiet ; fear ftot, neither be
faint-hearted. — Is A. vii. 4.
How shalt thou bear the cross that now
So dread a weight appears ?
Keep quietly to God, and think
Upon the Eternal Years.
F. W. Faber,
C^OV> forgive them that raise an ill report upon
^^ the sweet cross of Christ ; it is but our
weak and dim eyes, that look but to the black
side, that makes us mistake ; those that can take
that crabbed tree handsomely upon their backs,
and fasten it on cannily, shall find it such a bur-
den as wings unto a bird, or sails to a ship.
S Rutherford.
Blessed is any weight, however overwhelming,
which God has been so good as to fasten with
His own hand upon our shoulders.
F. W. Faber.
We cannot say this or that trouble shall not
befall, yet we may, by help of the Spirit, say,
nothing that doth befall shall make me do that
which is unworthy of a Christian.
R. SiBBES
December 6. 341
Ihis God is our God for ever and ever : He will
be our guide e7)en unto deatli. — Ps. xiviii. 14.
For the Lord shall be thy confidence. — Pro v.
iii. 26.
Be still, my soul ! Thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past :
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake,
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
J. BORTHWICK.
TIE has kept and folded us from ten thousand
-*- •* ills when we did not know it : in the
midst of our security we should have perished
every hour, but that He sheltered us " from the
terror by night and from the arrow that fiieth
by day " — from the powers of evil that walk in
darkness, from snares of our own evil will. He
has kept us even against ourselves, and saved us
even from our own undoing. Let us read the
traces of His hand in all our ways, in all the events,
the chances, the changes of this troubled state.
It is He that folds and feeds us, that makes us to
go in and out, — to be faint, or to find pasture,
— to lie down by the still waters, or to walk by
the way that is parched and desert.
H. E. Manning.
We are never without help. We have no
right to say of any good work, it is too hard for
me to do, or of any sorrow, it is too hard for me
to bear ; or of any sinful habit, it is too hard for
me to overcome.
Ei.i/.AREiH Charles
142 December 7.
Acquaint now thyself ivith Him^ and be at peace.
— Job xxii. 21.
All thy children shall be tans^ht of the Lord^ and
great shall be the peace of thy children. — IsA-
iiv. 13.
Unite, my roving thoughts, unite
In silence soft and sweet ;
And thou, my soul, sit gently down
At thy great Sovereign's feet.
P. Doddridge.
'VT'ES ! blessed are those holy hours in which
the soul retires from the world to be alone
with God. God's voice, as Himself, is every-
where. Within and without, He speaks to our
souls, if we would hear. Only the din of the
world, or the tumult of our own hearts, deafens
our inward ear to it. Learn to commune with
Him in stillness, and He, whom thou hast sought
in stillness, will be with thee when thou goest
abroad.
E. B. PUSEY.
The great step and direct path to the fear and
awful reverence of God, is to meditate, and with
a sedate and silent hush to turn the eyes of the
mind inwards ; there to seek, and with a sub-
missive spirit wait at the gates of Wisdom's
temple ; and then the Divine Voice and Distin-
guishing Power will arise in the light and centre
of a man's self.
Thomas Tryon.
December 8. 343
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed its with all spiritual
blessings. — Eph. i. 3
As sorrow/id^ yet alway rejoicing. — 2 COR.
vi. 10.
It is not happiness I seek,
Its name I hardly dare to speak ;
It is not made for man or earth,
And Heaven alone can give it birth.
There is a something sweet and pure,
Through life, through death it may endure j
With steady foot I onward press,
And long to win that Blessedness.
Louisa J. Hall.
"^ I "HE elements of happiness in this present
"'- life no man can command, even if he
could command himself, for they depend on the
action of many wills, on the purity of many
hearts, and by the highest law of God the holiest
must ever bear the sins and sorrows of the rest ;
but over the blessedness of his own spirit circum-
stance need have no control ; God has therein
given an unlimited power to the means of pres-
ervation, of grace and growth, at every man's
command.
J. H. Thom.
There is in man a higher than love of happi-
ness : he can do without happiness, and instead
thereof find blessedness !
T, Carlyle
344 December 9.
For this shall every one that is godly pray unt6
Thee in a time when Thou may est be foimd : surely
in the floods of great waters they shall not come
nigh unto him. — Ps. xxxii. 6.
15E not o'ermastered by thy pain,
But cling to God, thou shalt not fall ;
The floods sweep over thee in vain,
Thou yet shalt rise above them all ;
For when thy trial seems too hard to bear,
Lo I God, thy King, hath granted all thy prayer :
Be thou content.
P. Gerhardt.
TT is the Lord's mercy, to give thee breathings
after life, and cries unto Him against that
which oppresseth thee ; and happy wilt thou be,
when He shall fill thy soul with that which He
hath given thee to breathe after. Be not troubled ;
for if troubles abound, and there be tossing, and
storms, and tempests, and no peace, nor any-
thing visible left to support ; yet, lie still, and
sink beneath, till a secret hope stir, which will
stay the heart in the midst of all these ; until
the Lord administer comfort, who knows how
and what relief to give to the weary traveller,
that knows not where it is, nor which way to look,
nor where to expect a path.
I. Pf.nington.
December 10. 345
BeJiold^ we count the7)i happy which endure. —
James v. ii.
If ye endure chaste7iing^ God dealeth with you as
with sons. — Heb. xii. 7.
Trials must and will befall ;
But with humble faith to ^ee
Love inscribed upon them all,
This is happiness to me.
W. Cow PER.
T3E not afraid of those trials which God may
see fit to send upon thee. It is with the
wind and storm of tribulation that God separates
the true wheat from the chaff Ahvays remember;
therefore, that God comes to thee in thy sorrovs,
as really as in thy joys. He lays low, and He
builds up. Thou wilt find thyself far from per-
fection, if thod dost not find God in every-
thing.
