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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/11563-0.txt b/11563-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bf82fdf --- /dev/null +++ b/11563-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1584 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11563 *** + +MORNING BELLS + +Or, Waking Thoughts for the Little Ones + +By + +FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL + + + + +To +The Twin Brothers, +Willie and Ethelbert +With +Aunt Fanny's Love. + + + +Contents. + + + +Morning Bells + + 1. "Thy Holy Child Jesus" + 2. "Even Christ pleased not Himself" + 3. "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe" + 4. "Bear ye one another's burdens" + 5. "Yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" + 6. "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly" + 7. "Faithful over a few things" + 8. "Put that on mine account" + 9. "Let thy garments be always white" +10. "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us" +11. "Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy" +12. "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this" +13. "Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people" +14. "A new heart also will I give you" +15. "I will put my Spirit within you" +16. "The Lord shall fight for you" +17. "I will watch to see what He will say unto me" +18. "He careth for you" +19. "Under His wings shall thou trust" +20. "I am with you alway" +21. "Teach me to do Thy will" +22. "Ye have done it unto me;" "Ye did it not to me" +23. "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee" +24. "Chosen to be a soldier" +25. "That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" +26. "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it" +27. "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord" +28. "As seeing Him who is invisible" +29. "Let us lay aside every weight" +30. "Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation" +31. "I will love Thee, O Lord" + + + + +Morning Bells. + + + +Most of the readers of this little book will have already read _Little +Pillows_. Those were given you to go to sleep upon night after night; +sweet, soothing texts, that little hearts might rest upon. + +But in the morning we want something to arouse us, and to help us to go +brightly and bravely through the day. So here are "Morning Bells" to waken +up the little hearts, and to remind them that we must not only rest in +Jesus, but walk in Him. If the motto of "Little Pillows" might be "Come +to Jesus," the motto of "Morning Bells" might be "Follow Jesus." + +May He who loves the little ones bless this tiny effort to help them to +follow Him day by day. + + + + +1. First Day. + +Christ's Childhood. + + + "Thy holy child Jesus."--Acts iv. 30. + + +If I asked, "How old are you?" you would give an exact answer. "Eight and +a half;" "Just turned ten;" "Eleven next month." Now you have thought of +God's "holy child Jesus" as a little baby, and as twelve years old in the +temple, but did you ever think of Him as being _exactly_ your own age? +that He was once really just as old as you are this very day? He knows +what it is to be eight, and nine, and ten years old, or whatever you may +be. God's word has only told us this one thing about those years, that He +was a _holy_ child. + +What is "holy"? It is everything that is perfectly beautiful and good and +lovable, without anything to spoil it. This is just what He was when He +was your age. He was gentle and brave, and considerate and unselfish, +noble and truthful, obedient and loving, kind and forgiving,--everything +you can think of that you ever admired or loved in any one else was all +found together in Him, and all this not only outside, but inside, for He +was "holy." + +Why did He live all these holy child-years on earth instead of staying in +heaven till it was time to come and die for you? One reason was, that He +might leave you a beautiful example, so that you might wish to be like +Him, and ask for the Holy Spirit to make you like Him. But the other was +even more gracious and wonderful, it was "that we might be made the +righteousness of God in Him." That is, that all this goodness and +holiness might be reckoned to you, because you had not any of your own, +and that God might smile on you _for His sake_, just as if _you_ had been +perfectly obedient, and truthful, and unselfish, and good, and give you +Jesus Christ's reward, which you never deserved at all, but which He +deserved for you. + +He took your sins and gives you His righteousness; He took your punishment +and gives you His reward; it is just changed over, if you will only accept +the exchange! + + "I'm glad my blessed Saviour + Was once a child like me, + To show how pure and holy + His little ones might be. + And if I try to follow + His footsteps here below, + He never will forget me, + Because He loves me so." + + + + +2. Second Day. + +Our Great Example + + + "Even Christ pleased not Himself."--Rom. xv. 3. + + +Do you really wish to follow the footsteps of the Holy Child Jesus? Have +you asked God to make you more like Him? Are you ready to begin to-day? +Then here is a motto for to-day, "Even Christ pleased not Himself." Will +you take it, and try to imitate Him? You are sure to have plenty of +opportunities of acting upon it, and thus proving not only to others, but +to your dear Saviour Himself, that you mean what you say, and mean what +you pray. + +Perhaps it seems a rather melancholy "morning bell" to you, tolling +instead of chiming! But if you really wish to be like Christ, you will +soon find that its music is as sweet as any, and that its quiet chime will +come to you again and again with a wonderful sweetness and power, helping +you over all sorts of difficulties, and saving you from all sorts of sins +and troubles. + +You can not tell, till you have fairly tried, how happy a little girl can +feel, who has cheerfully given up to another, for Jesus' sake, something +which she would have liked for herself; nor how happy a boy can be when of +his own free will, and by God's grace, he has chosen to do what his +conscience tells him would please the Lord Jesus instead of what would +have pleased himself. + +If you have never tried it yet, begin to-day, and you will find it is +quite a new happiness. + +Ah, what would have become of us if Christ had only "pleased Himself," +and had stayed in His own glorious home instead of coming down to save us! +Think of that when you are tempted to please yourself instead of pleasing +Him, and the remembrance that even He pleased not Himself because He so +loved you, will help you to try and please Him, and to please others for +His sake. + + "If washed in Jesus' blood, + Then bear His likeness too! + And as you onward press, + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?' + + "Give with a full, free hand; + God freely gives to you! + And check each selfish thought + With, 'What would Jesus do?'" + + + + +3. Third Day. + +Upholding. + + + "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe."--Ps. cxix. 117. + + +The path is not easy. There are rough stones over which we may stumble, if +we are not walking very carefully. There are places which look quite +smooth, but they are more dangerous than the rough ones, for they are +slippery. There are little holes hidden under flowers, which may catch our +feet and give us a bad fall. There are muddy ditches, into which we may +slip and get sadly wet and dirty. + +How are we to walk safely along such a path? We want a strong, kind hand +to hold us up, and to hold us always; a hand that will hold ours so +tightly and lovingly, that it will be as the old Scotchwoman said, "Not my +grip of Christ, but Christ's grip of me!" Yes, Christ's loving hand is +"able to keep you from falling;" only "let your hand be restfully in the +hand of Jesus," and "then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot +shall not stumble." But do not spoil the chime of this morning's bells by +ringing only half a peal! Do not say, "Hold Thou me up," and stop there, +or add, "But, all the same, I shall stumble and fall!" Finish the peal +with God's own music, the bright words of faith that He puts into your +mouth, "Hold Thou me up, _and I shall be safe_!" So you will if you do not +distrust Him, if you will but _trust_ Him to do just what you ask, and let +Him hold you up. + +It would be hard to find a prayer in the Bible without a promise to match +it; so David says, "Uphold me, according to Thy word." + +What has He said about it? More than there is room for on this page. "I +the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand." "Yea, I will uphold thee." "He +will not suffer thy foot to be moved." "When thou runnest thou shalt not +stumble." "Yea, he shall be holden up." "He shall keep thy foot from being +taken." "He will keep the feet of His saints." Seven promises in answer to +your one little prayer! + + "I the Lord am with thee, + Be thou not afraid! + I will help and strengthen, + Be thou not dismayed! + Yea, I will uphold thee + With my own right hand; + Thou art called and chosen + In my sight to stand!" + + + + +4. Fourth Day. + +What can I do? + + + "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of + Christ."--Gal. vi. 2. + + +Perhaps you never thought that any one around you had any! Then if you +want to fulfill this law of Christ, the first thing will be to find out +who has any burdens, and which of them you could bear instead. You will +not have to watch long! There are very few without any. Little backs can +not bear great burdens, but sometimes those who have great burdens have +little ones too, and it makes such a difference if some loving little hand +will take one or two of these. If your mother was carrying a great heavy +parcel, would it not help her if you took two or three little ones out of +her hand and carried them for her? So perhaps she has troubles that you do +not even know about, and you see she looks tired and anxious. And it tires +her a little more, because a little brother or sister wants to be nursed +or amused. Now if you put your own affairs by, and call the little ones +away, and amuse them quietly so that mamma may not be disturbed, this is +bearing one of her burdens. Never mind if it is really a little burden to +you too; is it not worth it, when it is fulfilling the law of Christ? If +for a moment a burden that you have taken up does seem rather hard, and +you are tempted to drop it again, think of what the Lord Jesus bore for +you! Think how He took up the heaviest burden of all for you, when He "His +own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree!" He did not drop that +burden, but bore it till He died under it. Think of that, and it will be +easy then to bear something for His sake. + +Now be on the watch all to-day for little burdens to bear for others. See +how many you can find out, and pick up, and carry away! Depend upon it, +you will not only make it a brighter day for others, but for yourself too! + + "Little deeds of kindness, + Little words of love, + Make our earth an Eden, + Like the heaven above." + + + + +5. Fifth Day. + +Instruments. + + + "Yield .... your members as instruments of righteousness unto + God."--Rom. vi. 13. + + +This does not sound so easy and tuneful as most of your other "morning +bells," you think! But listen for a few minutes and you will hear the +music. + +What are your members? Hands, feet, lips, eyes, ears, and so on. What are +you to do with them? "Yield" them, that is, give them up altogether, hand +them over to God. + +What for? That He may use them as instruments of righteousness. That is, +just as we should take an instrument of music, to make music with it, so +He may take your hands and feet and all your members, and use them to do +right and good things with. + +If a little one gives himself or herself to God, every part of that little +body is to be God's little servant, a little instrument for Him to use. + +The little hands will no longer serve Satan by striking or pinching; the +little feet will not kick or stamp, nor drag and dawdle, when they ought +to run briskly on some errand; the little lips will not pout; the little +tongue will not move to say a naughty thing. All the little members will +leave off serving Satan, and find something to do for God; for if you +"yield" them to God, He will really take them and use them. + +He will tell the hands to pick up what a tired mamma has dropped, and to +fetch her a footstool; and the fingers to sew patiently at a warm +petticoat for a poor child, or to make warm cuffs for a poor old man. He +will tell the feet to run on errands of kindness and help. He will set the +lips to sing happy hymns, which will cheer and comfort somebody, even if +you never know of it. He will use the eyes for reading to some poor sick +or blind woman, or to some fretful little one in your own home. You will +be quite surprised to find in how many ways He will really use even your +little members, if you give them and your whole self to Him. It will be so +nice! You will never be miserable again with "nothing to do!" + + "Take my hands, and let them move + At the impulse of Thy love. + Take my feet, and let them be + Swift and beautiful' for Thee." + + + + +6. Sixth Day. + +Willing and Glad. + + + "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly."--I Chron. + xxix. 9 + + +We thought yesterday morning about giving our members up to God for Him to +use. Did you think you would like to give them up to Him? _did_ you yield +them to Him? If you did, you will understand this morning's text! David +the King asked his people to help in bringing offerings for God's house +and service. He said, "Who then is willing to consecrate his service this +day unto the Lord?" And God made them all willing to bring what they +could. And what then? "_Then_ the people rejoiced, for that they offered +willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord." +"And did eat and drink on that day before the Lord with great gladness." + +See what came of offering willingly to the Lord--they "rejoiced," and +everything they did, even eating and drinking, was "with great gladness." +Never is any one so happy as those who offer their own selves willingly to +the Lord. He gives them a thousandfold return for the worthless little +self and weak little members which they have offered to Him. He gives them +peace, and gladness, and blessing, beyond what they ever expected to have. + +But this was not all; it was not only the people who had such a glad day, +but "David the king also rejoiced with great joy." Those who loved their +king, and recollected how much sorrow he had gone through, and how many +battles he had fought for them, must have been glad indeed to see Him +rejoicing because they had offered willingly. And I think our King, _your_ +King Jesus, rejoices over us when He has made us able (ver. 14) to offer +ourselves willingly to Him. Is not this best of all? Jesus, who suffered +for us, and who fought the great battle of our salvation for us, He, our +own beloved King, "will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His +love; He will joy over thee with singing." + + "In full and glad surrender I give myself to Thee, + Thine utterly, and only, and evermore to be! + O Son of God, who lovest me, I will be Thine alone; + And all I have, and all I am, shall henceforth be Thine own." + + + + +7. Seventh Day. + +Faithfulness. + + + "Faithful over a few things."--Matt. xxv. 21, 23. + + +The servant who had only two talents to trade with, but traded faithfully +with them, had just the same glorious words spoken to him as the servant +who had five talents: "Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast +been faithful over a few things ... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." +Think what it would be to hear the Lord Jesus saying that to you, really +to you! Oh how sweet! how blessed! how you would listen to that gracious +voice saying those wonderfully gracious words to _you_! + +But could He say them to you? Are you "faithful over a few things"? He +has given every one, even the youngest, a few things to be faithful over, +and so He has to you. Your "few things" may be very few, and very small +things, but He expects you to be faithful over them. + +What is being faithful over them? It means doing the very best you can +with them; doing as much for Jesus as you can with your money, even if you +have very little; doing as much for Him as you can with your time; doing +whatever duties He gives you as well as ever you can,--your lessons, your +work, the little things that you are bidden or asked to do every day, the +little things that you have promised or undertaken to do for others. It +means doing all these just the same whether others see you or know about +it or not. + +You sigh over all this; you recollect many things in which you have not +been quite faithful; you know you do not deserve for Him to call you "good +and faithful servant." But come at once to your gracious Lord, and ask Him +to forgive all the unfaithfulness, and to make you faithful to-day. And +then, even if it is only a matter of a French verb or a Latin noun, you +will find it a help to recollect, "Faithful over a few things!" + + "Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love + Fit us for perfect rest above; + And help us, this and every day, + To live more nearly as we pray." + + + + +8. Eighth Day. + +"On mine Account." + + + "Put that on mine account."--Philem. 18. + + +When St. Paul asked Philemon, in a most beautiful letter, to take back +Onesimus, who had run away from him, he said, "If he hath wronged thee, or +oweth thee ought, put that on my account." Onesimus had been a bad servant +to Philemon; and being willing to come back and do better, would not pay +for what he had wronged him in before, and would not pay his old debts. +And he evidently had nothing himself to pay them with. But St. Paul +offered to pay all, so that Onesimus might be received, "not now as a +servant," but as a "brother beloved." + +This is an exquisite picture of what the Lord Jesus Christ does. He not +only intercedes for us with Him from whom we have departed, and against +whom we have sinned; but, knowing to the full how much we have wronged +God, and how much we owe Him, He says, "Put that on mine account." + +And God has put it all on His account and the account has been paid, paid +in blood. When "the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all," Jesus saw +and knew all your sins; and He said, "Put that on mine account." + +Oh, what wonderful "kindness and love of God our Saviour!" Let the +remembrance of it be like a silver bell, ringing softly and clearly +whenever you are going to do, or letting yourself feel or think, something +that is not right. "Put _that_ on mine account!" Yes, that sin that you +were on the very edge of committing! that angry word, and the angry +feeling that makes you want to say it; that untrue word, and the +cowardliness which makes you afraid to speak the exact truth; that proud +look and the naughty pride of heart that made it come into your eyes; +Jesus stands by and says, patiently and lovingly, "Put _that_ on mine +account!" + +Can you bear that? does it not make you wish, ten times more than ever, to +be kept from sinning against such a Saviour? + + "Jesus, tender Saviour, + Hast Thou died for me? + Make me very thankful + In my heart to Thee; + When the sad, sad story + Of Thy grief I read, + Make me very sorry + For my sins indeed." + + + + +9. Ninth Day. + +White Garments. + + + "Let thy garments be always white."--Eccles. ix. 8. + + +"Always?" Oh, how can that be? They are soiled again directly after they +have been washed clean! Yet God says, "Let them be _always_ white;" and He +would not tell you to do what was impossible. Then how are you to help +soiling them? Only in one way. Last night's "little pillow" told you how +Jesus washes us "whiter than snow" in His own precious blood, that +cleanseth from all sin. But will He only cleanse His little one just for +the moment? is that all He is able and willing to do for you? + +No; if you will only keep on trusting to that precious blood, and not +turn away from it, He says that it cleanseth, that is, _goes on +cleansing_. You could not keep your garments white for five minutes; +careless thoughts would come like dust upon them, and wrong words would +make great dark stains and before long some naughty deed would be like a +sad fall in the mud, and you would feel sad and ashamed before the kind +Saviour who still stands ready to cleanse you again. But why should all +this happen over and over again, till anybody but our own loving, +long-suffering Saviour would be tired of us, and give up doing any more +for us? Why should it be, when His precious blood is meant to "_go on +cleansing_," so that our garments may be always white? Perhaps you never +thought of this; ask Him now this morning not only to wash you in the +fountain of His precious blood, but _to keep you in it_, to _go on +cleansing_ you all day long. _Trust_ Him to do this, and see if it is not +the happiest day you ever spent! + + "And He can do all this for me, + Because in sorrow, on the tree, + He once for sinners hung; + And, having washed their sin away, + He now rejoices, day by day, + To cleanse His little one." + + + + +10. Tenth Day. + +Made Beautiful. + + + "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us."--Ps. xc. 17. + + +"How great is His beauty!" said Zechariah. How can His beauty be upon us? +In two ways; try to understand them, and then ask that in both ways the +beauty of the Lord our God may be upon you. + +One way is by His covering you with the robe of Jesus Christ's +righteousness, looking upon you not as you are in yourself, all sinful and +unholy, but as if all the Saviour's beautiful and holy life were yours, +reckoning it to you for His sake. In this way He can call us "perfect +through my comeliness which I had put upon thee." The other way is by +giving you the beauty of holiness, for that is His own beauty; and though +we never can be quite like Him till we see Him as He is, He can begin to +make us like Him even now. Look at a poor little colorless drop of water, +hanging weakly on a blade of grass. It is not beautiful at all; why should +you stop to look at it? Stay till the sun has risen, and now look. It is +sparkling like a diamond; and if you look at it from another side, it will +be glowing like a ruby, and presently gleaming like an emerald. The poor +little drop has become one of the brightest and loveliest things you ever +saw. But is it its own brightness and beauty? No; if it slipped down to +the ground out of the sunshine, it would be only a poor little dirty drop +of water. So, if the Sun of Righteousness, the glorious and lovely +Saviour, shines upon you, a little ray of His own brightness and beauty +will be seen upon you. Sometimes we can see by the happy light on a face +that the Sun is shining there; but if the Sun is really shining, there are +sure to be some of the beautiful rays of holiness, love, joy, peace, +gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, making the life even of a little +child very lovely. + + "Jesus, Lord, I come to Thee, + Thou hast said I may; + Tell me what my life should be, + Take my sins away. + + "Jesus, Lord, I learn of Thee, + In Thy word divine; + Every promise there I see, + May I call it mine!" + + + + +11. Eleventh Day. + +Pleasant Gifts. + + + "Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."--I Tim. vi. 17. + + +Think a little this morning of God's great kindness to you. How _very_ +good He is to you! I know one of His dear children who looks up many, many +times a day, and says, "_Good_ Lord Jesus!" or "_Kind_ Lord Jesus!" She +does not set herself to say it, but it seems as if she could not help +saying it, just because He _is_ so good and kind. And then it seems only +natural to look up again and say, "_Dear_ Lord Jesus!" How _can_ anybody +go on all day long, and never see how good He is, and never look up and +bless Him? Most especially on bright pleasant days, when He giveth us +more even than usual to enjoy! "He giveth." Not one single pleasant thing, +not one single bit of enjoyment comes to us but what He giveth. We can not +get it, we do not earn it, we do not deserve it; but He _giveth_ lovingly, +and kindly, and freely. Suppose He stopped giving, what would become of +us? + +"Richly." So richly, that if you tried to write down half His gifts to +you, your hand would be tired long before you had done. You might easily +make a list of the presents given you on your birthday, but you could not +make a list of what God gives you every day of your life. + +"All things." All the things you really need, and a great many more +besides. All the things that will do you good, a great many more than you +would ever have thought of. All the things that He can fill your little +hands with, and trust you to carry without stumbling and falling. _All_ +things, everything that you have at all! + +"To enjoy." Now how kind this is! not only "to do us good," but "to +enjoy." So you see He means you to be happy with what He gives you, to +smile and laugh and be glad, not to be dismal and melancholy. If you do +not enjoy what He "giveth," that is your own fault, for He meant you to +enjoy it. Look up to Him with a bright smile, and thank Him for having +given you richly all things to enjoy! + + "My joys to Thee I bring, + The joys Thy love hath given, + That each may be a wing + To lift me nearer heaven. + I bring them, Saviour, all to Thee, + For Thou hast purchased all for me." + + + + +12. Twelfth Day. + +Much more than this. + + + "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this."--2 Chron. xxv. 9. + + +Amaziah, king of Judah, was going to war against the Edomites. He thought +he would make sure of victory by hiring a hundred thousand soldiers from +the King of Israel, and he paid them beforehand a hundred talents, which +was about £34,218.15s. of our money. But a man of God warned him not to +let the army of Israel go with him, for Israel had forsaken the Lord, and +so He was not with them. It seemed a great pity to waste all that money, +and so Amaziah said, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which +I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord +is able to give thee much more than this." So Amaziah simply obeyed, and +sent the soldiers away, and trusted God to help him to do without them. +Was it any wonder that he gained a great victory over the Edomites? + +Does not this teach us that we should simply do the right thing, and trust +God at any cost? When you do this, you will find that, in hundreds of ways +which you never thought of, "the Lord is able to give thee much more." The +trial comes in many different ways. One may be tempted to hurry over +prayer and Bible, because there is something else that she very much wants +to get done before breakfast, and she is afraid of not having time enough. +Another shuts up her little purse when a call comes to give something for +God's work, because she is afraid she will not have enough left for +another purpose. Another is tempted to look at a key, or to glance over +another's shoulder at a lesson, because without it he would not get the +marks he is trying for. Another is tempted not to tell the exact truth, or +to conceal something which he ought to tell, because he would lose +something by it. Oh, resist the devil, and do what you know is right, and +trust God for all the rest! For "the Lord is able to give thee much more +than this," whatever your "_this_" may be. And His smile and His blessing +will always be "more than this," more than anything else! + + "Be brave to do the right, + And scorn to be untrue; + When fear would whisper 'yield!' + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?'" + + + + +13. Thirteenth Day. + +The Doings of the King. + + + "Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people."