THE GARLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3829, 2 August 1927, Page 68

THE GARLAND.

FOR THE QUIET HOUR. No. 727.

By

Duncan Wright, Dunbdim.

(For the Otago Witness.) THE BOW IN THE CLOUD. th o , clouds are black around you, Vi hen the stormy winds do blow, this blessed promise cheer you: " In the cloud I set My bow.” W hen discouragements dishearten When the heart is faint and low Listen! weary drooping spirit: “In this cloud 1 set My bow.”

in due time if ye faint not, ac shall reap what now ye sow bheaves of golden grain bear witness, If rr • cloucl wa ' 3 set the bow. It life s battle presses sorely, Fierce and powerful be the foe. Hearken to His voice still saying. 'ln lhe cloud I set My bow." j n / a ith’s whole armour clothed Victory s certain—this we know; V\e shall prove through fiercest conflict wi tUe cloud was set the bow When we come to death’s dark’ vallev m trium Ph we shall go; ” “In fbto ay6 i’ never leaves’us: In this cloud I set My bow.” Bl Ltohtin Pr °i ni3 i e! SUle and Pie«ious, 1 g darkness, conquering foe: But' to that not in sunshine, ’ cloud 13 set the bow lh A?]’ Uf ■ r ° Und Hia Tibuue we gather All fifes mysteries we shall know ’ Comprehend why in the darkness ’ ’ Ot the cloud He set His bow. —J. J. Blundell. A PERSONAL ALLUSION.

Brought -to decision in early life the° “ K S >c n ® ve r- tod> e- f orgotten address on the Second Coming of the Lord ” one Sunday night in Brighton, a great interest in prophecy was awakened in my own soul. Aly first attempt at Gospel Preaching took place in Hyde Park, when i ton h 1 1 not much moro than a b °yI toJd the people what I knew about 1 1 IV ‘ . A ?' oung fcllow came tip at the close to thank me, and to confess his faith in Christ. Since then, the preaching of the “ Coming of the Lord,” based upon the solid foundation of the atonement accomplished at Calvary has brought large numbers to definite conversion, and not a few to be heralds of the Gospel both at Home and abroad. Many of the points so clearly and powerfully communicated by Miss PankhurstJ in her new book, I used myself to speak and write about. I did so because I saw them clearly revealed in the Bible. But I scarcely thought I should live to see them happen. What gives this book such thrilling interest is that these things are beginning to happen. I am glad Miss Pankhurst lias refrained from datefixings (but she is right when she says: The day is very near when everybody on earth will understand and know with certainty that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming and coming soon.”) It is a great pleasure to note the clear teaching of sound Gospel truth in this hook. The Atonement, the Death and Resurrection of Christ, His Deity, and all these foundation truths are fearlessly proclaimed.

J esus, Son of Righteousness, Brightest beam of Love Divine, With the early morning rays Do Thou on our darkness ebine And dispel with pureet light All our night! Like the sun’s reviving rav, May Thy love, with tender’ glow AU _ our coldness melt away ’ ?' a . rui and cheer us forth to "o Gladly serve Thee and obey ° ’ All the dav!

° our only Hope and Guide, Never leave us nor forsake! t?! ever at T h *' eid e‘ J- 1 - 1 the eternal morning break Moving on to Zion hill Homeward still! Von Rosenoth. * * * A SLEEPING PRINCE SAVED FROM DEATH. Mr Arthur relates the following A small company of officers were making a retreat to Aloscow under the great Napoleon. A young German prince was one of the band, and on their way a great storm came on. It was bitterly cold, aiv’ the young officer lay down to rest, nerhaps never to rise again. One of their number seeing the prince lying with so little covering said: “He has never been accustomed to hardships such as these, but has Deen Drought up in all the comforts and delicacies of a luxurious and refined home. So thinking, the officer, moved to pity, took off his coat and spread it upon the sleeping form of the young prince. Another seeing the kind action did likewise, until every officer in the company had taken off his coat and spread it upon the prince. They lay down to rest. Hours elapsed, and the prince awoke. 4 Where am I?’ he said. ‘Can it be possible that I am at home? I feel so snug and warm.’ Not until he sat up did he realise the truth. He took it in at a glance, and hastily rose to thank his friends. Going to the first man he bent down to thank him. He spoke, but there was no response; he touched him, but the hand he touched was stiff and cold; he died to save him. Much moved the prince went from one man to. another, but found to his great grief that all had perished in the night. How full of grace the act was? I think this is typical of

