THE GARLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3831, 16 August 1927, Page 68

THE GARLAND.

FOR THE QUIET HOUR. No. 729.

By

Duncan Wright.

Dunedin.

(For the Otago Witness.) The royal singer wrote amidst all the ups and downs of life : i “ ? "J 1 ! P raise with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto Thee.” “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in mv mouth.” J O, magnify the Lord with me and lot us exalt his name together.” * * » Laugh a bit when things look grey— Laughter chases clouds away! Smile a bit when things go wrong— Smiles make sighs turn into songi Hope a bit when things are black— Hope brings pluck and valour back! a bit! The things we see Often seem to you and me Hard and difficult; but Grit Conquers—if we trust a bit! — Lillian Gard.

Wrote J. R. Lowell: Jby is the mainspring in the whole Of endless Nature’s calm rotation; Joy moves the dazzling wheels that roll In the great Timepiece of Creation; Joy breathes on buds, and flowers they are • Joy beckons—suns come forth from heaven; Joy rolls the spheres in realms afar, Neer to thy glass, dim Wisdom, given! * * * “ THIS IS THE TRUE GOD.” The Maker of the Universe As Man for man was made a curseThe claims of laws that He had made Unto the uttermost He paid.

'His holy fingers formed the bough Where grew the thorns that crowned His brow. Th & nails that pierced His hands were mined in secret place© He designed. He made the forests whence there sprung Ihe tree on which His body hung. x u P° n a cross of wood, Yet made the hill on which it stood. Tim eun which hid from Him its face, rp, y i 13 decree, was Poised in space; lhe eky which darkened o’er His head iiim above the earth was spread. T W,f P + ar tha 3 His precious blood, Was tempered in the fires of God; The grave in which His form was laid Was hewn m rocks His hands had made. T W Tll , r ? ne f on which He now appears Was His from everlasting years: But a new glory crowns His' brow And every knee to Him shall bow’. F. W. Pitt, in the London Christian. * * * THE WEATHER. •• 11 ““»• The c ai l° n ’t On sumi ’ier davs because it is too hot, ?’°u r t 0 take what comes—you 11 find it helps a lot.

You can’t improve on things, you know, no matter how you fret; Fus ® lu » w ° n ’i make a hot day cool or make a dry spell wet; you wni m be® y ° U fUSS the m ° re unbappy And K frn^ y ’V admi,e that, now, stiaigli, from me.

We need all sorts of weather and we’re . going to get it, too; . a m we le lhe programme won’t be changed at all not even to please vou ' ' 80 whlt >■“" •”«' *> * * * a i?P eal to every person in this c-on-y.oUnK. or old, is not this life of Christ— that life by which your whole soul is transformed into love to God and men worthy of your heed and of your strife. Do I call you to anything unreasonable or less than rational when I appeal to you to take sides with the Lord G i°f d ? c £ - ifc ” ot to take si(Jes with yourself. Self-interest of the higher kind dictates that you should become Christian men.

I do not ask yon to join this church or anv church. Take what church you please, taking one church or another is much like taking an omnibus or a cab, according to your preference. Some vehicles run swifter, and some not so switt;. some are better and some are worse-in the matter of convenience.. But L^-?. 8 llot tlle fl ues fion. The question is Will you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as the model of your life? Will vou enter into His life, that you may enter into sympathy with all mankind? Will you take JI 1 . 8 .. cross, and crucify your selfishness? ” ill you rise into newness of life in Christ Jesus?

That life begun here is perpetual. Love never fails. Knowledge shall perish prophecy shall cease to speak, all that is beautiful shall stop at the mouth of the grave, wealth and power shall die. all tilings bright shall grow dim but love, once begun, and having in it the touch ot God s spirit, shall go on waxing brighter and shining stronger, and having more and more of the Divine Spirit in it, till at last you shall be caught up; and as flame mingles with flame your renewed and blessed spirit shall be brought into the brightness of the Divine love. God giant that you may be born a°-ain out of selfishness into love to God’’and love to men. • —Beecher, D.D. * * * A to each one surrounding me ■ » chal , lce of dew t° the weary heart, A sunbeam of joy, bidding sorrow depart. 1° the storm-tossrd vessel a beacon of liyht’ » I s ong in the darkest night’ A beckoning hand to a far-off goal,

An angel of love to each friendless soul; buck would I be. O. that such happiness were for me! I'. R. Havergal. * * # Whatsoever thy hand findetfi. to do, do it ly —Ecclesiastes ix, 10. With all our faults, God loves us if we are trusting in His Son, therefore, let us not be downhearted, but hope to live and learn, and do some good service the cart creaS it 'VIII get home with its load, and the o.d horse, broken-kneed as he is, will do a sight of work yet. There’s no use lymg down and doing nothing, because HLo Ca £ n °t d ° ever ything as we should hke faults or no faults, ploughing must e done, and imperfect people must do veai 100 ’ 01 thCle Will be 110 harvest next

—John Ploughman. * * * a man ba overtaken in a fault ve —Ga? vF f plntua1 ’ restore such an ’one.

Vie long to be able to rescue the perishing, to restore the overtaken, to bring back the wanderer to the ways of God vie confer as to our methods, w e discuss our machinery, and it is well that we should do so; but ultimately power tor service is a question of character. The sP Il _ 1( -yaI man can accomplish what is for ever impossible to the eloquence and the lure of the natural man. In the spiritua! man Jesus fulfils His promise, and out ot Him flow rivers of living and vitalis-’nn-it' Vh I '' ' V - here - Jesus re 'ffns over the -pint, the spirit reigns over all beside. —A. D. Garrow. * -K- * THE NARROW STREETS GF NAZARETH.

Oh long ago, when Jesus walked the narrow streets of Nazarsth, Did He not love that little town W breath? 8 climbed witJl Quickened Its houses and its streets H e knew ° home ]ove <l the best; , Proved with every Jewish child Xne blessings of the Day of Rest. .1“ by the Q uiet hearth, To tell he c- tO ° k her apart 10, tell how Simeon prophesied hearth’ Sh ° Uld PiCTCe t}l ® Cher’s upon the breezj’ hill She told how angels came to sing Above the hills of Bethlehem, liio glory of the coming King? 1 m can ? o! ' ; c aoh tliat distant land lo travel m the paths H o trod; pLll Cr ? W £ Him in heart Loth koon of Man, and Son of God. —Edith E. Trusted.