Daily Strength for Daily Needs Part 51

Few men suspect how much mere talk fritters away spiritual energy,--that which should be spent in action, spends itself in words. Hence he who restrains that love of talk, lays up a fund of spiritual strength.

F. W. ROBERTSON.

Do not flatter yourself that your thoughts are under due control, your desires properly regulated, or your dispositions subject as they should be to Christian principle, if your intercourse with others consists mainly of frivolous gossip, impertinent anecdotes, speculations on the character and affairs of your neighbors, the repet.i.tion of former conversations, or a discussion of the current petty scandal of society; much less, if you allow yourself in careless exaggeration on all these points, and that grievous inattention to exact truth, which is apt to attend the statements of those whose conversation is made up of these materials.

H. WARE, JR.

October 3

_Judge not, that ye be not judged_.--MATT. vii. 1.

_Why beboldest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye_?--LUKE vi. 41.

Judge not; the workings of his brain And of his heart thou canst not see; What looks to thy dim eyes a stain, In G.o.d's pure light may only be A scar, brought from some well-won field, Where thou wouldst only faint and yield.

ADELAIDE A. PROCTER.

When you behold an aspect for whose constant gloom and frown you cannot account, whose unvarying cloud exasperates you by its apparent causelessness, be sure that there is a canker somewhere, and a canker not the less deeply corroding because concealed.

CHARLOTTE BRONTE.

While we are coldly discussing a man's career, sneering at his mistakes, blaming his rashness, and labelling his opinions--"Evangelical and narrow,"

or "Lat.i.tudinarian and Pantheistic," or "Anglican and supercilious"--that man, in his solitude, is perhaps shedding hot tears because his sacrifice is a hard one, because strength and patience are failing him to speak the difficult word, and do the difficult deed.

GEORGE ELIOT.

October 4

_Be strong, and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy G.o.d is with thee whithersoever thou goest_.--JOSH. i. 9.

By Thine unerring Spirit led, We shall not in the desert stray; We shall not full direction need, Nor miss our providential way; As far from danger as from fear, While love, almighty love, is near.

CHARLES WESLEY.

Watch your way then, as a cautious traveller; and don't be gazing at that mountain or river in the distance, and saying, "How shall I ever get over them?" but keep to the present _little inch_ that is before you, and accomplish _that_ in the little moment that belongs to it. The mountain and the river can only be pa.s.sed in the same way; and, when you come to them, you will come to the light and strength that belong to them.

M. A. KELTY.

Let not future things disturb thee, for thou wilt come to them, if it shall be necessary, having with thee the same reason which thou now usest for present things.

MARCUS ANTONINUS.

October 5

_Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not_.--ISA. x.x.xv.

4.

Why shouldst them fill to-day with sorrow About to-morrow, My heart?

One watches all with care most true, Doubt not that He will give thee too Thy part.

PAUL FLEMMING.

The crosses which we make for ourselves by a restless anxiety as to the future, are not crosses which come from G.o.d. We show want of faith in Him by our false wisdom, wis.h.i.+ng to forestall His arrangements, and struggling to supplement His Providence by our own providence. The future is not yet ours; perhaps it never will be. If it comes, it may come wholly different from what we have foreseen. Let us shut our eyes, then, to that which G.o.d hides from us, and keeps in reserve in the treasures of His deep counsels.

Let us wors.h.i.+p without seeing; let us be silent; let us abide in peace.

FRANcOIS DE LA MOTHE FeNELON.

October 6

_I had fainted, unless I bad believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living_--PS. xxvii. 13.

_I will surely do thee good_.--GEN. x.x.xii. 12.

Thou know'st not what is good for thee, But G.o.d doth know,-- Let Him thy strong reliance be, And rest thee so.

C. F. GELLERT.

Let us be very careful of thinking, on the one hand, that we have no work a.s.signed us to do, or, on the other hand, that what we have a.s.signed to us is not the right thing for us. If ever we can say in our hearts to G.o.d, in reference to any daily duty, "This is not my place; I would choose something dearer; I am capable of something higher;" we are guilty not only of rebellion, but of blasphemy. It is equivalent to saying, not only, "My heart revolts against Thy commands," but "Thy commands are unwise; Thine Almighty guidance is unskilful; Thine omniscient eye has mistaken the capacities of Thy creature; Thine infinite love is indifferent to the welfare of Thy child."

ELIZABETH CHARLES.

October 7

_And because ye are sons, G.o.d hath sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father_.--GAL. iv. 6.

O Lord, forgive my sin, And deign to put within A calm, obedient heart, a patient mind; That I may murmur not, Though bitter seem my lot; For hearts unthankful can no blessing find.

M. RUTILIUS, 1604.

Resignation to the Divine Will signifies a cheerful approbation and thankful acceptance of everything that comes from G.o.d. It is not enough patiently to submit, but we must thankfully receive and fully approve of everything that, by the order of G.o.d's providence, happens to us. For there is no reason why we should be patient, but what is as good and as strong a reason why we should be thankful. Whenever, therefore, you find yourself disposed to uneasiness or murmuring at any thing that is the effect of G.o.d's providence over you, you must look upon yourself as denying either the wisdom or goodness of G.o.d.

WM. LAW.