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H. E. MANNING.

July 6

_I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee_.–ISA. xlii. 6.

_O keep my soul, and deliver me: for I put my trust in Thee_.–PS. xxv. 20.

I do not ask my cross to understand, My way to see;
Better in darkness just to feel Thy hand, And follow Thee.

ADELAIDE A. PROCTER.

O Lord, if only my will may remain right and firm towards Thee, do with me whatsoever it shall please Thee. For it cannot be anything but good, whatsoever Thou shalt do with me. If it be Thy will I should be in darkness, be Thou blessed; and, if it be Thy will I should be in light, be Thou again blessed. If Thou vouchsafe to comfort me, be Thou blessed; and, if Thou wilt have me afflicted, be Thou equally blessed. O Lord! for Thy sake I will cheerfully suffer whatever shall come on me with Thy permission.

THOMAS A KEMPIS.

My soul could not incline itself on the one side or the other, since another will had taken the place of its own; but only nourished itself with the daily providences of God.

MADAME GUYON.

July 7

_The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid_?–PS. xxvii. I.

Thou hidden Source of calm repose,
Thou all-sufficient Love divine,
My Help and Refuge from my foes,
Secure I am while Thou art mine:
And lo! from sin, and grief, and shame, I hide me, Father, in Thy name.

C. WESLEY.

Whatever troubles come on you, of mind, body, or estate, from within or from without, from chance or from intent, from friends or foes–whatever your trouble be, though you be lonely, O children of a heavenly Father, be not afraid!

J. H. NEWMAN.

Whatsoever befalleth thee, receive it not from the hand of any creature, but from Him alone, and render back all to Him, seeking in all things His pleasure and honor, the purifying and subduing of thyself. What can harm thee, when all must first touch God, within whom thou hast enclosed thyself?

R. LEIGHTON.

How God rejoices over a soul, which, surrounded on all sides by suffering and misery, does that upon earth which the angels do in heaven; namely, loves, adores, and praises God!

G. TERSTEEGEN.

July 8

_Be ye kind one to another_.–EPH. iv. 32.

She doeth little kindnesses
Which most leave undone or despise; For nought which sets one heart at ease, And giveth happiness or peace,
Is low-esteemed in her eyes.

J. R. LOWELL.

What was the secret of such a one’s power? What had she done? Absolutely nothing; but radiant smiles, beaming good-humor, the tact of divining what every one felt and every one wanted, told that she had got out of self and learned to think of others; so that at one time it showed itself in deprecating the quarrel, which lowering brows and raised tones already showed to be impending, by sweet words; at another, by smoothing an invalid’s pillow; at another, by soothing a sobbing child; at another, by humoring and softening a father who had returned weary and ill-tempered from the irritating cares of business. None but she saw those things. None but a loving heart _could_ see them. That was the secret of her heavenly power. The one who will be found in trial capable of great acts of love, is ever the one who is always doing considerate small ones.

F. W. ROBERTSON.

July 9

_Love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God_.–I JOHN iv. 7.

_Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel (or “complaint”) against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye_.–COL. iii. 13.

Oh, might we all our lineage prove,
Give and forgive, do good and love; By soft endearments, in kind strife,
Lightening the load of daily life.

J. KEBLE.

We may, if we choose, make the worst of one another. Every one has his weak points; every one has his faults: we may make the worst of these; we may fix our attention constantly upon these. But we may also make the best of one another. We may forgive, even as we hope to be forgiven. We may put ourselves in the place of others, and ask what we should wish to be done to us, and thought of us, were we in their place. By loving whatever is lovable in those around us, love will flow back from them to us, and life will become a pleasure instead of a pain; and earth will become like heaven; and we shall become not unworthy followers of Him whose name is Love.

A. P. STANLEY.

July 10

_The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever: forsake not the–works of Thine own hands_.–PS. cxxxviii. 8.

As God leads me, will I go,–
Nor choose my way;
Let Him choose the joy or woe
Of every day:
They cannot hurt my soul,
Because in His control:
I leave to Him the whole,–
His children may.

L. GEDICKE.

Why is it that we are so busy with the future? It is not _our_ province; and is there not a criminal interference with Him to whom it belongs, in our feverish, anxious attempts to dispose of it, and in filling it up with shadows of good and evil shaped by our own wild imaginations? To do God’s will as fast as it is made known to us, to inquire hourly–I had almost said each moment–what He requires of us, and to leave ourselves, our friends, and every interest at His control, with a cheerful trust that the path which He marks out leads to our perfection and to Himself,–this is at once our duty and happiness; and why will we not walk in the plain, simple way?

WILLIAM E. CHANNING.

July 11

_When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble_?–JOB xxxiv. 29.

_None of these things move me_.–ACTS xx. 24.

I’ve many a cross to take up now,
And many left behind;
But present troubles move me not,
Nor shake my quiet mind.
And what may be to-morrow’s cross
I never seek to find;
My Father says, “Leave that to me, And keep a quiet mind.”

ANON.

Let us then think only of the present, and not even permit our minds to wander with curiosity into the future. This future is not yet ours; perhaps it never will be. It is exposing ourselves to temptation to wish to anticipate God, and to prepare ourselves for things which He may not destine for us. If such things should come to pass, He will give us light and strength according to the need. Why should we desire to meet difficulties prematurely, when we have neither strength nor light as yet provided for them? Let us give heed to the present, whose duties are pressing; it is fidelity to the present which prepares us for fidelity in the future.

FRANCOIS DE LA MOTHE FENELON.

Every hour comes with some little fagot of God’s will fastened upon its back.

F. W. FABER.

July 12

_Be strong, and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid … for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee_.–DEUT. xxxi. 6.

The timid it concerns to ask their way, And fear what foe in caves and swamps can stray, To make no step until the event is known, And ills to come as evils past bemoan.
Not so the wise; no coward watch he keeps To spy what danger on his pathway creeps; Go where he will, the wise man is at home, His hearth the earth,–his hall the azure dome; Where his clear spirit leads him, there’s his road, By God’s own light illumined and foreshowed.

R. W. EMERSON.

Though I sympathize, I do not share in the least the feeling of being disheartened and cast down. It is not things of this sort that depress me, or ever will. The contrary things, praise, openings, the feeling of the greatness of my work, and my inability in relation to it, these things oppress and cast me down; but little hindrances, and closing up of accustomed or expected avenues, and the presence of difficulties to be overcome,–I’m not going to be cast down by trifles such as these.

JAMES HINTON.

July 13

_And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought_.–ISA. lviii. 11.

Wherever He may guide me,
No want shall turn me back;
My Shepherd is beside me,
And nothing can I lack.
His wisdom ever waketh,
His sight is never dim,–
He knows the way He taketh,
And I will walk with Him.

