THE QUIET HOUR.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 9 August 1924, Page 15

THE QUIET HOUR.

THE BURDEN OF THE' FUTURE. (Published by arrangement with the Hawera Ministers’ Association). To' many the burden of to-morrow is harder to bear than the burden of todav. However heavy it may he; life is darkened by the. shadow of the future. Liven many religious people live perpetually under this leaden sky, never completely and whole-heartedly iejcicing in the sunshine which is theirs. Their peace is destroyed by vague fears of the futu'.re, and* their lives are poisoned by petty cares and anxieties. Many, to whom the- burden of the past and the burden of the present are little, are oppressed by this burden of the future. They accept the love of Gad for the past, believing in His gracious parpon of sin; and so the past has lost for them its keenest- sting. They believe in the Father’s sustaining help for the present; under tirial they know themselves to be upheld by their faith in God’s loving providence. But they are dogged by a vague, overshadowing fear of the future, all the more terrible because it is vague. It does not shape itself into definite form, but looms large and undefined n a black stormcloud that may burst at any moment. The man who believes in God and in His loving providence, need not darken his days by fretful cares and dread of evil to come. Believing in God’s purpose of love with him, he knows that the future cannot bring anything contrary to that. If there are any trials and sorrows in that time to come, he knows that the Father’s grace is sufficient for him through them all. If there are. temptations, he knows he will not be tempted above what he can bear. His times are in God’s hands. — Hugh Black. Prayer is not a burden to .be borne, an obligation to be fulfilled, something that is due to God and must be paid. Prayer is a privilege; like friendship and family love and laughter, great hooks, great music, and great airt, it is one of life’s opportunities to lie grasped thankfully, and used gladly. The man who misses the deep meanings, of/.prayer has not. so much refused an obligation : he has robbed himself of life’s supreme privilege—friendship with God.—H. E. Fosdick.

It has been too much the fashion to divide the service of God from the work of the.world, to call on men to leave all to follow Christ, as if Christ meant, when He called Peter and Matthew away lor a special missionary work,, that- no one should remain to do The needful works of life, and that no one who did not leave these works could follow Him. By this mistaking of a special call of. special men to a particular work, for a universal law for all men, the fatal division was made of sacred and profane work. The true lesson of His teaching, was that all work was given to man by God, and was to be done clivinelv with love, and faith, and joy.—Stopford Brooke.

1 have just been ... looking over a newspaper, one of the most-.painful,and solemn studies in the world, if it be read thoughtfully. So much of sin and so much of suffering in the world are there displayed, and no one seems, able to remedy either. And then the thought of my own private life, so full of comforts, is very startling when I contrast it with the lot of millions whose portion is so full of distress or trouble. May I be kept humble and zealous, and may God give me grace to labour in my generation for the good of my brethren, and for His glory.— Dr. Arnold.

Life may easily , become much too easy 7. We heard the other day of a lady who, in mistaken compassion, cracked a cocoon so that the butterfly might more, easily escape;, but when the-pampered.cerat-ure emerged it-Was ltkly and colourless, and soon died. The painful effort of escape whs essential to its strength and splendour, through great tribulations must wc struggle into the higher life of the spirit. We love to review the treasuries of the sun, the wealth of soft and lovely things; let us remember the treasuries of the snow, the noble, holy and, beautiful issues of sanctified hatrdship and sorrow. —W. L. Watkinsbn.

I would be ti;ue v for there are those who trust me. I would be pure, for there are those who care. I would be strong, for there is much to suffer. I would be brave, fo}? there is much to dare. I would be friend of all—• the fee —the friendless. I would be giving and forget the gift. I would be humble, for I know mv weakness. I would look up —and laugh—and love—and live. H. A. Walter. There is no nobler and diviner work in life than of being guides to other men, and therefore none that makes a more searching call for gentleness and j-everenoe and deep humility. It is not learning that is needed, though learning has its uses, hut the wisdom that conies of purity and truth and love unfeigned. This is the wisdom from above, which alone has power from on high to strike out sparks of life divine from those around us. Not r might nor by power, hut by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts; and the Spirit of God within us is the spirit of gentleness and loving service/ “Whosoever will be great among you, let. him be your minister; and whosoever will he chief among you let him be your servant, even as the Son of Man came not to be administered unto, but to minister, and to give His fife a ransom for many.”—Prof. H. M. Gwatkin. The golden age of Christ is on ahead of us, and the best for the follower of the Lord is still to be. We are not striving for impossible ideals. We are not the children of delusive holies. There is yet to he a regenerated world where the child shall lay his hand upon the serpent’s lair. Everything we ever strove for shall be ours. Every effort we ever made shall there he cirowned. Our very failures shall welcome us in heaven, with a new name written across their brow. Build then, thine altar; the stones are at thy feet. Care not how poor it be, how mean it look. It is the earnest of a glorious temple, which in the fullness of God’s time shall surely rise.—G. H. Morrison. Love someone —in God’s name love someone—for this is the bread of the inner life, without which a part of you shall starve and die; and though, von feel you must be stern, even hard in vour life of affairs, make for yourself at. least a little corner somewhere in the great world whore you may unbosom and he kind. —Max Ehrmann.