M. MoiiiNos.
God hath provided a sweet and quiet life for
His children, could they improve and use it;
a calm and firm conviction in all the storms and
troubles that are about them, however things go,
to find content, and be careful for nothing.
R. Leighton
;;4G December 1 1 .
Oh that Thou woiildest bless nie indeed, and thai
Thine ha7id might be with nie, and that Thoit
ivoiddest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve
me ! — I Chron. iv. lo.
Ye shall serve the Lord your God, and He shall
bless thy bread and thy water. — Ex. xxiii. 25.
What I possess, or what I crave,
Brings no content, great God, to me.
If what I would, or what I have.
Be not possest, and blest, in Thee ;
What I enjoy, O make it mine,
In making me that have it, Thine.
J. QUARLES.
/^FFER up to God all pure affections, desires,
^-^ regrets, and all the bonds which link us to
home, kindred, and friends, together with all our
works, purposes, and labors. These things, which
are not only lawful, but sacred, become then the
matter of thanksgiving and oblation. Memories,
plans for the future, wishes, intentions ; works
just begun, half done, all but completed ; emo-
tions, sympathies, affections, — all these things
throng tumultuously and dangerously in the heart
and will. The only way to master them is to
offer them up to Him, as once ours, under Him,
always His by right.
H. E. Manning.
December 12. 347
/ delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea. Thy
law is within viy heart. — Ps. xl. 8.
A PATIENT, a victorious mind,
That life and all things casts behind,
Springs forth obedient to Thy call ;
A heart that no desire can move,
But still to adore, believe, and love,
Give me, my Lord, my Life, my All.
P. Gerhardt.
nPHAT piety which sanctifies us, and which is
•*■ a true devotion to God, consists in doing
all His will precisely at the time, in the situation,
and under the circumstances, in which He has
placed us. Perfect devotedness requires, not
only that we do the will of God, but that we do it
with love. God would have us serve Him with
delight ; it is our hearts that He asks of us.
F^NELON.
Devotion is really neither more nor less than
a general inclination and readiness to do that
which we know to be acceptable to God. It is
that " free spirit," of which David spoke when he
said, " I will nm the way of Thy commandments,
when Thou hast set my heart at liberty." Peo-
ple of ordinary goodness walk in God's way, but
the devout run in it, and at length they almost
fly therein. ... To be truly devout, we must
not only do God's will, but we must do it cheer-
fully.
Francis de Sales
348 December 13.
So teach us to iiimibcr our days, that we may
apply our hearts unto wisdom. — Ps. xc. 12.
Seek ye not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall
drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. — Luke
xii. 29.
Our days are numbered: let us spare
Our anxious hearts a needless care :
'Tis Thine to number out our days ;
'T is ours to give them to Thy praise.
Madame Guyon.
T^VERY day let us renew the consecration to
God's service ; every day let us, in His
strength, pledge ourselves afresh to do His will,
even in the veriest trifle, and to turn aside from
anything that may displease Him. . . . He does
not bid us bear the burdens of to-morrow, next
week, or next year. Every day we are to come
to Him in simple obedience and faith, asking
help to keep us, and aid us through that day's
work ; and to-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-
morrow, through years of long to-morrows, it will
be but the same thing to do ; leaving the future
always in God's hands, sure that He can care for
it better than we. Blessed trust ! that can thus
confidingly say, " This hour is mine with its
present duty ; the next is God's, and when it
comes. His presence will come with it."
Anon.
December 14. 349
And as viajiy as walk according to this rule,
teace be on them, and tnercy,, and upon the Israel
of God. — Gal. vi. 16.
Lord, I have given my life to Thee,
And every day and hour is Thine, —
What Thou appointest let them be ;
Thy will is better, Lord, than mine.
A. Warner
T3EGIN at once ; before you venture away
from this quiet moment, ask your King to
take you wholly into His service, and place all
the hours of this day quite simply at His disposal,
and ask Him to make and keep you ready to
do just exactly what He appoints. Never mind
about to-morrow ; one day at a time is enough.
Try it to-day, and see if it is not a day of strange,
almost curious peace, so sweet that you will be
only too thankful, when to-morrow comes, to
ask Him to take it also, — till it will become a
blessed habit to hold yourself simply and "wholly
at Thy commandment for any manner of service."
The 'Svhatsoever " is not necessarily active work.
It may be waiting (whether half an hour or half
a lifetime), learning, suffering, sitting still. But
shall we be less ready for these, if any of them
are His appointments for to-day? Let us ask
Him to prepare us for all that He is preparing
for us.
F. R. Havergal
350
December 15.
Return unto thv rest. O my S021I ; for the Lord
hath dealt bou7itifuUy with thee.. — Ps. cxvi. 7.
We which have believed do enter into rest. —
Heb. iv. 3.
Rest is not quitting
The busy career ;
Rest is the fitting
Of self to its sphere.
*T is loving and servmg
The highest and best !
'T is onwards, unswerving, —
And that is true rest.
J. S. DWIGHT.
A S a result of this strong faith, the inner life of
Catherine of Genoa was characterized, in
a remarkable degree, by what may be termed
rest, or quietude ; which is only another form of
expression for true interior peace. It was not,
however, the quietude of a lazy inaction, but
the quietude of an inward acquiescence ; not a
quietude which feels nothing and does nothing,
but that higher and divine quietude which exists
by feeling and acting in the time and degree of
God's appointment and God's will. It was a
principle in her conduct, to give herself to God
in the discharge of duty ; and to leave all results
without solicitude in His hands.
T C Upham.
December 16. 351
JJiou laiderstandest my thought afar off. — Ps
cxxxix. 2.
Who can understand his errors f cleanse Thou
me from sec7'et faults. — Ps. xix. 12.
My newest griefs to Thee are old ;
My last transgression of Thy law,
Though wrapped in thought's most secret fold,
Thine eyes w^ith pitying sadness saw.
