_LOVE OF THE SANCTUARY_
PSALM lxxxiv.
Gracious is the strength of this man's desire for the holy place. He
covets the privilege of the very sparrow which builds its nest beneath the
sacred eaves! When he is away from the Temple its worship and music haunt
his mind and soul. It wooes him in the market-place. Its insistent call is
with him by the fireside. Yes, "in his heart are the highways to Zion!"
And the permanency of this devotional mood transfigures every place. It
turns "_the valley of weeping_" into "_a place of springs_." The colour of
any place is largely determined by our moods. It is surprising what
treasures we find when our soul is full of light. What discoveries old
Scrooge made when the Christmas mood possessed his own heart! When we
carry about the spirit of the sanctuary, we convert every spot into rich
and hallowed ground.
"_I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in
the tents of wickedness._" Better to have the temple-spirit, even as a
menial, than the unhallowed heart in the glittering high places of sin.
"God's worst is better than the devil's best."