God doth not needEither man's work, or His own gifts, who bestBear His mild yoke, they serve Him best; His stateIs kingly; thousands at His bidding speedAnd post o'er land and ocean without rest:—They also serve who only stand and wait.John Milton.
God doth not needEither man's work, or His own gifts, who bestBear His mild yoke, they serve Him best; His stateIs kingly; thousands at His bidding speedAnd post o'er land and ocean without rest:—They also serve who only stand and wait.
John Milton.
O God, who didst give to Thy servant light in his blindness and music in the heart, grant that I may this day be swift to run on all errands of mercy and truth, or patient to wait Thy will, if so Thou commandest. Make me as unswerving as are the stars above me, as trustful as the birds who sing at dawn, and fear not what the day may bring. May I be strong to resist all evil, and cleave to that which is good. May I be conscious that in the loneliest hour Thou art near, and in the most solitary place there is the communion of saints. May Thy power flow through human weakness, and may all the trials and testings of life lead me constantly to the Rock that is higher than I. So may Thy will be done in my life as it is in heaven. Amen.
W. H. P. Faunce.
November 1
I saw the long line of the vacant shoreThe sea-weed and the shells upon the sand,And the brown rocks left bare on every hand,As if the ebbing tide would flow no more,Then heard I, more distinctly than before,The ocean breathe and its great breast expand,And hurrying came on the defenceless landThe insurgent waters with tumultuous roar.All thought and feeling and desire, I said,Love, laughter, and the exultant joy of songHave ebbed from me forever! Suddenly o'er meThey swept again from their deep ocean bedAnd in a tumult of delight, and strongAs youth, and beautiful as youth, upbore me.Henry W. Longfellow.
I saw the long line of the vacant shoreThe sea-weed and the shells upon the sand,And the brown rocks left bare on every hand,As if the ebbing tide would flow no more,Then heard I, more distinctly than before,The ocean breathe and its great breast expand,And hurrying came on the defenceless landThe insurgent waters with tumultuous roar.All thought and feeling and desire, I said,Love, laughter, and the exultant joy of songHave ebbed from me forever! Suddenly o'er meThey swept again from their deep ocean bedAnd in a tumult of delight, and strongAs youth, and beautiful as youth, upbore me.
Henry W. Longfellow.
We give Thee hearty thanks, most Holy Father that Thou hast not delivered up our souls to the emptiness and longing of despair. In Thy mercy and wisdom hast Thou ordained that we may taste ever afresh the deepest joys of life and ever anew feel the thrill of its loftiest inspirations. Like the sea is our life for its largeness; like the sea in its ebbs and flows. O Father of Life, flood our souls this day with a tide from the ocean of Thine own love lifting our lives to highest service and bliss. And Thine shall be all the honor and praise. Amen.
E. W. Lutterman.
November 2
The bird, let loose in Eastern skies,When hastening fondly home,Ne'er stoops to earth her wing, nor fliesWhere idle warblers roam.But high she shoots through air and lightAbove all low delay,Where nothing earthly bounds her flight,Nor shadow dims her way.So grant me, God, from every care,And stain of passion free,Aloft, through Virtue's purer air,To hold my course to Thee!No sin to cloud—no lure to stayMy soul, as home she springs;—Thy sunshine on her joyful way,Thy freedom in her wings!Thomas Moore.
The bird, let loose in Eastern skies,When hastening fondly home,Ne'er stoops to earth her wing, nor fliesWhere idle warblers roam.But high she shoots through air and lightAbove all low delay,Where nothing earthly bounds her flight,Nor shadow dims her way.So grant me, God, from every care,And stain of passion free,Aloft, through Virtue's purer air,To hold my course to Thee!No sin to cloud—no lure to stayMy soul, as home she springs;—Thy sunshine on her joyful way,Thy freedom in her wings!
Thomas Moore.
O God, who art both life and truth, the Author of our being and the light which lighteneth all, the source of our soul's life, and the goal towards which we strive, as cleaves the lark at dawn the heavenly blue, so may our souls be freed from sense, whose music siren-like would seek to draw us from our flight to Thee. As that same bird rejoices in the morning light, and sounds its note of praise, so may our souls be tuned to heavenly symphonies, and may the sunshine of Thy love, resplendent in secure omnipotence, give glad assurance to our hearts, nor cease to guide our way, until we reach that central orb, our soul's true home, and find eternal rest in Thee. Amen.
Albert B. Shields.
November 3
There is ever a song somewhere, my dear;There is ever a something sings alway:There's the song of the lark when the skies are clearAnd the song of the thrush when the skies are gray,The sunshine showers across the grain,And the bluebird trills in the orchard tree;And in and out, when the eaves drip rain,The swallows art twittering ceaselessly.There is ever a song somewhere, my dear,Be the skies above or dark or fair,There is ever a song that our hearts may hear—There is ever a song somewhere, my dear—There is ever a song somewhere!James Whitcomb Riley.
There is ever a song somewhere, my dear;There is ever a something sings alway:There's the song of the lark when the skies are clearAnd the song of the thrush when the skies are gray,The sunshine showers across the grain,And the bluebird trills in the orchard tree;And in and out, when the eaves drip rain,The swallows art twittering ceaselessly.There is ever a song somewhere, my dear,Be the skies above or dark or fair,There is ever a song that our hearts may hear—There is ever a song somewhere, my dear—There is ever a song somewhere!
James Whitcomb Riley.
