having an influence. There never was a human life but that had some
influence over some other human life. We influence more by example than by
words. If we say one thing and act another, we shall find our actions
speaking more loudly than our words. If we love God with all our hearts,
that love will influence another to love him. Never was love lost. The
love you have, O child of God, will find its way into some other life
sometime, somewhere. The more of God's love is beaming out of our heart
and life, the greater will be our influence upon others. Then may we love
him with all the heart. We should be filled with the Spirit. If we are
spiritual, we cause those we converse with to desire to be more spiritual.
We should be full of faith that our strong faith may help others to have
more faith. We should like for others to be such an example to us; and as
we would that men should do to us, let us do to them.
It is a very great source of regret, indeed, to be so destitute of love,
faith, and spirituality that we discourage and dampen the ardor of those
into whose presence we may be for a time. Be your very best for God every
day of your life and wield a holy influence over the hearts of men. The
very greatest benefit we can be to man and the highest homage we can pay
to God is to be filled with all the fulness of God.
TIMELINESS IN DOING GOOD.
To spend well this one brief life of ours, we must be active in doing
good. This we have already learned. But not only should we be active in
doing good, but we should do the good act when the act will be most
helpful. Do the good deed when the good deed needs to be done. The kind
word may be worth much and be greatly helpful to the fainting soul today,
but may be too late tomorrow. "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do
good unto all men." Will you stop a moment and think over these words? Let
no opportunity of doing good go by you unimproved. To neglect the present
opportunity of doing good and then never be able to do it is a sad thing.
"Of all sad words of tongue or pen
The saddest are these: 'It might have been.'"
Why do you keep all the kind thoughts and kind words for a man until he is
dead? They do him no good then. It is while he is living that he needs
them. He has burdens heavy to be borne; troubles gather thick over his
head; he is neglected and even misrepresented. You can help him with a
smile or a few kind words; but, no, you pass him by. Now he is brought to
the grave. As the cold clods fall upon his plain coffin, you say, "Well,
he was a good man, after all." Why did you not tell him that when he was
living? It would have buoyed up his spirit then; it would have made him
feel that life was not all in vain and that yet he might do a little good.
But now he hears not your words. They return to you or float out into
empty space a mere sound. The ear that was once eager for them and the
heart that was aching for them is now cold in death. Your kind, cheering
words are too late to give him encouragement; your flowers are too late to
be appreciated. Once they would have brightened his life, but now his life
is over. Once you could have chased away some clouds that were darkening
his life, but you did not, and that day has gone into eternity as a day of
darkness. You might have brightened it. This morning some kind hand placed
a vase of beautiful flowers upon my desk. As I write, their fragrance
reaches me and brings me tidings of some one's kind remembrance.
It costs but little to speak kind words, but oh! ofttimes they are worth
so much! I know of nothing that costs so little to give that is so
valuable to receive. But why keep all the flowers, the kind words, the
tender feelings and thoughts, and the sympathetic tears until the one to
whom they should be given passes away, and then come and let them fall so
gently upon the casket? Do you know of one who is weary? do you know of
one who is being misrepresented? do you know of one who is being trodden
down by others, with scarcely any one to speak a word of comfort? Now,
what would Jesus do? Look at poor Lazarus--turned away by the rich,
neglected and rejected; watched over by angels ready to gather him to
paradise when he passes beyond the need of aid from men. Why not be an
angel and make a day of paradise for him here? Let us do some angel-work
while here in life. The angels are ministering spirits. They whisper, "Be
of good cheer," "Peace on earth." They come to gladden hearts; they come
to close the lions' mouths; they come to open the prison doors and break
the iron bands. Oh, let us do some angel-work!
Hast thou any flowers for me?
Wilt thou kindly let them be
Given ere death be-dews my brow?
Wait not, give them to me now.
While in life's eventful day
Tried, and weary grows the way,
When in dark and lonely hour,
Give me then the cheering flow'r.
Hast thou kind words to impart,
Words that lift the fainting heart?
