Things To Live For, J.R. Miller

NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES
3 3433 07997783 5
WffiittoW)
I:
i.,
Ctnn^^'if^-x.tJ^
s^-Jji^
Iranster tfoir\ Giro. Dtpl
,1062
7 fii''
DR.
J.
R.
MILLER'S BOOKS
Joy of Service Lesson of Love Making the Most of Life Ministry of Comfort Morning Thoughts Personal Friendships of
Jesus Silent Times Story of a Busy Life
A Heart Garden
Beauty of Every Day Bethlehem to Olivet Building of Character Come ye Apart Dr. Miller's Year Book Evening Thoughts Every Day of Life Finding the Way For the Best Things Gate Beautiful Glimpses through Life's Windows Go Forward Golden Gate of Prayer Hidden Life
Beauty of Kindness
Blessing of Cheerfulness
Strength and Beauty Things to Live for Upper Currents When the Song Begins Wider Life Young People's Problems
BOOK LETS
Marriage Altar Mary of Bethany
Master's Friendships Secret of Gladness Secrets of Happy Home
By the
Still
Waters
Christmas Making Cure for Care
Life Face of the Master Summer Gathering Gentle Heart Girls Faults and Ideals To-day and To-moeeow Glimpses of the Heavenly Transfigured Life Turning Northwaed Life How? When? Where? Unto the Hills Young Men Faults and In Perfect Peace Ideals Inner Life Loving my Neighbor
;
THOMAS
Y.
CROWELL & COMPAXY
Sribinas to
tin fot
j:^^*r/miller, d.d.
AUTHOR OF "SILENT TIMES," "MAKING THE MOST
or LIFE,"
" BtllLDIXG
OF CHARACTER,"
ET<\
Life
is
a sheet of paper white
Whereon each ono'('.f'uy lii^jy' wnlfco His word or two, An<i t})e'h,'<*np,6; tight. ... UOWEI.L ;
' .
,
'
'
THOMAS
Y.
CROWELL &
CO.
PUBLISHERS
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
I.
PAGE
Things That are
Worth While
....
...
II.
The Seriousness of Living

Wholesome or Unwholesome Living
14
III.
26
3^
IV.
The Duty of Being Strong The Blessing of Simple Goodness

Living up to
V.
VI.
VII.
....
49
58
Our Privileges
The Lesson of Service
69
VIII.
The Grace of Thoughtfulness The Seeds
80
93
107
IX.
We
are scattering
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
Knowledge and Love

Dangers of Discouragement
Talking About One's Self
119
133
i45
Why
did
You Fail?
XIV.
Passing By on the
Other Side
156
167
XV.
XVI.
Over-Waiting for God
The Only Safe Committal

V
178
VI
CHAPTER
CONTENTS.
PAGE
XVII.
XVIII.
The Beatitude for Sorrow

Blessings of Bereavement
189
201 211
.
.
XIX.
How They
stay
With Us
.
.
XX.
XXI.
XXII.
XXIII.
The Hallowing of Our Burden

The Cost of Helpfulness
Loving and Hating One's Life
219 229
....
239 250
Taking God into Counsel

This Life and the After Life
XXIV.
....
260
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

CHAPTER
THINGS THAT ARE
I.
WORTH WHILE.
He built a house, time laid it in the dust He wrote a book, its title now forgot He ruled a city, but his name is not On any tablet graven, or where rust
Can
gather from disuse, or marble bust.
He
And
The
Who
took a child from out a wretched cot, on the State dishonor might have brought,
trust.
him to the Christian's hope and manhood grown, became a light To many souls, preached for human need The wondrous love of the Omnipotent. The work has multiplied like stars at night
reared
boy, to
When
darkness deepens; every noble deed
Lasts longer than a granite monument.
Sarah K. Bolton.
There are things which are not worth while. If a man lives seventy years, and then leaves
nothing good behind him, nothing which will stay in the world after he is gone, enriching
2
it,
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

beautifying
it,
sweetening
its
life,
has
it
been really worth while for
him
to live?
Or suppose that years a man lives

influences
in
his threescore
and ten
words
to do evil, speaking
which become seeds
of unholiness, scattering
blight,
which
cause
lives,
doing
say
?
things
it
which hurt other
who
will
live
has
been worth while for him to

have been a splendid success
He may
a worldly
in
way, amassing money, winning fame, getting

honor,
his
later
years a blaze of glory,
his
funeral one of magnificent

life
pomp
yet has his
been worth while?

thino-s o
There are
which are worth while.
man spends
tian
life.
his seventy years in lowly Chris-
He
fears God, and walks after God's
commandments.
cess according
He makes
no marked sucrating.
to the world's
He
is
even spoken of by others with a sort of

as a
all
pity,
man who never

in
has been successful.
Yet
the while he has lived honestly and faithhis

place.
fully
While other men have

position,
been
honor,
fighting
for
scrambling
of
self,
for
thinking meanwhile only
he
THINGS THAT ARE WORTH WHILE.

has been giving out his
life
in
generous love,
has not got-
serving others, doing good.
He
ten on in the world, and his hands are empty

at the last.
But there
is
a success which
is
not
measured by the standards of the
busiin
ness world.
There
is
an invisible sphere
which values are not rated

cents, but
by
dollars
and
by their moral character.
In that
sphere a cup of cold water given to a thirsty
one in
the
name
that a
of
Christ
of
will
count
for
self.
more than the
piling
a fortune for
Hence
good
it
is
man who
has seemed unhas been doing
successful,
all
but
nevertheless
the while in Christ's name, living un-
selfishly,
lifts
has really achieved a success which
his
name
to high honor.
in the
Sometimes
country you
will
see an
old water-wheel outside of a mill.

fills
The water
it
its
buckets,
and
all
day
long
turns
round and round

to be
it
in the
sunshine.
It
seems
working
doing by
in vain.
its
You
see nothing that
is
constant motion.
;
But
its
shaft runs through the wall

mill
it
and within the
turns the stones which grind the wheat,
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

flour for the
and the bolts which prepare the
bread that feeds hundreds, or runs the looms
which weave
the
fabrics
that
lives
keep
many
warm
all
in winter.
There are
toiling
which with
be accom-
their ceaseless
;
seem
to
plishing nothing
and yet they reach through
the veil into the sphere of the unseen, and

there they value
is
make
blessing and benefit whose
incalculable.
Some good
They work
meet.
people become discouraged beget
cause they do not seem to
on
in
life.
hard, but can scarcely

fast as
make ends
As
they earn, they must spend.
father toils through the years, bringing up
a family, and dies at last a poor man.
Other
succeed
failed.
men who began

and grow
rich.
with
him
as
boys
He
feels that
he has
But consider what he has

begin with, work
blessings.
itself
really achieved.
is
To
best
task-
one of
life's
This man's years of

built
daily
work have
up
in
him many
of the best
qualities of true,
worthy character,
promptpersis-
ness,
accuracy,
faithfulness,
patience,
tence, obedience.
Work,
too,
has given him

health, has kept
him from many an

of
evil,
has
knit
in
in
him thews
a spirit
of
strength, has wrought
him
self-reliance
and indepen-
dence.
Consider, too, the value of his work to his

family.
He
has
provided
home
for
his
household
where the wife and
mother
has
presided with love and gentleness.

his
toil
Through
he
he has furnished means for the eduof

his
cation
children.
In
his
own
and
life
has set them an example of honesty, truthfulness,
unselfishness,
diligence,
faith.
Dwelling himself near the heart of Christ, he

has
made
in
his
in
home
an
atmosphere
of
heavenliness
up.
which his
family has grown
He
has taught them the word of God,
and has given them books to read which have

put into their minds and hearts pure, inspiring,
and elevating thoughts.

out of their father's
One by one
house to become
of their
they go
influential in building
up homes
in
own,
carrying with
of character
in the world.
them and
shall
them a heritage
blessings
which
make them
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
Though this good man leaves no money and no monument of material success, yet
his life has
been well worth while.

world
He
has
given
to
the
something
it
better
than
money.
He
has shown
life,
an example of a
true and faithful
in conditions that
were
not always inspiring.

it
He
has maintained in
fires
a godly
home, keeping the
burning
lives of
on God's
altar,
and putting into the
his household the influences of
religion.
He
has trained his children, and sent them forth

to
of
be useful members of society, new centres
good influence, new powers for righteous-
ness.
His name may be forgotten among men,

life
but the benediction of his

stay in the world forever.
and work
will
The
is
may be broken up a little. worth while to make sacrifices of love

lesson
to
of
It
in
order
story
do good.
In
India they
tell
the
the Golden Palace.
Sultan
Ahmed
sum
of
was a great king.

skilful
He
sent Yakoob, the most
of
his
builders, with
a large
money,
to erect in the
mountains of snow the
most splendid palace ever seen.
Yakoob went

to
the place, and found a great famine pre-
vailing
among
the people.
Many were
buy bread
dying.
Instead of building the palace, he took the
money, and gave

starving people.
it
to
for
the
to
At length Ahmed came

his
see his palace, and there was no palace there.
He
sent
for
Yakoob and learned
story,
then grew very angry, and cast the builder into

chains.
"To-morrow thou
shalt die,"
he said;
"for thou hast robbed thy king."

night
But that
Ahmed
to
*'
had a wonderful dream.

in
There
came
said,
him one
shining garments,
who
from
Follow
me."
Up
they
soared
earth
till
they came to heaven's gate.

lo,
They
"
entered, and
gold,
there stood a palace of pure
more
is
brilliant
}
than the sun
What
palace
this
" asked
is
Ahmed.
His guide
Merciful
wise.
answered,
" This
the palace of
Deeds, built for thee by Yakoob the

Its glory shall
endure when
all
earth's things
have passed away."

stood that
his
Then
the king under-
Yakoob had done most wisely with

teach-
money.
only a heathen legend, but
its
It is
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

is
ing
true.
If
we
in
are
doing true work, we

re-
need not concern ourselves about visible

sults.
Though
self-denying
life
we
build
no palaces on earth, we are piling far nobler

walls
beyond the
and
skies.
in service
sacrifice
The money we give of helpfulness may add

;
nothing to our bank-account

as treasure in heaven, rust
but
it
is
laid
up
where neither moth nor
doth corrupt, and where thieves do not

steal.
break through nor

It
is
worth while to turn away from our

plans
that
own cherished
things
of
It
any hour
to
do
to
the
love
is
God may send

do
not
our
hand.
not easy for us to have our

into.
own
have
ways broken
our pleasures
We
like to
and our congenial occupations
interrupted by calls to do services for others.
Yet no doubt these very things are ofttimes

the
most
find
will
splendid
to
do.
things
of
all
that
our
hands
God's
They
are
fragments of
breaking into the schedule of our
own
will,
pieces of angel ministry to which
we
are called in the midst of our worldly work.
Whatever adds
in
even the smallest way

to
the world's brightness and cheer
is
worth
a bare
is
while.
One who
plants
flower
in
place where
benefactor.
only bleakness
was before
an
One who
says
encouraging
word
which
to a disheartened neighbor, gives a look
of love to a lonely one, or speaks a sentence
may become
to
strength,
guidance,
or
comfort
while.
another,
does
something worth
small
a
We
never know
how
thing
life.
may become
a benediction to a
human
" Only a thought, but the work
it
wrought
Could never by pen or tongue be taught
For
it
ran through a
life
life
like
a thread of gold.
And
the
bore
fruit
a hundred-fold."
It
was worth while for David

end of time.
to write the
Twenty-third Psalm to go singing everywhere

to the
It
was worth while
for
Mary
to break the alabaster vase, pouring the

;
nard on the head and feet of the Master

the world
is
all
sweeter ever since from the per-
fume
of her ointment.
Every singer who has Every
sung a pure, joyous song has given something

to earth to
make
it
better.
artist
who
lO
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

and noble picture, or
has painted a worthy
made the
stay
in
smallest thing of beauty which will
the world,
has added something
to
the enriching of our

Christian
life
human
lived
life.
Every lowly
courageous
who has
for
let
a true,
trial
amid temptation and

easier
has
made
it
little
others
fall
to
live
right.
Every
one who has

world's
life
into the
stream of this
di-
wholesome words, good words,
vine lessons, has put into the current of hu-
manity a handful of spices to sweeten a

the bitter waters.
to
live
It
is
little
always worth while

struggling to
nobly,
victoriously,
do
right,
showing the world even the smallest
fragments of divine beauty.

It is
worth while to be a
is
friend.
No
other
privilege
ity
is
more
sacred, no other responsibil-
greater.
:
One
writes
of
a friend
who
had gone
flash!
And
lo
You came into my adown the years
life,
Rainbows of promise stretched across The sky grown gray with tears. By day you were my sun of gold.
By
night,
my
silver
moon;
; ;

I
II
could not from the Father's hands
Have asked a
'
greater boon.
Life's turbid
stream grew calm and clear;
The
cold winds sank to rest

bitter pain
Hand-clasped with you, no
Found dwelling
I
in
my
all
breast.
did not dread
life's
care
and
toil,
;
Your love dispelled
gloom
And now on
The
graves of buried hopes
sweetest violets bloom.
My
I
every breath and every thought
Were
So
pure because of you
had not dreamed that heaven could be

close to mortal view.
feet
My
And
hands and
were swift
to
do
The good
in
that near
them
lay
my
heart throughout the year
The
joy-bird sang each day.

!
A
Is
flash
You passed
!
out of
my
life
No, no
Your
spirit still
sun and moon and guiding star Through every cloud and ill.
As down the rainbow years I go, You still are at my side And some day I shall stand with you
Among
It is
is
the glorified.
indeed worth while to be a friend.

into people's lives
It
to
come
with hallowed
12
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
and hallowing influences, and then never again

to
all
go out of them.
is
For
to
be a friend at
life.
to
stay forever
in the
God never
Therefore
takes from us a friend he gives.
the privilege granted to a few rare spirits of
being the friend of

earth's
in
many
and
people
is
one of
most sacred
of
gifts.
To
in
stand by others
their
their time
;
joy
hour
of
is
faintness
perilous
;
to
guide them
when
in the
the
way
to comfort
them
day of
;
sor-
row
to
be their counsellor in perplexity
to
be the inspirer in them of noble thoughts,

gentle
sentiments,
sit
upward
influences
and
then to
beside
them when they
are enter-
ing the valley of shadows,

earth
is
no
and
ministry on
this.
holier
and diviner than
One may
leaf
}
of our poets has
told us that our life
is a leaf of
white paper on which each of us
write his
word or two
are
then comes
little
night.
It
What
who
we
It
writing
on our
should be something that will bless

read
into
it.
those
fit
should
;
be something
to carry
eternity
it
must be most
It
beautiful and worthy for this.
should be

something which we
shall not
be ashamed to
meet
again, for this leaf will appear in judg-
ment, bearing our word or two, good or bad,

just
what we put on
it
and by
this
we
are
shall
be judged.
that
It is well that
;
we do
lovely,
only things
right
are worth while
things that
and true and

will
last
pure and
"
things
that
forever.
lust
The world passeth away,

:
and the
will
thereof
but he that doeth the
of
:
God abideth
forever."
Lucy Larcom
writes
*'
*
to
How
make
first
lives
worthy the
living ?'
The
It
question haunts us every day

the
It colors
blush of sunrise,
twilight's last ray.
deepens the
is
There
nothing that brings us a drearier pain

'
Than
the thought,
We
all,
have
lived,
we
are living,
in vain.'
We
need, each and

feel
to be needed,
to give
To
we have something
Toward soothing the moan of earth's hunger; And we know that then only we live When we feed one another as we have been fed, From the hand that gives body and spirit their
bread."
CHAPTER
11.
THE SERIOUSNESS OP LIVINa

Children of yesterday,
Heirs of to-morrow,
What
Look
are
you weaving
?
Labor and sorrow

Faster and faster
to your looms again
Fly the great shuttles

Prepared by the Master.
Life's in the
loom
it
Room
for
room.
Mary
A.
Lathbury.
All
flies,
life
is
serious.
We
while
dust.
are
in
not butterthe
air
to flutter
little
and
then
drop
into
the
The words we
are
speak and
flakes
the things
we do
not
**a
snow-
dropping into the water,
moment
white, then gone forever," but are beginnings

of immortalities.
We
it
are not done with any-
thing
in
life
is
as
passes from
our
is
hands.
Nothing
indifferent.
all
There
do.
moral
character in
that
we
14
Either
we
are
THE SERIOUSNESS OF LIVING.

blessing
the world, or sowing the seed of a out
curse in every influence that goes

us.
from
It
becomes
us,
therefore, to give consciall
entious thought to
our
life.
In one of his epistles
St.
Paul has
a re-
markable passage about working for God.

tells
He
This
In a
us that
God and we
are co-workers, and
that
is
true
we can do nothing without him. even in our common affairs.

shop on
a
little
back street a man

It
is
makes
board
a mariner's a great
compass.
taken
of
its
on
ship,
and by means
is
trembling
needle the vessel

erringly to
its
guided over the sea un-
destination.
;
compass.
Yes
man made man and God. A man

but
it
the
did
in-
the mechanical work, put the wonderful
strument together
into the
was God who put

This
magnet
a
;
its
mysterious power.
law.
God and man are co-workers and without God man can do nothillustrates
ing,
common
while
God's
perfect
work needs man's

work.
best.
It is true especially in spiritual
The
gospel had been preached in Corinth by St.
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

;
Paul
and as one might throw a handful
of
spices into a bitter fountain and sweeten the
waters, so
into
the words
life
of
the gospel
dropped
city
the foul
it.
of
the heathen
were
sweetening
Now, there was a

to
large body
of faithful Christians in that city.
They had
disci-
been brought
ples.
Christ,
and were his
This was Paul's work.
Yes
Paul's and
it
God's.
Paul was a great preacher, but

of
was
by the power
God
that
the mysterious
change had been wrought.

Christian work.
So
it
is
in
all
We
is
soon learn that
we can
do nothing without God.
Yet our
it
part
important, and
we must do
or
well
and
faithfully.
Carelessness
neg-
lect
may
of
lead to the marring of a

soul,
life
or the
loss
and the blame

in
will
letter,
be ours.
"
A
I
young mother wrote

took
When
first
my
I
little
boy
in
my
arms the
time, and his little hand closed tightly round
my
finger,
realized
what a good woman

help him to
must be
man."
his
in order to
be a good
in
is,
God
needs our faithfulness

lives.
doing
work on human
That
he has

ordained to use us, and
sible
we
are held respon-
for
doing well our part.
Our
unfaith-
fulness
St.
may mar
the work of God.
Paul had something serious to say also

of
about the responsibility
those
upon the walls
of
God's temple.
who work They may

only one
build either gold, silver, and costly stones, or
wood, hay, and stubble.

foundation,
There
is
Christ.
the
Gold, silver, and costly

beautiful
life,
stones
represent
things
we
lives
should build into our

of others.
or into the
Gravely responsible
tian minister.
is
the work of a Christo people,
Whenever he speaks
he
is
laying materials on the walls of God's
temple.
He must
If
do work worthy of God's
honor.
he has only wood, hay, and stub-
ble to bring, he
pulpit.
would better never enter the

is
The same
true
is
of
at
the
Sunday-
school teacher.
building.
If
He
of
also
work on God's
trifles of
he has only the

bits
week-
day
give
is
topics,
gossip,
airy
is
nothings, to
to
his
class,
what that
worth while
?
he putting into the pupils'
lives
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
The
ing has
lesson
life
applies
to
parents.
They
get
the young
from God when as yet nothbuilt
been
into
it.
What do
they
bring to put into the character they are help-
What are the influences of their home } What songs are sung beside the child's cradle } What lessons are taught at a time when every lesson becomes a permanent part of the life } What books are put into the young hands when every sening to build
.'*
tence makes an indelible mark on the soul
But the teaching

all
is
for us
all
for
builders on the life-walls of others.
opportunities for edifying each other
we are What we all
have
in
our conversations, as
!
or walk
things.
life
by the way They may become adornments
we sit together Words are wonderful

in the
;
of
him
to
whom
they are spoken
they
may
give happiness, courage, comfort, or im-
pulse.
There have been single words which
have changed destinies.
Then
of the
there are also
words which are only rubbish,

and stubble.
wood,
common
hay,
conis
Too much
versation of the street, the parlor, the table,

poor building-material to put into
Too much
is
of
it
is
only idle
human lives. words. Too much

hurtful
it
criticism
of
the
absent,
of
gossip
about people.
Too much
is
wrangling
and bitterness.
We may
our
think, too, of
what we are
build-
ing and allowing to be built on the walls of
own
}
character.
What
are
our companus.
ionships
Companionships make
takes
us a
Every
us,
one who
talks
half-mile walk with
or
with
ten
minutes,
life.
lays
something
read
on the wall of our

do their part
thoughts
also
in
The books we
important
our character-building.
Our
place
have
their
among the
grow.
life.
builders.
As we
think, so
we
Trifling thoughts,
a
life
flippant, shallow
Sad
Reverent
a thoughts, a
thoughts,
walls
are
sombre
on
character.
rests
which
the hallowed marks of divinity.
they go into the
of our
Not only do own life, but
when they
world
of others,
uttered they go out into the
r.nd build
themselves into the character

inspirations,
in
becoming impulses,
hearts.
people's
What
are
our
thoughts,
20
gold, silver,
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

costly stones,
or wood, hay, stub-
ble
Ella Wheeler Wilcox has these earnest
lines about
I
thoughts
hold
it
true that thoughts are things
Endowed with bodies, breath, and wings; And that we send them forth to fill or ill. The world with good results
That which we
Speeds to the
call
our secret thought
earth's remotest spot.

its
And
leaves
blessings or
it,
its
it
woes,
goes.
Like tracks behind

It is
where
it
God's law.
still
Remember
as you
In your
chamber
sit
With thoughts you would not dare have known, And yet make comrades when alone.
These thoughts have
life
;
and they and by.
will fly
And
leave their impress by
Like some marsh breeze, whose poisoned breath Breathes into homes
its
fevered death.
And
after
you have quite forgot
Or all outgrown some vanished thought, Back to your mind to make its home,
dove or raven
it
will
come.
fair;
Then let your secret thoughts be They have a vital part and share
God's system
is
In shaping worlds and moulding fate
so intricate.

There
shall
it
21
fire
is
more
each
of
the
lesson.
"The
what
silver,
is
prove
man's work of
in
;
sort
is."
Whatever
shall
it
is
gold,
costly
stones,
abide
but
whatever
wood,
hay, stubble, shall perish.
The
things
we
are
putting into
are
will
life
}
the lives of
others
these days,
that
they
imperishable
things
in
things
is
:
be elements of beauty
It
is
the immortal
not enough that they be not evil
the
yet
more
gold,
love.'*
searching
silver,
question
Are
of
they the
truth and
and
costly stones
Very grave
or the
is
the responsibility of the

writes a book,
man
woman who
read
a novel, for
It
is
example, which catches the fancy of people,
and
is
by thousands.
say.
**
great
it
success,"
men
Yes
of
it
but what
does
put
into
the lives
those
start
}
What impulses does

sions
who read it } What impreskindle holy or

its
does
it
leave
Does
it
unholy
it
fires in
the hearts of
;
readers
Is
gold, silver, costly stones

it
or
is it
wood, hay,
}
and stubble that

is
builds into life-walls
It
a high privilege to be permitted to write
22
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

in
words that carry

that
them the seeds

in
of good,
become strength, encouragement,

comfort
one's
cheer,
hope, and
other Hves.
is
But supfrom
its
pose
that
gift
perverted
holy use, and the words one writes
carry in
them the poison

rious accounting
of
moral death
what
se-
must the writer have when

!
the harvest
is
gathered up
as that which
The work done in our own life also, as well we do in other lives, must be
;
proved
endure.
and only that which
is
immortal shall
No
doubt many of us build much
rubbish into our character.

that do us no good, even
if
We
read books
they leave in us
in
no virus of
evil.
We
indulge
thoughts,
feelings, imaginings, longings,

in
which build up
us nothing that
we can
carry into eternity.
We
spend hours
in conversation, consisting at
best of only idle words, imparting no inspiration toward better things.
Whether
of
in
our
own
is
fit
life
or
in
the
is
lives
those about us,

will last forever
only that which
white and
building-material.
of
St.
The end
Paul's
lesson shows us a
THE SERIOUSNESS OF
LIVING.
fire,
23
man, saved himself, so as through

all
while
his
work
is
burned up.
all
We
think of one
who has spent

has
is
his life in building a house,

it
and gathering into

toiled.
it.
the things for which he

all
in
The house is burned, with The man himself escapes

shall
that
unhurt,
says
but
St.
he carries nothing with him.

Paul,
So,
some men pass

all
into
heaven,
barely saved, but losing
their work.
They
have lived uselessly.

Christ's
They
at
all.
have
In
all
advanced
their life
kingdom not
they have done nothing that
will
endure.
The
world would have been quite as well without
them and
that
it
their work.
We
need to remember
is
not enough to be busy, active, ever

;
doing something
true
the work
we do must be
will
work
for
God, such as
really
bless
the world.
There
lesson.
is
something yet more serious
in this
One who
builds only uselessly will be
saved, though his
work
shall perish.
But one
who
destroys
God's temple shall himself be

destroy
destroyed.
One may
the temple of
shall
God by teaching
error which
mislead
24
souls, or
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

by setting an example before others
influence
which
shall
them toward
evil
or
one may hurt other

gentleness.
lives
by selfishness or un-
There are some Christians who

to
seem never
helpfulness.
have learned love's secret of

is
There
nothing that this sorgenof
rowing, sinning world needs more than

tleness,
gentleness
is
like
that
of
Him
whom
it
written, that he would not break a
bruised reed.
We
need to pray for the grace
of gentleness, that
we may walk
another
act.
softly
among
harsh
men, never hurting
life
by
word or ungentle
It is
sad enough to be a useless Christian,
doing
last
;
no good,
but
it
building
nothing
to
live
that
to
will
is
sadder
far
tear
down with unhallowed hand what

love,
others with
;
prayer,
and
toil
have built up
or
by
unloving and censorious words to discourage

those
who
are
sincerely
trying to
do God's
all
work, and
to bless other lives.
We
should
pray to be saved from the
doom
of those
who
destroy the temple of God.
No
one should be content
to
live
either

hurtfully
2$
or
uselessly.
While such mighty,

in
all
life,
immortal potencies are
we should
not be satisfied with anything less than the

consecration of our every act and word and
every shred of our influence to holiness and

good.
"
CHAPTER
"If
I
III.
WHOLESOME OR UNWHOLESOME
lay waste
LIVING.
and wither up with doubt
The
If I
blessed fields of heaven, where once

itself serenely, safe
my
faith
Possessed
from death
deny the things past finding out

I
Or
if
orphan
my own
soul of
One
grace,
That seemed a Father, and make void the place

Within me where he dwelt in power and What do I gain, that am myself undone ?
The word wholesome means

having perfect health.
to conditions.
It
is
whole, sound,
usually
applied
of a
is
Thus we speak
or
of
wholesome
salubrious
climate,
meaning a climate that

;
and healthful
ing food that
wholesome
food,
mean-
is
nutritious.
But the word may
be used also of a person.

of a thoroughly
Hawthorne speaks
heart,
wholesome
and of the
purifying
influence
scattered
throughout the
atmosphere of the household by the presence

of
one such heart.
The
word
<.6
dictionaries
is
tell
us
that this use of the
probably obsoles-
cent.
LIVING.
2/
But
;
it
should not be allowed to grow
obsolete
for
wc have no
life
other word which
quite expresses
the same shade of meaning,

for
and
it
is
a quality of
which we much
need a name.
There are wholesome

exert
a
people
who
indeed
purifying
go.
and
healthful
influence
wherever they
mal
in
They
are hale, whole, norin
their
make-up and
their condition.
only, but also
They
in
are healthy, not in

in
spirit.
body
mind and
Such
persons
are
life
blessings wherever they are found, full of
and of inspiration.
Even unconsciously they

by the
diffuse strength, cheer, hope, courage,
mere influence
But there
of their presence.
are
is
also
unwholesome
people,
whose influence
not toward the things that
are beautiful and good.
Their unwholesomeit
ness
may be
is
physical, or
may be
in
their
mental or
spiritual
in
condition.
common
form
what
its
general
it
we
call
morbidness.
Whatever
cause,
is
the result of overeasily dis-
sensitiveness.
Morbid people are

.They
turbed in their feelings.
yield
readily
28
THINGS TO LIVE
FOR.
to depression of spirits.
The
smallest cause
makes them gloomy.

a mischievous
for them.
Their imagination plays

in
part
creating
slights
unhappiness
They imagine
were intended or even dreamed
of.
when none They are

of
apt to be very exacting toward their friends,

continually
demanding renewed assertions
faithfulness and constancy, and often express-
ing fears
and doubts, and raising questions.

friendship
best.
all life
Thus they make

those
hard
even
for
who
love
them
These morbid people see
and
all
the
world through tinted glasses, tinted with the
unhealthy hue of their own mental condition.
They
see their neighbor's faults, but not the
excellences of his character.
They have an eye
for the blemishes and the unlovely peculiarities of others,
and for the disagreeable things

fret
of
life.
They
and chafe
lot,
at
the smallest
to get happi-
discomforts in their
and
fail
ness and pleasure from their

blessings.
many and
even
in
great
They
are
unhappy
the
most favorable circumstances, and discontented

even
in
the kindliest conditions.
The
trouble
is
LIVING.
29
not
in
outside
things, but
in
themselves.
tosses rest-
They
lessly
are like a fever patient
who
on his bed and complains of the heat

while
all
of
is
the room,
in himself,
the
while the
It is
fever
not in his room.
the un-
wholesomcness of men's own

the world and
all
spirit that
makes
full
life
about them
so
of
discomfort for them.
many forms and phases of unin life. Some people are unThey find no wholesome in their religion. happiness in it. It does not make them joygivers. They are sombre, gloomy Christians. They are wanting in the grace of cheerfulness and in heartiness. They are severe in their
There
are
wholesomeness
judgment
of
others,
sometimes
uncharitable
is
and censorious.
Their own religion
a bur-
den to them, and they would make religion a
burden to
all
who
is
profess
it.
It
vexes them
to see a rejoicing Christian
for they suppose
that joyousness
a sign of triviality of heart,
and of the want of a due consciousness of

life's
gravity and seriousness.
They think
of
religion as always severe, stern, solemn, sad.
30
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
Some
affections,
people
giving
are
unwholesome
to
in
their
way
envy, jealousy,
and
suspicion, unmistakable
iness.
symptoms
of unhealth-
Some
are
unwholesome
of
in their
temper,
lacking the
power
self-control,
permitting
anger to dominate them and lead them to un-
seemly outbreaks.
the temper takes out of
life.
Some one
all
says
" Losing
the sweet, pure feeling

get up in the morning
song, and start out
You may
with a clean heart,

as
full of
happy as a bird; but the moment you are

and give way to your
temper,
the
crossed
clean feeling vanishes,

as lead
is
and a load as heavy

;
rolled
upon your heart
you go
through the rest of the day feeling

prit.
like a culfeeloff,
Any
one who has experienced this

it
ing knows, too, that
cannot be shaken
but must be prayed
off."
These are suggestions

of unwholesomeness.
of
common
phases
wholesome
life is
one
that
is
free from these

It
is
and other unhealthi-
nesses.
hale and whole.

it
Good
for
physical
health
ought to make
easier
one to
have also mental and spiritual health.
But
in
is
LIVING.
fact
many
is
person whose bodily health
excellent
very unwholesome in disposia physical invalid possesses

spirit.
tion,
while
many
most wholesome
Ofttimes
radiant
souls live in diseased and suffering bodies.
One mark
cheerfulness.
its
of
It
wholesomeness
is
in
its
life
is
not without
burdens,
the
its
cares,
its
trials;
but
it
has learned
lesson of victoriousness.
Nothing breaks
its
glad-heartedness
joy.
nothing chokes
of
song of
heart
is
The peace
it.
Christ
is
in
the
the secret of
There
:
an Old Testament
wilt
promise which says

perfect peace
"
Thou
is
keep him
in
whose mind
stayed on thee."
There
us be
is
New
known
Testament word which bids

nothing, but
to
;
anxious about
to
make
every want
God
in prayer
and then
promises that the peace of
guard our heart and our thoughts in Christ Jesus

shall
God
One
writes
Through all the tumult of this busy life, So overfull, with such ambitions rife,
There waits a quiet place deep
in
my
heart,
Wherein
this restlessness
can have no part.
32
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
A
As
quiet place in
rests a
which
my
soul can rest,
weary bird
soft in its nest,
Screened from the Hght by branches bending low,

Safe hidden from the eye of lurking foe.
No No
guest
is
welcomed
in this secret place

its
careless thoughts
holy walls deface

is
For here we know that God
very nigh
We
love this quiet place,
my
soul
and
I.
He who
of
understands this has learned one

secrets
of
the
inmost
a
in
wholesome
life.
With the peace

the sorest not
trials
of Christ
the heart, even

will
and the bitterest sorrows
make
of
a life
unwholesome
rather the outwill
come
struggle and
suffering
be the
promotion of spiritual health.

endured cleanses the
life
Sorrow rightly
its
it
of
earthliness
holier and
and
its
unhealthiness, and leaves

It
is
more
suffer
beautiful.
pitiful
to
see people
and not grow better

continually.
grow
all
worse
''
:
in-
deed
One
result
if
writes
of
wisely
It
would be a poor
and our wrestling
old selves
at
our
anguish
the
we were nothing but our end of it if we could re;
turn to the same blind loves, the same
self-
confident blame, the
LIVING.
33
same
light
thoughts of
gossip
human
suffering,
the
same
frivolous
over blighted
sense of the
human lives, unknown toward which we have

rather be
the same feeble
sent forth irrepressible yearnings in our loneliness.
Let us
thankful that
our
sorrow lives in us as an indestructible force,

only changing
ing from
its
form as forces do, and passsympathy."
pain
of
into
is
The
wholepain
some use
into
grief
the putting of
its
new energy
generous
are.
of loving
of
and
living.
Another mark
is
wholesomeness
in a life
love.
Our
things
affections
make
us
what we
The
we
love tell whether
we
are
are
living
for earth or for
heaven.
We
be-
commanded
not to love
the world,
cause the world passes away, and the things

in
it
which are loved and sought after; but

the
things which are
eternal,
to
love
and
all
then
of
we
our
shall
endure forever.
is
Love
is
life.
All duty
included
and
first.
neighbor.
Loving
Unless we love
at
all.
in loving God God is always God we really do not
love
Love
that
lacks the divine ele-
34
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

is
ment, and that
not born
the heart,
of
is
and inspired
only earthly,
by God's love
and
will
in
not
endure
is
not
worth while.
is
In the truly wholesome
life
there
love to
God, and then a love for others born of this
which
is
like
God's love for

is
us.
This love
forgiving.
We
are taught to
link together the spirit of forgiveness
and the
desire
for
forgiveness.
pray.
" Forgive
is
us, as
we
forgive,"
ous.
It
we
is
This love
all
also gener-
free
It
from
miserable
in
envying
and
jealousy.
rejoices
the
It
happiness
sees
and the prosperity of

best, not the worst,
others.
is
the
there
in
the lives of
other people.
ishes
Instead of watching for blemit
and
faults,
It
looks
for
the
lovely
qualities.
does not find the thorn
the roses, but does find the rose

thorns.
It is charitable,
among among the
overlooking flaws and
mistakes, and seeing ever the possibilities of

better things.
It
is
unselfish, forgetting its
own
interests in
It
is
thinking of the interests of

a
others.
gentle, with
heart
of
quick
and tender sympathy for sorrow or suffering,
and a hand
skilful
is
LIVING.
35
and ever ready
to give help
when help
needed.
all
Margaret Fuller said that
the good she
had ever done had been done by calling on

every nature for
cret of a
its
highest.
life
Here
is
is
a se-
wholesome
which
well worth
learning.
We
in
call
should seek for the best and
the noblest
strive
every one
it
to
out.
we meet, and then One who was asked

of
how
plied,
to
'*
cultivate
this
charm
character rekindly
Look
If
at
everything through
this,
eyes."
we do
there will be no
more
envy, no
ness,
more
jealousy, no
more censorious;
no more uncharitableness
in
having pure,
shall find in
generous love
every other
our
heart,
we
life
something
beautiful, at least
something that through the kindly nourishing of our love
may grow
a
into beauty.
Thus
its
we
shall
really call
is
on every nature for

of
is
best.
This
in
mark
It
supremest wholethat
Christ's
someness
life.
thus
love looks on
every one of us, seeing in us

of
the best
possibilities
our being, and

is
call-
ing ever for the best that
in us.
36
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
One
is
other
mark
Action
of
is
wholesomeness
in
life
activity.
necessary to health
inaction that the

for
produces death.
stars
Some one
in
has said but

that
would
rot
their orbits
their
unresting motion.
The water
most
life
rests
stagnates.
One
of
the
prolific
all
causes of unwholesomeness of
in
its
phases
is
inaction.
He was
a wise physician
who
prescribed for a morbid, unhappy patient,
"Do
something for somebody."
Most
of the
common doubts on
trouble
religious questions
which
to
people
if
would be
doubter
out
scattered
the
winds
the
live
would
go
forth
of
and
begin to
the
teachings
Christ
among suffering, sorrowing, and tempted peoThe best thing to do for an unhappy ple.
Christian
is
to
send him out to comfort or
help some one in trouble.