O God, the Giver of all harmony and joy, before whom the morning stars sang together, by Whom the voice of the sparrow is heard, we thank Thee that we may serve Thee with gladness and come before Thy presence with singing. Put Thy new song into our mouths and help us to render the acceptable praises of the upright and pure in heart. Help us to love all Thy creatures and to delight in the songs Thou hast taught them. Especially enable us to bless our brother men, to hush their sighing and swell their singing, to strengthen the chorus of joy and praise with which Thou hast ordained the world shall be filled. We ask with confidence because we know Thy love. Amen.
J. Francis Cooper.
November 4
The snow has capped yon distant hill,At morn the running brook was still,From driven herds the clouds that riseAre like the smoke of sacrifice;Ere long the frozen sod shall markThe ploughshare, changed to stubborn rock.The brawling stream shall soon be done—Sing, little bird! the frosts have come.Oliver Wendell Holmes.
The snow has capped yon distant hill,At morn the running brook was still,From driven herds the clouds that riseAre like the smoke of sacrifice;Ere long the frozen sod shall markThe ploughshare, changed to stubborn rock.The brawling stream shall soon be done—Sing, little bird! the frosts have come.
Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, Thou art the giver of all good gifts, and all that comes from Thy hand is good. May we accept Thy providences. In the dreary days of winter as in the pleasant summer season, Thy mercies are new every morning and fresh every evening. Even when our hearts are chilled with grief and disappointment and failure, we would still put our trust in the eternal goodness. Help us, O God, to be truly grateful for everything that comes to us. In the winter of the soul may we learn the lessons of patience and resignation. Thus, with faith triumphant and with hearts full of gladness may we sing our songs of praise to Thy holy name forever and forever. Amen.
Arthur W. Grose.
November 5
It is will alone that matters!Will alone that mars or makes,Will, that no distraction scatters,And that no resistance breaks.Henrik Ibsen.No man can choose what coming hours may bringTo him of need, of joy, of suffering;But what his soul shall bring unto each hourTo meet its challenge—this is in his power.Priscilla Leonard.
It is will alone that matters!Will alone that mars or makes,Will, that no distraction scatters,And that no resistance breaks.
Henrik Ibsen.
No man can choose what coming hours may bringTo him of need, of joy, of suffering;But what his soul shall bring unto each hourTo meet its challenge—this is in his power.
Priscilla Leonard.
Infinite God, Who perceivest the destinies of worlds and of men; Who bringest to pass all that we enjoy, and Who permittest all that we suffer; may I this day be enabled to recognize Thy Fatherly goodness, in the morning mists, even as in the noonday brightness! Should sorrow becloud my pathway, should disappointment make its keen thrusts, should temptation lay its attractive coils, may my soul be made aware of Thy consoling presence, enjoy the compensations of Thy grace, assert the potency of the wisdom from above! And mayest Thou reveal Thyself! So may be fanned to a flame the divine spark in my heart, whereby all are made partakers of the victory with and through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ernest W. Burch.
November 6
"Yes," she answered, lifting her eyes to his face; "I, too, have felt it, Hermas, this burden, this need, this unsatisfied longing. I think I know what it means. It is gratitude;—the language of the heart, the music of happiness. There is no perfect joy without gratitude. But we have never learned it, and the want of it troubles us. It is like being dumb with a heart full of love. We must find the word for it, and say it together. Then we shall be perfectly joined in perfect joy."
"Yes," she answered, lifting her eyes to his face; "I, too, have felt it, Hermas, this burden, this need, this unsatisfied longing. I think I know what it means. It is gratitude;—the language of the heart, the music of happiness. There is no perfect joy without gratitude. But we have never learned it, and the want of it troubles us. It is like being dumb with a heart full of love. We must find the word for it, and say it together. Then we shall be perfectly joined in perfect joy."
Henry Van Dyke.
Almighty God, forbid that we shall ever be satisfied with the rich gifts of Thy land, or until the gifts have brought us, appreciative, humble, grateful, to Thee, the giver of them all. Help us to see that this is their high office, disregarding which the noblest of them becomes a stumbling block, accepting which the humblest of them becomes a means of grace and of surpassing gladness. Move us, then, to such acceptance of Thy favors as shall bring us to Thee rejoicing, that we may need less the experiences which shall bring us to Thee weeping. And hallow all our human loves by lifting us to a common sense and acknowledgment of Thy transcendent love, as shown especially in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Charles R. Tenney.
November 7
"What is the real good?"I asked, in musing mood."Order," said the court;"Knowledge," said the school,"Truth," said the wise man,"Pleasure," said the fool,"Love," said the maiden,"Beauty," said the page,"Freedom," said the dreamer,"Home," said the sage;"Fame," said the soldier,"Equity," said the seer.Spake my heart full sadly—"The answer is not here."Then within my bosomSoftly this I heard:"Each heart holds the secret;Kindness is the word."John Boyle O'Reilly.
"What is the real good?"I asked, in musing mood."Order," said the court;"Knowledge," said the school,"Truth," said the wise man,"Pleasure," said the fool,"Love," said the maiden,"Beauty," said the page,"Freedom," said the dreamer,"Home," said the sage;"Fame," said the soldier,"Equity," said the seer.Spake my heart full sadly—"The answer is not here."Then within my bosomSoftly this I heard:"Each heart holds the secret;Kindness is the word."
John Boyle O'Reilly.