Speak ere Death's hand on me lay;
Speak those kind words now--today.
Kind words are but empty breath
To the heart that's still in death;
When life's load is hard to bear
Let me then the kind word hear.
Hast thou sunlit smiles to give,
Smiles that make us want to live?
Ere I cross death's sullen stream,
On me let those bright smiles beam.
Smiles, whate'er their power to save,
Can not penetrate the grave.
Ere I reach life's ending mile,
Give to me the sunlit smile.
Prayer can stay the trembling knee:
If thou hast but one for me,
Let it offered be today,
Ere the life-light fades away.
When my soul transcends the air,
I no more shall need thy prayer:
Let now, today, thy soul travail;
'Tis only now thy prayers avail.
"If I should die tonight,
My friends would call to mind with loving thought
Some kindly deed the icy hand had wrought,
Some gentle word the frozen lips had said,
Errands on which the willing feet had sped;
The memory of my selfishness and pride,
My hasty words, would all be put aside,
And so I should be loved and mourned tonight."
THE WARFARE OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE.
It is blessed and glorious to be a Christian. No other life is so
beautiful and pure; no other life is so tranquilly peaceful; no other is
so full of rest, happiness, and satisfaction. The Christian, however, does
not go to heaven on flowery beds of ease. His pathway is not strewn with
roses all the way; there is now and then a thorn. It is not sunshine all
the time; now and then a shadow falls. To win heaven he must fight. There
are some things to oppose a Christian on his pilgrimage to the skies;
these he must contend against. The contending against those things
prepares him for his blissful home above.
"All things work together for good to them that love God." Heaven's
blessings and hell's venom, angels' smiles and Satan's frowns, comforts of
grace and spiritual wickedness, good and ill, love and hatred, all work
good to those who have union with God. It is the battle that disciplines
and makes strong and brave the warrior, and not the victory. We are
exhorted to "endure hardness as a good soldier." There are some things to
endure along the Christian way. James says, "Blessed is the man that
endureth temptation." Temptations are outward influences acting upon our
natural emotions and passions to induce the will to act contrary to the
law of grace to satisfy self. We need not expect to be free from
temptations; therefore let us settle it that we will endure them. It is
really a blessed thing to endure them. You may think it would be a blessed
thing to be free from them, but such would not be the case. It is more
blessed to endure them. Temptations will never cease to attack the soul as
long as it inhabits this "muddy vesture of decay." Be brave, O soul, and
endure temptations. Be brave and fight the good fight of faith. Do not
faint because you have temptations. Do not fear because there are long and
fierce battles to fight. Be strong and of good courage. It is a life-long
struggle, and it is also a life-long victory, and in the end eternal
victory. Strong and well-developed spiritual sinews are the result of
resisted temptations.
It is not sinful to be tempted. We never lose any spirituality by being
tempted. It is the slight yieldings that cause a leaking, a loss of grace.
Clear up the vision of your faith a little and take a look at your
beautiful glittering crown of life. It is not gold, neither crystal. Do
not look at it as such, but see it a crown of life. Yes, you will be
crowned with eternal life if you will but endure temptation. Think of this
in the hour of thy sore trial. Fight on; heaven awaits to reward you.
LIVE BY FAITH.
Live by faith. There is no other true and right way to live. Without faith
it is impossible to please God, and of course the life that pleases God is
the only life that is perfect. We can please God; we can walk each day in
a way that is pleasing to him. Such a walk is by faith, not by sight. God
honors faith. He loves to have his Word believed. He delights to hear the
prayer of faith; it avails with him.
Around the great white throne in heaven the angels are shouting day and
night, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty! blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving, honor and power, belong to thee." But amid all this
sound of praise God hears a voice and bends an ear to listen. It is the
prayer of faith from the heart of one of his children. There is never too
many angels singing nor too many harps resounding for God to hear the
voice of his child. "My voice," said the sweet singer of Israel, "shalt
thou hear in the morning." He hears the first faint cry of his heaven-born
child. Even the unuttered wish of the heart, the unexpressed desire, the
faintest breathing of love, he hears and recognizes as the voice of his
child. Faith will wing its way into the presence of God. It traverses the
universe until it finds him and there brings the soul to its rest. Faith
will guide us through this world.