--2 Sam. iii. 36. + + +David had been giving a proof of his love for one who had long been his +enemy, but whom he had received into friendship; and he had been giving a +proof of his tender-heartedness and sympathy with the people, by weeping +with them at the grave of Abner. "And all the people took notice of it, +and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people." + +This was because they loved their king. They watched him, not as the +wicked Pharisees watched the Lord Jesus that they might find something +against Him; but with the watching of admiration and love, taking notice +of the kind and gracious things he did and said. Do you thus take notice +of what your King does? Does it please you to hear and read of what He has +done and what He is doing? It must be so if He really is your King. + +But the "whatsoever" is a little harder; and yet, if it is once really +learnt, it makes everything easy. For if we learn to be pleased with +_whatsoever_ our King Jesus does, nothing can come wrong to us. + +Suppose something comes to-day which is not quite what you would have +liked; heavy rain, for instance, when you wanted to go out,--recollect +that your King Jesus has done it, and that will hush the little murmur, +and make you quite content. Ask Him this morning to make you so loving +and loyal to Him, that _whatsoever_ He does, all day long, may please you, +because it has pleased Him to do it. I think He loves us so much, that He +always gives us as much happiness as He can possibly trust us with, and +does what is pleasantest for His dear children whenever He sees it will +not hurt them; so, when He does something which at first does not seem so +pleasant, we may still trust our beloved King, and learn by His grace to +be pleased with _whatsoever_ He does. + + "I hear a sweet voice ringing clear, + 'All is well!' + It is my Father's voice I hear, + All is well! + Where'er I walk that voice is heard, + It is my God, my Father's word-- + 'Fear not, but trust; I am the Lord, + All is well!'" + + + + +14. Fourteenth Day. + +The New Heart. + + + "A new heart also will I give you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 26. + + +Why does God promise this? Because our old hearts are so evil that they +can not be made any better; and so nothing will do any good but giving us +a quite new heart. + +Because we can not make a new heart for ourselves; the more we try, the +more we shall find we can not do it; so God, in His great pity and +kindness, says He will give it us. + +Because unless we have a new heart we can not enter the kingdom of God, we +can not even see it! Without this gift we must be left outside in the +terrible darkness when "the door is shut." + +What is the difference? The old heart _likes_ to be naughty in some way or +other; either it likes to be idle, or it likes to let out sharp words, or +to go on being sulky or fretful instead of clearing up and saying, "I am +sorry!" The new heart _wants_ to be good; and is grieved when a temptation +comes, and does not wish to yield to it; and would like to be always +pleasing the Saviour. + +The old heart is afraid of God, and does not love Him, and would much +rather He were not always seeing us. And it does not care to hear about +Jesus, but would rather be just let alone. The new heart loves God and +trusts what He says, and likes to know that He is always watching it. And +it is glad to hear about Jesus, and wants to come closer to Him. + +The old heart is a little slave of Satan, taking his orders, and doing +what he wishes. The new heart is a happy little servant of Christ, +listening to His orders, and doing what He wishes. + +Oh how happy and blessed to have this new heart! All God's own children +receive it, for He has said, "I will give them one heart;" that is, all +the same new heart. Do you not want to have it too? Then "ask, and you +_shall_ receive;" for He hath said, "A new heart also _will_ I give you!" + + "Oh for a heart to praise my God, + A heart from sin set free! + A heart that always feels Thy blood, + So freely shed for me. + + "A heart resigned, submissive, meek, + My dear Redeemer's throne; + Where only Christ is heard to speak, + Where Jesus reigns alone." + + + + +15. Fifteenth Day. + +The Gift of the Holy Spirit. + + + "I will put my Spirit within you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 27. + + +Many years ago a good clergyman wrote a tiny prayer, so short that no one +could help remembering it if they once heard it. God seemed to set that +little prayer "upon wheels," so that it might run everywhere. It was +printed on large cards and hung up, and it was printed on small ones and +kept in Bibles and pocket-books. It was taught to classes and schools and +whole congregations, and now thousands upon thousands pray it constantly. +It is a prayer which must be heard, because it asks for what God has +promised to give; and it asks for this through Him whom the Father heareth +always. It is this: "O God, give me Thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus Christ's +sake. Amen." Will you not pray it too? Begin this morning, and go on, not +just _saying_ it, but _praying_ it, till you get a full answer. For you +are quite sure to get it; here is God's own promise, "I _will_ put my +Spirit within you;" and He has promised it over and over again in other +places. Perhaps you will not know at first when the answer comes. Can you +see the dew fall? No one ever saw a single drop come down, and yet as soon +as the sun rises, you see that it has come, and is sparkling all over the +fields. It came long before you saw it, falling sweetly and silently in +the twilight and in the dark. So do not fancy God is not hearing you +because you have not felt anything very sudden and wonderful. He is +hearing and answering all the time. You would not go on asking unless the +dew of His Spirit were already falling upon your heart, and teaching you +to pray. The more He gives you of His blessed Spirit, the more you will +ask for; and the more you ask, the more He will give. + + "Thou gift of Jesus, now descend, + And be my Comforter and Friend; + O Holy Spirit, fill my heart, + That I from Christ may ne'er depart! + + "Show me my soul all black within, + And cleanse and keep me pure within; + Oh, show me Jesus! let me rest + My heart upon His loving breast!" + + + + +16. Sixteenth Day. + +How to Conquer. + + + "The Lord shall fight for you."--Ex. xiv. 14. + + +How glad the children of Israel must have been when Moses said these words +to them on the shores of the Red Sea! For when they "lifted up their eyes, +behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid." + +The Egyptians had been cruel masters to them; and they had horses and +chariots to pursue them with; and there was the sea close before them, and +no boats! Perhaps some of the Israelites thought it was no use trying to +escape, they would only be overtaken and conquered and be worse off than +before. + +And so, left to themselves, they would have been; but God fought for them +in a way they never thought of. For "the Lord saved Israel that day out of +the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the +sea-shore." + +What about your Egyptians?--the angry tempers or sulky looks, the +impatient words, the vain and foolish thoughts, the besetting sins that +master you so often. Have you tried so often to fight against them, and +failed, that it seems almost no use, and you do not see how to conquer +them or to escape them? Are you very tired of fighting, and "sore afraid" +of being always overcome just the same as ever? Now hear God's true, +strong promise to you. "The Lord shall fight for you!" "Will He really?" +Yes, really, and He will conquer for you too, if you will only believe +His Word and trust the battle to Him, and _let_ Him fight for you. + +How? First, watch! and then the very instant you see the enemy coming, +look up and say, "Come, Lord, and fight for me;" and keep on looking up +and _expecting_ Him to fight for you. And _you will find_ that He does +fight for you and gives you the victory; and you too will be "saved that +day," and will see "the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore." Try Him, and +trust Him; and you, even you, will be "more than conqueror through Him +that loved you." + + "So, when you meet with trials, + And know not what to do; + Just cast the care on Jesus, + And He will fight for you. + Gird on the heavenly armor + Of faith, and hope, and love; + And when the conflict's ended, + You'll reign with Him above." + + + + +17. Seventeenth Day. + +The Master's Voice. + + + "I will watch to see what He will say unto me."--Hab. ii. 1. + + +When the Lord Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee, "Simon, I have somewhat to +say unto thee;" he answered, "Master, say on!" When God was going to speak +to Samuel, he said, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." Has the Lord +Jesus said anything like this for us? He says, "I have yet many things to +say unto you." What things? They will be strong, helpful, life-giving +words, for He says, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and +they are life." They will be very loving words, for He says, "I will +speak comfortably to her" (margin, "I will speak to her heart"). And they +will be very kind and tender words, and spoken just at the right moment, +for He says that He knows "how to speak a word in season to him that is +weary." "Will He really speak to me?" says the little heart. Yes, really, +if you will only watch to see what He will say to you. For it will be "a +still, small voice," and you will not hear it at all if you do not listen +for it. "How will He speak to me?" If I had something very nice to tell +you, and instead of saying it out loud, I wrote it down on a piece of +paper, and gave it you to look at, would not that be exactly the same as +if I had told it you with my lips? And you would take the paper eagerly to +see what it was that I had to say to you. So to-day, when you read your +Bible, either alone or at your Bible-lesson, watch to see what Jesus will +say to you in it. You will never really watch in vain. You will see some +word that seems to come home to you, and that you never noticed so much +before. Oh, listen lovingly to it, for _that_ is what He says to you! Or +if you are really watching and wishing for a word from Him, some sweet +text will come into your mind, and you wonder what made you think of it! +That is the voice of Jesus speaking to your heart. Listen to it, and +treasure it up, and follow it; and then watch to see what else He will say +to you. Say to Him, "Master, say on!" + + "Master, speak! and make me ready, + When Thy voice is truly heard, + With obedience glad and steady, + Still to follow every word. + I am listening, Lord, for Thee; + Master, speak, oh, speak to me!" + + + + +18. Eighteenth Day + +Who will take care of me? + + + "He careth for you."--I Pet. v. 7. + + +It is so pleasant to be cared for; to have kind relations and friends who +show that they love you by their care of you, and their care for you. What +would you do if no one cared for you, like the poor little children in +London who are turned out to "do for themselves" before they are as old as +you are? What would you do if there was no one to get anything for you to +eat, or to see to your clothes, or to keep a home for you to live in? No +one to take any notice if you hurt yourself ever so badly, or if you were +ever so ill? You would feel then what a difference being cared for makes +to your life. But all the earthly care for you comes because "He careth +for you." He planned and arranged everything, without your having anything +to do with it, so that you shall be cared for. And He did not arrange it +once for all, and then leave things to go on as might happen. No! Every +day, every moment, He careth, _goes on_ caring, for you. Not only thinking +of you and watching you, but working for you; making things come right, so +that everything should be just the best that could happen to you. Not +managing the great things, and leaving the little things to arrange +themselves; but giving loving care to the least, the very least things +that concern you. Even in some tiny little trouble which no one else seems +to care about, "He careth;" or when every one else is too much taken up +with other things to attend to you, "He careth for you." + +You can never get beyond God's care, for it always reaches you; you can +never be outside of it, for it is always enfolding you. + + "'Who will take care of me?' darling, you say, + Lovingly, tenderly watched as you are? + Listen! I give you the answer to-day, + One who is never forgetful or far. + + "He will take care of you! All through the year + Crowning each day with His kindness and love, + Sending you blessings and shielding from fear, + Leading you on to His bright home above." + + + + +19. Nineteenth Day. + +Under His Wings. + + + "Under His wings shall thou trust."--Ps. xci. 4. + + +That means to-day, not some other time! Under His wings, the shadowing +wings of the Most High, you, poor little helpless one, are to trust +to-day. + +When the little eaglets, that have not yet a feather to fly with, are +under the great wings of the parent eagle, how safe they are! Who would +dare touch them? If a bold climber put his hand into the nest then, those +powerful wings would beat him in a minute from his hold, and he would fall +down the rocks and be dashed to pieces. So safe shall you be "under His +wings," "nothing shall by any means hurt you" there. + +When the wild snow-storms rage round the eyrie, and the mountain cold is +felt, that is death to an unprotected sleeper, how warm the little eaglets +are kept! Not an arrow of the keen blast reaches them, poor little +featherless things, not a snowflake touches them. So warm shall you be +kept "under His wings," when any cold and dark day of trouble comes, or +even any sudden little blast of unkindness or loneliness. + +"Under His wings shall thou _trust_!" Not "shall thou _see_!" If one of +the eaglets wanted to see for itself what was going on, and thought it +could take care of itself for a little while, and hopped from under the +shadow of the wings, it would be neither safe nor warm. The sharp wind +would chill it, and the cruel hand might seize it then. So you are to +_trust_, rest quietly and peacefully, "under His wings;" stay there, not +be peeping out and wondering whether God really is taking care of you! You +may be always safe and happy there. Safe, for "in the shadow of Thy wings +will I make my refuge." Happy, for "in the shadow of Thy wings will I +rejoice." + +Remember, too, that it is a command as well as a promise; it is what you +are to do to-day, all day long: "Under His wings _shalt_ thou trust!" + + "I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, + Trusting only Thee! + Trusting Thee for full salvation, + Great and free. + + "I am trusting Thee to guide me, + Thou alone shalt lead! + Every day and hour supplying + All my need." + + + + +20. Twentieth Day + +Always Near. + + + "I am with you alway."--Matt. xxvlii. 20. + + +How nice it would be if we could always have the one we loved best in all +the world with us; never away from us night or day, and no fear that they +ever possibly would or could leave us; never a good-bye even for ever such +a little while, and never, never the long farewell of death! + +Can this ever be for you? Yes, for you; for to every one who is a disciple +of the Lord Jesus (that is, who learns of Him and owns Him as Master), He +says, "I am with you alway." He does not even say, "I will be with you;" +so that you might be wondering when He meant to come, when He would begin +to be "with you;" but He says, "I _am_ with you." Yes, even now, though +perhaps your eyes are holden, like those of the two who walked to Emmaus +when Jesus was beside them and they did not know it. Your feeling or not +feeling that He is there has nothing at all to do with it, because His +word must be true and _is_ true, and He has said, "I _am_ with you alway." +All you have to do is to be happy in believing it to be true. And if you +go on believing it, you will soon begin to realize it; that is, to find +that it is a real thing, and that Jesus really is with you. + +How long will He be with you? Always, "all the days!" He hath said, "I +will never leave thee." "Never" means really _never_, not for one moment. +You can not get beyond "never." It goes on all through your life, and all +through God's great "forever." And "always" means really _always_, every +single moment of all your life, so that you need never ask again, "Is +Jesus with me now?" Of course He is! the answer will always be "yes," +because He hath said, "I am with you alway." How safe, how sweet, how +blessed! + + "O Jesus, make Thyself to me + A living, bright reality! + More present to faith's vision keen + Than any outward object seen; + More dear, more intimately nigh, + Than even the sweetest earthly tie." + + + + +21. Twenty-first Day. + +Doing God's Will. + + + "Teach me to do Thy will."--Ps. cxliii. 10. + + +When you see some one doing with very great delight some beautiful and +pleasant piece of work, have you not thought, "I should like to be able to +do that!" and perhaps you have said, "Please, teach me how to do it." + +Can you think of anything pleasanter to do than what the very angels are +full of delight in doing? Can you think of anything more beautiful to do +than what is done in the "pleasant land," the beautiful home above? Can +you fancy anything more interesting to do than what the dwellers there +will never get tired of doing for thousands of millions of years? Would +you not like to be taught to do it too?--to begin the pleasant and +beautiful and most interesting work now, instead of waiting till you are +grown up, and then perhaps never learning it at all, because it was put +off now? Then pray this little prayer this morning with all your heart, +"Teach me to do Thy will." For it is His will that is the happiest work +above, and the very happiest thing to do here below. + +What is His will? The Prayer-Book version of this Psalm tells you very +simply and sweetly. It says, "Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth +Thee." So doing God's will is just doing the things, one by one, that +please Him. + +Why did David ask this? He goes on to say why--"For Thou art my God." If +God is really _our_ God, we too shall wish to do the thing that pleaseth +Him. David did not think he could do it of himself, for he says next, "Let +Thy loving Spirit lead me." That loving Spirit will lead you too, dear +child, and show you how beautiful and grand God's will is, and make you +long to do it always, and teach you to do it. So that even on earth you +may begin to do what the angels are doing in heaven! + + "It is but very little + For Him that I can do, + Then let me seek to serve Him, + My earthly journey through; + And, without sigh or murmur, + To do His holy will; + And in my daily duties + His wise commands fulfill." + + + + +22. Twenty-second Day. + +Working for Jesus. + + + "Ye have done it unto me." "Ye did it not to me."--Matt. xxv., xl., and + xlv. + + +Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us opportunities of showing whether we +love Him or not. He tells us that what we try to do for any one who is +poor, or hungry, or sick, or a lonely stranger, is just the same as doing +it to Him. And when the King says, "Come, ye blessed," He will remember +these little things, and will say, "Ye have done it unto me." But He tells +us that if we do nothing for them, it is just the same as if He were +standing there and we would do nothing for Him. And He will say, "Ye did +it not to me." + +One of these two words will be spoken to you in the great day when you +see the King on the throne of His glory. Which shall it be? What are you +doing for Jesus? Are you doing anything at all for Him? Perhaps you say, +"I have no opportunity." Did you ever try to find one? Did you ever ask +Him to give you opportunities of doing something for Him? Or is it only +that you have never yet cared or tried to do anything for Him? Be honest +about it. He knows. And He will forgive. + +But now, what is to be done? Begin by asking Him to show you. And then +keep a bright, sharp look-out, and see if you can not find an opportunity +very soon (and perhaps many) of doing something kind for His sake to some +poor or sick or lonely one. Set to work to _think_ what you could do! + +It seems to me so very kind of the Lord Jesus to have told us this. For +He knew that those who really love Him would _want_ to do something for +Him, and what could we do for the King of glory in His glorious heaven? So +it was wonderfully thoughtful of Him to give us His poor people to care +for, and to say, if we have only been kind to a sick old woman or hungry +little child, "Ye have done it unto me!" + + "I love my precious Saviour + Because He died for me; + And if I did not serve Him, + How sinful I should be! + God help me to be useful + In all I do or say! + I mean to work for Jesus, + The Bible says I may!" + + + + +23. Twenty-third Day. + +Standard-Bearers. + + + "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee."--Ps. lx. 4. + + +Then what is your banner, and what are you doing with it? For if you are +among "them that fear" God, He has given you a banner "that it may be +displayed." Is yours furled up and put away in a corner, so that nobody +sees it or knows of it? Or are you trying to be a brave little +standard-bearer of Jesus Christ, carrying His flag, so that the sweet +breezes of His Spirit may lift its bright folds, and show its golden +motto? That motto, I think, is "Love." For we are told that His banner +over us is love. Are you displaying it, showing your love to Him by your +love to others? showing the power of His love over you by your sweet, +happy temper, and by trying to please Him always? + +Carrying a banner means something. First, it means that you belong to or +have to do with those whose banner you carry, and that you are not ashamed +of them. At great Sunday-school festivals we know to which school a boy +belongs by the flag that he carries. You would like to carry the flag of +England or the Queen's royal flag, because you are English and loyal. So +let us carry the banner of Jesus Christ because we are loyal to Him, and +are not ashamed to own Him as our King. Secondly, it means that we are +ready to fight, and ready to encourage others to fight under the same +banner. When you are tempted to do something wrong remember whose banner +you carry, and do not disgrace it. If one does right, it makes it easier +for the other to do right too. Thirdly, it means rejoicing. You know how +flags are hung out on grand days, and carried in triumphal processions. +The little hand that carries Christ's banner through His war, will carry +it also in His triumph; the little hand that tries to unfurl it bravely +now, will wave it when His glorious reign begins and His blessed kingdom +is come. Then, "in the name of our God we will set up our banners" _now_! + + "The Master hath called us, the children who fear Him, + Who march 'neath Christ's banner, His own little band; + We love Him, and seek Him; we long to be near Him, + And rest in the light of His beautiful land." + + + + +24. Twenty-fourth Day. + +Soldiers. + + + "Chosen to be a soldier."--2 Tim. ii. 4. + + +Are you a soldier? You ought to be, for you have been chosen to be a +soldier in the glorious army of Jesus Christ. + +You ought to be, for you have been "received into the congregation of +Christ's flock" at your baptism, and engaged "manfully to fight under His +banner against sin, the world, and the devil, and to continue Christ's +faithful soldier and servant unto your life's end." You can never undo +that, even if you are a deserter, and found in the enemy's ranks. The +Captain of our salvation will not undo it, for He is ready to receive +you, if you will but come and enlist now. Now, this very morning, come and +enlist! This very morning ask Him to receive you into His noble army, and +to give you first the shield of His salvation, and then the whole armor of +God, and to "teach your hands to war and your fingers to fight," and to +give you victories every day even now, and to let you share His grand +triumphs hereafter. + +Perhaps you know that you have enlisted already, you know and love your +Captain, and He is enabling you, even if very feebly, yet really, to fight +the good fight of faith? How came you to enlist? Was it any credit to you? +Oh no! it was all His doing. It was He who chose you to be a soldier, not +you who chose Him to be a Captain. And then He sent not some dreadful +cannon roar, but the sweet bugle-call of His love to win you to join His +ranks. And now He fights not only with you, but for you. In His war +"nothing shall by any means hurt you," for "He was wounded" for you. Your +life is safe with Him, for He laid down His own for you. By His side you +can never be vanquished, because He goes forth "always conquering and to +conquer." + + "Stand up, stand up for Jesus! + Ye soldiers of the cross; + Lift high His royal banner, + It must not suffer loss. + + "From victory to victory + His army shall be led, + Till every foe is vanquished, + And Christ is Lord indeed. + + "Stand up, stand up for Jesus! + The trumpet call obey; + Forth to the mighty conflict, + In this His glorious day!" + + + + +25. Twenty-fifth Day. + +A Loyal Aim. + + + "That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."--2 Tim. + ii. 4. + + +Here is something worth aiming at, worth trying for! The Lord Jesus, the +Captain of our salvation, is He who hath chosen us to be His soldiers and +now, does He only tell us that we may do our duty,--serve, obey, and +fight? No; He tells us something more, gives us a hope and an aim so +bright and pleasant, that it is like sunshine upon everything. He says, we +"may _please_ Him." + +Only one who knows what it is to mourn for having grieved the dear +Saviour, can quite understand what a happy word this is! That we, who +have been cold, and careless, and sinful, grieving His love over and over +again, should be told after all that we may _please_ Him! Oh, if we love +Him, our hearts will just leap at the hope of it! Perhaps we thought this +could not be till we reached heaven; but you see His own word says, we +"may please Him" now, while we are soldiers in the very midst of the +fighting. St. Paul tells us one thing in which you may please Him: +"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing unto +the Lord." But he prays too that the Colossians "might walk worthy of the +Lord unto _all_ pleasing." + +Shall this be your aim and your hope to-day? Will you look up to the Lord +Jesus now, and ask Him first to give you the faith without which "it is +impossible to please Him," and then to show you "how you ought to walk +and to please God," and so to help you to "do those things that are +pleasing in His sight;" that all your ways, even every little step of your +ways, may really and truly "please the Lord" (Prov. xvi. 7). + + "True-hearted, whole-hearted, faithful, and loyal, + King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be; + Under Thy standard, exalted and royal, + Strong in Thy strength, we will battle for Thee. + + "True-hearted, whole-hearted! Fullest allegiance + Yielding henceforth to our glorious King, + Valiant endeavor and loving obedience, + Freely and joyously now we would bring." + + + + +26. Twenty-sixth Day. + +Obedience to Christ. + + + "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."--John ii. 5. + + +How are you to know what He says to you? Ah, it is so easy to know if we +are really willing to know, and willing to obey when we do know! He has +spoken so plainly to us in His word! In that He tells us, tells even +little children, exactly what to do. It is most wonderful how He has said +everything there for us, told us everything we ought to do. When you read +a chapter or hear one read, listen and watch to see what He saith unto you +in it. There is another way in which He tells us what to do. Do you not +hear a little voice inside that always tells you to do the right thing, +and not to do the wrong thing? That is conscience and He speaks to you by +it. + +Another way is by those whom He has set over you. He has told you once for +all to "obey your parents," and to "obey them that have the rule over +you." So, when they tell you to do something, it is the Lord Jesus Himself +that you have to obey in obeying them. + +Now "whatsoever He saith unto you, do it!" Yes, "whatsoever," dear little +one, whether easy or hard, do it because He tells you; do it for love of +Him, and it will be a thousand times better and happier to obey your King +than to please yourself. And He Himself will help you to do it; only look +up to Him for grace to obey, and He will give it. + +"Whatsoever He saith unto you, _do_ it." Do not just think about doing +it, or talk about doing it, but _do_ it! "Do _it!_" Do the exact thing He +would have you do, not something a little bit different, or something +which you think will be very nearly the same, but do _"it."_ + +And "do it" at once. It is so true, that "the very first moment is the +easiest for obedience." Every minute that you put off doing the right +thing makes it harder. Do not let your King have to "speak twice" to you. +"Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it" cheerfully, exactly, and instantly. + + "Jesus, help me, I am weak; + Let me put my trust in Thee; + Teach me how and what to speak; + Loving Saviour, care for me. + Dear Saviour, hear me, + Hear a little child to-day; + Hear, oh hear me; + Hear me when I pray." + + + + +27. Twenty-seventh Day. + +Do it Heartily + + + "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord."--Col. in. 23. + + +In 2 Chron. xxxi. 21, we read of Hezekiah, that "in every work that he +began, he did it with all his heart, and prospered." And this morning's +"bell" rings a New Testament echo, "Do it heartily!" Sing it now, like a +little peal of bells! + +[Music: Do it hear-ti-ly!] + +See if that does not ring in your ears all day, and remind you that it is +not merely much pleasanter to be bright and brisk about everything, but +that it is actually one of God's commands written in His own word. + +I know this is easier to some than to others. Perhaps it "comes natural" +to you to do everything heartily. That is very nice, but it is not enough. +What else? "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, _as unto the Lord_, and not +unto men." He knows whether the industrious energetic boy or girl is +wishing to please Him, and looking up to Him for His smile; or whether He +is forgotten all the while, and only the smile of others and the pleasure +of being quick and busy is thought of. But perhaps it is hard to you to do +things heartily. You like better to take your time, and so you dawdle, and +do things in an idle way, especially what you do not much like doing. Is +this right? Is it a little sin, when God's word says, "Whatsoever ye do, +do it heartily!" Is it not just as much disobeying God as breaking any +other command? Are you not _guilty_ before Him? Very likely you never +thought of it in this way, but there the words stand, and neither you nor +I can alter them. First ask Him to forgive you all the past idleness and +idle ways, for Christ's sake, and then ask Him to give you strength +henceforth to obey this word of His. And then listen to the little chime, +"Do it heartily! do it heartily!" And _then_ the last word of the verse +about Hezekiah will be true of you too--"Prospered!" + + 'Up and doing, little Christian! + Up and doing, while 'tis day! + Do the work the Master gives you. + Do not loiter by the way. + For we all have work before us, + You, dear child, as well as I; + Let us learn to seek our duty, + And to 'do it heartily.' + + + + +28. Twenty-eighth Day. + +The Sight of Faith. + + + "As seeing Him who is invisible."--Heb. xi. 27. + + +If we were always doing everything just as if we saw Him, whom having not +seen we love, how different our lives would be! How much happier too! How +brave, and bright, and patient we should be, if all the time we could +really see Jesus as Stephen saw Him! And by faith, the precious faith +which God is ready to give to all who ask, we may go on our way with this +light upon it, "as seeing Him who is invisible." + +These words were said of Moses; and this seeing Him by faith had three +effects. First, "he forsook Egypt;" it made him ready to give up anything +for his God, and God's people. It made him true and loyal to God's cause. +What did He care for anything else, so long as he saw "Him who is +invisible?" Secondly, it took away all his fear. What was "the wrath of +the king" to him, when Jehovah was by his side? Of what should he be +afraid? Thirdly, it enabled him to "endure," to wait patiently for forty +years in the desert, and then to work patiently for forty years in the +wilderness; and only think how strength-giving that sight of faith must be +which enabled him to endure everything for eighty years! + +Try for yourself to-day what was such great and long help to Moses. Ask +God, before you go down-stairs, for faith, "the eye of the soul," so that +you may walk all day long "as seeing Him who is invisible." When you are +tempted to indulge in something wrong,--idleness or carelessness, or +selfishness,--this will help you to give it up at once, and forsake it; +for how can you give way to it when your eye meets His? When something +makes you afraid, this will make you brave and peaceful; for how can you +fear anything when your God is so near? When lessons, or work, or even +having to be quiet with nothing to do, seem very tiresome, and you are +tempted to be impatient, and perhaps cross, this will help you to endure +and not only so, but to feel patient; for how can you be impatient when +you are looking up to Him, and He is looking down on you all the time! + + "God will not leave me all alone, + He never will forsake His own; + When not another friend I see, + The Lord is looking down on me." + + + + +29. Twenty-Ninth Day. + +No Weights. + + + "Let us lay aside every weight."