Oh, Father, we are in a world of wonder and of bountiful promise. We scarcely know which to choose. Of all life's quests we would seek the highest and best. Thou art a Lord gracious and kind. Grace is but another name for kindness. It is this which is pronounced as a benediction Sabbath after Sabbath, and for which we lift up our faces morning after morning, to receive. Crown us with Thy loving kindness and tender mercies. But not for ourselves alone! As we meet the weary and heavy burdened in life, inspire us to show them the kindness of our God. As freely as we have received, so freely may we impart. Amen.
W. G. Richardson.
November 8
What a blessed thing it is that we can forget! Today's troubles look large, but a week hence they will be forgotten and buried out of sight. Says one writer, "If you should keep a book and daily put down the things that worry you, and see what becomes of them, it would be a benefit to you." The art of forgetting is a blessed art, but the art of overlooking is quite as important.
What a blessed thing it is that we can forget! Today's troubles look large, but a week hence they will be forgotten and buried out of sight. Says one writer, "If you should keep a book and daily put down the things that worry you, and see what becomes of them, it would be a benefit to you." The art of forgetting is a blessed art, but the art of overlooking is quite as important.
Aughey.
Lord, we know not the path our feet must walk today; yet we are not anxious. "Thy word will be a lamp to our feet," and what we need to know Thou wilt reveal just when we need to know it. Help us not to forget that we are under our Father's care; that He knoweth our frame, that He will not unduly burden us; that He will not "suffer us to be tempted beyond that which we are able to bear;" that He will make "all things work together for good to them that love Him." So may this day be one of peace to us, and through us may some troubled heart find rest. Amen.
George Skene
November 9
Learn to laugh. A good laugh is better than medicine. Learn to tell a story. A well told story is as welcome as a sunbeam in a sick room. Learn to keep your own troubles to yourself. The world is too busy to care for your ills and sorrows. Learn to do something for others. Even if you are a bedridden invalid there is always something that you can do to make others happier, and that is the surest way to attain happiness for yourself.
Learn to laugh. A good laugh is better than medicine. Learn to tell a story. A well told story is as welcome as a sunbeam in a sick room. Learn to keep your own troubles to yourself. The world is too busy to care for your ills and sorrows. Learn to do something for others. Even if you are a bedridden invalid there is always something that you can do to make others happier, and that is the surest way to attain happiness for yourself.
The Beacon.
Father of all mankind, may the spirit of cheer mark this new day. May the smile of Thy benediction rest upon us, and give courage to meet the duty and bear the burden. Help us each moment to know something of the highest joy of serving Thee. May that joy never be absent from our pain. May it consecrate every pleasure. May it lift us nearer the stature of the Christ, that the light of our life may shed its beams on the pathway of other lives,—a light in their darkness, an assurance of sympathy in affliction, an inspiration to do and endure. So may all gladly go to their appointed duty, one with Thee, even as Christ, whose followers we aim to be. Amen.
Charles T. Billings.
November 10
Take whatever is good in man, and argue that God is not only that, but infinitely better than that. In fashioning your conception of God, make it as resplendent in justice, as august in truth, as noble and pure in love, as radiant and wondrous in pity, as enduring as you please. Never be afraid that you will overdraw the divine character. God is never better in your thought or imagination than He is in Himself.
Take whatever is good in man, and argue that God is not only that, but infinitely better than that. In fashioning your conception of God, make it as resplendent in justice, as august in truth, as noble and pure in love, as radiant and wondrous in pity, as enduring as you please. Never be afraid that you will overdraw the divine character. God is never better in your thought or imagination than He is in Himself.
Henry Ward Beecher.
Almighty God, we thank Thee for the great thoughts and high hopes which lie deep in human hearts. We thank Thee for the visions of the perfect life which lead us ever toward the light. We long to follow those who lead the way to Thee. By faith and love may we be bound to them. As voices of Thy spirit may they be to us. Bless us this day with hunger for righteousness. Feed us with the bread of life. Endow us with high hopes and determined wills, that we may be faithful. Amen.
Frederick W. Betts.
November 11
There was a man who smiledBecause the day was bright;Because he slept at night;Because God gave him sightTo gaze upon his child!Because his little oneCould leap and laugh and run;Because the distant sunSmiled on the earth, he smiled.He toiled and still was gladBecause the air was free;Because he loved, and sheThat claimed his love and heShared all the joys they had!Because the grasses grew;Because the sweet wind blew;Because that he could hewAnd hammer he was glad.S. E. Kiser.
There was a man who smiledBecause the day was bright;Because he slept at night;Because God gave him sightTo gaze upon his child!Because his little oneCould leap and laugh and run;Because the distant sunSmiled on the earth, he smiled.He toiled and still was gladBecause the air was free;Because he loved, and sheThat claimed his love and heShared all the joys they had!Because the grasses grew;Because the sweet wind blew;Because that he could hewAnd hammer he was glad.
S. E. Kiser.
O Lord, who dost bountifully provide for us the necessities and comforts of life, and makest us glad in the enjoyment of the same; grant, we beseech Thee, that we may so use these, Thy gifts, that in all our blessings we find Thee to be the source and author of all our happiness—of our health and prosperity, of our joys and hopes, and of the holy relations of friends and family; lest, resting content in that which is less, we fail to attain to that which is greatest—truly to know Thee and to love Thee, which is the very end of our being and the consummation of all bliss; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
William H. P. Hatch.
November 12
I have seenA curious child, who dwelt upon a tractOf inland ground, applying to his earThe convolutions of a smooth-lipped shell;To which, in silence hushed, his very soulListened intensely; and his countenance soonBrightened with joy; for from within were heardMurmurings, whereby the monitor expressedMysterious union with its native sea:Even such a shell the universe itselfIs to the ear of Faith; and there are times,I doubt not, when to you it doth impartAuthentic tidings of invisible things;Of ebb and flow, and ever-during power;And central peace, subsisting at the heartOf endless agitation.William Wordsworth.