A. L. WARING.

Abandon yourself to His care and guidance, as a sheep in the care of a shepherd, and trust Him utterly. No matter though you may seem to yourself to be in the very midst of a desert, with nothing green about you, inwardly or outwardly, and may think you will have to make a long journey before you can get into the green pastures. Our Shepherd will turn that very place where you are into green pastures, for He has power to make the desert rejoice and blossom as a rose.

H. W. SMITH.

July 14

_Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind_.–ROM. xii. 2.

Father, let our faithful mind
Rest, on Thee alone inclined;
Every anxious thought repress,
Keep our souls in perfect peace.

C. WESLEY.

Retirement from anxieties of every kind; entering into no disputes; avoiding all frivolous talk; and simplifying everything we engage in, whether in a way of doing or suffering; denying the, imagination its false activities, and the intellect its false searchings after what it cannot obtain,–these seem to be some of the steps that lead to obedience to the holy precept in our text.

JAMES P. GREAVES.

Retire inwardly; wait to feel somewhat of God’s Spirit, discovering and drawing away from that which is contrary to His holy nature, and leading into that which is acceptable to Him. As the mind is joined to this, some true light and life is received.

I. PENINGTON.

Act up faithfully to your convictions; and when you have been unfaithful, bear with yourself, and resume always with calm simplicity your little task. Suppress, as much as you possibly can, all recurrence to yourself, and you will suppress much vanity. Accustom yourself to much calmness and an indifference to events.

MADAME GUYON.

July 15

_Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in_.–PS. xxiv. 9.

_Ye are the temple of the living God_.–2 COR. vi. 16.

Fling wide the portals of your heart, Make it a temple set apart
From earthly use for Heaven’s employ, Adorned with prayer, and love, and joy. So shall your Sovereign enter in,
And new and nobler life begin.

G. WEISSEL.

Thou art to know that thy soul is the centre, habitation, and kingdom of God. That, therefore, to the end the sovereign King may rest on that throne of thy soul, thou oughtest to take pains to keep it clean, quiet, and peaceable,–clean from guilt and defects; quiet from fears; and peaceable in temptations and tribulations. Thou oughtest always, then, to keep thine heart in peace, that thou mayest keep pure that temple of God; and with a right and pure intention thou art to work, pray, obey, and suffer (without being in the least moved), whatever it pleases the Lord to send unto thee.

M. DE MOLINOS

July 16

_Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee_.–PS. xxxi. 19.

_I will sing unto the Lord, because He hath dealt bountifully with me_.–PS. xiii. 6.

Thy calmness bends serene above
My restlessness to still;
Around me flows Thy quickening life, To nerve my faltering will;
Thy presence fills my solitude;
Thy providence turns all to good.

S. LONGFELLOW.

With a heart devoted to God and full of God, no longer seek Him in the heavens above or the earth beneath, or in the things under the earth, but recognize Him as the great fact of the universe, separate from no place or part, but revealed in all places and in all things and events, _moment by moment_. And as eternity alone will exhaust this momentary revelation, which has sometimes been called the ETERNAL Now, thou shalt thus find God ever present and ever new; and thy soul shall adore Him and feed upon Him in the things and events which each new moment brings; and thou shalt never be absent from Him, and He shall never be absent from thee.

T. C. UPHAM.

July 17

_For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us_.–ROM. viii. 18.

_The power of an endless life_.–HEB. vii. 16.

Believ’st thou in eternal things?
Thou knowest, in thy inmost heart, Thou art not clay; thy soul hath wings, And what thou seest is but part.
Make this thy med’cine for the smart Of every day’s distress; be dumb,
In each new loss thou truly art
Tasting the power of things that come.

T. W. Parsons.

Every contradiction of our will, every little ailment, every petty disappointment, will, if we take it patiently, become a blessing. So, walking on earth, we may be in heaven; the ill-tempers of others, the slights and rudenesses of the world, ill-health, the daily accidents with which God has mercifully strewed our paths, instead of ruffling or disturbing our peace, may cause His peace to be shed abroad in our hearts abundantly.

E. B. PUSEY.

July 18

_A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another_.–JOHN xiii. 34.

_And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love, one toward another, and toward all men_.–I THESS. iii. 12.

Let love through all my conduct shine, An image fair, though faint, of Thine;
Thus let me His disciple prove,
Who came to manifest Thy love.

Simon Browne.

We should arrive at a fulness of love extending to the whole creation, a desire to impart, to pour out in full and copious streams the love and goodness we bear to all around us.

J. P. GREAVES.

Goodness and love mould the form into their own image, and cause the joy and beauty of love to shine forth from every part of the face. When this form of love is seen, it appears ineffably beautiful, and affects with delight the inmost life of the soul.

E. SWEDENBORG.

The soul within had so often lighted up her countenance with its own full happiness and joy, that something of a permanent radiance remained upon it.

SARAH W. STEPHEN.

July 19

_The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works_.–PS. cxlv. 9.

_For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills_.–PS. 1. 10.

Maker of earth and sea and sky,
Creation’s sovereign Lord and King, Who hung the starry worlds on high,
And formed alike the sparrow’s wing; Bless the dumb creatures of Thy care,
And listen to their voiceless prayer.

ANON.

I believe where the love of God is verily perfected, and the true spirit of government watchfully attended to, a tenderness towards all creatures made subject to us will be experienced; and a care felt in us, that we do not lessen that sweetness of life in the animal creation, which the great Creator intends for them under our government. To say we love God as unseen, and at the same time exercise cruelty toward the least creature moving by His life, or by life derived from Him, was a contradiction in itself.

JOHN WOOLMAN.

I would give nothing for that man’s religion whose very dog and cat are not the better for it.

ROWLAND HILL.

July 20

_Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught, and in vain_.–ISA. xlix. 4.

Because I spent the strength Thou gavest me In struggle which Thou never didst ordain, And have but dregs of life to offer Thee– O Lord, I do repent.

SARAH WILLIAMS.

Mind, it is our best work that He wants, not the dregs of our exhaustion. I think He must prefer quality to quantity.

GEORGE MACDONALD.

If the people about you are carrying on their business or their benevolence at a pace which drains the life out of you, resolutely take a slower pace; be called a laggard, make less money, accomplish less work than they, but be what you were meant to be and can be. You have your natural limit of power as much as an engine,–ten-horse power, or twenty, or a hundred. You are fit to do certain kinds of work, and you need a certain kind and amount of fuel, and a certain kind of handling.

GEORGE S. MERRIAM.

In your occupations, try to possess your soul in peace. It is not a good plan to be in haste to perform any action that it may be the sooner over. On the contrary, you should accustom yourself to do whatever you have to do with tranquillity, in order that you may retain the possession of yourself and of settled peace.

MADAME GUYON.

July 21

_For which cause we faint not; but, though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day_.–2 COR. iv. 16.

Let my soul beneath her load
Faint not through the o’erwearied flesh; Let me hourly drink afresh
Love and peace from Thee, my God!

