THE GARLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3854, 24 January 1928, Page 68

THE GARLAND.

FOR THE QUIET HOUR. No. 751. By Duncan Wright, Dunedin. (For the Otago Witness.) SOME DAY! Some day these tired limbs will rest; Some day tliey’ll cease to weary grow. In God's dear House, among the blest, they-weanednesg no more shall know. Some day the loneliness will end l And heart no more will sadly brood! Dear fellowships,— to richly blend — VX ill fill the heart with gratitude!

S° me day—life’s mysteries will be o’er,— -the things now strange—the things of pain; And then, at last, on Heaven’s shore Iho things now dark will be made plain.

Some day! Till then, —perhaps not long— His smile to cheer, His love to bless! But then—the great triumphal song And never-ending joyfulness!

—J. Danson Smith > * . * . * CHINESE IDYLLS. A CHURCH MEETING.

The missionary looked on a score of very grave-faced men and women that night. They were gathered in the sitting room to discuss Church affairs. And the item on the agenda which had for the moment clouded each face was concerning a certain young man, Wang, about whom there were .ugly rumours. Evangelist Sing had clearly stated that,, if true, such behaviour not only besmirched the fair name of the Church, but destroyed the “ one heart, one mind,” wherein lay the Church’s power for testimony. Mr Sing never missed an opportunity to reiterate his convictions regarding this important subject. Old Wang, the cook, and Tien, the school teacher, were, like the accused, immigrants from another province, acd, apart from Grace, would have strongly resented the discussion of one of their own men. But to-night they very solemnly shook their heads when appealed to, and one remarked: “ There must be fire when there is so much smoke! ”

And the missionary thanked God inwardly for this big evidence of the Spirit’s work. Mr Tan, an old farmer, the father of the church, was fidgeting violently as the others spoke. Adjusting his large spectacles, he licked his forefinger for the task of finding a passage in his largetype Testament. “ I’ve got it! This settles it! ”

He always spoke rapidly, but this time he was galloping, and he read: “ ‘ And having stoned Paul.’ . . . D’ye see? . . ‘ Drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.’ . . . D’ye see? . . .

‘ Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up and came into the city.’ . . . D’ye see? . . . Brethren! D’ye see? That’s perfectly plain. We’ll stand by the fallen brother. Before removing his name, we’ll see what can be done to restore him.” And the years have rolled on mice that decision. And in the kaleidoscope of its spiritual experience the Church has had to apply the same principle in ■ turn to each who spoke, or was spoken of, that night. But Wang of the feeble knees still sits down at the table of the Lord with the venerable Deacon Tan. And unbelievers wonder how the blest tic '•hut binds stands all the strain that it docs in the Chinese Church.—Robert Gillies, from the Christian. '*. * * A PROMISE TO CHRISTIAN WORKERS. “ Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shait find it after many days.”—Eccles. ~xi, 1. ' ' “ Thou shait find it.” —He hath said it, He whose word hath never erred. Hast thou never heard of read it? Dost thou not believe His Word? Thou shait find—wherefore doubt it ? God is not a man to lie. Though thou hear’st no more about it, ■ Yet it cannot, cannot die. “ Thou shait find it.”—Thou hast sown, it, Now perchance ’mid many tears, v Yet although thou hast not know it, God hath seen thy faithless fears. And He says that, thou shait find it After many days are past, . And in harvest sheaves shait bind it; It shall come to life at last. "• Thou shait find it.”—Wherefore weary Of thy work ere it be done? Let this thought at all times cheer thee, That of all He loseth none. From each tiny seed there springeth Mighty harvests which shall bloom . With the day-dawn which in-kringeth Light to chase all earthly gloom? ' Thou shait find it.”—On, then, pressing, Sow the seeds which He shall give; Each contains a germ of blessing, Which is bound to grow and live. Soon shall come the glorious reaping, When the lost shall all be found; Meantime, God account is keeping Of each seed beneath the ground. —Fairelie Thornton. * * * -

Hearken diligently unto Ale, and eat yc that whicn is good.—lsa. Iv, 2.

