Daily Strength for Daily Needs Part 37

_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 s.h.i.+ne, 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 s.h.i.+ne 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 quant.i.ty.

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 G.o.d!

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?

G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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.