C. F. RICHTER.

In my attempts to promote the comfort of my family, the quiet of my spirit has been disturbed. Some of this is doubtless owing to physical weakness; but, with every temptation, there is a way of escape; there is _never_ any _need_ to sin. Another thing I have suffered loss from,–entering into the business of the day without seeking to have my spirit quieted and directed. So many things press upon me, this is sometimes neglected; shame to me that it should be so.

This is of great importance, to watch carefully,–now I am so weak–not to over-fatigue myself, because then I cannot contribute to the pleasure of others; and a placid face and a gentle tone will make my family more happy than anything else I can do for them. Our own will gets sadly into the performance of our duties sometimes.

ELIZABETH T. KING.

July 22

_Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord_.–PS. cvii. 43.

What channel needs our faith, except the eyes? God leaves no spot of earth unglorified; Profuse and wasteful, lovelinesses rise; New beauties dawn before the old have died.

Trust thou thy joys in keeping of the Power Who holds these changing shadows in His hand; Believe and live, and know that hour by hour Will ripple newer beauty to thy strand.

T. W. HIGGINSON.

I wondered over again for the hundredth time what could be the principle which, in the wildest, most lawless, fantastically chaotic, apparently capricious work of nature, always kept it beautiful. The beauty of holiness must be at the heart of it somehow, I thought. Because our God is so free from stain, so loving, so unselfish, so good, so altogether what He wants us to be, so holy, therefore all His works declare Him in beauty; His fingers can touch nothing but to mould it into loveliness; and even the play of His elements is in grace and tenderness of form.

G. MACDONALD.

July 23

_Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind_.–LUKE x. 27.

O God, what offering shall I give
To Thee, the Lord of earth and skies? My spirit, soul, and flesh receive,
A holy, living sacrifice.

J. LANGE.

To love God “with all our heart,” is to know the spiritual passion of measureless gratitude for loving-kindness, and self-devotedness to goodness; to love Him “with all our mind,” is to know the passion for Truth that is the enthusiasm of Science, the passion for Beauty that inspires the poet and the artist, when all truth and beauty are regarded as the self-revealings of God; to love Him “with all our soul,” is to know the saint’s rapture of devotion and gaze of penitential awe into the face of the All-holy, the saint’s abhorrence of sin, and agony of desire to save a sinner’s soul; and to love Him “with all our strength,” is the supreme spiritual passion that tests the rest; the passion for reality, for worship in spirit and in truth, for being what we adore, for doing what we know to be God’s word; the loyalty that exacts the living sacrifice, the whole burnt-offering that is our reasonable service, and in our coldest hours keeps steadfast to what seemed good when we were aglow.

J. H. THOM.

July 24

_Walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory_.–I THESS. ii. 12.

_Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not_.–GEN. xxviii. 16.

Thou earnest not to thy place by accident, It is the very place God meant for thee; And shouldst thou there small scope for action see, Do not for this give room to discontent.

R. C. TRENCH.

Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events.

R. W. EMERSON.

Adapt thyself to the things with which thy lot has been cast; and love the men with whom it is thy portion to live, and that with a sincere affection. No longer be either dissatisfied with thy present lot, or shrink from the future.

MARCUS ANTONINUS.

I love best to have each thing in its season, doing without it at all other times. I have never got over my surprise that I should have been born into the most estimable place in all the world, and in the very nick of time too.

H. D. THOREAU.

July 25

_He knoweth the way that I take_.–JOB xxiii. 10.

_Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way_?–PROV. xx. 24.

Be quiet, why this anxious heed
About thy tangled ways?
God knows them all, He giveth speed, And He allows delays.

E. W.

We complain of the slow, dull life we are forced to lead, of our humble sphere of action, of our low position in the scale of society, of our having no room to make ourselves known, of our wasted energies, of our years of patience. So do we say that we have no Father who is directing our life; so do we say that God has forgotten us; so do we boldly judge what life is best for us, and so by our complaining do we lose the use and profit of the quiet years. O men of little faith! Because you are not sent out yet into your labor, do you think God has ceased to remember you? Because you are forced to be outwardly inactive, do you think you, also, may not be, in your years of quiet, “about your Father’s business”? It is a period given to us in which to mature ourselves for the work which God will give us to do.

STOPFORD A. BROOKE.

July 26

_They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even for ever_.–PS. cxxv. I, 2.

How on a rock they stand,
Who watch His eye, and hold His guiding hand! Not half so fixed amid her vassal hills, Rises the holy pile that Kedron’s valley fills.

J. KEBLE.

That is the way to be immovable in the midst of troubles, as a rock amidst the waves. When God is in the midst of a kingdom or city, He makes it firm as Mount Sion, that cannot be removed. When He is in the midst of a soul, though calamities throng about it on all hands, and roar like the billows of the sea, yet there is a constant calm within, such a peace as the world can neither give nor take away. What is it but want of lodging God in the soul, and that in His stead the world is in men’s hearts, that makes them shake like leaves at every blast of danger?

R. LEIGHTON.

July 27

_He that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty_.–MATT. xiii. 23.

Then bless thy secret growth, nor catch At noise, but thrive unseen and dumb;
Keep clean, bear fruit, earn life, and watch Till the white-winged reapers come.

H. VAUGHAN.

He does not need to transplant us into a different field, but right where we are, with just the circumstances that surround us, He makes His sun to shine and His dew to fall upon us, and transforms the very things that were before our greatest hindrances, into the chiefest and most blessed means of our growth. No difficulties in your case can baffle Him. No dwarfing of your growth in years that are past, no apparent dryness of your inward springs of life, no crookedness or deformity in any of your past development, can in the least mar the perfect work that He will accomplish, if you will only put yourselves absolutely into His hands, and let Him have His own way with you.

H. W. SMITH.

July 28

_But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope_.–I THESS. iv. 13.

Yet Love will dream, and Faith will trust (Since He who knows our need is just), That somehow, somewhere, meet we must.
Alas for him who never sees
The stars shine through his cypress trees; Who hath not learned in hours of faith, The truth to flesh and sense unknown,
That life is ever Lord of Death,
And Love can never lose its own.

J. G. WHITTIER.

While we poor wayfarers still toil, with hot and bleeding feet, along the highway and the dust of life, our companions have but mounted the divergent path, to explore the more sacred streams, and visit the diviner vales, and wander amid the everlasting Alps, of God’s upper province of creation. And so we keep up the courage of our hearts, and refresh ourselves with the memories of love, and travel forward in the ways of duty, with less weary step, feeling ever for the hand of God, and listening for the domestic voices of the immortals whose happy welcome waits us. Death, in short, under the Christian aspect, is but God’s method of colonization; the transition from this mother-country of our race to the fairer and newer world of our emigration.

J. MARTINEAU.

July 29

_But this I say, brethren, the time is short_.–I COR. vii. 29.