--Heb. xii. 1. + + +If you were going to run a race, you would first put down all the parcels +you might have been carrying. And if you had a heavy little parcel in your +pocket, you would take that out, and lay it down too, because it would +hinder you in running. You would know better than to say, "I will put down +the parcels which I have in my hands, but nobody can see the one in my +pocket, so that one won't matter!" You would "lay aside _every_ weight." + +You have a race to run to-day, a little piece of the great race that is +set before you. God has set a splendid prize before you, "the prize of +the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," a crown that is incorruptible. + +Now what are you going to do about the weights, the things that hinder you +from running this race? You know some things do seem to hinder you; will +you keep them or lay them aside? Will you only lay aside something that +every one can see is hindering you, so that you will get a little credit +for putting it down, and keep something that your own little conscience +knows is a real hindrance, though no one else knows anything at all about +it? Oh, take St. Paul's wise and holy advice, and make up your mind to lay +aside _every_ weight. + +Different persons have different weights; we must find out what ours are, +and give them up. One finds that if she does not get up directly she is +called, the time slips by, and there is not enough left for quiet prayer +and Bible-reading. Then here is a little weight that must be laid aside. +Another is at school, and finds that he gets no good, but a little harm, +when he goes much with a certain boy. Then he must lay that weight aside. +Another takes a story-book up to bed, and reads it while nurse is brushing +her hair, and up to the last minute, and then her head is so full of the +story that she only _says words_ when she kneels down, and can not really +_pray_ at all. Can she doubt that this is a weight which must be laid +aside? + +It may seem hard to lay our pet weight down; but oh, if you only knew how +light we feel when it is laid down, and how much easier it is to run the +race which God has set before us! + + + + +30. Thirtieth Day. + +The Shield of Salvation. + + + "Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation."--2 Sam. xxii. + 36. + + +This beautiful little text teaches us a very precious truth. It shows us +that the salvation which the Lord Jesus came to bring is not only +salvation at last, just escaping hell, but that it is salvation now, and +salvation in everything Salvation does not only mean victory at last, but +it is like a broad, shining shield, given to us in the midst of the +battle, coming between us and the poisoned arrows and sharp sword-thrusts +of the enemy. It is a shield not only to keep us from death, but to keep +us from being hurt and wounded. It is the shield which the Captain _has_ +given us to use now, as well as the crown which He _will_ give when the +warfare is ended. + +How are you to use this shield? what does it really mean for you? It +means, that if you have come to the Lord Jesus to be saved, He does not +merely say He _will_ save you, but that you _are_ saved, that He saves you +now. And this is how you are to use it--believe it, and be sure of it, +because you have His word for it; and then, when a temptation comes, tell +the enemy that he has nothing to do with you, for you are saved; that you +belong to Jesus, and not to him,--look up and say, "Jesus saves me!" Will +He fail you? Did He ever let any find themselves deceived and mistaken who +looked up in faith and confidence to Him, trusting in His great salvation? +Never! and never will you find this shield of His salvation fail to cover +you completely. Satan himself can not touch you when you are behind this +shield! Lift it up when you see him coming, even ever so far off, and you +will be safe. + + "Jesus saves me every day, + Jesus saves me every night; + Jesus saves me all the way, + Through the darkness, through the light." + + + + +31. Thirty-first Day. + +I will love Thee + + + "I will love Thee, O Lord."--Ps. xviii. 1. + + +Yes, even if I have never loved Thee before, I will love Thee, O Lord, +now! + +I will love Thee, Lord Jesus, because Thou hast loved me, and because Thou +art loving me now, and wilt love me to the end. Oh, forgive me for not +having loved Thee! How could I have helped loving Thee, when Thou wast +waiting all the time for me, waiting so patiently while I did not care +about Thee! Oh, forgive me! and now I will love Thee always; for Thou wilt +take my love, and fix it on Thyself, and keep it for Thyself. + +I will love Thee, O Lord Jesus; I will not listen to Satan, who tries to +keep me from loving Thee; I will not ask myself anything about it, lest I +should begin to get puzzled about whether I do love Thee or not. Thou +knowest that I do want to love Thee; and now, dear Lord Jesus, hear me say +that I _will_ love Thee, and that I will trust Thee to make me love Thee +more and more, always more and more. + +I have said it, dear Lord Jesus, and Thou hast heard me say it. And I am +so glad I have said it. I do not want ever to take it back, and Thou wilt +not let me take it back. I am to love Thee always now; and Thou wilt give +me Thy Holy Spirit to shed abroad Thy love in my heart, so that it may be +filled with love. Fill me so full of Thy love that it may run over into +everything I do, and that I may love everybody because I love Thee. + +Yes, I will love Thee, dear Lord Jesus! + + "My Saviour, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine! + For Thee all the follies of sin I resign; + My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou; + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now! + + "I love Thee, because Thou hast first loved me, + And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree; + I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow; + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now! + + "I will love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death, + And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath: + And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow, + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now!" + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11563 *** diff --git a/11563-8.txt b/11563-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..811d853 --- /dev/null +++ b/11563-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2008 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Morning Bells, by Frances Ridley Havergal + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Morning Bells + +Author: Frances Ridley Havergal + +Release Date: March 13, 2004 [eBook #11563] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: iso-8859-1 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORNING BELLS*** + + +E-text prepared by Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders + + + +MORNING BELLS + +Or, Waking Thoughts for the Little Ones + +By + +FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL + + + + +To +The Twin Brothers, +Willie and Ethelbert +With +Aunt Fanny's Love. + + + +Contents. + + + +Morning Bells + + 1. "Thy Holy Child Jesus" + 2. "Even Christ pleased not Himself" + 3. "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe" + 4. "Bear ye one another's burdens" + 5. "Yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" + 6. "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly" + 7. "Faithful over a few things" + 8. "Put that on mine account" + 9. "Let thy garments be always white" +10. "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us" +11. "Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy" +12. "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this" +13. "Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people" +14. "A new heart also will I give you" +15. "I will put my Spirit within you" +16. "The Lord shall fight for you" +17. "I will watch to see what He will say unto me" +18. "He careth for you" +19. "Under His wings shall thou trust" +20. "I am with you alway" +21. "Teach me to do Thy will" +22. "Ye have done it unto me;" "Ye did it not to me" +23. "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee" +24. "Chosen to be a soldier" +25. "That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" +26. "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it" +27. "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord" +28. "As seeing Him who is invisible" +29. "Let us lay aside every weight" +30. "Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation" +31. "I will love Thee, O Lord" + + + + +Morning Bells. + + + +Most of the readers of this little book will have already read _Little +Pillows_. Those were given you to go to sleep upon night after night; +sweet, soothing texts, that little hearts might rest upon. + +But in the morning we want something to arouse us, and to help us to go +brightly and bravely through the day. So here are "Morning Bells" to waken +up the little hearts, and to remind them that we must not only rest in +Jesus, but walk in Him. If the motto of "Little Pillows" might be "Come +to Jesus," the motto of "Morning Bells" might be "Follow Jesus." + +May He who loves the little ones bless this tiny effort to help them to +follow Him day by day. + + + + +1. First Day. + +Christ's Childhood. + + + "Thy holy child Jesus."--Acts iv. 30. + + +If I asked, "How old are you?" you would give an exact answer. "Eight and +a half;" "Just turned ten;" "Eleven next month." Now you have thought of +God's "holy child Jesus" as a little baby, and as twelve years old in the +temple, but did you ever think of Him as being _exactly_ your own age? +that He was once really just as old as you are this very day? He knows +what it is to be eight, and nine, and ten years old, or whatever you may +be. God's word has only told us this one thing about those years, that He +was a _holy_ child. + +What is "holy"? It is everything that is perfectly beautiful and good and +lovable, without anything to spoil it. This is just what He was when He +was your age. He was gentle and brave, and considerate and unselfish, +noble and truthful, obedient and loving, kind and forgiving,--everything +you can think of that you ever admired or loved in any one else was all +found together in Him, and all this not only outside, but inside, for He +was "holy." + +Why did He live all these holy child-years on earth instead of staying in +heaven till it was time to come and die for you? One reason was, that He +might leave you a beautiful example, so that you might wish to be like +Him, and ask for the Holy Spirit to make you like Him. But the other was +even more gracious and wonderful, it was "that we might be made the +righteousness of God in Him." That is, that all this goodness and +holiness might be reckoned to you, because you had not any of your own, +and that God might smile on you _for His sake_, just as if _you_ had been +perfectly obedient, and truthful, and unselfish, and good, and give you +Jesus Christ's reward, which you never deserved at all, but which He +deserved for you. + +He took your sins and gives you His righteousness; He took your punishment +and gives you His reward; it is just changed over, if you will only accept +the exchange! + + "I'm glad my blessed Saviour + Was once a child like me, + To show how pure and holy + His little ones might be. + And if I try to follow + His footsteps here below, + He never will forget me, + Because He loves me so." + + + + +2. Second Day. + +Our Great Example + + + "Even Christ pleased not Himself."--Rom. xv. 3. + + +Do you really wish to follow the footsteps of the Holy Child Jesus? Have +you asked God to make you more like Him? Are you ready to begin to-day? +Then here is a motto for to-day, "Even Christ pleased not Himself." Will +you take it, and try to imitate Him? You are sure to have plenty of +opportunities of acting upon it, and thus proving not only to others, but +to your dear Saviour Himself, that you mean what you say, and mean what +you pray. + +Perhaps it seems a rather melancholy "morning bell" to you, tolling +instead of chiming! But if you really wish to be like Christ, you will +soon find that its music is as sweet as any, and that its quiet chime will +come to you again and again with a wonderful sweetness and power, helping +you over all sorts of difficulties, and saving you from all sorts of sins +and troubles. + +You can not tell, till you have fairly tried, how happy a little girl can +feel, who has cheerfully given up to another, for Jesus' sake, something +which she would have liked for herself; nor how happy a boy can be when of +his own free will, and by God's grace, he has chosen to do what his +conscience tells him would please the Lord Jesus instead of what would +have pleased himself. + +If you have never tried it yet, begin to-day, and you will find it is +quite a new happiness. + +Ah, what would have become of us if Christ had only "pleased Himself," +and had stayed in His own glorious home instead of coming down to save us! +Think of that when you are tempted to please yourself instead of pleasing +Him, and the remembrance that even He pleased not Himself because He so +loved you, will help you to try and please Him, and to please others for +His sake. + + "If washed in Jesus' blood, + Then bear His likeness too! + And as you onward press, + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?' + + "Give with a full, free hand; + God freely gives to you! + And check each selfish thought + With, 'What would Jesus do?'" + + + + +3. Third Day. + +Upholding. + + + "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe."--Ps. cxix. 117. + + +The path is not easy. There are rough stones over which we may stumble, if +we are not walking very carefully. There are places which look quite +smooth, but they are more dangerous than the rough ones, for they are +slippery. There are little holes hidden under flowers, which may catch our +feet and give us a bad fall. There are muddy ditches, into which we may +slip and get sadly wet and dirty. + +How are we to walk safely along such a path? We want a strong, kind hand +to hold us up, and to hold us always; a hand that will hold ours so +tightly and lovingly, that it will be as the old Scotchwoman said, "Not my +grip of Christ, but Christ's grip of me!" Yes, Christ's loving hand is +"able to keep you from falling;" only "let your hand be restfully in the +hand of Jesus," and "then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot +shall not stumble." But do not spoil the chime of this morning's bells by +ringing only half a peal! Do not say, "Hold Thou me up," and stop there, +or add, "But, all the same, I shall stumble and fall!" Finish the peal +with God's own music, the bright words of faith that He puts into your +mouth, "Hold Thou me up, _and I shall be safe_!" So you will if you do not +distrust Him, if you will but _trust_ Him to do just what you ask, and let +Him hold you up. + +It would be hard to find a prayer in the Bible without a promise to match +it; so David says, "Uphold me, according to Thy word." + +What has He said about it? More than there is room for on this page. "I +the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand." "Yea, I will uphold thee." "He +will not suffer thy foot to be moved." "When thou runnest thou shalt not +stumble." "Yea, he shall be holden up." "He shall keep thy foot from being +taken." "He will keep the feet of His saints." Seven promises in answer to +your one little prayer! + + "I the Lord am with thee, + Be thou not afraid! + I will help and strengthen, + Be thou not dismayed! + Yea, I will uphold thee + With my own right hand; + Thou art called and chosen + In my sight to stand!" + + + + +4. Fourth Day. + +What can I do? + + + "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of + Christ."--Gal. vi. 2. + + +Perhaps you never thought that any one around you had any! Then if you +want to fulfill this law of Christ, the first thing will be to find out +who has any burdens, and which of them you could bear instead. You will +not have to watch long! There are very few without any. Little backs can +not bear great burdens, but sometimes those who have great burdens have +little ones too, and it makes such a difference if some loving little hand +will take one or two of these. If your mother was carrying a great heavy +parcel, would it not help her if you took two or three little ones out of +her hand and carried them for her? So perhaps she has troubles that you do +not even know about, and you see she looks tired and anxious. And it tires +her a little more, because a little brother or sister wants to be nursed +or amused. Now if you put your own affairs by, and call the little ones +away, and amuse them quietly so that mamma may not be disturbed, this is +bearing one of her burdens. Never mind if it is really a little burden to +you too; is it not worth it, when it is fulfilling the law of Christ? If +for a moment a burden that you have taken up does seem rather hard, and +you are tempted to drop it again, think of what the Lord Jesus bore for +you! Think how He took up the heaviest burden of all for you, when He "His +own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree!" He did not drop that +burden, but bore it till He died under it. Think of that, and it will be +easy then to bear something for His sake. + +Now be on the watch all to-day for little burdens to bear for others. See +how many you can find out, and pick up, and carry away! Depend upon it, +you will not only make it a brighter day for others, but for yourself too! + + "Little deeds of kindness, + Little words of love, + Make our earth an Eden, + Like the heaven above." + + + + +5. Fifth Day. + +Instruments. + + + "Yield .... your members as instruments of righteousness unto + God."--Rom. vi. 13. + + +This does not sound so easy and tuneful as most of your other "morning +bells," you think! But listen for a few minutes and you will hear the +music. + +What are your members? Hands, feet, lips, eyes, ears, and so on. What are +you to do with them? "Yield" them, that is, give them up altogether, hand +them over to God. + +What for? That He may use them as instruments of righteousness. That is, +just as we should take an instrument of music, to make music with it, so +He may take your hands and feet and all your members, and use them to do +right and good things with. + +If a little one gives himself or herself to God, every part of that little +body is to be God's little servant, a little instrument for Him to use. + +The little hands will no longer serve Satan by striking or pinching; the +little feet will not kick or stamp, nor drag and dawdle, when they ought +to run briskly on some errand; the little lips will not pout; the little +tongue will not move to say a naughty thing. All the little members will +leave off serving Satan, and find something to do for God; for if you +"yield" them to God, He will really take them and use them. + +He will tell the hands to pick up what a tired mamma has dropped, and to +fetch her a footstool; and the fingers to sew patiently at a warm +petticoat for a poor child, or to make warm cuffs for a poor old man. He +will tell the feet to run on errands of kindness and help. He will set the +lips to sing happy hymns, which will cheer and comfort somebody, even if +you never know of it. He will use the eyes for reading to some poor sick +or blind woman, or to some fretful little one in your own home. You will +be quite surprised to find in how many ways He will really use even your +little members, if you give them and your whole self to Him. It will be so +nice! You will never be miserable again with "nothing to do!" + + "Take my hands, and let them move + At the impulse of Thy love. + Take my feet, and let them be + Swift and beautiful' for Thee." + + + + +6. Sixth Day. + +Willing and Glad. + + + "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly."--I Chron. + xxix. 9 + + +We thought yesterday morning about giving our members up to God for Him to +use. Did you think you would like to give them up to Him? _did_ you yield +them to Him? If you did, you will understand this morning's text! David +the King asked his people to help in bringing offerings for God's house +and service. He said, "Who then is willing to consecrate his service this +day unto the Lord?" And God made them all willing to bring what they +could. And what then? "_Then_ the people rejoiced, for that they offered +willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord." +"And did eat and drink on that day before the Lord with great gladness." + +See what came of offering willingly to the Lord--they "rejoiced," and +everything they did, even eating and drinking, was "with great gladness." +Never is any one so happy as those who offer their own selves willingly to +the Lord. He gives them a thousandfold return for the worthless little +self and weak little members which they have offered to Him. He gives them +peace, and gladness, and blessing, beyond what they ever expected to have. + +But this was not all; it was not only the people who had such a glad day, +but "David the king also rejoiced with great joy." Those who loved their +king, and recollected how much sorrow he had gone through, and how many +battles he had fought for them, must have been glad indeed to see Him +rejoicing because they had offered willingly. And I think our King, _your_ +King Jesus, rejoices over us when He has made us able (ver. 14) to offer +ourselves willingly to Him. Is not this best of all? Jesus, who suffered +for us, and who fought the great battle of our salvation for us, He, our +own beloved King, "will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His +love; He will joy over thee with singing." + + "In full and glad surrender I give myself to Thee, + Thine utterly, and only, and evermore to be! + O Son of God, who lovest me, I will be Thine alone; + And all I have, and all I am, shall henceforth be Thine own." + + + + +7. Seventh Day. + +Faithfulness. + + + "Faithful over a few things."--Matt. xxv. 21, 23. + + +The servant who had only two talents to trade with, but traded faithfully +with them, had just the same glorious words spoken to him as the servant +who had five talents: "Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast +been faithful over a few things ... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." +Think what it would be to hear the Lord Jesus saying that to you, really +to you! Oh how sweet! how blessed! how you would listen to that gracious +voice saying those wonderfully gracious words to _you_! + +But could He say them to you? Are you "faithful over a few things"? He +has given every one, even the youngest, a few things to be faithful over, +and so He has to you. Your "few things" may be very few, and very small +things, but He expects you to be faithful over them. + +What is being faithful over them? It means doing the very best you can +with them; doing as much for Jesus as you can with your money, even if you +have very little; doing as much for Him as you can with your time; doing +whatever duties He gives you as well as ever you can,--your lessons, your +work, the little things that you are bidden or asked to do every day, the +little things that you have promised or undertaken to do for others. It +means doing all these just the same whether others see you or know about +it or not. + +You sigh over all this; you recollect many things in which you have not +been quite faithful; you know you do not deserve for Him to call you "good +and faithful servant." But come at once to your gracious Lord, and ask Him +to forgive all the unfaithfulness, and to make you faithful to-day. And +then, even if it is only a matter of a French verb or a Latin noun, you +will find it a help to recollect, "Faithful over a few things!" + + "Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love + Fit us for perfect rest above; + And help us, this and every day, + To live more nearly as we pray." + + + + +8. Eighth Day. + +"On mine Account." + + + "Put that on mine account."--Philem. 18. + + +When St. Paul asked Philemon, in a most beautiful letter, to take back +Onesimus, who had run away from him, he said, "If he hath wronged thee, or +oweth thee ought, put that on my account." Onesimus had been a bad servant +to Philemon; and being willing to come back and do better, would not pay +for what he had wronged him in before, and would not pay his old debts. +And he evidently had nothing himself to pay them with. But St. Paul +offered to pay all, so that Onesimus might be received, "not now as a +servant," but as a "brother beloved." + +This is an exquisite picture of what the Lord Jesus Christ does. He not +only intercedes for us with Him from whom we have departed, and against +whom we have sinned; but, knowing to the full how much we have wronged +God, and how much we owe Him, He says, "Put that on mine account." + +And God has put it all on His account and the account has been paid, paid +in blood. When "the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all," Jesus saw +and knew all your sins; and He said, "Put that on mine account." + +Oh, what wonderful "kindness and love of God our Saviour!" Let the +remembrance of it be like a silver bell, ringing softly and clearly +whenever you are going to do, or letting yourself feel or think, something +that is not right. "Put _that_ on mine account!" Yes, that sin that you +were on the very edge of committing! that angry word, and the angry +feeling that makes you want to say it; that untrue word, and the +cowardliness which makes you afraid to speak the exact truth; that proud +look and the naughty pride of heart that made it come into your eyes; +Jesus stands by and says, patiently and lovingly, "Put _that_ on mine +account!" + +Can you bear that? does it not make you wish, ten times more than ever, to +be kept from sinning against such a Saviour? + + "Jesus, tender Saviour, + Hast Thou died for me? + Make me very thankful + In my heart to Thee; + When the sad, sad story + Of Thy grief I read, + Make me very sorry + For my sins indeed." + + + + +9. Ninth Day. + +White Garments. + + + "Let thy garments be always white."--Eccles. ix. 8. + + +"Always?" Oh, how can that be? They are soiled again directly after they +have been washed clean! Yet God says, "Let them be _always_ white;" and He +would not tell you to do what was impossible. Then how are you to help +soiling them? Only in one way. Last night's "little pillow" told you how +Jesus washes us "whiter than snow" in His own precious blood, that +cleanseth from all sin. But will He only cleanse His little one just for +the moment? is that all He is able and willing to do for you? + +No; if you will only keep on trusting to that precious blood, and not +turn away from it, He says that it cleanseth, that is, _goes on +cleansing_. You could not keep your garments white for five minutes; +careless thoughts would come like dust upon them, and wrong words would +make great dark stains and before long some naughty deed would be like a +sad fall in the mud, and you would feel sad and ashamed before the kind +Saviour who still stands ready to cleanse you again. But why should all +this happen over and over again, till anybody but our own loving, +long-suffering Saviour would be tired of us, and give up doing any more +for us? Why should it be, when His precious blood is meant to "_go on +cleansing_," so that our garments may be always white? Perhaps you never +thought of this; ask Him now this morning not only to wash you in the +fountain of His precious blood, but _to keep you in it_, to _go on +cleansing_ you all day long. _Trust_ Him to do this, and see if it is not +the happiest day you ever spent! + + "And He can do all this for me, + Because in sorrow, on the tree, + He once for sinners hung; + And, having washed their sin away, + He now rejoices, day by day, + To cleanse His little one." + + + + +10. Tenth Day. + +Made Beautiful. + + + "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us."--Ps. xc. 17. + + +"How great is His beauty!" said Zechariah. How can His beauty be upon us? +In two ways; try to understand them, and then ask that in both ways the +beauty of the Lord our God may be upon you. + +One way is by His covering you with the robe of Jesus Christ's +righteousness, looking upon you not as you are in yourself, all sinful and +unholy, but as if all the Saviour's beautiful and holy life were yours, +reckoning it to you for His sake. In this way He can call us "perfect +through my comeliness which I had put upon thee." The other way is by +giving you the beauty of holiness, for that is His own beauty; and though +we never can be quite like Him till we see Him as He is, He can begin to +make us like Him even now. Look at a poor little colorless drop of water, +hanging weakly on a blade of grass. It is not beautiful at all; why should +you stop to look at it? Stay till the sun has risen, and now look. It is +sparkling like a diamond; and if you look at it from another side, it will +be glowing like a ruby, and presently gleaming like an emerald. The poor +little drop has become one of the brightest and loveliest things you ever +saw. But is it its own brightness and beauty? No; if it slipped down to +the ground out of the sunshine, it would be only a poor little dirty drop +of water. So, if the Sun of Righteousness, the glorious and lovely +Saviour, shines upon you, a little ray of His own brightness and beauty +will be seen upon you. Sometimes we can see by the happy light on a face +that the Sun is shining there; but if the Sun is really shining, there are +sure to be some of the beautiful rays of holiness, love, joy, peace, +gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, making the life even of a little +child very lovely. + + "Jesus, Lord, I come to Thee, + Thou hast said I may; + Tell me what my life should be, + Take my sins away. + + "Jesus, Lord, I learn of Thee, + In Thy word divine; + Every promise there I see, + May I call it mine!" + + + + +11. Eleventh Day. + +Pleasant Gifts. + + + "Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."