H. M. KiMUALI..
T ORD our God, great, eternal, wonderful in
glory, who keepest covenant and promises
for those that love Thee with their whole heart,
who art the Life of all, the Help of those that
flee unto Thee, the Hope of those who cry unto
Thee, cleanse us from our sins, secret and open ;
and from every thought displeasing to Thy good-
ness, — cleanse our bodies and souls, our hearts
and consciences, that with a pure heart, and a
clear soul, with perfect love and calm hope, we
may venture confidently and fearlessly to pray
unto Thee. x-\men.
Coptic Liturgy of St. Basil.
The dominion of any sinful habit will fearfully
estrange us from His presence. A single con-
senting act of inward disobedience in thought or
will is enough to let fall a cloud between Him
and us, and to leave our hearts cheerless and
dark.
H. E. Manxtxg.
352 December 17.
The fruit of the Spirit is loz'e, Joy, peace, lons^-
suffering, gentleness.^ goodness, faith, meekness, tejn-
^erance. — Gal. v. 22, 23.
Herein is my Father glorifed, that ye bear much
fruit J so shall ye be my disciples. — John xv. 8.
O Breath from out the Eternal Silence ! blow
Softly upon our spirits' barren ground ;
The precious fulness of our God bestow,
That fruits of faith, love, reverence may abound.
G. Tersteegen.
TS it possible we should be ignorant whether
we feel tempers contrary to love or no ? —
whether we rejoice always, or are burdened and
bowed down with sorrow? — whether we have a
praying, or a dead, lifeless spirit? — whether we
can praise God, and be resigned in all trials,
or feel murmurings, fretfulness, and impatience
under them ? — is it not easy to know if we feel
anger at provocations, or whether we feel our
tempers mild, gentle, peaceable, and easy to be
entreated, or feel stubbornness, self-will, and
pride ? whether we have slavish fears, or are pos-
sessed of that perfect love which casteth out all
fear that hath torment ?
Hester Ann Rogers
December 18. 353
We trust in the living God. — i Tim. iv. 10.
Thy secret judgment's depths profound
Still sings the silent night ;
The day, upon his golden round,
Thy pity infinite.
I. Williams. Tr. from Lattiu
"VrOW that I have no longer any sense for the
-*-^ transitory and perishable, the universe ap-
pears before my eyes under a transformed aspect.
The dead, heavy mass which did but stop up
space has vanished, and in its place there flows
onward, with the rushing music of mighty waves,
an eternal stream of hfe, and power, and action,
which issues from the original source of all life, —
from Thy life, O Infinite One ! for all life is Thy
life, and only the religious eye penetrates to the
realm of true Beauty.
J. G. FlCHTE-
What is Nature ? Art thou not the " Living
Garment " of God ? O Heavens, is it, in very
deed, He then that ever speaks through thee ;
that lives and loves in thee, that lives and loves
in me? Sweeter than dayspring to the ship-
wrecked in Nova Zembla ; ah ! like the mother's
voice to her little child that strays bewildered,
weeping, in unknown tumults ; like soft stream-
ings of celestial music to my too exasperated
heart, came that Evangel. The Universe is not
dead and deir^oniacal, a charnel-house with spec-
tres ; but godlike, and my Father's.
T. Carlvlk
23
354 December 19.
O Lord, be gracious unto lis ; we have ivaited
for Thee. — Isa. xxxiii. 2.
And now. Lord, what wait I for f 7ny hope is
in Thee. — Ps. xxxix. 7.
He never comes too late ;
He knoweth what is best;
Vex not thyself in vain ;
Until He cometh, rest.
B. T.
TirE make mistakes, or what we call such.
* * The nature that could fall into such mis-
take exactly needs, and in the goodness of the
dear God is given, the living of it out. And be-
yond this, I believe more. That in the pure and
patient living of it out we come to find that we
have fallen, not into hopeless confusion of our
osvn wild, ignorant making ; but that the finger
of God has been at work among our lines, and
that the emerging is into His blessed order ;
that He is forever making up for us our own un-
doings ; that He makes them up beforehand ;
that He evermore restoreth our souls.
A. D. T. Whitney.
The Lord knows how to make stepping-stones
for us of our defects, even ; it is what He lets
them be for. He remembereth — He remem-
bered in the making — that we are but dust ; the
dust of earth, that He chose to make something
little lower than the angels out of.
A. D. T. Whitney
December 20. 355
Take no thought hozv or what ye shall speak :
for it shall be giveft you i?i that sajne hour what
ye shall speak. — Matt. x. 19.
Just to follow hour by hour
As He leadeth ;
Just to draw the moment's power
As it needeth.
F. R. Havergal.
'VT'OU have a disagreeable duty to do at twelve
o'clock. Do not blacken nine, and ten,
and eleven, and all between, with the color of
twelve. Do the work of each, and reap your
reward in peace. So when the dreaded moment
in the future becomes the present, you shall meet
it walking in the light, and that light will over-
come its darkness. The best preparation is the
present well seen to, the last duty done. For
this will keep the eye so clear and the body so
full of light that the right action will be perceived
at once, the right words will rush from the heart
to the lips, and the man, full of the Spirit of God
because he cares for nothing but the will of God,
will trample on the evil thing in love, and be
sent, it may be, in a chariot of fire to the pres-
ence of his Father, or stand unmoved amid the
cruel mockings of the men he loves.
G. MacDonald.
356 December 21,
Hast thoti not known ? hast thou not heard,
that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator
of the ends of the earth, fainteih not, neither is
weary? He giveth power to the faintj and to
them that have no might he increaseth strength. — ■
ISA. xl. 28, 29.
Workman of God ! oh, lose not heart,
But learn what God is like ;
And in the darkest battle-field
Thou shalt know where to strike.