I have seenA curious child, who dwelt upon a tractOf inland ground, applying to his earThe convolutions of a smooth-lipped shell;To which, in silence hushed, his very soulListened intensely; and his countenance soonBrightened with joy; for from within were heardMurmurings, whereby the monitor expressedMysterious union with its native sea:Even such a shell the universe itselfIs to the ear of Faith; and there are times,I doubt not, when to you it doth impartAuthentic tidings of invisible things;Of ebb and flow, and ever-during power;And central peace, subsisting at the heartOf endless agitation.
William Wordsworth.
Father of Lights, with whom can be no variation or shadow that is cast by turning, give to me the joy of the love that endures as seeing Him who is invisible; that where Thy speaking voice is, there may be my listening ear; that above the waste and clamor of the tasks that exhaust me in bodily strength, there may be supplied a power of will to do the right and a fellowship with all righteous men everywhere. Help me to remember that Life consists not in the abundance of the things I possess. Let my faith see through doubt, endure through temptation and privation, and cleave steadfastly to God, remembering that Love believing is Love triumphing. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Adolph A. Berle.
November 13
When Jeremy Taylor had lost all—when his house had been plundered and his family driven out of doors, and all his worldly estate had been sequestered—he could still write thus: "I am fallen into the hands of publicans and sequesterers, and they have taken all from me. What now? Let me look about me. They have left me the sun and moon, a loving wife and many friends to pity me, and some to relieve me; and I can still discourse, and, unless I list, they have not taken away my merry countenance and my cheerful spirit and a good conscience; they have still left me the providence of God, and all the promises of the Gospel, and my religion, and my hopes of heaven, and my charity to them, too; and still I sleep and digest, I eat and drink, I read and meditate—and he that hath so many causes of joy and so great, is very much in love with sorrow and peevishness, who leaves all these pleasures, and chooses to sit down upon his little handful of thorns."
When Jeremy Taylor had lost all—when his house had been plundered and his family driven out of doors, and all his worldly estate had been sequestered—he could still write thus: "I am fallen into the hands of publicans and sequesterers, and they have taken all from me. What now? Let me look about me. They have left me the sun and moon, a loving wife and many friends to pity me, and some to relieve me; and I can still discourse, and, unless I list, they have not taken away my merry countenance and my cheerful spirit and a good conscience; they have still left me the providence of God, and all the promises of the Gospel, and my religion, and my hopes of heaven, and my charity to them, too; and still I sleep and digest, I eat and drink, I read and meditate—and he that hath so many causes of joy and so great, is very much in love with sorrow and peevishness, who leaves all these pleasures, and chooses to sit down upon his little handful of thorns."
Samuel Smiles.
Father of all mercies, Who Thyself art more to us than the utmost of Thy gifts; we thank Thee for those blessings of our life which come like the manna fresh every morning and pass with the passing day. Still more we thank Thee for the blessings which abide, like a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, witness of Thine own presence ever continuing with us. Give us grace and wisdom so to receive the ministries of this new day, that by means of them we may enter more fully into the Divine friendship and the everlasting habitations. Whatever may fail us, grant us such hold upon Thyself as shall be the having of all things, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
James Fairbairn Brodie.
November 14
Native goodness is unconscious, asks not to be recognized;But its baser affectation is a thing to be despised.Only when the man is loyal to himself shall he be prized.* * * * *If I live the life He gave me, God will turn it to His use.Bayard Taylor.Live not without a friend! the Alpine rock must ownIts mossy grace or else be nothing but a stone.Live not without a God! however low or high,In every house should be a window to the sky.William Wetmore Story.
Native goodness is unconscious, asks not to be recognized;But its baser affectation is a thing to be despised.Only when the man is loyal to himself shall he be prized.* * * * *If I live the life He gave me, God will turn it to His use.
Bayard Taylor.
Live not without a friend! the Alpine rock must ownIts mossy grace or else be nothing but a stone.Live not without a God! however low or high,In every house should be a window to the sky.
William Wetmore Story.
Eternal God, who hast neither dawn nor evening, yet sendest us alternate mercies of the darkness and the day; there is no light but Thine, without, within. As Thou liftest the curtain of night from our abodes, take also the veil from our hearts. Rise with Thy morning upon our souls: quicken all our labor and our prayer: and though all else declines, let the noontide of Thy grace and peace remain. May we walk, while it is yet day, in the steps of Him who, with fewest hours, finished Thy divinest work. Amen.
James Martineau.
November 15
I found it difficult the other night to cross a muddy street because of the deep shadow cast by my own body which stood between the electric light and the walk over which I was crossing. Not a little of the time, I fear, do we stand in our own spiritual light, making our own pathway black with ugly shadows cast by our own personality, while the light flashes all around us. If you would avoid the shadows walk toward the electric light in the heavens and let its beams fall in your face.
I found it difficult the other night to cross a muddy street because of the deep shadow cast by my own body which stood between the electric light and the walk over which I was crossing. Not a little of the time, I fear, do we stand in our own spiritual light, making our own pathway black with ugly shadows cast by our own personality, while the light flashes all around us. If you would avoid the shadows walk toward the electric light in the heavens and let its beams fall in your face.
George L. Perin.