I sometimes feel the thread of life is slender, And soon with me the labor will be wrought; Then grows my heart to other hearts more tender. The time is short.

D. M. CRAIK.

Oh, my dear friends, you who are letting miserable misunderstandings run on from year to year, meaning to clear them up some day; you who are keeping wretched quarrels alive because you cannot quite make up your mind that now is the day to sacrifice your pride and kill them; you who are passing men sullenly upon the street, not speaking to them out of some silly spite, and yet knowing that it would fill you with shame and remorse if you heard that one of those men were dead tomorrow morning; you who are letting your neighbor starve, till you hear that he is dying of starvation; or letting your friend’s heart ache for a word of appreciation or sympathy, which you mean to give him some day,–if you only could know and see and feel, all of a sudden, that “the time is short,” how it would break the spell! How you would go instantly and do the thing which you might never have another chance to do.

PHILLIPS BROOKS.

July 30

_Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to Thy mercy remember Thou me for Thy goodness’ sake, O Lord_.–PS. XXV. 7.

When on my aching, burdened heart
My sins lie heavily,
My pardon speak, new peace impart, In love remember me.

T. HAWEIS.

We need to know that our sins are forgiven. And how shall we know this? By feeling that we have peace with God,–by feeling that we are able so to trust in the divine compassion and infinite tenderness of our Father, as to arise and go to Him, whenever we commit sin, and say at once to Him, “Father, I have sinned; forgive me.” To know that we are forgiven, it is only necessary to look at our Father’s love till it sinks into our heart, to open our soul to Him till He shall pour His love into it; to wait on Him till we find peace, till our conscience no longer torments us, till the weight of responsibility ceases to be an oppressive burden to us, till we can feel that our sins, great as they are, cannot keep us away from our Heavenly Father.

J. F. CLARKE.

July 31

_I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee_.–ISA. xliv. 22.

_He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea_.–MICAH vii. 19.

If my shut eyes should dare their lids to part, I know how they must quail beneath the blaze Of Thy Love’s greatness. No; I dare not raise One prayer, to look aloft, lest it should gaze On such forgiveness as would break my heart.

H. S. SUTTON.

O Lord God gracious and merciful, give us, I entreat Thee, a humble trust in Thy mercy, and suffer not our heart to fail us. Though our sins be seven, though our sins be seventy times seven, though our sins be more in number than the hairs of our head, yet give us grace in loving penitence to cast ourselves down into the depth of Thy compassion. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord. Amen.

C. G. ROSSETTI.

August 1

_Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools_.–ECCLES. vii. 9.

_Let not the sun go down upon your wrath_–EPH. iv. 26.

Quench thou the fires of hate and strife, The wasting fever of the heart;
From perils guard our feeble life, And to our souls Thy peace impart.

J. H. NEWMAN, _Tr. from Latin_.

When thou art offended or annoyed by others, suffer not thy thoughts to dwell thereon, or on anything relating to them. For example, “that they ought not so to have treated thee; who they are, or whom they think themselves to be;” or the like; for all this is fuel and kindling of wrath, anger, and hatred.

L. SCUPOLI.

Struggle diligently against your impatience, and strive to be amiable and gentle, in season and out of season, towards every one, however much they may vex and annoy you, and be sure God will bless your efforts.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES.

August 2

_Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation_.–ISA. xii. 2.

_Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith_?–MARK. iv. 40.

Still heavy is thy heart?
Still sink thy spirits down?
Cast off the weight, let fear depart, And every care be gone.

P. GERHARDT.

Go on in all simplicity; do not be so anxious to win a quiet mind, and it will be all the quieter. Do not examine so closely into the progress of your soul. Do not crave so much to be perfect, but let your spiritual life be formed by your duties, and by the actions which are called forth by circumstances. Do not take overmuch thought for to-morrow. God, who has led you safely on so far, will lead you on to the end. Be altogether at rest in the loving holy confidence which you ought to have in His heavenly Providence.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES.

August 3

_Thou hast made him exceeding glad with Thy countenance_.–PS. xxi. 6.

MY heart for gladness springs,
It cannot more be sad,
For very joy it laughs and sings,
Sees nought but sunshine glad.

P. GERHARDT.

A new day rose upon me. It was as if another sun had risen into the sky; the heavens were indescribably brighter, and the earth fairer; and that day has gone on brightening to the present hour. I have known the other joys of life, I suppose, as much as most men; I have known art and beauty, music and gladness; I have known friendship and love and family ties; but it is certain that till we see GOD in the world–GOD in the bright and boundless universe–we never know the highest joy. It is far more than if one were translated to a world a thousand times fairer than this; for that supreme and central Light of Infinite Love and Wisdom, shining over this world and all worlds, alone can show us how noble and beautiful, how fair and glorious they are.

ORVILLE DEWEY.

When I look like this into the blue sky, it seems so deep, so peaceful, so full of a mysterious tenderness, that I could lie for centuries and wait for the dawning of the face of God out of the awful loving-kindness.

G. MACDONALD.

August 4

_He satisfieth the longing soul, and the hungry soul He filleth with good_.–PS. cvii. 9 (R. V.).

_That ye might be filled with all the fulness of God_.–EPH. iii. 19.

Enough that He who made can fill the soul Here and hereafter till its deeps o’erflow; Enough that love and tenderness control Our fate where’er in joy or doubt we go.

ANON.

O God, the Life of the Faithful, the Bliss of the righteous, mercifully receive the prayers of Thy suppliants, that the souls which thirst for Thy promises may evermore be filled from Thy abundance. Amen.

GELASIAN SACRAMENTARY, A. D. 490.

God makes every common thing serve, if thou wilt, to enlarge that capacity of bliss in His love. Not a prayer, not an act of faithfulness in your calling, not a self-denying or kind word or deed, done out of love for Himself; not a weariness or painfulness endured patiently; not a duty performed; not a temptation resisted; but it enlarges the whole soul for the endless capacity of the love of God.

E. B. PUSEY.

August 5

_O receive the gift that is given you, and be glad, giving thanks unto Him that hath called you to the heavenly kingdom_.–2 ESDRAS ii. 37.

_Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift_.–2 COR. ix. 15.

O Giver of each perfect gift!
This day our daily bread supply;
While from the Spirit’s tranquil depths We drink unfailing draughts of joy.

LYRA CATHOLICA.

The best way for a man rightly to enjoy himself, is to maintain a universal, ready, and cheerful compliance with the divine and uncreated Will in all things; as knowing that nothing can issue and flow forth from the fountain of goodness but that which is good; and therefore a good man is never offended with any piece of divine dispensation, nor hath he any reluctancy against that Will that dictates and determines all things by an eternal rule of goodness; as knowing that there is an unbounded and almighty Love that, without any disdain or envy, freely communicates itself to everything He made; that always enfolds those in His everlasting arms who are made partakers of His own image, perpetually nourishing and cherishing them with the fresh and vital influences of His grace.

