Restful Thoughts j For a Quiet Hour

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12306, 28 November 1925, Page 12

Restful Thoughts j For a Quiet Hour

GEMS OF THOUGHT Man is always wanting to do something great. Let him overcome himvelf —for that is the greatest conquest.—H. Drummond. • • • * Blessed is the man whp has the gift of making friends; for it is one of God’s best gifts. It involves many things, but above all, the power of going out of one’s self and seeing and appreciating whatever in noble and loving in another man.—T. Hughes. * e a • Talent forms itself in solitude; character in the press of life.—Goethe. • • • * Bo not act as if yon had ten thousand years to throw away. Beath stands at yonr elbow. Be good for something, while you live and it is in your power.— M. Aurelius. • • • • The simplest way to secure happiness is to see that those around you are happy.—G. K. Chesterton. * * • » There is no sweeter repose than that which is bought with labour.—Chainfort. A PRAYER We express, O God. before Thee our deep sorrow and penitence for all the stains upon our hands, for all the oncleanness upon our lips, for ail the impurity that dwells within our hearts, and for all the earthliness that still clings to ps through our contact with the things of the world. Create in us, O God. a clean heart, and _ renew a light spirit within us. and in Thy grace remove every stain. We thank Thee for the Lamb of God that taketh away the s' n of. the world, we thank Thee that He is oar advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and the blood of Jesus Christ cieanseth us from all sin. VVe thank Thee that through Him, ve shall at last appear triumphant -nd blameless before Thee in glory. Accept our oblations through Jesus Christ our Lord.—Amen. OUT AND OUT (A One-minute Sermon from “The Path of the Pilgrim.”) Shoulder to shoulder—all togetherall at ones—that’s it. It does not matter how small a flock of God’s people there may be; if they are in God’B hands the walls of Jericho are sure to fall. A. little handful in the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace is quite plenty for God. Did you ever read of Gideon’s army? At first it numbered 82,000. But Gocf gave the faint-hearted and all who were "not sure about the business,” a chance to. slip away home, and home no less than 22,000 of them went. Had they beep sure the affair was to be a success they would have gone to the front; but they must consider consequences. What they wanted to be sure of was success. What God required of them was to be faithful. Only 10.000 are now left. But God still says: “Too many, Gideon—too many for Me!" So those who were not “in a great state” about the battle, and were inclined to “take it easy,” were laid aside by the Lord, for He has no use for those who only serve Him in a half-hearted way. And now only 800 were left; but they were 300 out-and-out men for God. The Midiahitee lay like grasshoppers in the valley—thousands upon 'thousands; but Gideon’s little band was big enough for God, and the result was that the Midianites weire smitten with a great slaughter. That’s how the Lord works. Hnllelujah! Now for every soul to be a THREE

CHRISTIAN UNITY Behold how good and how pleasant ft is for brethren to dwell together in unity! * * * * It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the heard, even Aaron's beard: that went dowD to the skirts of his garment; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.—Psalms. “A FATHER ALL THINE OWN" All things that have been, all that are. All things that can be dreamed, AU possible creations, made. Kept faithful, or redeemed . . . All these may draw upon Thy power, Thy meicy can command; And etill outflows Thy silent sea, Immutable and grand! 0 little heart of mine! shall pain Or sorrow make thee moan, When all this God is all for thee, A Father all thine own ? —F. W. Faber. THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD The result of the Salvation Army selfdenial fund for the Dominion for the current year (1925) was as agninst .£46,500 for last year. The Dunedin dirn*lon —one of the six—had the wonderful total of J 88332. Created a Cardinal—Archbishop O’Donnell, Roman Catholic Bishop of Annas’ll, will be created a cardinal by a consistory on December 15th. 1925 The Rev. Patrick O’Donnell is a member of a very old Donegal family. He was born in 1856. and was educated at the Catholic University, Haynooth, where he afterwards became professor of theology, and Prefect of the Dunboyne Establishment. Later he occupied the position of Rector, and from 1883 to 1892 he was Bishop of Raphoe. In the latter year he was transferred to Armagh a* coadjutor, with the right of succession, and on the death of Cardinal Logne in November last he became Archbishop of Armagh. v Recently, to celebrate the 25th year of ftmg Victor EmmanueTs reign, every school child in Italy addressed a picture Postcard to him. expressing good wishes for a long life and a successful reign. A full-blooded aboriginal. James Noble, will probably be ordained a deacon of the Anglican Church in Sydney this year. He is a cncketer. farm worker, and horseman, states the Rev. ,T. S. Needham, and above all. an exceptionally fine Christian. are glad to learn that the Prince of Wales allows nothing during his ‘our m South Africa to interfere with hi# attendance at Divine Service on Sundavs. On a recent Sunday he was at Port Alfred, Cape Province, and was present at the evening service at St. Paul’s Church, a little corrugated-iron building. In a New York pulpit a notice in these terms greets the eyes of the minister: If you don't strike oil in five minutes, cease boring !*'—Bishop Taylor Smith.