Our pathway, Heavenly Father, is dark and lone. Sad and sinister suggestions born in our own hearts blind our souls and stay our steps. But with Thee there is no night. Light is Thy shadow. Unto Thee, therefore, we would turn in the sweet surrender of the spirit. In our darkness which leadeth unto death show us the way. Walking by Thy guidance, intent upon Thy will, may we rest with unforgetting memory upon Thy sevenfold promise of life. Give us the gift of the morning star. With Thee by our side may this new day bring us a new vision of duty, a larger girding for life, the nobler hope, the truth that makes men free. And unto Thee be thanks, praise and glory. Amen.
Franklin Hamilton.
November 16
The first principle of Christianity is to forget one's self. When Wilberforce was straining every energy to get his bill for the emancipation of slaves passed, a lady once said to him, "Mr. Wilberforce, I'm afraid you are so busy about those slaves that you are neglecting your own soul." "True, madam," he said; "I had quite forgotten that I have one." That remark contains one of the deepest truths of Christianity.
The first principle of Christianity is to forget one's self. When Wilberforce was straining every energy to get his bill for the emancipation of slaves passed, a lady once said to him, "Mr. Wilberforce, I'm afraid you are so busy about those slaves that you are neglecting your own soul." "True, madam," he said; "I had quite forgotten that I have one." That remark contains one of the deepest truths of Christianity.
Henry Drummond.
O Lord, give us the mind of the Master! We would look on our fellow creatures as he looked on them. We would be free from all taint of envy, jealousy, and sin. We would have his single eye and his hearing ear. We know that Thou art in man, for it is Thy spirit which quickens within him every pure thought and moves to every unselfish deed. Give us a due sense of humility and appreciation that we may enter into the secret thought and understand the sincere purpose of all the toilers of this present world! Thus would we abide forever with the saints, the seers, and the singers, of all climes and ages! Amen.
Eben H. Chapin.
November 17
Do we not know that more than half our trouble is borrowed? Just suppose that we could get rid of all unnecessary and previous terror; just suppose that we could be sure of final victory in every conflict, and final emergence out of every shadow into brighter day; how our hearts would be lightened! How much more bravely we should work and fight and march forward! This is the courage to which we are entitled and which we may find in the thought that God is with us everywhere.
Do we not know that more than half our trouble is borrowed? Just suppose that we could get rid of all unnecessary and previous terror; just suppose that we could be sure of final victory in every conflict, and final emergence out of every shadow into brighter day; how our hearts would be lightened! How much more bravely we should work and fight and march forward! This is the courage to which we are entitled and which we may find in the thought that God is with us everywhere.
Henry Van Dyke.
O Gracious and Infinite Presence, Thou art the peace that dwells in the shade of night and the brightness and hope of this new day. We are gratefully conscious of the loving strength that stands ever ready to help. The call of the day's work is in our ears and the courage manfully to labor is in our hearts. Strengthen us, Father, when weariness of toil dissolves our noble resolutions; calm us when petty vexations distract from our holy purposes. May midday find us refreshed by Thy grace and eventide solaced by Thy benediction. And now as we go forth to duty let our hearts know no terror but the fear of wrong-doing and our minds no anxiety but the earnest desire to toil fruitfully. Grant that we may see beneath life's busy activities the great good Thou art working out among men and to this end learn to labor and to wait. Amen.
Charles R. East.
November 18
There is no thing we cannot overcome.Say not thy evil instinct is inherited,Or that some trait inborn makes thy whole life forlorn,And calls down punishment that is not merited.Back of thy parents and grandparents liesThe Great Eternal Will. That, too, is thineInheritance, strong, beautiful, divine,Sure lever of success, for him who tries.Pry up thy faults with this great lever, Will,However deeply bedded in propensity,However firmly set, I tell thee firmer yetIs that strange power that comes from truth's immensity!Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
There is no thing we cannot overcome.Say not thy evil instinct is inherited,Or that some trait inborn makes thy whole life forlorn,And calls down punishment that is not merited.Back of thy parents and grandparents liesThe Great Eternal Will. That, too, is thineInheritance, strong, beautiful, divine,Sure lever of success, for him who tries.Pry up thy faults with this great lever, Will,However deeply bedded in propensity,However firmly set, I tell thee firmer yetIs that strange power that comes from truth's immensity!
Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
O Eternal Goodness, help us now, as another morning dawns, to readjust ourselves to Thy purpose of blessing. We believe that the most certain, significant and permanent fact of the universe is that Thou art our Father. Thus we are the heirs of Thy sufficient grace. There is no curse of ancestry for him who knows Thee as His parent. There is no weakness of the flesh for him who, through touch with Thee, becomes strong in the spirit. Help us all through this day to deny the chain of every earthly folly and sin, to stand erect and free as becometh children of the Infinite. So, finding and using the wisdom of our Master, who, most of all men, gained success, may we overcome the world. Amen.
George E. Huntley.
November 19
All things seem rushing straight into the dark—But the dark still is God.George MacDonald.Love is and was my king and lord,And will be, tho' as yet I keepWithin the court on earth, and sleepEncompass'd by his faithful guard,And here at times a sentinelWho moves about from place to place,And whispers to the worlds of space,In the deep night, that all is well.Alfred Tennyson.
All things seem rushing straight into the dark—But the dark still is God.
George MacDonald.
Love is and was my king and lord,And will be, tho' as yet I keepWithin the court on earth, and sleepEncompass'd by his faithful guard,And here at times a sentinelWho moves about from place to place,And whispers to the worlds of space,In the deep night, that all is well.
Alfred Tennyson.