Religion in the head and heart which finds
no expression
healthy.
active.
in
the
life
life
soon
grows
un-
The wholesome
all
must be always
There
Exertion keeps the blood pure, and

the fibres of the being.
strengthens
is
a blessing, too, in doing, in helping others,
WI/OLESOME OR UNWHOLESOME LIVING.

in
3/
is
making something
of grace.
for
beautiful.
Work
means
"
Work
Labor!
some good, be
labor
is
it
it
ever so slowly
Cherish some flower, be

all
ever so lowly
noble and holy;
Let thy great deeds be thy prayer to thy God."
Thus
ing
a wholesome
life
is
one of aboundthat
lives
moral
and
spiritual
health,
according to
divine plan for
the law of
it.
God, realizing
life
is
the
Such a
Its
a benedicis
tion in the world.

ration,
every touch
is
inspi-
and
its
every influence
fragrance.
CHAPTER
" I asked for strength
I fainted,
IV.
THE DUTY OP BEING STRONG.

;
for with the noontide heat
while the reapers, singing sweet,
Went forward with ripe sheaves I could not bear. Then came the Master, with his blood-stained feet, And lifted me with sympathetic care. Then on his arm I leaned till all was done; And I stood with the rest at set of sun,
My
task complete."
There
is
is
a duty of being strong.
Strength
the
lot
not a mere happy gift that

certain
to
falls to
of
favored persons, while others
are
doomed
duty.
weakness.
Never
again
is
weakness a
the
Scrip-
Over and over

are
in
tures
are
men urged
to be strong, but
they
is
never urged to be weak.
Weakness
never set down among the virtues, the beautiful
things,
the noble qualities of
life.
Ev-
erywhere are we urged to

the same time, no
fact
is
be strong.
At
oftener reiterated
than that of
human weakness.
38
We
belong
THE DUTY OF BEING STRONG.

to an imperfect family.
faint
39
under
burdens.
We tire easily. We We are overcome

struggles
are
by
hard
our
for
sorrows.
us.
Life's
too
We
are
bruised reeds,
not
in
weak only, but crushed and wounded

life.
our
Yet, while these painful facts are kept before
us
continually,
divine
voice
is
ever
fields
heard sounding like a trumpet over the

of battle
and defeat, calling us

is
to
be strong.
life.
Strength
the ideal of
is
a noble
Viclife
toriousness
faith.
is
the
characteristic of
of
Indeed, the only hope of blessedness
through overcoming.
the
plains
of
Heaven's heights
earthly
struggle,
lie
beyond
and
can be reached only by him
who
is
strong
and who overcometh.

If this
were
all
of the Bible teaching
on the
subject,
for
we might God
say that
it.
it
is
impossible
is
us to realize
But there
help us
to
more
of
the lesson.
"
will
be strong.
He
giveth power to the faint."

in
We
are
are to
be more than conquerors, not

but
in
ourselves,
to
him who loves
us.
We
be
40
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

is
strong "in the grace that
in Christ Jesus."
It is possible for us, in all
our weakness and
faintness, to receive strength

fulness.
from the divine
How
to
to get this strength
from God
all.
is
there-
fore a practical question for us
It
it
comes
in
us
in
many
ways.
We
may
find
book whose words, as we read
them,
warm
our hearts, and freshly inspire us for struggle

or service.
We
may
find
it
in
a friendship
fill
whose companionship and helpfulness

with
us
new courage and hope. Far more than we understand does God strengthen and bless He hides himself in us through human love. the lives of those who touch us with their
affection.
He
looks
into
our eyes through
human human
eyes,
lips.
and speaks into our ears through
He
gives
in
power
our
to
us in our
faintness,
and hope
discouragement,
through the friends who

their love
come to us with The highest and greatest of all the comings of God to men was in a human life, when the Son of God taberSo, ever since, God is nacled in the flesh.
and cheer.

coming
to us in other
human
lives
yet often
we
do not recognize the love
and the help
as from him, because vê see no glory blazing

in the faces of the
messengers.
us
The
istry
Bible
tells
much about
olden
the
min-
of
angels
their
in
the
days.
They
came with
to
messages of encouragement
After our Lord's
to
weary or troubled ones.
temptation, angels
in
came and ministered
him
his faintness.
In his agony in Gethsemappeared,

.
ane,
an
angel
strengthening
to
him.
to
is
No
and
a
to
doubt
angels
come now
God's
us
that
minister
strengthen
children.
There
word which
forget
to
tells
we ought
strangers,
not
for
show love unto

have
thereby some
wares.
entertained
angels
una-
This would seem to imply that angels

at
least,
come, sometimes
Mrs.
in
human
in
form.
Sangster
gives
this
thought
:
her
happy way
in a little
poem
women
pressed
In the old days
God
sent his angels oft

to
To men
With
in
threshing-floors,
daily tasks;
they came to tent and croft.

rest.
And
whispered words of blessioig and of
42
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
Not mine to guess what shape those angels wore. Nor tell what voice they spoke, nor with what grace
They brought the dear love down that evermore Makes lowliest souls its best abiding place.
in these days I know my angels well They brush my garments on the common way; They take my hand, and very softly tell
But
Some
bit of
comfort in the waning day.

I
And
though their angel names
do not ken,
Though in their faces human want I read They are God-given to this world of men,
God-sent
to bless
it
in its hours of need.
Child, mother, dearest wife, brave hearts that take
The rough and

Its
bitter cross,
and help us bear

is
heavy weight when strength

bless
like to
break
God
you each, our angels unaware.
God's strength
is
imparted also through his
words
of
promise.
You
are
in
sorrow, and
opening your Bible you read the assurance

of
divine
love
and
comfort,
that
is
God
is
your Father, that your sorrow

ing,
full of bless-
that
all
things work together for good
to God*s children.
As you
read,
it
and believe
as
for
what you
there
read,
and
receive
you,
comes into your soul a new strength,

a strange
43
calmness, a holy peace; and
you
are comforted.
Or some day you

tractions,
are
discouraged,
over-
wrought, vexed by cares, fretted by
life's dis-
weary and
bearing.
You
to as
is
sit
faint from much burdendown with your Bible, and

in its
God speaks
hope
;
you
words
of cheer
and
and
you ponder over the words, the

gone, you feel yourself growing
weariness
strong,
hope revives, courage returns.
The
words of
God
is
with their
divine
assurances
bring strength to fainting ones.
But there
this.
something even better than

real
God
is
a
if
person
will
and he comes
into our
life,
we
admit him, with his
own
Bible
love and strength.

is
The
his
teaching of the
that
there
is
an actual impartation
of strength children.
from God to
This
is
weak and weary

in
not
possible
human
give to
friendship.
The
all
best
that
we can
others
is
cheer, encouragement, sympathy.
A
her
mother, with
her
child,
her love and yearning for

really
its
cannot
it
give
any
of
strength
to
in
weakness.
This, how-
44
ever,
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

Christ,
as
the
manifestation
of
God,
does to his friends in their faintness, actually
imparting to them of his
own
is
life.
When
broken,
a branch of a vine
its
hurt, bruised,
its
life
wasted, the vine pours of
abundant
life
into
the wounded
part,
to
re-
plenish the loss and to heal the hurt.

is
That
what Christ
heal
does.
Virtue went out of him
to
the
sick.
Virtue
comes from him
always when the hand of faith touches the hem of his garment, and becomes life and
strength in the spirit that
vital relation
is
thus brought into

is
with him.
His strength
made
"
perfect in weakness.
The
greater our need,

us.
the more of his grace will come to
As
thy days, so shall thy strength be."
The
Lord
and
essential
thing
"
is
our
being
really
united to Christ.
shall
They
that wait upon the
renew
their
strength."
Waiting
implicitly
upon the Lord means trusting him

patiently,
believing in
in
his
love,
keeping
near his heart, living

with him.
It
unbroken fellowship
is
True praying
life
waiting upon God.

to him,
brings the
up close
and from

his
45
fill
fulness
flows
the
strength
to
in
our
emptiness.
One who
tell
goes to
God
prayer
with his weakness receives help and blessing.
Trench's lines
us this in a striking
way
Lord, what a change within us one short hour
Spent in thy presence
will avail to
make
What heavy burdens from our bosoms take What parched fields refresh as with a shower
!
We We We
kneel,
rise,
and
all
around us seems to lower;

the distant and the near,
clear.
and
all,
Stands forth in sunny outline, brave and

kneel
;
how weak
we
rise
how
full
of power
as
The simple teaching of the Bible is that we abide in Christ, in unbroken fellowship,
continuous stream, strength according
there flows from him to us, into our deepest

lives, in
to our need.
in
''My strength
is
made
perfect
weakness."
As
the waters of the sea pour
out into every bay or channel, pressing up into
every
so
is
slightest
indentation
along the shore,

life
God's strength flows into every

lived in him,
filling all
its
that
emptiness.
This teaching gives us the secret of strength.

It
tells
us
how
in
it
is
possible
for
us to
be
strong,
though
ourselves
we
are so weak.
46
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

is
Indeed, so wonderful
the divine grace that
each
"
believer
I
in
Christ
can
say
I
in
truth,
When
am
weak, then
am
strong."
Our
it
very weakness becomes a blessing, because
makes room
in us
for the
power
of God,
and
this
makes us
strong.
We
never need faint
nor
fall,
it
for our strength will

is
be renewed as
with our
fast as
used.
We
may go on
work, with our struggle, with our doing and

serving, never withholding
what the duty
of
the
when the
moment demands, never sparing ourselves calls of love to God or to our felus,
lows are upon
sure
that,
all
waiting
upon
God, we shall
need.
*'I said,
receive
the
strength
we
This task
is
I
keen
But even while
spake, thou, Love Divine,
Didst stand behind, and gently overlean
My
Too
drooping form, and, oh
what task had been
stern for feebleness with help of thine?
Spell thou this lesson with
me
line
by
is
line,
The
sense
is
rigid,
but the voice
dear;
Guide thou
my hand
!
within that hand of thine

until its tremblings take
Thy wounded hand
Strength from thy touch, and even for thy sake
Trace out each character in outline
clear."

One spoke
through.
the
first
47
the other day of the surprises
of a great sorrow
It
which had
all
just
been passed
it
was
;
surprises
for
all
was
sorrow
but strangest of
was the
surprise of grace which
came
to brighten the
darkness, and to
fill
the loneliness with love.
Some
friends
of
came through human affection had brought wondrous warmth and

it
tenderness.
friends
of
it
" I never
knew
had so many
until
my
bereavement came."
Some
comfort
came
through words of divine

read
or
which had been
heard
hundred
times before, but which now, in the darkness,

for
the
first
time
revealed
their
precious
meaning.
derful
of
of
But besides these, and most wonall,
there
came
a strange
to
blessing
fill
heavenly peace, which seemed
the
bereft hearts as with an unseen presence of

love,
pouring
itself
through
it
all
is
the
that
home
they
as a
holy fragrance.
Thus
who
wait on the Lord have their strength renewed

in
every need, in every sorrow.
There
is
one other secret of being strong

in
which must not be overlooked
our study
48
of this
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

subject,
we
must be strong
in
is
our
un;
own
it
heart.
great deal of weakness

is
necessary.
is
Sometimes resignation
a virtue
so
such a
when the hand of God is upon us in way as to leave us no alternative.

is
But very often resignation

but weakness rather,
it
not
virtue,
which drags down with
many
of
a possibility of power.
to
Many
times
what people imagine

will
be submission to the
God
is
only surrender to weakness,
when there is really no need for surrender. Some one counsels us to rename our obstacles,
opportunities,
considering each as
gymnasium bar on which

In this attitude
tions, burdens,
to try our strength.
toward hindrances, obstrucitself, lies
and weakness
of
wonspirit
derful
secret
victoriousness.
This
makes obstacles
climb upward.
Christian faith.
stepping-stones on which to
This
is
really an
element of
us
strong,
strong,
Believing that God will make we go on as if we were already and as we move forward the strength
comes.
CHAPTER
It is
V.
THE BLESSING OP SIMPLE GOODNESS.

not the deed we do,
the deed be never so fair,
for,
Though
But the love that the dear Lord looketh
Hidden with lowly
care
fair.
In the heart of the deed so
Behold
us, the rich
and the poor,
Dear Lord,
in thy service
draw near
One consecrateth a precious coin, One droppeth only a tear;

Look, Master, the love
is
here
Christina Rossetti.
After
most
in
all,
there
are
few ways
in
which
of
us can
do better service for Christ

Sir
this world
than just by being good.
Walter Scott's farewell to Lockhart contained

wise
counsel
:
"
Be a good man, my
more brightly
in
dear."
Cleverness
shines
society
eloquence makes
elicits
itself
heard more widely, and

;
huzzas from the throng
wealth yields
a greater
show
of splendor, gives
more worldly
itself
power
for
the time,
and
49
gets
talked
50
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

;
about by more people

ing
is
;
conspicuous almsgiv-
more praised
of
men
it
has
is
its
re-
ward
but plain, simple goodness
likely to
have as bright a crown and as high a place

in
heaven as any of her more showy

certain, too, that nothing
sisters.
It is
makes a deeper
lives
;
and more lasting impression on human

and this
of living.
is
the best test
of
the real value
Of course no
the active forms
service.
disparagement
of
is
is
cast
on
Christian usefulness and

a
There
of
place
for all
of
them,
and
all
them are needed
of the world complete.
to make the life Some must give their
large
gifts
to
build
churches,
asylums,
and
homes
for the aged, the orphan,
and the poor.

in
Some must preach

words, to
tell
the gospel
eloquent
the lost of the great love of
God,
and
the
wonderful
salvation.
sacrifice
of
Jesus
lead
rich
Christ for men's

in
Some must
fulfil
the service of praise, and
the
ministry of song.
There
is
a place in God's
church for the

of
gift,
fullest
finest,
exercise of
every form
the
the most brilliant,
and
THE BLESSING OF SIMPLE GOODNESS.

the most conspicuous.
Those who have been

for public
of
endowed with
for doing
qualities
service, or
the
great
things
the
kingdom,
are highly favored of

are, so
is
God
and
it
as their gifts
their responsibility.
in
But even
the case of those
who
is
serve
the world in these active ways,
the quiet
influence of personality that gives to acts and

service their greatest value.
What
man
is
measures the worth
of
what he
does.
His
use-
character means more as a factor in his

fulness than do his deeds.
"
No good
'Tis that
is
certain but the steadfast mind,

will to
The undivided
seek the good
compels the elements, and wrings
human music from the indifferent air. The greatest gift a hero leaves his race
Is to
have been a hero."
But meanwhile there

gifted for great things
is
the multitude
one-talented
not
or
the
two-talented
of
people,
who
think they
can be
often
but
little
use
is
in
the world.
Too
their temptation
sin of
to repeat the mistake
and
the
man
in
the parable,
who thought
$2
his
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

one talent too small to be used to any
profit.
is
But the truth
is,
no
life's
endowment
or taper
too small to
become a
real blessing in this
world.
will
Even the
little
smallest
candle
if
shed a
brightness,
lighted
and
set
where
it
can shine.
match may
light,
in the lighthouse tower, the great
lamp whose
beams
sels
will flash far out to
sea,
showing ves-
their way.
Even
a single drop of water
may
refresh
lip.
drooping plant or moisten a
fevered
But there
is
yet another kind of power for

of
good which comes, not from any doing, even

little
it
things, but
of
from simple being.
Though
were true
any that they could not help

of
love,
others
by deeds
even the smallest,

not learn to live
yet there are none

a
life
who may
of
constant
helpfulness
through
the
influence that goes out from them.
A
it
flower
yields no timber to the builder for house or

ship,
and the
utilitarian
would say
is
of
no
use.
The
all
one-talented
it
man
of
the parable
would say
might as well be buried.

that
Yet
we
know
the flower has a ministry
THE BLESSING OF SIMPLE GOODNESS.

of being,
silent
if
53
not of doing.
it
In
its
own humble,
way
**
is
a great blessing.
if we will hear. dewy morn
Flowers preach to us,
The
I
rose saith in the

fair
Yet
am most all my
loveliness
is
born
Upon a thorn. The poppy saith amid

Let but
the corn:
And
my scarlet am held in
my
head appear
scorn
lies
Yet juice of subtle virtues
Within
cup of curious dyes.
The
lilies
say:
Behold how we
Preach, without words, of purity.
The violets whisper from the shade Which their own leaves have made
Men
scent our fragrance on the
air.
Yet take no heed
Of humble
lessons
we would
read.
But not alone the
fairest flowers
The merest
grass
Along the roadside where we pass, Lichen and moss and sturdy weed,
Tell of His love,
who sends
too,
seed.'''
the dew.
The
rain
and sunshine
To
nourish one small
So
it
is
with the ministry of simple good-
ness in a
human
life.
Suppose we are right
54
in
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

saying
that
we cannot do anything in Christ's church that we have no working gifts, and that we have no money to contribute it does not follow that we can be of
;
no use whatever.
We
can at least be good.

the grace
of
We
can get
into
our hearts
the Lord Jesus, the mind that was in Christ

Jesus.
We
can become
so
filled
with the
Holy
figure
Spirit that the light of divine love will
shine out
it.
from our
dull
nature,
and
trans-
We
can
in
have something of
our
life.
the
beauty of Christ
us
will
This
will
make
It
sweet-tempered
and
gentle-spirited.
make
us honest in our dealings with our

It will
fellow-men.
us.
It will
make
us kind to
all
about
make us good people

wife
or
child.
It
to live with
at
home
as
or husband, as brother or
sister,
as parent
good
neighbors
and
faithful
make us friends. The

will
life
unconscious ministry of such a
through
in
long years will leave untold blessings

world.
est
this
The words dropped

will
in the
commonto
intercourse
become
inspirations
others.
THE BLESSING OE SIMPLE GOODNESS.

*'
55
nameless man, amid a crowd

daily mart.
That thronged the

Let
fall
a word of hope and love
Unstudied from the heart.
A
A
It
whisper on the tumult thrown,

transitory breath,
raised a brother from the dust
It
saved a soul from death."
The
face as
light of
good cheer that shines
in
our
we
pass victoriously through the hard
things of our condition puts hope into other
discouraged hearts.
The
dark,
faith that fails
not
when
and
things
seem
is
that
meets sorrow
suffers,
but
not crushed, helps the faith

Life
is
of others
who
are in like experiences.

in
contagious.
all
Courage
one struggler makes Joy

spirits.
it
others
spirit
who know him braver. kindles joy in many other

is silent,
in
one
The
in-
ministry of influence
termits.
but
never
By day and by night it goes on, while men wake and wh-ile they sleep. Even death does not interrupt it but when the voice is hushed, when the hands are folded,
;
it
continues to bless and inspire others.
56
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

Not long
since
in
great
city
an
life.
aged
Christian
woman
closed her earthly

in
She
had lived always
very plain circumstances.

privi-
She had enjoyed only the most ordinary

leges of education.
for
She had no peculiar

activity.
class,
gift
any distinct form of Christian
She
nor
had never taught a Sunday-school

led a
in
woman's prayer-meeting, nor taken part

connected
a missionary society, nor been
with a temperance union or any other sort of

organized association.
She had never been

of her eighty
recognized by her friends as an active worker

in
any capacity.
But for sixty
years she had been a true, earnest, and sincere Christian.
She had been a
faithful wife,
and a loving, self-denying mother.

brought up her family
in
She had
the fear of the Lord.

life.
She had
of
lived a quiet, patient, gentle

coffin
About her
her
grandchildren.
there
sat
large
circle
descendants, her
own
children and
Her
life-story
was a record,
not of any great deeds, nor of any fine things

done,
but of eighty years of
plain,
it
simple,
lowly, Christlike goodness.
Yet
never can
THE BLESSING OE SIMPLE GOODNESS.
5/
be known until the Judgment Day, when the
books
shall
life
be opened, what blessings that

left
humble
Its
at
its
close
in
the
world.
silent,
all
unconscious
influence
into
poured out
other
lives,
through
the long years
making them
better, happier, holier, sweeter.
Such a ministry
of
goodness
It
is
within the
reach of every Christian.

liant gifts,
requires no brih
It
is
no great wealth.
plainest
is
a ministry
fulfil.
which
the
and lowliest may

incalculable.
Then its influence The church in

It
these
days of
fashionable
worldliness needs just such simple goodness.
has eloquence in
its
its
pulpits,
and activity
in
pews
but
it
needs more good people

of
filled
life
with the
spirit
Christ, repeating the
of Christ
it
wherever they move.

said, as
Of such
had
Christians
of a
may be
one said recently

life
young Christian whose quiet
real-
ized this conception of goodness:
"Wherever
she went lovely flowers sprung up in her path,
and the
by."
air
was sweeter when she had passed
CHAPTER
VI.
LIVING UP TO OUR PRIVILEGES.

Ever toward man's height of nobleness
Strive
Till,
still
some new progression

any other
;
to contrive,
just as
friend's,
we
press
Death's hand
and, having died, feel none the less

it
How
beautiful
is
to be alive,
Henry Septimus Sutton.
There
privileges
glorious.
of can
is
no aoubt that we
Christians.
live
below our
as
No
vision of
life
Our privileges are we can conceive

is
is
be so exalted, so noble, so divine, as

life of
the actual
It
is
one who
paint
a child of God.
possibilities
in
impossible to
its
colors too bright.
Because the glories of the
spiritual life are not earthly,
and therefore do
senses,
it
not appeal to our physical
is
not
easy for us to realize their value and

tance.
imporof
But truly to be
" partakers
the
divine nature," to be "if children, then heirs;

heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ,"
S8
is

to
59
have the highest honor possible to a human
life.
It
is
not possible that
we can
fully
know
life.
the value of our privileges in the present
However much we may

there are treasures in
us,
see of our inheritance,
it
yet undiscovered by
and undiscoverable here.

joy
However deep
the
there
which
our
hearts
may
experience,
must ever remain other depths unex-
plored until
we
enter the larger
life of
heaven.
be,
However lofty our attainments
may
we
can at best only begin in this world to reach

the excellences of spirit which belong to our
perfected
character.
life
Yet
all
it
is
our duty to
gather into our
that
At many
For
points, therefore,
we can receive. we may reach after

find
the better things that are ours.
one thing, we do not
the
best
press
lies
things there are in the Bible, and
may
is
our quest ever farther.
The
finest gold
It
deep, and has to be digged

in the rocks,
for.
hidden
and has to be quarried
out.
We
chap-
can never get^ the best the Bible has to give

us, until
we
learn to search through
its
6o
ters
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

as
the
miner
searches
with pick
in
and
hammer, with shovel and lamp,

Another condition
the dark
is
mines, for the precious treasure that

cealed there.
con-
of finding the
richest things in the Scriptures
is
that
we take
and
be
them
into our life as fast as

of
we
are
discover them.
The words
assimilated
God
are
meant
to be eaten
as
food.
They
meant
to
accepted for obedience, for guidance, for trust,

for comfort.
It
is
only
when we thus
receive
them
that
they open, and yield to us their
treasures of blessing.
One
is
of the secrets of a strong Christian life
daily feeding
upon the word

God's
bread
of
God.
God's
The
chil-
Bible
dren.
contains
Bible-fed
It
for
Christians
is
are
godlike
men
and women.
duces
great
great
thinking that pro-
character,
and
he
who makes
the Bible his daily meditation learns to think
over God's thoughts.
We
said,
are not getting the best

It
we might
get
from our praying.

"
was the Master who

and " shut thy
Enter into thy
closet,"
door," and
'^pray to thy Father
which
is
in

secret."
life
It
is
in
the closet that
we
get our
renewals.
There we may open our heart

never can speak the things of
life
to
God.
We
is
our innermost
prayer
soul
in
public
of
prayer.
Secret
the
communing
Here
it
the
individual
with God.
is
that
godly
men
and women get their shining
faces,
the light
that breaks through their tears, the strength
that
makes them victorious

fits
in temptation, the
power that
Christlike
them
for
Christian
closet
of
work and
prayer
life.
serving.
The
is
the holy of holies of each Christian

blessing
The
measurable.
All
we may One
receive there
writes
:
is
simply im.
full
empty handed came

so.
in
handed
forth
go
evet
Go
thou beside me, Lord of grace, and keep
me
Thanks
life
are poor things for such wide

is
good
but
all
m^
thine;
Thou
hast turned
my
stones to bread,
my
water into
wine.
We
to
do not get the best possible out of our
church-life.
The church
It
brings heaven
in
down
the
earth.
keeps alive
this
world
62
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

God. Our Sabwe may drink of the
love, the grace, the beauty, of
baths are oases where
pure water that flows from the heavenly mountains,
and eat of the
fruits that
grow on the
trees of God, and thus be prepared to go out

into the world for a six days' journey over the
hot sands.
Some
desert.
sels in
years since a party of Americans were
about to leave Cairo for a journey across the

Before setting out, they bought ves-
which to carry water.

vessel
that
Each one chose
the kind of
pleased him.
fine
One
at-
found jars of brass, whose

tracted
designs
him.
Another purchased
porcelain
vessels of rare beauty.
third,
however, took
some
across
plain
earthenware
desert
bottles.
The way
wearisome.
of
the
was long and
The
was
heat was intense.

of value.
Every drop
water
;
The
brass vessels heated
and
the water was
made impure, and

lost.
unfit for use.
The
costly porcelain jugs cracked in the heat,
and the water was
But the
plain earthen-
ware bottles kept the water pure and sweet

until the journey
was ended.
63
We
go out every morning to trudge over
desert paths.
We
should be sure that on the

preparation that shall not
Sabbath we make
fail
us on the journey.
it
Mere
idle rest will not

it
give
to
us.
We
cannot get
from the
from
Sunday newspaper, from the

mere
art.
latest novel,
literary books, or
from studying works of
But
if
we
turn our face to God's house

filling
on God's day, and commune with him,

our
earthenware vessels
life,
of
faith
and
love
with the water of

the way.
we
shall
not faint by
The
thin2:s
we
fêt
from the church are
the lasting things.
Other things are but of
the passing day, and have no reality in them.
Nothing
is
emptier than the applause which
men's worldly success wins on the streets or

in
the newspapers.
to
The huzzas
of to-day
may
be changed
sneers
to-morrow.
But the
truly wor-
blessing that comes to those

ship
who
God
is
lasting.
One
writes of listening
to the brawl of
London
streets
and of
Parlia-
ment houses
until
he grew weary and sick
of the emptiness.
Then he went out
of the
'
64
city to
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

watch the darkening evening, and
to
seek the touch of the sweet airs of heaven.
He
writes
in a girPs sweet breath,
"Half
a mile on, a sudden song,
Mounting above
Brought
'
me
to pause,
and
caught the words,

!
Victory, victory over death
From a little chapel so deep in green, The psalm was heard ere the place was
'These be the things that
last,'
I
seen.
said.
Shadows we are that shadows pursue, Triumph and weep over vanities, Strut and fret and make much ado.
Verily,
'
Christ, as
he did say,
Is
with two or three
who meet
to pray.*
So, while the people sang and prayed,

'
These be the things that endure,'
said."
We
need the help which we can get from

It
is
the church.
never easy to
live
in
this
world, even at the best.
In the quietest day
there
are
cares
which
tend to fret us and

its
break our peace.

tions
;
Business has
tempta-
and
it is
hard always to
shops,
its
live out Christ's
teachings
in
our
stores,
and ofBces.
its
Home
cares
life,
with
household tasks and
and
anxieties,
wears heavily
on
the

heart's
65
every
sensitiveness.
To many
of us
common day
brings discouragements, disheart-
enments, and ofttimes sorrows.

sible to get into
But
it
is
pos-
our soul in God's house such
inspiring
hopes,
such uplifting joys, that

toil,
all
the week, in the dust and

shall sing in
heavenly songs
rob our
life
our bosom.
We
it
of
blessings which belong to

fail
by right when we
to
use
the
privileges
which the church
brings
fail
within
our reach.
Too many
of
us
to understand this.
Some
Christian people
set
such small store by their church that they kept
are
from
Others
its
services
to get
for
the
its
lightest
reasons.
fail
from
services
and
tion,
its
fellowships the divine cheer, inspiraget.
and strength which they might
The
possible helpfulness in a true church relation-
ship
is
beyond estimate.
do not make the most and the best
of
We
The
possible
our
life
in
the work of Christ.

in-
possibilities
of
Christian service are
calculable.
For example, the influence which

exerts on
its
a true
home
inmates
is
beyond
long
measure.
Christian
man who had
DO
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

in
been engaged
visit
useful
service
tells
of
to
his
old
childhood
home.
He was
put to sleep in the spare room.

a closet
door,
He
opened
and a scene was before him

his
which brought a rush of tears to
eyes.
it
An
a
old chair stood there,

in
and before
lay
cushion
which were deep
knee-prints.
Evidently this was some one's closet of prayer.

