Restful Thoughts For a Quiet Hour

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12423, 17 April 1926, Page 12

Restful Thoughts For a Quiet Hour

THE GIFT OF SONG If a pilgrim I have shadowed By a tree that I have nursed-; If a- cup of cold, cold water I have raised to lips athirst : If I've planted one sweet flower By an else too barren way; If I’ve whispered in the midnight One sweet word of day; If in. one poor bleeding bosom I a woe-swept chord have stilled; If I’ve made of life’s hard battle One faint heart grow warm and strong; Then, my God! I thank Thee—bless Thee For the precious gift of song. A-PRAYER . O God, Who hast made all things for Thyself, may we remember that lie also are Thine; and as we go forth into the World help Us to rule our own spirits, so that we may- use all our powers' of health and wealth, of station and influence, to Thy glory. All things are ours in Christ Jesus; but only in Him. Help us to live cheerfully and hopefully; for Thou art the lot of our inheritance. Wo thank Thee that, we are living amid so much that is beautiful and inspiring; but may we never forget that all things are passing, and that Thou alone abidest. Bo Thou therefore the strength of our heart and our portion for ever. Thes 5 our prayers we beseeeli Thee to hear and answer 'for Christ’s sake. Amen. BID ME COME (A One-Minute Sermon by tho Rev. F. B. Meyer, 8.A.) Lord if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water. — Matt. 14-28. Christ comes to us all—to the gutter child promptei to divide her toffee with lier little brother; to tho girl following an ideal puiity through the polluting associations of some miserable home; to tho man of business who turns aside from the selfish maxims of his competitors to succour a comrade overtaken by misfortune; to the heathen catching of some loftier truth Than the priests of idolntory ever taught, him—to all such, and indeed to all men He comes, who as the true Light, lighteth every man that cometh into the world. ■

Probably, Christ oftenest comes through the night* and storm, when the wind is contrary and the strength gives out, when the sky is black with hurrying clouds, and the wind churns the water into a yeasty foam; when the hopes of former years have been disappointed, and the light that shone so brightly has faded; ivlien ill-health oppresses, when, heart and flesh fail, when the fire burns low in the grate, when sir. and sorrow have played, sad havoo with us—then our troubles and losses make the pavement of his feet, and through the storm, nay, by means of the storm, the Master says, “I have come.”

At first, it may be, Christ is only a vision, a new hope, a ship that may come within hai', a probability, an if. We have heard of the great things fie has done for others; we have been alrrested by the beauty of Hia portrait in tho Gospels; we have dreamed of Him as a radiant Being, with the power of distributing healing and help. We would like to believe in Him, knd to learn those deep secrets which have lit up the lives of so many around. We feel that if we could hut once get to His side, He would answer our questions, realise our ideals, satisfy our passionate craving for love; and, therefore, though we cling to the boat, and to the comrades whose toils we have been sharing, we finally resolve to make the venture. When a lull comes in the how’ of the wind, we sa-c faintly, “If it foe Thou, bid me come.”

The income from the pennv-a-week workers’ fund, on behalf of the Kent i Ophthalmic Hospital, it was reported at the annual meeting at Maidstone, amounted during the year to nearly £9OOO. In five years the total contributions to this fund came to £39,000 than 9,000,000 pennies.

THOUGHTS FOR THE YEAR Happiness is like a kitten’s tailhard to catch, but there's plenty of fun in chasing it. I’ll sing you a song ’ere I wing on my way: Cheer up! Cheer up! Cheer up! Whenever you’re blue, find something to do ' For somebody else, who is sadder than youCheer up! Cheer up! Cheer up! —The Robin. • < • • Real joy comes not from ease, not from riches, not from applause of men, but from having done* things that wer* worth while. —Greenfell. A man may fall into a thousand perplexities, but if his heart be upright and his intelligence he will issue from them all without dishonour* R. L. Stevenson/ * * * • There is no day born but comet like a chime of music into the world, and sings itself all the way through.—H« W. Beecher. • * • • B\it the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketli water of the rain of heaven. A land which the Lord Thy Good careth for, the eyes of the Lord Tliy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the enci of the year.—Deuteronomy. * * * * ’'O satisfy us early With Thy merer, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.—Psalm.

THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD Bible Bees.—Be ye holy in conversation ; be patient; be pitiful; be vigilant; be content; be courteous; be strong; be sober; be diligent; be not weary in well doing; be clothed, with humility; be kindly affectioned one to another; he not forgetful to entertain strangers. The Bible in 835 Languages.—Tho Bible has been translated into 835 languages, according to a chronological list of translations just completed by Dr. R. Ivilgour, superintendent of the translating and editorial department of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Mr Kilgour’s list 6howa that when the society was formed in 1804 the Scriptures were available in only 72 languages To-day there are 576 tongues represented in the society’s publications alone, and for several years it has added a new language every six weeks. A Landowner’s Novel Fine.—Five young men at Llandiloes told a Salvationist that they had been found trespassing on forbidden land, and the owner had given them the alternative of giving an offering to the Army, or being summoned. The young men, Who chose the former course, thereupon handed their gift to the Salvationist, who took the opportunity of pointing out the need for them to give themselves to God. The man, who owned the land felt that this would be a sure way of putting these men in touch with the Army, and that it might lead them to God. Dr Jowett in a Coal Mine.—The Rev. S. Horton relates that once the late Dr J. H. Jowett had occasion to descend a coal mine, in order to see a miner about an important matter. Dr Jowett inquired how he might distinguish his friend denvn in the dimlylighted passages of thb pit. “Oh,” he was told, “you will hear him singing long before you reach the place where he i 3 working.” And sure enough, whilst stumbling along the dark underground road, Dr Jowett caught the sound of a man’s voice singing the beautiful Benlah hymn, “I’ve reached the land of corn and. wine, and all its riches fieely mine.”

If one were to call at Buckingham Palace and ask to see “Prebendary Windsor” it is probable that the officials there would stare for\ a moment, and then declare they knew no such person. Finally, if the visitor persisted that the gentleman in question Jived at the palace they might send for a policeman and have the inquirer taken in charge. Yet he would certainly be right, and they utterlv wrong! Few people know that the ICing is, by virtue of his position, also an official “Prebendary” of St. David’s Cathedral, Wales.