SERIOUS THOUGHTS.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 306, 25 June 1898, Page 1 (Supplement)

SERIOUS THOUGHTS.

THE DUTY OF BEING STRONG. There is a duty of being strong. Strength is not a mere happy gift that fulls to the lot of certain favoured people, while others are doomed to weakness. Never is weakness a duty. Over and over again in the Scriptures are men urged to be strong, but they are never urged to be weak. Strength is the ideal of a noblo life. Victoriousness is the characteristic of a life of faith, ladeed, the only hope of blessedness is through overcoming. Heavcu's heighti lie beyond the plains of earthly struggle, and can be reached only by him who is strong and by him whoever cometh. God will help us to be strong. "Ho giveth power to the faint." We are to be more than conquorors, not in ourselves, but in Him who loves us. "We aro to bo strong " in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." It is possible for us in all our weakness and faintnesa, to receive strength from the divine fulness. How to get this strength from God is therefore a practical question for us all. It comes to us in many ways. We may find it in book* ... in friendship, God, coming to us in other human lives. . . through His words of promise. But there is something even better than this. God is a real person ; and He comes into our life, if we will admit Him, with His own love and strength. The essential thing i« our being really united to Christ. " They that wait ou Him shall renew their strength." Waiting upon the Lord means trusting Him implicitly and patiently, believing in His love, keepiog near His heart, living in unbroken fellowship with Him. True praying is waiting upon God. -Key. J. R. Miller (F). Lord, what a change within us one short hour, Spent in thy presence will avail to make ! What heavy burdens from our bosoms take ! What parched fields refresh as with a shower ! We kneel, and all around us seems,to lower, We rise, and all, the distant and the near, Stands forth in sunny outline, brave and clear, \ We kneel; how weak! we rise; how full of power. —French (F). THE HARD THINGS OP LIFE. There is no doubt that every hard thing that God permits to oomo into our life has a blessing wrapped up in it. The things which appear before us as discouragements prove to be helps toward nobler attainment. A Christian physician, whoss career has been full of faith and noblo ministry, gives this experience:—He was a poor boy, and a cripple. One day he was watching some other boys On the ball-field. They were active, strong, and wealthy. As he looked on, his heart grow bitter with envy, A youug man who Btood beside him noted the discontent on his face, and said to him, " You wish you wore in those boys' place, don't you ?' " Yes, I do," was the answer. " 1 reckon God gave them money, education, and health," continued the young man, "to help them to be of some account in the world. Did it never strike you," he continued, after a moment's pause, "that He gave you your lame leg for the same reason—to make a man of you ?" The , boy gave no answer, and turned away. He was angry, but he did not forget the words. His crippled leg God's gift! To teach him patieuce, courage, perseverance ! To make a man of ;him ! He thought of. the words till he saw their meaning. That kindled hope and cheer, and he determined to conquer hia' hindrance. Ho grew heroic. He soon learned that what was true of his lame leg was true also of all the difficulties, hindrances, and hard conditions of his life—they were all God's gifts to him to help him to be of some account in the world—to make a man of him, —Christian Age.