Food for the Lambs Part 7

"Eat so much as is sufficient for thee." Prov. 25:16.

"Be not wise in your own conceits." Rom. 12:16

"Abstain from all appearance of evil." 1 Thes. 5:22.

"See that none render evil for evil unto any man." 1 Thes. 5:15.

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love." Rom. 12:10.

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Rom. 12:21.

"Be content with such things as ye have." Heb. 13:5.

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." Eccl. 9:10.

"Let all things be done with charity." 1 Cor. 16:14.

"Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." Jas. 1:2.

"Keep thyself pure." 1 Tim. 5:22.

"In everything give thanks." I Thes. 5:18.

"Keep yourselves in the love of G.o.d." Jude 21.

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." Eph. 6:18.

A HOLY LIFE.

What, in its true sense, is a holy life? It is the life of Jesus. His whole manner of life was truly holy. His life is the ideal life. If we would live holy, we must live as he lived. We must walk as he walked.

The artist has his ideal before him, and with touches of the brush here and there upon his drawing he forms a picture in an exact image of the ideal. The life of Jesus is what we are to imitate. He sets the example of holy living and calls us to the same holy life. "As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." 1 Pet.

1:15. This text has a better rendering in the Revised Version: "Like as he which called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living." We, as Christians, are G.o.d's offspring and as such are like him.

Holiness in the life of Jesus is found not only in the greater miracles which he performed, but also in the lesser happenings of his life. The restoring of life to the dead is no more beautifully holy than the laying of his hands upon the heads of children and blessing them. His memorable Sermon on the Mount no more portrays the loveliness of his character than the conversation with the woman by the wayside well. It is the little things in every-day life, if attended to and kept in the meekness and solemnity of the Spirit of Christ, that make life truly beautiful and holy. It is not the eloquent sermon that makes a life so sublime; but it is the tender smile, the kind word, the gentle look, that is given to all. It is the patient manner in which all the little trying and provoking things of life are met.

You may preach or write ever so forcibly and eloquently, and bring out the sublime truths of the Bible in great beauty; but if, in the privacy of your own home, there are little frettings, a little peevishness, a little crossness, a little levity, a little selfishness, a little distrust, your life is not as truly holy as it should be. If you desire G.o.d's holy image to be stamped upon your soul, your countenance, and your life, carefully avoid the little sprigs of lightness, the little bits of sloth and indolence, touches of forwardness, rudeness, coa.r.s.eness, and crossness, and acts of selfishness, etc.

Pure words belong to a holy life. You should use the very choicest words. Words that are wholly free from vulgarity, slang, and the spirit of the world. Untidiness, uncleanness, carelessness, and shabbiness are not at all beautiful ornaments in a holy life. But quietness, modesty, and reticence are gems which sparkle in a holy life like diamond sets in a band of gold. Give attention to your words, your thoughts, your tone of voice, your feelings, the practise of self-denial, of little acts of benevolence, of promptness, of method and order. These are auxiliaries to holy living. Are there not many little things in your home life that you can improve upon? Seek G.o.d for help and be truly holy.

A SOLITARY WAY.

There is a mystery in human hearts, And though we be encircled by a host Of those who love us well, and are beloved, To ev'ry one of us, from time to time, There comes a sense of utter loneliness.

Our dearest friend is "stranger" to our joy, And can not realize our bitterness.

"There is not one who really understands, Not one to enter into all I feel,"

Such is the cry of each of us in turn.

We wander in "a solitary way,"

No matter what or where our lot may be; Each heart, mysterious even to itself, Must live its inner life in solitude.

And would you know the reason why this is?

It is because the Lord desires our love.

In ev'ry heart he wishes to be first, He therefore keeps the secret key himself, To open all its chambers, and to bless With perfect sympathy and holy peace Each solitary soul which comes to him.

So when we feel this loneliness it is The voice of Jesus saying, "Come to me"; And ev'ry time we are "not understood,"

It is a call to us to come again: For Christ alone can satisfy the soul.

And those who walk with him from day to day Can never have "a solitary way."

And when beneath some heavy cross you faint And say, "I can not bear this load alone,"

You say the truth. Christ made it purposely So heavy that you must return to him.

The bitter grief, which "no one understands,"

Conveys a secret message from the King, Entreating you to come to him again.

The "Man of sorrows" understands it well, "In all points tempted," he can feel with you; You can not come too often, or too near.

The Son of G.o.d is infinite in grace, His presence satisfies the longing soul; And those who walk with him from day to day Can never have "a solitary way."

STIRRING THE EAGLE'S NEST.

"As an eagle stirreth up her nest, that fluttereth over her young, he spread abroad his wings, he took them, he bare them on his pinions."

That picture is full of poetry, full of life and truth and beauty. Mark it. Have you ever seen an eagle stir up her nest? You know what happens.

There in the nest, right upon the rocky heights, are the eaglets. The mother eagle comes and, taking hold of them, flings them out of the nest. They were so comfortable there, but she flings them right out of the nest, high above the earth. They begin to fall straightway. They never have been in air before; they have always been in the nest.

Is not that mother bird cruel? Why does she disturb the eaglets?

Watch her and you will understand. As long as you look upon the struggling eaglets in the air you miss the point. Watch the eagle.

Having stirred up her nest, "she spreadeth abroad her pinions," the pinions that beat the air behind her as she rises superior to it. Where are the eaglets? Struggling, falling; she is superior; they are falling.

Then what does she do? "She beareth them on her pinions." She swoops beneath them, catches them on her wings, and bears them up. What is she doing? Teaching them to fly. She drops them again, and again they struggle in the air, but this time not so helplessly. They are finding out what she means. She spreads her pinions to show them how to fly, and as they fall again, she catches them again. That is how G.o.d deals with you and me.

Has he been stirring up your nest? Has he flung you out until you feel lost in an element that is new and strange? Look at him. He is not lost in that element. He spreads out the wings of omnipotence to teach us how to soar. What then? He comes beneath us and catches us on his wings. We thought when he flung us out of the nest it was unkind. No; he was teaching us to fly that we might enter into the spirit of the promise, "They shall mount up with wings as eagles." He would teach us how to use the gifts which he has bestowed on us, and which we can not use as long as we are in the nest.

Fancy keeping eaglets in the nest! It is contrary to their nature, contrary to the purposes for which they are framed and fitted. There is a purpose in the eagle. What is it! Flight upward. There is a purpose in your life, new-born child of G.o.d! What is it? Flight G.o.dward, sunward, heavenward. If you stop in the nest you will never get there. G.o.d comes into your life and disturbs you, breaks up your plans, and extinguishes your hopes, the lights that have lured you on. He spoils everything; what for? That he may get you on his wings and teach you the secret forces of your own life, and lead you to the higher development and higher purposes. The government of G.o.d is a disturbing element, but, praise his name! it is a progressive element.

SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO.

Do not forget to pray.

Do not waste any moments in idleness.