Instantly
the truth flashed upon him.

into the secret sanctuary of
all
He
his
was looking
beloved mother, where she had prayed

children into the
her
kingdom
of Christ.
He
saw
now
of
the place where the grace was invoked
by intercession which had brought the power

Christ into his
it
own
heart.
What
a holy
place
was
What would be the result if every home in the world had such a holy
its
its
Christian
of holies,
love,
old chair daily
wet with tears of
and
}
cushion deeply indented by suppliant knees

in countless other lines
Then
do opportuniear-
ties of usefulness
and helpfulness open to
nest Christians.
Saying nothing of the formal
Christian work in
which many may engage,

every day's
life is full of
67
occasions where good

deeds, or words
of
may be done by simple kindness. The value of

things
is
these
unpurposed
live
all
very great.
We may
love.
day
and every day so that each step of our path

shall
be brightened by
all
till
The world needs

meet no one from
not help
in
our love
the while.
We
It
morning
night
whom we may
is
some
to
little
way
at least.
possible for us
of us
make
a good deal
more than most
do
of these opportunities for service of love.
Every individual Christian

a circle
is
the centre of
whose hearts he may touch with a

of
love.
is
benediction
He
is
custodian
of
blessing which he
noblest
life
is
to impart to others.
is
The
the one that
given up most
unselfishly to serving.
It
is
interesting to
think what kind of a
Christian one would be
who should
realize
all
the possibilities of faith in Christ, and truly

find the best things in all life's ways.
It
cer-
tainly
all
is
our privilege and our duty to make

of the opportunities
we can
we
have.
Ever
before us shines the ideal, always unreached,
68
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

Though
and ever calling us to better things.
we may not hope

and
love.
to attain its full beauty,

it
we
will
should ever press toward
in faith
and hope
Each day
little
of
such
it,
striving
at last,
bring us a
nearer to
and
when
we break through the wall into the life bewe shall realize it. "It doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is."
yond,
:
"Something
Thrills
Fills
It
may
not win attracts
me
ever
never,
Something
elusive, yet
supremely
fair,
me me
with gladness, yet contents
me
with sadness, yet forbids despair.

I
blossoms just beyond the paths

It
follow.
I
shines beyond the farthest stars
see
It
echoes faint from ocean caverns hollow.
And
It
from the land of dreams
it
beckons me.
calls,
and
all
my
it
best, with joyful feeling.
Essays
I
to reach
as
make
it
I
reply
feel its
sweetness o'er
I
my
spirit stealing,
Yet know ere
attain
must die."
CHAPTER
We
can best minister to
VII.
THE LESSON OP SERVICE.

Him
by helping them
Who
Their
dared not touch his hallowed garment's hem.

lives are
even as ours
not,
one
piece,
one plan.
Him we know
Till
him
shall
we never know
we behold him
suffer or
in the least of these

sin.
;
Who
who
In sick souls he
Lies bound and sighing
asks our sympathies
Their grateful eyes thy benison bestow,

Brother and Lord,
" Ye
did
it
unto me."
Lucy Larcom.
Jesus taught that we should
live,
*'not
to
is
is
be ministered unto, but to minister."

a lesson that
it
This
It
is
very hard to learn.

sentimental
easy enough
to
utter
platitudes
about the nobleness of service, but no one can

truly live after this heavenly pattern until his
being
is
saturated with the divine Spirit.

is
Just what
us
is,
the lesson that our Lord sets

It
we should
in a
try definitely to understand.
word, so to relate ourselves to others
that our chief thought concerning

69
them
shall
JO
be,
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

not
how we may how we may
get
pleasure,
for
profit,
honor,
or advancement from them
our-
selves, but
give
them
pleasure,
If
do them good, or put honor upon them.
we have this spirit, we son who comes within

one to
shall see in every per-
the circle of our
life
whom
so
v/e
owe
love and service.

that
God has
ordered
we cannot
love
and serve him, and not also love and serve

our fellow-men.
Jesus
made
this very plain in
his picture of the last
judgment, when he said

every hungry
little
that he
of his
;
is
hungry
is
;
in
one
that he
is
sick in every least one of
his
who
sick
that
in
the
stranger
who
comes
to our door
he stands before
of
;
us, wait-
ing for the

his,
hospitality
love.
In serving
his,
we
are
serving
him
in
neglecting
fulfil
we
neglect him.
We
cannot
our duty
by loving Christ and serving him, while we

ignore our fellow-men.
service.
If
He
accepts no such
we
say
we
all
love him, he points to
the needy, the hungry, the sick, the burdened

ones,
"
the
suffering love
about
I
us,
and says
Show your
to
these.
do not need
THE LESSON OP SERVICE.

service now, but these need
in
if
it.
Serve them
my
I
name.
Look
at
each one of them as

in pain
were myself the one
or need, and
do for these,
do for
tion."
my
I
brethren, just what you would
me
if
were actually
in their condirela-
We
To
cannot get away from this

It
tionship to Christ.
life.
binds us to every other
act
selfishly
toward any one
is
to
act
selfishly
toward Christ.
is
To
neglect any
one who needs our help

himself.
to neglect Christ
in Christ's
To do good
to
any other
name
If
is
is
to serve Christ.
only
us
we understood
still
that Christ himself

in his
with
and always, not only
spiritual presence, but in the
person of every
to him,
it
needy or suffering one who belongs
would transform
into the
all
life
for us, putting glory
commonest
lives,
and the splendor of
angel service into the lowliest ministry.

sacred
in
it
How
Christ
!
would make
all
life
if
we saw
in
every one
who comes
to us
any need
We
wish sometimes that we had lived when
Jesus was here, and
we would have served him most sweetly and lovingly. Would
we
say
"
72
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

?
we
Mrs. Margaret E. Preston has taught us
a needed lesson in one of her
poems
human,
"If
had dwelt"
so
mused a tender woman,
All fine emotions stirred
Through pondering
Told
**
o'er that Life, divine yet
in the
sacred word
old, a
Jewish maiden,
his
If
had dwelt of
some Judean street, Where Jesus walked, and heard With comfort strangely sweet
In
word so laden
And
I
seen the face, where utmost pity blended

of wrong,
lattice
With each rebuke

would have
left
my
and descended,
And
**
followed with the throng,

"
Foxes have holes
methinks my heart had
broken
To
hear the words so said.
While Christ had not
were sadder words eêr spoken ?my

doors before him,
A
I
place to lay his head
would have flung abroad
And
First
in
my
joy have been

to
on the threshold, eager

crave his entrance in
!
adore him,
And
Ah
would you so ?
Without a recognition
You passed him yesterday

Jostled aside, unhelped, his
mute
petition,
And
calmly went your way.

girdled.
With warmth and comfort, garmented and

Before your window-sill
THE LESSON OF SERVICE.

Sad crowds swept by
'Jl
and
if
your blood
is
curdled,
You wear your jewels still. You catch aside your robes lest want should
In
its
clutch
them
imploring wild;
Or
lest
some penitent might touch them,

your
faith is
And you be thus defiled. Oh dreamer, dreaming that

!
keeping
All service free from blot,
Christ daily walks your streets, sick, suffering, weeping, And you perceive him not "
!
This
teaching
invests
every
is
life
with
sacredness to disregard which
a sacrilege.
if
We
the
must look upon every one

Christ.
as
he were
carelessly.
We dare We know
love.
not
pass
to
by any one
have a duty of
whom we may The stranger whom mere

not
for
in
seeming chance brings into our presence

an hour may have been sent to us that
some
way we may serve him.

in
We
are always safe
assuming that we have an errand to every
one we meet.
mission,
We
need not announce our

display officious-
and we must never
ness in the discharge of our duty of love.
We
need only to hold ourselves

all
in readiness, with
of love's humility, alacrity,
and gentleness,
74
to do
in
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

whatever heart or hand may find to do
serving him.
Our duty
to
him may be
nothing more than the showing of a kindly

spirit
in
our manner, the giving of a hearty
salutation, or the inspiration of a cheerful coun-
tenance.
But however small the service may

it
be which
ministry,
is
ours to render,
it
is
a divine
and
its
value to the person
we never
life.
may know.
Nothing
is
small that helps a

of the
human
sin,
The Koran
at the
tells
sending of Gabriel to
the earth to keep Solomon from some
and
same time
to help a little toiling ant

its
to get
home with
burden.
The
latter ser-
vice
was as angelic
as the former.
No
minis-
try on which
small.
God sends
us can be considered
No mere
theoretical
acknowledgment
of this
universal obligation of
man
life.
to
;
man
will avail.
Fine sentiment
is
not enough
we must
get the
sentiment into practical

our visions
We
must bring must

life
down
out
of
ethereal mists into

real.
something substantial and

the love of
We
let
our heart flow out in
and

act
75
and helpful ministry.
Stern old Cromwell
showed good common-sense when, seeing some

silver statues in
dusty niches, and learning that
they were the twelve apostles, he gave orders

that they be taken down, converted into
money,
and sent out to do good.
That
is
what we
should do with our fine professions of brotherly

love.
Brotherly love has no right to pose for-
ever in mere creed and
sentiment; there
it
is
something
far
better for
to
do.
In
this
world in which there are so

row, and heart-hunger,
it
much
need, sor-
has a holy mission

Christlike,
everywhere.
If
we would be
we
must, like our Master, go about doing good.
little child is said
once to have closed her
prayer on a winter evening in this
way
*'
:
saw a
little
girl
on the street this afternoon

;
and she was cold and barefooted any of our business,

only more honest
older persons
if
;
but
"
it
isn't
is
it,
God
'^.
She was
in
her prayer than some

people certainly act as
of their business,
for
many
as
they regarded
it
none
when they see

need.
their fellow-men suffering

of Christ
and
in
But the teaching
shows that
'j6
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

our business, that
it is
we
are under obligation
to love
and serve
;
all
men.
We
are debtor to
every
man we may
love,
not owe him money, but
we owe him
and love means whatsoever

for his hunger, or
help he needs, bread
sym-
pathy and cheer

If
in his trial
at
and struggle.
we but look
"
people always in this way,
we
shall find ourselves asking

:
concerning every
one we meet
person
?
How
does
can
be a help to this
to
What
God want me
do for
him
"
We
certainly
have some errand of

crosses our path.
love to every one
who
To
busy
men
the interruptions of frequent callers
are trying, especially

particular errand.
when
is
the callers have no

apt to be a strong
There
temptation to treat the visitors

almost rudely.
tant duties,
impatiently,
We
are in the midst of imporis
and the time
all
too brief in
which
fall.
to finish
what we must do before night-
Certainly
we have no
calls
right to waste our
time with any such interrupters, devastators of

time, as
some one
them.
to
Yet doubtless we have an errand

and every such
caller.
each
We
owe him
at least

a kindly greeting, a pleasant word.
//
To
if
treat
him
rudely,
is
and turn him away as
he were
a dog,
to insult Christ himself.
Perhaps we
cannot do for him what he wants us to do, but
we can
sad,
at least treat
him
kindly.
People with
discouraged hearts need love more than
they need money.

ever gave
We
to
do not read that Jesus
money
any poor person
whom
he
saw
but he did give to every one something
far better than
money.
real
No one
ever came to
him with any

blessed.
need and went away un-
may always treat in the same who come to us. Without losing: wav those many seconds of time, we may send our visitor
from us with a lighter heart, and with
a little
We
new hope
in his breast to
life
strengthen him for
the struggle of his
that goes on forever.
All about us are those
who
are forever in
need
life
is
of
love's
ministry.
For many people

traveller
very hard.
Some
speaks of
the great stretches of the lava-fields for miles
around a volcano, and of the desolateness and

dreariness
of
the
paths
over
those
fields.
There was not
a blade of grass, nor a shrub,
yS
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
nor the tiniest living thing anywhere to be

seen.
But here and there as he went

flowers growing
on,
he
saw, in the cracks and crevices of the lavabeds,

little
;
and flowers never
before seemed so lovely, even in finest garden

or conservatory, as there
amid the bleakness.

lava-fields are
Like those walks across the

paths of
toil,
the
many
in
this world, with
their hard
bitter sorrow,
and heavy burden-bearing;

cheered
and
like the lovely little flowers that so
the traveller in those desolate regions are the
human kindnesses which here and

with
their
there come,
cheer,
into
sweet
lives.
fragrance
and
these dreary
We
ness
have
it
in
our power to put untold gladlives

it
and help into the
that every day

this di-
touch ours.
We
can do
by learning
vine lesson of service, and by regarding every
person
we meet
as one to
love.
whom we
are sent
on an errand of
This attitude toward

all
others will put an end to
supercilious pride
and hauo-htiness.
We
shall
no more set our-
selves up on little pedestals of self-conceit, de-
manding homage from others
rather, like our

Master,
79
we
shall stand
with basin and towel,

lowliest.
ready to
shall
wash the
feet of the
We
no more
think
ourselves
too
good to
perform the humblest ministries to the humblest,
but shall consider
it
the highest honor

;
to
do the things that are least

is
for Jesus has
said he
*'
chiefest
who
all,
serves the most.

that
Lord,
make us all Even myriads
love
when we meet
of earth's myriads at thy bar,
We may be glad as all true lovers are Who, having parted, count reunion sweet, Safe gathered home around thy blessed feet Come home by different roads from near
or far,
Whether by whirlwind or by flaming car, From pangs or sleep, safe folded round thy seat.
O,
if
our brother's blood cry out to us.
How
shall we meet thee who hast loved us all. Thee whom we never loved, not loving him ? The unloving cannot chant with seraphim.
Bear harp of gold or palm victorious.
Or
face the vision beatifical."
CHAPTER
" In life
VIII.
THE GRACE OF THOUGHTFULNESS.
not
death,
Hearts need fond words to help them on their way;
Need tender thoughts and
gentle sympathy,
Caresses, pleasant looks, to cheer each passing day.
Then hoard them not

In
life
until they useless be;
not
is
death,
Speak kindly.
Living hearts need sympathy."
"I didn't think,"

times
what people say
oft-
when they suddenly become aware

a
of the
pain which some heedless act or careless word

of
theirs has given to
gentle
is
heart.
Too
;
often our thoughtfulness
an afterthought
its
the problem
is
to
get
it
to
true
place,
where
it
will
become motive and

instead of pain
inspiration
to gentleness,
and penitence
It
is
over a failure in love's duty.

better that
friends'
infinitely
thoughtfulness
should
strew our
that
path with flowers
than
regret
should pile exaggerated
floral offerings
on their
80
TFIE
cofifins.
GRACE OF THOUGIITFULN ESS.

would do well
to
We
get our kind-
nesses done while they will
do good, giving
cheer and encouragement, and not keep them
back
till
there
is
no need for them.
It
ought
to be possible to get the grace of thoughtful-
ness into our

ture,
life,
as part of our spiritual cul-
even
in
early years.
is
No
doubt
thought.
much evil Many people

to
wrought by want
of
with kindly heart con-
tinually cause pain to others

ness.
by mere heedlessof
They seem
have no perception
the sensibilities of those about them.
They
at all
have never trained themselves to think

of others in connection with their
own words
and
acts.
to think
only of their
They have accustomed themselves own pleasure, and to

their
say and
do only what
own impulses
will
prompt, without asking whether others

pleased
or
displeased.
be
of
They think only
their own comfort and convenience, and never

of
how
the thing they wish to do
may break
into the comfort or convenience of others.
We
our
find
abundant
life.
illustration of this in all
common
The
intercourse
of
many
82
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

is
homes
marred and spoiled by exhibitions

Family
life
ot
this thoughtless spirit.
should be
tal-
a blending of
ents, gifts,
all
the tastes, dispositions,

of all the
and resources
members
live
of
the household.
self-restraint.
In each one there should
be
No member may
if
in
a
in
home
circle
as
he were dwelling alone
a great house, with only himself to consider.
He must
of
repress
much
in himself for the sake
the other members.
He must
if
do
many
things which he might not do
he were alone,
because he
is
member
of a little
is
community,
to seek at
whose happiness and good he

every point.
No
household
life
can ever be
made truly ideal by all having always their own way. But many persons who are tied up in famThey expect to live as ily life forget this.
regardlessly of
alone.
others as
if
they were living
They consider no
one's comfort, peace,
or pleasure
but their own.
They
let
their
own impulses have full and free expression. They make no effort to repress any elements
or dispositions
in
themselves which tend to

give
83
their
pain to others.
They demand
all
rights, not
remembering that the other memonly by the

in
bers of the family have rights too, and that
home happiness can be secured

mutual
surrender of
rights,
each
honor
preferring the others, each seeking not to be
ministered unto, but to minister.
This
exacting
spirit
leads
to
is
continual
thoughtlessness.
of
Thoughtfulness
modifying one's
thinking
so
in-
others,
and
conduct
as to
avoid whatever would give trouble,
convenience, or hurt to others.

a beautiful
child had
till
canary bird.
its
From morning
filled all
ill
night
it
sang, and
child's
song
the house.
ill
But the
mother was
so
that
even the singing of the
bird,
which to the
boy was such delicious music, disturbed and

distressed her.
He
put
it
into a part of the
house as far away as possible from the sickroom, thinking that the sound could not reach
his mother's ears.
But the
shrill
singing
still
came
valid.
into the room,
and pained the weak
in-
One morning,
as
the child stood holding
84
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

began to
sing,
his mother's hand, the bird
and
the notes
came
into the
chamber very
sweep over
faintly;
face,
it.
and yet
as
he watched the sufferer's

of pain
he
saw an expression
She
to
said nothing, but the

tell
boy needed no words
him that the

" It
is
bird's
singing was distresssaid,
ing her.
"
if
it
no music to me," he
mother."
it
pains
my
So he took the
mother
done.
cage, and, carrying

friend.
said,
away, gave the bird to a

bird," his
"
But you loved the
when she learned what he had

I
"Yes," he replied; "but
love you more."

to do.
It told
That was a beautiful thing must be
of true thoughtfulness in the child.
His per-
sonal pleasure
ifying
it
sacrificed because grat-
gave pain to one who was dear to

is
him.
This
the
spirit
which should charshould

repress
in
acterize
every one.
We
ourselves the tastes which are not agreeable

to our friends.
We
us.
should cut off the habits
which hurt the sensitive hearts whose happiness

is
dear to
in us,
We
should put away the
things
whatever the cost may be, which
give pain to our loved ones.

This
spirit
85
will lead us
to regard the feelIf
ings of others with most gentle care.

is
one
lying
ill
in
our home,
it
will
make
If
us quiet
that
in
our movements through the house,

not disturb the sick one.
it
we may
is
a friend
in
any trouble,
will
make
If
us kindly in
all
our
treatment of him.
it
one has some
weakness or deformity,
will
make
us guard
against any allusion to the defect or disfigure-
ment, which would give mortification to the

unfortunate person.
Some
people
seem
to
have a genius for
making others miserable.
They
are
contin-
ually touching sensitive hearts so as to cause

pain.
They
and
are always saying things which

If
sting
defect,
irritate.
you have any bodily

in
they never see you without

it.
some
If
rude way making you conscious of

relative or friend of yours has
any
dis-
done some
honorable thing,
delight
in
they seem to take a cruel

referring
lack
to
it
constantly
when
speaking with you.

feeling,
They
all
delicacy of
in others
having no eye for the things
which demand gentleness of treatment.
86
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

Thoughtfulness
is
the reverse of
all this.
It
simply does not do the things which thoughtlessness does.

It
It
avoids the painful subject.
never alludes to a man's clubfoot or humpnor ever casts an eye at the defect,
it
back,
nor does anything to direct attention to

to
or
make
the
man
conscious of
it.
It respects
your sorrow, and refrains from rudely touching your wound.

It
has the utmost kindli-
ness of
feeling
and expression.
Some one
gives
defines a gentleman as one
who never
pain to another.
of thoughtfulness.
This
is
the true definition
Then, there
grace
is
is
also
an
active
side.
No
altogether negative.
Thoughtfulness
does not merely keep one from doing thoughtless
things
it
also
leads
will.
to
continued acts
It
of
kindness and good

to
watches ever
for opportunities
give pleasure and happi-
ness.
It
does not wait to be asked for symits

it
pathy or help, but has eyes of

sees
own, and
every need, and supplies

a friend
is
is
unsolicited.
When
man
in
sorrow, the thoughtful

proffer
of
ready with
his
comfort.
Z^
He
is
does not come next day,

is
when
the need
past, but
prompt with
something.
little
his kindness
when
kindness means
is
Thoughtfuhiess
always doing
kindnesses.
There are
to
find
many good
people
who seem never
Opportuany good thing to do for another. unbroken succession, nities come to them in
through
till
all
the days, but they see them not
they are past and gone.
Thoughtfulness,
on the other hand, has an instinct for seeing the little things that need to be done, and
then for doing them.
The
heart.
secret of
all
this is that people can see
about them only what they have in their
own
One who
has birds in his mind sees
birds on every bush.
One who
is
looking for
flowers will see flowers everywhere.

full
A heart
thousand
is
of
sympathy and love

the
will see in others,
on even
commonest
days,
things which need to
be done.
One who
thinking
of
others'
comfort
and good
will
never lack occasions for doing the things that

give comfort and do good.
There are some rare
spirits
who seem born
S8
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
for thoughtfulness.
They have
a genius for
to under-
sympathy.
Instinctively they
seem
stand the experiences of pain in others, and
from their heart there flows always a

ing
of
is
bless-
tenderness which
is
full
of
healing.
This
love.
the highest and holiest

is
ministry of
;
It
not softness nor weakness
it
is
strength, but strength enriched by divine gentleness.

quality.
Not
all
love possesses this crowning

is
There
love that
is
heedless,
and
is
lacks the fine sense of others' feelings which
needed to make
'*
it
perfect in
its
helpfulness.
Not unto every heart is God's good gift Of simple tenderness allowed we meet With love in many fashions when we lift
;
First to our lips
life's
waters bitter-sweet.
resistless
Love comes upon us with
power
Of
It
curbless passion, and with headstrong will/

liice
plays around
April's breeze
and shower,
still
Or calmly
It
flows,
a rapid stream and
comes with blessedness

That welcomes
it
into the heart
aright, or
bitter
fate
bless,
bosom with so fierce a smart. That love, we cry, is crueller than hate. And then, ah me, when love has ceased to
It
rings the
Our hearts cry out
for tenderness
89
We
long for tenderness like that which hung

breast.
About us lying on our mother's
In youth's brief heyday hottest love we seek,
The reddest rose we grasp but when it dies, God grant that later blossoms, violets meek, May spring for us beneath life's autumn skies God grant that some dear loving one be near to bless
;
Our weary way with simple tenderness."
Thoughtfulness
best tests
of
is
one of
the
truest
and
a fine character.
ThoughtlessIt
is
ness
ness,
is
is
rudeness,
boorishness.
It
is
selfishIt
cold-heartedness.
unrefined.
is
cruel
It
and unkind.
is
Thoughtfulness
in all delicate
re-
fined.
It
is
love
working
ways.
unselfishness
which forgets
It
is
itself,
and
thinks only of others.
love which de-
mands not
to be served, to be honored, to
be
helped, but thinks continually of serving and
honoring others.
heart,"
Thoughtlessness
is
"want
of
and he who has a gentle heart cannot
but be thoughtful.
Love
is
always thoughtful.
In older days, in sermons and in prayers,
much
reference was
made
to sins
as divided
into those of omission and those of
commis-
90
sion.
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

In the confession of sins in the ser-
vice of the Protestant Episcopal Church, the
worshipper
acknowledges
that
he
to
has
left
undone the things he ought
have done.
little
Perhaps we give altogether too

tion to our sins of omission.
atten-
we
but
are living fairly well
may think because we do not

errors
We
commit grave and
flagrant
and sins
how about the other side of our life } Are we doing the thousand acts of kindness which warm love would prompt Do not the
.-*
weary and the heart-hungry and the tempted
and the struggling and the needy pass by us

continually,
for
with
their
silent
appeals
to
us
in
what we have
t
to give them, yet pass
by
vain
Here
in
is
one phase of thoughtfulness

of us needs
culture.
which
many
:
Marion
Harland writes
I
him go.
might have said a word of cheer

Before
I
let
His weary visage haunts
me
yet
But how could
foreknow
The
slighted chance would be the last

in
To me
mercy given?
to heaven.
My
utmost yearnings cannot send
That word from earth

I
might have looked the love
felt;
My
Of
But
brother had sore need
that for which
too
shy and proud
He
lacked the speech to plead.

near,
self is
and
self is strong,
And I was blind that day He sought within my careless And went, athirst, away,
I
eyes
might have held
in closer clasp
The hand he laid The pulsing warmth
in
mine
of
my
rich
life
Had been
as generous wine,
Swelling a stream that, even then,
Was ebbing faint and slow. Mine might have been (God knows) the
To
stay the fatal flow.
art
O, word and look and clasp withheld O, brother-heart, now

stilled
!
Dear
I
life,
forever out of reach,

filled
!
might have warmed and
Talents misused and seasons

O'er which
I
lost.
mourn
in vain
waste as barren to
my
tears
!
As
desert sands to rain
Ah, friend
Love
whose eyes to-day may look
into living eyes.
Whose
tone and touch, perchance,
may
thrill
Sad hearts with sweet surprise
92
Be
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

instant, like our Lord, in love,
And
With
lavish as his grace,

light
and dew and manna-fall,
For night comes on apace.
CHAPTER
THE SEEDS
"
I
IX.
WE ARE
way,
SCATTERING.
dropped a seed beside a path,
And went my busy

Till chance, or fate
say not which
Led me one summer day

Along the selfsame path
;
and
lo
A
As
flower blooming there,

fair as
eye hath looked upon,

it
And
sweet as
was
fair."
We
of
are
all
sowers.
We
the
are
life
all
the while
lives
scattering seeds.
Our own
and the
in
others
about us are
seeds.
is
fields
which
we drop the
When
patch of
growing.
baby
in
born,
its
life
is
only a
is
soil
which,
as
yet,
is
nothing
the
first
mother's
hand
to
plant seeds there
in
the looks of tender love

child's soul, in
which her eyes dart into the

her smiles and
caresses
and croonings, and
her thousand efforts to reach the child's heart
and wake up
its
powers; and then in the

93
les-
94
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

All the
sons which she teaches.

the household
this field,
members
of
soon become sowers also on

the
life
as
begins to open, every
one dropping some embryo into the mellow

soil.
Hands
begin
to
outside the
scatter
home
in
in
little
while
heart.
seeds
mind and
;
The
street, the
playground, the school
later,
books,
portion.
papers,
and pictures contribute their

the years advance, the experitasks, trials, joys,
As
life
ences of
temptations,
sorrows
bring their influences;

man
is
and thus the

the growth of
life
character of the mature
seeds sown by a thousand hands in the
from infancy.
All our thoughts, words, and acts are seeds.
They have
selves.
in
them a
quality
fall,
which makes
them grow where they

This
is
reproducing them-
true of the good
we
but
do.
The
re-
mother's teachings enter the mind and heart

of
her child
in
as
mere germs
of
they
appear
in
the
years,
of
life
the
son or daughter,
later
in
strength
and
in
beauty,
in
nobleness
character,
and
usefulness of
THE SEEDS WE ARE SCATTERING.

life.
9$
Not only
;
is
this
strange power in the

acts,
mother's words
tones of voice,
her the
her
habits,
her
influences that go forth
from her
a vital
life,
are also seeds, having in
them
they
principle.
Where they
can
lose
lodge,
grow.
You never
die,
your
mother.
She may
out
acre.
and her body may be borne

sight,
of
your
and
laid
away
in
God's
You
will
see
her face
will
and hear her
voice no more; no
more
her hand scatter
the good seeds of truth and love upon your

life's
garden.
But you have not

heart
are full
of
lost
her.
Your mind and

which
fell
the seeds
from her hand along

lose.
the
years.
These you never can
No hand
life.
of death
can root them out of your
They have
your characdis-
grown
ter.
into the very tissues

in
of
They reappear
your
of
your habits, your
positions,
feelings
and
opinions,
your
modes
thought,
your very phrases
and
forms of speech.
You never
life
life.
can lose your

are
mother; the threads of her

extricably into your
woven
in-
The same
is
true of the forth-puttings
of
96
every
life.
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
The good
will
things that
fall
from
are
your hands, as you go

seeds, and
along the way,
not
die.
The
gentle
poet
found his song from beginning to end, long,

long after he had sung
friend.
it,
in the heart of his
The song had

a mere
not
lain
there along
the years,
melody
of
musical words
remembered,
like a piece of
gold wrapped in
;
a napkin, kept safe and
undimmed
of
of
all
the the
while
it
had
heart.
been
thing
life
in
friend's
The
influence
its
sweet
in the
thought had been like a holy perfume

friend's soul, pouring out into every
nook and So
it
cranny,
permeating
all
his
spirit.
is
with whatever good things

true words we
speak,
we
the
do, with
faithful
the
ex-
with the
all
ample we
our
life
show,
with
influences
of
that are Christlike.
They
into
are living
seeds.
They will and perish. They

and you
days.
will
not
will
fall
the
ground
stay where they drop,
find
them
again
after
many
Not only
will
they stay
they will germi-
nate and grow, and yield a harvest.
Faber has

said
**
:
97
When men
will end,
do anything for God,
the very least thing,
they
never can
know
little
where
it
it
nor what amount of work
will
do for him."
Go on doing
the
things,
no matter how small, only making sure Let them
that
fall
you breathe love into them.

where
they
may, no
matter into what
heart,
hopeless
drop,
silently, no matter how may seem the soil into which they no matter how you yourself may appear
no matter how
to be forgotten or overlooked as
you do your
deeds of kindness, and

love.
speak your words of
These words and deeds and influences

and not one of them
of yours are living seeds,

shall perish.
*
dropped a sympathetic word.

stayed to watch
little
it
Nor
For
grow,
tending's needed
is
I
The
seed
But once
when good we sow met the man again,

sowed
And by the gladsome way He took my hand, I knew

The
best of seed that day."
is
things
The same we do.
true,
however, of
too,
the
evil
They,
hate
in
them the
98
quality of
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

life
and reproductiveness.
this truth
us.
If
our
good things only were seeds,
would
But
have unmingled encouragement for

it
is
startling to
remember
things.
that the
same law
applies
to
the
evil
The man who

in
writes
a bad
book, or paints an unholy pic-
ture, or sings
an impure song, sets
motion
a procession of unholy influences which will
go on forever.
He,
too,
will
find
his
evil
words again
in the
hearts of men, long, long
afterwards, or see his unclean picture repro-
duced on men's
singing
itself
lives, or
hear his unholy song

in
over
again
the
depths
of
men's being.
The
"
evil
that
men do
in
lives
after
them.
Bury
my
soul.
influence
my
is
grave with me,"
said a
in
wicked man, dying with bitter remorse
his
But that
impossible.
evil
Some-
times
men who have been sowing

lives,
wake
up to the consciousness of the hurt they have

been giving to other
paths, trying to
and go over their
gather up the seeds of sin

;
which they have cast into human hearts

the effort
is
but
unavailing, as no one can take

Gut of
evil
99
men's minds and hearts the seeds of
he has dropped there.
We
heart,
did,
live.
it
ought to
lay
this
it
truth
seriously
If
to
and remember
continually.
would make us more
faithful while
we we
We
are
apt
is
to
speak heedless words,
whose influence
which touch
blessing.
not good, and to do things
other lives
are
and
do
not
leave
There
many
people
moving
these days
call
among
fallen
the
debased,
fallen,
we
them,
from purity, from honesty,

should never forget that
unstained,
yielding
from sobriety.
all
We
of
these were once innocent,

;
unfallen
and that there was a and a

first
first
to temptation,
tempter.
drink.
It
Somebody
seemed a
;
offered the boy the

little
first
thing,
but
the act was a seed

its
and
if
you would see
harvest,
look at the poor,
miserable drunkard,
the
streets,
who
staggers
of
now about
life
a pitiable
ruin
which
in
its
might
have
been noble and

beauty.
godlike
strength
into
and
Somebody whispered
innocent
evil
the
ears of
the
girl
the
It
first
word which
suo:o:ested DO
to
her.
was
^Q0^>
lOO
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

it
only a word, but

if
was a seed
its
of
wrong
and
you would see
awful
harvest,
look at
the wretched
streets a sad
creature
who
the
wreck
of
now walks the womanhood which

of
God made
to
wear the beauty and radiance
pure and holy motherhood, and be a centre

of benediction in a
happy home.
all
When we
think of this quality in
our
words, touches, acts, looks, and influences,

serious a thing
it
how
is is
to live
and mingle with
others
No
act
more
of
is
solemn
than the
taking into our

panion,
to
life
new
friend or com-
one
who
to listen to our words,

do, to receive instruc-
see
the things
we
tion,
advice, or counsel
life.
from
us, to
be
influ-
enced by our
a friend
or a
When God sends to us some one new acquaintance
who
is
brought thus into the range of our
influence, he has a purpose in so doing.
wants us to be a blessing to the person.
He He
influ-
wants us to speak wholesome words, to give

wise counsel, and to exert an uplifting
ence, leaving impressions upon the
shall
life
which
add to
its
beauty and blessing.
But sup-

pose that
lOI
we
fail
in
this,
and
that,
life,
instead,
we
give wrong touches to the

seeds, exert an
drop the
influence,
ac-
wrong
leave
unwholesome
stand before
into the
sinister impressions,
what must our
counting be
when we
comes
God
The
your
new
life
that
circle
of
friendship, companionship, or acquaintanceship,
comes
as a
sacred trust, with a holy charge

life
its
is.
from Christ, whose the

in
You become
Your
a very
is
sacred
to do
it it
sense
guardian.
mission
it,
good, to
be a blessing to
to
drop into
only seeds of purity, truth,
holiness,
and
love.
Woe
fall
be to you
are
if
the
evil,
seeds your hand lets
seeds of
which
shall
grow
into hurt or marring.