Faith touches God. A woman came to Jesus and tremblingly reached out her
feeble hand and touched the hem of his garment. He asked, "Who touched
me?" It was not the finger-touch that he felt, but the faith-touch. Today
we can touch him by faith and by no other way. Though many angels may be
thronging him, yet the feeblest touch of faith will reach him. You may be
one of the weakest ones, unnoticed and unknown. A little cabin on the
mountainside may be your home, but your feeblest cry of faith will reach
the throne of God, and he will send angels to encamp round about you and
deliver you. <i>Have faith in God.</i> When all is dark around you,
believe in him. Trust him when you can not trace, and believe when you can
not see. Never doubt his Word. Faith will prevail and bring you the desire
of your heart. Will you believe?
A VALUABLE LEGACY.
A legacy is a gift that some one makes to another; usually something that
one leaves behind, when departing from this world, for others to enjoy.
Some have left great sums of money to others and to institutions, and
these bequests have been called valuable legacies. I am now to tell you of
the greatest and most valuable legacy that has ever been left to man. It
is a bequest left not to one man but to all men. It is not a legacy of
silver or gold or diamonds nor of houses and lands. Nor can this precious
gift be purchased with gold. It is something Jesus gives; and what he has
can not be purchased with any earthly thing. I will read you what it is:
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." These are the words
that Jesus uttered just before his departure from the world, and this is
the legacy he leaves to man. Oh, what a gift! We can all possess it. We
need it as we are crossing the sea of life. Many storms arise and billows
roll high, but the soul possesses this valuable treasure of peace. There
is a stillness, a calmness, a peacefulness, in the soul that stormy winds
can never disturb.
This peace that Jesus gives, is given us through our obedience. "Oh, that
thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a
river." What is more peaceful than the calm, even flowing of a river? As
we look upon it a quiet peacefulness begins to spread its mantle over our
hearts. Still waters are a beautiful emblem of peace, while troubled
waters are a picture of unrest.
This peace that Jesus gives is unlike anything that the world gives. This
world contains many pleasant things and makes many very liberal offers,
but peace is never found by accepting any of them. The pleasures of this
world leave a bitter taste, while the hardships we endure for Jesus
sweetens our cup.
Shall we analyze this peace, that we may know all about it, even the very
hidden secret of the principle? The apostle says, "The peace of God, which
<i>passeth all understanding</i>, shall keep your hearts and minds." Let
us be satisfied to have our hearts and minds kept by this wonderful peace,
though we do not understand it. I have some flowers on my desk. There are
white ones and yellow and purple and red and pale blue. I do not
understand the principle of life that gives them such beauty and
fragrance. If I should dissect them in order to discover this secret, I
should destroy their beauty and be no wiser. We can not understand this
peace, but we can possess it.
There is power in this peace to keep the heart and mind. "Let the peace of
God rule in your hearts." Give thy heart over to its calm, still power. It
will rule very quietly in your soul, but rule with kingly power. The
waters can not rise in trouble where peace holds sway. When this secret
power has dominion in our hearts, it speaks peace to all around. It says
to the waves and the winds, "Peace, be still." On the attacking fears, on
the threatening circumstances, it lays a quiet hand and whispers, "Peace,
be still," and great is the calmness of thy soul.
SOME SCRIPTURES FOR DAILY PRACTISE.
If we seek God earnestly in the prayer of faith to help us in our daily
practise of the following Scriptural texts and then put forth our best
efforts, we shall find life daily growing more holy and beautiful. The
beauty and enjoyment of a holy life is that it can always be improved
upon. We can live in all the light that shines upon us from these texts
today, but tomorrow we find them shining a little brighter and fuller
light, so that we shall have to live a little more holy than we are living
today. Thus, all along our Christian way we shall find that we are growing
and becoming holier in life, and more of the transcendent beauty of Jesus
will be seen upon us.