DR. JOHN SMITH.

August 6

_Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits_.–PS. ciii. 2.

Wiser it were to welcome and make ours Whate’er of good, though small, the Present brings,– Kind greetings, sunshine, song of birds, and flowers, With a child’s pure delight in little things.

R. C. TRENCH.

Into all our lives, in many simple, familiar, homely ways, God infuses this element of joy from the surprises of life, which unexpectedly brighten our days, and fill our eyes with light. He drops this added sweetness into His children’s cup, and makes it to run over. The success we were not counting on, the blessing we were not trying after, the strain of music, in the midst of drudgery, the beautiful morning picture or sunset glory thrown in as we pass to or from our daily business, the unsought word of encouragement or expression of sympathy, the sentence that meant for us more than the writer or speaker thought,–these and a hundred others that every one’s experience can supply are instances of what I mean. You may call it accident or chance–it often is; you may call it human goodness–it often is; but always, always call it God’s love, for that is always in it. These are the overflowing riches of His grace, these are His free gifts.

S. LONGFELLOW.

August 7

_If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth_.–MARK ix. 23.

_Nothing shall be impossible unto you_.–MATT. xvii. 20.

So nigh is grandeur to our dust,
So near is God to man,
When Duty whispers low, _Thou must_, The youth replies, _I can_.

R. W. EMERSON.

Know that “impossible,” where truth and mercy and the everlasting voice of nature order, has no place in the brave man’s dictionary. That when all men have said “Impossible,” and tumbled noisily elsewhither, and thou alone art left, then first thy time and possibility have come. It is for thee now: do thou that, and ask no man’s counsel, but thy own only and God’s. Brother, thou hast possibility in thee for much: the possibility of writing on the eternal skies the record of a heroic life.

T. CARLYLE.

In the moral world there is nothing impossible, if we bring a thorough will to it. Man can do everything with himself; but he must not attempt to do too much with others.

WM. VON HUMBOLDT.

August 8

_Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage_.–GAL. v. i.

_I believed, and therefore have I spoken_.–2 COR. iv. 13.

They are slaves who fear to speak
For the fallen and the weak;
They are slaves who will not choose Hatred, scoffing, and abuse,
Rather than in silence shrink
From the truth they needs must think; They are slaves who dare not be
In the right with two or three.

J. R. LOWELL.

The real corrupters of society may be, not the corrupt, but those who have held back the righteous leaven, the salt that has lost its savor, the innocent who have not even the moral courage to show what they think of the effrontery of impurity,–the serious, who yet timidly succumb before some loud-voiced scoffer,–the heart trembling all over with religious sensibilities that yet suffers itself through false shame to be beaten down into outward and practical acquiescence by some rude and worldly nature.

J. H. THOM.

August 9

_The things which are impossible with men are possible with God_.–LUKE xviii. 27.

_Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence_.–PS. xciv. 17.

When obstacles and trials seem
Like prison-walls to be,
I do the little I can do,
And leave the rest to Thee.

F. W. FABER.

The mind never puts forth greater power over itself than when, in great trials, it yields up calmly its desires, affections, interests to God. There are seasons when to be _still_ demands immeasurably higher strength than to act. Composure is often the highest result of power. Think you it demands no power to calm the stormy elements of passion, to moderate the vehemence of desire, to throw off the load of dejection, to suppress every repining thought, when the dearest hopes are withered, and to turn the wounded spirit from dangerous reveries and wasting grief, to the quiet discharge of ordinary duties? Is there no power put forth, when a man, stripped of his property, of the fruits of a life’s labors, quells discontent and gloomy forebodings, and serenely and patiently returns to the tasks which Providence assigns?

WM. E. CHANNING.

August 10

_The cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it_?–JOHN xviii. 11.

_Whatsoever is brought upon thee, take cheerfully_.–ECCLESIASTICUS ii. 4.

Every sorrow, every smart,
That the Eternal Father’s heart
Hath appointed me of yore,
Or hath yet for me in store,
As my life flows on, I ‘ll take
Calmly, gladly, for His sake,
No more faithless murmurs make

P. GERHARDT.

The very least and the very greatest sorrows that God ever suffers to befall thee, proceed from the depths of His unspeakable love; and such great love were better for thee than the highest and best gifts besides that He has given thee, or ever could give thee, if thou couldst but see it in this light. So that if your little finger only aches, if you are cold, if you are hungry or thirsty, if others vex you by their words or deeds, or whatever happens to you that causes you distress or pain, it will all help to fit you for a noble and blessed state.

J. TAULER.

AUGUST 11

_The Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto_.–DEUT. xv. 10.

My place of lowly service, too,
Beneath Thy sheltering wings I see; For all the work I have to do
Is done through strengthening rest in Thee.

A. L. WARING.

I think I find most help in trying to look on all interruptions and hindrances to work that one has planned out for oneself as discipline, trials sent by God to help one against getting selfish over one’s work. Then one can feel that perhaps one’s true work–one’s work for God–consists in doing some trifling haphazard thing that has been thrown into one’s day. It is not waste of time, as one is tempted to think, it is the most important part of the work of the day,–the part one can best offer to God. After such a hindrance, do not rush after the planned work; trust that the time to finish it will be given sometime, and keep a quiet heart about it.

ANNIE KEARY.

August 12

_Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life_?–LUKE x. 25.

_Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might_.–ECCLES. ix. 10.

“What shall I do to gain eternal life?” “Discharge aright
The simple dues with which each day is rife, Yea, with thy might.”

F. VON SCHILLER.

A man is relieved and gay when he has put his heart into his work, and done his best; but what he has said or done otherwise, shall give him no peace.

R. W. EMERSON.

Be diligent, after thy power, to do deeds of love. Think nothing too little, nothing too low, to do lovingly for the sake of God. Bear with infirmities, ungentle tempers, contradictions; visit, if thou mayest, the sick; relieve the poor; forego thyself and thine own ways for love; and He whom in them thou lovest, to whom in them thou ministerest, will own thy love, and will pour His own love into thee.

E. B. PUSEY.

August 13

_In your patience possess ye your souls_.–LUKE xxi. 19.

What though thy way be dark, and earth With ceaseless care do cark, till mirth To thee no sweet strain singeth;
Still hide thy life above, and still Believe that God is love; fulfil
Whatever lot He bringeth.

ALBERT E. EVANS.

The soul loses command of itself when it is impatient. Whereas, when it submits without a murmur it possesses itself in peace, and possesses God. To be impatient, is to desire what we have not, or not to desire what we have. When we acquiesce in an evil, it is no longer such. Why make a real calamity of it by resistance? Peace does not dwell in outward things, but within the soul. We may preserve it in the midst of the bitterest pain, if our will remains firm and submissive. Peace in this life springs from acquiescence even in disagreeable things, not in an exemption from bearing them.