“ So foolish was I, and ignorant; I was as a beast before Thee,” or this commandment would not have been needed. Good, wholesome, delicious food set plentifully before us, and yet we have to be told to eat that which is. good, and to let rubbish and poison alone! Is it not humiliating? We know too much about feeding on that which is not good,

and what profit had we in those things whereof we are now ashamed? The Lord has had to testify of us: “He feedeth on ‘ ashes,’ ‘ feedeth on wind,’ feedeth on foolishness.’ ” Jesus, our Wisdom, says: “ Come, eat of My bread.”—F. R. Havergal.

LONELY? NO, NOT LONELY. LONJJLY? No, not lonely While Jesus standeth by; His presence fills my room I know that He is nigh.

friendless? No, net friendless For Jesus is my Friend; I change, but He remaineth True, faithful, to the end.

TIRED? No, not tired While leaning on His breast; My soul hath sweet possession Of His eternal rest.

SADDENED? Ah! yes, saddened By earth’s deep sin woe How can I count as nothing What grieved my Saviour so?

HELPTjESS? Yes, so helpless, But I am leaning hard On the mighty arm of Jesus And He is keeping guard.

WAITING? Oh, yes, waiting, He bid s me watch and wait; I only wonder often What makes my Lord so late.

HAPPY? - Yes, so happy, With joy too deep for words, A precious sure foundation, A joy that is my Lord’s. —E. T. Poole. * * * When He bringeth in the First-begotten into the world, He saith. Let all the ano-els of God worship Him— Heb. i, 6. Angels heralded the birth of Jesus and His coming into the world. An angel strengthened Him in the garden; angels were found seated in the tomb; angels announced His resurrection; and angels proclaimed His ascension; but they did not worship Him. “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” "What a scene it will be when Christ is brought by God into the world, and worshipped by the whole host of angels!—H. W. Soltau. * * * HOW TO BE THANKFUL. The spirit of thankfulness should abound at all times; but at this season of the year, when the Christmas bells are chiming, our- hearts should especially go out in gratitude and praise. In some homes it may at first seem almost heartless to say this to the inmates; the ringing child-music is hushed, and the home seems empty and silent. In ethers, too, the dear one loved and trusted has been stricken suddenly down, and we are ready to cry out, with the prophet of old: “ All these things are against us.” But even at the worst, thankfulness for our miseries can and ought to pervade > every Chri .tian home. A mother, who for more than 30 years has not been able to read even so much as a psalm, and who frequently could not distinguish the faces of her children, said the other day that she did not doubt that her blindnes had been to her a mercy, and she could truly be thankful for it. Then when her eldest born, a loved son, died, she quietly said: “ Taken from the evil to come ”; and so, after each new trial, and many stormful gusts have swept over her life, she has seen in it a mercy and a blessing in disguise. Cheerfully she has/gone about each duty, and her whole life is a hymn of thanksgiving. Her secret is not hard to discover. The two lines— In each event of life how clear Thy ruling hand I see. comprises the whole wattcr: God overruling all, and that with loving care for her best good. So, anyone thus finding God, in every minutest event, and trusting in His strength and love, can be truly thankful, whatever may happen, and a due exercise of this Scriptural faith will ensure a year, of quietude and rcstfulness in God, to be continued on through the pathway of life. —Anon. * * * THE GRACE OF GOD. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation. —Titus ii, 11. ... Grace "and Truth came by Jesus Christ. —John i, 17. My Grace is sufficient for thee.—2 Cor. xii, 9. I commend you to God and to the Word of His Grace. —Acts xx, 32. There is a wonder-working gift— With hush’d hearts, feet un-shod, Oh may it now our thoughts uplift, It is—“the Grace of God.” It falls on childhood’s listening heart Like dew on opening flower, It flashes like a flaming dart In youth’s temptation hour. It brings the sinner to his knees, And makes all else but loss, Until with contrite heart he sees His Saviour on the Cross. It floods with Love’s compelling might The consecrated life, Makes it God’s witness strong—and blight, And conquers in the strife. It ha 3 a word for each and all Of power and peace divine, It maketh duty’s humblest call With heavenly radiance shine. It proves “ sufficient ’ for our need? Whate’er the need may be. For with it we are rich indeed, - And satisfied in Thee. It ever grows more precious, till The last ascent is trod, And we shall reach Thy holy hill Saved by "the Grace of God.” —Constance Cobte.