F. W. Faber.
"POR the rest, let that vain struggle to read
the mystery of the Inlinite cease to harass
us. It is a mystery which, through all ages,
we shall only read here a line of, there another
line of. Do we not already know that the name
of the Infinite is Good, is God ? Here on earth
we are as soldiers, fighting in a foreign land, that
understand not the plan of the campaign, and
have no need to understand it ; seeing well what
is at our hand to be done. Let us do it like
soldiers, with submission, with courage, with a
heroic joy. Behind us, behind each one of us, lie
six thousand years of human effort, human con-
quest : before us is the boundless Time, with its
as yet uncreated and unconquered continents
and Eldorados, which we, even we, have to con-
quer, to create ; and from the bosom of Eternity
there shine for us celestial guiding stars.
T. Carlyle
December 22. 35;^
/ will wait upon the Lo7'd^ that hideth His face
from the house of Jacob, and I will look for Him.
— ISA. viii. 17.
What heart can comprehend Thy name.
Or, searching, find Thee out ?
Who art within, a quickening flame,
A presence round about.
Yet though I know Thee but in part,
I ask not. Lord, for more :
Enough for mc to know Thou art,
To love Thee and adore.
F. L. HOSMER.
OTAND up, O heart ! and yield not one incb\
of thy rightful territory to the usurping in-
tellect. Hold fast to God in spite of logic, and
yet not quite blindly. Be not torn from thy
grasp upon the skirts of His garments by any
wrench of atheistic hypothesis that seeks only to
hurl thee into utter darkness ; but refuse not to
let thy hands be gently unclasped by that loving
and pious philosophy that seeks to draw thee
from the feet of God only to place thee in His
bosom. Trustfully, though tremblingly, let go
the robe, and thou shalt rest upon the heart and
clasp the very living soul of God.
James Hinton
358 December 23.
Thoii^ therefo7'e^ endure hardness^ as a good
soldier of Jesus Christ. — 2 Tim. ii. 3.
Where our Captain bids us go,
' T is not ours to murmur, " No."
He that gives the sword and shield,
Chooses too the battle-field
On which we are to fight the foe.
Anon.
C\^ nothing may we be more sure than this;
^■^^ that, if we cannot sanctify our present lot,
we could sanctify no other. Our heaven and
our Almighty Father are there or nowhere. The
obstructions of that lot are given for us to heave
away by the concurrent touch of a holy spirit,
and labor of strenuous will ; its gloom, for us
to tint with some celestial light ; its mysteries are
for our worship ; its sorrows for our trust ; its
perils for our courage ; its temptations for our
faith. Soldiers of the cross, it is not for us, but
for our Leader and our Lord, to choose the field ;
it is ours, taking the station which He assigns,
to make it the field of truth and honor, though
it be the field of death.
J. Martineau
December 24. 359
Giving thanks Jinto the Father^ which hath made
us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the
saints in light. — Col. i. 12.
The souls most precious to us here
May from this home have fled ;
But still we make one household dear ;
One Lord is still our head.
Midst cherubim and seraphim
They mind their Lord's affairs ;
Oh ! if we bring our work to Him
Our work is one with theirs.
T. H. Gill
T17E are apt to feel as if nothing we could do
on earth bears a relation to what the
good are doing in a higher world ; but it is not
so. Heaven and earth are not so far apart.
Every disinterested act, every sacrifice to duty,
every exertion for the good of " one of the least
of Christ's brethren," .every new insight into
God's works, every new impulse given to the love
of truth and goodness, associates us with the
departed, brings us nearer to them, and is as
truly heavenly as if we were acting, not on earth,
but in heaven. The spiritual tie between us and
the departed is not felt as it should be. Our
union with them daily grows stronger, if we daily
make progress in what they are growing in.
Wm. E. CHANNIN&
360 December 25.
That ye^ being rooted and grounded in love, may
be able to coinprehend with all saints what is the
breadth, and ienoth, and depth, and height ; and
to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowl-
edge, that ye 7?iight be Jilted with all the fulness
ofGod. — EFB.. iii. 17-19.
O LOVE that passeth knowledge, thee I need ;
Pour in the heavenly sunshine ; fill my heart ;
Scatter the cloud, the doubting, and the dread, —
The joy unspeakable to me impart.
H. BOXAR.
' I ^O examine its evidence is not to try Chris-
-*■ tianity ; to admire its martyrs is not to
try Christianity ; to compare and estimate its
teachers is not to try Ciiristia'iity ; to attend its
rites and services with more than Mahometan
punctuaUty is not to try or know Christianity.
Bat for one week, for one day, to have lived in
the pure atmosphere of faith and love to God,
of tenderness to man ; to have beheld earth
annihilated, and heaven opened to the prophetic
gaze of hope ; to have seen evermore revealed
behind the complicated troubles of this strange,
mysterious life, the unchanged smile of an eternal
Friend, and everything that is difficult to reason
solved by that reposing trust which is higher and
better than reason, — to have known and felt this,
I will not say for a life, but for a single blessed
hour, that, indeed, is to have made experiment
of Christianity.
Wm. Archer Butler.
December 26. 361
The peace of God^ which passeth all understand-
ing, shall keep voiir hearts and iniiids throngh
Christ Jesus. — Phil. iv. 7
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. — Col.
iii. 15.
Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease ;
Take from our souls the strain and stress.
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.
J. G. Whittier.
" nPHESE things write we unto you, that your
-*■ joy may be full." What is fulness of
joy but peaces Joy is tumultuous only when it
is not full ; but peace is the privilege of those
who are " filled with the knowledge of the glory
of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose
mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in
Thee." It is peace, springing from trust and
innocence, and then overflowing in love towards
all around hirri. He who is anxious, thinks of
himself, is suspicious of danger, speaks hurriedly,
and has no time for the interests of others ; he
who lives in peace is at leisure, wherever his lot
is cast.
J. H. Newman.
Through the spirit of Divine Love let the
violent, obstinate powers of thy nature be quieted,
the hardness of thy affections softened, and thine
intractable self-will subdued ; and as often as
anything contrary stirs within thee, immediately
sink into the blessed Ocean of meekness and
iove. G. Tersteegen
362 December 27.
Wherefore thoii art no more a servant^ but a son ;
and if a son, thefi an heir of God through Christ.