FRANCOIS DE LA MOTHE FENELON.

The chief pang of most trials is not so much the actual suffering itself, as our own spirit of resistance to it.

JEAN NICOLAS GROU.

August 14

_I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help_.–PS. cxxi. 1.

_My grace is sufficient for thee_.–2 COR. xii. 9.

I look to Thee in every need,
And never look in vain;
I feel Thy touch, Eternal Love,
And all is well again:
The thought of Thee is mightier far Than sin and pain and sorrow are.

S. LONGFELLOW.

How can you live sweetly amid the vexatious things, the irritating things, the multitude of little worries and frets, which lie all along your way, and which you cannot evade? You cannot at present change your surroundings. Whatever kind of life you are to live, must be lived amid precisely the experiences in which you are now moving. Here you must win your victories or suffer your defeats. No restlessness or discontent can change your lot. Others may have other circumstances surrounding them, but here are yours. You had better make up your mind to accept what you cannot alter. You can live a beautiful life in the midst of your present circumstances.

J. R. MILLER.

Strive to realize a state of inward happiness, independent of circumstances.

J. P. GREAVES.

August 15

_God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind_.–2 TIM. i. 7.

We cast behind fear, sin, and death; With Thee we seek the things above;
Our inmost souls Thy spirit breathe, Of power, of calmness, and of love.

HYMNS OF THE SPIRIT.

I must conclude with a more delightful subject,–my most dear and blessed sister. I never saw a more perfect instance of the spirit of power and of love, and of a sound mind; intense love, almost to the annihilation of selfishness–a daily martyrdom for twenty years, during which she adhered to her early-formed resolution of never talking about herself; thoughtful about the very pins and ribands of my wife’s dress, about the making of a doll’s cap for a child,–but of herself, save only as regarded her ripening in all goodness, wholly thoughtless; enjoying everything lovely, graceful, beautiful, high-minded, whether in God’s works or man’s, with the keenest relish; inheriting the earth to the very fulness of the promise, though never leaving her crib, nor changing her posture; and preserved through the very valley of the shadow of death, from all fear or impatience, or from every cloud of impaired reason, which might mar the beauty of Christ’s spirit’s glorious work.

THOMAS ARNOLD.

August 16

_Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap_.–GAL. vi. 7.

The life above, when this is past,
Is the ripe fruit of life below.

Sow love, and taste its fruitage pure; Sow peace, and reap its harvest bright; Sow sunbeams on the rock and moor,
And find a harvest-home of light.

H. BONAR.

The dispositions, affections, inclinations of soul, which shall issue hereafter in perfection, must be trained and nurtured in us throughout the whole course of this earthly life. When shall we bear in mind this plain truth, that the future perfection of the saints is not a translation from one state or disposition of soul into another, diverse from the former; but the carrying out, and, as it were, the blossom and the fruitage of one and the same principle of spiritual life, which, through their whole career on earth, has been growing with an even strength, putting itself forth in the beginnings and promise of perfection, reaching upward with steadfast aspirations after perfect holiness?

H. E. MANNING.

August 17

_O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give Thy strength unto Thy servant, and save the son of Thy handmaid_.–PS. lxxxvi. 16.

Thou art my King–
My King henceforth alone;
And I, Thy servant, Lord, am all Thine own. Give me Thy strength; oh! let Thy dwelling be In this poor heart that pants, my Lord, for Thee!

G. TERSTEEGEN.

When it is the one ruling, never-ceasing desire of our hearts, that God may be the beginning and end, the reason and motive, the rule and measure, of our doing or not doing, from morning to night; then everywhere, whether speaking or silent, whether inwardly or outwardly employed, we are equally offered up to the eternal Spirit, have our life in Him and from Him, and are united to Him by that Spirit of Prayer which is the comfort, the support, the strength and security of the soul, travelling, by the help of God, through the vanity of time into the riches of eternity. Let us have no thought or care, but how to be wholly His devoted instruments; everywhere, and in everything, His adoring, joyful, and thankful servants.

WM. LAW.

August 18

_Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God_–I JOHN iii. 21.

O Lord, how happy is the time
When in Thy love I rest:
When from my weariness I climb
E’en to Thy tender breast.
The night of sorrow endeth there,
Thy rays outshine the sun;
And in Thy pardon and Thy care
The heaven of heavens is won.

W. C. DESSLER.

Nothing doth so much establish the mind amidst the rollings and turbulency of present things, as both a look above them, and a look beyond them; above them to the good and steady Hand by which they are ruled, and beyond them to the sweet and beautiful end to which, by that Hand, they shall be brought. Study pure and holy walking, if you would have your confidence firm, and have boldness and joy in God. You will find that a little sin will shake your trust and disturb your peace more than the greatest sufferings: yea, in those sufferings, your assurance and joy in God will grow and abound most if sin be kept out. So much sin as gets in, so much peace will go out.

R. LEIGHTON.

August 19

_Teach me Thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path_.–PS. xxvii. 11.

Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from home, Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see The distant scene; one step enough for me.

J. H. NEWMAN.

God only is holy; He alone knows how to lead His children in the paths of holiness. He knows every aspect of your soul, every thought of your heart, every secret of your character, its difficulties and hindrances; He knows how to mould you to His will, and lead you onwards to perfect sanctification; He knows exactly how each event, each trial, each temptation, will tell upon you, and He disposes all things accordingly. The consequences of this belief, if fully grasped, will influence your whole life. You will seek to give yourself up to God more and more unreservedly, asking nothing, refusing nothing, wishing nothing, but what He wills; not seeking to bring things about for yourself, taking all He sends joyfully, and believing the “one step” set before you to be enough for you. You will be satisfied that even though there are clouds around, and your way seems dark, He is directing all, and that what seems a hindrance will prove a blessing, since He wills it.

JEAN NICOLAS GROU.

August 20

_Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord_.–PS. xxvii. 14.

_He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength_.–ISA. xl. 29.

Leaning on Him, make with reverent meekness His own thy will,
And with strength from Him shall thy utter weakness Life’s task fulfil.

J. G. WHITTIER.

Should we feel at times disheartened and discouraged, a confiding thought, a simple movement of heart towards God will renew our powers. Whatever He may demand of us, He will give us at the moment the strength and the courage that we need.

FRANCOIS DE LA MOTHE FENELON.

We require a certain firmness in all circumstances of life, even the happiest, and perhaps contradictions come in order to prove and exercise this; and, if we can only determine so to use them, the very effort brings back tranquillity to the soul, which always enjoys having exercised its strength in conformity to duty.

WM. VON HUMBOLDT.

August 21

_We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves_.–ROM. xv. 1.

_The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary_.

If there be some weaker one,
Give me strength to help him on;
If a blinder soul there be,
Let me guide him nearer Thee.