"And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Eph. 4:32. Let this law
of kindness get into your life as its very essence. It is not enough to
affect kindness; we must be kind. A tender heart is the groundwork of
kindness. Out of such a soil the beautiful flowers of gentleness,
kindness, and tenderness grow. These perfume the life and make it cheering
to others. Can you be more kind in your daily life? Is your heart so
tender that it feels the suffering of the child or the pain of the dumb
animal to the extent that you find pleasure in giving relief even at the
expense of self-ease?
"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Col.
3:2. Guard your heart. "Keep it with all diligence." See that all of its
affections are on things above. Some of the earthly things that God has
given into your keeping will want some of your affection. The beautiful
home, the farm, the bank-account, the domestic animals, and even some
things almost worthless will want a little of your heart's love. Your own
talents and personal appearance may desire some of your affection, just
enough to set you approving them for your own sake. Practise daily the
above text.
"In everything give thanks." 1 Thess. 5:18. "Giving thanks always for all
things." Eph. 5:20. Thankfulness is a grace easily improved and developed
if cultivated. Likewise, it will very soon degenerate if neglected. In
order to keep a deep sense of thankfulness in our hearts, we must be
mindful of the gracious dealings of God. It is well to take time as often
as circumstances will permit to meditate in some quiet place upon the
goodness of God to you. We should have such thankful hearts that ofttimes
tears of gratitude will flow at the remembrance af God's goodness.
"Rejoice evermore." 1 Thess. 5:16. "As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing." 2
Cor. 6:10. "Rejoice alway: and again I say, Rejoice." Phil. 4:4. "Count it
all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." Jas. 1:2. This is the power
of the Christian life. We can always rejoice. We can be contented and
happy, whatever our circumstances in life. God's grace will sustain us.
Every day can be, and should be, a day of rejoicing. God is pleased to
have us happy, but he would have our rejoicing to be in him and not in his
blessings. To rejoice in the midst of trial is health to the soul.
"Pray without ceasing." 1 Thess. 5:17. "Continue in prayer, and watch in
the same with thanksgiving." Col. 4:2. "Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance
and supplication for all saints." Eph. 6:18. If you value peace and
prosperity of soul, you will not neglect to pray. It is prayer that keeps
us up above the clouds and brings heaven down. He who does not pray at all
is not a Christian, and he who does not pray much is not much of a
Christian. It is not those who have plenty of time to pray that do the
most praying, but they who take the time. Let there be some prayer every
day.
"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind
let each esteem others better than themselves." Phil. 2:3. This should be
the experience of your heart every day. When we are lowly, we see our own
faults and imperfections and our brother's virtues; therefore we look upon
him as better than ourselves. It seems to us that others are more humble
than we are, and have more faith and love God more than we do.
"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of
others." Phil. 2:4. We should be as much concerned in others' welfare as
in our own. He who is looking out for himself and neglecting others has
not advanced very far in the Christian life. The Christian lives for
others. He will overlook his own needs and see his brother's needs.
"See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that
which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men." I Thess. 5: 15.
"And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all
men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." Gal. 6:9,
10. To go about doing good out of a heart full of love is the way to spend
life. Heaven is going to reward us according to our works. The Bible tells
us so. Never a day should go by without our having done some good thing
purposely out of love to God and man. The Lord does not overlook small
deeds when done in love. A coral is very small, but many of them make an
island: a little good deed done every day will in a lifetime amount to
enough to build a splendid mansion in heaven.
"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." Gal.
6:2. To lift a load from off the shoulders of another is noble service. To
remove a burden from another's heart is truly Christlike. He who goes
through life bearing the burdens of others has found the easiest road; he
who goes through life refusing to aid others travels a road of hardest
toil.
"Abhor that which is evil." Rom. 12:9. God is holy; consequently he hates
that which is evil. When we admire the holiness of God, we loathe sin; if
sin has no horror to our soul, holiness has no beauty. To the extent we
love holiness, to that extent we hate sin. A good man of long ago said,
"If I could see the shame of sin on the one hand and the pain of hell on
the other, and must of necessity choose one, I would rather be thrust into
hell without sin than go to heaven with sin."