life
We are not We shall meet

ences
again.
done with
as
we
live
it.
our acts and words and

"
influ-
Whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap."
He
shall reap the
same that he sows, and he himself

the
reaper.
shall
be
We
go
shall
on
carelessly,
never
dreaming that we
or
see our seeds again,

to
have
anything
more
do with
them.
plant
Then some day we come upon an ugly
I02
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

;
growing somewhere
is
and when we ask, "

**I
this?"
comes the answer,
What am one of
which
do.
your plants.
You dropped
the seed
grew
into me."
shall
We
must beware what we

fruit
We
have to eat the
that
grows
from our sowing and planting.
There are many phases

said,
of this truth.
Jesus
"With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." A man who is cruel reaps cruelty. A man who is merciful finds
mercy.
David unsheathed the sword
in
wrong
against a subject, and the sword departed not
from his house forever.
He
dishonored the
his
happy home
of
another, and
own home
smote him
was dishonored.
Paul was a persecutor, and

it
persecution followed him until

to death.
later
What we
sow, that
give to others, sooner or

to reap.
comes back again
our
own bosom.
What we
we
We
only,
cannot sin against others, hurting them
and receiving no hurt to ourselves.
We
;
are not merely sowers of seed in other lives
but while
field of
we
are scattering the seed in the
our neighbor,
we
are sowing also in

our
IO3
own
field.
There are two
harvests.
his
He
life
that corrupts another life
makes
own
more corrupt than

cause the
evil
fall
before.
The tempter may
and ruin of another soul, but the
in
himself has become more evil in his
doing
so.
Every good thing we do strengthens

is
the good that
in us,
in us
and every wrong thing
makes the wrong
more dominant.
is
Nor
in
this
is
this
all.
There
a law of justice
to
world which
requites
every
man
according to his deeds.
We
It
are
is
not living
not merely
under a reign of chance.
accidental that certain people

receive
who do wrong
Sometimes
punishment, and that certain people

receive reward.
it
who do good
seems as
if
the law did not work universally,

are not requited,
that
But
some who do wrong
and that some who do good receive no reward.

this inequality of justice is only seeming.
If
it
Life does not end at the grave.
did,
we
might say that the Lord's ways are not always

equal.
in this
God's dealings with

life.
men
are not closed

If
The
story
is
continued.
the
Bible narrative of Joseph ended with the boy
104
carried
into
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

Egypt
as
slave,
or
with
the
slave lad cast into prison on false charges,
we
would grieve over the

to
terrible
wrongs done
unrequited.
an
innocent
person
and
left
But when we read

end,
in
all
the story through to the
such feelings vanish.

to be
So the cases
unpunished and
life-
which wrong seems
virtue unrewarded are simply unfinished

stories.
There are other chapters which will be
written on the other side.
When
all
has been
completed, there will be no

tice.
inequality, no injusits full
All our faithfulness will have

all
re-
ward, and
'*
sin will receive its
due punishment.
There
is
no wrong, by any one committed,

But
will recoil
Its sure return,
with double
skill
ill
repeated,
No
As on
So on
can
foil.
the earth the mists
it
yields to
heaven
Descend
It falls
in rain,
his head, whoe'er has evil given,
again.
that retribution
It is
the law of
life
Shall follow
It
wrong;
never
fails,
although the execution

tarry long.
May

Then
let
10$
us be, with unrelaxed endeavor,

Just, true,
and right;
delight."
That the great law of recompense may ever
Our hearts
There
is
one other phase of
this teaching.
The
ing
final
is
harvest that comes from our sow-
in our
own
character.
It
is
not a re-
ward
is
to be put into our
hand
that
in
is
heaven that
to
us.
promised
us.
something
will
be given
It
to
The reward
will
be
in
will
consist in likeness to Christ.

for
So the requital
init-
wrong-doing
not
be punishment
evil
flicted
self
upon the wrong-doer, but the

into
wrought
permanence
finally
in his
life.
The
punishment for
eternal sinning.
in the
let
is
unforgiven sin will be

are the words
is
:
Very solemn
:
Revelation
"
He
that
unrighteous,
him do unrighteousness
filthy, let
is
:
still
and he that
:
him be made
let
is
filthy still
and he
that
still
righteous,
him do righteousness
holy, let
and he that
still."
him be made
good
;
holy
is
The
truest reward for a
life
goodness wrought into the character
the
sin
surest, realest retribution is to be left to
I06
THINGS TO LIVE fOR.
forever in the ways the sinner has chosen and
learned in this world.

true are the statements
" Sow a thought, and you
:
Familiar but terribly
will
reap an act
Sow an act, and you will reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you will reap a character Sow a character, and you will reap a destiny."
CHAPTER
KNOWLEDGE AND
Knowledge, when wisdom
is
X.
LOVE.
too weak to guide her,
Is like a headstrong horse that
throws the
rider.
QUARLES.
One
of St. Paul's pithy sayings
is,
''Knowl-
edge puffeth up, but love buildeth up."

does not mean to depreciate knowledge.
is
He He
not glorifying ignorance.

too.
It is right for
Knowledge
builds
up
us to be learners.
We
should
always
is
be seeking after
knowledge.
He who
ble,
content to be ignorant in this world,

of
where the stores

fails
knowledge are so
accessi-
to
grasp the meaning of
life.
We
are to read God's thoughts wherever

find
life
we can
to
them
written.
Intelligence
It
makes one's
one's
a
broader and deeper.

of
adds
power
a man.
usefulness.
It
makes
man more
We
are not to understand St. Paul as
casting contempt upon

107
knowledge.
He
him-
I08
self
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

had mastered the best knowledge of
his
day.
But
he
is
speaking of a certain kind
of
knowledge.
The
eating of meats
which had
he
is
been offered to
cussing.
idols is the subject
dis-
Those
to
whom
he was writing had
been declaring that there was nothing wrong

in
eating such things.
They knew
that
and
therefore they were not disposed to
show any
could not
leniency of judgment to those

see the subject just as they saw
ify their
who
it,
nor to mod-
own conduct
in
the slightest degree
to suit
the weak consciences of these other
Christians.
They knew
that they themselves
were
right,
and that was enough.
Their knowl-
edge settled the matter.
We
all
have seen people of this kind.
They
allow
have no patience with other people's opinions

unless they agree with their own.
They
no discussion
for there can
be no other right
thought about a matter when they have made
up their mind upon

any expression
their own.
of
it.
They
quickly resent
differs
opinion that
from
When
they have spoken on a sub-
KNOWLEDGE AND
ject,
light.
LOVE.
IO9
there
is
to
be no tolerance of any newof this kind in every

is
There are people
community.
Their knowledge
dogmatic, tyits
rannical, intolerant.
When
duty,
it.
it
has rendered
decision concerning any course of conduct or
any
question
of
there
is
no
appeal.
Knowledge
St.
settles
Paul intimates, however, that knowledge

final
does not always have the

tling
word
is
in
set-
questions
of
duty.
There
another
in-
element which may have a preponderating

fluence in deciding what
is
right,
love
It
must
is
have
its
voice.
It
is
in
such cases as he
supposing, that knowledge puffs up.

a
makes
But
man
vain,
arrogant, cold, and selfish.
love builds up.
The two
showy, but
figures in St. Paul's sentence sug-
gest a puffball
and a temple.
empty, without
it
The
first
is
light,
solidity.
A
But
breath can blow

crush
it.
away.
child's
hand can
It is
is
mere piece
of inflation.
the other
during.
in a life
strong, substantial, beautiful, en-
The work
is
that knowledge alone does

It lacks cohesion.
not good work.
no
It
is
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

flimsy,
insecure.
it,
Knowledge
vitalizes
it,
is
good
when
it
;
love dominates
and uses
but love must always be the real builder.

is
Life
full
of
illustrations
is
of
this
truth.
Without love there

acter.
skill
no true work on char-
Knowledge alone does not give us the
we need in order to be a blessing to others. We may know that a person is undeserving.
We
of
have helped
it.
him
before,
and
nothing came of
will
We
know
that nothing
come
any further help we may give
him.
left
He
to
deserves only to be thrust out and
drift.
That
in,
is
what knowledge
*'
says.
But love comes

other chance."
failures,
and says,
Give him anfalls
It
overlooks his past
and
and again extends a helping hand.
No
matter
how
it
often help has been given to
no purpose,
says the
must be given
is
again.
Love
man
a brother, and never should
be given up.
pray,
Perhaps he may yet repent and
and turn to God.
There may be a spark

So love on unreward
remaining in the smoking lamp, and a breath
may
fan
it
into a flame.
toils
its
weariedly, never despairing, and has
KNUW^LEDGE AND LOVE.

at
last
Ill
in
life
saved for
God and
heaven.
Thus
In
love builds up,

life
where mere knowledge
leaves a
all
to perish.
our
relations
with
others, there
is
the same distinction between the working of
knowledge and
ious,
love.
Knowledge
is
supercil-
censorious, arrogant, stern, ofttimes cold

cruel.
It
and
has no patience with

It
is
other
in-
people's faults.
firmity,
intolerant of
of
human
and treats the mistakes

It
is
weakness
and
It
or ignorance as crimes.
relentless
unforgiving
toward
injury
and
to
be,
wrong.
knows what people ought

ought to
live,
how they
is
;
what perfection
of character
and
it
sees the smallest motes in a brother's

it
eye, even while
carries
huge beams
and
in its
own
eye.
Its spirit is pharisaical
critical,
without a trace of forbearance or charity.
It
has no eye for pity, no heart for sympathy,
and coldly passes by on the other side the

sorest
human
it
needs.
It
leaves
no benedicof
life.
tion as
marches through the ways

its
No
sweet flowers spring up in

its
path.
It
tramples gentle hearts under
heavy tread.
112
It
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

only
hurts
is
and wounds
and
disheartens.
it
Its
breath
like a winter's blast as

life.
blows
over the tender things of
But
along
in contrast with
life's
knowledge, love walks

step.
ways with gentle

in its path,
it
Fragrant
always
kindly,
It
flowers
grow
and the
air is
It
is
sweeter when
has passed by.
thoughtful, pitiful, and compassionate.
has
patience with
human
faults,
and looks with an
eye of tender love on those

It
is
who have
is
fallen.
tolerant of
others
who, through weakIt
ness, err or turn aside.

long-suffering.
It
forbearing and
meekly endures injury and
wrong, giving sweet love for the hurts of unkindness.

It
sees
eagerly
and joyfully the

of
good things
in others,
and has a wide cloak

It
is
charity for their failings and sins.

ciful,
merbut
forgiving
not
seven.
it
seven
times
only,
its
seventy times
fault
Conscious of
own
and
it
evil,
is
lenient toward the blem-
ishes
sees in others.
is
Love's portrait
lines
in
St.
drawn
for us in wonderful
:
Paul's
immortal chapter
is
"
Love
suffereth long, and
kind
love envieth not
KNOWLEDGE AND
love
LOVE.
not
puffed
II3
up,
vaunteth
not
itself,
is
doth not behave

its
itself
unseemly, seeketh not
own,
is
not provoked, taketh not account

in unrighteousness, but
;
of evil; rejoiceth not
rejoiceth with the
truth
beareth
all
all
things,
believeth
all
things,
hopeth
things,
faileth
:
en-
dureth
all
things.
Love never
but
whether there be prophecies, they
shall
be
done away
shall shall
whether there be tongues, they

whether there be knowledge,
it
cease
be done away."
love
is
Thus
gives
always building up.

life
it
It
puts
some line of beauty on every

It
touches.
new hope to discouraged ones, new strength to those who are weak thus enabling them to go on in life's ways, when without the cheer they must have sunk down in their dis;
heartenment.
It
helps the despairing to rise

It
and
start
again.
makes
life
seem more
it
worth while to every one into whose eyes

looks.
Its
is
words are benedictions.

full
Its
every
breath
of
inspirations.
its
It
It
is
does good,
like
and never
evil, all
is
days.
God,
whose name
love.
It carries in its
influence
114
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

It
a perpetual revealing of God.
goes through
the world like an angel of joy and peace, singing into
human
hearts the songs of heaven,
scattering everywhere good seeds which shall

yield a harvest of righteousness.
In the purposes and ambitions of
life,
this
same
is
distinction
between knowledge and love

is
manifest.
Knowledge
selfish,
its
and thinks
of nothing but the attaining of
own worldly
Success
end.
is
Everything must bend to

animating word.
"
;
this.
its
It
is
always "fighting
for position
and
it
strives to climb ever upto
ward,
not
scrupling
its
use
life's
relations,
sometimes even
as helps
It
unost
sacred friendships,
its
toward the object of

its
ambition.
has no time in
days for ministries of love.

its
It
goes remorselessly on, though on
ears
It
break the most urgent appeals for help.
knows
well
how
it
to
make the most

self
of life
but
always thinking only of

dizement,
less
and self-aggran-
cruelly
pushes forward, regardthat cry out along
of the
human needs
the way.
On
the other hand, love has time for un-
KNOWLEDGE AND
selfishness
istry,
LOVE.
II5
in
its
busiest days, time for min-
time for the doing of the work of Christ.
It is
never
in
such haste that
it
cannot stop to
to give a bless-
listen to the plea of need,

ing.
It
and
has
its
ambitions,
its
own plans for its days, its own own programme of duty marked
his interruptions,
spirit.
it
out
but
when God sends

patient
accepts
them with
is
There
which
a legend of the
this.
monk Theodosius
he rose
illustrates
When
;
one
morning, there were three imperative things

in his plan for
the day
three things which he
determined
to do before the setting of the sun.
But early
in the
morning there came from a
neighboring convent a novice, asking Theodosius to give

art.
him instruction
set to
in the painter's
The monk
work patiently
to tutor
the novice, leaving his
own
task yet undone.

;
At
length the novice departed
but scarcely
a
had Theodosius
resumed
his
work when
mother came, eagerly seeking

sick child.
his
his aid for her
Long
until
It
was he detained, attending

the boy was
relieved
patient,
and
restored.
was then time for vespers; and
Il6
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
then a brother
monk
in sore distress lingered,
poured out his story on Theodosius' breast, and
was comforted.
and the
Thus
do.
all
the day was gone,
monk had
scarcely touched the things
he had planned to
He
then
" turned wearily to bed,

Praying,
'
O God
I
to glorify thy
;
name
Three things
I
purposed
now, with heartfelt shame
see the day

all
is
ended, and not one
Of
those things
my
feeble skill hath done.

thine, be thine to say
Yet, since
my
life is
Where
shall
be done the duties of the day
And
in thy
work,
my work
perfected be,
Or given
o'er in sacrifice to thee.'

his
Then suddenly upon

There
'
inward
ear.
fell
the answer, gentle, calm, and clear:
Thrice hath
my name
for
to-day been glorified

friend,
In loving service,
teacher,
man,
if
I
and guide.
Such with God

Is
gladly done,
heaven's ministry on earth begun.

the works
To work
purpose
is
to
be
At one with
saints, with angels,
and with me.'"

is
The
teaching of this pleasant legend
that
the divinest ministries of

things of love which
each day are the
The
half -hour the
God sends across our way. busy man takes from his
KNOWLEDGE AND
LOVE.
11/
business to comfort a sorrow, to help a dis-
couraged brother to start again, to
lift
up one
who has
fainted by the way, to visit a sick
neighbor and minister consolation, or to give a
young person needed counsel,

of the
is
the half-hour
day that
will
shine the most brightly

life
when the
God.
records of
are unrolled before
So we get our lesson on the superiority

love as the guide and inspirer of
life.
of
Knowlonly of
edge has
alone
is
its
place and
its
power, but knowledge

It
cold
and
stern.
say, of
thinks
what reason would

logic
the path in which

its
would
lead.
But love has
beating
heart of tenderness, which thinks of others as

well as of self, and inspires to a ministry of
holy deeds, which honors

world.
St,
Paul
God and blesses the was right when he said that

life's gifts,
noble and beautiful as are

excellent
is
the most
the
way
of love.
*'
If
sudden to mine eyes, joy-dazzled
bliss!
Some happy dawn,

Should come
all
the angel of the Lord
glorious, hiding his dread sword,
And
in glad greeting stoop
my brow
to kiss,
Il8
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

the Master,
With message from
who would grant

to frame;
The
dearest wish
my
soul
had known
What would I ask, in that most Holy Name, Which upon life most blessing would implant?
Not
for great gift
;
nor even virtue great
In steadfast righteousness remotely set,

Uplifted, far apart from other
men
fret,
But
I
that, in daily living's
poor estate,
might divine
my
stumbling neighbor's
lift
And
with strong hand-clasp
him up again."
CHAPTER XL
DANGERS OF DISCOURAGEMENT.
Between our hope, which shines afar
Against
life's
sky like some bright
star,
And
So
if
fate's
most
stern, relentless bar,
All joys
and woes
exist
our
lives,
which seem so bright,
Should be obscured by some dark night,
Remember
there's a brighter light
No
darkness can
resist.
Bruce Whitney.
We
seem
are not apt to think of discouragement
as either dangerous or sinful.

to think
it
Some
people
rather a pleasant experience

at
least,
than otherwise
a sort of
they appear to find

in
relief
and satisfaction
into
to
dropping
down now and then They make no effort

valley
of
dispirited
mood.
overcome their dispodeep
sition to sadness, or to climb out of the
shadows up
is
to
the
mountain-tops
resent
where the sun
shining.
They
the
kindly efforts of those
who would
help
them
119
120
to
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

if
be cheerful, as
they were meddling with
matters which do not belong to them.
We
It
should settle
life
is
it
once for
all
that the ideal
Christian
one of habitual cheerfulness.

difficulty,
has
its
experiences of
;
of
disap-
pointment, of suffering
but these are meant
to be only lessons set for us to learn,
and we
are not expected to

is
fail
in
them.
Provision
made
for us in the grace of

in
God by which
experience,
we may overcome
loved us.
every such
and be more than conquerors through him who
feeling of
discouragement creeping into
our heart should be met, therefore, as a temptation.
He who
know
to
opens to
it,
and
lets
it
it
in,
does not
lead him.
what
sin
and sorrow
may
frag-
An
example
will help us to
under-
stand the peril of discouragement.
ment
that
of old history tells us of the

at a
Israelites,
dis-
certain time they
were much
couraged because of the way.
The way
dreary,
itself
was indeed hard, rough, and

through
the
leading
sandy Arabah,
where the heat was
intense, with
no shelter
anywhere from the sun's
It
121
fierce,
smiting rays.
it
was
discouraging
also
because
was
sudden interruption of their journey.

they were
at
When
the very gate of the promised
land, a barrier
was thrown across

to
their path,
and they were compelled
make
a long detour
through an inhospitable wilderness, instead of

entering at once into the country toward which
for so long their
hopes had been leading them.

so
What made
lessness of
it all
it,
much worse was

his
the need-
but for Edom's disobligingness.

not
allow
Edom would
brother
to
pass
through his country to reach his own land.

Indeed, he said that
if
he attempted to pass,
force.
It cer-
he would
tainly
resist
him with armed

to
was very discouraging
be treated so
by a brother.
We
are scarcely surprised that the Israelites
were discouraged, and yet we must read the

story through to see to
what the discourage-
ment
led.
against
Moses.
They murmured against God and Then murmuring grew into

and goodIt
profane contempt of God's mercy

ness,
and to the grievous
sin of rebellion.
122
is
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

follow
it
when we
to its final
outcome that
we
see the true nature of discouragement.
Many
who do
people find the

other.
way
of
life
hard at
some time or
not
There are scarcely any

points of hardness, even
years.
come upon
amid the most prosperous and happy
There are elements

tion
in
many
it
people's condiin
and circumstances which

hard.
themselves
are
Sometimes
is
sickness,
somebur-
times poverty, sometimes sorrow.
The
dens are heavy.
The
toil
is
oppressive.
The
way
is
wearisome.
case of the Israelis
Then sometimes, as in the ites, much of the hardness

brotherly conduct.
caused by unbrothers
life
There
are
who
put barriers in the way, and

for brothers.
make
harder
We
all
need to guard our con.
duct most sedulously, lest

ers
of others in their
life.
we become
It
is
hinder-
a sin to be
hinderer.
We
commit a grievous wrong

life
against another
him when we
when we make make it harder
harder for
for
him
to be
true, honest, pure-hearted,
and worthy.
Edom
made
it
immeasurably harder for Israel, simply
by being disobliging.
23
There are many peolonger and harder for

unselfish obligingness,
who make the way others, when by a little

ple
a
it
little
cheering helpfulness, they might
make
ten
easier for them.

It
is
sin
to be a discourager.
The
spies
who brought back

and
dismay,
the
cowardly report
about the giants, and thus spread dishearten-
ment
wrought
great
crime
against the people.

led to
of
Their discouraging words
most calamitous consequences,
the
doom
for
death on a whole generation, and the
shutting of a nation out of the promised land

forty years.
Yet
like
wrongs are being

in
own ChrisDiscouragers go about among men, tian days. and, by their gloomy, pessimistic words, make They put life incalculably harder for them.
committed continually right
our
out the lamps of
in
cheer and hope that shine
men's homes.
They quench
the very stars
that burn in the sky above men's heads.
They
take the gladness out of hearts.
They
see only
the dark shadows of
life,
never the sunshine
and they prate wherever they go of gloom and
124
care.
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
They never bring

are
us a message of cheer.
happier, or
We
after
never stronger, braver,
truer for meeting them.
On
part
the other hand,
a talk with
feel
if
one of these discouragers,

if
we
Our
our
always
as
of
life's
beauty
for.
had faded, as
stars of
there were less to live

less
hope shine
brightly,
and a
sense of weariness and languor creeps over

spirits.
Life
is
harder for us after meet-
ing them.
There should be nothing but condemnation

for the discourager.
fellows.
He
is
an enemy of his
hearts.
He He
Our
casts a black
is
shadow over human

It
life
is
a misanthrope.
a sore
sin against
humanity to make
harder for
of
his
men.
great Teacher spoke
some
most burning words against those who put

stumbling-blocks
ones.
in
in
the path
of
God's
little
This divine censure
falls
upon
the
all
who
any way lay hindrances
in
paths of
others.
The
Christian duty of every one
is
to
be
life.
an encourager, a helper of others
in their
No
mission can be nobler, diviner, than that
of
25
him who
lives
to
be an inspirer of hope
others
and cheer, and

stronger for
to
make
braver and
life's
experiences.
There
in
is
pleasant story of a plain
woman
Glasgow,
who, one summer day, was walking along a

street in
which some poorly clad children were

at
running barefooted
their
play.
police-
man saw
this
woman
stoop
down again and

picking up
again as she went on, each time
something which she put

officer
in
her apron.
The
supposed she was finding and appro-
priating something she should not take away, and, hurrying after her,
demanded
let
in a threat-
ening manner that she
him see what she
had
in
her apron.
The trembling
of
woman comthe
city's
plied,
and showed the guardian
of
safety
some pieces
broken glass which she

street.
''I
had gathered up out of the

I
thought
would take them out of the way of the
bairns' feet," she said.

ful one.
The act was a The poor woman was doing
beautiangels'
work.
She was making the
street a safer place
for the children to play in.
There are some thoughtful people who
will
126
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

let
lie
never
peel
piece of
banana-skin or orangewill
on the pavement, but
stop,
no
to
matter
how
hurriedly
they are walking,

rind,
lest
remove
the dangerous
some one
might be made to stumble, and be maimed
by stepping on
are those
it.
It is
well that there always
who have an eye and such ministries, who are ready

lessness.
It
a hand
to
for
save
us
from the consequences of others' hurtful
care-
should be our aim, not only to pick up
bits of
broken glass from the children's playsafer,
grounds to make them
and
to
lift
from
the sidewalks bits of orange-peel
or
banana-
skin to prevent accidents to the unwary, but

in
all
life's
ways
to
gather
out
the stones
and the stumbling-blocks, and whatever might

hinder or hurt our fellow-pilgrim in his journey.
Whatever the cause

every
there
of,
or
whoever
is
respon-
sible for the hardness, there is
no doubt that
experiences
It
in
life
are
many
which have a discouraging tendency.
may
seem almost too
much
to
say that whatever
the
less,
127
hardness of
the
way may
be,
neverthe-
a Christian should never be discouraged.

this is the other side of
Yet
is
the lesson.
It
never safe to give way
to
even the beginif
nings of
discouragement
for
we
do,
we
cannot
know what
Even
it if
the end
to
will be.
Discour-
agement cherished leads

despair.
it
despondency and
does not grow to such

in a
life.
sad ripeness,
It
all
works grievous harm
produces a noxious atmosphere, in which

the lamps
burn but dimly.
It
weakens
one's moral purposes,

ergies.
self.
and paralyzes one's en-
A
He
discouraged
takes
man
of
is
only half him-
hold
duty with only half
his
wonted earnestness.
he goes about his
His feet drag weaduties.
rily as
Discourage-
ment
makes the hard way harder, and the
heavy load heavier.
We
should live contin-
ually so that our life shall
make
it
easier for
others to live; never
to be hinderers, but al-
ways
helpers, of others.
No one
gree.
can afford to yield to discouragein
ment, even for one hour,
the smallest deall
We
require
all
our strength
the
128
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

if
time
we would be
and
Life
equal
of
to
the
burdeu,
stress,
responsibility
is
it
our
days.
not easy for any of

worthily, and
common us, if we
it
would meet
make
It
its
is
of
what
God
that
expects
us
to
make.
clear,
necessary
our eye shall be

;
light
undim-
med
ings
that our heart shall beat with full pulsthat
our
hand
all
shall
be
strong
shall
and
at
steady,
their
and that
our powers
if
be
best.
This cannot be
if
we
are
the
prey of discouragement, or
the smallest degree to
its
we
yield in even
influence.
Then, not only does discouragement weaken

us, unfitting us for
our best work, but
it
leads
to doubt and unbelief,

sins.
It
and ofttimes to other
leads
to
murmuring and complaingrieve
ing,
It
and these are sins which

to
God.
makes men blind
God's
goodness, and
will.
life
ofttimes rebellious against God's
Many
through
people throw away their chance in
discouragement.
a boy he was
When Norman McLeod

I
was
fit
much
discouraged, and, in a
of petulance, said, "
wish
never had been

said,
*'
born
"
!
His pious mother
Norman,
you have been born
bairn,
;
29
and,
if
you were a wise
you would ask the Lord what you were
born for."
He
took the
good advice, and

life.
found that God had a noble plan for his

" " asks
But how can we keep from being discour?
aged
hard,
some one.
**When the way
is
when
is
the burdens are heavy,
when the
help
path
ers
through hot deserts, when even brothlife
make
harder for us,

}
how can we
is
being discouraged
this question
"
There
an answer to
the words of
of
fearfulness in
the old
Hebrew prophet:
not blossom,
;
For though the

Neither shall
fig tree shall
fruit
be
in the vines
fail.
The And The
labor of the olive shall
the fields shall yield no meat

flock shall be cut off
from the
fold,
And
Yet
I
I
there shall be no herd in the stalls

will
rejoice in the Lord,
will joy in the
God
is
of
Jehovah, the Lord,
my salvation. my strength,
And And
If
he maketh
will
my
feet like hinds' feet,
make me
to
walk upon mine high places.
we
are Christians, there never can be a
sufficient
reason
why we
should be discour-
130
aged.
*'
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

If
God be
for us,
who can be
in
against
us
"
We
need only to abide

simple
duty,
Christ, doall
ing always our

in his hands.
and leaving
There
that
is
no doubt that every hard thing

to
God permits
come
it.
into our life has a
blessing wrapped up in
The
things which
appear before us as discouragements prove to
be helps toward nobler attainments.

tian physician,
faith
Chrisfull
whose career has been

ministry,
of
and noble
:
gives
this
expericripple.
ence
He
was a poor
boy,
and
One day he was watching some other boys They were active, strong, on the ball-field. and wealthy. As he looked on, his heart grew bitter with envy. A young man who
stood beside him noted the discontent on his
face,
in
and said
to him,
"
You wish you were

you.^"
those boys'
place, don't
**
" Yes,
to
it
do,"
was the answer.
reckon
God gave
contin-
them money, education, and health,"

ued the young man, " to help them
be of
never
some
strike
account
you," he
in
the world.
Did
continued, after a
moment's
pause,
''that
I3I
he gave you your lame leg for
the same reason,
to
make a man
he
did
of
you
"
?
The boy gave no answer, and turned away.
He
was
angry,
but
not forget the

gift
!
words.
His
crippled
leg
God's
To
teach
him
a
patience,
courage,
!
perseverance
To make
words
till
man
of
him
He
thought of the
he saw their meaning.

cheer, and
They
heroic.
kin-
dled hope and
he determined to
conquer his hindrance.
He grew
all
He
hin-
soon learned that what was true of his lame

leg
was true
also
of
the
difficulties,
drances,
and hard conditions

all
of
his
life,
they were
to be
God's gifts to him to help him
to of some account in the world, make a man of him. The lesson is for all of us, especially for young people who seem born with more than
their share of disadvantages, limitations, hard
conditions.
ever
it
is,
deformity,
God gave them this load, whatThe to make something of them. the burden, the weight of some
difficulty
other one's need laid upon the shoulder, the

inheritance of
which seems to be a
132
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

a worthy
life,
is
hindrance to
but
another
chance to grow, to become stronger, richerhearted,
more a man
in
life,
or a
woman,
to
win a
in
higher place
glory.
and a brighter crown
In any case,
we should never
for
give place to
If
discouragement
moment.
we
are
God's children, we have only to keep ourselves

in
God's hands, and keep our own hands

out
of
off
then,
the
sorest
difficulties
and the
hardest conditions, blessings will come.

lives,
God
say:
and
is
caring for us, and

in his
we can
* God'S
heaven
All's right with the world."
CHAPTER
" Love thyself last
XII
TALKING ABOUT ONE'S SELF.

;
and thou
shalt
grow
in spirit
To
And
Love
see, to hear, to
know, and understand.

!
The message
all
of the stars, lo
thou shalt hear
it,
God's joys shall be at thy command.
thyself last.
thee,
if
The world
and
shall be
made
better
By
this brief
motto forms thy

in letter,
creed.
Go
follow
is
it
in spirit
This
the Christ-religion which
men
need."
One
of
the
evils
of
self-love
self.
is
the ten-
dency to talk about one's

harmless habit to
is
It
seems a
reality
it
fall
into,
but
in
most
is
unfortunate.
Talking
It
about
one's
to exlist
self
always perilous.
were safer
clude the
theme altogether from the
of
topics for conversation.
There may be matit
ters referring to one's self that
shall
some-
times seem necessary to discuss.
They may
about which
be matters of general interest
other people will insist on talking.