--I Tim. vi. 17. + + +Think a little this morning of God's great kindness to you. How _very_ +good He is to you! I know one of His dear children who looks up many, many +times a day, and says, "_Good_ Lord Jesus!" or "_Kind_ Lord Jesus!" She +does not set herself to say it, but it seems as if she could not help +saying it, just because He _is_ so good and kind. And then it seems only +natural to look up again and say, "_Dear_ Lord Jesus!" How _can_ anybody +go on all day long, and never see how good He is, and never look up and +bless Him? Most especially on bright pleasant days, when He giveth us +more even than usual to enjoy! "He giveth." Not one single pleasant thing, +not one single bit of enjoyment comes to us but what He giveth. We can not +get it, we do not earn it, we do not deserve it; but He _giveth_ lovingly, +and kindly, and freely. Suppose He stopped giving, what would become of +us? + +"Richly." So richly, that if you tried to write down half His gifts to +you, your hand would be tired long before you had done. You might easily +make a list of the presents given you on your birthday, but you could not +make a list of what God gives you every day of your life. + +"All things." All the things you really need, and a great many more +besides. All the things that will do you good, a great many more than you +would ever have thought of. All the things that He can fill your little +hands with, and trust you to carry without stumbling and falling. _All_ +things, everything that you have at all! + +"To enjoy." Now how kind this is! not only "to do us good," but "to +enjoy." So you see He means you to be happy with what He gives you, to +smile and laugh and be glad, not to be dismal and melancholy. If you do +not enjoy what He "giveth," that is your own fault, for He meant you to +enjoy it. Look up to Him with a bright smile, and thank Him for having +given you richly all things to enjoy! + + "My joys to Thee I bring, + The joys Thy love hath given, + That each may be a wing + To lift me nearer heaven. + I bring them, Saviour, all to Thee, + For Thou hast purchased all for me." + + + + +12. Twelfth Day. + +Much more than this. + + + "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this."--2 Chron. xxv. 9. + + +Amaziah, king of Judah, was going to war against the Edomites. He thought +he would make sure of victory by hiring a hundred thousand soldiers from +the King of Israel, and he paid them beforehand a hundred talents, which +was about £34,218.15s. of our money. But a man of God warned him not to +let the army of Israel go with him, for Israel had forsaken the Lord, and +so He was not with them. It seemed a great pity to waste all that money, +and so Amaziah said, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which +I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord +is able to give thee much more than this." So Amaziah simply obeyed, and +sent the soldiers away, and trusted God to help him to do without them. +Was it any wonder that he gained a great victory over the Edomites? + +Does not this teach us that we should simply do the right thing, and trust +God at any cost? When you do this, you will find that, in hundreds of ways +which you never thought of, "the Lord is able to give thee much more." The +trial comes in many different ways. One may be tempted to hurry over +prayer and Bible, because there is something else that she very much wants +to get done before breakfast, and she is afraid of not having time enough. +Another shuts up her little purse when a call comes to give something for +God's work, because she is afraid she will not have enough left for +another purpose. Another is tempted to look at a key, or to glance over +another's shoulder at a lesson, because without it he would not get the +marks he is trying for. Another is tempted not to tell the exact truth, or +to conceal something which he ought to tell, because he would lose +something by it. Oh, resist the devil, and do what you know is right, and +trust God for all the rest! For "the Lord is able to give thee much more +than this," whatever your "_this_" may be. And His smile and His blessing +will always be "more than this," more than anything else! + + "Be brave to do the right, + And scorn to be untrue; + When fear would whisper 'yield!' + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?'" + + + + +13. Thirteenth Day. + +The Doings of the King. + + + "Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people."--2 Sam. iii. 36. + + +David had been giving a proof of his love for one who had long been his +enemy, but whom he had received into friendship; and he had been giving a +proof of his tender-heartedness and sympathy with the people, by weeping +with them at the grave of Abner. "And all the people took notice of it, +and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people." + +This was because they loved their king. They watched him, not as the +wicked Pharisees watched the Lord Jesus that they might find something +against Him; but with the watching of admiration and love, taking notice +of the kind and gracious things he did and said. Do you thus take notice +of what your King does? Does it please you to hear and read of what He has +done and what He is doing? It must be so if He really is your King. + +But the "whatsoever" is a little harder; and yet, if it is once really +learnt, it makes everything easy. For if we learn to be pleased with +_whatsoever_ our King Jesus does, nothing can come wrong to us. + +Suppose something comes to-day which is not quite what you would have +liked; heavy rain, for instance, when you wanted to go out,--recollect +that your King Jesus has done it, and that will hush the little murmur, +and make you quite content. Ask Him this morning to make you so loving +and loyal to Him, that _whatsoever_ He does, all day long, may please you, +because it has pleased Him to do it. I think He loves us so much, that He +always gives us as much happiness as He can possibly trust us with, and +does what is pleasantest for His dear children whenever He sees it will +not hurt them; so, when He does something which at first does not seem so +pleasant, we may still trust our beloved King, and learn by His grace to +be pleased with _whatsoever_ He does. + + "I hear a sweet voice ringing clear, + 'All is well!' + It is my Father's voice I hear, + All is well! + Where'er I walk that voice is heard, + It is my God, my Father's word-- + 'Fear not, but trust; I am the Lord, + All is well!'" + + + + +14. Fourteenth Day. + +The New Heart. + + + "A new heart also will I give you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 26. + + +Why does God promise this? Because our old hearts are so evil that they +can not be made any better; and so nothing will do any good but giving us +a quite new heart. + +Because we can not make a new heart for ourselves; the more we try, the +more we shall find we can not do it; so God, in His great pity and +kindness, says He will give it us. + +Because unless we have a new heart we can not enter the kingdom of God, we +can not even see it! Without this gift we must be left outside in the +terrible darkness when "the door is shut." + +What is the difference? The old heart _likes_ to be naughty in some way or +other; either it likes to be idle, or it likes to let out sharp words, or +to go on being sulky or fretful instead of clearing up and saying, "I am +sorry!" The new heart _wants_ to be good; and is grieved when a temptation +comes, and does not wish to yield to it; and would like to be always +pleasing the Saviour. + +The old heart is afraid of God, and does not love Him, and would much +rather He were not always seeing us. And it does not care to hear about +Jesus, but would rather be just let alone. The new heart loves God and +trusts what He says, and likes to know that He is always watching it. And +it is glad to hear about Jesus, and wants to come closer to Him. + +The old heart is a little slave of Satan, taking his orders, and doing +what he wishes. The new heart is a happy little servant of Christ, +listening to His orders, and doing what He wishes. + +Oh how happy and blessed to have this new heart! All God's own children +receive it, for He has said, "I will give them one heart;" that is, all +the same new heart. Do you not want to have it too? Then "ask, and you +_shall_ receive;" for He hath said, "A new heart also _will_ I give you!" + + "Oh for a heart to praise my God, + A heart from sin set free! + A heart that always feels Thy blood, + So freely shed for me. + + "A heart resigned, submissive, meek, + My dear Redeemer's throne; + Where only Christ is heard to speak, + Where Jesus reigns alone." + + + + +15. Fifteenth Day. + +The Gift of the Holy Spirit. + + + "I will put my Spirit within you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 27. + + +Many years ago a good clergyman wrote a tiny prayer, so short that no one +could help remembering it if they once heard it. God seemed to set that +little prayer "upon wheels," so that it might run everywhere. It was +printed on large cards and hung up, and it was printed on small ones and +kept in Bibles and pocket-books. It was taught to classes and schools and +whole congregations, and now thousands upon thousands pray it constantly. +It is a prayer which must be heard, because it asks for what God has +promised to give; and it asks for this through Him whom the Father heareth +always. It is this: "O God, give me Thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus Christ's +sake. Amen." Will you not pray it too? Begin this morning, and go on, not +just _saying_ it, but _praying_ it, till you get a full answer. For you +are quite sure to get it; here is God's own promise, "I _will_ put my +Spirit within you;" and He has promised it over and over again in other +places. Perhaps you will not know at first when the answer comes. Can you +see the dew fall? No one ever saw a single drop come down, and yet as soon +as the sun rises, you see that it has come, and is sparkling all over the +fields. It came long before you saw it, falling sweetly and silently in +the twilight and in the dark. So do not fancy God is not hearing you +because you have not felt anything very sudden and wonderful. He is +hearing and answering all the time. You would not go on asking unless the +dew of His Spirit were already falling upon your heart, and teaching you +to pray. The more He gives you of His blessed Spirit, the more you will +ask for; and the more you ask, the more He will give. + + "Thou gift of Jesus, now descend, + And be my Comforter and Friend; + O Holy Spirit, fill my heart, + That I from Christ may ne'er depart! + + "Show me my soul all black within, + And cleanse and keep me pure within; + Oh, show me Jesus! let me rest + My heart upon His loving breast!" + + + + +16. Sixteenth Day. + +How to Conquer. + + + "The Lord shall fight for you."--Ex. xiv. 14. + + +How glad the children of Israel must have been when Moses said these words +to them on the shores of the Red Sea! For when they "lifted up their eyes, +behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid." + +The Egyptians had been cruel masters to them; and they had horses and +chariots to pursue them with; and there was the sea close before them, and +no boats! Perhaps some of the Israelites thought it was no use trying to +escape, they would only be overtaken and conquered and be worse off than +before. + +And so, left to themselves, they would have been; but God fought for them +in a way they never thought of. For "the Lord saved Israel that day out of +the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the +sea-shore." + +What about your Egyptians?--the angry tempers or sulky looks, the +impatient words, the vain and foolish thoughts, the besetting sins that +master you so often. Have you tried so often to fight against them, and +failed, that it seems almost no use, and you do not see how to conquer +them or to escape them? Are you very tired of fighting, and "sore afraid" +of being always overcome just the same as ever? Now hear God's true, +strong promise to you. "The Lord shall fight for you!" "Will He really?" +Yes, really, and He will conquer for you too, if you will only believe +His Word and trust the battle to Him, and _let_ Him fight for you. + +How? First, watch! and then the very instant you see the enemy coming, +look up and say, "Come, Lord, and fight for me;" and keep on looking up +and _expecting_ Him to fight for you. And _you will find_ that He does +fight for you and gives you the victory; and you too will be "saved that +day," and will see "the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore." Try Him, and +trust Him; and you, even you, will be "more than conqueror through Him +that loved you." + + "So, when you meet with trials, + And know not what to do; + Just cast the care on Jesus, + And He will fight for you. + Gird on the heavenly armor + Of faith, and hope, and love; + And when the conflict's ended, + You'll reign with Him above." + + + + +17. Seventeenth Day. + +The Master's Voice. + + + "I will watch to see what He will say unto me."--Hab. ii. 1. + + +When the Lord Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee, "Simon, I have somewhat to +say unto thee;" he answered, "Master, say on!" When God was going to speak +to Samuel, he said, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." Has the Lord +Jesus said anything like this for us? He says, "I have yet many things to +say unto you." What things? They will be strong, helpful, life-giving +words, for He says, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and +they are life." They will be very loving words, for He says, "I will +speak comfortably to her" (margin, "I will speak to her heart"). And they +will be very kind and tender words, and spoken just at the right moment, +for He says that He knows "how to speak a word in season to him that is +weary." "Will He really speak to me?" says the little heart. Yes, really, +if you will only watch to see what He will say to you. For it will be "a +still, small voice," and you will not hear it at all if you do not listen +for it. "How will He speak to me?" If I had something very nice to tell +you, and instead of saying it out loud, I wrote it down on a piece of +paper, and gave it you to look at, would not that be exactly the same as +if I had told it you with my lips? And you would take the paper eagerly to +see what it was that I had to say to you. So to-day, when you read your +Bible, either alone or at your Bible-lesson, watch to see what Jesus will +say to you in it. You will never really watch in vain. You will see some +word that seems to come home to you, and that you never noticed so much +before. Oh, listen lovingly to it, for _that_ is what He says to you! Or +if you are really watching and wishing for a word from Him, some sweet +text will come into your mind, and you wonder what made you think of it! +That is the voice of Jesus speaking to your heart. Listen to it, and +treasure it up, and follow it; and then watch to see what else He will say +to you. Say to Him, "Master, say on!" + + "Master, speak! and make me ready, + When Thy voice is truly heard, + With obedience glad and steady, + Still to follow every word. + I am listening, Lord, for Thee; + Master, speak, oh, speak to me!" + + + + +18. Eighteenth Day + +Who will take care of me? + + + "He careth for you."--I Pet. v. 7. + + +It is so pleasant to be cared for; to have kind relations and friends who +show that they love you by their care of you, and their care for you. What +would you do if no one cared for you, like the poor little children in +London who are turned out to "do for themselves" before they are as old as +you are? What would you do if there was no one to get anything for you to +eat, or to see to your clothes, or to keep a home for you to live in? No +one to take any notice if you hurt yourself ever so badly, or if you were +ever so ill? You would feel then what a difference being cared for makes +to your life. But all the earthly care for you comes because "He careth +for you." He planned and arranged everything, without your having anything +to do with it, so that you shall be cared for. And He did not arrange it +once for all, and then leave things to go on as might happen. No! Every +day, every moment, He careth, _goes on_ caring, for you. Not only thinking +of you and watching you, but working for you; making things come right, so +that everything should be just the best that could happen to you. Not +managing the great things, and leaving the little things to arrange +themselves; but giving loving care to the least, the very least things +that concern you. Even in some tiny little trouble which no one else seems +to care about, "He careth;" or when every one else is too much taken up +with other things to attend to you, "He careth for you." + +You can never get beyond God's care, for it always reaches you; you can +never be outside of it, for it is always enfolding you. + + "'Who will take care of me?' darling, you say, + Lovingly, tenderly watched as you are? + Listen! I give you the answer to-day, + One who is never forgetful or far. + + "He will take care of you! All through the year + Crowning each day with His kindness and love, + Sending you blessings and shielding from fear, + Leading you on to His bright home above." + + + + +19. Nineteenth Day. + +Under His Wings. + + + "Under His wings shall thou trust."--Ps. xci. 4. + + +That means to-day, not some other time! Under His wings, the shadowing +wings of the Most High, you, poor little helpless one, are to trust +to-day. + +When the little eaglets, that have not yet a feather to fly with, are +under the great wings of the parent eagle, how safe they are! Who would +dare touch them? If a bold climber put his hand into the nest then, those +powerful wings would beat him in a minute from his hold, and he would fall +down the rocks and be dashed to pieces. So safe shall you be "under His +wings," "nothing shall by any means hurt you" there. + +When the wild snow-storms rage round the eyrie, and the mountain cold is +felt, that is death to an unprotected sleeper, how warm the little eaglets +are kept! Not an arrow of the keen blast reaches them, poor little +featherless things, not a snowflake touches them. So warm shall you be +kept "under His wings," when any cold and dark day of trouble comes, or +even any sudden little blast of unkindness or loneliness. + +"Under His wings shall thou _trust_!" Not "shall thou _see_!" If one of +the eaglets wanted to see for itself what was going on, and thought it +could take care of itself for a little while, and hopped from under the +shadow of the wings, it would be neither safe nor warm. The sharp wind +would chill it, and the cruel hand might seize it then. So you are to +_trust_, rest quietly and peacefully, "under His wings;" stay there, not +be peeping out and wondering whether God really is taking care of you! You +may be always safe and happy there. Safe, for "in the shadow of Thy wings +will I make my refuge." Happy, for "in the shadow of Thy wings will I +rejoice." + +Remember, too, that it is a command as well as a promise; it is what you +are to do to-day, all day long: "Under His wings _shalt_ thou trust!" + + "I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, + Trusting only Thee! + Trusting Thee for full salvation, + Great and free. + + "I am trusting Thee to guide me, + Thou alone shalt lead! + Every day and hour supplying + All my need." + + + + +20. Twentieth Day + +Always Near. + + + "I am with you alway."--Matt. xxvlii. 20. + + +How nice it would be if we could always have the one we loved best in all +the world with us; never away from us night or day, and no fear that they +ever possibly would or could leave us; never a good-bye even for ever such +a little while, and never, never the long farewell of death! + +Can this ever be for you? Yes, for you; for to every one who is a disciple +of the Lord Jesus (that is, who learns of Him and owns Him as Master), He +says, "I am with you alway." He does not even say, "I will be with you;" +so that you might be wondering when He meant to come, when He would begin +to be "with you;" but He says, "I _am_ with you." Yes, even now, though +perhaps your eyes are holden, like those of the two who walked to Emmaus +when Jesus was beside them and they did not know it. Your feeling or not +feeling that He is there has nothing at all to do with it, because His +word must be true and _is_ true, and He has said, "I _am_ with you alway." +All you have to do is to be happy in believing it to be true. And if you +go on believing it, you will soon begin to realize it; that is, to find +that it is a real thing, and that Jesus really is with you. + +How long will He be with you? Always, "all the days!" He hath said, "I +will never leave thee." "Never" means really _never_, not for one moment. +You can not get beyond "never." It goes on all through your life, and all +through God's great "forever." And "always" means really _always_, every +single moment of all your life, so that you need never ask again, "Is +Jesus with me now?" Of course He is! the answer will always be "yes," +because He hath said, "I am with you alway." How safe, how sweet, how +blessed! + + "O Jesus, make Thyself to me + A living, bright reality! + More present to faith's vision keen + Than any outward object seen; + More dear, more intimately nigh, + Than even the sweetest earthly tie." + + + + +21. Twenty-first Day. + +Doing God's Will. + + + "Teach me to do Thy will."--Ps. cxliii. 10. + + +When you see some one doing with very great delight some beautiful and +pleasant piece of work, have you not thought, "I should like to be able to +do that!" and perhaps you have said, "Please, teach me how to do it." + +Can you think of anything pleasanter to do than what the very angels are +full of delight in doing? Can you think of anything more beautiful to do +than what is done in the "pleasant land," the beautiful home above? Can +you fancy anything more interesting to do than what the dwellers there +will never get tired of doing for thousands of millions of years? Would +you not like to be taught to do it too?--to begin the pleasant and +beautiful and most interesting work now, instead of waiting till you are +grown up, and then perhaps never learning it at all, because it was put +off now? Then pray this little prayer this morning with all your heart, +"Teach me to do Thy will." For it is His will that is the happiest work +above, and the very happiest thing to do here below. + +What is His will? The Prayer-Book version of this Psalm tells you very +simply and sweetly. It says, "Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth +Thee." So doing God's will is just doing the things, one by one, that +please Him. + +Why did David ask this? He goes on to say why--"For Thou art my God." If +God is really _our_ God, we too shall wish to do the thing that pleaseth +Him. David did not think he could do it of himself, for he says next, "Let +Thy loving Spirit lead me." That loving Spirit will lead you too, dear +child, and show you how beautiful and grand God's will is, and make you +long to do it always, and teach you to do it. So that even on earth you +may begin to do what the angels are doing in heaven! + + "It is but very little + For Him that I can do, + Then let me seek to serve Him, + My earthly journey through; + And, without sigh or murmur, + To do His holy will; + And in my daily duties + His wise commands fulfill." + + + + +22. Twenty-second Day. + +Working for Jesus. + + + "Ye have done it unto me." "Ye did it not to me."--Matt. xxv., xl., and + xlv. + + +Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us opportunities of showing whether we +love Him or not. He tells us that what we try to do for any one who is +poor, or hungry, or sick, or a lonely stranger, is just the same as doing +it to Him. And when the King says, "Come, ye blessed," He will remember +these little things, and will say, "Ye have done it unto me." But He tells +us that if we do nothing for them, it is just the same as if He were +standing there and we would do nothing for Him. And He will say, "Ye did +it not to me." + +One of these two words will be spoken to you in the great day when you +see the King on the throne of His glory. Which shall it be? What are you +doing for Jesus? Are you doing anything at all for Him? Perhaps you say, +"I have no opportunity." Did you ever try to find one? Did you ever ask +Him to give you opportunities of doing something for Him? Or is it only +that you have never yet cared or tried to do anything for Him? Be honest +about it. He knows. And He will forgive. + +But now, what is to be done? Begin by asking Him to show you. And then +keep a bright, sharp look-out, and see if you can not find an opportunity +very soon (and perhaps many) of doing something kind for His sake to some +poor or sick or lonely one. Set to work to _think_ what you could do! + +It seems to me so very kind of the Lord Jesus to have told us this. For +He knew that those who really love Him would _want_ to do something for +Him, and what could we do for the King of glory in His glorious heaven? So +it was wonderfully thoughtful of Him to give us His poor people to care +for, and to say, if we have only been kind to a sick old woman or hungry +little child, "Ye have done it unto me!" + + "I love my precious Saviour + Because He died for me; + And if I did not serve Him, + How sinful I should be! + God help me to be useful + In all I do or say! + I mean to work for Jesus, + The Bible says I may!" + + + + +23. Twenty-third Day. + +Standard-Bearers. + + + "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee."--Ps. lx. 4. + + +Then what is your banner, and what are you doing with it? For if you are +among "them that fear" God, He has given you a banner "that it may be +displayed." Is yours furled up and put away in a corner, so that nobody +sees it or knows of it? Or are you trying to be a brave little +standard-bearer of Jesus Christ, carrying His flag, so that the sweet +breezes of His Spirit may lift its bright folds, and show its golden +motto? That motto, I think, is "Love." For we are told that His banner +over us is love. Are you displaying it, showing your love to Him by your +love to others? showing the power of His love over you by your sweet, +happy temper, and by trying to please Him always? + +Carrying a banner means something. First, it means that you belong to or +have to do with those whose banner you carry, and that you are not ashamed +of them. At great Sunday-school festivals we know to which school a boy +belongs by the flag that he carries. You would like to carry the flag of +England or the Queen's royal flag, because you are English and loyal. So +let us carry the banner of Jesus Christ because we are loyal to Him, and +are not ashamed to own Him as our King. Secondly, it means that we are +ready to fight, and ready to encourage others to fight under the same +banner. When you are tempted to do something wrong remember whose banner +you carry, and do not disgrace it. If one does right, it makes it easier +for the other to do right too. Thirdly, it means rejoicing. You know how +flags are hung out on grand days, and carried in triumphal processions. +The little hand that carries Christ's banner through His war, will carry +it also in His triumph; the little hand that tries to unfurl it bravely +now, will wave it when His glorious reign begins and His blessed kingdom +is come. Then, "in the name of our God we will set up our banners" _now_! + + "The Master hath called us, the children who fear Him, + Who march 'neath Christ's banner, His own little band; + We love Him, and seek Him; we long to be near Him, + And rest in the light of His beautiful land." + + + + +24. Twenty-fourth Day. + +Soldiers. + + + "Chosen to be a soldier."--2 Tim. ii. 4. + + +Are you a soldier? You ought to be, for you have been chosen to be a +soldier in the glorious army of Jesus Christ. + +You ought to be, for you have been "received into the congregation of +Christ's flock" at your baptism, and engaged "manfully to fight under His +banner against sin, the world, and the devil, and to continue Christ's +faithful soldier and servant unto your life's end." You can never undo +that, even if you are a deserter, and found in the enemy's ranks. The +Captain of our salvation will not undo it, for He is ready to receive +you, if you will but come and enlist now. Now, this very morning, come and +enlist! This very morning ask Him to receive you into His noble army, and +to give you first the shield of His salvation, and then the whole armor of +God, and to "teach your hands to war and your fingers to fight," and to +give you victories every day even now, and to let you share His grand +triumphs hereafter. + +Perhaps you know that you have enlisted already, you know and love your +Captain, and He is enabling you, even if very feebly, yet really, to fight +the good fight of faith? How came you to enlist? Was it any credit to you? +Oh no! it was all His doing. It was He who chose you to be a soldier, not +you who chose Him to be a Captain. And then He sent not some dreadful +cannon roar, but the sweet bugle-call of His love to win you to join His +ranks. And now He fights not only with you, but for you. In His war +"nothing shall by any means hurt you," for "He was wounded" for you. Your +life is safe with Him, for He laid down His own for you. By His side you +can never be vanquished, because He goes forth "always conquering and to +conquer." + + "Stand up, stand up for Jesus! + Ye soldiers of the cross; + Lift high His royal banner, + It must not suffer loss. + + "From victory to victory + His army shall be led, + Till every foe is vanquished, + And Christ is Lord indeed. + + "Stand up, stand up for Jesus! + The trumpet call obey; + Forth to the mighty conflict, + In this His glorious day!" + + + + +25. Twenty-fifth Day. + +A Loyal Aim. + + + "That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."