Sin is a hideous monster. Draw near to God if you would see sin's awful
hideousness. Unlike most other things, the farther you are away from sin
the more clearly you can see it as it really is.
"Cleave to that which is good." Rom. 12:9. To cleave to is to adhere
tightly; to cling. We cleave to that which is good by ever doing good.
When we hate sin as we should and see its awful shame, and love the good
and see its wondrous beauty, we would rather go to hell doing good than to
heaven committing sin.
"Draw nigh to God." Jas. 4:8. The close of every day should find us a
little nearer God than the evening before. We should hide a little more
secretely in his pavilion. We should nestle a little more closely under
his wing; his feathers should cover us a little more fully. Be the storms
what they may, we can daily live very close to God, and what we can do it
is our duty to do.
"Open thy mouth wide." Psa. 81:10. We should daily live with wide-open
mouth. If we will, the promise is that God will fill it. For God to be all
to us, we must expect all from him. God can impart to us only what our
hearts are open to receive. If we would live with God in our own soul, we
must have all our soul open to receive him. Many fail to see the beauty of
a life hid with God because they are looking too much earthward. Opening
the mouth wide implies an abandonment of ourself to God with a readiness
to receive all that God has to give, together with an expectation to
receive nothing that does not come from him. Then God will fill us daily
with himself. There will be a constant inflowing from God of strength and
ability to perform every duty of life, and of grace and peace to make life
an emblem of heaven. "The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou
shouldest <i>know</i> his will." Acts 22:14. "Not with eye-service, as
men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, <i>doing</i> the will of God
from the heart." Eph. 6:6. "I <i>delight</i> to do thy will, O my God"
Psa. 40:8. It is our privilege to daily <i>know</i> the will of God. It is
our duty to daily <i>do</i> it. It is a blessing to love to do it. Here is
the sum of all Christian living: 1. Knowing the will of God; 2. Doing the
will of God; 3. Doing the will of God in love.
"I asked the New-year for some motto sweet,
Some rule of life with which to guide my feet;
I asked, and paused; he answered soft and low,
'God's will to know.'
"'Will knowledge then suffice, New-year?' I cried,
And e'en the question into silence died:
The answer came, 'Nay, but remember, too,
God's will to do.'
"Once more I asked: 'Is there no more to tell?'
And once again the answer sweetly fell,
'Yes, this one thing all other things above:
God's will to love.'"
"Do all things without murmurings and disputings." Phil. 2:14. Let thy
life be free from all frettings and worryings. Let it be like the calm
flowing of the river. God is a strong and high tower, a refuge, a shield.
With our life hidden in him, worries and frettings can not reach us. We
may be treated unjustly by a bosom friend, but we commit it to God, and
instead of feeling the wound the friend gives, we feel the balm our Father
gives.
"Be content with such things as ye have." Heb. 13:5. "I have learned, in
whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Phil. 4:11. He who has
gained contentment has gained more than he who has gained the wealth of a
world, if it be contentment with godliness. A discontented life is a dark
spot on the page of human history. An even, contented life is as a
lighthouse shedding its peaceful beams over the turbulent waters where
voyagers come and go.
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Phil. 4:13.
"I am mighty enough for all things through Christ who empowers me."--
Rotherham. There is no excuse for your not living a perfectly victorious
life today. You can be a conqueror. Temptations will assail you, trials
will come, but you can ignore them in such a way as to show their author
your contempt for both him and his temptations. I read just this morning
this good suggestion: "Do not dwell upon your temptations. They are like
little dogs that bark after a man that passes by; if he stops to drive
them away, they bark more fiercely than before." You can do all things
through Christ, but you must do them in his way. Ofttimes he would have
you ignore temptations instead of fighting them. It is well ofttimes not
even to ask, "Who is there," when temptations come knocking at your door.