— Gal. iv. 7.
Not by the terrors of a slave
God's sons perform His will,
But with the noblest powers they have
His sweet commands fulfil.
Isaac Watts.
OUR thoughts, good or bad, are not in our
command, but every one of us has at all
hours duties to do, and these he can do negli-
gendy, like a slave, or faithfully, like a true
servant. '' Do the duty that is nearest thee " —
that first, and that well ; all the rest will disclose
themselves with increasing clearness, and make
their successive demand. Were your duties
never so small, I advise you. set yourself with
double and treble energy and punctuality, to do
them, hour after hjur, day after day.
T. Carlyle.
Whatever we are, high or lowly, learned or
unlearned, married or single, in a full house or
alone, charged with many affairs or dweUing
in quietness, we have our daily round of work,
our duties of affection, obedience, love, mercy,
industry, and the like ; and that which makes
one man to differ from another is not so much
what things he does, as his manner of doing
them.
H. E Manning
December 28. 365
N'ow the God of peace make y on perfect in every
good work, to do His will, working in yoii that
which is well-pleasing in His sight. — Heb. xiii-
20, 21.
Be ready to every good work. — Titus iii. i.
So, firm ill steadfast hope, in thouglit secure,
In full accord to all Thy world of joy,
May I be nerved to labors high and pure,
And Thou Thy child to do Thy work employ.
J. Sterling.
T3E with God in thy outward works, refer them
to Him, offer them to Him, seek to do
them in Him and for Him, and He will be with
thee in them, and they shall not hinder, but
rather invite His presence in thy soul. Seek
to see Him in all things, and in all things Pie
will come nigh to thee.
E. B. PUSEY.
Nothing less than the majesty of God, and the
powers of the world to come, can maintain the
peace and sanctity of our homes, the order and
serenity of our minds, the spirit of patience
and tender mercy in our hearts. Then will
even the merest drudgery of duty cease to hum-
ble us, when we transfigure it bv the glory of oui
own spirit.
J. Martineau
364 December 29.
Finally^ brethren, whatsoever thins^s are true,
whatsoever tilings are honesty whatsoever things
are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever
thinos are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report, — think on these things. — Phil. iv. 8.
As he thinketh in his heart, so is he. — Prov.
xxiii. 7.
Still may Thy sweet mercy spread
A shady arm above my head,
About my paths ; so shall I find
The fair centre of my mind
Thy temple, and those lovely walls
Bright ever with a beam that falls
Fresh from the pure glance of Thine eye,
Lighting to eternity.
R. Crashaw.
ly/TAKE yourselves nests of pleasant thoughts.
^^ None of us yet know, for none of us have
been taught in early youth, what fairy palaces
we may build of beautiful thought — proof against
all adversity. Bright fancies, satisfied memories,
noble histories, faithful sayings, treasure-houses
of precious and restful thoughts, which care
cannot disturb, nor pain make gloomy, nor pov-
erty take away from us, — houses built without
hands, for our souls to live in.
J. RUSKIN.
For nowhere either with more quiet or more
freedom from trouble does a man retire than into
his own soul ; particularly when he has within
him such thoughts, that by looking into them
he is immediately in perfect tranquillity. And
I affirm that tranquillity is nothing else than the
good ordering of the mind.
Marc'js Antoninus.
December 30. 365
0 Lord, I know that the way of man is not iti
himself : it is not in jtian that walketh to direct his
steps. — Jer. X. 23.
1 will direct all his ways. — Is A. xlv. 13.
Come, Light serene and still !
Our darkened spirits fill
With thy clear day :
Guide of the feeble sight,
Star of griefs darkest night.
Reveal the path of right,
Show us Thy way.
Robert II. of France.
^ I "HERE had been solemn appointed seasons
in Anna's life, when she was accustomed
to enter upon a full and deliberate survey of her
business in this world. The claims of each
relationship, and the results of each occupation,
were then examined in the light of eternity. It
was then, too, her fervent prayer to be enabled
to discern the will of God far more perfectly,
not only in the indications given of it for her
guidance through each day's occupations, but
as it might concern duties not yet brought home
to her conscience, and therefore unprovided for
in her life.
Anna, or Passages from Home Life.
366 December 31.
Forgetting those things which are behind^ and
reaching forth unto those things which are before^
I press toward the mark. — Phil. iii. 13, 14.
Yet I argue not
Against Heaven's hand or will, nor bate a jot
Of heart or hope ; but still bear up and steer
Right onward.
J. Milton.
TT is not by regretting what is irreparable that
true work is to be done, but by making the
best of what we are. It is not by complaining
that we have not the right tools, but by using
well the tools we have. What we are, and where
we are, is God's providential arrangement, —
God's doing, though it may be man's misdoing ;
and the manly and the wise way is to look your
disadvantages in the face, and see what can be
made out of them. Life, like war, is a series of
mistakes, and he is not the best Christian nor
the best general who makes the fewest false steps.
He is the best who wins the most splendid
victories by the retrieval of mistakes. Forget
mistakes ; organize victory out of mistakes.
F. W. Robertson.
INDEX OF AUTHORS
OF THE PROSE SELECTIONS.