J. G. WHITTIER.

Ask Him to increase your powers of sympathy: to give you more quickness and depth of sympathy, in little things as well as great. Opportunities of doing a kindness are often lost from mere want of thought. Half a dozen lines of kindness may bring sunshine into the whole day of some sick person. Think of the pleasure you might give to some one who is much shut up, and who has fewer pleasures than you have, by sharing with her some little comfort or enjoyment that you have learnt to look upon as a necessary of life,–the pleasant drive, the new book, flowers from the country, etc. Try to put yourself in another’s place. Ask “What should I like myself, if I were hard-worked, or sick, or lonely?” Cultivate the _habit_ of sympathy.

G. H. WILKINSON.

August 22

_I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service_.–ROM. xii. 1.

Thou hast my flesh, Thy hallowed shrine, Devoted solely to Thy will;
Here let Thy light forever shine,
This house still let Thy presence fill; O Source of Life, live, dwell, and move In me, till all my life be love!

JOACHIM LANCE.

May it not be a comfort to those of us who feel we have not the mental or spiritual power that others have, to notice that the living sacrifice mentioned in Rom. xii. 1, is our “bodies”? Of course, that includes the mental power, but does it not also include the loving, sympathizing glance, the kind, encouraging word, _the ready errand for another_, the work of our hands, opportunities for all of which come oftener in the day than for the mental power we are often tempted to envy? May we be enabled to offer willingly that which we have.

ANON.

August 23

_Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not_.–JER. xlv. 5.

I would not have the restless will
That hurries to and fro,
Seeking for some great thing to do, Or secret thing to know;
I would be treated as a child,
And guided where I go.

A. L. WARING.

Oh! be little, be little; and then thou wilt be content with little; and if thou feel, now and then, a check or a secret smiting,–in _that_ is the Father’s love; be not over-wise, nor over-eager, in thy own willing, running, and desiring, and thou mayest feel it so; and by degrees come to the knowledge of thy Guide, who will lead thee, step by step, in the path of life, and teach thee to follow. Be still, and wait for light and strength.

I. PENINGTON.

Sink into the sweet and blessed littleness, where thou livest by grace alone. Contemplate with delight the holiness and goodness in God, which thou dost not find in thyself. How lovely it is to be nothing when God is all!

G. TERSTEEGEN.

August 24

_And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares, and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection_.–LUKE viii. 14.

Preserve me from my calling’s snare, And hide my simple heart above,
Above the thorns of choking care,
The gilded baits of worldly love.

C. WESLEY.

Anything allowed in the heart which is contrary to the will of God, let it seem ever so insignificant, or be ever so deeply hidden, will cause us to fall before our enemies. Any root of bitterness cherished towards another, any self-seeking, any harsh judgments indulged in, any slackness in obeying the voice of the Lord, any doubtful habits or surroundings, any one of these things will effectually cripple and paralyze our spiritual life. I believe our blessed Guide, the indwelling Holy Spirit, is always secretly discovering these things to us by continual little twinges and pangs of conscience, so that we are left without excuse,

H. W. SMITH.

August 25

_See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh_.–HEB. xii. 25.

From the world of sin and noise
And hurry I withdraw;
For the small and inward voice
I wait with humble awe;
Silent am I now and still,
Dare not in Thy presence move;
To my waiting soul reveal
The secret of Thy love.

C. WESLEY.

When therefore the smallest instinct or desire of thy heart calleth thee towards God, and a newness of life, give it time and leave to speak; and take care thou refuse not Him that speaketh. Be retired, silent, passive, and humbly attentive to this new risen light within thee.

WM. LAW.

It is hardly to be wondered at that he should lose the finer consciousness of higher powers and deeper feelings, not from any behavior in itself wrong, but from the hurry, noise, and tumult in the streets of life, that, penetrating too deep into the house of life, dazed and stupefied the silent and lonely watcher in the chamber of conscience, far apart. He had no time to think or feel.

G. MACDONALD.

August 26

_Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord_.–ZECH. ii. 13.

Be earth, with all her scenes, withdrawn; Let noise and vanity be gone:
In secret silence of the mind,
My heaven, and there my God, I find.

I. WATTS.

It is only with the pious affection of the will that we can be spiritually attentive to God. As long as the noisy restlessness of the thoughts goes on, the gentle and holy desires of the new nature are overpowered and inactive.

J. P. GREAVES.

There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul. God is whispering to us wellnigh incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear these whisperings of God. He is always whispering to us, only we do not always hear, because of the noise, hurry, and distraction which life causes as it rushes on.

F. W. FABER.

The prayer of faith is a sincere, sweet, and quiet view of divine, eternal truth. The soul rests quiet, perceiving and loving God; sweetly rejecting all the imaginations that present themselves, calming the mind in the Divine presence, and fixing it only on God.

M. DE MOLINOS.

August 27

_Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it_.–PHIL. i. 6.

_He that endureth to the end shall be saved_.–MATT. x. 22.

Fill with inviolable peace;
Stablish and keep my settled heart; In Thee may all my wanderings cease,
From Thee no more may I depart:
Thy utmost goodness called to prove, Loved with an everlasting love!

C. WESLEY.

If any sincere Christian cast himself with his whole will upon the Divine Presence which dwells within him, he shall be kept safe unto the end. What is it that makes us unable to persevere? Is it want of strength? By no means. We have with us the strength of the Holy Spirit. When did we ever set ourselves sincerely to any work according to the will of God, and fail for want of strength? It was not that strength failed the will, but that the will failed first. If we could but embrace the Divine will with the whole love of ours; cleaving to it, and holding fast by it, we should be borne along as upon “the river of the water of life.” We open only certain chambers of our will to the influence of the Divine will. We are afraid of being wholly absorbed into it. And yet, if we would have peace, we must be altogether united to Him.

H. E. MANNING.

August 28

_They that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee_.–PS. ix. 10.

_Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good_.–PS. lxxxv. 12.

In Thee I place my trust,
On Thee I calmly rest;
I know Thee good, I know Thee just, And count Thy choice the best.

H. F. LYTE.

The souls that would really be richer in duty in some new position, are precisely those who borrow no excuses from the old one; who even esteem it full of privileges, plenteous in occasions of good, frequent in divine appeals, which they chide their graceless and unloving temper for not heeding more. Wretched and barren is the discontent that quarrels with its tools instead of with its skill; and, by criticising Providence, manages to keep up complacency with self. How gentle should we be, if we were not provoked; how pious, if we were not busy; the sick would be patient, only he is not in health; the obscure would do great things, only he is not conspicuous!

J. MARTINEAU.

August 29

_Am I my brother’s keeper_?–GEN. iv. 9.

Because I held upon my selfish, road, And left my brother wounded by the way, And called ambition duty, and pressed on– O Lord, I do repent.

SARAH WILLIAMS.