O God, our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that Thou hast led us into this new day. We thank Thee also, that, though its experiences are untried and its issues involved in uncertainty, we are unafraid, full indeed of glad expectation, because we know Thee as our King and Lord. Help us in obedience and love to keep close to Thee, so that, if ever quick darkness shall come upon us, we may still be undisturbed because of Thy presence, to whom the darkness and the light are both alike. This we ask in the name of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. Amen.
Charles R. Tenney.
November 20
Let thy day be to thy nightA letter of good tidings. Let thy praiseGo up as birds go up, that when they wakeShake off the dew and soar; so take joy homeAnd make a place in thy heart for her,And give her time to grow and cherish her;Then will she come and oft will sing to theeWhen thou art working in the furrows; ay,Or weeding in the sacred hour of dawn.It is a comely fashion to be glad—Joy is the grace we say to God.Jean Ingelow.
Let thy day be to thy nightA letter of good tidings. Let thy praiseGo up as birds go up, that when they wakeShake off the dew and soar; so take joy homeAnd make a place in thy heart for her,And give her time to grow and cherish her;Then will she come and oft will sing to theeWhen thou art working in the furrows; ay,Or weeding in the sacred hour of dawn.It is a comely fashion to be glad—Joy is the grace we say to God.
Jean Ingelow.
Our Father, we thank Thee for the blessings of night. In this new morning hour, we pray for stout hearts and strong to meet the day's work. May we go forth with a song on our lips and the joy of renewed youth in our souls. Amid the tumults of the day enable us to hear Thy becalming voice. Then, though in dreariest labor, we shall have glad hearts, though pressed by dullest cares, we shall keep uncrushed hopes, though distracted by earth's din, we shall hear heaven's music. Abide with us, Benign Spirit. Inspire us to do our duty, and to learn that therein, alone, may true joy be found. Amen.
George Runyon Longbrake.
November 21
The weather-prophet tells us of an approaching storm. It comes according to the programme. We admire the accuracy of the prediction, and congratulate ourselves that we have such a good meteorological service. But when, perchance, a bright crystalline piece of weather arrives instead of the foretold tempest, do we not feel a secret sense of pleasure which goes beyond our mere comfort in the sunshine? The whole affair is not as easy as a sum in simple addition, after all,—at least not with our present knowledge. It is a good joke on the Weather Bureau. "Aha, Old Probabilities!" we say, "You don't know it all yet; there are still some chances to be taken!"
The weather-prophet tells us of an approaching storm. It comes according to the programme. We admire the accuracy of the prediction, and congratulate ourselves that we have such a good meteorological service. But when, perchance, a bright crystalline piece of weather arrives instead of the foretold tempest, do we not feel a secret sense of pleasure which goes beyond our mere comfort in the sunshine? The whole affair is not as easy as a sum in simple addition, after all,—at least not with our present knowledge. It is a good joke on the Weather Bureau. "Aha, Old Probabilities!" we say, "You don't know it all yet; there are still some chances to be taken!"
Henry Van Dyke.
Our Heavenly Father, Thou hast covered us with the darkness and we have slept under the shadow of Thy care. Thou hast opened for us again the gates of the morning, and refreshed, we rise to praise Thee. The memory of mercies past inspires our hope for today. Reveal Thyself to us by Thy spirit and through Thy word; make nature to minister to us in the heavens above and the fields below; let every experience lead us toward Thyself. Help us to see Thy face in those about us, and honor Thee in loving, helpful ministry to them. Bring to us today a fresh and larger sense of Thy presence, forgiveness, and care, and so the assurance that all things are working together for our good. In the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Samuel H. Greene.
November 22
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills."Psalm cxxi. 1.Peace is the message of the hills,A peace that broodsUpon their mighty heads, and fillsTheir forest solitudes;The leaping mountain waterfalls,As each unto the other calls,Blend in a murmuring noiseWhose silver rushing music stillsThe pretty play of human moods,And bids the calmed soul rejoiceIn the deep secrets of the woods,The majesty of Nature's voice.Priscilla Leonard.
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills."
Psalm cxxi. 1.
Peace is the message of the hills,A peace that broodsUpon their mighty heads, and fillsTheir forest solitudes;The leaping mountain waterfalls,As each unto the other calls,Blend in a murmuring noiseWhose silver rushing music stillsThe pretty play of human moods,And bids the calmed soul rejoiceIn the deep secrets of the woods,The majesty of Nature's voice.
Priscilla Leonard.
Dear God and Father of us all, Who maketh Thy sun to rise out of the sea and tintest the hills with the rosy promise of the day, we look up when we awake and seeing the light upon the mountains know that the day is coming to fill the world with beauty and glory. With thankful hearts we praise Thee, and pray that to us may be granted that loftiness of nature, that stability of character, that repose of mind and heart and life that is prefigured to us in the natural world. Grant that we may each become mediums of Thy love and hope to all who may chance to look up to us for guidance along the shores of life's tempestuous ocean. May the spirit of the Eternal find such expression in us and through us, this day, that all who come within the radiance of our joy may come into the consciousness of the joy of the Eternal. Amen.
Thomas J. Horner.
November 23
And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent, and when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.... Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man and he strengthened me and said, O man, greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong.
And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent, and when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.... Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man and he strengthened me and said, O man, greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong.
Book of Daniel.
Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that Thou art not far from us at any time. We have only to look up reverently and to our imagination Thou art standing near. We have only to wait in the darkness of the night to feel Thy presence with us. We have only to listen at any time to hear Thy voice. Thou deignest to stop and speak to us when we are in trouble, to guide our footsteps when we have lost our way, to renew our courage when we have become disheartened. O Lord, speak to us this day, saying to us, as unto him of old, "Peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong." Amen.