PAGE
Adorna, Catherine (1447-1510) 285
Anna, or Passages from Home Life ']-], 165, 200, 365
Anonymous. . . . 116,142,143,235,254,327,348
Antoninus, Marcus Aurelius (i 21-180) . 25, 34, 89,
118, 161, 174, 177, 206, 274, 278, 364
Arnold, Thomas (1795-1842) 228
Augustine, St. (354-430) 27, 166
Basil, Coptic Liturgy of St. (about 370) . .351
Barnes, Albert (179S-1870) 127
BoETHius (about 470-524) 326
Boston, Thomas (1676-1732) 124
BrOxNt6, Charlotte (Mrs. Nicholls) (1816-
1855) 277
Brooke, Stopford A. (b. 1832) 90, 207
Brooks, Phillips (b. 1835). . . 5,86,158,211,314
Brown, James Baldwin (b. 1820) 291
Browne, Sir Thomas (1605-1682) 43
BusHNELL, Horace (1802-1876) 302
Butler, Bishop Joseph (1692-1752). . . .22, 146
368 INDEX OF AUTHORS.
I'AGE
Butler, William Archer (1S14-1848) . 107, 360
Buxton, Charles (1S22-1S71) 82, 127
Carlyle. Thomas U 79^-1880) . 50, 132, 220, 275, 293,
7>n^ 316, 339, 343. 353. 35^, Z^^
Carter, Thomas Thelluson, ///(^. 1S71 . . . 160
Cecil, Richard (i748--i8io) . . 13, 147, 148, 298
Channing, William Ellery ( i 780-1842) . iii, 163
192, 222, 359
Charles, Mrs. Elizabeth (Rundell) (b. about
1826) 8, 58, 103, 152, 269, 280, 336, 341
Clarke, James Freeman (b. 1810) . . . 212, 258
Cobbe, FrajvCes Power (b. 1822) . . 82, 113, 137
CoLLYER, Robert (b. 1823) 65
Dewey, Orville (1794-18S2) .... 88, 178, 216
Edwards, Jonathan (1703-175S) 123
Eliot, George (Marian Evans Cross) (1819-
1880) 38, 46, 80, 177, 263, 277, 288, 297
Emerson, Mary Moody (1774-1863) .... 131
Emerson, Ralph Waldo {1803-1S82) . . 20, 46, 91,
105, 122, 148, 151, 155, 184, 206, 225, 293, 330
Epictetus (ist and 2d centuries of Christian era) 44
Erskine, Thomas (1788-1870) 313
Faber, Frederick William (1S15-1863) . 32,94,97,
146, 148, 160, 193, 239, 317, 340
F^nelon, Francois de Salignac de la Mothe
(1651-1715) . 41, 42, 55,80, 81,84,97, 124, 135, i49»
180, 193, 226, 233, 247, 257, 264, 279, 291, 331, 347
Fichte, Johann Gottlieb (i 762-1 814) . 104, 353
Fox, George (i 624-1690) no
INDEX OF AUTHORS. 369
PAGE
Gannett, William Channing (b. 1840) . . . 289
Gelasian Sacramentary, r^'w/Z/tfl'^z/'^Wi!' 492 . . 217,
246
Gold- Dust, pub. iSSo 55> i47
Greaves, James Pierrepoint (1777-1842) . . 21, 196,
200, 227, 239, 266, 282, 318
Grou, Jean Nicolas (1731-1S03) . . 12, 24, 40, 47,
94, 121, 136, 167, 226, 232, 256
GuYOX, Madame Jeanne-Marie (164S-1717) . 119,
141, 1S8, 196, 202, 319
Hale, Edward Everett (b. 1822) 8
Hall, Bishop Joseph (1574-1656) 309
Havergal, Frances Ridley (i 836-1 S79) . 14, 51, 94,
114, 145,322,349
Hill, Rowland (1744-1833) 201
Hinton, James (1822-1875) . 194, 250, 271, 318, 357
Hughes, Thomas (b. 1823) 96, 164
Humboldt, Karl Wilhelm von (1767-1835) . 132,
220, 233
Juliana, Mother, written 1373 260
Keary, Annie (1825-1879) . . . . 16, 117, 224, 282
Keble, John (1792-1866) 33» 292
Kelty, Mary Anne, /?//^. 1853. 34- 62, 140, 172, 278
Kempis, Thomas a (1380-1471) . . 42,44, 135, 161,
166, 188
King, Mrs Elizabeth T-aber, ivritten 1856 . . 203
Kingsley, Charles (1819-1875) .... 151, 181
Law, William (16S6-1761) . 7, 17,59,69, 79, 92, 109,
173. 230, 238, 270, 272, 2S1, 292, 304, 310, 223
^7^ IXDEX OF AUTHORS.
PAGE
Leighton, Robert (1611-1684) . . 74, 98, 171, 189,
20S, 231, 311, 345
l.OXGFELLOW, SaMUEL (b. 1S19) 219
Luther, Martin (1483-1546) . , 84, 140, 155, 311
MacDonald, George (b. 1824) . 2, 61, 68, 79, 128, 129,
162, 202, 204, 216, 238, 355
Manning, Cardinal Henry Edward (b. 1808) . 10,
18, 39, 52, 76, 98, loi, 109, 126, 130, 150, 160, 170, 182,
187, 229, 240, 252, 253, 296, 306, 332, 341, 346, 351, 362
Martineau, James (b. 1805) . i, 6, 54, d^, 95, 102,
176, 186, 210, 241, 251, 290, 315, 358, 363
Master, The Divine, pub. about 1850 .... 255
Maurice, John Frederick Denison (1805-
1872) 28, 37, 139
Melanchthon, Philip (1497-1560) 74
Merriam, George Spring (b. 1S43) 7^, 1 1 5. 202, 244, 268
Miller, J. R 227
MoLiNos, Miguel (1627-1696) . . 133, 172, 197, 239,
286, 301, 334, 345
More, Henry (1614-1687) 21, 83
Mountford, William (1816-1885) 171
Newman, Cardinal John Henry (b. 1801) . 5, 38,
56, 70, 100, 189, 250, 253, 273, 361
Penington, Isaac (1617-1679) . 49, 75. 116, 125, 133,
