July 19
The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.—PS. cxlv. 9.
For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.—PS. 1. 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.
I 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 unseen, and at the same time exercise cruelty toward the least creature moving by His life, or by life derived from Him, was a contradiction in itself.
I would give nothing for that man's religion whose very dog and cat are not the better for it.
July 20
Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught, and in vain.—ISA. xlix. 4.
Because I spent the strength Thou gavest meIn struggle which Thou never didst ordain,And have but dregs of life to offer Thee—O Lord, I do repent.
Mind, it is our best work that He wants, not the dregs of our exhaustion. I think He must prefer quality to quantity.
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, accomplish less work than they, but be what you were meant to be and can be. You have your natural limit 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.
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 tranquillity, in order that you may retain the possession of yourself and of settled peace.
July 21
For which cause we faint not; but, though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.—2 COR. iv. 16.
Let my soul beneath her loadFaint not through the o'erwearied flesh;Let me hourly drink afreshLove and peace from Thee, my God!
In my attempts to promote the comfort of my family, the quiet of my spirit has been disturbed. Some of this is doubtless owing to physical weakness; but, with every temptation, there is a way of escape; there isneveranyneedto 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 myself, because then I cannot contribute to the pleasure of others; and a placid face and a gentle 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.
July 22
Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, 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 PowerWho holds these changing shadows in His hand;Believe and live, and know that hour by hourWill ripple newer beauty to thy strand.
I 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 unselfish, 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.
July 23
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.—LUKE x. 27.
O God, what offering shall I giveTo Thee, the Lord of earth and skies?My spirit, soul, and flesh receive,A holy, living sacrifice.
To love God "with all our heart," is to know the spiritual passion of measureless gratitude for loving-kindness, and self-devotedness to goodness; to love Him "with all our mind," is to know the passion for Truth that is the enthusiasm of Science, the passion for Beauty that inspires the poet and the artist, when all truth and beauty are regarded as the self-revealings 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 face 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 steadfast to what seemed good when we were aglow.
July 24
Walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory.—I THESS. ii. 12.
Surely the Lord is in 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.
Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events.
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 affection. No longer be either dissatisfied with thy present lot, or shrink from the future.
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.
July 25
He knoweth the way that I take.—JOB xxiii. 10.
Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?—PROV. xx. 24.
Be quiet, why this anxious heedAbout thy tangled ways?God knows them all, He giveth speed,And He allows delays.
We 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 directing our life; so do we say that God has forgotten 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 period given to us in which to mature ourselves for the work which God will give us to do.
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 people 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.
That 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 of 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?
July 27
He that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.—MATT. xiii. 23.
Then bless thy secret growth, nor catchAt noise, but thrive unseen and dumb;Keep clean, bear fruit, earn life, and watchTill the white-winged reapers come.
He does not need to transplant us into a different 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 before our greatest hindrances, into the chiefest and most blessed means of our growth. No difficulties in your case can baffle Him. No dwarfing 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.
July 28
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow 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 seesThe 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.
While 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 Christian aspect, is but God's method of colonization; the transition from this mother-country of our race to the fairer and newer world of our emigration.
July 29
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.
Oh, my dear friends, you who are letting miserable 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 tomorrow morning; you who are letting your neighbor starve, till you hear that he is dying of starvation; or letting your friend's heart ache for a word of appreciation or sympathy, which 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.
July 30
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to Thy mercy remember Thou me for Thy goodness' sake, O Lord.—PS. XXV. 7.
When on my aching, burdened heartMy sins lie heavily,My pardon speak, new peace impart,In love remember me.
We need to know that our sins are forgiven. And how shall we know this? By feeling that we have peace with God,—by feeling that we are able so to trust in the divine compassion 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 responsibility ceases to be an oppressive burden to us, till we can feel that our sins, great as they are, cannot keep us away from our Heavenly Father.
July 31
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee.—ISA. xliv. 22.
He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou 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 blazeOf Thy Love's greatness. No; I dare not raiseOne prayer, to look aloft, lest it should gazeOn such forgiveness as would break my heart.
O 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.
August 1
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.—ECCLES. vii. 9.
Let not the sun go down upon your wrath—EPH. iv. 26.
Quench thou the fires of hate and strife,The wasting fever of the heart;From perils guard our feeble life,And to our souls Thy peace impart.
J. H. NEWMAN,Tr. from Latin.
When 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 themselves to be;" or the like; for all this is fuel and kindling of wrath, anger, and hatred.
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.
August 2
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; 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.
Still heavy is thy heart?Still sink thy spirits down?Cast off the weight, let fear depart,And every care be gone.
Go 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 overmuch 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.
August 3
Thou hast made him exceeding glad with Thy countenance.—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.
A new 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 brightening to the present hour. I have known the other joys of life, 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.
When I look like this into the blue sky, it seems so deep, so peaceful, so full of a mysterious tenderness, that I could lie for centuries and wait for the dawning of the face of God out of the awful loving-kindness.
August 4
He satisfieth the longing soul, and the hungry soul He filleth with good.—PS. cvii. 9 (R. V.).
That ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.—EPH. iii. 19.
Enough that He who made can fill the soulHere and hereafter till its deeps o'erflow;Enough that love and tenderness controlOur fate where'er in joy or doubt we go.
O God, the Life of the Faithful, the Bliss 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.
God makes 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.
August 5
O receive the gift that is given you, and be glad, giving thanks unto Him that hath called you to the heavenly kingdom.—2 ESDRAS ii. 37.
Thanks be unto 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 depthsWe drink unfailing draughts of joy.
The best way for a man rightly to enjoy himself, 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 goodness 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 knowing 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, perpetually nourishing and cherishing them with the fresh and vital influences of His grace.
August 6
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.—PS. ciii. 2.
Wiser it were to welcome and make oursWhate'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.
Into all our lives, in many simple, familiar, homely ways, God infuses this element of 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 sunset glory thrown in as we pass to or from our daily business, the unsought word of encouragement 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 overflowing riches of His grace, these are His free gifts.
August 7
If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.—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,Thou must,The youth replies,I can.
Know 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. It is for thee now: do thou that, and ask no man's counsel, but thy own only and God's. Brother, thou hast possibility in thee for much: the possibility of writing on the eternal skies the record of a heroic life.
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 with others.
August 8
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.—GAL. v. i.
I believed, and therefore have I spoken.—2 COR. iv. 13.
They are slaves who fear to speakFor the fallen and the weak;They are slaves who will not chooseHatred, scoffing, and abuse,Rather than in silence shrinkFrom the truth they needs must think;They are slaves who dare not beIn the right with two or three.
The 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 succumb 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 acquiescence by some rude and worldly nature.
August 9
The things which are impossible with men 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 seemLike prison-walls to be,I do the little I can do,And leave the rest to Thee.
The 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 bestilldemands immeasurably higher strength than to act. Composure 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 forebodings, and serenely and patiently returns to the tasks which Providence assigns?
August 10
The cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?—JOHN xviii. 11.
Whatsoever is brought upon thee, take cheerfully.—ECCLESIASTICUS ii. 4.
Every sorrow, every smart,That the Eternal Father's heartHath appointed me of yore,Or hath yet for me in store,As my life flows on, I 'll takeCalmly, gladly, for His sake,No more faithless murmurs make
The 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 distress or pain, it will all help to fit you for a noble and blessed state.
The Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.—DEUT. xv. 10.
My place of lowly service, too,Beneath Thy sheltering wings I see;For all the work I have to doIs done through strengthening rest in Thee.
I 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 perhaps 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 sometime, and keep a quiet heart about it.
August 12
Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?—LUKE x. 25.
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.—ECCLES. ix. 10.
"What shall I do to gain eternal life?""Discharge arightThe simple dues with which each day is rife,Yea, with thy might."
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.
Be diligent, after thy power, to do deeds of love. Think nothing too little, 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.
August 13
In your patience possess ye your souls.—LUKE xxi. 19.
What though thy way be dark, and earthWith ceaseless care do cark, till mirthTo thee no sweet strain singeth;Still hide thy life above, and stillBelieve that God is love; fulfilWhatever lot He bringeth.
The soul loses command of itself when it is impatient. Whereas, when it submits without 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 resistance? 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.
The chief pang of most trials is not so much the actual suffering itself, as our own spirit of resistance to it.
August 14
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.—PS. cxxi. 1.
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 farThan sin and pain and sorrow are.
How 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.
Strive to realize a state of inward happiness, independent of circumstances.
August 15
God hath not given us the spirit of fear; 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 calmness, and of love.
I must conclude with a more delightful subject,—my most dear and blessed sister. I 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 selfishness—a daily martyrdom for twenty years, during which she adhered to her early-formed resolution of never talking about herself; thoughtful about the very pins and ribands of my wife's dress, about the making of a doll's 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.
August 16
Whatsoever a man soweth, 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.
The dispositions, affections, inclinations of soul, which shall issue hereafter in perfection, 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?
August 17
O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give Thy strength unto Thy servant, and save the son of Thy handmaid.—PS. lxxxvi. 16.
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 beIn this poor heart that pants, my Lord, for Thee!
When 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 eternal 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.
August 18
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God—I JOHN iii. 21.
O Lord, how happy is the timeWhen in Thy love I rest:When from my weariness I climbE'en to Thy tender breast.The night of sorrow endeth there,Thy rays outshine the sun;And in Thy pardon and Thy careThe heaven of heavens is won.
Nothing doth so much establish the mind amidst the rollings and turbulency of present 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.
August 19
Teach me Thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path.—PS. xxvii. 11.
Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,Lead Thou 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 seeThe distant scene; one step enough for me.
God 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 sanctification; 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 unreservedly, asking nothing, refusing nothing, wishing 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.
August 20
Wait 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 might He increaseth strength.—ISA. xl. 29.
Leaning on Him, make with reverent meeknessHis own thy will,And with strength from Him shall thy utter weaknessLife's task fulfil.
Should 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.
We require a certain firmness in all circumstances of life, even the happiest, and perhaps contradictions come in order to prove and exercise 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.