133
But there
134
is
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

way
of
speaking of
the
such
things with-
out
least,
bringing in
if
personal
element.
At
were
one's
own
part in the affair or the
achievement
must
be brought
it,
out,
it
better that others should do

participant.
and not the
But sometimes people do not know

important
part
of the
work that has been done.

aware that
we have taken in the good They may even
be giving the credit to others, altogether unit
was our wisdom which inspired
the thought, our quick energy which wrought

it
out
into
achievement,
the
final
or
our deft
hands
It
to
which
to
success
was
right
due. that
is
seems
truth
us
only just
and
the
should be
known, and
it
there
only
one way to have

tell
made known,
we
must
our friends of our important part in the
affair.
But we are mistaken
in all
this.
Possibly
we may be
in
error
concerning the relative
largeness and importance of our
own
part in
what has been accomplished.

to
We
are prone
influ-
see the value of our
own work and

ence writ
the
large.
35
We
that
achievement
other
it
may stand so we cannot

been
if
if
close to
see
how
in
many
hands
about.
have
at
work
brino:ino:
But even
one of the chief actors, and

of our
still
we have been what we think

it
own achievement
it
is
unexaggerated,
remains true that

it.
does not become us

is
to talk about
There
really
no absolute
of our
necessity that the world should
know
It matters not who the fine achievement. human instrument in Christian work may be; we are secondary always, and the honor is Much of the best work for the Master's.
Christ in this world
is
wrought anonymously.
it
;
No
on
one knows who did

it.
no name
is
written
What
or
}
does
it
matter whether we are
praised
not
when we have been working

heart and hand
is
for Christ
He knows what
have wrought for him, and that

enough.
Indeed,
publicity
one
of
the
marks
of
acceptable
work
self
is
indicated by the great Teacher himhis
in
exhortation that
we do not our
them;
righteousness before
men
to be seen of
136
else
THINGS TO LIVE FOR,
we
shall
have no reward with our Father

explicit
is
in heaven.
Very
the counsel that

before
us
;
we do we
let
not
sound a trumpet
in
synagogue or street when we do good

not our
;
that
left
hand know what our right

deed may be
in
hand doeth
secret.
that our good

it
Certain
is
that
work done
is
for hu-
man and
as that
earthly reward
not so honorable
done only for the eye and the com-
mendation of Christ.
self
Thinking about one's
in
connection with
it
what one
is
doing,
will
and
doing
for
its
one's
own
honoring,
always vitiate
worth.
this
The
it
inference from
teaching
is
that
to
is
not
only
not necessary for
people
know our
part in the good deeds
which are
it
attracting their attention, but that

ter they should not
is
bet-
know;
that
it
is
a diviner
doing which receives no praise of men.

tainly
it
Cer-
is
very clear
from these words of
Jesus, that far from being under necessity to
declare our good works with our

is
own
lips,
it
our duty rather to
keep secret what we

is
have done.
Our reward
not
men's com-

nifc/idation.
It
is
3/
plainly said that those
who
do good deeds to have glory of

rec<jmpense
that
this
is
men
is
get the
they
all
seek
the
to
but
it
intimated
get.
reward
they
But
their
those
who
seek
conceal from
left
men
alms-deeds, letting not their
hand know
have recom-
what their right hand doeth,

pense from the Father
in secret.
shall
in heaven,
who
seeth
There
tion
of
is
no doubt
that,
even
in the estimaself
men, talking of one's
does one
in
harm, defeating the very end one has

in
view
seeking honor.
that
It
is
almost
universally
to
true
whenever
man
begins
talk
about himself, he hurts himself with those to
whom
less
he speaks.
He makes
himself, of
himself appear
noble and winning to them.

says about
be,
The good
lustre
things he
however true
and
they
may
lose
much
never
it
is,
their
worthiness by being proclaimed by his

lips.
own
Self-praise
can
appear
lovely,
no matter how true
nor
The
spirit
which
prompts
it
about himself, however
how deserving. man to talk may be disguised,

a
I3
is
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

self-conceit
;
really
and self-conceit
is
not
;
only a disfiguring blemish in a character

is
it
also a
mark
always
of
weakness
in a life.
Its re-
vealing
makes one
less
strong
and
influential with one's fellows.
Instead of tak-
ing the self-conceited man's

himself,
own estimate
so
of
people
likely,
discount
it
heavily
that
they are
to rate
on account
of his
self-praise,
him much below
his true value.
Thus
good
a man's very object in talking about himself,
and proclaiming
deeds,
of
is
his
own
virtues
and
defeated.
He
does not receive praise
men, but
dislike
and depreciation instead
of praise.
Here
is
a bit of good counsel on this whole
subject from
little
Bishop Wilberforce
''Think as
in yourself.
as possible about
any good
Turn your eyes

your
speak
successes,
as
little
resolutely from any view of
your acquirements, your influence, your plans,

your
as
following
above
all,
possible
of
about
yourself.
The
inordinateness
our
like
self-love
makes
speech
about ourselves
the
putting of
a lighted torch to the dry wood which has

been
laid
39
in order for burning.

lips
Nothing but
this
duty should open our

ous theme, except
it
upon
danger-
be
in
humble confession
of our sinfulness before
God."
These are wise words.

ourselves
deeds.
If
We
should
train
not to
think about
our
own good
beautiful,
we have done anything

for
made
or
self-denial
another's
sake,
con-
quered a feeling of
resentment,
given help
shown
kindness, the temptation will be

it
to think about
in
a spirit
of
self-commenresolutely
to
dation.
But
it
is
better
we should
turn from
linger for a
it,
not
allowing our thoughts
moment on the thing we have we stop to contemplate our own virtues, attainments, or achievements, we do not know what the end will be. The only
done.
If
safe thing
is
to refuse to think at
all
of ouris
selves
or
our
work.
Self-consciousness
always a mark of unwholesomeness.
When
thing,
it,"
we
**
say of one
who
is
has done
fine
That was well done, and he knows

obliterated
our
commendation
it.
by what follows
is
The
most beautiful spirit
one that
is
140
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

its
unconscious of
own
beauty.
in
us,
When we
or
in
begin to talk of the good
our
work, we mar whatever

Nevertheless, there
disregard
is
beautiful.
are
many
and
people
who
fall
such
counsel,
continually
into the snare of speaking
about themselves.
There
are
many who
entertain
a
you
of
every
their
time you meet them with

ills
recital
and troubles.
ask,
When
you innocently and

you do to-day .'*"
courteously
"How
of of
do
you open the gates

of poor health,
speech to an account
uncomfortable feelings, of
aches and pains, of
bad nights and days of

to
If
wretchedness,
enough
crush
an
ordinary
mortal into the grave.
such people
knew
is
how wearisome such hypochondriac

to
talk
off
their
friends,
habit.
they would
break
friend or
the
lugubrious
When
a
neighex-
bor greets us on
presses
the us
of
is
bright morning, and

well,
hope that we are

to
recite
in
he does
a
not want
his
ears
long
chapter
better
melancholy
cheerful
in
imaginations.
Far
greeting,
with
nothing
but brightness
tone and word.
Even
if
14I
we have had
ous
complaints,
talk
is
sleepless
night,
with
bad
seri-
dreams, and are suffering from a dozen

there
is
no reason why wc
our
" whatsoever things
should
ills.
about
not
our discomforts and
This
among
are
lovely."
We
have no right to
unlade
our unhappinesses where they must become

disturbing elements
in
the
lives
of
others.
At
least,
it
is
nobler for us to try to carry
them
ourselves.
Then such
a habit of comspirit,
plaining spoils the
sweetness of one's
and mars the beauty of one's character.

ing of one's
frets
Talk-
and worries
is
surely
an
unlovely and an unprofitable thing.
There are some preachers who

the pulpit.
fall
into a
perilous habit of talking about themselves in
They
a
tell
incidents in which they

less
have had
more or
conspicuous part.
to
They
repeat what
good people have said
them or about
the compliments.
them, not
even withholding
that their
They take pains
agency
fail
in
important achievements shall
not
to be
known, and are careful
in
announ-
cing meetings in which they are to participate
142
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

on the occasion.
to say that they will speak

If
these clergymen realized that nearly every

in public,
time they speak thus of themselves they not only violate the
ter's teaching,
spirit
of
the
Mas-
but also lessen their influence
with
less
their
people
and
make
their
ministry
effective,
they would forever seal their
lips against so
dangerous a theme.
to think
There are men who seem never

of anything save in
its
relation to themselves.
past,
A
the
clergyman of the generation just
as
all
he grew old would attend the funerals of
men
of
his
own
age,
and would
seek
the opportunity to say *'a few words" on the

occasion.
Instead, however, of
extolling
the
virtues of
the deceased, he would glide, per-
haps unconsciously, into autobiographical reminiscence,

telling
in
the friends,
not what the
good man
the coffin
had done, but what

in
he, the speaker,
had done
is
connection with
of
him.
Surely
it
sad
illustration
self,
the
danger of talking about one's

should become
that a
man
is
such a slave to the habit that
even
in a funeral
sermon
all
he can do
to

grow garrulous over reminiscences
life.
I43
of his
own
In
one's
all
lines
this
tendency to
talk
about
self
has abundant
illustration.
There
are generous givers the worth of

ity
is
whose char-
discounted
everywhere by the vanity

their
gifts
which always sees that

announced.
are
well
finest
There are writers whose

personal pronoun
a
pages are disfigured by the

rence of the
first
continual recursingular.
in
They
There
write
scarcely
flaunt
paragraph
miserable
which
egoism.
they do not
are
their
conversationalists
who,
whatever
subject
they discuss, always manage to talk
about themselves.
The aim
of all these
men
is
to
make
their
to
own
brightness
or
greatness
apparent
others, to have their neighbor duly impressed
with their importance.

ever,
Unfortunately, howevery case

just
the
of
effect
is
in
the
reverse
that
intended.
Egoism
belittles
a man.
Personal vanity dims the lustre of a
name.
We
would better be content to have

unpraised than that our
our good deeds go
144
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

lips
own
of
should speak the praise.

should rather not
The
story
our
life
be told
than
that
we should be our own

is
biographers.
:
The
wise man's counsel

Let another
good
man
praise thee,
and not thine own mouth

lips.
A
The
stranger,
and not thine own

if
praise of others,
sincere,
is
honorable
to tell the
but when
we
take
it
upon ourselves
story of our
own
greatness, or point out the
excellences of
our
own
It
character,
we do
that
which
is
unseemly.
life
were better that we
go on with our
and work, doing always

all
our best, and then leave in God's hands

the matter of praise and reward.
CHAPTER
WHY
In
life's
XIII.
DID YOU FAIL?
small things be resolute and great
To
*'
keep thy muscles trained; know'st thou when Fate

takes
?
Thy measure
I find
or
when
she'll
say to thee,
thee worthy, do this thing for
me " ?
Quoted by Lowell.
It grieved Jesus to have his disciples

in their faith.
fail
One
reason was personal.

is
The
heart.
joy of being trusted
one
to
of the holiest ex-
periences that can
come
any human
We
of
do not understand the sweetest privilege

friendship until in
some hour
of
need or
weakness or sorrow our friend trusts us absolutely, leans

life
upon
us, as
it
were puts his very

opposite of this
It
is
into our hand.
The
the pain of not being trusted.
may
not be
through any lack of
love, or lack of confidence
in our character or strength, but only
through
fear; yet the failure of
a friend to trust us,
whatever the cause, hurts our heart.

145
146
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
Jesus was human, and these experiences of
our
own
help us to understand his feeling
when
his disciples did not trust him.
He
was deeply For
grieved.
We
have an
illustration in the story
of Peter's trying to
walk on the water.
a time he walked calmly on the waves, and
then he began to sink.
Jesus reached out his
hand and saved
his disciple
'*
:
from drowning, and

little
then chided him
thou of
}
faith,
wherefore didst thou doubt
"
Peter need not

faith.
have failed
in
his venture of
If
only
he had not doubted he would not have
failed.
But who has not had
like
failures
in
his
own
experience
.-*
We
all
are given opportuni-
ties for
doing noble things.
They may
not be
conspicuous things, like walking on the sea

ofttimes they are things which must be done
where no eye but God's can see
us.
Yet,
nevertheless, they are things in which
we must
fidel-
show faith and courage, self-control and

ity,
or fail and disappoint
our Master.
Too
not
often
we
fail. life.
temptation comes into our

it.
It is
easy to resist
But there
is
a wonderful
WHY DID YOU

promise which says that God
to be
FAIL
47
will not suffer us
tempted above that we are
able.
For a
time we resist the temptation, but the stress
becomes sorer and
sorer.
It is
a crisis hour.
We take our eyes off the Master, and fail. We are set to witness for Christ in a certain
place.
He
All
has no other one to stand for him
there.
about
It is
us
are
those
who do not
life.
know
They
to
him.
our mission to show to them
the power and the beauty of the Christian

will
not read the Bible, nor enter the

scoff
church.
They only
when
it
is
intimated
lives are
them
that they need Christ.
Our
the only interpretations of Christ which they
can be brought to see.
We
is
cannot preach to
un-
them, for our words would be trodden

derfoot.
All
we can do
just
to
continue
faithful, to
be gentle, patient, unselfish, true,
good-tempered, holy, day after day, week after
week, without faltering.
But
it
is
not easy to
do
this.
The
smallest failure will be noted,

If
and gloried
in as a failure of Christianity.
we
lose our patience, speak unadvisedly, reveal

t)itter
even for a few moments a
or jealous
148
spirit,
if
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

speak an untruth, do an unjust thing
in
anything we act in a manner unbecom-
ing a Christian,
we have
full
failed Christ.
We
failure
then confess that
we have
sinned
but
do we realize what the
consequences
of our
may be
We
are standing for Christ,

is
and the by our
faith of others in Christ

faltering.
weakened
We
do not
have no adequate conception of the
far-
reaching influence of our acts and words.

live for ourselves alone
We
any single day.

lives,
Our smallest deeds touch other

in
shall roll
it
and set
motion currents of moral impression which
on forever.
We
do not know what
may mean
faithful
to Christ's cause on the earth,

souls, for us
and to other human
to
be true
and
any
little
hour.
We
do not know
life
what eyes are upon us

the
in the
common
of
common
days
watching
to learn
if
us, not critically,
not hoping to find some flaw in us, but with
most eager desire
indeed there be
grace in Christ to help a soul to be faithful.
Thousands who are thus watching us

turn to Christ or turn away from Christ,
will
ac-
WHY DID YOU

Our
means
;
FAIL
149
it.
cording as we stand the test or do not stand

victory
for
them a
belief in Christ's
power
to help
but our defeat means the weak-
ening, perhaps the dying, of faith and hope in
them.
We
never
know what may depend on

little
our being faithful and firm any
hour, or
lost if we fail. There is never moment when it makes no matter whether we are true or not. We need God's help in the common days just as much as in what
what may be
seem
to us great days.
We
:
all
need to pray
very often a prayer like this
**God help us through the common days,
The
level stretches,
white with dust,
When
thought
is
tired,
and hands upraise
Their burden feebly, since they must.

In days of slowly fretting care
Then most we need
the strength of prayer."
One
It is a
is
called to
great
trial
of patience.
mother, and her
home
cares lay
upon
her trembling nerves a sore
strain.
It
There are
is
a thousand things to try her.
hard for
her to keep always sweet and patient.

times, in
Some-
moment
of
weakness and weari-
150
ness,
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

she
loses
It
her self-control
and speaks
thing to
fail
unadvisedly.
in temper.
seems a
is
little
Nothing
more common.
It
is
easy to soothe one's conscience, and allay the
momentary
feeling of
shame, by thinking ex-
cusingly of one's tired nerves, and

it
how hard
But
the
is
to be always calm
and
self-poised.
effect of
meanwhile what has been the

mother's
unseemly
conduct
}
on
the
is
tender
usually
lives of the children
Bad temper
unjust.
hurtful,
Its
hot, hasty
words are unkind and

pierce,
words which burn and
words
Be-
which should never have been spoken.

sides, the
mother was standing
for Christ be-
fore her children, and she has failed to
show
of
them the strength and peace and beauty

Christ.
Christ
is
very patient with our weakness

;
he knows that we do what we can do

should strive not to
if
when yet we
fail
him
is
in
temper, even
the strain
life
is
sore.
It
in these
pages of
every-day
two, and
that
we
must write our word or what

will truly
we ought
to write only
interpret the spirit and life of our Master.
fV//V
DID YOU FAIL?
151
to
One
is
in
deep sorrow.
will.
He
But
wanted
be
submissive to God's
in a
weakness and pain he murmured.

sick and shut away.
It
moment of Or he was
to be quiet
was hard
and
still.
There
is
a story of
one, a godly
man, who had frequent and violent paroxysms

of
most intense pain which he could scarcely
endure.
trying to
He
would
it
lie
all
on the
floor in anguish,
bear
sweetly and
patiently.
When
his
the paroxysm was

:
over he would ask

t
friends
to
"
Did
complain
did
not
want
if
complain."
He
was always grieved

sing^le
he thousfht he had uttered a
word
or groan of impatience.
Few
plaint
of us think of such expressions of
comto
as
being wrong.
to our feelings
It
is
so
common
give
way
when we
it
are suffer-
ing that
we come
to regard
as an unavoid-
able consequence of our
infirmity.
all
But we
need to remember that

of pain
in
our experiences
;
quite as
we are representing Christ and much our duty to be patient in

it
it
is
suf-
fering, as
in
is
to be honest, truthful,
and just
our dealings with our fellow-men.
fail-
152 ure to
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

be so
is
a failure
in
most
faithful
witnessing for Christ.
Nor do we know what
may be
the
effect
on the faith and trust of
others of our want of quietness and confidence

in suffering.
One who had
seen a friend passing through

intense pain with sustained
a long season of
joy which often broke into song, said, **Now

I
know
that there
is
a reality in the religion
of
Christ.
My
friend
never could have endid,

if
dured her suffering as she
she had not
been
divinely
helped."
this
What would have

same friend
if
been the effect on

sufferer had
the
given
so
plaining as
way to fretting and commany Christians do in their

}
experiences of pain
Nor do we know how such

they seem to us
us
of
failures
trivial,
hurt
our
own
life,
and rob
the
deeper
joy and
the richer peace
which might have been
ours.
We
get so ac-
customed to chafing, worrying, complaining,

irritation
of
temper, and impatience, that
we
rarely think of
to our
these things as being hurtful
own
souls.
But there
is
not one of
WHY DID YOU

the failures
its
FAIL?
which,
us,
53
of
our infirmity
besides
evil
effect
on those about
does not
also leave its

life,
marring or wounding on our own
and hinder in some degree our growth
and our happiness as a Christian.

acts of single
There are
moments which
after
;
cast a
shadow
over
all
life's
years.
Moses was the

and just for a
meekest
of
men
but
once,
moment,
a
in a great stress,
and when tried by

lost
most unreasonable people, he

and spoke unadvised words.
loss of
his pa-
tience,
We
know
what that one minute's

him.
of
It
meekness cost
prevented his entering into the land

for forty years
promise, toward which

toiling.
he
had been
How many
such fateful minutes are there
in the lives of the great
masses of Christians,
when, with the one thousandth part of the provocation

of
Moses, they
not what
fail
far
more
sorely
>
We
know
in
sublime things
of
we throw
win
away
your
our failures
patience, peace, and
self-control.
lives,"
" In your patience ye shall
said the Master.
The
losing of
all.
patience, therefore,
may be
the losing of
154
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

lesson from
all
The
this
is
that the failures
of faith are far to think them.
more
serious than
we
are apt
They
are sins against Christ,

;
who
is
trusting us and testing us
sins against
others,
who
faith
are
looking to see what
Christ
can do for a soul in stress or suffering, and
whose
is
weakened, perhaps destroyed,

sins
by our faltering; and

life,
against
hurt,
our
own
leaving us
maimed and
full
and cutting
the
us off from the

of our
life.
realization of
hopes
Peter began to sink because he took his
eye
off
Christ,
feet.
and
It
let
it
fall
on the waves
his
faith
about
his
was
**
because
failed that
he sank.
Wherefore didst thou

pained
question.
doubt
"
was the Master's
The
is
only secret of sustained victoriousness in
living
amid
trials,
temptations, and sufferings,
sustained faith.
We
need not be defeated.

and be more than
in
We
may
us.
always overcome
it
conquerors, but
loves
can be only
him who
in
He
overcame the world, and
him we may have peace.

Shall
we
not then seek to be braver, truer,
IVNY DID YOU FAIL?
55
more steadfast
of
in
?
meeting these crucial hours

us any
special
experience
clay.
We
shall
They may come to not know them by any

hours.
to
us,
mark from the other

announce themselves
They
nor
will
not
to
call
us
unwonted watchfulness by any warning
bell.
They
edly.
will
come
quietly,
suddenly,
unexpect-
In the heart of your calmest,

will
commonlife
est
will
day there
be
;
be an hour when your

It
in peril.
may be
in a sore
temptait
tion
it
may be
in a surprise of
;
joy
may
in
be
in a
keen disappointment
;
it
may be
a bitter sorrow
of duty
or
it
or
responsibility.
may be in a pressure To be ready for

it
the experience, whatever

it
shall be,
whenever
may come, you need

Master,
to
keep always near

him.
the
with your eye upon

you,
fail.
He
will
walks the waters beside
and you
never sink unless your faith
Why
should
you
fail?
CHAPTER
Who
fain
XIV.
PASSING BY ON THE OTHER SIDE.

would help
in this world of ours,
fall,
Where
sorrowful steps must
Bring help in time to the waning powers
Ere the
bier is spread with the pall
Nor send
reserves
when
the flags are furled,

call.
And
the dead beyond your
Margaret
E. Sangster.
No
lesson
It
is
harder to learn than the lesson

found, too, that of love's
refer
to
of love.
may be
lessons those which

are
our fellow-men
life
harder to get
to God.
into
It
our
is
than
those
which refer
infinitely
easier to love one
above us than the one who walks

every day.
beside us
We
find
it
difficult
enough
the
that
full,
to love our close
personal friends in
unselfish
deep,
rich,
constant,
way
in
the divine teaching requires.

it
Even
the tenderest relations

patient,
is
hard to be always
helpful,
all
thoughtful,
gentle,
and free
from en\y and jealousy and

156
.
irritation.
PASSING
Yet
still
BY
ON"
THE OTHER
is
it
SIDE.
learn
5/
more
difficult
to
the
larger lesson of
self.
loving our neighbor as ourourself
We
like
is
;
to settle for
who our
upon
love
neighbor
just the
and then we
in
like to decide
way
which we
shall
show our
to
him.
But we really have nothing to do
with either of these matters

our neighbor,
of loving him.
we cannot select nor can we take our own way

;
Many
of us
would
like
in
to write out love's
duty to one's neighbor

shalt nots."
It
is
a series of
it
"Thou
easier.
This would make
much
not so hard to refrain from doing our

it
neighbor harm as
to do
is
to reach out our

little
hand
him good.
With a
resist
effort at self-
control
we can
the impulse
to
return
blow for blow, to demand tooth for tooth, to

repay unkindness with unkindness
quires very
for
;
but
it
re-
much more
to
grace to give a kiss
blow,
return
kindness for
unkind-
ness, to repay
wrong and
injustice with
meek-
ness and mercy.

In one of our Lord's wonderful parables
we
have an example of loving by not doing harm,
I5
THINGS TO LIVE FOR

set over against
it,
and
the true ideal of lovserving.
ing by doing good and

is
The
It
story
familiar.
Neither the priest nor the Levite
did the
wounded man any harm.
was the
who hurt him almost to death. The men who passed by were good men, with kind hearts and gentle feelings. They felt sorry for the poor man. One of them linrobbers
gered a moment, and told the sufferer that
he was very sorry he had been hurt so badly.
They would not have done him any

for the world,
his
injury
this
good
and
priest
this
fresh
from
sacred
functions,
Levite with
hands consecrated to holy
service.
if
if
No
and yet somehow the story reads as
they had done something not just right, as
they had injured the wounded

way.
man
in
some
When we
we may do
think
the
matter through,
we
that
find that the
Master means to teach us

sore
wrong
to others
by not
doing love's duties to them.
We
At the
do not think much of this kind of

close of the
sins.
day we examine ourselves,

to
and review our
record
find
wherein wq
PASSING
should confess
BY ON THE OTHER
sin.
SIDE.
59
We
remember
the hasty
word we spoke, which gave pain heart, and also grieved the Holy
recall
to a tender
Spirit.
We
our self-indulgence, our unkind feelings,

acts,
our selfish
our envyings and jealousies,
our impatience and anger, and

fession of
all
we make
con-
these
sins,
asking forgiveness.
But do we make
did
confession of the things

to
we
}
not
do which we ought
have done
Are we
penitent for our failures to do deeds

.?
of kindness
During the day we have passed

of
;
by on the other side

and want and danger
neglects
side "
is
many do we
human need
these
" other
confess
.'*
among
the day's sins
The
too well trodden by
many
feet.
of us.
The
path
is
beaten hard by our
tion.
Some They mean

that
is
people talk a great deal about perfecreally only a life free
from
positive and wilful sins.

of
They do not think

of
life
is
whole hemisphere
almost
which
not
in
them
that
to
empty.
;
Love
doing
others no
it
harm
in
it
is
doing them
all
the good
is
our power to do.

"
We
are taught
pray,
not
Forgive us our crimes," but
l60
" Forgive
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

us
It
our
is
debts."
Debts
are
what
we owe.
bors
not supposed that respectable
people will commit crimes against their neighs

;
but
when we
look into the matter closely,
we
shall find that
most
of our days leave un-
paid debts
debts
of love; kindnesses or ser-
vices due to others, but not paid, certainly not
The priest and the Levite did not hurt the wounded man, but they failed What to pay him the debt they owed him.
paid in
full.
they owed and did not pay was the difference
between their passing by
in
harmless neglect
and the noble service which the good Samaritan rendered.

It is well to
press the application of the
les-
son very closely.

lie
All along
life's
dusty wayside
left
wounded men and women, robbed and
to die.
We
are continually passing by them.
Which
role are
we
playing,
the
You
in
priest's
t
and
a
Levite's, or the good Samaritan's
Take
learned
single day's
life,
and see how many times we

side.
It
pass
by on the other
of
a neighbor in trouble.
to
was
your thought
go to him to offer him help.
But you did
PASSING
not
that
BY ON THE OTHER
closed,
SIDE.
l6l
do
it.
The day
left
and there was
brotherly kindness which you ought to
have done
undone.
Yonder,
is
at the endstill
ing of the day, your neighbor

in
bowing
the
darkness
beneath
his
burden.
it
He
might have
for
been rejoicing had
not been
your sin of omission.

is
Here
the dust.
one who has
failed,
and
fallen into
in his soul,
There he
rise.
lies,
wounded
of
unable to
You know
him
he
was
an old neighbor of yours, a schoolmate perhaps.
You have
and you
name.
a vision of
the possibilities
that are in your old friend's soul, under sin's

ruin,
feel impelled to
go to him in
Christ's
But you do not follow the

pass
good
side,
impulse
you
him
lie
by on
"
the
other
and
let
where he
:
fell.
Listen
say unto
to the
word
of the
Lord
When
to
the wicked,
die
;
wicked man, thou shalt surely

dost
if
thou
not
speak
warn
the
shall
I
wicked from
die
in
his way,
;
that wicked
man
not
his
at
iniquity
but his blood will
re-
quire
thine
hand."
You were
in
his
tempter.
The wounds
his
soul
you did
62
inflict.
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
not
You
did
nothing
of his
to
lead
him
into sin.
fall,
Yet you knew

and had
it
wounding, his
at least
his peril,
in
your power
to try to save him.
But you offered no helping
hand, spoke no word of love to warn him.
You
simply passed by on the other

All about us
side.
evermore
are
human needs
It
and sorrows which make their mute appeal

to us.
We
are our brother's keeper.

that
will
not avail as excuse for us

brother no
we
not
did
our
harm.
us,
That was
what he
needed from
security against
much
being hurt
by
us.
little
kindness shown to him would

blessing
to
have proved
a wonderful
him.
The
him.
struggle was too
for his strength>
and even a word of cheer would have helped
He
a
was facing the world's cold

shelter
in
blasts,
and
moment's
love's
warmth
would have renewed his courage for what was

yet before him.
If
Susan Coolidge writes:

up a weary
hill,
you were
toiling
Bearing a load beyond your strength to bear,

Straining each nerve untiringly, and
still
Stumbling and losing foothold here and there;
PASSING
And
BY ON THE OTHER
Hft
SIDE.
63
each one passing by would do so
much
way,
As give one upward Would not the slight,
and go
all
his
reiterated touch
Of help and kindness

If
lighten
the day?
you were breasting a keen wind, which tossed
And
buffeted
and
chilled
you as you strove,

quite,
Till, baffled
and bewildered
to see the
you
lost
The power
way and aim and move
And
one,
if
only for a moment's space,

shelter from the bitter blast.
to face
Gave you
Would you not find it easier The storm again when the
It looks as
brief rest
was past
if
the priest,
when he came near

him.
the wounded man, kept his face turned away

so that
he could
not
see
There are
many They
of
people
refuse
who do
to
the same in these days.
see
the misery
and
sorrow
about them.
But keeping ourselves ignorant

will
human needs
at
never excuse us for not

aside,
relieving them.
The Levite turned

wounded
sufferer,
and
said,
looked
*'
the
I
}
and
Poor fellow,
am
I
very sorry for you.
Are
on.
in
you much hurt

will
hope some of your friends
come
is
to
help you."
of
this
Then he went
sympathy
There
much
kind of
64
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

People express interest
suffering,
telling
in
the world.
those
sorry
who
are
them
pass
is
how
they are for them.
Perhaps they promise to
pray for them.

other
side.
Then they
sympathy
by on the
very cheap,
costs to do
Such
and
is
as valueless as cheap.
It
good to others.
bor as
ourself,
We
cannot love our neighsave

ourself
will
and then
sacrifice.
from
save
self-denial
his
life
and
He
it
that
to
shall
lose
is
it.
The way
his
save our
life in reality
to give
out in love as the

life.
good Samaritan gave out
It
may
seem a waste, a
out in love
is
failure
but nothing emptied
wasted.
centuries
earth, his
life
"Long, long Agone One walked the
seeming
failure
gift
Dying, he gave the world a
That
will outlast eternities."
But whatever the

in
cost,
we
should never
fail
a duty of love.
We
is
do grievous wrong
to others
by withholding from them what we
owe
to them.
shall
There
a sin of not doing.
We
be judged, not alone by what we do,
; ;
PASSING
but
also
BY ON THE OTHER
we
leave
SIDE.
65
by what
undone.
active
We
side
off
need to give
of
more heed to the
our
life.
We
in
cannot
It
is
cut
ourselves
from our brothers.

of getting
not enough to think

;
on
the world
we dare
is
not seek
to get on and
pay no heed to those who are

us.
journeying with
ing of Amiel's
There
a startling sayto
which we would do well

better to be lost
ponder
" It
is
than to be
saved alone."
One
ways
writes:
alone
all
We go our We hold
in life too
much
ourselves too far from
our kind
Too often we are dead to sigh and moan Too often to the weak and helpless blind Too often, where distress and want abide,
We
turn,
and pass upon the other
side.
The other side is trodden smooth, and worn By footsteps passing idly all the day Where lie the bruised ones that faint and mourn
Is seldom more than an untrodden way. Our selfish hearts are for our feet the guide They lead us by upon the other side.
It
should be ours the

Into the bleeding
oil
and wine
sick
to pour
wounds To take the smitten and the
of stricken ones
and
sore,
And
bear them where a stream of blessing runs.
66
Instead
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

we look about we pass upon
the
way
is
wide,
And
so
the other side.
Oh, friends and brothers, gliding down the years,
Humanity
is
calling each
and
all
In tender accents, born of grief and tears

I
pray you listen to the thrilling

in
call!
You cannot
your cold and
selfish pride
Pass guiltlessly by on the other side.
CHAPTER
*'
XV.
OVER-WAITING FOR GOD.

