THE GARLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3574, 12 September 1922, Page 51

THE GARLAND.

FOR THE QUIET HOUR. No. 472. By Done an Weight, Dunedin“l never knew anyone to grow very rapidly in grace at holiday resorts,” said the Rev. Dr Talmage on one oocasion. “It is generally the case with people that go there that the Sabhath is more of a carousal than any other day, and there are Sunday walks, and Sunday rides, and Sunday excursions. The toughest thing I ever tried to" do was to be good at a watering-place. There are Christians who, in such a place, have made such terrible rents in their Christian robe that they had to keep darning it until Christmas to get it mended.” There’s not a leave within the bower, There’s not a bird' upon the tree, There’s not a dewdrop on the flower, But bears the impress, Lord, of Thee. Thy hand the varied leaf designed, And gave the bird its thrilling tone, Thy power the dewdrops tints combined Till like a diamond’s blazie they shone. Yes dewdrops, leaves, and buds, and all, Tho smallest, like the greatest things,— The sea’s vast space, the earth’s wide ball, Alike proclaim Thee King of kings. But mail alone to bounteous Heaven Thanksgiving’s conscious strains can raise; To favoured man alone is given To join the angelic choir in praise. —Amelia Opie. OF READING. One drachma for a good book, and a thousand talents for a true friend: So etandetk the market, where scarce is ever costly: Yea, were the diamonds of Golconda common as shingles on the shore, A ripe apple would ransome kings before a shining stone: And so, were a wholesome book as rare as an honest friend, To choose the book be mine: the friend let another take. For altered looks and jealousies and fears have none entrance there: The silent volume listenetk well, and speaketh when thou listeth: It praiseth thy good without envy, it ckideth thine evil without malice, It is to thee thy waiting slave, and thine unbending tone hex, Need to humour no caprice, need to bear witb no infirmity; Thy sin, thy slander, or neglect, chilleth not, quench mil not, its love: Unalterably speaketh it the truth, warped nor by error nor interest; For a good book is the best of friends, the same today and for ever. HUMILITY DESCRIBED. Walk humbly with thy God.—-vlicali vi, 8. Humility is the softening shadow before the statue of Excellence, And lietli lowly on the ground, beloved and lovely as tho violet: Humility is the fair-haired maid, that calleth Worth her brother, The gentle, silent nurse, that fostoreth infant virtues: Humility bringeth no excuse; she is welcome to God and man : Her countenance is needful unto all who would prosper in either world; And the mild light of her sweet face is mirrored m the eyes of her companions, And straightway stand they accepted, children of penitence and love. —Tripper. THE WATCH OF THE DISCIPLES. Out watch is heavy; it is long to wait. O world that chose the dark when new light shone, That smote our Leader where He stood alone, That made the bitter cross the prophet s fate I O blind who only see too late, too late. 0 world of the slow heart, whoso altar-stone Stained by the blood of martyrs is o’erthrown, • And you axe made the bondsman of your hate! Our lonely Leader you have hounded down; We are sharers of His agony, As we were sharers of His spirits dream. You bound His forehead with the martyr s crown, But we had trusted that it had been He That should forsaken Israel redeem. Mary F. Sears. LEAVE FEELING ALONE. This lias been my experience: that in proportion as I fix my eye upon God s fact, and enter into God’s reckoning, and act upon it, just in that proportion I am brought into blessed experience of deliverance. There are many people who look at deliverance as an attainment. They do not look at pardon as a attainment. Once they did so, and they were struggling to attain the forgiveness of sins. But, oh, what a happy moment it was when they saw that pardon was a gift, and because it was a gift they received it by faith. Then they went along the road, seeing that pardon is a gift,' but regarding deliverance as an attainment While they received pardon by faith, deliverance was something that they wanted to attain by struggle and painful effort, by earnest resolutions, and l T-denial. Are there any who read these lines in that condition ? Then you will make no progress. Go back again to the. cross. As the Lord Jesus Christ died to obtain your forgiveness, that you might receive it by faith, so He died on the cross, and yon were nailed on the cross with Him, that you might know your present freedom. Step into that deliverance this moment

by simple faith—the obedience of faith. Do not wait for feeling. Let me put in it this way. Here are three men walking in procession—Mr Fact goes first, Mr Faith follows him, and Mir Felling follows Mr Faith. Supposing the middle man turns ronnd and looks at Mr Feeling, everything goes wrong. His business is to fix his eye upon Mr Fact, and Mr Feeling follows him. Get hold of the fact, first of all—free in Christ, free on the cross. There is the fact. Do not reverse the order. —ltev. Evan Hopkins. ALL IS WELL. j' In the oentre of the circle Of the will of God I stand: There can come no second causer. All must come from His diear hand. All is well ! for ’tis my Father "Who my life has planned. Shall I pass through waves of sorrow 7 Then I know it will be best; Though I cannot tell the reason, I can trust and so am blest. God is Love, and God is faithful. So in. perfect peaoe I rest. "With the shade and with tbe sunshade, With the joy said with the pain, _ Lord, I trust Thee! both are needed. Each Thy wayward! child to train, Earthly loss, did we but know it. Often means our heavenly gain. Sing, my soul, sing ! Never come unto thy Saviour’s presence without a song! Even if there bo no fruit on the fig-tree or grape on the vine, though all around thee men are filled with fear, thou canst still rejoice in the Rock of thy Salvation. Go into his presence with thanksgiving for thy creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life, and above all for His estimable love in thy redemption ! Remember that He loved thee and gave Himself up for thee. He is a great King, but lie is thy friend. Do not be afraid when called to descend into the deep places of trial and sorrow; they are the hollow of His hand. Do not shrink from the climb up tire bleak hillside of temptation and labour ; the strength of the hills is His also. Do not fear the roar or moan of the sea; He made it. Sorrow and trial may threaten thy frail boat, but Jesus walks the waves! Worship Him ! Kneel before Him ! Trust Him ! He is thy Shepherd; He calls thee by thy name, thou art bought with His blood and protected by His staff and rod. Listen to His voice to-day. He calls thee by thy name and leads thee forth I Do not murmur or refuse Him ! Take thankfully the manna and water of His provision, lest thou miss His rest and the Sabbath-keeping of the people of God. They that believe may not enter into His Rest. Thou needest not wait for thy Heaven; it is within sight and reach, if only thou dost absolutely and wholly obey and trust. “More happy, but not more secure, the glorified spirits in Heaven.” SPRING. Let nature with promise fair Speak peace to the heart again. Ah! tears may have fallen fast O’er faces furrowed and wan, But, Jo! the winter is past, The rain is" over and gone. Look up, oh sorrowful eyes, That wept through a weary night, Hope smiles in the brightening skies, And joy in the morning light. Would ye conquer the tyrant care, . And banish her doleful train ?