--2 Tim. + ii. 4. + + +Here is something worth aiming at, worth trying for! The Lord Jesus, the +Captain of our salvation, is He who hath chosen us to be His soldiers and +now, does He only tell us that we may do our duty,--serve, obey, and +fight? No; He tells us something more, gives us a hope and an aim so +bright and pleasant, that it is like sunshine upon everything. He says, we +"may _please_ Him." + +Only one who knows what it is to mourn for having grieved the dear +Saviour, can quite understand what a happy word this is! That we, who +have been cold, and careless, and sinful, grieving His love over and over +again, should be told after all that we may _please_ Him! Oh, if we love +Him, our hearts will just leap at the hope of it! Perhaps we thought this +could not be till we reached heaven; but you see His own word says, we +"may please Him" now, while we are soldiers in the very midst of the +fighting. St. Paul tells us one thing in which you may please Him: +"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing unto +the Lord." But he prays too that the Colossians "might walk worthy of the +Lord unto _all_ pleasing." + +Shall this be your aim and your hope to-day? Will you look up to the Lord +Jesus now, and ask Him first to give you the faith without which "it is +impossible to please Him," and then to show you "how you ought to walk +and to please God," and so to help you to "do those things that are +pleasing in His sight;" that all your ways, even every little step of your +ways, may really and truly "please the Lord" (Prov. xvi. 7). + + "True-hearted, whole-hearted, faithful, and loyal, + King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be; + Under Thy standard, exalted and royal, + Strong in Thy strength, we will battle for Thee. + + "True-hearted, whole-hearted! Fullest allegiance + Yielding henceforth to our glorious King, + Valiant endeavor and loving obedience, + Freely and joyously now we would bring." + + + + +26. Twenty-sixth Day. + +Obedience to Christ. + + + "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."--John ii. 5. + + +How are you to know what He says to you? Ah, it is so easy to know if we +are really willing to know, and willing to obey when we do know! He has +spoken so plainly to us in His word! In that He tells us, tells even +little children, exactly what to do. It is most wonderful how He has said +everything there for us, told us everything we ought to do. When you read +a chapter or hear one read, listen and watch to see what He saith unto you +in it. There is another way in which He tells us what to do. Do you not +hear a little voice inside that always tells you to do the right thing, +and not to do the wrong thing? That is conscience and He speaks to you by +it. + +Another way is by those whom He has set over you. He has told you once for +all to "obey your parents," and to "obey them that have the rule over +you." So, when they tell you to do something, it is the Lord Jesus Himself +that you have to obey in obeying them. + +Now "whatsoever He saith unto you, do it!" Yes, "whatsoever," dear little +one, whether easy or hard, do it because He tells you; do it for love of +Him, and it will be a thousand times better and happier to obey your King +than to please yourself. And He Himself will help you to do it; only look +up to Him for grace to obey, and He will give it. + +"Whatsoever He saith unto you, _do_ it." Do not just think about doing +it, or talk about doing it, but _do_ it! "Do _it!_" Do the exact thing He +would have you do, not something a little bit different, or something +which you think will be very nearly the same, but do _"it."_ + +And "do it" at once. It is so true, that "the very first moment is the +easiest for obedience." Every minute that you put off doing the right +thing makes it harder. Do not let your King have to "speak twice" to you. +"Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it" cheerfully, exactly, and instantly. + + "Jesus, help me, I am weak; + Let me put my trust in Thee; + Teach me how and what to speak; + Loving Saviour, care for me. + Dear Saviour, hear me, + Hear a little child to-day; + Hear, oh hear me; + Hear me when I pray." + + + + +27. Twenty-seventh Day. + +Do it Heartily + + + "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord."--Col. in. 23. + + +In 2 Chron. xxxi. 21, we read of Hezekiah, that "in every work that he +began, he did it with all his heart, and prospered." And this morning's +"bell" rings a New Testament echo, "Do it heartily!" Sing it now, like a +little peal of bells! + +[Music: Do it hear-ti-ly!] + +See if that does not ring in your ears all day, and remind you that it is +not merely much pleasanter to be bright and brisk about everything, but +that it is actually one of God's commands written in His own word. + +I know this is easier to some than to others. Perhaps it "comes natural" +to you to do everything heartily. That is very nice, but it is not enough. +What else? "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, _as unto the Lord_, and not +unto men." He knows whether the industrious energetic boy or girl is +wishing to please Him, and looking up to Him for His smile; or whether He +is forgotten all the while, and only the smile of others and the pleasure +of being quick and busy is thought of. But perhaps it is hard to you to do +things heartily. You like better to take your time, and so you dawdle, and +do things in an idle way, especially what you do not much like doing. Is +this right? Is it a little sin, when God's word says, "Whatsoever ye do, +do it heartily!" Is it not just as much disobeying God as breaking any +other command? Are you not _guilty_ before Him? Very likely you never +thought of it in this way, but there the words stand, and neither you nor +I can alter them. First ask Him to forgive you all the past idleness and +idle ways, for Christ's sake, and then ask Him to give you strength +henceforth to obey this word of His. And then listen to the little chime, +"Do it heartily! do it heartily!" And _then_ the last word of the verse +about Hezekiah will be true of you too--"Prospered!" + + 'Up and doing, little Christian! + Up and doing, while 'tis day! + Do the work the Master gives you. + Do not loiter by the way. + For we all have work before us, + You, dear child, as well as I; + Let us learn to seek our duty, + And to 'do it heartily.' + + + + +28. Twenty-eighth Day. + +The Sight of Faith. + + + "As seeing Him who is invisible."--Heb. xi. 27. + + +If we were always doing everything just as if we saw Him, whom having not +seen we love, how different our lives would be! How much happier too! How +brave, and bright, and patient we should be, if all the time we could +really see Jesus as Stephen saw Him! And by faith, the precious faith +which God is ready to give to all who ask, we may go on our way with this +light upon it, "as seeing Him who is invisible." + +These words were said of Moses; and this seeing Him by faith had three +effects. First, "he forsook Egypt;" it made him ready to give up anything +for his God, and God's people. It made him true and loyal to God's cause. +What did He care for anything else, so long as he saw "Him who is +invisible?" Secondly, it took away all his fear. What was "the wrath of +the king" to him, when Jehovah was by his side? Of what should he be +afraid? Thirdly, it enabled him to "endure," to wait patiently for forty +years in the desert, and then to work patiently for forty years in the +wilderness; and only think how strength-giving that sight of faith must be +which enabled him to endure everything for eighty years! + +Try for yourself to-day what was such great and long help to Moses. Ask +God, before you go down-stairs, for faith, "the eye of the soul," so that +you may walk all day long "as seeing Him who is invisible." When you are +tempted to indulge in something wrong,--idleness or carelessness, or +selfishness,--this will help you to give it up at once, and forsake it; +for how can you give way to it when your eye meets His? When something +makes you afraid, this will make you brave and peaceful; for how can you +fear anything when your God is so near? When lessons, or work, or even +having to be quiet with nothing to do, seem very tiresome, and you are +tempted to be impatient, and perhaps cross, this will help you to endure +and not only so, but to feel patient; for how can you be impatient when +you are looking up to Him, and He is looking down on you all the time! + + "God will not leave me all alone, + He never will forsake His own; + When not another friend I see, + The Lord is looking down on me." + + + + +29. Twenty-Ninth Day. + +No Weights. + + + "Let us lay aside every weight."--Heb. xii. 1. + + +If you were going to run a race, you would first put down all the parcels +you might have been carrying. And if you had a heavy little parcel in your +pocket, you would take that out, and lay it down too, because it would +hinder you in running. You would know better than to say, "I will put down +the parcels which I have in my hands, but nobody can see the one in my +pocket, so that one won't matter!" You would "lay aside _every_ weight." + +You have a race to run to-day, a little piece of the great race that is +set before you. God has set a splendid prize before you, "the prize of +the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," a crown that is incorruptible. + +Now what are you going to do about the weights, the things that hinder you +from running this race? You know some things do seem to hinder you; will +you keep them or lay them aside? Will you only lay aside something that +every one can see is hindering you, so that you will get a little credit +for putting it down, and keep something that your own little conscience +knows is a real hindrance, though no one else knows anything at all about +it? Oh, take St. Paul's wise and holy advice, and make up your mind to lay +aside _every_ weight. + +Different persons have different weights; we must find out what ours are, +and give them up. One finds that if she does not get up directly she is +called, the time slips by, and there is not enough left for quiet prayer +and Bible-reading. Then here is a little weight that must be laid aside. +Another is at school, and finds that he gets no good, but a little harm, +when he goes much with a certain boy. Then he must lay that weight aside. +Another takes a story-book up to bed, and reads it while nurse is brushing +her hair, and up to the last minute, and then her head is so full of the +story that she only _says words_ when she kneels down, and can not really +_pray_ at all. Can she doubt that this is a weight which must be laid +aside? + +It may seem hard to lay our pet weight down; but oh, if you only knew how +light we feel when it is laid down, and how much easier it is to run the +race which God has set before us! + + + + +30. Thirtieth Day. + +The Shield of Salvation. + + + "Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation."--2 Sam. xxii. + 36. + + +This beautiful little text teaches us a very precious truth. It shows us +that the salvation which the Lord Jesus came to bring is not only +salvation at last, just escaping hell, but that it is salvation now, and +salvation in everything Salvation does not only mean victory at last, but +it is like a broad, shining shield, given to us in the midst of the +battle, coming between us and the poisoned arrows and sharp sword-thrusts +of the enemy. It is a shield not only to keep us from death, but to keep +us from being hurt and wounded. It is the shield which the Captain _has_ +given us to use now, as well as the crown which He _will_ give when the +warfare is ended. + +How are you to use this shield? what does it really mean for you? It +means, that if you have come to the Lord Jesus to be saved, He does not +merely say He _will_ save you, but that you _are_ saved, that He saves you +now. And this is how you are to use it--believe it, and be sure of it, +because you have His word for it; and then, when a temptation comes, tell +the enemy that he has nothing to do with you, for you are saved; that you +belong to Jesus, and not to him,--look up and say, "Jesus saves me!" Will +He fail you? Did He ever let any find themselves deceived and mistaken who +looked up in faith and confidence to Him, trusting in His great salvation? +Never! and never will you find this shield of His salvation fail to cover +you completely. Satan himself can not touch you when you are behind this +shield! Lift it up when you see him coming, even ever so far off, and you +will be safe. + + "Jesus saves me every day, + Jesus saves me every night; + Jesus saves me all the way, + Through the darkness, through the light." + + + + +31. Thirty-first Day. + +I will love Thee + + + "I will love Thee, O Lord."--Ps. xviii. 1. + + +Yes, even if I have never loved Thee before, I will love Thee, O Lord, +now! + +I will love Thee, Lord Jesus, because Thou hast loved me, and because Thou +art loving me now, and wilt love me to the end. Oh, forgive me for not +having loved Thee! How could I have helped loving Thee, when Thou wast +waiting all the time for me, waiting so patiently while I did not care +about Thee! Oh, forgive me! and now I will love Thee always; for Thou wilt +take my love, and fix it on Thyself, and keep it for Thyself. + +I will love Thee, O Lord Jesus; I will not listen to Satan, who tries to +keep me from loving Thee; I will not ask myself anything about it, lest I +should begin to get puzzled about whether I do love Thee or not. Thou +knowest that I do want to love Thee; and now, dear Lord Jesus, hear me say +that I _will_ love Thee, and that I will trust Thee to make me love Thee +more and more, always more and more. + +I have said it, dear Lord Jesus, and Thou hast heard me say it. And I am +so glad I have said it. I do not want ever to take it back, and Thou wilt +not let me take it back. I am to love Thee always now; and Thou wilt give +me Thy Holy Spirit to shed abroad Thy love in my heart, so that it may be +filled with love. Fill me so full of Thy love that it may run over into +everything I do, and that I may love everybody because I love Thee. + +Yes, I will love Thee, dear Lord Jesus! + + "My Saviour, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine! + For Thee all the follies of sin I resign; + My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou; + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now! + + "I love Thee, because Thou hast first loved me, + And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree; + I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow; + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now! + + "I will love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death, + And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath: + And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow, + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now!" + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORNING BELLS*** + + +******* This file should be named 11563-8.txt or 11563-8.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/1/1/5/6/11563 + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: Morning Bells</p> +<p>Author: Frances Ridley Havergal</p> +<p>Release Date: March 13, 2004 [eBook #11563]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: iso-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORNING BELLS***</p> +<br /> +<br /> +<center><b>E-text prepared by Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders</b></center> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr /> +<div id="tp"> +<h1 class="title">Morning Bells;</h1> + +<p style="text-align:center" class="smallcaps">Or,</p> + +<h2 class="subtitle"><i>Waking Thoughts for the Little Ones.</i></h2> + +<p style="text-align:center" class="smallcaps">By</p> + +<h2 class="author">Frances Ridley Havergal.</h2> +</div> + + +<div id="dedication" style="text-align:center"> +<p>To<br /> +The Twin Brothers,<br /> +Willie and Ethelbert<br /> +With<br /> +<i>Aunt Fanny's Love.</i></p></div> + + +<div id="toc"> +<h2>Contents.</h2> + + + +<h3>Morning Bells</h3> +<ol> + <li><a href="#ch01">"Thy Holy Child Jesus"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch02">"Even Christ pleased not Himself"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch03">"Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch04">"Bear ye one another's burdens"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch05">"Yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch06">"Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch07">"Faithful over a few things"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch08">"Put that on mine account"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch09">"Let thy garments be always white"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch10">"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch11">"Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch12">"The Lord is able to give thee much more than this"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch13">"Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch14">"A new heart also will I give you"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch15">"I will put my Spirit within you"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch16">"The Lord shall fight for you"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch17">"I will watch to see what He will say unto me"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch18">"He careth for you"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch19">"Under His wings shall thou trust"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch20">"I am with you alway"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch21">"Teach me to do Thy will"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch22">"Ye have done it unto me;" "Ye did it not to me"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch23">"Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch24">"Chosen to be a soldier"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch25">"That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch26">"Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch27">"Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch28">"As seeing Him who is invisible"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch29">"Let us lay aside every weight"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch30">"Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch31">"I will love Thee, O Lord"</a></li> +</ol> +</div> + +<div class="chapter" id="preface"> +<h2>Morning Bells.</h2> + + + +<p>Most of the readers of this little book will have already read <i>Little +Pillows</i>. Those were given you to go to sleep upon night after night; +sweet, soothing texts, that little hearts might rest upon.</p> + +<p>But in the morning we want something to arouse us, and to help us to go +brightly and bravely through the day. So here are "Morning Bells" to waken +up the little hearts, and to remind them that we must not only rest in +Jesus, but walk in Him. If the motto of "Little Pillows" might be "Come +to Jesus," the motto of "Morning Bells" might be "Follow Jesus."</p> + +<p>May He who loves the little ones bless this tiny effort to help them to +follow Him day by day.</p> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch01"> +<h2>1. First Day.</h2> + +<h3>Christ's Childhood.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Thy holy child Jesus."--Acts iv. 30.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>If I asked, "How old are you?" you would give an exact answer. "Eight and +a half;" "Just turned ten;" "Eleven next month." Now you have thought of +God's "holy child Jesus" as a little baby, and as twelve years old in the +temple, but did you ever think of Him as being <i>exactly</i> your own age? +that He was once really just as old as you are this very day? He knows +what it is to be eight, and nine, and ten years old, or whatever you may +be. God's word has only told us this one thing about those years, that He +was a <i>holy</i> child.</p> + +<p>What is "holy"? It is everything that is perfectly beautiful and good and +lovable, without anything to spoil it. This is just what He was when He +was your age. He was gentle and brave, and considerate and unselfish, +noble and truthful, obedient and loving, kind and forgiving,--everything +you can think of that you ever admired or loved in any one else was all +found together in Him, and all this not only outside, but inside, for He +was "holy."</p> + +<p>Why did He live all these holy child-years on earth instead of staying in +heaven till it was time to come and die for you? One reason was, that He +might leave you a beautiful example, so that you might wish to be like +Him, and ask for the Holy Spirit to make you like Him. But the other was +even more gracious and wonderful, it was "that we might be made the +righteousness of God in Him." That is, that all this goodness and +holiness might be reckoned to you, because you had not any of your own, +and that God might smile on you <i>for His sake</i>, just as if <i>you</i> had been +perfectly obedient, and truthful, and unselfish, and good, and give you +Jesus Christ's reward, which you never deserved at all, but which He +deserved for you.</p> + +<p>He took your sins and gives you His righteousness; He took your punishment +and gives you His reward; it is just changed over, if you will only accept +the exchange!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p> "I'm glad my blessed Saviour<br /> + Was once a child like me,<br /> +To show how pure and holy<br /> + His little ones might be.<br /> +And if I try to follow<br /> + His footsteps here below,<br /> +He never will forget me,<br /> + Because He loves me so."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch02"> +<h2>2. Second Day.</h2> + +<h3>Our Great Example</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Even Christ pleased not Himself."--Rom. xv. 3.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Do you really wish to follow the footsteps of the Holy Child Jesus? Have +you asked God to make you more like Him? Are you ready to begin to-day? +Then here is a motto for to-day, "Even Christ pleased not Himself." Will +you take it, and try to imitate Him? You are sure to have plenty of +opportunities of acting upon it, and thus proving not only to others, but +to your dear Saviour Himself, that you mean what you say, and mean what +you pray.</p> + +<p>Perhaps it seems a rather melancholy "morning bell" to you, tolling +instead of chiming! But if you really wish to be like Christ, you will +soon find that its music is as sweet as any, and that its quiet chime will +come to you again and again with a wonderful sweetness and power, helping +you over all sorts of difficulties, and saving you from all sorts of sins +and troubles.</p> + +<p>You can not tell, till you have fairly tried, how happy a little girl can +feel, who has cheerfully given up to another, for Jesus' sake, something +which she would have liked for herself; nor how happy a boy can be when of +his own free will, and by God's grace, he has chosen to do what his +conscience tells him would please the Lord Jesus instead of what would +have pleased himself.</p> + +<p>If you have never tried it yet, begin to-day, and you will find it is +quite a new happiness.</p> + +<p>Ah, what would have become of us if Christ had only "pleased Himself," +and had stayed in His own glorious home instead of coming down to save us! +Think of that when you are tempted to please yourself instead of pleasing +Him, and the remembrance that even He pleased not Himself because He so +loved you, will help you to try and please Him, and to please others for +His sake.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p> "If washed in Jesus' blood,<br /> + Then bear His likeness too!<br /> +And as you onward press,<br /> + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?'</p> + +<p>"Give with a full, free hand;<br /> + God freely gives to you!<br /> +And check each selfish thought<br /> + With, 'What would Jesus do?'"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch03"> +<h2>3. Third Day.</h2> + +<h3>Upholding.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe."--Ps. cxix. 117.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>The path is not easy. There are rough stones over which we may stumble, if +we are not walking very carefully. There are places which look quite +smooth, but they are more dangerous than the rough ones, for they are +slippery. There are little holes hidden under flowers, which may catch our +feet and give us a bad fall. There are muddy ditches, into which we may +slip and get sadly wet and dirty.</p> + +<p>How are we to walk safely along such a path? We want a strong, kind hand +to hold us up, and to hold us always; a hand that will hold ours so +tightly and lovingly, that it will be as the old Scotchwoman said, "Not my +grip of Christ, but Christ's grip of me!" Yes, Christ's loving hand is +"able to keep you from falling;" only "let your hand be restfully in the +hand of Jesus," and "then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot +shall not stumble." But do not spoil the chime of this morning's bells by +ringing only half a peal! Do not say, "Hold Thou me up," and stop there, +or add, "But, all the same, I shall stumble and fall!" Finish the peal +with God's own music, the bright words of faith that He puts into your +mouth, "Hold Thou me up, <i>and I shall be safe</i>!" So you will if you do not +distrust Him, if you will but <i>trust</i> Him to do just what you ask, and let +Him hold you up.</p> + +<p>It would be hard to find a prayer in the Bible without a promise to match +it; so David says, "Uphold me, according to Thy word."</p> + +<p>What has He said about it? More than there is room for on this page. "I +the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand." "Yea, I will uphold thee." "He +will not suffer thy foot to be moved." "When thou runnest thou shalt not +stumble." "Yea, he shall be holden up." "He shall keep thy foot from being +taken." "He will keep the feet of His saints." Seven promises in answer to +your one little prayer!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"I the Lord am with thee,<br /> + Be thou not afraid!<br /> +I will help and strengthen,<br /> + Be thou not dismayed!<br /> +Yea, I will uphold thee<br /> + With my own right hand;<br /> +Thou art called and chosen<br /> + In my sight to stand!"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch04"> +<h2>4. Fourth Day.</h2> + +<h3>What can I do</h3>? + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of + Christ."--Gal. vi. 2.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Perhaps you never thought that any one around you had any! Then if you +want to fulfill this law of Christ, the first thing will be to find out +who has any burdens, and which of them you could bear instead. You will +not have to watch long! There are very few without any. Little backs can +not bear great burdens, but sometimes those who have great burdens have +little ones too, and it makes such a difference if some loving little hand +will take one or two of these. If your mother was carrying a great heavy +parcel, would it not help her if you took two or three little ones out of +her hand and carried them for her? So perhaps she has troubles that you do +not even know about, and you see she looks tired and anxious. And it tires +her a little more, because a little brother or sister wants to be nursed +or amused. Now if you put your own affairs by, and call the little ones +away, and amuse them quietly so that mamma may not be disturbed, this is +bearing one of her burdens. Never mind if it is really a little burden to +you too; is it not worth it, when it is fulfilling the law of Christ? If +for a moment a burden that you have taken up does seem rather hard, and +you are tempted to drop it again, think of what the Lord Jesus bore for +you! Think how He took up the heaviest burden of all for you, when He "His +own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree!" He did not drop that +burden, but bore it till He died under it. Think of that, and it will be +easy then to bear something for His sake.</p> + +<p>Now be on the watch all to-day for little burdens to bear for others. See +how many you can find out, and pick up, and carry away! Depend upon it, +you will not only make it a brighter day for others, but for yourself too!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p> "Little deeds of kindness,<br /> + Little words of love,<br /> +Make our earth an Eden,<br /> + Like the heaven above."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch05"> +<h2>5. Fifth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Instruments.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Yield .... your members as instruments of righteousness unto + God."--Rom. vi. 13.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>This does not sound so easy and tuneful as most of your other "morning +bells," you think! But listen for a few minutes and you will hear the +music.</p> + +<p>What are your members? Hands, feet, lips, eyes, ears, and so on. What are +you to do with them? "Yield" them, that is, give them up altogether, hand +them over to God.</p> + +<p>What for? That He may use them as instruments of righteousness. That is, +just as we should take an instrument of music, to make music with it, so +He may take your hands and feet and all your members, and use them to do +right and good things with.</p> + +<p>If a little one gives himself or herself to God, every part of that little +body is to be God's little servant, a little instrument for Him to use.</p> + +<p>The little hands will no longer serve Satan by striking or pinching; the +little feet will not kick or stamp, nor drag and dawdle, when they ought +to run briskly on some errand; the little lips will not pout; the little +tongue will not move to say a naughty thing. All the little members will +leave off serving Satan, and find something to do for God; for if you +"yield" them to God, He will really take them and use them.</p> + +<p>He will tell the hands to pick up what a tired mamma has dropped, and to +fetch her a footstool; and the fingers to sew patiently at a warm +petticoat for a poor child, or to make warm cuffs for a poor old man. He +will tell the feet to run on errands of kindness and help. He will set the +lips to sing happy hymns, which will cheer and comfort somebody, even if +you never know of it. He will use the eyes for reading to some poor sick +or blind woman, or to some fretful little one in your own home. You will +be quite surprised to find in how many ways He will really use even your +little members, if you give them and your whole self to Him. It will be so +nice! You will never be miserable again with "nothing to do!