THE GARLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3755, 2 March 1926, Page 52

THE GARLAND.

FOR THE QUIET HOUR. Na 653. By Duncan Weight, Dunedin. (Foa thi Witness.) If thy conscience be good thou hast a continual feast. Sweet will be thy sleep if thy heart blame thee not. Rejoice not but in welldoing; wicked men at no time have true joy, nor feel the peace of a godly mind. To glory in tribulation is no hard thing to the loving heart, and so to glory is to glory in the cross of the Lord. Vain is the praise which is either given or received of man. The praise of the righteous is in their conscience and not in the tongue of man. —Thomas a Kempis. PRAISE AND PRAYER. O Thou that dwellest in the heavens! In the power and might excelling: Wo pray Thee, in Thy grace descend And make our hearts Thy dwelling. Transform our darkness into light, Bid evil thoughts surrender, And guide, the souls who look to Thee With wisdom kind and tender. To Thee our weakness all is known, Our faint and low endeavour, The luring sins that threaten oft, Our souls from Thee to sever. But Thou, O Christ, most merciful To all for succour calling, Wilt prove a shield and sure defence, And keep our feet from falling. O God of love! for aye the same Thro’ all life’s changeful story, Help us ’raid cloud and storm to see The brightness of Thy glory. To trust Thee where we cannot trace, Nor fear the unknown morrow, Since Thou wilt bless all earthly joy, And sanctify all sorrow. With us abide, O Savious Christ! Blest Spirit, grace bestowing, To higher, holier heights inspire, Thy pure example showing. Oh grant us now for evermore That naught from Thee may sever, Till, toil and trouble o’er, we rest Within Thy heart- for ever! Annie E. Woodcock. • * » « • A HINT TO HEARERS. Two travellers put up for a night at a tavern. Early in the morning they absconded without reckoning with their* host, also stealing a bag of beans. A few years after they passed that road in company again; and again they asked for lodgings at the same inn. TTie indentical landlord was yet at his post, and in the evening was overheard by them talking in one corner of the bar room, in a suppressed voice, with one of his neighbours about a swarm of bees. One of his dishonest guests said to the other, ‘‘Did not he say beans?" “I think he did,” was the reply, and quickly they were missing. When a church member complains that the minister means him, this anecdote about the beans will pop into one’s mind. People whose consciences are not easy are very apt to be asking, in one shape or another, ‘‘Didn’t he say beans?" though, perhaps, the preacher was no nearer the subject about which they were excited than the to be beans. SUGGESTIVE PARABLE. A German writer says that the king’s daughter had a very learned man come every day to instruct tor in the sciences. He was very weak and sickly, dwarfed and deformed. One day the king’s daughter said to him: ‘‘How is it that you, a man with so much intelligence and such wonderful intellect, should have such a miserable body?” The teacher made no answer, hut he said: ‘‘Bring us some wine.” The order was given tho wine was brought, and they drank it. He said: “This is very pleasant wine, in which kind of vat do you keep it?” She said: “In an earthen vat.” “Oh," he said, “it is strange that in such a beautiful palace as your father has, he should have wine in an earthen vat. Why dont you put it in a gold or silver vat?” The king’s daughter said: “So it shall be.” One day the learned man was teaching the kings daughter, and he said: *1 am weary—bring me some wine.” The wine

wu 8 ordered. He tasted it, it was sour. He said : “This is miserable wine. What is the matter with it?” She said: ‘‘l cannot understand it, for we have the wine in a golden vat.’ “Ah!” he said, “that’s what’s the matter with it; that’s what has spoiled and soured it. Now," he said, turning tc the king’s daughter, “I will explain why God puts my mind in suen a miserable body. Had he put my mind in a body that was golden, beautiful, and imposing, I should have Lben spoiled with vanity, but He put me in an earthen vessel, and so I have kept humble.” Learn all you, my people, the meaning of this parable. God puts us down in mean, plain, uncomfortable surroundings to keep us humble. Had our surroundings been golden, our Christian graces would have been spoiled. Thank God for humiliations as well as triumphs. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” God knows best where the shadow should drop.

When once the heart is truly converted, then there is a change indeed. Other things lose much of their value, the soul is felt to be of the deepest importance, and the good news of salvation through Christ is prized above all. To gain a share in this great salvation, to be forgiven, reconciled, and saved, this is now felt to be the great concern; and all else is of comparatively trifling moment. The man in the parable went and sold all that he had, and bought the field where the treasure was. The Apostle Paul declared that he had willingly suffered the loss of all things, that he might win Christ. Our Saviour taught us that there is but one thing needful. Even so must we embrace the Gospel. We must seek salvation as the one thing needful: we must be wiling to part with all for Christ’s sake; we must count all hut los for Him. No bosom sin must be spared—no vain attempt must be made to serve two masters —all that stands in the way of our souls must be freely parted with. St. Paul never repented the sacrifice he 1 ad made:

“Yea, doubtless,” he said, “and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” So highly sould we prize this treasure, so joyful should we be to find it. that all else should seem to us as dross in comparison.

OUR GLORIOUS CHRIST. The Cross the Tomb, the Roman Guard, Betokened that the Cause was lost. Hope failed; to faith the way was barred; The world was dark and tempest-tossed. But from that day of black despair Our Christ came forth victorious; His cross became a symbol fair; Faith saw His form more glorious; Ring out His truth from shore to shore: “I am alive for evermore.” The world, by unbelief enticed. From age to age in vain has sought Again to crucify our Christ. With clamour that His Cause is naught; And fearful saints, like sheep, have quailed. But, rising from the wrecks of tune His Causa o’er evil has prevailed. And Christ appeared vet more sublime. Ring out His word which cannot faiO “The gates of hell shall not prevail. Though controversy flames with beat. And human structures crash and fall; The wrecks are strewn abont the feet Of Christ, who towers above it all. O Christ of God. Thou Changeless One, Head of the Church which bears Tliy namel When all is thoueht and said and done, Thou shalt abide for'e’er the same; And Faith shall see in clearer light, Thv form more glorious and bright. —Edgar Cooper Meson. • * * * • THE CONSOLATIONS OF GOD. Have you ever seen, or, perhaps, mad© one of, a party of people who are going to explore some dark, deep cavern—the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, or the Catacombs of Rome? They all stand out in the sunlight, and the attendants, who know the journey they are going to make, pass round among them and put into the hands of each a lighted candle. How useless it seems—how pale and colourless the little flame appears in the gorgeous flood of sunlight! But the procession moves along; one after another enters the dark cavern’s mouth; one after another loses the splendour of daylight; in the hands of one after another the feeble candle light comes but bright in the darkness; and by-and-Oy they are all walking in the dark, holding fast their candles as if they were their very life—totally dependent now upon what seemed so useless half an hour ago. That seems to me to be a picture of the way in which God’s promises of consolation, which we attach very little meaning to at first, came out into beauty and value as we pass on into our lives. * * * *

To want temptation is the greatest temptation of all. —Samuel Rutherford. Ourselves are the greatest snares to ourselves.—Richard Baxter. Satan hath only a persuading sleight, not an enforcing might.—Thomas Brooks.

—Saturday.— Rules:—“Walk by this rule" (Gal. xi: 16) “Let us waik by the same rule" (Phil, iii: 16).

God hath set it down for an eternal rule, that vexation and sin shall be inseparable.—Richard Sibbes. A peculiar gift may not be made a general rule.—Henry Smith. Ho that walks by rulo walks most safely.—Thomas Brooks. A rule must bo open, or else it is no rule.—Richard Sibbes.