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12 THE PRESBYTEFT/
Devotional and Selections
THE LIFE'S AIM.
By William Thomas McElroy, Jr.
The sweetest songs come not front the throats
Of those who are known to fante,
Por over and over the wild bird's notes
put mem an to shame.
The temlerest heart is not the heart
That makes the greatest show,
But the one that comes in the hour of grief,
And helps to bear the blow.
The greatest life is never the one
That of wondrous acts can boast,
But the life that sweetens some other life
And supplies its needs the most.
And the life most needed is not the one
That climbs to the mightier deeds.
But the one that helps another on,
And gives it the love it needs.
And so our prayer is not for a share
Of the things the world calls great.
But the power to help some brother on
To a higher and happier state.
Louisville, Ky.
GOOD DAYS.
Why do we not have more good days? Why are so
many of our days clouded, depressing, discouraging?
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art
thou disquieted within me?" Because we try to make
our days glad and happy by means which can never be
successful. We are looking to outward conditions, material
possessions, animal gratifications, and worldly
luxury. These things will never make a heaven on
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tai hi. x iicy arc an appies ox ^ouom wnicn will turn
to smoke and ashes in our grasp. Good days are easily
accessible without the slightest change in our earthly
condition.
Sometimes nature gives us a fine day. The sun
shines clear and the air is balmy. Men and women
say, "This is glorious'weather. If every day were like
this life would be worth living." But we are not wise.
If every day were a perfect day we should soon become
weary of the monotony, and sigh for the wings of a
dove to fly away to some clime of frost, and snow and
rain that life might have needed variety.
Many readers of good literature remember the story
of Rasselas, written long ago by Dr. Samuel Johnson.
Rasselas was a prince of Abyssinia who lived in a
beautiful valley called Happiness. Notwithstanding the
vaney was oeauuiui ana tile conditions tavorable tor
those who longed for happiness, the prince became
restless, and longed to go abroad in search of something
different. In spite of the remonstrances of his
friends Rasselas took his sister and set out in search
of happiness, which would fully satisfy his mind.
Through many lands he wandered, visiting many cities,
everywhere inquiring for the happy people, but everywhere
meeting the same spirit of restlessness and discontent.
At last he said to his sister, "Let us go back
to our own home in the valley of Happiness, for there
is nothing better under the sun."
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OF THE SOUTH. March 10. igog.
We arc slow to learn this lesson. There is no better
place than this. Good days are here, but they may not
he good for us. The heavenly atmosphere, the heavenly
sunshine, the heavenly glory, the heavenly experience
are quite as accessible here as they are anywhere on
earth or in heaven. God is here. The kingdom of
heaven is at hand. Whatever your calling, whatever
your lot. every day will he a good day if your heart is
right with God. Neither poverty, nor sickness nor pain,
nor toil can hinder the glory of God from shining on
your path and illuminating your soul. Only sin can
do this. Let sin he cast out, and let the Lord of glory
in, and the kingdom is yours. It is in the atmosphere
of a pure heart that we shall see good days.?Southern
Churchman.
PEACE, PERFECT PEACE.
Peace, vea. nerfeet - ? 1'
, , ,?..?i a nccivcii ucs witnin!
All gleaming with a heavenly light even in the midnight
of this world of care! We cannot enjoy true
peace as long as sin remains upon the conscience. As
well might the ocean he quiet while the tempest is
raging, or the sea bird rest on the wave when the storm
is mixing earth and sky. The more the conscience is
enlightened, the more surely will it forbid peace so long
as sin remains, for its honest verdict is that sin deserves
God's wrath, and must be punished. Every upright
understanding assents to the justice of that dispensation
by which "every transgression and disobedience
received a just recompense of reward.". To me, when
convinced of sin, it seemed that God could not be God
if he did not punish me for my sins. Because of this
deep-seated conviction that ?i o
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blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all
sin," became a heavenly message sweeter than the
musip of angels' harps. Then I saw, with glad surprise,
that God in Christ Jesus is "just, and the justifier
of him that believeth." To me the glorious doctrine of
substitution was a well in a desert; and it is so still.
1 believe it with my whole soul. An honest man, if he
be in debt, will always be in trouble until the liability
is removed; but when his debt is paid, he leaps into
liberty and gladness. When I learned that my enormous
debt oFsin had been fully discharged by the Lord
Jesus Christ, who did this for all believers, then was my
heart at peace.?C. H. Spurgeon.
GOD ANSWERS PRAYER.
Jehovah, the loving God, distinctly promises to answer
the prayers of his children. He that gave parents
a love for their children, will he not listen to the cries
of his own sons and daughters? He has wonders in
store for them. What they never heard of, never saw,
or dreamed of, he will do for them. He will invent new
blessings, if needful. He will ransack sea and land to
feed them ; he will send every angel out of heaven to
succor them, if their distress requires it. H*e will astound
tliem with 1-lic ~ -1 ''
? Sic*v?_, mm inrtKe mem teei that it
was never before done in this fashion. All he a?ks of
them is that they call upon him.?Spurgeon.
Remember, you have not a faculty of body, mind or
soul whose law of improvement is not energy.
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