THE GARLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3500, 12 April 1921, Page 52

THE GARLAND.

FOR THE QUIET HOUR. No. 598. By Dl t ncan Wright, Dunedin. LOVE, TRUTH, AND I. I walked with Truth: Love said, “Como walk with me!” “I'll walk with both,” I said, ‘‘if that may be.” And so Truth stayed—l could not let her go; And Love came, too, because I loved her so. And ever since we three are comrades dear. If Truth were not, then would not Love he here. Love, Truth, and I, we life tog-ether share; Nor new, nor ever, could I "either spare. —'Georgina W. Pel ton. SUNBEAMS ON THE RIVER OF LIFE. Bv Rev. 11. W. Beecher. GOD. Tor a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.—Dent, xxxii: ‘22. When I think that God sits—oh, how long !—seeing every day, as the great revolving wheel of human life turns before Him, all tho operations that take place in the thicket; all the operations that-take place in the open field; all that is done under crowns and under democracies; all that happens in dungeons; all that transpires m the streets of commerce—when I think that He is cognisant of all the revolutions and scenes of blood which are carrying sorrow to so many of the helpless and innocent throughout the earth, and of all the other evils bv which men everywhere are afflicted—when I think that He sees and knows these tilings, and when I at the same time remember that He is the infinite and omnipotent God of the universe, I do not wonder when I read that His anger burns to the lowest hell; I only wonder that that aimer Is held back so long. It is God’s patience v Inch calls forth my warmest admiration. It is that trait of His which, more than any other, excites mv wonder; and I would crown Him with everlasting chaplets of undying flowers, saving, “Thou, that art long-suffering and infinite in patience shalt reign God eternal.” * * * i VICTORY! Battlefield Triumphs in the Great War. I am happy. Life is all joy when we know that Jesus is ours, and that nothing can separate from His love. —Private Herbert Houghton. It is nice to be able to turn to the “Book” and read such words as Psalm 121 ; they comfort us always. —Corporal Tregunna. Our Saviour was with us and helped us to overcome the awful difficulties that lay in our way. —Major Hartnell. Prayer is very precious to us in this struggle. —Chief Commander Sir Douglas Haig. Standing as 1 do in view of God and Eternity 1 realise that Patriotism is not enough. —Nurse Cavell. THE HISTORY OF A HYMN, Perhaps the best poetical expression of the sentiment of Christian brotherhood in the English language is found in the hymn beginning— Blest be tho lie that hinds Our hearts in Christian love.