Christ s sufferings. How He was scourge.l and spit upon, and still He suffered all with meekness, because He was full of grace, for: ‘By grace are ye saved, through faith and that not of yourselvesit is the gift of God." * * * According to Hia mercy He saved us — litus iii, 5. We love Him, because He first loved us. —1 John iv, 19. I k>ve my God, but with no love of mine, ror I have none to give; I love Thee, Lord, but all the love is Thine L’or by Thy love I live. I am as nothing, and rejoice to be Lmptied, and lost, and swallowed up in Thee. Thou, Lord, alone art all Thy children need. And there is none beside; From Thee the streams of blessedness proceed, In loee t.;C bless’d abide; Fountain of life, and all abounding graxxi. Our ."oorcp, our centre, and our dwelling place. —Madame Guyon. * * * Thou shall remember all lhe way which, the Lord thy God led thee.—Dear, viii, 2. He was better to me than all my hopes, He was better than all my fears; He made a bridge of my broken works, And a rainbow of my tears. The billows that guarded my sea-girt path _„,ut carried my Lord on their crest; V hen I -’’-ell on the davs of my wilderness march I cu.i iv.in on His love for the rest.

There is light for me on the trackless wild vvi i wondera °f old I trace, "rp 21 * l6 p°d °f the whole earth went before lo search me a resting place. Has He changed for me? Nav! He changes not. ~,.^ e "’*-1 bring me by some new way .through fire and flood and each crafty foe, As safely as yesterday.

And if to warfare He calls me forth lie buckles my armour on • He greets me with smiles and a word of cheer For battles His sword hath won • H n?) P r niy bro , w as 1 dro °P and He blesses my hand to toil. Faithful is He a s He washes my feet I’rom the trace of the earthly soil.

* # # Y° ld ., 23 very Pure: thvefore Thy seivant loveth it.—Psalm cxix, 140. Pause at any verse of Scripture you choose, and shake, as it -re every bough of it, that, if possible, some fruit at least may drop down. If your soul really hungers, the Spirit of God will not send you away empty. You shall at length find in one, and that perhaps a short verse, such an abundance of delicious fruit that you will gladly seat yourself under its shade, and abide there as under a tree laden with fruit.—Martin

My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake 1 with my tongue.—Psalm xxxix, 3. The message of God is always a secret giien by the Holy Ghost, and blessed by the Holy Ghost. No book, no earthly teacher, can ever impart that hidden wisdom without which your ministry must be a thing of nought. You must in your inmost souls live through the struggle and the victory. Nothing avails at all in this connection except an immediate and original experience of salvation. It is through anguish and fear for the most part, and always through anxiety and eagerness that we are led to that quiet trust in Christ in which we find rest and strength, and through which we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to teach other souls to forsake sin and live for God.— Dr A. T. Pierson. * * * Christ Jesus is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. —1 Cor. i, 30. He alone is the sinlessly Perfect, _ All our hopes upon Him are. stayed, For we know that to each, as we need Him, He abundantly is to us “ made.” He the empty doth fill with Hie Spirit. He the weary doth cheer with his rest; He doth keep each in touch, oh, so gently! In the way that He knows is the best. —Charlotte Murray.

In view of the danger to the public resulting from the sale by non-electrieal traders of unapproved electrical appliances (says the Wellington Evening Post), the conference of power boards urges the immediate provision for an appeal board for such appliances, this course being held to be in the best interests of both supply authorities and the public. , A demonstration, showing how the British army is quickly changing its transport system, was given recently at Aidershot. Those present saw the new sixwheeled lorries, carrying loads up to three tons, travelling across country, up and down rough hillsides, and across' the shallow streams, at 25 miles an hour, transporting troops, supplies, and guns with extraordinary ease and speed. The Royal Tank Corps gave a demonstration of its latest types, from the huge moving fortress mounting guns of heavy weight, and capable of leaving a smoke cloud to hide its movements, to the fast-travelling oneman tanks, armed with machine guns, which could change in 60 seconds from road travelling to cross-country machines.