Dig channels
for the streams of Love,
Where they may broadly run
And Love has To fill them

But
if
overflowing streams
every one.
fail
at
any time thou
Such channels to provide,
The
very fount of love
itself
Will soon be parched and dried;
For thou must share,

If
thou wouldst keep
This good thing from above

Ceasing to share, you cease to have;
Such
is
the
Law
said
of Love."
GREAT
deal
is
in
the Bible about
waiting for God.

strongly enforced.
of God's delays.
The
lesson cannot be too

easily
We
Much
grow impatient
of our trouble in life
comes out of our restless, sometimes reckless,

haste.
We
it
cannot wait for the fruit to ripen,

it
but insist on plucking
while
it
is
green, and
when
is
most unwholesome.
We
cannot
wait for the story to be written out chapter

J67
68
;
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

but,
in
by chapter
our eagerness to
to
know
how
it
will end,
we want
till
omit the links

to the close.
is
it
of its development,
and hurry on
the picture
We
cannot wait
completed,
while
it
but insist on takinsf our view of

unfinished, and criticising
it
is
as
if
the artist's
work on
it
were done.
We
cannot wait for
the answer to our prayers, although the things
we ask
with
for
may
require
long years
in
their
preparation for us.
We
are exhorted to walk
God but and we do not

;
ofttimes
God walks very
slowly,
care to linger back with him.
We
wait.
are very eager to get forward,
and cannot
Thus the
lesson of waiting for
God
is
always an important one.
But there
is
another phase of the
lesson.
God
often waits for us.

blessing
We
fail
many
times
to receive the
he has ready for us

forward with
him.
because
we do
we
not
go
While we miss much good through not waiting for God,

waiting.
is
also miss
much through
over-
There are times when our strength

still,
to stand
but there also are times
when
we
are to go forward with firm step.
69
There are many divine promises which are

conditioned upon the beginning of some action
on our
will in
part.
When we
;
begin to obey,
God
begin to bless us
and as we continue
our obedience, his blessing will continue

to
us.
to be given
Great things were promof
ised to
Abraham, but not one
them could
in
have been obtained by waiting
Chaldea.
He
must leave home,

on
friends, possessions,
and
country, and
press
in
go out into
unfaltering
unknown
obedience,
paths, and
in
order
to receive the promises.
When
Sea,
the Israelites were beside

in
the
Red
shut
by natural
walls,
peril
pressed by a
destruction,
to
pursuing army, and in

there were two
of
commands given
both
sides
of
Moses,
waiting
which
lesson.
illustrate
this
In answer to the fear and murmur-
ing of the people, Moses said to them, ''Fear

not, stand
still,
and see the salvation of the

to do just at that
Lord."
They had nothing

but to wait
as
until
moment
But a
there
God should work.

to
little later,
Moses was praying
God,
came
to
him the command,
" Wherefore
170
criest
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

thou unto
that
me
speak unto the children
of
Israel,
they go forward."
The duty
ris-
was no longer one of waiting, but one of
ing up from bended knees, and going forward

in the
way
of heroic faith.
Perhaps oftener than we know do we need

the same exhortation.
There are times when
prayer
is
not the duty of the hour, but

rise
when
afield.
we must
from our knees and go

are
We
think
we
honoring God by waiting
quietly, patiently,
and prayerfully
us,
till
he shall
are dis-
open the way for
while really
we
honoring him by want of present faith and

ready obedience.
Blessing waits for us while
it
we
are waiting, but
cannot be given to us
get
it.
until
we
go forth to
Not always
it
is
resignation a duty;
sometimes
is
sin,
sin of indolence, inertness, disobedience, unbelief.
We
have a familiar illustration of this teach-
ing in the story of the Israelites' crossing of the Jordan.
The
river did not
open while the

If
people were waiting in their camps.
they
had stayed there,
it
would not have opened
OVER-WAITING FOR
for
in
GOD.
/I
them
at
all.
They must show
their faith
all
tion for passing over into the
God by breaking camp, making Land

It is
prepara-
of Promise,
and then beginning their march while yet the

river ran to its widest banks.
remarkable
that not
until
the advance
guard of priests
came
to
the very edge of
the water did the

If
river begin to sink away.
the people had
waited back in their camps for the opening

of the
way
for
them through the
river before
they would
begin their movement, the way
would never have been opened.

unlock the gate into the
they held in their
The key
of
to
Land
Promise
own
its
hand, and the gate
would not turn on

approached
faith.
it
hinges until they had

it.
and unlocked
That key was

and must
They must
believe God's promise that

for them,
if
way would be made

river.
full
rise
up and move forward as

tervening
Life
is
there were no in-
of just
such occasions as
is
this.
The miracle of the common days and

Difficulties
river
a parable for
all
our
our
common
lie
experiences.
and obstacles
before us, seem-
1/2
ing to
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

block our way.
fair
fields
Beyond these
filled
hin^
drances are
treasure.
with beauty and

for us.
If
Honors wait there
only
;
we
life
could pass over,
we should be
rich
our
would be nobler, stronger.
But between
us and those heights of privilege, attainment,
and achievement runs the
impassable
within
us
river.
calls
The
voice of
the
divine
life
us to go on to win and possess the fair lands

that shine in such radiance
before us.
If
I
But
will
we
think of the river, and say, "

it,
God
can
open the way through

over."
then
pass
Then we
sit
environment to wait
stacle away.
down in our hampered for God to take the obwill
But he
never do
it
while
we
wait.
We
must
and
rise
''
up
in
the strength
of our faith,
say,
The
voice of
calling me,
and the hand of God
will
God is make
the
way
for
me
through these seemingly im-
passable barriers to the lofty heights yonder."
When
duty
calls
we have nothing whatever

and
difficulties.
to do with hindrances
It
is
ours only to obey, even though obedience

impossible.
"
I
seem
can do
all
things
through

Christ
73
who strengtheneth me."

to
God
waits to
will
come
us with
sit
divine
still
help.
He
not
come while we
but the
voice, his
in
weakness and fear;

to try to
moment we begin
power begins
obey his
to flow into our heart.

in us
us.
Then, as we go on, he works
and with
us.
He
gate
into
prepares
the
way
for
The
our
obstacle
gives
way
to the pressure of
feet.
The
faith
opens when we put the

the lock.
key
of
The
its
river
sinks
away
as
we
tread the edge of

are levelled as
waters.
on.
The mountains
we move
that
We
us,
pass to the
radiant
heights
beckon
milk
and possess
honey,
in
our land
flowing with
and
whose
hills are rich treasures.
The
secret
of
the
of
failure,
or
the
poor,
lies
meagre attainment,
the want
of
so
many
lives
in
bold faith.
Men
stand on the
lands of
edge
of
great
possibilities, glorious
promise, and wait for

for them.
God to open They wonder why they

wide
fields
the
door
are shut
out
of
the
into
which they see
others entering
so triumphantly.
of
They even
say that the
ways
God
are not equal, that
1/4
life
is
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

harder for them than
that
it
is
for others.
They pray
they wait.
they
may
get
on,
and then
But
little
comes
of their
life.
They achieve
only
only small results, win only few victories, grow

into
only
feeble
strength,
accomplish
their
meagre
dying
at
things
last
for
God
little
and
to
fellows,
with
all
show
that they
wait-
have
lived.
Yet
to
the while
God was
that
ing for
river
not.
them
go on.
all
There was not a

would
if
before
them
the years
have dwindled to a tiny brooklet

in
they
had gone forward

faith.
the venture of
heroic
There was not an obstacle
in all their
course which seemed to

sible
if
make progress imposyielded,

if
for
them that would not have
they had gone on quietly and firmly as
there were no obstacle.
We
the
do not know how often we are missing

blessings of
richest
the divine love be-
cause of
our over-waiting for God.
These
is
blessings are within our reach

ing and longing
to
God
to
waitbut,
give
them
us;
misunderstanding our duty, thinking that the
over-waitiaVG for god.
175
wait-
way
ing,
is
not yet open for us,
we continue
ours.
when we
in
ought to press forward in bold

is
confidence to take what
Not
only,
common
also
in
attainment and achievement

spiritual
life
but
and culture,
does this truth apply.

miracles
illustrate
this.
Several of our Lord's
For example, when
the
ten lepers
cried
to
him
for
mercy,
he
bade them go and show themselves to the This seemed indeed a strange compriests.
mand
to
give.
The law
required that
lepers were actually cured they were to
when show
themselves to their priest to obtain a

cate of healing.
their duty
If
certifi-
these lepers had been cured,

visit
would have been to
the priest.
But although there was not as yet a trace of

any change
in their flesh, the
lepers obeyed,
setting out at once

as
to find their priests.

If
"And
they
in their
they went, they were cleansed."

to
had waited
flesh
see the cleansing come
before
they
seen
;
would
it.
start,
they
would
to
never
cleanse
have
them
God was and the moment
waiting
their
faith
began to work, the blessing came.
176
THINGS TO LIVE FOR, way do the

us.
In precisely the same

of
spiritual
life
blessings
invita-
come
to
it
Every
tion of grace carries in
a promise of
mercy
and
favor.
Sinners are invited to come to
Christ,
life
and they have the promise of divine
in
them when they come.

steps, the
soul.
If
As they
take
the
first
new
life
begins to flow
into their
life
they waited to get the

call of
before they would obey the
Christ,
they
would
wait
in
vain.
This would
be
over-waiting for God.
We
are invited to folafter

it
low Christ.
the
way opens. before we would

not open at
all.
As we begin to go If we waited for

set
It
him,
to
it
open
would
faith.
out after him,

will
open only to
We
It
are
commanded
to us that
to take
up certain
duties.
we cannot do them. We But as we take say we have no strength. them up, skill and strength come to us in
seems
a mysterious way, and the duties
are
easy.
We
are set to fight certain battles.

victorious
;
We
we we
say
we can never be
into
that
nevei
entei
can conquer these enemies.

the
conflict.
But as
One comes and
fights
b}

our
side,
1/7
and through him we are more than But

if
conquerors.
we had
battle,
waited, trembling
and
fearing, for
our Helper to come before

the
we would
waited
join
we should have
in vain.
This would have been the
over-waiting of unbelief.
So
it
is
in
all
;
life.
We
have a duty of
lest
waiting for
over-wait,
God
but
we must beware
we
as
and miss the blessing and the good

himself
it.
that
God
is
waiting to give us,
our faith claims
"
CHAPTER
**We
see not,
;
XVI.
THE ONLY SAFE COMMITTAL,

know
not;
all
is
our way
day.
drift,
lift,
Is night
with thee alone
From
out the torrent's troubled
Above the storm our prayer we
Thy
will be
done!
We
And May
take with solemn thankfulness

up, nor ask
it
it
Our burden
count
less
joy that even
we
done
suffer, serve, or
wait for thee.
Thy
will be
In one of the psalms

mittal, the full force of
is
a sentence of
is
com-
which
:
not usually
noted.
The words
read
truth."
"Into thine hand I commend my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of
This
is
commonly quoted
Indeed, Jesus,
as
if
it
referred
to dying.
when he was
dying,
used almost these exact words, and thousands

of
believers since have done the same.

178
But
THE ONLY SAFE COMMITTAL.

as
life,
79
originally
written
the
committal was for

writer of the psalm
of
not for death.
The
his
was facing the experiences

and danger, and put
of his
human
into
struggle
life
the hands
Redeemer.
We may
of
commit our
the fullest
is
life
into
the
hands
God
in
and most far-reaching

really do in the act
sense.
of
This
what we
believing on Christ.
Perhaps the concepperson, to
tion of
Christ
as
living
soul's
whose
is
hands we intrust our

always as vivid as
sense
of
in
it
keeping,
be.
not
is
might
There
which we are saved by the death

;
Christ
but
we need
to
add to this the

is
truth of the living Christ,
who
in
our personal
restorer of
friend, teacher, guide, keeper, the
our soul,
takes
and our helper

life,
all
ways.
frailty,
He
fault,
our
with
his
all
its
sin,
and
peril,
and by
trains,
power
cleanses, renews,
until
at
last
transforms,
and guides,
he presents us faultless before the presence

of the divine glory.
Then, not our

also,
soul
only,
but our
affairs
may we commit
into the hands of Christ.
l8o
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

life
is
Every
full
of
experiences which
clear.
no
human wisdom can make

child's hands,
Our
affairs
are forever getting tangled like threads in a
and the tangles we have no
skill
to
straighten out.
We
cannot see
how
any-
thing beautiful or good can come out of our
poor living or our feeble striving.
Ofttimes
our circumstances seem to be unfriendly.
Our
our
days
are
full
is
of
disappointments,
and
nights' rest
broken by fear and anxieties.

privilege
is
The
Christian's
in
the midst
all
of
such experiences
to
commit
into
the
hands of Christ.
things, over
He
can take our broken

bitterly,
which we weep
and build
them up
dows
into beauty.
One
of the finest win-
in a great cathedral is said to
have been
made
less.
out of
the fragments
of
broken glass
which the workmen had thrown away as worth-
skilful
hand gathered them

our
up,
and
can
wrought them into lovely form.

take our failures,
Christ
our
sins,
mistakes,
follies,
even our
beautiful
falls
life
and and
and make them
into
character.
He
can
take
our tangled threads, and, disentangling them,

weave them
into a
l8l
for us.
garment of beauty
He
can take our disappointments, and change

into divine
them
shall
It
if
appointments, so that they
be radiant paths to blessing and good.
matters not what the burden or the care,

only
we
will lay
it
it
in the
hands of Christ,
it
and leave
good.
Jesus,
there, he will transform
into
when about
his
to leave this world,
comhis
mitted
disciples
into
the
hands
of
Father, asking him to keep
them
he
in the world's
danger and
trial.
So may the dying parent
commit
his
children,
whom
must
leave
alone, into the
hands of God.
We
may comour
feeble
mit our unfinished work into the same hands
when we have to drop We may commit clasp.

also
it
from
into
Christ's hands
the
loved ones for
whom we
pray, for
whose
agony
salvation our hearts cry out with such

of love.
Long may
the answer to our

;
supplications seem to be delayed

still
but
we may
of
trust
laying
our pleading in the hands
which the
nails pierced
on the cross
the
world's redemption.
We
may
lay every anxious
82
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
thought and wish, everything that to us seems

hopeless, everything that seems to have failed,
everything that causes us pain or care or sor-
row
we
may
lay everything in the

it
hands of
of
Christ,
and leave
child.
there,
with the faith

things,
little
These
of
broken
these
mere fragments
efforts
and
attainments
and achievements and shattered hopes,
all
we may
intrust to the great

shall
Master
lost.
of
life,
knowing that nothing

"
be
broken song
it
it
had dropped apart
Just as
left
the singer's heart,

air,
And was
never whispered upon the

'
Only breathed into the vague
Somewhere.'
A
By
broken prayer
only
he
fell
half said
a tired child at his trundle-bed

his soul to keep.
fast asleep.
While asking Jesus
With parted
lips
A
Of
broken
it
life
hardly half told

it
When
God
dropped the burden
could not hold.
these lives and songs and prayers half done,
gathers the fragments, every one."
We
may
also intrust
our
life
itself
to
the
inci-
same keeping.
Circumstances are but

dents
;
83
is
the
real
thing
about
is
us
always
our
Fire
life itself.
The house
not the family.
may
destroy the building, but the house-
hold
life is
not affected thereby.
The body
is
not the
life.
Sickness
and the strength, or

scar the flesh
;
may waste the beauty accident may wound or

life
but the
within, that
which
thinks, feels, loves, suffers, wills, and aspires,
remains unharmed.
It
matters
little
what be-
comes
of
our money, our clothes, our house,
our property, or even of our personal happiness

;
but
it
is
of
life
infinite
itself.
is
importance what
happens to our
living
in
The problem
pass through
of
this
world
to
life's
vicissitudes
without being harmed by them,

into
life,
growing
ever
more and
more
radiant
and beautiful
whatever our circumstances

be.
and experiences may

It is in this
phase of our living that we most
of all
need Christ.
;
We
we
cannot escape meet-
ing temptation
to be hurt
but
are so to
meet
it
it
as not
by
it,
coming from
rather with
new
strength and
new
radiancy of soul.
We
cannot find a path in which no sorrow shall
84
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

into our
life,
come
but
we
are to pass through

life
sorrow without having our
marred by
thus
it.
None but
must move
Christ
can keep us
perils
unhurt
amid the manifold
through which we
gentlest, purest,
continually.
The
it
strongest mother cannot fold her child in her
bosom
safe
so securely that
will
be absolutely
from the world's power
of evil.
Few
we
baby
In
thoughts are more serious than that of
the responsibility under which

take
is
we come when
our
hands.
another
life
into
A
first
born, and laid in the mother's arms.
its
feebleness
it
says to
I
her in
its
cry, " Into thy
hands
commit
my
life.
Guard
Train
and keep me.
Teach me
my
lessons.
my
powers.
Hide me from the world's harm.

for life
Prepare
me
and for eternity."

at all
Yet
any mother who thinks

herself cannot do
all
knows
that she
this for
her child.
re-
Perhaps we do not often think of the

sponsibility
of
being a friend.
us,
We
like
us,
to
have persons come to
and trust
and
love us, and look to us for whatever friendship
can give or do.
But we do not think what

it
85
means
to take a soul in this
way
into our
influence, to
become
friend, for example, to a
young
life
that turns
It
all
is
to
us with
confidence
and yearning.
responsible for
a sacred trust.
that
We
are
we do
impress, color, or sway our
may influence, new friend's life.

Are they gentle?
life
Are we worthy
life }
to
be friend to this young

?
Are our hands clean

?
Are they strong

inspired,
Will the
enriched,
be helped,
near to
beautified,
lifted
God by our friendship? Must we not confess that Christ is the only one to whom any life may be committed with
absolute
confidence
it ?
that
no hurt
shall
ever
come
such
to
No most humane
surgeon has
skill in
binding up wounds or in treating
sickness as has the Lord Jesus Christ in deal-
ing with
our
lives.
All the best

"
things in
friendship are in him.

life,"
The
chief
want
in
a great thinker has said, "is

shall
somebody Such
easy
who
for
make
us do the best
we
can."
life
a friend
us,
is
Christ.
He
never makes
as
sometimes we mistakenly do for

them, weakening their
those
we
love, hurting
86
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

by our overhelp.
Christ inspires us
character,
always to do our best.
Whatever sweet human friendships we may

form, and whatever
it is
these
may mean
life into
to
us,
only by committing our
the hands
of Christ that there ever can be absolute safety

in this world
so full of evil, or that our life

its
ever can reach
best possibilities.
this
We
mittal
may, then, also make

of
same comto
our
life
when we come
hands
I
what
we
call
dying.
into
It
is
That was what

thy
Jesus did
" Father,
spirit."
die.
commend
my
hard for us to see our friends

to us that they will
will
It
seems
miss our
love,
and that death
But we are mistaken.
somehow harm them. They will be kept as

child,
no mother ever kept a
and some day

in
we
shall
get
them
back
again
radiant
beauty.
"
We
are quite sure

will give
That he
them back
keep
fall
Bright, pure, and beautiful
We
know he
will but
Our own and
his until
we
asleep;
8/
We
To
know he does
not
mean
break the strands reaching between
He does To change
The Here and There. though heaven be not mean
fair
the spirits entering there
That they forget
The eyes upraised and wet, The lips too still for prayer The mute despair.
He
The The
I
will
not take
spirits
which he gave, and make
glorified so
new
That they are

do believe
lost to
me and
you.
They
will receive
Us, you and me, and be so glad
To meet
I
us, that
when most
would grow sad,
just begin to think about the gladness.
And
the day
tell
When
they shall
us
all
about the way
That they have learned
to
go
Heaven's pathways show.
My
I
lost,
my
own, and
Shall have so
much
to see together
do believe that
just the
by and by. same sweet face,
But
glorified, is waiting in the place
Where we
shall meet, if only

in that
Am
I
counted worthy
believe that
tear-stained,
by and
by.
do
God
will give a
sweet surprise
To
saddened eyes,
88
THINGS TO LIVE FOR,

And
that his
heaven
will
be
Most glad, most tided through with joy For you and me,
As we have
suffered most.
God
never
made
answering shade for shade,
Spirit for spirit,
And
placed them side by side
So wrought in one, though And meant to break
separate, mystified,
The
I
quivering threads between.
When we
am
That
shall
wake,
will
quite sure
we
be very glad
sad."
for a little while
we were so
to
We
us
;
need never fear
commit our loved
ones into the hands of Christ when they leave

nor need
we be
afraid,
when
to us
the
hour of departing comes, to breathe out our

spirit
into
the same
strong, gentle hands of
eternal love.
CHAPTER
"
XVII.
THE BEATITUDE FOR SORROW.

God
If
never would send you the darkness
he
felt
you could bear the
light
But you would not

If
cling to his guiding

bright,
hand
the
way were always
And you would
not care to walk by faith,

sight.
Could you always walk by
Then
nestle your
sing, if
hand
in
your Father's,
And
you
can, as
you go
Your song may
cheer
is
some one behind you

do quiver
Whose
And,
courage
if
sinking low;
well,
your
lips
**
God
will love
you
better so."
A
our
GREAT preacher has

thought
said,
It
is
worth
how
that
small
that
life
audience
must
be that would assemble,

to
through, to listen
to
sufferers,
a gospel
said
nothing
nothing to sorrow,"
An
old theological pro''
fessor said to his students,
Never go through
in
a service
prayer,
without some word,

the troubled
189
;
sermon or
for
for in every con-
90
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

there
will
gregation
be at
least
one
heart
hungering for comfort."
The
gospel
is
for all experiences.

is
The
It is
re-
ligion of
Christ
for our times
of
gladness
not
as well as for our days of trouble.
merely a lamp to shine
in
our dark nights.
We
is
never need Christ more than when the

is
world
shining upon
us.
Yet Christianity
sorrow.
peculiarly a religion
is
for
This
is
one reason the Bible
so
It
precious to
is
men
.<?ym-
and women everywhere.

pathy.
full
of
On
every page
it
has words of comfort. the

heart-beat
of
In
every chapter
we
feel
divine love.
fort in his
The preacher who

sermons
will
has no com-
soon find his congre-
gation
melting away.
Longfellow once said

if
that a sermon was
no sermon to him
heart-beat
in
it.
he
could
not
hear
the
Poor,
aching hearts
in
in
will not
long come to a ministry

find
feel
which they do not

which
they do
not
warm sympathy,
continually the
heart-beat of Christ.
Many
that
people
must think
beatitude
for
at
first
reading
is
Christ's
mourners

Strange one
:
I9I
" Blessed are they that
mourn."
very
Blessed
beautiful.
means
something
be
blessed
very
is
good,
To
to
be happy,
asked to
prosperous, favored.
But
if
we
are
name name
the people
all
who
are happiest and most
favored of
those
we know, we would not likely who are passing through affliction.

the
How
can
strange
paradox
of
Christ's
beatitude be explained?
" Blessed are they that
mourn
in
for they shall
be comforted."
very precious,
that
There must be
very
rich,
something
comfort,
God's
makes
it
worth while even to have sorrow

it.
and
loss to get
What
in
is
comfort
of us think
sit
we
are comforting people

their
Some when we
t
down
into
beside them
trouble,
call
it,
and
sympathize with them,
as
we
going
down
the depths with them, but doing

lift
nothing to
them
up.
When
to
will
good
people learn that their errand to their friends

in
sorrow
is
}
to help them,
put cheer into
their hearts
is
To
comfort, in the Bible sense,
to
strengthen.
We
comfort others truly

to endure,
when we make them stronger
when
192
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

to pass through their sorrow
is
we enable them
victoriously.
forts.
That
the
way
sit
Christ
com-
He
does not merely
down beside
that
troubled ones and enter into their experiences.
He
does sympathize with them, but
it
is
he may make them strong to endure.

Christ comforts in bereavement by showing
we call death really is to If we could see what it is that the Christian. our beloved one when he leaves happens to
us what that which
us,
we could not weep. There is a beautiful story of a boy whose young sister was dying.
He had
heard that
if
he could secure but a

life
single leaf from the tree of
that
grew
in
the garden of God, the illness could be healed.
He
The
if
set out to find the garden,

let
and implored
leaf.
the angel sentinel to
him have one

if
angel asked the boy
he could promise
that his sister should never be sick any

his
more
she
request were
granted,
and
that
should never be unhappy, nor do wrong, nor
be cold or hungry, nor be treated harshly.
The boy
said
he could not
promise.
Then
the angel opened the gate a
little
way, bidding
93
the child to look into the garden for a moment,

to have, one glimpse of
its
beauty.
it,"
"Then,
if
you
still
wish
said the angel,
"I will myself ask the

tree of
life
King
for a leaf
from the
to heal
your
sister."
;
The
child
looked in
and, after seeing
all
the wondrous
beauty and blessedness within

I will
the gates, he said softly to the angel, "
not ask for the leaf now.

in all this
is I
There
is
no place
world so beautiful as
that.
There
no friend so kind as the Angel of Death.

wish he would take
If
me
at
too."
we
could
look in
the
gate through
which our loved ones pass when they leave

us,
we should be
is
comforted.
the body," they are "at
"Absent from home with the Lord."

passing into blessed
Dying
life.
'*
translation
it is
Life, like a
dome
of many-colored glass,
Stains the white radiance of eternity,
Until Death tramples
it
to fragments.'"
Another comfort
in
bereavement comes
in
the assurance of God's unchanging love.

his children
When
to
were dead, Job gave expression
194
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

words
:
his faith in the
"
The Lord
It
gave, and
the Lord hath taken away."
was the same

But
Lord who gave and who took away, and the
same
love.
It
does not seem so to
us.
if we could see all things as God sees them, we should find the same goodness in the one Some day we shall see it. as in the other.
Jesus
said,
"What
do thou knowest not now;

hereafter."
but thou shalt

this promise,
know
Faith accepts
and believes that whatever God

In this confidence
it
does must be right.
abides, and, believing, finds comfort
and peace.
through
Comfort
in
bereavement comes
also
our memories
of our beloved ones.
The
the
first
shock of
sorrow ofttimes
leaves
heart
its
stunned, like a young bird thrown out of

nest by a wild storm
sweeping through the

all is
branches.
faith
For a time
confusion.
Even
seems
for a while to be staggered.
One
grief.
sees
nothing
but
the
desolation
to
of
Every beautiful thing appears
be shattered.
No
voices of comfort are heard in the soul's
anguish.
Even God seems
far
it
off.
In the
amazement and bewilderment
appears that

life
95
never can have any joy again, that

All the
its
old
tasks never can be taken up.

ories are
memories
of
loss
and sorrow.
memThe
beautiful years of
life,
with their love
and their
gentle ministries, are hidden for the time in
the one great sense of bereavement.

But, as the days pass, this bitterness also
passes.
A
is
gentle hand takes up the

it
little bird,
and helps
guish
back to
its
nest again.
The
an-
soothed by the assurance of divine
love that creeps into the heart.

as the
last
Comfort comes
and at
morning comes
after the night,
the sorrowing one feels
soft,
" Into the darkness creep a gentle hand,
And And
through the silence search a loving voice

then a presence, sweet, pervasive,
Brooding above the longing and the need,
of
And
this at last is
shadow of God's wing."
In these after days,

the grief
to
is
when the poignancy
past,
when
the light has begun
come
again,
and when the grace of God

full of
has reappeared
love, the heart
begins
to find comfort in precious
memories
of those
faults.
who
are gone.
Death sweeps away the
196
the
flaws,
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

the
imperfections, which
were so
close
apparent in our friends

beside
us,
when they were

out
in
and
brings
them
all
the
beautiful things, only half understood, half perceived,
when they were with us. Forgotten kindnesses of years past are remembered when
friends are gone.
thousand fragments of
and conduct hidden, un memory now gathers The noticed before

beauty
in character
up.
result
is
a transfigured
true, lovely,
life,
in
which
all
that
was good,
and worthy has a

said
place.
A
years
middle-aged
man
far
in
recently that
to
his
mother had been

she had
more
him the ten
been
heaven than the ten
years before her departure.
A
first
woman
of ad-
vanced years said that her
baby, which
had been with Christ for

a
softening,
refining,
in
fifty years,
had been
upward-
spiritualizing,
drawing influence
her
in
life
all
those years.
There
is
no doubt that
thousands of cases
our friends are more to us in heaven than

ever they were while they were with
us.
The
influence of glorified children on parents and
homes
is
very
marked.
baby
in
heaven

means more
to
97
many
fathers and mothers than

It is
a baby in their arms.
magnet
to
draw
their hearts heavenward.
When
they began to build a great wire susriver,
pension bridge over a wide

sent across with the
fastened, and then on
first
it
a kite
was
fine wire.
This was
other wires were drawn
across, until the great bridge
hung
in the air,
it.
and thousands were passing over
From
of
many
carries
home
the
a loved one, borne to heaven,
first
heavenward
But
thought
worldly household.
from that moment,
and on that slender thread, their thoughts,

affections,
and longings go continually heavis
enward, until there
a broad golden bridge
hung between
over.
their
home and God's
house,
and prayer and love are constantly passing
There
is
no doubt that sorrow
is
one of
haptheir
the secrets of the truest, deepest

piness.
home
the
Perhaps
fullest
few marriages reach

blending
in
sweetest,
pair stand
until
wedded
of
hand
hand beside the grave
a loved
member
of their
home
circle.
19^
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

beatitude of Christ shows that the bless-
The
ing of
sorrow
of
lies
in
the comfort.
is
large
portion
the
Bible
comfort which
can can
us
say,
become ours only through sorrow.

say,
We
''Blessed
is
night,
for
it
reveals to
the stars."
''Blessed
fort."
mill,
is
In
the
same way we can

it
sorrow, for
floods
reveals God's
com-
The
all
washed
away home and

in
as
the poor
man had
the
world.
loss,
But
he stood on the scene of his
after the water
had subsided, broken-hearted

in
and discouraged, he saw something shining
the bank which the waters had washed bare.

"It
looks
flood
like
gold," he
said.
It
was
gold.
The
rich.
which had beggared him made him

it
So
is
ofttimes in
life.
Sorrow
strips
off loved possessions,
but reveals the treasures
of
the love of
God.
We
are
sure,
at
least,
that every sorrow that

gift
if
comes brings
to us a
from God, a blessing which may be ours

will
we
accept
it.
Sorrow should always be

as
treated hospitably and reverently,
a mesas
senger from
heaven.
friend.
It
comes
not
an
it.
enemy, but as a
We
may
reject

just as
99
we may
it
reject
any other messenger

blessing.
it
from God, and miss the
But
will
if
we
welcome
heart and
in
Christ's name,
leave in
home
gather
a gift
in
of love.
Clouds
the
sky with ominous
threatening.
rich
But they pass, and leave their
treasure of rain.
fragrant,
Then
is
the flowers are

greener, and
all
more
living
the grass
are
things
is
lovelier.
Sorrow
comes.
is
There
agony
in the heart.
is
There
crape
on the door.
acre.
There
new grave
fervent.
in
God's
is
But
all
hearts are softer.

are
in
Love
tenis
derer.
Prayers
of
more
There
life.
more
heaven
left
its
the household
The
com-
cloud has
treasures of rain.
:
" Blessed
are they that

forted."
"
I
mourn
for they shall be
heard an old farmer talk one day,

Telling his listeners how,
In the wide,
new country
far
away.
The
*
rainfall follows the
plough.
As
fast as
they break
it
up,
you
see,
And
turn the heart to the sun,
As they open
the furrows deep and free,

is
And
the tillage
begun;
200
The
It
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

earth grows mellow, and
more and more
holds and sends to the sky

it
moisture
never had before
When
And
so,
its
face
was hard and
dry.
whenever the ploughshares run,
The clouds run overhead
And
the soil that works and lets in the sun.

is
With water
I
always
fed.'
wonder
if
that old farmer
knew
The half Or guessed

Within
It fell
it
of his simple word,
the message that heavenly true
was hidden and heard?

ear by chance that day,
on
my
it
But the gladness lingers now,
To
think
is
always God's dear way

plough."
That the
rainfall follows the
CHAPTER
"
XVIII.
BLESSINGS OF BEREAVEMENT.
The
past
is
always holy
every
some
heart
;
Holds something that has grown to be divine
What
haunts there are where memory walks apart

place has
invisible shrine.
Each common
And
every heart that throbs, and every eye

strange tenderness towards something lost
spell,
Has some Some secret
chance words will
oft apply.
Melting their fountains from a winter's frost."
we would be disposed to say that no blessings can come out of bereavements. But the grace of God has such wondrous
first
At
power, that even from the saddest desolating
home good may come. One blessing from the breaking of a home circle is that thus we are led to think of our
of a
better home.
If
if
things went always smoothly

if
with us here,
no flowers ever faded,

in
there
were
joys,
never any interruption
our earthly
we
should not think of

aoi
the enduring
202
things
of
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

the
invisible
world.
It
is
when
earthly good
fails
us that
we
learn to set our
affections on heavenly good.
Many
till
never found his
home
in a
in
God
his
man has human

all
nest was desolated by the storms of sorrow.
bereavement
houshold draws
the
its
family closer together.
Love never reaches

it
sweetest and best
till
has suffered.
Homes
which never have been broken may be very
happy
in love,
and very bright with gladness
but, after sorrow has entered as a guest, there

is
a depth in the love which was never expebefore.