George L. Perin.
November 24
Let star-wheels and angel-wings, with their holy winnowings,Keep beside you all the way:Lest in passion you should dash, with a blind and heavy crash.Up against the thick-bossed shield of God's judgment in the field.
Let star-wheels and angel-wings, with their holy winnowings,Keep beside you all the way:Lest in passion you should dash, with a blind and heavy crash.Up against the thick-bossed shield of God's judgment in the field.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Be diligent and faithful, patient and hopeful, one and all of you; and may we all know, at all times, that verily the Eternal rules above us, and that nothing finally wrong has happened or can happen.
Be diligent and faithful, patient and hopeful, one and all of you; and may we all know, at all times, that verily the Eternal rules above us, and that nothing finally wrong has happened or can happen.
Thomas Carlyle.
Almighty God, our Father in heaven, the giver of every good and perfect gift, teach us, we pray Thee, how to do Thy will on earth as it is done in heaven, as the goal of our lives. Send down exceeding, abundantly above all that we can ask or think, the blessed influences of Thy Holy Spirit, to transform each heart and all the world into the kingdom of heaven. Give us the Morning Star of Hope. Feed us from the Tree of Life. Teach us Thy redeeming love. Grant that we may have some part with Thee in the redemption of the world, and be permitted to join with the whole glad earth in the chorus, "Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." Amen.
F. N. Peloubet.
November 25
What is the crown of the whole of life lived faithfully here? It is not a crown of gold or gems in another life; it is simply more life; a broader use of power, a healthier capacity, a larger usefulness. You are faithful unto death, through the misapprehensions and imperfections and absence of appreciation or gratitude in this preparatory world, and then there is offered to you inevitably and legitimately the crown of a larger, more serviceable, more effective life.
What is the crown of the whole of life lived faithfully here? It is not a crown of gold or gems in another life; it is simply more life; a broader use of power, a healthier capacity, a larger usefulness. You are faithful unto death, through the misapprehensions and imperfections and absence of appreciation or gratitude in this preparatory world, and then there is offered to you inevitably and legitimately the crown of a larger, more serviceable, more effective life.
Francis G. Peabody.
To Thee, O Author of our lives, we speak thanksgiving and gratitude for Thy gifts of love and trust. Help us to bring them into full exercise this day. By them may we know the experience of burdens made light and yokes made easy. With them, let us realize that we are effective workers with Thee. Because of them, show us how all our tasks are transformed to divine endeavors. Through them, set free all other of our highest impulses. So, O God, shall we know the fulness of life, we and all our loved ones. So shall we see doubt change to faith and blindness to vision. So shall our influence through word and work be the ministry of hope and of joy to any disconsolate, and to any who are a weak guide to the source of strength. For newness of life, for all the fruits of the spirit, whereby the heart is ever young and in joyous companionship with the Christ, for all this we pray now and ever. Amen.
William H. McGlauchlin.
November 26
The child frightened in his play runs to seek his mother. She takes him upon her lap and presses his head to her bosom; and with tenderest words of love, she looks down upon him and smooths his hair and kisses his cheek, and wipes away his tears. Then, in a low and gentle voice, she sings some sweet descant, some lullaby of love; and the fear fades out from his face, and a smile of satisfaction plays over it, and at length his eyes close, and he sleeps in the deep depths and delights of peace. God Almighty is the mother and the soul is the tired child; and He folds it in His arms and dispels its fears, and lulls it to repose, saying "Sleep, my darling, sleep! It is I who watch thee."
The child frightened in his play runs to seek his mother. She takes him upon her lap and presses his head to her bosom; and with tenderest words of love, she looks down upon him and smooths his hair and kisses his cheek, and wipes away his tears. Then, in a low and gentle voice, she sings some sweet descant, some lullaby of love; and the fear fades out from his face, and a smile of satisfaction plays over it, and at length his eyes close, and he sleeps in the deep depths and delights of peace. God Almighty is the mother and the soul is the tired child; and He folds it in His arms and dispels its fears, and lulls it to repose, saying "Sleep, my darling, sleep! It is I who watch thee."
Henry Ward Beecher.
Blessed Master! we thank Thee that every tired and weary child may find rest in the bosom of the Father. Each morning brings with it new cares, new duties, new privileges, new responsibilities; for all these, we need Thy protecting care, and pray for Thy divine guidance. When wearied and burdened with the cares of daily life, wilt Thou help us to flee to Thee as the frightened child flees to the loving mother; and wilt Thou encircle us with Thine arms of love, and whisper in our ears words of comfort and cheer and of forgiveness. Teach us to trust Thee in the morning, to walk with Thee through the day, and to commit our ways to Thee at all times. Amen.
Samuel M. Dick.
November 27
Certainly there never was a busier life than that of Jesus,—His whole great mission bounded by three hurried years. Yet in the morning He says to His friends: "Let us come apart and rest awhile;" and again when the evening is come He is in the mountain apart, alone. That is the place of worship in a world of work. It is not a refuge from duty, or a shirking of it; it is the renewal of power to meet one's duty and do it. The work of life is not to be well done with a hot, feverish, overwhelmed, and burdened mind; it is to be well done with a mind calmed and fortified by moments of withdrawal; and it is to be best done by one who from time to time pulls himself up in his eager life and permits God to speak to his soul.