163. 186, 196, 236, 245, 299, 320, 327, 328, 338, 344
Plutarch (about 45-120) 159
Prentiss. Mrs. Elizabeth (Payson) (1818-1S7S) 264
Pusey, Edward Bouverie (1800-1882) . 4, 11, 15,
22, 45, 48, 67, 77, 85, 93, 95, 106, 144. 168, 1S3, 185,
199, 217, 225, 250, 318, 322, 327, 338, 342, 363
INDEX OF AUTHORS. 3/1
PAGE
Renty, Gaston Jeax Baptiste, Baron de (i6ii-
1648) 335
RicHTER, Jean Paul Friedrich (1763-1825) . 269
RoBBiNS, Samuel Dowse (1S12-1884) .... 72
Robertson, Frederick William (1816-1853) . 13,
36, 53» 62, 96, 112, 156, 190, -248, 259, 267, 276, 297,
308, 366
Rogers, Mrs. Hester Ann (1756-1794) . . . 352
RossETTi, Christina G. (b. 1S30) . . 23, 166, 213
Ruskin, John (b. 18 19) . 6, 9, 20, 25, loi, 246, 255,
257, 308, 364
Rutherford. Samuel (1600-1661) , 25, 49, 143, 340
S., Mrs. H. W., pub. 1875 • 31. 7i. 83, 99, 169, 184, 195,
209, 237,295, 301,312,333
Sales, Francis de (1567-1622) . 29, 57,66, 79, 108,
146, 175, 183, 214, 215, 243, 249, 287, 319, 347
Schimmelpenninck, Mrs. Mary Anne (1778-
1856) ']T^, 118, 122, 283
ScupoLi, Lorenzo (d. 1610) . . . 153,214,250,309
Sewell, Elizabeth Missing (b. 1815) .... 165
Shaw, Samuel (b. 1635) 288
SiBBES, Richard {1577-1635) 141,340
Smiley, Sarah F., piib. 1876 267
Smith, John (1618-1652) . . . 60,64, 154.218,329
Spinoza, Benedict (1632-1677) 326
Stanley, Arthur Penrhyn (1815-18S2) . 138. 157,
191, 242. 294
Stowe, Mrs. Harriet Beecher (b. 181 2) 298, 307, 324
Swedenborg, Emanuel (16S8-1772) . . 200. 272
Svvetchine, Madame Anne Sophie (1782-1857) 148,
=S7
372 INDEX OF AUTHORS.
PAGE
Tauler, John (1290-1361) . 26, 30, 70, 120, 223, 261,
2^5' 303
Taylor, Jeremy (1613-1667) ... 3, 10, 133, 326
Tersteege.n, Gerhard (1697-1769) . . 169, 189, 236,
266, 304, 321, 361
Theologia German ica, 7£/r///^« about 1350 .254,284
Thom, John Hamilton, piib. 1S51 . 35,87, 129, 134,
179, 205, 221, 262, 300, 317, 328, 336, 337, 343
Thoreau, Henry David (1817-1862) . 156, 170, 206
Tryon, Thomas, ptib. 1703 325, 342
Union, Christian 305
Upham, Thomas Cogswell (1799-1872) . . 7, 102,
119, 198, 248, 282, 313, 324, 350
AVare, Henry, Jr. (1794-1843) 276
Wesley, John (1703-1791) 288
Whitney, Mrs. Adeline D. T. (b. 1824) . 265, 354
Wilkinson, G. H., pub. 1870 234
Wilson, Bishop Thomas (1663-17 55) • • • • 335
Woman, A Poor Methodist (i8th century). . 19
Woods, Margaret, voritten 1771 334
Woolman, John (1720-1772) . 25,73,201,263,312
INDEX OF AUTHORS
OF THE POETICAL SELECTIONS.
TAOK
Ambrose, St. (340-397) 324
Anonymous 13, 34, 49, 52, 63, 70, 74,
75, 85, 118, 121, 140, 160, 161, 181, 193,
2CX), 201, 217, 243, 244, 257, 262, 265, 267,
271, 287, 293, 307, 316, 318, 331, 332, 358
Anstice, Joseph (1808-1836) 45
Arnold, Matthew (1822-1888) 25
AuBER, Harriet (1773-1862) 143
Austin, John (d. 1669) 112,130
Barr, Lillie E 248
Barry, Henry H 31
Bonar, Horatius (b. 1808) . . 44, 83, 229, 333, 360
Borthwick, Jane (b. 1813) 170, 341
Browning, Mrs. Elizabeth Barrett (1809-1861)
131, 138, 261
Browning, S. G 54, 145
Bryant, William Cullen (i 794-1878) .... 125
Butts, Mary Frances (b. 1836) 58
374
INDEX OF AUTHORS.
PAGE
C,H. W 303
Carlyle, Thomas (1795-1880) 129
Chadwick, John White (b. 1840) ..... 153
Charles, Mrs. Elizabeth (b about 1826) . . . 115
Clarke, James Freeman (1810-1888) .... 9
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor (1772-1834) ... 92
Coolilge, Susan 7> 53> 183, 296
Corneille, Pierre 320
CoTTERiLL, Mrs. M. J. (d. 1819) 122
Cowper, William (1731-1800) .... 10, 305, 345
Craik, Mrs. Dinah Maria (Mulock) (1826-
1888?) 211
Crashaw, Richard (about 1610-1650) .... 364
Davison, Francis (1575-1618) 99
Dessler, Wolfgang Christoph (1660-1722) 231, 321
Doddridge, Philip (1702-1751) . . 2,41,154,342
Dwight, John Sullivan (b. 1813) 350
Edmeston, James (1791-1867) 336
Eliot, George (Marian Evans Ckoss) (1819-
1880) 86
Elliott, Charlotte (17S9-1S7 1 ) 136
Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1803-1882) . . 128,151,
194, 220
Evans, Albert Eubule (1868) 226
Faber, Frederick William (1815-1863) . . 27,106,
113, 178, 180, 184, 222, 292, 3^0, 356
Farningham, Marianne 169
Flemming, Paul (1609- 1 640) .... 133,176,279
Francke, A. H. (1663-1727) 335
INDEX OF AUTHORS.