August 21
We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.—ROM. xv. 1.
The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.
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.
Ask Him to increase your powers of sympathy: 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 enjoyment that you have learnt to look upon as a necessary of life,—the pleasant drive, the new book, flowers from the country, etc. Try to put yourself in another's place. Ask "What should I like myself, if I were hard-worked, or sick, or lonely?" Cultivate thehabitof sympathy.
August 22
I 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. 1.
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 moveIn me, till all my life be love!
May 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 living sacrifice mentioned in Rom. xii. 1, 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 errand for another, 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.
August 23
Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not.—JER. xlv. 5.
I would not have the restless willThat 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.
Oh! 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,—inthatis 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 degrees come to the knowledge of thy Guide, who will lead thee, step by step, in the path of life, and teach thee to follow. Be still, and wait for light and strength.
Sink into the sweet and blessed littleness, 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!
August 24
And 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 no 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.
Anything 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. I believe our blessed Guide, the indwelling Holy Spirit, is always secretly discovering these things to us by continual little twinges and pangs of conscience, so that we are left without excuse,
August 25
See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh.—HEB. xii. 25.
From the world of sin and noiseAnd hurry I withdraw;For the small and inward voiceI wait with humble awe;Silent am I now and still,Dare not in Thy presence move;To my waiting soul revealThe secret of Thy love.
When therefore the smallest instinct or desire of thy heart calleth thee towards God, and a newness of life, give it time and leave to speak; and take care thou refuse not Him that speaketh. Be retired, silent, passive, and humbly attentive to this new risen light within thee.
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.
August 26
Be silent, O all flesh, 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.
It 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.
There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul. God is whispering to us wellnigh incessantly. 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.
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 themselves, calming the mind in the Divine presence, and fixing it only on God.
August 27
Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you 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!
If 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 persevere? 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 altogether united to Him.
August 28
They that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.—PS. ix. 10.
Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good.—PS. lxxxv. 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.
The 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 occasions 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 provoked; 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!
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.
How many are the sufferers who have fallen amongst misfortunes along the wayside of life! "Bychance" 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. Wherever 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,—heis thy neighbor.
August 30
Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.—EPH. iv. 1, 2.
Help us, O Lord, with patient love to bearEach 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.
You 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 yourself 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 gentle 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.
August 31
Now therefore keep thy sorrow to thyself, and bear with a good courage 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.
Our veiled and terrible guest [Trouble] brings for us, if we will accept it, the boon of fortitude, patience, self-control, wisdom, sympathy, faith. If we reject that, then we find in our hands the other gift,—cowardice, weakness, isolation, 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 presence, considerate words, helpful acts.
September 1
Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in welldoing, as unto a faithful Creator.—I PETER iv. 19.
The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.—JAMES v. 11.
On Thy compassion I reposeIn weakness and distress:I will not ask for greater ease,Lest I should love Thee less;Oh, 'tis a blessed thing for meTo need Thy tenderness.
Oh, 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.
September 2
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.—MATT. v. 6.
Grant us Thy peace, down from Thy presence falling,As on the thirsty earth cool night-dews sweet;Grant us Thy peace, to Thy pure paths recalling,From devious ways, our worn and wandering feet.
O God, who art Peace everlasting, whose chosen reward is the gift of peace, and who hast taught us that the peacemakers are Thy 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.
Have you ever thought seriously of the meaning 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 peacetheycan 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 complain 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 wants peace?
September 3
The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season.—PS. cxlv. 15.
What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.—PS. lvi. 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 bearIn vain to-day to-morrow's load of care?"
The crosses of the present moment always bring their own special grace and consequent 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, everything 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.
September 4
His delight is in the law of the Lord. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth 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 killThe 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 plantsStrikes deeper root, grows higher still,Spreads wider boughs, for God's good-willMeets all its wants.
It 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 ourselves. It is one of the first principles of holiness 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 glorify Thee here!
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.
September 5
O Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for me.—ISA. xxxviii. 14.
Being perplexed, I say,Lord, make it right!Night is as day to Thee,Darkness is light.I am afraid to touchThings that involve so much;—My trembling hand may shake,My skill-less hand may break:Thine can make no mistake.
The many troubles in your household will tend to your edification, if you strive to bear them all in gentleness, patience, and kindness. Keep this ever before you, and remember constantly that God's loving eyes are upon you amid all these little worries and vexations, watching whether you take them as He would desire. Offer up all such occasions to Him, and if sometimes you are put out, and give way to impatience, do not be discouraged, but make haste to regain your lost composure.
September 6
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.—LUKE ix. 23.
There lies thy cross; beneath it meekly bow;It fits thy stature now;Who scornful pass it with averted eye,'Twill crush them by and by.
To 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 distasteful to us.
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 'll have it in its effect. The one is but a stone cross, the other is a true spiritual cross."
I would have you, one by one, ask yourselves, Wherein do I take up the cross daily?
Every morning, receive thine own special cross from the hands of thy heavenly Father.
September 7
Pure religion and undefiled 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 quietDoth that inward answer tend,But to works of love and dutyAs our being's end.
It 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 always 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 accord the divinest guests will enter.