Certainly there never was a busier life than that of Jesus,—His whole great mission bounded by three hurried years. Yet in the morning He says to His friends: "Let us come apart and rest awhile;" and again when the evening is come He is in the mountain apart, alone. That is the place of worship in a world of work. It is not a refuge from duty, or a shirking of it; it is the renewal of power to meet one's duty and do it. The work of life is not to be well done with a hot, feverish, overwhelmed, and burdened mind; it is to be well done with a mind calmed and fortified by moments of withdrawal; and it is to be best done by one who from time to time pulls himself up in his eager life and permits God to speak to his soul.
Francis G. Peabody.
O Spirit of grace, who withholdest Thy blessing from none, take from us the tediousness and anxiety of a selfish mind, the unfruitfulness of cold affections, the weakness of an inconstant will. With the simplicity of a great purpose, the quiet of a meek temper, and the power of a well-ordered soul, may we pass through the toils and watches of our pilgrimage; grateful for all that may render the burden of duty light; and even in strong trouble rejoicing to be deemed worthy of the severer service of Thy will. Amen.
James Martineau.
November 28
God gives to every manThe virtue, temper, understanding, taste,That lifts him into life, and lets him fallJust in the niche he was ordain'd to fill.William Cowper.
God gives to every manThe virtue, temper, understanding, taste,That lifts him into life, and lets him fallJust in the niche he was ordain'd to fill.
William Cowper.
Did 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?
Did 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?
Henry David Thoreau.
Holy Father, help us to be thankful that no life is beneath Thy notice. If a sparrow cannot fall without Thee, how much more is Thine eye fixed upon Thy child. Teach us, O Lord, that there is a divine purpose in each life. But may we not try to choose this without Thee. Show us how to wait upon Thee in holy silence till Thou dost make it known to us. O Master, say to us: "As the Father hath sent me into the world even so have I sent you." When we have found at the Cross our little mission, O sustain us and help us to keep it steadily in view—let us share Thy holy enthusiasm when Thou didst say: "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work." O Father, when we are depressed whisper to us: "Your labor is not in vain in the Lord." May our mission transform us into the likeness of Jesus, and may we say with Him at evening: "I have glorified Thee on the earth; I have finished the work Thou gavest me to do." Amen.
L. P. Johnson.
November 29
Though wrong may win, its victory is brief,The tides of good at first no passage find;Each surge breaks, shattered, on the sullen reef,—Yet still the infinite ocean comes behind.The road of Right has neither turn nor bend,It stretches straight unto the highest goal;Hard, long, and lonely?—yes, yet never soulCan lose its way thereon, nor miss the end.Priscilla Leonard.
Though wrong may win, its victory is brief,The tides of good at first no passage find;Each surge breaks, shattered, on the sullen reef,—Yet still the infinite ocean comes behind.The road of Right has neither turn nor bend,It stretches straight unto the highest goal;Hard, long, and lonely?—yes, yet never soulCan lose its way thereon, nor miss the end.
Priscilla Leonard.
We thank Thee, Heavenly Father, that awaking, we are conscious that Thou art near. Walk with us, through the untried path of this day's duty and service. We rejoice that Thou art in Thy world. Within its striving is Thy calm. Around its restlessness is Thy rest. Thy purpose fashions its achievements; Thy love shapes its future. Help us to see it with clearer vision, to hold it fast with firmer faith. When wrong seems to triumph, may we know that it is already perishing, and hold hard by truth and love and faith. Give us grace to spend this day as becometh children of God in honor, in courtesy, in sympathy, in confident trust. When the way seems long and lonely, straight and steep, help us to sing as we march forward, since Thou art with us, Who hast said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Amen.
Charles C. P. Hiller.
November 30
She was a droll little figure of a girl with a quaint old face, that showed too early the lines of care and work, and her clothing betokened a poverty-stricken home. Evidently not much of brightness had touched her life, but her face always lightened up when she mentioned her school or her teacher. "Why is it that you love your teacher so well?" she was asked one day. Her eyes shone and her lips smiled happily as she replied, "Because she's glad to me!" What a tribute was that! What an evidence was that of a happy heart that radiated its gladness! If we cannot bring other offerings of much value to the children and the poor among us, how blessed are we if we can bring gladness!
She was a droll little figure of a girl with a quaint old face, that showed too early the lines of care and work, and her clothing betokened a poverty-stricken home. Evidently not much of brightness had touched her life, but her face always lightened up when she mentioned her school or her teacher. "Why is it that you love your teacher so well?" she was asked one day. Her eyes shone and her lips smiled happily as she replied, "Because she's glad to me!" What a tribute was that! What an evidence was that of a happy heart that radiated its gladness! If we cannot bring other offerings of much value to the children and the poor among us, how blessed are we if we can bring gladness!
Estelle M. Hart.
Almighty God, teach us how to be glad. Put some gladness into our hearts. Show us where gladness is hidden in our little world about us, so that we may find it and use it. Give us the wisdom of Jesus, who, although a Man of Sorrows, yet spake ever of His joy and His peace. We feel that the secret of things must be gladness, that somehow there is a covered joy even in what we call our sufferings. Let us find that. Keep our hearts pure of the soiling of evil desire, for we know that no gladness can come from the muddy fountains of sin. Let our hands be busy at some good part of the world's work, for we know that idleness never went hand in hand with joy. Let our minds be open to acknowledge, love and obey the truth, for we feel that truth alone can satisfy our hearts. And let us feel to-day the duty of gladness we owe to our fellow-creatures. Let us give to them what we would receive from Thee. Amen.
Frank Crane.
December 1