It
is
rienced
new marriage when

by side by the
is
young parents stand

of their first-born. to those
It
side
coffin
Grief
it
like a
sacrament
who
share
with Christ beside them.
brings them into a holier fellowship than
they have ever known in love's unclouded days.
Many homes have been

of spirit
saved from harshness
and sharpness of speech, from pride
and coldness and heedlessness, by a sorrow

which broke
in
upon the
careless
life.
The
of
tones were softer after that.
There was a
new gentleness
in
all
the
life.
Most
us
203
need the chastening of pain to bring out the

best of our love.
A
them
bereavement ofttimes proves a blessing
to those
of
who remain, through new burdens and

has become a
the laying upon

responsibilities.
Many
saw
a son
man
the day he
his father's
form lowered into the grave,
and then turned away to take up the mantle
which had
his
fallen
at
his
feet,
the
care
of
mother, and the management of

a thoughtless girl has
as in a day,
affairs.
Many
woman,
become a serious when she returned from

hers
a
her mother's funeral, and put her hand to the

duties that
to be
now must be
if
the
home
is
maintained.
Many
man
has grown
almost instantly into beautiful gentleness,

the
when
little
taking away of the mother of his
children compelled
him
to
be to them hence-
forth both father and mother.
Heretofore he
had
left all
this care to the mother.
He
had
never done more than play with his baby

it
when
it,
was happy.
it
Now
it
he has to be nurse to
cries,
soothing
when
crooning lullabies to
hu5h
it
to sleep, often
walking the floor with
204
it
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

It is hard,
nights.
but the
new
care brings
out in him beautiful qualities never suspected

before.
Many
woman
has been transformed
from weakness to strength by the bereavement
which took her husband from her

ing her with
little
side, leavIt
children to bring up.
seemed
but
soul,
it
as
if
the
burden would
crush her
only brought out noble things in her

faith,
courage,
took
energy,
skill,
love,
as
she
up
bility.
Thus the
new double responsibreaking of a home is often

her
the making of the lives on which the sorrow

falls.
Few bereavements
ment than when
came was
in
little
cause more disappointchildren die.
But even
in these there are consolations.
That the baby
a blessing.
after
in
it
Life was never the

that,
same
the
;
home
it
never could be the

of blessing.
same
had
new element
it
Then
its
stay,
whether
was
like
for
one day,
one month, or a year, was

of a heavenly messenger.
the tarrying
Nothing can ever

it
rob the
in
its
home
brief
of the benedictions
stay.
left
there
Ofttimes the influence of

the beautiful
is
20$
life
even for a few days or weeks
greater in the
home and upon the

up
to
lives of
the household than that of another child

stays and grows
who
the
mature years.
in
This
is
one of the sorrows which
Christian
home
is
changed
It
is
it.
into
joy by the
grace of Christ.
it
never a bitter grief
has no thorns in
There
is
is
never any
heaven, as
that
lives
anxiety about the baby that

there
is
in
ofttimes
about
the child
and grows up amid the world's temptations.
The mother
where her
of a dead
child
is,
baby knows any hour
in
it.
whose keeping, and

Thoughts
of
it
never has any fear for

benedictions
are
which
fall
even out of heaven
into her heart.
In one of her poems Mrs. Browning suggests

the blessing of the
memory
it
of a little child in
the home, out of which

*'
had been taken:

sigh,
God
lent
him and takes him," you

let
Nay, there
me
break with your pain:

I,
God's generous
in giving, say
And
I deny That he can ever take back again.
the thing which he gives,
206
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

You who indeed So look up, friends Have possessed in your house a sweet piece Of the heaven which men strive for, must need
!
Be more earnest than
others are, speed
Where
they
loiter, persist
where they cease.
You know how one angel smiles there. 'Tis easy for you Then courage To be drawn by a single gold hair Of that curl, from earth's storm and despair To the safe place above us.
!
Another blessing
aration
for
of
bereavement
is
the prep-
sympathy and helpfulness which
comes through sorrow.

be gentle,
We
us,
have to learn to
least.
most
is
of
at
We
are
naturally selfish,
self-centred, and thoughtless.
Sympathy
even
in
all feel
not a natural grace of character,
most refined natures.

a
Of course we momentary tenderness when a friend

is
or a neighbor
in
any trouble.
Few
things
lines
in literature are
more touching than some

to
of
James Whitcomb Riley, addressed

had lost a child:
one
who
Let
me come in where you sit weeping, Let me, who have not any child to die. Weep with you for the little one whose I have known nothing of.
ay,
love
The
little
20/
arms that slowly, slowly loosed

;
Their pressure round your neck
the hands you used

I
To kiss. May I
Such arms
such
hands
never knew.
not weep with you?
Fain would
be of service
tears, that
say something,
am
I,
Between the
would be comforting,
But ah! so sadder than yourself
Who
There
heart
have no child to
die.
is
sympathy which every gentle

sorrow.
feels
with
We
cannot pass a
house with crape on the door, and not, for

an instant
at
least,
experience
subduing,
quieting sentiment.
really into
But the power to enter

in grief or pain
sympathy with one
comes only through a schooling of our

heart
in
own
un-
some way.
While a home
is
broken,
the sorrows of other homes
do not
find responsive echoes in the love that dwells
there.
True, **love knows the secret of grief;"

love
that
but even
fully
has not suffered cannot
understand the heart's pain.
The mother
little
who
fort
has never lost a child cannot deeply com-
another mother, sitting by her
one's
coffin.
But when a home has been broken,
208
its
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

inmates have a new power of helpfulness.
Crape on a neighbor's door means more after

that.
Mrs. PauU never wrote any truer words
than in her " Mater Dolorosa," written after
she had laid her own baby away amid the

white blossoms
:
all
Because of one small, low-laid head
crowned
With golden hair, Forevermore all fair young brows
to
me
A
I
halo wear
reverently.
I
kiss
them
Alas
know
The pain
bear.
Because of dear but close-shut, holy eyes
Of
All
little
heaven''s
fill
own
blue,
eyes do
my own
hue
with tears
Whatever
their
And
motherly
gaze their innocent.
Clear depths into.
Because of
little
pallid lips,
which once
My name
No
I
did
call,
childish voice in vain appeal
upon
My
count
it
ears doth
fall
all
my
joy their joys to share
And
Because of
sorrows small.
little
dimpled hands
folded
lie,
Which
All
little
209
hands henceforth to
me do
have
A
I
pleading cry;
as they were small
to
fly.
clasp
them
wandering birds
Lured home
Because of
little
death-cold
feet, for earth's
Rough roads unmeet,

I'd
journey leagues to save from sin or harm
Such
little
feet,
And
count the lowliest service done for them
So sacred
sweet
sorrow in our own
kin to our hearts.
interpreter
Thus
makes
it
is
that
home
all
the world
is
An
of
emptied heart
others' griefs.
a wonderful
The
is
power to be a true helper

broken hearts, a comall
of others, a binder-up of
forter of sorrow,
the most divine of

then,
it
en-
duements
surely,
is
worth while to
pay any price
of pain
or suffering to receive
the divine anointing to such sacred ministry.

It
was
in
suffering that Jesus was prepared
to be in the fullest sense
and
in
the deepest
measure our sympathizing Friend.
These are some
of the blessings
which come
broken
from the heart of

families
God
is
into
earth's
when
Christ
guest there.
We
are
210
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

is
sure always that there
deep, true
sympathy
with us in heaven
for
was not
when we are in grief God's home broken too? He gave

might
his only begotten Son,
that into this world's
darkened
healing.
homes
come
blessing
and
CHAPTER
HOW THEY
" So close heaven
I
I
XIX.
STAY WITH US.

when my
sight
is
lies
that
clear,
think
I
see the gleaming strand;
know Come
feel that
those who've gone from here
near enough to touch
my
hand.
often think but for our veiled eyes,
We
should find that heaven right 'round about us
lies."
Death
fair
is
ever bearing away the fresh and

of earth,
and beautiful ones

bleeding, and
of
and leaving
hearts
homes
desolate.
is
Apart
no
light
from the religion

in
Christ, there
the darkness
of
bereavement.
is
The
best
that philosophy can do

grief.
to try to forget the
Science can do nothing better.
But
the word of
God
lights the
lamps of true con-
solation in the
gloom
of Christian sorrow.
really lose our friends
in
In Christ
we never
who
ours
pass away from us
the vanishing of
death.
still.
They go from our sight, but they are They were never so lovely in life,
212
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
when they walked before us, as they are now, when only love's eyes can see them. They
live in
is
our memory, in our very soul
and
it
in transfigured
beauty that they dwell with
us.
We
do not think any more of the faults

in
;
and blemishes which we used to see

so clearly
them
hand has swept
when they were with us death's At the same all these away.
in
time every lovely feature
them shines out

all
now
like
a star in the sky at night, and
the good things they ever did are remembered,
and appear radiant as angel ministries.
Such
strange power has love under the quickening
touch of death's hand.
There
is
another way
after
in
which our beloved
ones stay with us
they have vanished
from sight
in death's mists.
Everything they
have touched becomes in a certain sense sacramental.
Their names are written everywhere.

left part of
They have
life
themselves, as
it
were,
in
on each familiar thing or scene with which

they were associated.
are
Wherever we move
Here
is
is
we
reminded of them.
path
where
their feet walked.
Here
a tree under
HOW THEY STAY WITH

which they
sat.
US.
213
Here
is
a book they read,
with the pencil marks indicating the thoughts

that pleased them.
Here
is
garment
their
hands
made, or
bit
a picture they painted, or

did.
some
of
work they
everything
it
is
About the house sacred because of the memories
awakens.
The friends are not altogether gone from us who are brought back so vividly to our memory by the things and the places amid
which they once walked.
Sangster has
ing
of
Mrs. Margaret E.
this
written
tenderly of
in
stay-
our
friends
with us
left
the familiar
scenes on which they

life:
the touch of their
fast
They never quite leave us, our friends who have passed Through the shadows of death to the sunlight above
A
To
thousand sweet memories are holding them

the places they blessed with their presence
and
love.
The work which

read,
they
left,
and the books which they

with an eloquence rare;
Speak mutely, though
still
And
the songs that they sung, and the dear words that
they said,
Yet linger and sigh on the desolate
air.
214
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

lose
Nor do we
upon us
True,
altogether
the
influence
us.
of those
who have passed from
we hear no more
the whisper of warn-
ing, the loving counsel, the chiding
when we
have done wrong, the urgent, inspiriting word
when our courage has failed us, the commendation when we have done well. Yet, in a
sense, the influence on us of our friends
who
have gone
is
still
very potent.
has been saved from ruin by the
Many a son memory of
a mother's pale face, speaking without words

its
loving entreaty and
its
earnest warning.
Many
persons are urged
to
high endeavors
and to noble attainments
and achievements
by the thoughts
deep
in
of
their dear ones dwelling
the holy peace and joy of God.

for
mother who
little
year had had
precious
child in
heaven said that she had never
known such
a year of calm, restful peace.
She
believed in the actual existence of her darling

in the blessedness of
heaven, and the realizing

in quiet confitrials.
it
of this
had kept her own heart

all
dence amid
life's
cares
and
;
Even
her sorrow she had forgotten
had been
HOW THEY STAY WITH

swallowed up,
like the night's
US.
21$
darkness in the
morning's glory, by the triumphant assurance

that
her
little
one was living with
Christ.
These thoughts are well expressed in the same poem from which quotation has already been
made
And
oft
when
alone,
and
oft in the
throng,
Or when
evil allures us, or sin
draweth nigh,
And we
whisper comes gently, " Nay, do not the wrong," feel that our weakness is pitied on high.
toil at
life's
We
Of
passionate noon.
our tasks in the burden and heat They are folded in peace.
It is well.
We
rejoice that their

all
heaven
is
sweet.
And one day
for us
the bitter will cease.
There
departed
is
yet another
sense in which our
Christian friends stay with us after
they have vanished from earth.

that
We
know
re-
they are
still
living, that they
still
member
in
us and
still
love us, though
we
Love
are
is
sense
separated
from them.
stronger than death;
and love binds us and and we yet stay

this
them
on
in
close
and holy bonds, though they

valley,
have passed over the

this side.
Through the longest years
2l6
tie
is
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

not destroyed.
;
We
do not forget our

us.
friends
they do
still,
not
forget
Thus we
in
have them
and never quite lose them

to
the years that
we have
walk without them.
Then by and by we shall have them again in blessed reality, when death touches us in turn,
and we pass over into the same glorious joy
in
which they are dwelling.
A
is
large part of the blessed
hope
gives
of
heaven
its
reunions.
The
Bible
us
glimpses of the glory and beauty of the

that
many home
of
awaits
us.
We
are
told
of
streets
gold, of gates of pearl, of a river of the water

of
life,
of
a crystal sea
is
all
that earth can
find of splendor
brought into the picture
to heighten
our conception of the glories of
heaven.
to those
But that which makes heaven dear
who have
loved ones there

all
is
not so
much
as
the promise of
this splendor of beauty,
the hope of again getting with
the dear
friends
who
are in the midst of
all
this incom-
parable beauty.
As
the Rev.
W.
is
C. Gannett
puts
it,
"the dear togetherness"
the sweet-
est thing in the
hope
of heaven.
W
I
THE Y STA Y WITH
US.
217
dreamed of Paradise
lay soft
trees
and
still,
Though sun
on vale and
hill,
And
were green and
rivers bright,
The one dear thing that made delight By sun or stars or Eden weather, Was just that we two were together.
I
dreamed of heaven
with
;
God
so near!
The
angels trod the shining sphere.
And each was beautiful the days Were choral work, were choral praise And yet in heaven's far-shining weather The best was still we were together!
Do we
in
get the most and the best possible
our bereavements from the truths which

brings
often
lose to
Christ
vision
us
Does not our

so
faith's
become
which
dim with our

dead
tears
that
tality
we
sight altogether of the immor-
into
?
our
Christian
have
entered
life
;
We
say
we
it
believe in the endless
but too often
is
such a shadowy, nebuit
lous
thought which we have of
that
no
comfort
comes
to
us
from
it.
We
really
mourn our departed

go on saying
life
friends as lost, while

I
we
our
in
our creed, "
believe in the
everlasting."
Yet we
are
robbing
2l8
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

hearts of the comforts that
own
God
has pro-
vided
when we do not take
to
ourselves the
blessed hopes and consolations of our Christian faith.
We
really hold
no living friends
with such a sure clasp as that which makes

our sainted ones ours.
of losing living friends
;
There are many ways

but those
who have
Whittier
passed into God's keeping are forever beyond

the possibility of being lost to us.
has written in "
Snowbound
"
thee,
?
And
yet, dear heart,

I
remembering
Am
not richer than of old
Safe in thy immortaHty,
What change can reach the wealth I hold? What chance can mar the pearl and gold Thy love hath left in trust with me? And while in life's late afternoon, Where cool and long the shadows grow,
I
walk
to
meet the night that soon
Shall shape and

I
shadow overflow,
thou art
far
cannot
feel that
Since near at need the angels are
And when
Shall
I
the sunset gates unbar,
not see thee waiting stand.
And, white against the evening star. The welcome of thy beckoning hand
CHAPTER XX.
THE HALLOWING OF OUR BURDEN.
"Give me the grace
That men may
to bear
my
burden so
my power, And meet each trouble with their face aglow, And voice thy praises in the midnight hour;
learn the secret of
For when our helplessness
cries
unto thee,
Thy power descends
in Christ to set us free."
We
miss
much by
in
not giving heed to the

Oft-
marginal readings
times a
our reference Bibles.
new light falls upon when we have noted the

ing which
is
a verse or a word,
alternative
render-
thus given.
These marginal read-
ings give us other shades of meaning in the

original words,
and ofttimes suggest a hidden

very beautiful.
sense which
is
Take
are
a single example.
Few
**
Bible words
in
more frequently quoted than that

which
says,
one
of the psalms,
Cast thy burden

sustain
thee."
upon the Lord, and he
shall
The
privilege
is
very precious one.

219
We
220
all
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

have our burden.
is,
No
matter
how happy
any one
he
is
bearing some weight of care,
or sorrow, or
responsibility.
Continually
find our load too heavy for our
we own unaided
carry
it
strength.
We
feel
that
we cannot
love
without help.
Human
if
it
comes up close
possible, to take
it
beside us, willing,

the
for
were
burden from our shoulder, and carry

us.
But
this
is
not
possible.
"
Every
of
man must
life's
bear his
own burden."
Most
loads are not transferable.

pain, for instance.
Take
est
No
it.
tenderest, truus,
love
can bear our pain for
or even
bear any smallest part of

Close as
human
heart
is
friendship
Or take sorrow. may come to us

grief,
it
when our
anguish
breaking with
can-
not take from
us
any
least
portion
of
the
we
suffer as
we meet bereavement.
temptation.
in
it,
Or take
get
struggle
with
help
We
can
no human
and
must pass
through the struggle alone.

Life has this peculiarity, that
are
its
its
experiences
own, without any possibility of trans-
ference to any other, or even of sharing in

any actual way by another.
the mysteries of being.
life
221
This
is
one of
live his
Each must
to
alone.
points,
Help can come

and there only
in
us only at
few
matters that are

fuel for our
external.
fire,
Our
friends
may send
or bread for our hunger, or give us
money
life's
to pay our
debts
but the burdens of

of
deep
they
personal
experience,
whatever sort
us,
may
be,
no
one can carry for

us.
or
even really share with

It will
be noticed,
too, that
God himself does

So
not promise to bear our burden for us.
much
of
is
it
an essential and inseparable part

that even the divine love cannot
its
our
life
relieve us of
weight.
Or
if
we
say
it
must
be possible, God being omnipotent, for him

to take our load off our shoulders
if
he would,
we may
say at least that this
is
not the
way
of divine love.
The teaching from
all
this
is
that
we cannot
Help
hope to have our life-burden
lifted off.
relief.
cannot come to us in the way of
The
the
prayer to be freed from the load cannot be
answered.
The assurance
is,
not
that
"
222
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

will
Lord
take
our burden
it
when we
cast
it
upon him,
it
is,
lifting
away from our shoulder;
instead,
a promise that while

it
we bear
Lord
will
our burden, whatever

sustain us.
may
be, the
He
will give us
strength to conof
tinue
faithful,
will,
to
go on with our doing

unhindered,
carry.
God's
unimpeded,
by the
pressure of the load
we must
Here
it
is
that the light breaks
upon
"
this
at
divine word
from the margin.
Glancing
the reference
is
we
see
that
the word
o:ift
set
down
as an alternative reading.
" Cast
thy gift
upon the Lord."

is
Thus we get the

a gift of
teaching that our burden

us.
At once the
thing,
which a
God to moment ago
seemed
so oppressive in its weight, so unlovely
in its form, is
hallowed and transformed.
We
had thought
it
an
evil,
whose
effect
upon us
could be only hurtful, hindering our growth,
marring our happiness.

it
But now we see that

evil,
is
another of God's blessings, not
but
good, designed not to hurt us, nor to impede
our progress, but to help us onward.
The
as
'*' ?*
whole aspect
of
our burden
is
changed

see
it
223
in
the
new
light
that shines from the
margin.
A
token
gift
gift
from a friend bears

pledge of
love.
love.
It
is
and
God
us.
It It
It
sent
is
this
to us of
because he loves
divine
affection.
this.
me-
mento
for us to
understand
may be hard may be a burto

it
den of pain, and pain seems so opposed

comfort that we cannot see how
gift
can be a
of
love.
It
may be sorrow
It
and sorrow
never for the present seems to be joyous, but
always grievous.
may be
loss,
the
strip-
ping from us of
life's
pleasant things, leaving
emptiness and desolation.

as
How
of
such burdens
affection,
these can be tokens

gift of love,
it is
divine
God's
hard for us to conceive.

is
Yet we know that God
our Father, and that
his love for us never fails.
Whatever comes
in love.
from his hand to us must be sent

If
our burden
in
is
it
is
a gift of love,
it
must have
good
this
for us,
some
blessing.
No
doubt
to us.
true of
everything
God sends
Lord:
Susan Coolidge writes
of the
messenger who
comes
in the
name
of the
224
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

is
Who Wan
Is
it
this that
cometh
in the Lord's dear
name
and drooping on
his road, very faint

all
and lame
Pale brow overshadowed, eyes
quenched and dim
Pain who cometh?

is
Did the Lord send him?

in
Who
this that
cometh
the Lord's dear
name?
Meeting never
praises, only tears
and blame
Mourning
Is
it
veil to
hide him, eyes which tears o'erbrim-

?
Grief
who cometh
Did the Lord send him

in the
Who
is
this that
cometh
Lord's dear
name
In his strange and searching gaze burns a pallid flame
Mournful flowers crown his head,

Is
it
terrible
and grim
Death who cometh

shall
Did the Lord send

if
hitn f
Never messenger
come
all,
he be not sent
We
will
welcome one and
since the Lord so meant;
Welcome Pain
claim,
or Grief or Death, saying with glad ac-
"Blessed be
all
who come
to
us in the
Lord's dear
The world
ures,
offers attractive
things,
pleasdelight.
life's
gains,
promises of
honor and
To
the eye of sense these appear to be
best things.
But too often they enfold

evil.
bitter-
ness and hurt, the fruit of
At
the bot-
tom
of the
cup are dregs of poison.
On
the
other hand, the things that
God
gives appear

sometimes unattractive, undesirable, even
pulsive.
22$
re-
We
shrink
from
accepting
them.
But they enfold,
in their severe
and unprom-
ising form, the blessings of divine love.
know how true this is and sorrows. Though grievous

leave
faith
in
We
of
life's
pains
to sense, they
the
heart
that
receives
them with
Whatever
and brings
and trust the
fruits of good.
it is
our burden
to us
may
be,
God's
gift,
some precious thing from the treasury

This fact makes
it
it
of divine love.
us.
sacred to
Not
to accept
is
to thrust
away from
us a blessing: sent from heaven.
We
need, therefore, to treat most reverently

life
the things in our
which we
call
burdens.
We
cherish the gift of a friend.

it
We
do not
If
thrust
from
us,
or fling
it
away.
we
were to
pled
find to-day, lying in the street, tramfoot,
under
something which
we had
given a dear one yesterday, a gift of our love,
we
put
should be sorely hurt by the dishonor thus
upon
us.
Shall
we
treat
our heavenly
Father's gift to us with a disregard
not show to a
human
friend's gift
we would Shall we
226
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

of
it?
weary
Shall
we
or
consider
rid
it
an
it
evil,
something we would be
present pain or
of a cross, shall
trial,
of
If
brings
comes
of
in
its
it
the form
we complain
with gladness,
weight
Shall
we not
rather look
it
upon
with love,
a
and cherish
as
mark
of
honor bestowed upon us?
Here
true
is
a quotation
from a distinguished
in
preacher which illustrates the esteem

all
which
in
men
hold gifts of love
" I
have
my
house a beautiful half-bust, a figure of mysculptured from the purest Carrara marble
as such,
self,
by one who, though not well known

is
no mean
artist.
;
It
I
was a
it
gift to
all
me from
fingers
the sculptor
but
value
the more beplastic
cause
of
it
was fashioned by the

as an
my own
daughter, chiselled with her
own
hands, and wrought out
expression of
of miles
an abiding love,
when
on
was thousands
away from home
for a long stretch
of
time.
Coming
from
to
me
my
return
home
as a gift
of
her, that bit of marble, the

child's fingers,
love,
work
my
me
own
and the suggestion of her
genius and
was more precious
to

than
if
22/
Michael Angelo or Phidias had risen
from the dead from Greece or
Rome
to
have
wrought that portrait
for
me."
With
gifts
like
affection
to us.
should
we regard the
easy for us so
us
in
of
God
This
is
long as
these gifts
come
to
pleasant
form no
things
that give joy to us.
But with
less
love and gratitude should

gifts
we
receive
in for-
and cherish God's

bidding form.
It
is
which come
the same love that sends
the one and also the other.

less
The one
is
is
no
good than the other.
There
blessing
as truly in the gift of pain or loss or trial as

in
the gift of song
and gain and gladness.

there-
Whatever God sends we should receive

fore,
in confidence, as a gift of his love.

it
Thus
be,
is
is
that our burden, whatever

It
it
may
hallowed.
it,
may
not always be easy to
carry
for
even love sometimes lays heavy

its
burdens on the shoulders of
beloved.
A
life
wise father does not seek always to

easy for his
unkind.
and,
child.
make
Nothing could be more
He
would have his child grow strong,

he refuses to take away the
therefore,
228
hard task.
true
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
God
to
is
too loving and
kind, too
a father,
give
us
only
easy things.
He makes
near
;
the burden heavy that

in
we may
is
be-
come strong
bearing
it.
But he
always
and he gives us the help we need, that

faint
we may never
always
beneath
it.
Then we may
is
know
that our burden
our Father's
gift to us.
"
To
every one on earth
God The
gives a burden to be carried
down
road that
lies
between the cross and crown

wholly
free,
No He
lot is
giveth one to thee.
And
it
will
it
Thy burden is God's gift, make the bearer calm and

press too heavily
'
strong
Yet, lest
and long,
He says, Cast it on me, And it shall easy be.'"
CHAPTER
Christ gave
all rest,
XXI.
THE COST OF HELPFULNESS.

and had no resting-place
;
He
healed each pain, yet lived in sore distress,'

all
Deserved
good, yet lived in great disgrace
Gave
Suffered
all
hearts joy, himself in heaviness

live,
them
by
whom
himself was slain

?
Lord,
who can
live to see
such love again
Countess of Pembroke.
Every
sacred by
freely
;
blessing that
its
comes
us
it
to us
is
made
given
cost.
it
To
may be
but, before
could be given, a price

truly helpful
self.
was paid
for
it.
One cannot be
to another save
through a consuming of
Thus
upon
the
his
healings
wrought by Jesus drew

Once, when a poor sick
own
life.
woman had touched the hem of Christ's garment, he said, "Somebody hath touched me;
for I perceive that virtue is
gone out
of
me."
in
Life went out from
him
to
become healing
true in
all
the woman.
The same was

229
Christ's
230
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

It cost
other healings.
him something
to heal
the sick.
When we
helpfulness.
think of
it,
this
is is
the law of
of
all
Anything that
any
real
value
to
us
has cost somewhere, in

its
toil
or
sacrifice
or suffering, according to
worth.
The blessings of our Christian civilization have come to us through long generations of hardship,
endurance, and patient
fidelity.
Every
its
good thing we enjoy has had somewhere

baptism
in blood. in
Even
life
the most
common
things of daily
we can
find price-marks
which confirm and
attest this law.
Every sunbeam that paints
a flower or cheers a sick-room costs a portion

of the sun's substance, millions of miles away.
Every lump
of coal
that burns on our grate,

in
and every gasjet that flames
our room,
is
a memorial of a plant or tree that grew and

fell
uncounted ages since
in
some primeval
forest.
The
of
clothing that keeps us
warm and
of
flocks
adorns our persons,

stripped
their
we
get at the cost of fields
cotton
and
flax,
shorn of their wool, of silkworms' patient spin-

nine: out of their
23
thousands of
own life on the branches of The food we eat day by trees.

anilife
day comes to us through the dying of

mals which give up their
to nourish ours,
through the
vesters
in
toil
of
fruit-gatherers
at
and harthose
bread-
the
fields,
the hands of
carry the
who on
our
ships and railways
stuffs over sea and land, and of those
who
in
own homes prepare our meals for us. The books we read, and from whose pages we get so many words and thoughts that are helpful, come to us enriched with strength and thought which have come out of other
hearts and lives.
ful sentences with
We
read the smooth, grace-
delight.
They impart
to
us instruction, inspiration, comfort, and courage.
We
;
give
of
it
little
thought to the writer, or
we think
pen
yet
him
as one
who
wields a facile
rarely occurs to us to
think of
him
or
in
as having endured or suffered loss, pain,
trial,
that he might give to us the words

find
is
which we
so
much
pleasure
or help.
But the truth
that no strengthening thought

to the
comes
to us
from another without cost
232
author,
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

some
time, in
live
some way.
Men and
women must
helpfully.
deeply before they can write
not
We cannot teach lessons we have We may write flowing sentences, learned.

we have read
or heard, teaching
as
saying things
what we have obtained from books,

the scribes in our Lord's time
in its
;
did
but no heart,
deep human need,
will ever receive
much
real help
from such teaching.

that Jesus uttered reached the
The words
ing authority,
people's souls because he spoke as one hav-
and not as the

of
his
scribes.
His
words came out

with his
own
heart, throbbing
own very
life-blood.
He
spoke what
he knew, not what he had read or heard.

gave lessons which he had learned
in his
He
own
deep
living.
forted the sorrowing he had gotten from

in his
The comforts with which he comGod

Every word he spoke was
own
sorrow.
the fruit of some experience in his
own
life,
and bore
In
in itself the
mark
of
its
is
cost.
all human those who teach us lessons that help us in Mere compilers may aid us through the life.
measure the same
true of

good thoughts
and bring
to of
us,
233
others
which they gather
but they have no help of
their own, out of their
own
life,
for us.
Only
the words which
come with the
authority of
experience can be real bread to our hunger.
Only with the comfort wherewith we ourselves

have been comforted of God
comfort others.
can
we
really
Only what we have learned
by experience can we truly teach.
Hence
it
is
that the books which truly help
us must have cost their authors a great deal
more than the mere

duction.
literary labor of their protells
Every word that

the fruit of
of
Christian
in
peace
is
a victory over self

trial.
times of sore struggle and

that
Every word
gives comfort tells of

It
is
sorrows- met and
endured victoriously.
the
story of his
own experience
his words.
It
that the author has put into
has been said of poets that what
they teach in
fering.
song they have learned
in suf-
All Christians love to read the He-
brew psalms.
heart's
In every
mood and phase
of our
feelings
we
find in these
psalms the
very words in which to frame our thoughts
234
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

desires.
and utter our
The
felt
reason
is
that
these psalms are the faithful records of what other
men thought and
when they were

walk
in
in experiences like ours.
We
the paths
which their feet broke for us

wilderness.
in
the rough
The
in
all
blessing
we
receive
comes
out of their pain and tears.
So
it
is
literature.
Great thoughts,
in
wherever we find them, have been born

struggle and anguish.
So
it
is
in all life.
We
cannot be of use in the world without cost.
What
is
it
costs
us
nothing to give or to do
It
is
not worth the giving or the doing.
those
is
who sow
in tears
who
reap in joy.
It
he that goeth forth
and weepeth, bearing
precious seed, that shall
come again with
re-
joicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
One
that
of the blessings of suffering or trial

it
is
by
we
are
fitted
for
becoming more
helpful in our ministry to others.
The mother
go to
comfort
who has
lost
little
child,
and has received
the divine consolation,

other mothers
in
like
can afterward
sorrow,
and
them
as she could not
have comforted them

before meeting her
235
own
grief.
Now
she knows
what
their grief
is,
and can enter into their

is
experience.
And
that
a vital quality
of
in
the
consoler's art.
Without the power
sympa-
thy
we can never
is
give strength or help to one
whose heart
breaking.
It
This power one gets

for
through suffering.
Jesus,
was necessary, even

to be
when preparing
all
our friend and
our helper at
into
real
our points of need, to enter

life,
human
and
live
it
through to
it,
the end, just as we have to

that
live
in
order
he might
Because of this
he
is
know all human we are told that

all
experience.
in
heaven
in-
now touched with

Those
the feeling of our

that
firmities,
fer.
and can understand

of his people
we
suf-
who
are led through
suffering are also being prepared to
become
deepest
helpers
of
others
in
the truest and
way.
This
is
is
one of the compensations of sorrow
which
sometimes overlooked by those who
are in trouble.
They ask why God

would help
all
is
afflicting
them, what they have done to deserve such

suffering.
It
such to endure
236
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

to
more patiently were they
remember
that
God
is
preparing them to become comforters

in life's
and guides to others

writes
:
dark paths.
One
makers
in distant lands,
skilful
Perhaps you have heard of the method strange,
Of
violin
Who, by breaking and mending with Make instruments having a wider range Than ever was possible for them, so
As they were new,
Have you
hands,
long
unshattered, and strong.
ever thought
when
the heart was sad.
When
the days seem dark and the nights unending,

heart,
That the broken
by the Father's mending.
Was made
through sorrow a helper glad,
Whose service should lighten more and more The weary one's burdens as never before?
Then
take this simple lesson to heart
When
To
sorrows crowd, and you cannot sing:
the truth of the Father's goodness cling;

is
Believe that the sorrow
only a part
Of the wondrous plan that gives through pain The power to sing more glad refrain.
We
ought to be willing to be trained for

us,
any service to which God would assign

whatever the cost of the training may
be.
We

are
all
237
eager for promotion in
life.
We
Men
are
honored when our fellow-men trust us with
new and important

willing to
responsibilities.
in
are
spend years
hard study, and to

that
endure severe
discipline,
they
life,
may be
and per-
able to take certain positions in
form duties requiring delicacy and

our great
skill.
When
com-
Master desires to prepare us for

all
the highest of
arts,
that
}
of being
forters of others in their trouble,
should we
;
not feel ourselves honored in being called to
perform such service for him

It
is
a costly promotion, however
cannot be a blessing to those

ministry
until
for we who need such

suffered,
we,
too,
have
and
learned the lesson of comfort for ourselves at
God's
feet.
Hence,
if
we would be
truly and
deeply helpful,
price of
we must be
before
willing to pay the
the costly tuition.
We
must learn
deeply and long
We
must
listen
intently before
we can teach well. we are ready

to en-
to speak to others.
We
must be willing
dure temptation,
sin,
conflict,
and struggle with
and to get the victory, before we can be
23
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
succorers of those
who
are tempted.
We
must
be content to
patiently,
suffer,
and must learn to suffer

sing
before
joy and
we can
hearts
the
songs of
Christian
peace in the ears of the
weary.
Our own
must break
to
fit
us for giving comfort, for only with heart's

blood can
we
heal hearts.
God
is
ready always
to anoint for the holy office of helping their
lellow-men those
writes of
the "making
who can pay the of men:"
price.
One
As
the mighty poets take
Grief and pain to build their song
Even so
for every soul,

its
Whatsoe'er
lot
may
be,
free,
Building, as the heavens
roll.
Something large and strong and
Things that hurt and things that mar
Shape the man
for perfect praise
Shock and
strain
and ruin are
Friendlier than the smiling days.
CHAPTER
Pour out thy love
like the
XXII.
LIFE.
LOVING AND HATING ONE'S

rush of a river
Wasting
its
waters, for ever
and
ever,
Through the burnt sands

Scatter thy
as the
that reward not the giver;
Silent or songful thou nearest the sea.

life
summer shower's pouring

is
What What
if
no bird through the pearl rain
soaring?
?
if
no blossom looks upward adoring

to the
life
Look
that
was lavished
for thee
Rose Terry Cooke.
Our
that
is
Lord's teaching
is
that only the
life
lost in love is really saved.

is
The
fall
illus-
tration
in
the
little
parable of the grain of

of
wheat.
"
Except a grain
die,
it
wheat
into
the earth and but

if
it
it
abideth by
itself
alone;
die,
is
beareth
much
fruit."
teaching
very clear and simple.

the
will
The You may

earth
to
keep your flower-seeds out of

save them
from rotting; they

will
be clean
of them.
and beautiful, but nothing
come
If,
They
will
be only flower-seeds.
239
however,
240
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

into the earth, they will
you put them

to perish,
seem
but
presently there will
come up
in
from the dead seeds lovely plants, which
the season will be laden with sweet flowers

that will
It is
fill
t"he
air
with their fragrance.
easy to find the meaning of the para-
ble in the life of the great
Teacher himself.
and died,
Jesus
The
but
precious seed
it
fell
into the earth
sprang up
life
in glorious life.
Had
all
saved his
from the cross he might have
lived to a ripe old age,
making
his
years
in
beautiful as the three or four he
wrought
such wondrous way among the people.
But
there would have been no cross lifted up to
draw
all
men
to
it
by
its
power
of
love.
There would have been no fountain opened

to
which earth's penitent millions could come

polluted
lives
with their
to
find
cleansing.
for
There would
have been
no
atonement
human guilt, no tasting of death by the Son of God for every man, no bearing by the Lamb of God of the sin of the world. There would have
been no broken grave with
its
victory over death,
and eternal
life
for
all
who
will believe.