John Fawcett, D.D., the author of the hymn, a name that finds frequent place m Baptist collections of church psalmody, was born near Bradford, Yorkshire, January 6, 1739. At the age of 16, while an apprentice, he heard Mr Whitefield preach. The sermon led to his conversion, and in a state of great happiness, he joined the Methodist society. In 1758 he became a member of the newly-formed Baptist Church in Bradford. At this place his activity and usefulness were so great that his brethren advised him “to go beyond private exhortation,” and to “stand forth and preach the Gospel.” After much praying and many inward conflicts, he decided to follow their advice. In the summer of 1765 lie was ordained as minister of the Baptist Society of Wainsgate. His work there was hard, but liis zeal and far-reaching sympathies won the hearts of his people, and opened the way of pastoral success. In 1772, after a pastorate of seven years, in which Ito had steadily grown in the attachment of a growing society, he wont to London to preach for Dr Gill, who was about resigning liis ministerial office on account of his age and infirmities. The people were so much pleased with his deportment and discourses that they gave him a call to become their pastor. The church at Wainsgate was comparatively small and poor, while that in London wijs large, with ample resources, and presented a most promising field for a man of growing capacities. His goods were loaded for removal to London, and his parish assembled to bid him a final farewell. An affecting scene followed, the poor people he had befriended entreating him to remain. The voice of love prevailed ; he was convinced that it was his duty to remain here, and that this was the field that Providence had allotted him. “I will stay,” he said. “You may unpack my goods, and we will labour for the Lord lovingly together.” The affectionate expression © f regard on the part of the ©arishioners made a deep impression on liis susceptible nature, and inspired him to return to pen, under an impulse of true poetic feeling, his well-known hymn. THE GARRET OF THE YEARS. I've packed my troubles out of sight—all idle hopes and fears. High in tho shadowy stillness of the garret of the years. The ghosts of griefs of other days—old timeworn sorrows gray. And the heart’s door 3 are open wide and Joy has ceme to stay. I pass from all the shadows of the longenduring night; I meet the Morning on the hills- —a brother to its light. What gain have I for all the years where weeping Memory dwells? The New Year Day shall greet me with the song of all the bells! The dreams that come a-sighing, with not one cheering gleam, Within the dusty silence they shall dream out their dream: Life is too sweet for sorrow —too wondrousbright for tears; I leave them to the shadows of the garret of tho years. Tho Spirit of God is a quiet worker, producing a beautiful life without noise. If you need witness in order to be good, you have neither virtue nor religion. The things that can decay only make the undecaying things more manifest. Our want of tenderness to others springs too oft from our high thoughts of self. It is given to plain folk to sanctify tile narrow way, and glorify the narrow view. Internal oppression is considerably more dangerous than outward opposition. lait.h is the road, but communion with the Lord Jesus is the well from the heart up Space is the grand attribute of God ; but distance arises from the meanness of men. May you and I be led to aim at what God promises, as well as at what God commands. Motives are everything to God; and. as far as we are upright, they are everything to us. I he essence of all the New Testament is t tlic Lord’s Prayer, which lias neither I nor Me in it. Downright decision on things which only experience can teach shows vain impertinence. We should never view God through anything, but- we should always view everything through God. The proud man who oppresses the humble, may perhaps be bumbled; but lie will never be humble. There is no sense in always telegraphing to Heaven for God to send a cargo rf blessings, unless we are at the wharf to unload the vessel when it comes. Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all ; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that c-ometh is vanity.—Eecles. 11: 8. These are the final words in the revelation of what life is when it is lived “under the sun,” that is, on the material plane, in a hemisphere with no vital relationships with the spiritual world beyond an intellectual assent to its existence. The mind travels on to that which lies beyond this life, and discovers only darkness. That outlook leads to the statement : “All that cometh is vanity.” This carries his opening affirmation. “All is vanity,” out beyond the present. The man who sees nothing but vanity in the things of today sees nothing but vanity in that which lies beyond bis ken. There is only darkness, no light, no knowledge, vanity. Therefore let a man take hold of the present, and get out of it all that lie ran ; let him rejoice in tho years, because they are tho only tilings of which he can be sure! This is exactly the attitude of thousands toward life. Indeed, it is tho only attitude possible to those who have no direct dealing with the spiritual world. This is all they can do,

and it is a pre-eminently sensible thing to do. Act what a vicious circle is that which the mind, so circumscribed, makes in its thinking! Everything liere is vanity—that is, void, not worth while; vet because there is nothing beyond, but once again vanity, let a man take hold of, and enjoy the present vanity ! C'an anything he more fatuous? Thus the Debater proves what the book is intended to prove, tlie utter folly of life “under the sun,” that is, life endeavouring to realise itself, while shutting out of its reckoning those larger facts, above the sun, beyond the material. . . i OUR GIFTS. What shall I give to Thee, O Lord? Til© kings that came of old Laid softly on Thy cradle rude Their myrrh and gems and gold. Thy martyrs gave their hearts’ warm blood, Their ashes strewed the way; They spurned their lives as dream and dust, To speed Thy coming way. Thou f-no west of sweet and precious things My store is scant and small, Act, wert Thou here in want and woe, Lord, I would give Thee all. There came a voice from heavenly heights:' “Unclose thine eyes and see Gifts to the least of those I love Then givest unto Me.” —Rose Terry Cooke.