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p> "Take my hands, and let them move<br /> +At the impulse of Thy love.<br /> +Take my feet, and let them be<br /> +Swift and beautiful' for Thee."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch06"> +<h2>6. Sixth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Willing and Glad.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly."--I Chron. + xxix. 9</p></blockquote> + + +<p>We thought yesterday morning about giving our members up to God for Him to +use. Did you think you would like to give them up to Him? <i>did</i> you yield +them to Him? If you did, you will understand this morning's text! David +the King asked his people to help in bringing offerings for God's house +and service. He said, "Who then is willing to consecrate his service this +day unto the Lord?" And God made them all willing to bring what they +could. And what then? "<i>Then</i> the people rejoiced, for that they offered +willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord." +"And did eat and drink on that day before the Lord with great gladness."</p> + +<p>See what came of offering willingly to the Lord--they "rejoiced," and +everything they did, even eating and drinking, was "with great gladness." +Never is any one so happy as those who offer their own selves willingly to +the Lord. He gives them a thousandfold return for the worthless little +self and weak little members which they have offered to Him. He gives them +peace, and gladness, and blessing, beyond what they ever expected to have.</p> + +<p>But this was not all; it was not only the people who had such a glad day, +but "David the king also rejoiced with great joy." Those who loved their +king, and recollected how much sorrow he had gone through, and how many +battles he had fought for them, must have been glad indeed to see Him +rejoicing because they had offered willingly. And I think our King, <i>your</i> +King Jesus, rejoices over us when He has made us able (ver. 14) to offer +ourselves willingly to Him. Is not this best of all? Jesus, who suffered +for us, and who fought the great battle of our salvation for us, He, our +own beloved King, "will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His +love; He will joy over thee with singing."</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"In full and glad surrender I give myself to Thee,<br /> +Thine utterly, and only, and evermore to be!<br /> +O Son of God, who lovest me, I will be Thine alone;<br /> +And all I have, and all I am, shall henceforth be Thine own."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch07"> +<h2>7. Seventh Day.</h2> + +<h3>Faithfulness.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Faithful over a few things."--Matt. xxv. 21, 23.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>The servant who had only two talents to trade with, but traded faithfully +with them, had just the same glorious words spoken to him as the servant +who had five talents: "Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast +been faithful over a few things ... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." +Think what it would be to hear the Lord Jesus saying that to you, really +to you! Oh how sweet! how blessed! how you would listen to that gracious +voice saying those wonderfully gracious words to <i>you</i>!</p> + +<p>But could He say them to you? Are you "faithful over a few things"? He +has given every one, even the youngest, a few things to be faithful over, +and so He has to you. Your "few things" may be very few, and very small +things, but He expects you to be faithful over them.</p> + +<p>What is being faithful over them? It means doing the very best you can +with them; doing as much for Jesus as you can with your money, even if you +have very little; doing as much for Him as you can with your time; doing +whatever duties He gives you as well as ever you can,--your lessons, your +work, the little things that you are bidden or asked to do every day, the +little things that you have promised or undertaken to do for others. It +means doing all these just the same whether others see you or know about +it or not.</p> + +<p>You sigh over all this; you recollect many things in which you have not +been quite faithful; you know you do not deserve for Him to call you "good +and faithful servant." But come at once to your gracious Lord, and ask Him +to forgive all the unfaithfulness, and to make you faithful to-day. And +then, even if it is only a matter of a French verb or a Latin noun, you +will find it a help to recollect, "Faithful over a few things!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love<br /> + Fit us for perfect rest above;<br /> +And help us, this and every day,<br /> + To live more nearly as we pray."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch08"> +<h2>8. Eighth Day.</h2> + +<h3>"On mine Account."</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Put that on mine account."--Philem. 18.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>When St. Paul asked Philemon, in a most beautiful letter, to take back +Onesimus, who had run away from him, he said, "If he hath wronged thee, or +oweth thee ought, put that on my account." Onesimus had been a bad servant +to Philemon; and being willing to come back and do better, would not pay +for what he had wronged him in before, and would not pay his old debts. +And he evidently had nothing himself to pay them with. But St. Paul +offered to pay all, so that Onesimus might be received, "not now as a +servant," but as a "brother beloved."</p> + +<p>This is an exquisite picture of what the Lord Jesus Christ does. He not +only intercedes for us with Him from whom we have departed, and against +whom we have sinned; but, knowing to the full how much we have wronged +God, and how much we owe Him, He says, "Put that on mine account."</p> + +<p>And God has put it all on His account and the account has been paid, paid +in blood. When "the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all," Jesus saw +and knew all your sins; and He said, "Put that on mine account."</p> + +<p>Oh, what wonderful "kindness and love of God our Saviour!" Let the +remembrance of it be like a silver bell, ringing softly and clearly +whenever you are going to do, or letting yourself feel or think, something +that is not right. "Put <i>that</i> on mine account!" Yes, that sin that you +were on the very edge of committing! that angry word, and the angry +feeling that makes you want to say it; that untrue word, and the +cowardliness which makes you afraid to speak the exact truth; that proud +look and the naughty pride of heart that made it come into your eyes; +Jesus stands by and says, patiently and lovingly, "Put <i>that</i> on mine +account!"</p> + +<p>Can you bear that? does it not make you wish, ten times more than ever, to +be kept from sinning against such a Saviour?</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Jesus, tender Saviour,<br /> + Hast Thou died for me?<br /> +Make me very thankful<br /> + In my heart to Thee;<br /> +When the sad, sad story<br /> + Of Thy grief I read,<br /> +Make me very sorry<br /> + For my sins indeed."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch09"> +<h2>9. Ninth Day.</h2> + +<h3>White Garments.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Let thy garments be always white."--Eccles. ix. 8.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>"Always?" Oh, how can that be? They are soiled again directly after they +have been washed clean! Yet God says, "Let them be <i>always</i> white;" and He +would not tell you to do what was impossible. Then how are you to help +soiling them? Only in one way. Last night's "little pillow" told you how +Jesus washes us "whiter than snow" in His own precious blood, that +cleanseth from all sin. But will He only cleanse His little one just for +the moment? is that all He is able and willing to do for you?</p> + +<p>No; if you will only keep on trusting to that precious blood, and not +turn away from it, He says that it cleanseth, that is, <i>goes on +cleansing</i>. You could not keep your garments white for five minutes; +careless thoughts would come like dust upon them, and wrong words would +make great dark stains and before long some naughty deed would be like a +sad fall in the mud, and you would feel sad and ashamed before the kind +Saviour who still stands ready to cleanse you again. But why should all +this happen over and over again, till anybody but our own loving, +long-suffering Saviour would be tired of us, and give up doing any more +for us? Why should it be, when His precious blood is meant to "<i>go on +cleansing</i>," so that our garments may be always white? Perhaps you never +thought of this; ask Him now this morning not only to wash you in the +fountain of His precious blood, but <i>to keep you in it</i>, to <i>go on +cleansing</i> you all day long. <i>Trust</i> Him to do this, and see if it is not +the happiest day you ever spent!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"And He can do all this for me,<br /> +Because in sorrow, on the tree,<br /> + He once for sinners hung;<br /> +And, having washed their sin away,<br /> +He now rejoices, day by day,<br /> + To cleanse His little one."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch10"> +<h2>10. Tenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Made Beautiful.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us."--Ps. xc. 17.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>"How great is His beauty!" said Zechariah. How can His beauty be upon us? +In two ways; try to understand them, and then ask that in both ways the +beauty of the Lord our God may be upon you.</p> + +<p>One way is by His covering you with the robe of Jesus Christ's +righteousness, looking upon you not as you are in yourself, all sinful and +unholy, but as if all the Saviour's beautiful and holy life were yours, +reckoning it to you for His sake. In this way He can call us "perfect +through my comeliness which I had put upon thee." The other way is by +giving you the beauty of holiness, for that is His own beauty; and though +we never can be quite like Him till we see Him as He is, He can begin to +make us like Him even now. Look at a poor little colorless drop of water, +hanging weakly on a blade of grass. It is not beautiful at all; why should +you stop to look at it? Stay till the sun has risen, and now look. It is +sparkling like a diamond; and if you look at it from another side, it will +be glowing like a ruby, and presently gleaming like an emerald. The poor +little drop has become one of the brightest and loveliest things you ever +saw. But is it its own brightness and beauty? No; if it slipped down to +the ground out of the sunshine, it would be only a poor little dirty drop +of water. So, if the Sun of Righteousness, the glorious and lovely +Saviour, shines upon you, a little ray of His own brightness and beauty +will be seen upon you. Sometimes we can see by the happy light on a face +that the Sun is shining there; but if the Sun is really shining, there are +sure to be some of the beautiful rays of holiness, love, joy, peace, +gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, making the life even of a little +child very lovely.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Jesus, Lord, I come to Thee,<br /> + Thou hast said I may;<br /> +Tell me what my life should be,<br /> + Take my sins away.</p> + +<p>"Jesus, Lord, I learn of Thee,<br /> + In Thy word divine;<br /> +Every promise there I see,<br /> + May I call it mine!"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch11"> +<h2>11. Eleventh Day.</h2> + +<h3>Pleasant Gifts.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."--I Tim. vi. 17.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Think a little this morning of God's great kindness to you. How <i>very</i> +good He is to you! I know one of His dear children who looks up many, many +times a day, and says, "<i>Good</i> Lord Jesus!" or "<i>Kind</i> Lord Jesus!" She +does not set herself to say it, but it seems as if she could not help +saying it, just because He <i>is</i> so good and kind. And then it seems only +natural to look up again and say, "<i>Dear</i> Lord Jesus!" How <i>can</i> anybody +go on all day long, and never see how good He is, and never look up and +bless Him? Most especially on bright pleasant days, when He giveth us +more even than usual to enjoy! "He giveth." Not one single pleasant thing, +not one single bit of enjoyment comes to us but what He giveth. We can not +get it, we do not earn it, we do not deserve it; but He <i>giveth</i> lovingly, +and kindly, and freely. Suppose He stopped giving, what would become of +us?</p> + +<p>"Richly." So richly, that if you tried to write down half His gifts to +you, your hand would be tired long before you had done. You might easily +make a list of the presents given you on your birthday, but you could not +make a list of what God gives you every day of your life.</p> + +<p>"All things." All the things you really need, and a great many more +besides. All the things that will do you good, a great many more than you +would ever have thought of. All the things that He can fill your little +hands with, and trust you to carry without stumbling and falling. <i>All</i> +things, everything that you have at all!</p> + +<p>"To enjoy." Now how kind this is! not only "to do us good," but "to +enjoy." So you see He means you to be happy with what He gives you, to +smile and laugh and be glad, not to be dismal and melancholy. If you do +not enjoy what He "giveth," that is your own fault, for He meant you to +enjoy it. Look up to Him with a bright smile, and thank Him for having +given you richly all things to enjoy!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"My joys to Thee I bring,<br /> + The joys Thy love hath given,<br /> +That each may be a wing<br /> + To lift me nearer heaven.<br /> +I bring them, Saviour, all to Thee,<br /> +For Thou hast purchased all for me."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch12"> +<h2>12. Twelfth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Much more than this.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this."--2 Chron. xxv. 9.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Amaziah, king of Judah, was going to war against the Edomites. He thought +he would make sure of victory by hiring a hundred thousand soldiers from +the King of Israel, and he paid them beforehand a hundred talents, which +was about £34,218.15s. of our money. But a man of God warned him not to +let the army of Israel go with him, for Israel had forsaken the Lord, and +so He was not with them. It seemed a great pity to waste all that money, +and so Amaziah said, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which +I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord +is able to give thee much more than this." So Amaziah simply obeyed, and +sent the soldiers away, and trusted God to help him to do without them. +Was it any wonder that he gained a great victory over the Edomites?</p> + +<p>Does not this teach us that we should simply do the right thing, and trust +God at any cost? When you do this, you will find that, in hundreds of ways +which you never thought of, "the Lord is able to give thee much more." The +trial comes in many different ways. One may be tempted to hurry over +prayer and Bible, because there is something else that she very much wants +to get done before breakfast, and she is afraid of not having time enough. +Another shuts up her little purse when a call comes to give something for +God's work, because she is afraid she will not have enough left for +another purpose. Another is tempted to look at a key, or to glance over +another's shoulder at a lesson, because without it he would not get the +marks he is trying for. Another is tempted not to tell the exact truth, or +to conceal something which he ought to tell, because he would lose +something by it. Oh, resist the devil, and do what you know is right, and +trust God for all the rest! For "the Lord is able to give thee much more +than this," whatever your "<i>this</i>" may be. And His smile and His blessing +will always be "more than this," more than anything else!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Be brave to do the right,<br /> + And scorn to be untrue;<br /> +When fear would whisper 'yield!'<br /> + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?'"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch13"> +<h2>13. Thirteenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>The Doings of the King.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people."--2 Sam. iii. 36.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>David had been giving a proof of his love for one who had long been his +enemy, but whom he had received into friendship; and he had been giving a +proof of his tender-heartedness and sympathy with the people, by weeping +with them at the grave of Abner. "And all the people took notice of it, +and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people."</p> + +<p>This was because they loved their king. They watched him, not as the +wicked Pharisees watched the Lord Jesus that they might find something +against Him; but with the watching of admiration and love, taking notice +of the kind and gracious things he did and said. Do you thus take notice +of what your King does? Does it please you to hear and read of what He has +done and what He is doing? It must be so if He really is your King.</p> + +<p>But the "whatsoever" is a little harder; and yet, if it is once really +learnt, it makes everything easy. For if we learn to be pleased with +<i>whatsoever</i> our King Jesus does, nothing can come wrong to us.</p> + +<p>Suppose something comes to-day which is not quite what you would have +liked; heavy rain, for instance, when you wanted to go out,--recollect +that your King Jesus has done it, and that will hush the little murmur, +and make you quite content. Ask Him this morning to make you so loving +and loyal to Him, that <i>whatsoever</i> He does, all day long, may please you, +because it has pleased Him to do it. I think He loves us so much, that He +always gives us as much happiness as He can possibly trust us with, and +does what is pleasantest for His dear children whenever He sees it will +not hurt them; so, when He does something which at first does not seem so +pleasant, we may still trust our beloved King, and learn by His grace to +be pleased with <i>whatsoever</i> He does.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"I hear a sweet voice ringing clear,<br /> + 'All is well!'<br /> +It is my Father's voice I hear,<br /> + All is well!<br /> +Where'er I walk that voice is heard,<br /> +It is my God, my Father's word--<br /> +'Fear not, but trust; I am the Lord,<br /> + All is well!'"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch14"> +<h2>14. Fourteenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>The New Heart.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "A new heart also will I give you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 26.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Why does God promise this? Because our old hearts are so evil that they +can not be made any better; and so nothing will do any good but giving us +a quite new heart.</p> + +<p>Because we can not make a new heart for ourselves; the more we try, the +more we shall find we can not do it; so God, in His great pity and +kindness, says He will give it us.</p> + +<p>Because unless we have a new heart we can not enter the kingdom of God, we +can not even see it! Without this gift we must be left outside in the +terrible darkness when "the door is shut."</p> + +<p>What is the difference? The old heart <i>likes</i> to be naughty in some way or +other; either it likes to be idle, or it likes to let out sharp words, or +to go on being sulky or fretful instead of clearing up and saying, "I am +sorry!" The new heart <i>wants</i> to be good; and is grieved when a temptation +comes, and does not wish to yield to it; and would like to be always +pleasing the Saviour.</p> + +<p>The old heart is afraid of God, and does not love Him, and would much +rather He were not always seeing us. And it does not care to hear about +Jesus, but would rather be just let alone. The new heart loves God and +trusts what He says, and likes to know that He is always watching it. And +it is glad to hear about Jesus, and wants to come closer to Him.</p> + +<p>The old heart is a little slave of Satan, taking his orders, and doing +what he wishes. The new heart is a happy little servant of Christ, +listening to His orders, and doing what He wishes.</p> + +<p>Oh how happy and blessed to have this new heart! All God's own children +receive it, for He has said, "I will give them one heart;" that is, all +the same new heart. Do you not want to have it too? Then "ask, and you +<i>shall</i> receive;" for He hath said, "A new heart also <i>will</i> I give you!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Oh for a heart to praise my God,<br /> + A heart from sin set free!<br /> +A heart that always feels Thy blood,<br /> + So freely shed for me.</p> + +<p>"A heart resigned, submissive, meek,<br /> + My dear Redeemer's throne;<br /> +Where only Christ is heard to speak,<br /> + Where Jesus reigns alone."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch15"> +<h2>15. Fifteenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>The Gift of the Holy Spirit.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "I will put my Spirit within you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 27.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Many years ago a good clergyman wrote a tiny prayer, so short that no one +could help remembering it if they once heard it. God seemed to set that +little prayer "upon wheels," so that it might run everywhere. It was +printed on large cards and hung up, and it was printed on small ones and +kept in Bibles and pocket-books. It was taught to classes and schools and +whole congregations, and now thousands upon thousands pray it constantly. +It is a prayer which must be heard, because it asks for what God has +promised to give; and it asks for this through Him whom the Father heareth +always. It is this: "O God, give me Thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus Christ's +sake. Amen." Will you not pray it too? Begin this morning, and go on, not +just <i>saying</i> it, but <i>praying</i> it, till you get a full answer. For you +are quite sure to get it; here is God's own promise, "I <i>will</i> put my +Spirit within you;" and He has promised it over and over again in other +places. Perhaps you will not know at first when the answer comes. Can you +see the dew fall? No one ever saw a single drop come down, and yet as soon +as the sun rises, you see that it has come, and is sparkling all over the +fields. It came long before you saw it, falling sweetly and silently in +the twilight and in the dark. So do not fancy God is not hearing you +because you have not felt anything very sudden and wonderful. He is +hearing and answering all the time. You would not go on asking unless the +dew of His Spirit were already falling upon your heart, and teaching you +to pray. The more He gives you of His blessed Spirit, the more you will +ask for; and the more you ask, the more He will give.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Thou gift of Jesus, now descend,<br /> +And be my Comforter and Friend;<br /> +O Holy Spirit, fill my heart,<br /> +That I from Christ may ne'er depart!</p> + +<p>"Show me my soul all black within,<br /> +And cleanse and keep me pure within;<br /> +Oh, show me Jesus! let me rest<br /> +My heart upon His loving breast!"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch16"> +<h2>16. Sixteenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>How to Conquer.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "The Lord shall fight for you."--Ex. xiv. 14.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>How glad the children of Israel must have been when Moses said these words +to them on the shores of the Red Sea! For when they "lifted up their eyes, +behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid."</p> + +<p>The Egyptians had been cruel masters to them; and they had horses and +chariots to pursue them with; and there was the sea close before them, and +no boats! Perhaps some of the Israelites thought it was no use trying to +escape, they would only be overtaken and conquered and be worse off than +before.</p> + +<p>And so, left to themselves, they would have been; but God fought for them +in a way they never thought of. For "the Lord saved Israel that day out of +the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the +sea-shore."</p> + +<p>What about your Egyptians?--the angry tempers or sulky looks, the +impatient words, the vain and foolish thoughts, the besetting sins that +master you so often. Have you tried so often to fight against them, and +failed, that it seems almost no use, and you do not see how to conquer +them or to escape them? Are you very tired of fighting, and "sore afraid" +of being always overcome just the same as ever? Now hear God's true, +strong promise to you. "The Lord shall fight for you!" "Will He really?" +Yes, really, and He will conquer for you too, if you will only believe +His Word and trust the battle to Him, and <i>let</i> Him fight for you.</p> + +<p>How? First, watch! and then the very instant you see the enemy coming, +look up and say, "Come, Lord, and fight for me;" and keep on looking up +and <i>expecting</i> Him to fight for you. And <i>you will find</i> that He does +fight for you and gives you the victory; and you too will be "saved that +day," and will see "the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore." Try Him, and +trust Him; and you, even you, will be "more than conqueror through Him +that loved you."</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"So, when you meet with trials,<br /> + And know not what to do;<br /> +Just cast the care on Jesus,<br /> + And He will fight for you.<br /> +Gird on the heavenly armor<br /> + Of faith, and hope, and love;<br /> +And when the conflict's ended,<br /> + You'll reign with Him above."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch17"> +<h2>17. Seventeenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>The Master's Voice.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "I will watch to see what He will say unto me."--Hab. ii. 1.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>When the Lord Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee, "Simon, I have somewhat to +say unto thee;" he answered, "Master, say on!" When God was going to speak +to Samuel, he said, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." Has the Lord +Jesus said anything like this for us? He says, "I have yet many things to +say unto you." What things? They will be strong, helpful, life-giving +words, for He says, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and +they are life." They will be very loving words, for He says, "I will +speak comfortably to her" (margin, "I will speak to her heart"). And they +will be very kind and tender words, and spoken just at the right moment, +for He says that He knows "how to speak a word in season to him that is +weary." "Will He really speak to me?" says the little heart. Yes, really, +if you will only watch to see what He will say to you. For it will be "a +still, small voice," and you will not hear it at all if you do not listen +for it. "How will He speak to me?" If I had something very nice to tell +you, and instead of saying it out loud, I wrote it down on a piece of +paper, and gave it you to look at, would not that be exactly the same as +if I had told it you with my lips? And you would take the paper eagerly to +see what it was that I had to say to you. So to-day, when you read your +Bible, either alone or at your Bible-lesson, watch to see what Jesus will +say to you in it. You will never really watch in vain. You will see some +word that seems to come home to you, and that you never noticed so much +before. Oh, listen lovingly to it, for <i>that</i> is what He says to you! Or +if you are really watching and wishing for a word from Him, some sweet +text will come into your mind, and you wonder what made you think of it! +That is the voice of Jesus speaking to your heart. Listen to it, and +treasure it up, and follow it; and then watch to see what else He will say +to you. Say to Him, "Master, say on!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Master, speak! and make me ready,<br /> + When Thy voice is truly heard,<br /> +With obedience glad and steady,<br /> + Still to follow every word.<br /> +I am listening, Lord, for Thee;<br /> + Master, speak, oh, speak to me!"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch18"> +<h2>18. Eighteenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Who will take care of me?</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "He careth for you."--I Pet. v. 7.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>It is so pleasant to be cared for; to have kind relations and friends who +show that they love you by their care of you, and their care for you. What +would you do if no one cared for you, like the poor little children in +London who are turned out to "do for themselves" before they are as old as +you are? What would you do if there was no one to get anything for you to +eat, or to see to your clothes, or to keep a home for you to live in? No +one to take any notice if you hurt yourself ever so badly, or if you were +ever so ill? You would feel then what a difference being cared for makes +to your life. But all the earthly care for you comes because "He careth +for you." He planned and arranged everything, without your having anything +to do with it, so that you shall be cared for. And He did not arrange it +once for all, and then leave things to go on as might happen. No! Every +day, every moment, He careth, <i>goes on</i> caring, for you. Not only thinking +of you and watching you, but working for you; making things come right, so +that everything should be just the best that could happen to you. Not +managing the great things, and leaving the little things to arrange +themselves; but giving loving care to the least, the very least things +that concern you. Even in some tiny little trouble which no one else seems +to care about, "He careth;" or when every one else is too much taken up +with other things to attend to you, "He careth for you."