How many are the sufferers who have fallen amongst misfortunes along the wayside of life! “By _chance_” we come that way; chance, accident, Providence, has thrown them in our way; we see them from a distance, like the Priest, or we come upon them suddenly, like the Levite; our business, our pleasure, is interrupted by the sight, is troubled by the delay; what are our feelings, what our actions towards them? “Who is thy neighbor?” It is the sufferer, wherever, whoever, whatsoever he be. Wherever thou hearest the cry of distress, wherever thou seest any one brought across thy path by the chances and changes of life (that is, by the Providence of God), whom it is in thy power to help,–he, stranger or enemy though he be,–_he_ is thy neighbor.

A. P. STANLEY.

August 30

_Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love_.–EPH. iv. 1, 2.

Help us, O Lord, with patient love to bear Each other’s faults, to suffer with true meekness; Help us each other’s joys and griefs to share, But let us turn to Thee alone in weakness.

ANON.

You should make a special point of asking God every morning to give you, before all else, that true spirit of meekness which He would have His children possess. You must also make a firm resolution to practise yourself in this virtue, especially in your intercourse with those persons to whom you chiefly owe it. You must make it your main object to conquer yourself in this matter; call it to mind a hundred times during the day, commending your efforts to God. It seems to me that no more than this is needed in order to subject your soul entirely to His will, and then you will become more gentle day by day, trusting wholly in His goodness. You will be very happy, my dearest child, if you can do this, for God will dwell in your heart; and where He reigns all is peace. But if you should fail, and commit some of your old faults, do not be disheartened, but rise up and go on again, as though you had not fallen.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES.

August 31

_Now therefore keep thy sorrow to thyself, and bear with a good courage that which hath befallen thee_.–2 ESDRAS x. 15.

Go, bury thy sorrow,
The world hath its share;
Go, bury it deeply,
Go, hide it with care.
Go, bury thy sorrow,
Let others be blest;
Go, give them the sunshine,
And tell God the rest.

ANON.

Our veiled and terrible guest [Trouble] brings for us, if we will accept it, the boon of fortitude, patience, self-control, wisdom, sympathy, faith. If we reject that, then we find in our hands the other gift,–cowardice, weakness, isolation, despair. If your trouble seems to have in it no other possibility of good, at least set yourself to bear it like a man. Let none of its weight come on other shoulders. Try to carry it so that no one shall even see it. Though your heart be sad within, let cheer go out from you to others. Meet them with a kindly presence, considerate words, helpful acts.

G. S. MERRIAM.

September 1

_Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in welldoing, as unto a faithful Creator_.–I PETER iv. 19.

_The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy_.–JAMES v. 11.

On Thy compassion I repose
In weakness and distress:
I will not ask for greater ease,
Lest I should love Thee less;
Oh, ’tis a blessed thing for me
To need Thy tenderness.

A. L. WARING.

Oh, look not at thy pain or sorrow, how great soever; but look from them, look off them, look beyond them, to the Deliverer! whose power is over them, and whose loving, wise, and tender spirit is able to do thee good by them. The Lord lead thee, day by day, in the right way, and keep thy mind stayed upon Him, in whatever befalls thee; that the belief of His love and hope in His mercy, when thou art at the lowest ebb, may keep up thy head above the billows.

ISAAC PENINGTON

September 2

_Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God_.–MATT. v. 6.

Grant us Thy peace, down from Thy presence falling, As on the thirsty earth cool night-dews sweet; Grant us Thy peace, to Thy pure paths recalling, From devious ways, our worn and wandering feet.

E. SCUDDER.

O God, who art Peace everlasting, whose chosen reward is the gift of peace, and who hast taught us that the peacemakers are Thy children, pour Thy sweet peace into our souls, that everything discordant may utterly vanish, and all that makes for peace be sweet to us forever. Amen.

GELASIAN SACRAMENTARY, A. D. 492.

Have you ever thought seriously of the meaning of that blessing given to the peacemakers? People are always expecting to get peace in heaven; but you know whatever peace they get there will be ready-made. Whatever making of peace _they_ can be blest for, must be on the earth here: not the taking of arms against, but the building of nests amidst, its “sea of troubles” [like the halcyons]. Difficult enough, you think? Perhaps so, but I do not see that any of us try. We complain of the want of many things–we want votes, we want liberty, we want amusement, we want money. Which of us feels or knows that he wants peace?

J. RUSKIN.

September 3

_The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season_.–PS. cxlv. 15.

_What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee_.–PS. lvi. 3.

Late on me, weeping, did this whisper fall: “Dear child, there is no need to weep at all! Why go about to grieve and to despair?
Why weep now through thy Future’s eyes, and bear In vain to-day to-morrow’s load of care?”

H. S. SUTTON.

The crosses of the present moment always bring their own special grace and consequent comfort with them; we see the hand of God in them when it is laid upon us. But the crosses of anxious foreboding are seen out of the dispensation of God; we see them without grace to bear them; we see them indeed through a faithless spirit which banishes grace. So, everything in them is bitter and unendurable; all seems dark and helpless. Let us throw self aside; no more self-interest, and then God’s will, unfolding every moment in everything, will console us also every moment for all that He shall do around us, or within us, for our discipline.

FRANCOIS DE LA MOTHE FENELON.

September 4

_His delight is in the law of the Lord. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper_.–PS. i. 2, 3.

The wind that blows can never kill
The tree God plants;
It bloweth east; it bloweth west;
The tender leaves have little rest, But any wind that blows is best.
The tree God plants
Strikes deeper root, grows higher still, Spreads wider boughs, for God’s good-will Meets all its wants.

LILLIE E. BARR.

It is a fatal mistake to suppose that we cannot be holy except on the condition of a situation and circumstances in life such as shall suit ourselves. It is one of the first principles of holiness to leave our times and our places, our going out and our coming; in, our wasted and our goodly heritage entirely with the Lord. Here, O Lord, hast Thou placed us, and we will glorify Thee here!

T. C. UPHAM.

It is not by change of circumstances, but by fitting our spirits to the circumstances in which God has placed us, that we can be reconciled to life and duty.

F. W. ROBERTSON.

September 5

_O Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for me_.–ISA. xxxviii. 14.

Being perplexed, I say,
Lord, make it right!
Night is as day to Thee,
Darkness is light.
I am afraid to touch
Things that involve so much;–
My trembling hand may shake,
My skill-less hand may break:
Thine can make no mistake.

ANNA B. WARNER.

The many troubles in your household will tend to your edification, if you strive to bear them all in gentleness, patience, and kindness. Keep this ever before you, and remember constantly that God’s loving eyes are upon you amid all these little worries and vexations, watching whether you take them as He would desire. Offer up all such occasions to Him, and if sometimes you are put out, and give way to impatience, do not be discouraged, but make haste to regain your lost composure.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES.

September 6

_If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me_.–LUKE ix. 23.

There lies thy cross; beneath it meekly bow; It fits thy stature now;
Who scornful pass it with averted eye, ‘Twill crush them by and by.

J. KEBLE.