375
PAGE
Gannett, William Channing (b. 1840) . . , 152
Gaskell, William (1837) 132
Gedicke, Lampertus (1683-1735) 192
Gellert, Christian FuRCHTtGoiT (17 15-1769) 280
Gerhardt, Paul (1605-1676) . . 72,187,215,216,
223,302, 309,311,344, 347
German, From the 42, 48, 141
Gill, Thomas Hornblower (b. 1819) ... 12, 359
Gladden, Washington (b. 1836) 36
Goethe, JoHANN Wolfgang VON (1749-1832) . 23
GuYON, Madame Jeanne B. de la Moite (1648-
1717) 34S
Hagenbach, Karl Rudolph (1801-1S74) ... 147
Hall, Mrs. Louisa Jane (b. 1802) 343
Hamilton, Anna E. (about 1846-1876) .... 33
Havergal, Frances Ridley (1836-1879) . . 18, 108,
no, 163, 177.259,295,355
Haweis, Thomas (1732-1820) 212
Heker, Reginald (1783-1826) 61
Herbert, George (1593-1632) ... 62. 69, 76, loi
HiGGiNSON, Thomas Wentvvorth (b. 1823) . . 204
Holmes, Oliver Wendell (b. 1809) i
HosMER. Frederick L. (b. 1S40) 357
Howells, William Dean (b. 1837) 94
Hymns from the Land of Luther 107
Hymns OF the Ages 114
Hymns of the Church Militant 325
Hymns OF the Spirit 120,220
Ingelow, Jean (b. 1825) 50, 158, 168
376 INDEX OF AUTHORS.
TAGE
Intelligencer, Christlan 1S6, 263
Ikons, William Josiah (b. 1812) 328
J-.C.E 4
Johnson, Samuel (1822-18S2) . . . 29, iii, 164, 284
Keble, John (1792-1866) . . 6, 16, 39, 56, 60, 79, 82,
96, 105, 126, 146, 148, 191, 20S, 250, 269, 286
Ken, Thomas {1637-1711) 308,322
Kimball, Harriet McEwen .... 95, 25S, 351
Lange, Joachim {1670-1 744) 20,205,235
Larcom, Lucy (b. 1826) 275, 297
Latin MSS. of 15TH Century 51
Longfellow, Samuel (b. 1819) . 5, 71, 97, 198, 227,
282, 284
Lowell, James Russell (b. 1819) .... 190, 221
Lyra Apostolica 339
Lyra Catholica 218
Lyte, Henry Francis (1793-1S47) . 90, 142, 175, 241
Milton, John (i 608-1 674) 149, 366
Montgomery, James (177 1-1854) 273
More, Hannah (1745-1833) 127
More, Henry (1614-16S7) 64
Neale, John Mason (1818-1866) 319
Neumarck, Georg (1653) 37,124
Newman, John Henry (b. iSoi) ... 40, 117, 214,
232, 253, 276
jXewton, Adelaide Leaper (1824-1854) ... 11
Newton, John (1725-1807) 28,116
INDEX OF AUTHORS. 377
PAGE
Packard, Caroline M 66
Parsons, Thomas William (b. 1S19) .... 199
Procter, Adelaide Anne (1825-1865) . 26,188,277
PucHTA, Heinrich 173
Pythagoras (570-504 B.C.) 77
QuARLES, John (1624-1665) 346
RicHTER. Christian Friedrich (1676-1711) . . 203
Robert n. OF France (972-1031) 365
Rodigast, Samuel (1649-170S) 259
Rosenroth, Christian Knorr von (1636-1689) 268
RoTHE, JoHANN Andreas (16S8-17 58) .... 167
Rutilius (1604) 281
Saxby, Mrs Jane Euphemia (b. 1811) .... 3
Schiller, Friedrich VON (1759-1805) .... 225
Schmolcke, Benjamin (1672-1737) . . . 301,326
Scudder, Eliza ........ 30,88,246,315
Sharpe's Magazine 32
Shipton, Anna (1869) 156, 291
SiLEsius, Angelus (1624-1677) 93
Spitta, Carl Johann Philipp (b. iSoi) 89, 283, 310
Sterling, John ( 1 806-1844) 55,260,363
Stovve, Mrs. Harriet Beecher (b. 1812) . . 73, 87
Sutton, Henry Septimus (pub. 1854) . 51, 213, 247
T., B 354
Tennyson, Alfred (b. 1810) 272
Tersteegen, Gerhard (1697-1769) . . 19, 46, 179,
230, 270, 289, 312, 323, 352
378 INDEX OF AUTHORS.
PAGE
ToPLADY, Augustus Montague (i 740-1 77S) . . 162
Trench, Richard Chenevix (b. 1807) . 206, 219, 252,
256, 285, 290
Upham, Thomas Cogswell (1799-1872) ... 98
Vaughan, Henry (1621-1695) 21,209
W., E 207
Waring, Anna L/«:titia (pub. 1850) 8, 14, 24,43,47,80,
137, 165, 171, 182, 195, 224, 236, 245, 298,329,334
Warner, Anna B 65, 249, 349
Watts, Isaac (1674-1748) . 84, 102, 172, 239, 338, 362
Weissel, Geokg ( 1 590-1635) 197
Wesley, Charles (1708-1488) . . 35,57,68,78,100,
103, 119, 123, 135, 139. 185, 189, 196, 237, 238,
240, 255, 264, 278, 288, 294, 304, 306, 313, 327
Whitney, Mrs. Adeline D. T. (b. 1824) . . . 314
Whittier, John Greenleaf (b. 1808) . . 17,22,59,
67, 81, J09, 144, r5o, 157, 166, 210,
233. 234, 251, 299, 300, 330, 337, 361
Williams, Isaac (1802-1865) .... 134,155,353
Williams, Sarah (d. 1868) 174,202,242
Winkler, Johann Joseph (1670-1722) .... 104
Wordsworth, William (1770-1850) . . . 38,91,
159, 266, 317
WoTTON, Sir Henry (156S-1639) 274
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