</p> + +<p>You can never get beyond God's care, for it always reaches you; you can +never be outside of it, for it is always enfolding you.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"'Who will take care of me?' darling, you say,<br /> + Lovingly, tenderly watched as you are?<br /> +Listen! I give you the answer to-day,<br /> + One who is never forgetful or far.</p> + +<p>"He will take care of you! All through the year<br /> + Crowning each day with His kindness and love,<br /> +Sending you blessings and shielding from fear,<br /> + Leading you on to His bright home above."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch19"> +<h2>19. Nineteenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Under His Wings.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Under His wings shall thou trust."--Ps. xci. 4.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>That means to-day, not some other time! Under His wings, the shadowing +wings of the Most High, you, poor little helpless one, are to trust +to-day.</p> + +<p>When the little eaglets, that have not yet a feather to fly with, are +under the great wings of the parent eagle, how safe they are! Who would +dare touch them? If a bold climber put his hand into the nest then, those +powerful wings would beat him in a minute from his hold, and he would fall +down the rocks and be dashed to pieces. So safe shall you be "under His +wings," "nothing shall by any means hurt you" there.</p> + +<p>When the wild snow-storms rage round the eyrie, and the mountain cold is +felt, that is death to an unprotected sleeper, how warm the little eaglets +are kept! Not an arrow of the keen blast reaches them, poor little +featherless things, not a snowflake touches them. So warm shall you be +kept "under His wings," when any cold and dark day of trouble comes, or +even any sudden little blast of unkindness or loneliness.</p> + +<p>"Under His wings shall thou <i>trust</i>!" Not "shall thou <i>see</i>!" If one of +the eaglets wanted to see for itself what was going on, and thought it +could take care of itself for a little while, and hopped from under the +shadow of the wings, it would be neither safe nor warm. The sharp wind +would chill it, and the cruel hand might seize it then. So you are to +<i>trust</i>, rest quietly and peacefully, "under His wings;" stay there, not +be peeping out and wondering whether God really is taking care of you! You +may be always safe and happy there. Safe, for "in the shadow of Thy wings +will I make my refuge." Happy, for "in the shadow of Thy wings will I +rejoice."</p> + +<p>Remember, too, that it is a command as well as a promise; it is what you +are to do to-day, all day long: "Under His wings <i>shalt</i> thou trust!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,<br /> + Trusting only Thee!<br /> +Trusting Thee for full salvation,<br /> + Great and free.</p> + +<p>"I am trusting Thee to guide me,<br /> + Thou alone shalt lead!<br /> +Every day and hour supplying<br /> + All my need."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch20"> +<h2>20. Twentieth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Always Near.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "I am with you alway."--Matt. xxvlii. 20.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>How nice it would be if we could always have the one we loved best in all +the world with us; never away from us night or day, and no fear that they +ever possibly would or could leave us; never a good-bye even for ever such +a little while, and never, never the long farewell of death!</p> + +<p>Can this ever be for you? Yes, for you; for to every one who is a disciple +of the Lord Jesus (that is, who learns of Him and owns Him as Master), He +says, "I am with you alway." He does not even say, "I will be with you;" +so that you might be wondering when He meant to come, when He would begin +to be "with you;" but He says, "I <i>am</i> with you." Yes, even now, though +perhaps your eyes are holden, like those of the two who walked to Emmaus +when Jesus was beside them and they did not know it. Your feeling or not +feeling that He is there has nothing at all to do with it, because His +word must be true and <i>is</i> true, and He has said, "I <i>am</i> with you alway." +All you have to do is to be happy in believing it to be true. And if you +go on believing it, you will soon begin to realize it; that is, to find +that it is a real thing, and that Jesus really is with you.</p> + +<p>How long will He be with you? Always, "all the days!" He hath said, "I +will never leave thee." "Never" means really <i>never</i>, not for one moment. +You can not get beyond "never." It goes on all through your life, and all +through God's great "forever." And "always" means really <i>always</i>, every +single moment of all your life, so that you need never ask again, "Is +Jesus with me now?" Of course He is! the answer will always be "yes," +because He hath said, "I am with you alway." How safe, how sweet, how +blessed!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"O Jesus, make Thyself to me<br /> +A living, bright reality!<br /> +More present to faith's vision keen<br /> +Than any outward object seen;<br /> +More dear, more intimately nigh,<br /> +Than even the sweetest earthly tie."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch21"> +<h2>21. Twenty-first Day.</h2> + +<h3>Doing God's Will.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Teach me to do Thy will."--Ps. cxliii. 10.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>When you see some one doing with very great delight some beautiful and +pleasant piece of work, have you not thought, "I should like to be able to +do that!" and perhaps you have said, "Please, teach me how to do it."</p> + +<p>Can you think of anything pleasanter to do than what the very angels are +full of delight in doing? Can you think of anything more beautiful to do +than what is done in the "pleasant land," the beautiful home above? Can +you fancy anything more interesting to do than what the dwellers there +will never get tired of doing for thousands of millions of years? Would +you not like to be taught to do it too?--to begin the pleasant and +beautiful and most interesting work now, instead of waiting till you are +grown up, and then perhaps never learning it at all, because it was put +off now? Then pray this little prayer this morning with all your heart, +"Teach me to do Thy will." For it is His will that is the happiest work +above, and the very happiest thing to do here below.</p> + +<p>What is His will? The Prayer-Book version of this Psalm tells you very +simply and sweetly. It says, "Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth +Thee." So doing God's will is just doing the things, one by one, that +please Him.</p> + +<p>Why did David ask this? He goes on to say why--"For Thou art my God." If +God is really <i>our</i> God, we too shall wish to do the thing that pleaseth +Him. David did not think he could do it of himself, for he says next, "Let +Thy loving Spirit lead me." That loving Spirit will lead you too, dear +child, and show you how beautiful and grand God's will is, and make you +long to do it always, and teach you to do it. So that even on earth you +may begin to do what the angels are doing in heaven!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"It is but very little<br /> + For Him that I can do,<br /> +Then let me seek to serve Him,<br /> + My earthly journey through;<br /> +And, without sigh or murmur,<br /> + To do His holy will;<br /> +And in my daily duties<br /> + His wise commands fulfill."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch22"> +<h2>22. Twenty-second Day.</h2> + +<h3>Working for Jesus.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Ye have done it unto me." "Ye did it not to me."--Matt. xxv., xl., and + xlv.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us opportunities of showing whether we +love Him or not. He tells us that what we try to do for any one who is +poor, or hungry, or sick, or a lonely stranger, is just the same as doing +it to Him. And when the King says, "Come, ye blessed," He will remember +these little things, and will say, "Ye have done it unto me." But He tells +us that if we do nothing for them, it is just the same as if He were +standing there and we would do nothing for Him. And He will say, "Ye did +it not to me."</p> + +<p>One of these two words will be spoken to you in the great day when you +see the King on the throne of His glory. Which shall it be? What are you +doing for Jesus? Are you doing anything at all for Him? Perhaps you say, +"I have no opportunity." Did you ever try to find one? Did you ever ask +Him to give you opportunities of doing something for Him? Or is it only +that you have never yet cared or tried to do anything for Him? Be honest +about it. He knows. And He will forgive.</p> + +<p>But now, what is to be done? Begin by asking Him to show you. And then +keep a bright, sharp look-out, and see if you can not find an opportunity +very soon (and perhaps many) of doing something kind for His sake to some +poor or sick or lonely one. Set to work to <i>think</i> what you could do!</p> + +<p>It seems to me so very kind of the Lord Jesus to have told us this. For +He knew that those who really love Him would <i>want</i> to do something for +Him, and what could we do for the King of glory in His glorious heaven? So +it was wonderfully thoughtful of Him to give us His poor people to care +for, and to say, if we have only been kind to a sick old woman or hungry +little child, "Ye have done it unto me!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"I love my precious Saviour<br /> + Because He died for me;<br /> +And if I did not serve Him,<br /> + How sinful I should be!<br /> +God help me to be useful<br /> + In all I do or say!<br /> +I mean to work for Jesus,<br /> + The Bible says I may!"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch23"> +<h2>23. Twenty-third Day.</h2> + +<h3>Standard-Bearers.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee."--Ps. lx. 4.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Then what is your banner, and what are you doing with it? For if you are +among "them that fear" God, He has given you a banner "that it may be +displayed." Is yours furled up and put away in a corner, so that nobody +sees it or knows of it? Or are you trying to be a brave little +standard-bearer of Jesus Christ, carrying His flag, so that the sweet +breezes of His Spirit may lift its bright folds, and show its golden +motto? That motto, I think, is "Love." For we are told that His banner +over us is love. Are you displaying it, showing your love to Him by your +love to others? showing the power of His love over you by your sweet, +happy temper, and by trying to please Him always?</p> + +<p>Carrying a banner means something. First, it means that you belong to or +have to do with those whose banner you carry, and that you are not ashamed +of them. At great Sunday-school festivals we know to which school a boy +belongs by the flag that he carries. You would like to carry the flag of +England or the Queen's royal flag, because you are English and loyal. So +let us carry the banner of Jesus Christ because we are loyal to Him, and +are not ashamed to own Him as our King. Secondly, it means that we are +ready to fight, and ready to encourage others to fight under the same +banner. When you are tempted to do something wrong remember whose banner +you carry, and do not disgrace it. If one does right, it makes it easier +for the other to do right too. Thirdly, it means rejoicing. You know how +flags are hung out on grand days, and carried in triumphal processions. +The little hand that carries Christ's banner through His war, will carry +it also in His triumph; the little hand that tries to unfurl it bravely +now, will wave it when His glorious reign begins and His blessed kingdom +is come. Then, "in the name of our God we will set up our banners" <i>now</i>!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"The Master hath called us, the children who fear Him,<br /> + Who march 'neath Christ's banner, His own little band;<br /> +We love Him, and seek Him; we long to be near Him,<br /> + And rest in the light of His beautiful land."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch24"> +<h2>24. Twenty-fourth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Soldiers.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Chosen to be a soldier."--2 Tim. ii. 4.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Are you a soldier? You ought to be, for you have been chosen to be a +soldier in the glorious army of Jesus Christ.</p> + +<p>You ought to be, for you have been "received into the congregation of +Christ's flock" at your baptism, and engaged "manfully to fight under His +banner against sin, the world, and the devil, and to continue Christ's +faithful soldier and servant unto your life's end." You can never undo +that, even if you are a deserter, and found in the enemy's ranks. The +Captain of our salvation will not undo it, for He is ready to receive +you, if you will but come and enlist now. Now, this very morning, come and +enlist! This very morning ask Him to receive you into His noble army, and +to give you first the shield of His salvation, and then the whole armor of +God, and to "teach your hands to war and your fingers to fight," and to +give you victories every day even now, and to let you share His grand +triumphs hereafter.</p> + +<p>Perhaps you know that you have enlisted already, you know and love your +Captain, and He is enabling you, even if very feebly, yet really, to fight +the good fight of faith? How came you to enlist? Was it any credit to you? +Oh no! it was all His doing. It was He who chose you to be a soldier, not +you who chose Him to be a Captain. And then He sent not some dreadful +cannon roar, but the sweet bugle-call of His love to win you to join His +ranks. And now He fights not only with you, but for you. In His war +"nothing shall by any means hurt you," for "He was wounded" for you. Your +life is safe with Him, for He laid down His own for you. By His side you +can never be vanquished, because He goes forth "always conquering and to +conquer."</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Stand up, stand up for Jesus!<br /> + Ye soldiers of the cross;<br /> +Lift high His royal banner,<br /> + It must not suffer loss.</p> + +<p>"From victory to victory<br /> + His army shall be led,<br /> +Till every foe is vanquished,<br /> + And Christ is Lord indeed.</p> + +<p>"Stand up, stand up for Jesus!<br /> + The trumpet call obey;<br /> +Forth to the mighty conflict,<br /> + In this His glorious day!"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch25"> +<h2>25. Twenty-fifth Day.</h2> + +<h3>A Loyal Aim.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."--2 Tim. + ii. 4.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Here is something worth aiming at, worth trying for! The Lord Jesus, the +Captain of our salvation, is He who hath chosen us to be His soldiers and +now, does He only tell us that we may do our duty,--serve, obey, and +fight? No; He tells us something more, gives us a hope and an aim so +bright and pleasant, that it is like sunshine upon everything. He says, we +"may <i>please</i> Him."</p> + +<p>Only one who knows what it is to mourn for having grieved the dear +Saviour, can quite understand what a happy word this is! That we, who +have been cold, and careless, and sinful, grieving His love over and over +again, should be told after all that we may <i>please</i> Him! Oh, if we love +Him, our hearts will just leap at the hope of it! Perhaps we thought this +could not be till we reached heaven; but you see His own word says, we +"may please Him" now, while we are soldiers in the very midst of the +fighting. St. Paul tells us one thing in which you may please Him: +"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing unto +the Lord." But he prays too that the Colossians "might walk worthy of the +Lord unto <i>all</i> pleasing."</p> + +<p>Shall this be your aim and your hope to-day? Will you look up to the Lord +Jesus now, and ask Him first to give you the faith without which "it is +impossible to please Him," and then to show you "how you ought to walk +and to please God," and so to help you to "do those things that are +pleasing in His sight;" that all your ways, even every little step of your +ways, may really and truly "please the Lord" (Prov. xvi. 7).</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"True-hearted, whole-hearted, faithful, and loyal,<br /> + King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be;<br /> +Under Thy standard, exalted and royal,<br /> + Strong in Thy strength, we will battle for Thee.</p> + +<p>"True-hearted, whole-hearted! Fullest allegiance<br /> + Yielding henceforth to our glorious King,<br /> +Valiant endeavor and loving obedience,<br /> + Freely and joyously now we would bring."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch26"> +<h2>26. Twenty-sixth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Obedience to Christ.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."--John ii. 5.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>How are you to know what He says to you? Ah, it is so easy to know if we +are really willing to know, and willing to obey when we do know! He has +spoken so plainly to us in His word! In that He tells us, tells even +little children, exactly what to do. It is most wonderful how He has said +everything there for us, told us everything we ought to do. When you read +a chapter or hear one read, listen and watch to see what He saith unto you +in it. There is another way in which He tells us what to do. Do you not +hear a little voice inside that always tells you to do the right thing, +and not to do the wrong thing? That is conscience and He speaks to you by +it.</p> + +<p>Another way is by those whom He has set over you. He has told you once for +all to "obey your parents," and to "obey them that have the rule over +you." So, when they tell you to do something, it is the Lord Jesus Himself +that you have to obey in obeying them.</p> + +<p>Now "whatsoever He saith unto you, do it!" Yes, "whatsoever," dear little +one, whether easy or hard, do it because He tells you; do it for love of +Him, and it will be a thousand times better and happier to obey your King +than to please yourself. And He Himself will help you to do it; only look +up to Him for grace to obey, and He will give it.</p> + +<p>"Whatsoever He saith unto you, <i>do</i> it." Do not just think about doing +it, or talk about doing it, but <i>do</i> it! "Do <i>it!</i>" Do the exact thing He +would have you do, not something a little bit different, or something +which you think will be very nearly the same, but do <i>"it."</i></p> + +<p>And "do it" at once. It is so true, that "the very first moment is the +easiest for obedience." Every minute that you put off doing the right +thing makes it harder. Do not let your King have to "speak twice" to you. +"Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it" cheerfully, exactly, and instantly.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Jesus, help me, I am weak;<br /> + Let me put my trust in Thee;<br /> +Teach me how and what to speak;<br /> + Loving Saviour, care for me.<br /> +Dear Saviour, hear me,<br /> + Hear a little child to-day;<br /> +Hear, oh hear me;<br /> + Hear me when I pray."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch27"> +<h2>27. Twenty-seventh Day.</h2> + +<h3>Do it Heartily</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord."--Col. in. 23.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>In 2 Chron. xxxi. 21, we read of Hezekiah, that "in every work that he +began, he did it with all his heart, and prospered." And this morning's +"bell" rings a New Testament echo, "Do it heartily!" Sing it now, like a +little peal of bells!</p> + +<p align="center"><a href="images/heartily.midi"><img src="images/heartily.png" alt="Do it hear-ti-ly!" title=" Do it hear-ti-ly!" border="0" /></a></p> + +<p>See if that does not ring in your ears all day, and remind you that it is +not merely much pleasanter to be bright and brisk about everything, but +that it is actually one of God's commands written in His own word.</p> + +<p>I know this is easier to some than to others. Perhaps it "comes natural" +to you to do everything heartily. That is very nice, but it is not enough. +What else? "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, <i>as unto the Lord</i>, and not +unto men." He knows whether the industrious energetic boy or girl is +wishing to please Him, and looking up to Him for His smile; or whether He +is forgotten all the while, and only the smile of others and the pleasure +of being quick and busy is thought of. But perhaps it is hard to you to do +things heartily. You like better to take your time, and so you dawdle, and +do things in an idle way, especially what you do not much like doing. Is +this right? Is it a little sin, when God's word says, "Whatsoever ye do, +do it heartily!" Is it not just as much disobeying God as breaking any +other command? Are you not <i>guilty</i> before Him? Very likely you never +thought of it in this way, but there the words stand, and neither you nor +I can alter them. First ask Him to forgive you all the past idleness and +idle ways, for Christ's sake, and then ask Him to give you strength +henceforth to obey this word of His. And then listen to the little chime, +"Do it heartily! do it heartily!" And <i>then</i> the last word of the verse +about Hezekiah will be true of you too--"Prospered!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>'Up and doing, little Christian! <br /> + Up and doing, while 'tis day! <br /> +Do the work the Master gives you. <br /> + Do not loiter by the way. <br /> +For we all have work before us, <br /> + You, dear child, as well as I; <br /> +Let us learn to seek our duty,<br /> + And to 'do it heartily.'</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch28"> +<h2>28. Twenty-eighth Day.</h2> + +<h3>The Sight of Faith.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "As seeing Him who is invisible."--Heb. xi. 27.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>If we were always doing everything just as if we saw Him, whom having not +seen we love, how different our lives would be! How much happier too! How +brave, and bright, and patient we should be, if all the time we could +really see Jesus as Stephen saw Him! And by faith, the precious faith +which God is ready to give to all who ask, we may go on our way with this +light upon it, "as seeing Him who is invisible."</p> + +<p>These words were said of Moses; and this seeing Him by faith had three +effects. First, "he forsook Egypt;" it made him ready to give up anything +for his God, and God's people. It made him true and loyal to God's cause. +What did He care for anything else, so long as he saw "Him who is +invisible?" Secondly, it took away all his fear. What was "the wrath of +the king" to him, when Jehovah was by his side? Of what should he be +afraid? Thirdly, it enabled him to "endure," to wait patiently for forty +years in the desert, and then to work patiently for forty years in the +wilderness; and only think how strength-giving that sight of faith must be +which enabled him to endure everything for eighty years!</p> + +<p>Try for yourself to-day what was such great and long help to Moses. Ask +God, before you go down-stairs, for faith, "the eye of the soul," so that +you may walk all day long "as seeing Him who is invisible." When you are +tempted to indulge in something wrong,--idleness or carelessness, or +selfishness,--this will help you to give it up at once, and forsake it; +for how can you give way to it when your eye meets His? When something +makes you afraid, this will make you brave and peaceful; for how can you +fear anything when your God is so near? When lessons, or work, or even +having to be quiet with nothing to do, seem very tiresome, and you are +tempted to be impatient, and perhaps cross, this will help you to endure +and not only so, but to feel patient; for how can you be impatient when +you are looking up to Him, and He is looking down on you all the time!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"God will not leave me all alone,<br /> +He never will forsake His own;<br /> +When not another friend I see,<br /> +The Lord is looking down on me."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch29"> +<h2>29. Twenty-Ninth Day.</h2> + +<h3>No Weights.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Let us lay aside every weight."--Heb. xii. 1.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>If you were going to run a race, you would first put down all the parcels +you might have been carrying. And if you had a heavy little parcel in your +pocket, you would take that out, and lay it down too, because it would +hinder you in running. You would know better than to say, "I will put down +the parcels which I have in my hands, but nobody can see the one in my +pocket, so that one won't matter!" You would "lay aside <i>every</i> weight."</p> + +<p>You have a race to run to-day, a little piece of the great race that is +set before you. God has set a splendid prize before you, "the prize of +the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," a crown that is incorruptible.</p> + +<p>Now what are you going to do about the weights, the things that hinder you +from running this race? You know some things do seem to hinder you; will +you keep them or lay them aside? Will you only lay aside something that +every one can see is hindering you, so that you will get a little credit +for putting it down, and keep something that your own little conscience +knows is a real hindrance, though no one else knows anything at all about +it? Oh, take St. Paul's wise and holy advice, and make up your mind to lay +aside <i>every</i> weight.</p> + +<p>Different persons have different weights; we must find out what ours are, +and give them up. One finds that if she does not get up directly she is +called, the time slips by, and there is not enough left for quiet prayer +and Bible-reading. Then here is a little weight that must be laid aside. +Another is at school, and finds that he gets no good, but a little harm, +when he goes much with a certain boy. Then he must lay that weight aside. +Another takes a story-book up to bed, and reads it while nurse is brushing +her hair, and up to the last minute, and then her head is so full of the +story that she only <i>says words</i> when she kneels down, and can not really +<i>pray</i> at all. Can she doubt that this is a weight which must be laid +aside?</p> + +<p>It may seem hard to lay our pet weight down; but oh, if you only knew how +light we feel when it is laid down, and how much easier it is to run the +race which God has set before us!</p> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch30"> +<h2>30. Thirtieth Day.</h2> + +<h3>The Shield of Salvation.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation."--2 Sam. xxii. + 36.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>This beautiful little text teaches us a very precious truth. It shows us +that the salvation which the Lord Jesus came to bring is not only +salvation at last, just escaping hell, but that it is salvation now, and +salvation in everything Salvation does not only mean victory at last, but +it is like a broad, shining shield, given to us in the midst of the +battle, coming between us and the poisoned arrows and sharp sword-thrusts +of the enemy. It is a shield not only to keep us from death, but to keep +us from being hurt and wounded. It is the shield which the Captain <i>has</i> +given us to use now, as well as the crown which He <i>will</i> give when the +warfare is ended.</p> + +<p>How are you to use this shield? what does it really mean for you? It +means, that if you have come to the Lord Jesus to be saved, He does not +merely say He <i>will</i> save you, but that you <i>are</i> saved, that He saves you +now. And this is how you are to use it--believe it, and be sure of it, +because you have His word for it; and then, when a temptation comes, tell +the enemy that he has nothing to do with you, for you are saved; that you +belong to Jesus, and not to him,--look up and say, "Jesus saves me!" Will +He fail you? Did He ever let any find themselves deceived and mistaken who +looked up in faith and confidence to Him, trusting in His great salvation? +Never! and never will you find this shield of His salvation fail to cover +you completely. Satan himself can not touch you when you are behind this +shield! Lift it up when you see him coming, even ever so far off, and you +will be safe.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Jesus saves me every day,<br /> + Jesus saves me every night;<br /> +Jesus saves me all the way,<br /> + Through the darkness, through the light."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch31"> +<h2>31. Thirty-first Day.</h2> + +<h3>I will love Thee</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "I will love Thee, O Lord."--Ps. xviii. 1.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Yes, even if I have never loved Thee before, I will love Thee, O Lord, +now!</p> + +<p>I will love Thee, Lord Jesus, because Thou hast loved me, and because Thou +art loving me now, and wilt love me to the end. Oh, forgive me for not +having loved Thee! How could I have helped loving Thee, when Thou wast +waiting all the time for me, waiting so patiently while I did not care +about Thee! Oh, forgive me! and now I will love Thee always; for Thou wilt +take my love, and fix it on Thyself, and keep it for Thyself.</p> + +<p>I will love Thee, O Lord Jesus; I will not listen to Satan, who tries to +keep me from loving Thee; I will not ask myself anything about it, lest I +should begin to get puzzled about whether I do love Thee or not. Thou +knowest that I do want to love Thee; and now, dear Lord Jesus, hear me say +that I <i>will</i> love Thee, and that I will trust Thee to make me love Thee +more and more, always more and more.</p> + +<p>I have said it, dear Lord Jesus, and Thou hast heard me say it. And I am +so glad I have said it. I do not want ever to take it back, and Thou wilt +not let me take it back. I am to love Thee always now; and Thou wilt give +me Thy Holy Spirit to shed abroad Thy love in my heart, so that it may be +filled with love. Fill me so full of Thy love that it may run over into +everything I do, and that I may love everybody because I love Thee.</p> + +<p>Yes, I will love Thee, dear Lord Jesus!