It
LIFE.
life
24
seemed a waste
of
precious
when
Jesus died so young, and in such shame.
No
doubt his friends spoke together on those days,
when he was
loss
lying in the grave, of the great

his
to
the world
dying was.
Perhaps
they thought he had been imprudent and reckless
almost
throwing away his
life.
Peter
may have
referred to the time he had spoken
so earnestly to his Master, begging
him not
It
to
go up to Jerusalem to meet death.

to
seemed
loss
life.
them
all
that his early death
was a sad
to the world, a wasting of
most precious
But
his
it
was not
but
it
a loss, not a waste.
He
lost
life,
became the seed
of the world's
it
hope and
tianity
is is
joy.
We
understand
now.
Chris-
the outcome of that waste.
Heaven
the fruit of the Redeemer's sacrifice.
There
is
more
life
of the lesson.
It carries in it
the law of
say,
for all of us.
Jesus went on to
*'He that loveth
his life loseth it;
and he
it
that hateth his
life in this
world shall keep

life
unto
life
eternal."
cross.
All true
If
must bear the

life
brand of the
try to save
we
love our
it.
and
it,
we
shall
lose
If
we keep
242
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
ourselves from the hard service or the costly

sacrifice to
which duty
calls us,
to be gaining
toil.
by
it.
We
spare ourselves
we may seem much

leisure,
We
have more time for ease, for
for
pleasure.
We
have the money in bank

out
life.
which we might have paid

others.
it
in
helping
;
We
have saved our

is
Yes
but
is
a saving which
losing.
There are many applications
of this lesson.
One
has written:
If
I
should come to high renown,
And compass things divinely great, And stand a pillar of the state, And count an empire all my own, And
miss myself
were a child
That sold himself

In that
fair castle
to slavery
That glimmered toward
by the sea his mountain

life
is
wild.
The
cess.
finest
thing in
not to
make a
and do
success of one's career as the world rates suc-
One may come

fair,
to high renown,
deeds divinely
as
men
see them, and be-
come
all
a pillar of the state,
winning an empire
one's own, and yet miss himself, lose his
LIFE.
243
own
in
life.
If
he docs this he makes a mistake

his eternity
whose shadow
Perhaps we do is to make this
must be spent.
not always realize

mistake.
how
easy
it
We
think of large
services and
great sacrifices,
but we have
much
more
is
to do with small ones,
and the principle

to
life.
the same.
Every day brings
us oppor-
tunities of saving or losing our
Here
is
a duty which
shrink.
is
unpleasant, from which
We
are not
bound
to do
it
we we can
choose either the harder or the easier way, and
may
do
decline the duty.

little
We
weigh the pros and
cons for a
it.
while, and then decide not to
Worldly prudence approves our choice.
We
could not afford to pay the price.

life.
We
But
have saved our

really
Yes, so our
life.
it
seems.
we have
is
lost
It applies in
the matter of service.

in sore
friend
or neighbor
need or trouble.
We
learn of his condition,
and
it
is
in
our power
to relieve him, or at least to give

help.
It is
him valuable
not convenient, however, nor easy

it.
for us to do
It will
cost us
much
trouble,
perhaps considerable outlay of money or exer-
244
tion.
It
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

will
be much easier not to render
the service.
Yet the law
of
love
says
we
should help our neighbor.
Self
answers up
and pleads that
it
is
not our matter, that
we
to
are not responsible, that
we
are not
bound
do
it.
After more or
less
parleying between
not to do the
love and selfishness,
we decide we have
thing he needs.
We
have saved our money,

lost
our labor, our time, but
our
life;
we
have hurt ourselves irreparably.

priest
Both the
and the Levite
in
the parable
saved themselves a great deal of trouble, time,

toil,
danger, and sacrifice, by not stopping to
help the unfortunate

their journey.
man
they came upon on

all,
But, after
}
was
it
a saving
that
was
a
profitable
It cost
the good Samari-
tan
great
deal
;
to
stop
will
and
care
for
the
wounded man
a
but
who
say that he
made
mistake
"i
It
was a losing which was a
saving.
We
in life
all
come every day
to
similar
points
will
where we must choose whether we

life.
save or lose our
Duties that are hard

;
are facing us continually
what are we doing

with them
?
LIFE.
to
245
take
It
It
is
is
less
trouble
to
not
them
up.
easier
be
self-indulgent
on Sunday or on week-evenings, when we are
weary or slightly indisposed or the weather

is
unfavorable, than
;
it
is
to
go to the church
services
so
we save
slippers,
our
life
by putting on
at
wrapper and
home.
and quietly staying
It is easier
not to be a teacher in the

ties
Sunday-school
it
one down to have to

class,
go out
sides,
in all
seasons to meet a
and be;
there are others

it }
who can
It is easier
teach
why
shouldn't they do
not to give
money systematically to God's cause

are so
it
there
many
and
it
things of our
is
own we can spend

not to be forgiving,
for,
comfortable to have our bank

It is easier
account grow.
but to hold grudges, and
remember wrongs
its
done
to
us,
;
and to
it
let
our heart cherish
bitterness
costs
far less struggle
just to
hate people
who have been unkind and

It
is
hateful
to us than to try to love
them and repay them

not to try to be
with kindness.
easier
active in Christian work, taking part in meetings,
working on committees, visiting the
sick,
246
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

let
but rather to fold our hands and

the work.
It is easier
others do
not to trouble ourselves

look after our
much about own life it

;
lost souls, just to

is
hard to be always feeling the

It is
responsibility of the saving of others.
easier just to think of
self,
and go on doing
business,
making money, building up our own
fame, marching toward the goal of our ambition,
and giving no thought to other people.

in
Other people are

time
;
our
;
way
they take our

;
they hinder us
they keep us back
it
costs to wait for them, or to stop in our busy

life
to help them.
illustrations
It
is
These are
life
self,
of
what loving our
means.
taking good care of one's

self
keeping one's
back from inconve-
nient
and burdensome serving.
We
do not
need great occasions to give us chances to

save
or
lose
our
life,
we have plenty
day.
of
chances every
decline
a duty
common
of
Every time we
it
love
;
because
is
hard,
unpleasant,
or costly
every time
;
the
way
of selfishness
the easy path to
save
we choose every time we take ourselves trouble, we

are saving our are
losing.
life.
LIFE.
247
But
in
such saving we
We
have things easier, but the
loss is irreparable.
Look
his life
at
in
the other side.

this world
shall
"
He
that hateth
it
keep
unto
life
eternal."
Of course
Life
this
life,
does not mean that

or be careless of
It
is
it,
we
to
are to despise our

it.
or waste
us,
is
sacred.
God's
gift
and we must
never
do anything
to
harm
it,
to lessen its value, to
mar
its
beauty.
sin.
To be
is
reckless of
life
is
a grievous
It
not our
;
own
this life
us
it,
it
is
God's, and
we bear about with we must cherish it, use

it.
then answer for

life.
is
We
must love our
own
But the teaching

always
calls
us.
that the first thing

to
must
be
our
duty that
one's
life
which
God
is
To
love
over-well
to
care
more
for one's
own
is
safety, comfort,
and
ease than for doing what
God
gives one to do.
To
hate one's
life,
to
hold ease, personal
pleasure, safety, comfort, as of no consequence,
when the doing

concerned.
of
God's
will,
life
one's duty,
is
Jesus hated his
when he gave
248
it
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

to
fail
all
up
suffering,
in
shame, and death rather

will.
if
than
doing his Father's

hold
So must
we
always
our
life
we would
thing must
worthily follow Christ.
The
first
ever be our duty.

cost nor think of
We
must never count the
the danger.
in
The duty
doing
it
of
love
must be done, though

life
we
empty out our whole

"
If
for our friend. sun
you
sit
down
at set of
And
One
count the acts that you have done,
And
counting, find
self-denying act, one word
That eased the heart of him who heard, One glance most kind That
fell
like
sunshine where
it
went,
Then you may count

But
if,
that hour well spent.
through
all
the livelong day,

heart
all,
YouVe cheered no
If,
by yea
or nay;
through
it
YouVe nothing done, which you can
trace.
That brought the sunshine to one face; No act most small That helped some soul, and nothing cost.
Then count
that
day as worse than
lost."
We
need never fear that the losing

is
of life
in service of love, in Christ's name,
losing

indeed.
It is
LIFE.
It
is
249
saving that
is
losing.
he
who keeps
fering
his life
from duties involving sufthat

is
and
sacrifice
the
real
loser.
He who
gives out his

it
life in
doing God's
will
shall find
again.
He who
sows
his life in
the furrows of
vest of blessing.
human need shall reap As Whittier sings:

rise
a har-
Wherever through the ages
The altars of self-sacrifice, Where love its arms has opened wide, Or man for man has calmly died,
I
see the
same white wings outspread

o'er the Master's head.
That hovered
CHAPTER
"
I
XXIII.
TAKING GOD INTO COUNSEL.

will
commit my way,
Lord, to thee,
be.
Nor doubt thy love, though dark the way may Nor murmur, for the sorrow is from God,
And
there
is
comfort also in thy rod.
I will
not seek to
know
the future years,
Nor cloud
I will
to-day with dark to-morrow's fears;
ask a light from heaven, to show

step by step,
How,
my
pilgrimage should go."
We
friends.
like to ask advice of
wise and trusted
All
life's
paths are
It is
new
to us.
We
do not know
that
the road.
always true of us
we
''
have not passed this way hitherto."
We
it
need guidance
hand
to lead us.
We
like, as
we
enter an untried way, to talk about
with some one
who
has tried
it
already and
can give us advice.
This
is
one of the adin
vantages which a young person finds
having
If
an older friend.
"
Old men for counsel."
inexperience turned oftener to experience for

250

advice there would be fewer wrecks on
25
life's
broad and storm-swept
seas.
Few
if
promises mean more, when practically
interpreted, than that one which tells us that
we acknowledge
will
the Lord in
all
our ways,
he
direct our paths.
tion
in
our
to
life-paths.
We all We are
need
direc-
continually
coming
points
where we cannot
decide
what we ought
take.
to do, to
which way we ought to
We
little
turn
our friends for counsel.
The The
child puts its
hand
in the mother's.
blind
man
seeks
some one with good

inadequate.
eyes to lead
perience.
him.
Inexperience looks to exis
But human guidance
It is short-sighted,
and cannot know certainly
what
is
best.
unwittingly.
good, has
love
It is ignorant, and may mislead Wrong advice, though meant for wrecked many a life destiny. Even
may
guide
fatally.
Peter
in
his
im-
pulsive
warm-heartedness would have turned
Jesus
away
from
his
cross.
its
Many
loss,
times
human
were
love has held back

sacrifice,
dear ones from
paths of
hardship,
and
which
those
the divinely ordained paths
for
252
feet.
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
Human
guidance
is
not enough.
We
want something
infallible.
truer, wiser, safer,
something
And
that
is
just
what we have
assured to us in this promise of divine direction.
We
may have
Christ for our counsellor,
and he never advises mistakenly.

all life's
He knows
paths, not simply as God, all-knowing,
but as man, having passed through every way.
He
him
has promised to direct

is
all
our paths.
There
a condition
we must acknowledge
of us
in all
our ways.
Most
acknowledge
the Lord in some of our ways.
We
or
turn to
in
him
in
the time of great
trials,
sore
dangers.
Even
scoffers
and atheists have been

of peril, as in a storm
call
known,
in the
moment
at sea, to fall
upon their knees and
upon
God for help. when alarming
The most ungodly

sickness
is
people,
on them, or when
death stares them in the face, want to take

hold of the hand of God.
us
There are none
of
di-
who
do not at certain times crave the
vine direction and help.
But the condition of

all
the promise reads, " In
thy ways acknowU
edge him."'
"

Perhaps we acknowledge God
things, but shut
of our
life.
253
spiritual
in
him out
talk to
of
the other parts

soul,
We
him about our
but not
life.
about our daily work, our week-day
What did you pray for yesterday t Did you men talk to God about your business,
your buying and
selling,
}
your farm-work, your

pray
to
common
task-work
Did you women

affairs,
about your household
asking
God
help you keep tidy homes, and to train your

children
patient,
well,
to
be
}
sweet-tempered,
gentle,
thoughtful
Did you young people

studies,
talk with
God about your

a mistake
your amuset
ments, your friendships, and your books
We
make
when we take God

act of life
all
into
life.
our counsel in any mere section of our
Some one
like a
has
said,
"
Each
;
may be
in
psalm of praise
field,
and
we do
the
as
home, the
the counting-room,
may be
truly to the glory of
God
as the
most elaborate
ceremonies of
" Unless
willing
at
all."
religion."
Mr.
Ruskin
says,
we perform
of
divine service in every
act
our
is
life,
we never perform
is
it
That
what
involved
in
the
254
counsel
of
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

holy
Scripture
that
in
all
our
ways we acknowledge God.
To acknowledge
as
Christ
is
to recognize
life,
him
Lord and Master

in all
of our
and then to
look to him
guidance.
ness,
ways, great or small, for

ill-
Elizabeth Fry, during her last

''
said to her daughter,
believe I can
I
truly say that,
since the age of seventeen,
have never waked from sleep,

in
in sickness or
health,
by day or by night, without

I
my
first
waking thought being how
might best
serve the Lord."

of
In this continual recognition

life's
Christ as her
guide she
fulfilled
the
condition on which
will direct
It
we
are promised that he
our paths.
of
was a prayer
George Herbert that he
might be led wholly to resign the rudder of

his life to the sacred will of God, to be
moved
writer
always "as thy love shall sway."

says,
A
all,
referring to this,
"
How much
fretting,
if
how much
worry,
it
would spare us
we
asked our heavenly Father that he would cause

us to lean utterly, in perfect faith, in cheerful,
unquestioning obedience, upon his
will
and

wisdom, whether
in
in
life's
255
or
trivial concerns,
those
shades of darkness from which

"
!
we
it
recoil in fear
But here again we must not forget that

is
submission "
in all
our ways " that leads to

of
peace.
least, to ful
We
are very willing, most
us
at
acknowledge God
in a sort of grate-
way while he
directs us in paths in
which
we
incline to go, paths that are pleasant
and
agreeable.
will of
We
can easily worship the " sweet

will
is is
God," when this
indeed sweet
it
to our natural taste.
But how
when God
to
directs us to go the
go, to do
will
way we do not want

is
the thing that
unpleasant, that
sacrifice
cause pain or require

is
it
or loss
"l
How
when
the voice of God, answering

bids us take
;
to our question,
the path
that
leads to a cross
bids us turn
away from the

;
pleasant
thing that
we
crave
bids
us give
up the friendship that has grown dear to our

heart, but
is
drawing us away from God
bids
us give into the Father's hand the child, or
the loved one,

" In
all
we
so desire to keep with us

"
.?
thy ways
means the hard ways
as
256
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
well as the easy ways, the thorny path as well

as the path of flowers,
when
it
breaks our heart
as well as
when
it
gives us joy or gladness.

to points at
this,
Yet we are continually coming

which we
Lord,"
hesitate.
say,
Still
" In
all
but
dear
we
" I can take thy
way and do
all
thy will."
ways,
the answer comes, "In
thy
my
child."
There must be no
reserve,
no withholding, no exception.
The
loved sin
little
must be given
up,
though
it
it
seem only a
one, though giving
up be
like cutting off a
right hand, or plucking out a right eye.
hard path must be taken, though

thorns that pierce the
feet,
it
lead
The among
must
over sharp stones,

painful duty
through
fire
and
flood.
it
The
be done, though
cost place, ease, position,
though
it
lead to want, suffering, homelessness.
The
seem
bitter grief
must be accepted, though
it
to take
all
and leave nothing, and must
be accepted sweetly, lovingly, cheerfully, with

unquestioning
"
faith.
He
chose this path for thee,

well he
Though
knew sharp thorns would
pierce thy feet,
Knew how
the brambles would obstruct the way,

Knew all the Knew how And still the
This path hidden dangers thou wouldst meet,
thy faith would falter day by day;
2^7
whisper echoed,
is
'
Yes,
see
best for thee.'
He What
chose this path for thee

needst thou more?
all
This sweeter truth to know,
That
along these strange, bewildering ways.
O'er rocky steeps and where dark rivers flow,
His loving arms
will
bear thee
'
all
the days.'
few steps more, and thou thyself shalt see
This path
is
best for thee."
Here
is
a little story
from an English maga-
zine that
in
fits in
as illustration.
poor
woman
the hospital was told by the matron that
she could not recover, that her complaint was

incurable.
It
is
very hard to be told
this,
that
one never can hope to be better, that

is
one's life-work
sufferer
done.
However,
this
poor
was not overcome by what the kindly

told
her.
matron
She did not shrink from

But there was
still
pain and death.

at
one point
which she could not yield
to God's way.
With
tears she said that she gladly and pa-
tiently accepted God's will so far as her
own
pain and death were concerned, but she could
258
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.
not bear the thought of leaving her children

alone.
She declared
visitor to
that
no one could
this matter.
in-
duce her to
feel resigned
on
The
whom
to
she said this had no

chide
her.
*'
words with which
She could
is
only say to the poor woman,

told
Yours
un-
sorrow,
far
all
beyond
about
it
my
;
understanding,
but
God knows
you not
Will
Tell
pain,
tell
God understands. him just how you feel

told
.^
him what you have
me,
little
all
your
your anxiety about your

at
children,
your sore dread
thought of leaving them
alone in this world."
Then
the visitor went
away, promising to pray for the poor

in
woman
her sore struggle.
In a day or two she
came again, and found the sufferer calm and

patient.
She had
told
God
had
I
poured out
her whole heart in unrestrained prayer, and she

said to her friend, "
I
am
just leaving everything

shall live or die,
if
with
God
not only whether
but each one of
my
now
;
little
children,
am
to
be taken from them.

him.
I
Everything
I
is
safe with
know it." She had acknowledged God in

feel
it
this
hard

way, as in
all
259
other
and easier ways.

too,
She
had acknowledged him,

all
by
telling
him
about her trouble, by going over her anxwith him, and
ieties
ble,
now
in
there was no trou-
no anxiety, any longer.
There was now no
"anything but this"

Master's words
:
her submission.
To
the
" In
all
thy ways," she could

all
now
respond, " Yes, Lord, in

is
my
ways."
losing
This
the
secret
Christ's.
of
peace
this
of our will in
gle,
So long as we strug-
and
fail
in
even the smallest degree to

divine
will
acquiesce
in
the
and way, our

;
peace
cease
is
disturbed
resistance,
and
broken
just
but
if
we
in
all
and
lie
quiet
God's hands, and

us,
*'
let
full
him have
his
way with
the peace
is
and complete.
The
fever went at the turn of the night,

lies
She
like a lily
full
white and
still,
But her eyes are

She'll live, if
it
of the old love-light

will.
be God's
God's
will,
had
it
been to snatch her away.

knelt,
We
But
had bowed, we had

rod
we had
kissed the
his
own
dear will bids our darling stay.

just
And we we
thank God."
CHAPTER
THIS LIFE
"
I
XXIV.
LIFE.
AND THE AFTER

it
cannot make
seem a day to dread
When from this dear earth I shall journey out To that still dearer country of the dead, And join the lost ones so long dreamed about.
I
love this world
yet
shall love to
go
I
And meet
I
the friends
who
wait for me,
know.
never stand beside a bier, and see
The
seal of death set

I
on some well-loved
to
face,
But that
think,
'
One more
welcome me
When
Between
shall cross the intervening space
this land
and
that one over there
One more
to
make
the strange land beyond seem fair.'"
The
is
continuity of
life
here and hereafter

is
a Bible teaching.
There
no
real
break.
Jesus said, " Whosoever liveth and believeth

in
me
shall
never die."
St.
Paul spoke of his

if
death as his departure from earth, as
he
were going to another country.

to Christians
He
referred
gone
as
"absent from the body,
and
at
home with
the Lord."
260
We
should try
THIS LIFE
AND THE AFTER
LIFE.
26
to be Christians in
our thought about dying.
The
trouble
is
that
we
so
associate
all
it
our
lies
friend's life
with his body, that when

all
before us cold and lifeless,
of
our friend
seems
is
to
have ceased to
be.
But the body

It
not,
never was,
our friend.
may be
rich
cold,
and our
life.
friend
be living
truths
in
and
very
beautiful
These
are
put
clearly in some lines of Sir Edwin Arnold's
on the death of Abdallah

Faithful friends
!
It
lies,
know,
"
!
Pale and white and cold as snow
And
I I
ye say, " Abdallah's dead

at the feet
Weeping
and head,
can see your falling tears, can hear your sighs and prayers
I
Yet " /
smile and whisper this,
am
not the thing you kiss;

tears,
it
Cease your
It
and
let
it
lie
was mine,
!
is
not I."
the
Sweet friends
What
I
women
lave
For
Is a
Is
its
last
bed of the grave,
Is a hut
which
am
quitting.
fitting.
last.
garment no more
a cage from which, at
Like a
hawk my end has passed.
262
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

Love the inmate, not the room,
plume
The wearer, not the garb, Of the falcon, not the bars Which kept him from these
Loving friends
the
splendid stars.
Be
Mîse,
and dry
Straightway every weeping eyej
What
Is
ye
lift
upon the
bier
not worth a wistful tear.
'Tis
an empty seashell,
pearl
one
is
Out of which the
gone
The The
'Tis
shell is broken, it lies there,
pearl, the all, the soul, is here.
an earthen jar whose

it
lid
Allah sealed, the while
hid
That treasure of
his treasury
mind
that loved
him
let it lie.
Let the shard be earth's once more,

Since the gold shines in his store
!
Lite hereafter will not be so different from

life
here as
we sometimes imagine
if
it
will be.
We
very
is
shall go on with living in the other world
much
as
nothing had happened.
Dying
an experience we need not trouble ourselves

if
much about
There
is
we
are true believers in Christ.

it
;
a mystery about
it
but
when we
have passed through
we
shall probably find
THIS LIFE
that
it
AND THE AFTER
LIFE.
263
is
a natural
little
and very simple event,
perhaps but
more serious than sleeping

the, morning.
It will
over night and waking in

will
It
not hurt us in any way.
not blot
It
out
any beautiful thing
in
our
life.
will
end nothing that is worth while. The things we have loved here, we shall continue to love. The things we have learned to do well, we
shall
probably continue to do, at least in some
form.
Dying
is
just
going out to test our
learning here, and to live out our lessons.
Robert Browning says

I
I
circuit first
As
go
see
to prove
my
soul!
my way
:
as birds their trackless way.
I
I
shall arrive
what time, what
ask not
In some time
I
His
good time
shall arrive
He
It
is
guides
me and
the birds.
intensely interesting to think of
life
as immortal
is
stretching
on forever.
Dying
not a boundary, but merely an incident in
the way.
We
can plan for work that

^
will
go on for a thousand years
'for
ten thou-
264
sand years.
longest.
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

Life here
is
short even at the
We
cannot
great
finish in threescore
and
in
ten years the
things
we dream
of age.
in
of
our best moods.
Then, only comparatively a

full
few
lives
reach this
that
limit
It
is
but a
little
we can do
of
our short,
broken years.
interrupted
in
We
begin things, and we are

them.
Before
the midst
they are half finished
we
are called
aside
away
to
something
our
life
else,
or
laid
by
illness,
or
ends, and the

is
work remains incoma busy

to
plete.
It
pathetic,
when
man
into
has
his
been
called
away suddenly,
go
office, his
study, or his place of work, and see

left,
the unfinished things he has

half written, of
the
letter
the book half read, the column

up,
figures half added
the picture begun

is full
but not completed.
Life
of fragments,
If
the mere beginnings of things.
there were
nothing
this poor
beyond death,
little
could
come
of
fragmentary living and doing.

that
life
But
when we know
a
will
go on without
years,
it
serious break through endless
puts
new meaning
into every noble
and worthy
THIS LIFE
beginning.
AND THE AFTER

right
LIFE.
26$
Every
it
and good thing, howshall live forever.
ever small
may seem,
in
There
life
is
comfort
failure
this
for
those whose
seems a
lives.
here.
There are many

and
such
torn
They have been crushed

in
life's
by sorrow, defeated
toiled
in
struggles.
They have
followed
hard,
but
misfortune
has
at-
them
There
everything
they have
tempted.
will
be time enough
in the
eternal years for such lives to
grow
into full
and perfect beauty.
There are
lives
which are cut
off
before
thouall
any of their powers are developed.

sand fond hopes gather about them
mother's dreams
are stricken
for her child.
in
Suddenly they
down
is
infancy or early youth.
The bud had

summer.
It
not time to open in the short

lifted
away,
still
folding up
in its close-shut calyxes all its possibilities of
loveliness,
power, and
life.
Sorrow grieves
over the hopes which seem blighted, and cuts
on the marble shaft or block some symbol

of
incompleteness.
Yet when we
believe in
immortality, what matters
it,that."tlie btid did
266
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

unfold
its
not open and
beauties
this
side
in
the grave
There
will
be
time enough
life
immortality for every such

all
to
put forth
its
loveliness.
An
Easter
lily
was sent
in
having on
its
stem several
unopened
buds.
In a day or
two these buds had unfolded, and poured their

fragrance upon the
air.
So
and
will
it
be with
pass
the lives
of
children
;
youth who
from earth to heaven
they will open out in
the heavenly warmth until every possibility

of their being has reached its best.
There are some good people who

in
lose
hope
this world's
disheartenments.
Their souls
are graves full of buried things.
Down
into
these dark sepulchres have gone early dreams,

visions of beauty, sweet thoughts, noble intentions,
tions.
sacred
feelings,
and
brilliant
expecta-
saying,
They bow in sadness over their dead, "There is no use in my going on.
empty
for
Life
left
is
me
now.
There
is
nothing
worth
living for.
Every sweet flower has
faded."
feeling;
Christian faith should dispel any such
Into the grave of Jesus
went one
THIS LIFE
AND THE AFTER
LIFE.
267
evening the sweetest hopes, the holiest loves,

the gentlest
thoughts, the
brightest
little
visions,
the fondest
loyal friends.
dreams
of
company
''All
of
At
lie
that grave, as the sun sank

stood,
low,
weeping ones
hopes
saying,
our
hearts'
all
buried here
all
our joy,
our love."
But three days

those
later that
grave
joys,
was opened, and
buried
up,
hopes,
and affections were raised

in blessed beauty.
and lived again
What
lost
the friends of Jesus
thought they had

lost at
all.
forever they had not
Their hearts' treasures were only
buried that they might spring up in immortal
beauty.
lilies.
it
The
dull seeds
became
glorious
Easter
So
of
will
be with
all
the precious things
Christian faith which

is
seem
to perish.
In
Christ nothing that

really lost.
good or lovely can be

of
The dreams
youth which meant
so
much
to us,
and which we seem to have
lost,
they
away
have served their purpose, and
are lost
fall
only as blossoms are lost
when they
to give place to the fruit.
We
can lose our beautiful things only in
26S
sin.
is
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

Sin's grave
is
deep and dark, and there
no resurrection for the precious things of
life
which go down into

are
it.
And
oh,
what
sepulfeel-
treasures
buried
in
this
hopeless
chre
ings,
Innocence, purity of heart, sweet
heavenly yearnings, visions of
Christ,
hopes of glory, holy affections, the strength
and joy of
life,
possibilities of nobleness, child-
hood's faith, whatsoever things are true, what-
soever things are lovely

best things
what heaps of
sin's
life's
go down into
deep grave
And
this grave
was never broken open.

from
its
The
stone was never rolled

vision
of
door.
in
its
No
dark
is
angels
was ever seen

is
chamber.
hopelessly
again,
What
lost.
buried
in
sin's
grave
It
never can be gotten back

seek
for
it
though
men
diligently
with tears.
none.
Lost innocence comes twice to
But
in Christ
nothing beautiful or good ever

child stooped to catch the
floor.
perishes.
little
sunlight which streamed on the
In her
dimpled hand she grasped

strove for more.
it,
and reached and
THIS LIFE
AND THE AFTER

little
LIFE.
269
**But the sunbeam would not linger In that chubby
hand,
finger
Though
it
lay
upon each
Like a bright and golden band.
Still,
the striving gave her pleasure.

the light yet lingering
fair
lies
And
In most
and gladsome measure,
In the depth of her blue eyes."
This
is
a parable.
grasp and hold the

reach, there
itself
is
Though we may noc very things we strive to

cost
a blessing in the seeking which

;
more than meets the
and besides,
we
get the substance of our quest, though the

us.
form eludes
to vanish as
The holy
visions which
seem
in the
we
pursue them, really hide
depth of our heart, and stay there to brighten
and enrich our
life
forever.
So
it
is
with
all
the precious things
we
If
cherish for a time and
then seem to
lose.
they are pure, true, and

lost
worthy things, we have not

never can lose them.
them; we
got the
it.
Abraham never
left
all
promised land, though he
to seek
To
the end of his
life
he journeyed on in his
still
quest,
but died a pilgrim
on the way.
270
THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

in his heart
Yet
of
he found better things than

the
he sought, not a country, but

faith
rewards
and obedience.
There always are
good people who pursue hopes and dreams
which they never overtake
yet in their souls
they find in their quest holier hopes and fairer
dreams than those which they miss.
Those
of this
who seem
them.
to fail ofttimes get
most out
world which they can carry to heaven with
The same is true of the joys and blessings which we seem to lose out of our hands in
life's
vicissitudes.
We
do
not
lose
them.
The
in
material forms of things
may drop from
our clasp, but the spiritual quality or beauty
them we never can
lose.
We
cannot lose
her
first
little
a friend.
child.
The mother never can lose woman of ninety said that her
when she was but
a
baby, which had died
past twenty, had stayed as a vision of beauty

in
her heart
all
the seventy years.
We
never
can lose a mother.

inextricably with
Her
life
is
wrought too
ours ever to be taken out.
pure and tender joy once cherished never
THIS LIFE
can be
thrill
AND THE AFTER

our heart.
LIFE.
2/1
lost out of
;
We may
it
feel its
no more
that which gave

life;
may have
passed out of our
but a holy joy, once
experienced, becomes part of our being, and
never can be taken from

If
us.
the Angelus were lent to you for a few
days, and
hung
in
your
parlor,
and then were
removed, you would really have the picture

forever.
it
During these few days

into
it
of possession
would enter
your
again,
soul,
and though you
should never see

it.
you never could lose
So
it
is
that beautiful things, holy affecfriendships-,
tions,
gentle
tender joys,
dreams,
sweet
fancies, precious hopes, radiant
once
ours,
though only
for a little while, are ours
forever.
The forms may
vanish, but the spirit
remains.
aq O) s33nB)sain9jp on japan
si
3|ooq siq^
XNLawxHVdaa aoNanaiiaH
AHVHan Dnana ^hoa
avhn hhx

Things To Live For, J.R. Miller

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Originalbeschreibung:

Originaltitel

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Things To Live For, J.R. Miller

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES

Iranster tfoir\ Giro. Dtpl

Christmas Making Cure for Care

CROWELL & COMPAXY

a sheet of paper white

Things That are

The Seriousness of Living

The Duty of Being Strong The Blessing of Simple Goodness

The Lesson of Service

The Grace of Thoughtfulness The Seeds

Knowledge and Love

Over-Waiting for God

The Only Safe Committal

The Beatitude for Sorrow

The Hallowing of Our Burden

Taking God into Counsel

THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

darkness deepens; every noble deed

Lasts longer than a granite monument.

THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

been really worth while for

Or suppose that years a man lives

which become seeds

which hurt other

been worth while for him to

way, amassing money, winning fame, getting

years a blaze of glory,

funeral one of magnificent

yet has his

been worth while?

which are worth while.

his seventy years in lowly Chris-

fears God, and walks after God's

even spoken of by others with a sort of

man who never

has been successful.

the while he has lived honestly and faithhis

While other men have

thinking meanwhile only

THINGS THAT ARE WORTH WHILE.

serving others, doing good.

ten on in the world, and his hands are empty

measured by the standards of the

which values are not rated

by their moral character.

sphere a cup of cold water given to a thirsty

more than the

has seemed unhas been doing

the while in Christ's name, living un-

has really achieved a success which

old water-wheel outside of a mill.

round and round

see nothing that

shaft runs through the wall

and within the

turns the stones which grind the wheat,

THINGS TO LIVE FOR.

and the bolts which prepare the

bread that feeds hundreds, or runs the looms

and yet they reach through

the veil into the sphere of the unseen, and

blessing and benefit whose