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"My Saviour, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine!<br /> +For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;<br /> +My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou;<br /> +If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now!</p> + +<p>"I love Thee, because Thou hast first loved me,<br /> +And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;<br /> +I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;<br /> +If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now!</p> + +<p>"I will love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,<br /> +And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath:<br /> +And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow,<br /> +If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now!"</p></blockquote> +</div> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr /> +<br /> +<br /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORNING BELLS***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 11563-h.txt or 11563-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/1/1/5/6/11563">https://www.gutenberg.org/1/1/5/6/11563</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/11563-h/images/heartily.midi b/11563-h/images/heartily.midi Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..825f3fe --- /dev/null +++ b/11563-h/images/heartily.midi diff --git a/11563-h/images/heartily.png b/11563-h/images/heartily.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..daedf33 --- /dev/null +++ b/11563-h/images/heartily.png diff --git a/11563.txt b/11563.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..df6fc9b --- /dev/null +++ b/11563.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2008 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Morning Bells, by Frances Ridley Havergal + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Morning Bells + +Author: Frances Ridley Havergal + +Release Date: March 13, 2004 [eBook #11563] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: US-ASCII + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORNING BELLS*** + + +E-text prepared by Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders + + + +MORNING BELLS + +Or, Waking Thoughts for the Little Ones + +By + +FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL + + + + +To +The Twin Brothers, +Willie and Ethelbert +With +Aunt Fanny's Love. + + + +Contents. + + + +Morning Bells + + 1. "Thy Holy Child Jesus" + 2. "Even Christ pleased not Himself" + 3. "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe" + 4. "Bear ye one another's burdens" + 5. "Yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" + 6. "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly" + 7. "Faithful over a few things" + 8. "Put that on mine account" + 9. "Let thy garments be always white" +10. "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us" +11. "Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy" +12. "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this" +13. "Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people" +14. "A new heart also will I give you" +15. "I will put my Spirit within you" +16. "The Lord shall fight for you" +17. "I will watch to see what He will say unto me" +18. "He careth for you" +19. "Under His wings shall thou trust" +20. "I am with you alway" +21. "Teach me to do Thy will" +22. "Ye have done it unto me;" "Ye did it not to me" +23. "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee" +24. "Chosen to be a soldier" +25. "That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" +26. "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it" +27. "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord" +28. "As seeing Him who is invisible" +29. "Let us lay aside every weight" +30. "Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation" +31. "I will love Thee, O Lord" + + + + +Morning Bells. + + + +Most of the readers of this little book will have already read _Little +Pillows_. Those were given you to go to sleep upon night after night; +sweet, soothing texts, that little hearts might rest upon. + +But in the morning we want something to arouse us, and to help us to go +brightly and bravely through the day. So here are "Morning Bells" to waken +up the little hearts, and to remind them that we must not only rest in +Jesus, but walk in Him. If the motto of "Little Pillows" might be "Come +to Jesus," the motto of "Morning Bells" might be "Follow Jesus." + +May He who loves the little ones bless this tiny effort to help them to +follow Him day by day. + + + + +1. First Day. + +Christ's Childhood. + + + "Thy holy child Jesus."--Acts iv. 30. + + +If I asked, "How old are you?" you would give an exact answer. "Eight and +a half;" "Just turned ten;" "Eleven next month." Now you have thought of +God's "holy child Jesus" as a little baby, and as twelve years old in the +temple, but did you ever think of Him as being _exactly_ your own age? +that He was once really just as old as you are this very day? He knows +what it is to be eight, and nine, and ten years old, or whatever you may +be. God's word has only told us this one thing about those years, that He +was a _holy_ child. + +What is "holy"? It is everything that is perfectly beautiful and good and +lovable, without anything to spoil it. This is just what He was when He +was your age. He was gentle and brave, and considerate and unselfish, +noble and truthful, obedient and loving, kind and forgiving,--everything +you can think of that you ever admired or loved in any one else was all +found together in Him, and all this not only outside, but inside, for He +was "holy." + +Why did He live all these holy child-years on earth instead of staying in +heaven till it was time to come and die for you? One reason was, that He +might leave you a beautiful example, so that you might wish to be like +Him, and ask for the Holy Spirit to make you like Him. But the other was +even more gracious and wonderful, it was "that we might be made the +righteousness of God in Him." That is, that all this goodness and +holiness might be reckoned to you, because you had not any of your own, +and that God might smile on you _for His sake_, just as if _you_ had been +perfectly obedient, and truthful, and unselfish, and good, and give you +Jesus Christ's reward, which you never deserved at all, but which He +deserved for you. + +He took your sins and gives you His righteousness; He took your punishment +and gives you His reward; it is just changed over, if you will only accept +the exchange! + + "I'm glad my blessed Saviour + Was once a child like me, + To show how pure and holy + His little ones might be. + And if I try to follow + His footsteps here below, + He never will forget me, + Because He loves me so." + + + + +2. Second Day. + +Our Great Example + + + "Even Christ pleased not Himself."--Rom. xv. 3. + + +Do you really wish to follow the footsteps of the Holy Child Jesus? Have +you asked God to make you more like Him? Are you ready to begin to-day? +Then here is a motto for to-day, "Even Christ pleased not Himself." Will +you take it, and try to imitate Him? You are sure to have plenty of +opportunities of acting upon it, and thus proving not only to others, but +to your dear Saviour Himself, that you mean what you say, and mean what +you pray. + +Perhaps it seems a rather melancholy "morning bell" to you, tolling +instead of chiming! But if you really wish to be like Christ, you will +soon find that its music is as sweet as any, and that its quiet chime will +come to you again and again with a wonderful sweetness and power, helping +you over all sorts of difficulties, and saving you from all sorts of sins +and troubles. + +You can not tell, till you have fairly tried, how happy a little girl can +feel, who has cheerfully given up to another, for Jesus' sake, something +which she would have liked for herself; nor how happy a boy can be when of +his own free will, and by God's grace, he has chosen to do what his +conscience tells him would please the Lord Jesus instead of what would +have pleased himself. + +If you have never tried it yet, begin to-day, and you will find it is +quite a new happiness. + +Ah, what would have become of us if Christ had only "pleased Himself," +and had stayed in His own glorious home instead of coming down to save us! +Think of that when you are tempted to please yourself instead of pleasing +Him, and the remembrance that even He pleased not Himself because He so +loved you, will help you to try and please Him, and to please others for +His sake. + + "If washed in Jesus' blood, + Then bear His likeness too! + And as you onward press, + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?' + + "Give with a full, free hand; + God freely gives to you! + And check each selfish thought + With, 'What would Jesus do?'" + + + + +3. Third Day. + +Upholding. + + + "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe."--Ps. cxix. 117. + + +The path is not easy. There are rough stones over which we may stumble, if +we are not walking very carefully. There are places which look quite +smooth, but they are more dangerous than the rough ones, for they are +slippery. There are little holes hidden under flowers, which may catch our +feet and give us a bad fall. There are muddy ditches, into which we may +slip and get sadly wet and dirty. + +How are we to walk safely along such a path? We want a strong, kind hand +to hold us up, and to hold us always; a hand that will hold ours so +tightly and lovingly, that it will be as the old Scotchwoman said, "Not my +grip of Christ, but Christ's grip of me!" Yes, Christ's loving hand is +"able to keep you from falling;" only "let your hand be restfully in the +hand of Jesus," and "then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot +shall not stumble." But do not spoil the chime of this morning's bells by +ringing only half a peal! Do not say, "Hold Thou me up," and stop there, +or add, "But, all the same, I shall stumble and fall!" Finish the peal +with God's own music, the bright words of faith that He puts into your +mouth, "Hold Thou me up, _and I shall be safe_!" So you will if you do not +distrust Him, if you will but _trust_ Him to do just what you ask, and let +Him hold you up. + +It would be hard to find a prayer in the Bible without a promise to match +it; so David says, "Uphold me, according to Thy word." + +What has He said about it? More than there is room for on this page. "I +the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand." "Yea, I will uphold thee." "He +will not suffer thy foot to be moved." "When thou runnest thou shalt not +stumble." "Yea, he shall be holden up." "He shall keep thy foot from being +taken." "He will keep the feet of His saints." Seven promises in answer to +your one little prayer! + + "I the Lord am with thee, + Be thou not afraid! + I will help and strengthen, + Be thou not dismayed! + Yea, I will uphold thee + With my own right hand; + Thou art called and chosen + In my sight to stand!" + + + + +4. Fourth Day. + +What can I do? + + + "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of + Christ."--Gal. vi. 2. + + +Perhaps you never thought that any one around you had any! Then if you +want to fulfill this law of Christ, the first thing will be to find out +who has any burdens, and which of them you could bear instead. You will +not have to watch long! There are very few without any. Little backs can +not bear great burdens, but sometimes those who have great burdens have +little ones too, and it makes such a difference if some loving little hand +will take one or two of these. If your mother was carrying a great heavy +parcel, would it not help her if you took two or three little ones out of +her hand and carried them for her? So perhaps she has troubles that you do +not even know about, and you see she looks tired and anxious. And it tires +her a little more, because a little brother or sister wants to be nursed +or amused. Now if you put your own affairs by, and call the little ones +away, and amuse them quietly so that mamma may not be disturbed, this is +bearing one of her burdens. Never mind if it is really a little burden to +you too; is it not worth it, when it is fulfilling the law of Christ? If +for a moment a burden that you have taken up does seem rather hard, and +you are tempted to drop it again, think of what the Lord Jesus bore for +you! Think how He took up the heaviest burden of all for you, when He "His +own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree!" He did not drop that +burden, but bore it till He died under it. Think of that, and it will be +easy then to bear something for His sake. + +Now be on the watch all to-day for little burdens to bear for others. See +how many you can find out, and pick up, and carry away! Depend upon it, +you will not only make it a brighter day for others, but for yourself too! + + "Little deeds of kindness, + Little words of love, + Make our earth an Eden, + Like the heaven above." + + + + +5. Fifth Day. + +Instruments. + + + "Yield .... your members as instruments of righteousness unto + God."--Rom. vi. 13. + + +This does not sound so easy and tuneful as most of your other "morning +bells," you think! But listen for a few minutes and you will hear the +music. + +What are your members? Hands, feet, lips, eyes, ears, and so on. What are +you to do with them? "Yield" them, that is, give them up altogether, hand +them over to God. + +What for? That He may use them as instruments of righteousness. That is, +just as we should take an instrument of music, to make music with it, so +He may take your hands and feet and all your members, and use them to do +right and good things with. + +If a little one gives himself or herself to God, every part of that little +body is to be God's little servant, a little instrument for Him to use. + +The little hands will no longer serve Satan by striking or pinching; the +little feet will not kick or stamp, nor drag and dawdle, when they ought +to run briskly on some errand; the little lips will not pout; the little +tongue will not move to say a naughty thing. All the little members will +leave off serving Satan, and find something to do for God; for if you +"yield" them to God, He will really take them and use them. + +He will tell the hands to pick up what a tired mamma has dropped, and to +fetch her a footstool; and the fingers to sew patiently at a warm +petticoat for a poor child, or to make warm cuffs for a poor old man. He +will tell the feet to run on errands of kindness and help. He will set the +lips to sing happy hymns, which will cheer and comfort somebody, even if +you never know of it. He will use the eyes for reading to some poor sick +or blind woman, or to some fretful little one in your own home. You will +be quite surprised to find in how many ways He will really use even your +little members, if you give them and your whole self to Him. It will be so +nice! You will never be miserable again with "nothing to do!" + + "Take my hands, and let them move + At the impulse of Thy love. + Take my feet, and let them be + Swift and beautiful' for Thee." + + + + +6. Sixth Day. + +Willing and Glad. + + + "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly."--I Chron. + xxix. 9 + + +We thought yesterday morning about giving our members up to God for Him to +use. Did you think you would like to give them up to Him? _did_ you yield +them to Him? If you did, you will understand this morning's text! David +the King asked his people to help in bringing offerings for God's house +and service. He said, "Who then is willing to consecrate his service this +day unto the Lord?" And God made them all willing to bring what they +could. And what then? "_Then_ the people rejoiced, for that they offered +willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord." +"And did eat and drink on that day before the Lord with great gladness." + +See what came of offering willingly to the Lord--they "rejoiced," and +everything they did, even eating and drinking, was "with great gladness." +Never is any one so happy as those who offer their own selves willingly to +the Lord. He gives them a thousandfold return for the worthless little +self and weak little members which they have offered to Him. He gives them +peace, and gladness, and blessing, beyond what they ever expected to have. + +But this was not all; it was not only the people who had such a glad day, +but "David the king also rejoiced with great joy." Those who loved their +king, and recollected how much sorrow he had gone through, and how many +battles he had fought for them, must have been glad indeed to see Him +rejoicing because they had offered willingly. And I think our King, _your_ +King Jesus, rejoices over us when He has made us able (ver. 14) to offer +ourselves willingly to Him. Is not this best of all? Jesus, who suffered +for us, and who fought the great battle of our salvation for us, He, our +own beloved King, "will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His +love; He will joy over thee with singing." + + "In full and glad surrender I give myself to Thee, + Thine utterly, and only, and evermore to be! + O Son of God, who lovest me, I will be Thine alone; + And all I have, and all I am, shall henceforth be Thine own." + + + + +7. Seventh Day. + +Faithfulness. + + + "Faithful over a few things."--Matt. xxv. 21, 23. + + +The servant who had only two talents to trade with, but traded faithfully +with them, had just the same glorious words spoken to him as the servant +who had five talents: "Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast +been faithful over a few things ... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." +Think what it would be to hear the Lord Jesus saying that to you, really +to you! Oh how sweet! how blessed! how you would listen to that gracious +voice saying those wonderfully gracious words to _you_! + +But could He say them to you? Are you "faithful over a few things"? He +has given every one, even the youngest, a few things to be faithful over, +and so He has to you. Your "few things" may be very few, and very small +things, but He expects you to be faithful over them. + +What is being faithful over them? It means doing the very best you can +with them; doing as much for Jesus as you can with your money, even if you +have very little; doing as much for Him as you can with your time; doing +whatever duties He gives you as well as ever you can,--your lessons, your +work, the little things that you are bidden or asked to do every day, the +little things that you have promised or undertaken to do for others. It +means doing all these just the same whether others see you or know about +it or not. + +You sigh over all this; you recollect many things in which you have not +been quite faithful; you know you do not deserve for Him to call you "good +and faithful servant." But come at once to your gracious Lord, and ask Him +to forgive all the unfaithfulness, and to make you faithful to-day. And +then, even if it is only a matter of a French verb or a Latin noun, you +will find it a help to recollect, "Faithful over a few things!" + + "Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love + Fit us for perfect rest above; + And help us, this and every day, + To live more nearly as we pray." + + + + +8. Eighth Day. + +"On mine Account." + + + "Put that on mine account."--Philem. 18. + + +When St. Paul asked Philemon, in a most beautiful letter, to take back +Onesimus, who had run away from him, he said, "If he hath wronged thee, or +oweth thee ought, put that on my account." Onesimus had been a bad servant +to Philemon; and being willing to come back and do better, would not pay +for what he had wronged him in before, and would not pay his old debts. +And he evidently had nothing himself to pay them with. But St. Paul +offered to pay all, so that Onesimus might be received, "not now as a +servant," but as a "brother beloved." + +This is an exquisite picture of what the Lord Jesus Christ does. He not +only intercedes for us with Him from whom we have departed, and against +whom we have sinned; but, knowing to the full how much we have wronged +God, and how much we owe Him, He says, "Put that on mine account." + +And God has put it all on His account and the account has been paid, paid +in blood. When "the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all," Jesus saw +and knew all your sins; and He said, "Put that on mine account." + +Oh, what wonderful "kindness and love of God our Saviour!" Let the +remembrance of it be like a silver bell, ringing softly and clearly +whenever you are going to do, or letting yourself feel or think, something +that is not right. "Put _that_ on mine account!" Yes, that sin that you +were on the very edge of committing! that angry word, and the angry +feeling that makes you want to say it; that untrue word, and the +cowardliness which makes you afraid to speak the exact truth; that proud +look and the naughty pride of heart that made it come into your eyes; +Jesus stands by and says, patiently and lovingly, "Put _that_ on mine +account!" + +Can you bear that? does it not make you wish, ten times more than ever, to +be kept from sinning against such a Saviour? + + "Jesus, tender Saviour, + Hast Thou died for me? + Make me very thankful + In my heart to Thee; + When the sad, sad story + Of Thy grief I read, + Make me very sorry + For my sins indeed." + + + + +9. Ninth Day. + +White Garments. + + + "Let thy garments be always white."--Eccles. ix. 8. + + +"Always?" Oh, how can that be? They are soiled again directly after they +have been washed clean! Yet God says, "Let them be _always_ white;" and He +would not tell you to do what was impossible. Then how are you to help +soiling them? Only in one way. Last night's "little pillow" told you how +Jesus washes us "whiter than snow" in His own precious blood, that +cleanseth from all sin. But will He only cleanse His little one just for +the moment? is that all He is able and willing to do for you? + +No; if you will only keep on trusting to that precious blood, and not +turn away from it, He says that it cleanseth, that is, _goes on +cleansing_. You could not keep your garments white for five minutes; +careless thoughts would come like dust upon them, and wrong words would +make great dark stains and before long some naughty deed would be like a +sad fall in the mud, and you would feel sad and ashamed before the kind +Saviour who still stands ready to cleanse you again. But why should all +this happen over and over again, till anybody but our own loving, +long-suffering Saviour would be tired of us, and give up doing any more +for us? Why should it be, when His precious blood is meant to "_go on +cleansing_," so that our garments may be always white? Perhaps you never +thought of this; ask Him now this morning not only to wash you in the +fountain of His precious blood, but _to keep you in it_, to _go on +cleansing_ you all day long. _Trust_ Him to do this, and see if it is not +the happiest day you ever spent! + + "And He can do all this for me, + Because in sorrow, on the tree, + He once for sinners hung; + And, having washed their sin away, + He now rejoices, day by day, + To cleanse His little one." + + + + +10. Tenth Day. + +Made Beautiful. + + + "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us."--Ps. xc. 17. + + +"How great is His beauty!" said Zechariah. How can His beauty be upon us? +In two ways; try to understand them, and then ask that in both ways the +beauty of the Lord our God may be upon you. + +One way is by His covering you with the robe of Jesus Christ's +righteousness, looking upon you not as you are in yourself, all sinful and +unholy, but as if all the Saviour's beautiful and holy life were yours, +reckoning it to you for His sake. In this way He can call us "perfect +through my comeliness which I had put upon thee." The other way is by +giving you the beauty of holiness, for that is His own beauty; and though +we never can be quite like Him till we see Him as He is, He can begin to +make us like Him even now. Look at a poor little colorless drop of water, +hanging weakly on a blade of grass. It is not beautiful at all; why should +you stop to look at it? Stay till the sun has risen, and now look. It is +sparkling like a diamond; and if you look at it from another side, it will +be glowing like a ruby, and presently gleaming like an emerald. The poor +little drop has become one of the brightest and loveliest things you ever +saw. But is it its own brightness and beauty? No; if it slipped down to +the ground out of the sunshine, it would be only a poor little dirty drop +of water. So, if the Sun of Righteousness, the glorious and lovely +Saviour, shines upon you, a little ray of His own brightness and beauty +will be seen upon you. Sometimes we can see by the happy light on a face +that the Sun is shining there; but if the Sun is really shining, there are +sure to be some of the beautiful rays of holiness, love, joy, peace, +gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, making the life even of a little +child very lovely. + + "Jesus, Lord, I come to Thee, + Thou hast said I may; + Tell me what my life should be, + Take my sins away. + + "Jesus, Lord, I learn of Thee, + In Thy word divine; + Every promise there I see, + May I call it mine!" + + + + +11. Eleventh Day. + +Pleasant Gifts. + + + "Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."--I Tim. vi. 17. + + +Think a little this morning of God's great kindness to you. How _very_ +good He is to you! I know one of His dear children who looks up many, many +times a day, and says, "_Good_ Lord Jesus!" or "_Kind_ Lord Jesus!" She +does not set herself to say it, but it seems as if she could not help +saying it, just because He _is_ so good and kind. And then it seems only +natural to look up again and say, "_Dear_ Lord Jesus!" How _can_ anybody +go on all day long, and never see how good He is, and never look up and +bless Him? Most especially on bright pleasant days, when He giveth us +more even than usual to enjoy! "He giveth." Not one single pleasant thing, +not one single bit of enjoyment comes to us but what He giveth. We can not +get it, we do not earn it, we do not deserve it; but He _giveth_ lovingly, +and kindly, and freely. Suppose He stopped giving, what would become of +us? + +"Richly." So richly, that if you tried to write down half His gifts to +you, your hand would be tired long before you had done. You might easily +make a list of the presents given you on your birthday, but you could not +make a list of what God gives you every day of your life. + +"All things." All the things you really need, and a great many more +besides. All the things that will do you good, a great many more than you +would ever have thought of. All the things that He can fill your little +hands with, and trust you to carry without stumbling and falling. _All_ +things, everything that you have at all! + +"To enjoy." Now how kind this is! not only "to do us good," but "to +enjoy." So you see He means you to be happy with what He gives you, to +smile and laugh and be glad, not to be dismal and melancholy. If you do +not enjoy what He "giveth," that is your own fault, for He meant you to +enjoy it. Look up to Him with a bright smile, and thank Him for having +given you richly all things to enjoy! + + "My joys to Thee I bring, + The joys Thy love hath given, + That each may be a wing + To lift me nearer heaven. + I bring them, Saviour, all to Thee, + For Thou hast purchased all for me." + + + + +12. Twelfth Day. + +Much more than this. + + + "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this."--2 Chron. xxv. 9. + + +Amaziah, king of Judah, was going to war against the Edomites. He thought +he would make sure of victory by hiring a hundred thousand soldiers from +the King of Israel, and he paid them beforehand a hundred talents, which +was about L34,218.15s. of our money. But a man of God warned him not to +let the army of Israel go with him, for Israel had forsaken the Lord, and +so He was not with them. It seemed a great pity to waste all that money, +and so Amaziah said, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which +I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord +is able to give thee much more than this." So Amaziah simply obeyed, and +sent the soldiers away, and trusted God to help him to do without them. +Was it any wonder that he gained a great victory over the Edomites? + +Does not this teach us that we should simply do the right thing, and trust +God at any cost? When you do this, you will find that, in hundreds of ways +which you never thought of, "the Lord is able to give thee much more." The +trial comes in many different ways. One may be tempted to hurry over +prayer and Bible, because there is something else that she very much wants +to get done before breakfast, and she is afraid of not having time enough. +Another shuts up her little purse when a call comes to give something for +God's work, because she is afraid she will not have enough left for +another purpose. Another is tempted to look at a key, or to glance over +another's shoulder at a lesson, because without it he would not get the +marks he is trying for. Another is tempted not to tell the exact truth, or +to conceal something which he ought to tell, because he would lose +something by it. Oh, resist the devil, and do what you know is right, and +trust God for all the rest! For "the Lord is able to give thee much more +than this," whatever your "_this_" may be. And His smile and His blessing +will always be "more than this," more than anything else! + + "Be brave to do the right, + And scorn to be untrue; + When fear would whisper 'yield!' + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?'" + + + + +13. Thirteenth Day. + +The Doings of the King. + + + "Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people."--2 Sam. iii. 36. + + +David had been giving a proof of his love for one who had long been his +enemy, but whom he had received into friendship; and he had been giving a +proof of his tender-heartedness and sympathy with the people, by weeping +with them at the grave of Abner. "And all the people took notice of it, +and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people." + +This was because they loved their king. They watched him, not as the +wicked Pharisees watched the Lord Jesus that they might find something +against Him; but with the watching of admiration and love, taking notice +of the kind and gracious things he did and said. Do you thus take notice +of what your King does? Does it please you to hear and read of what He has +done and what He is doing? It must be so if He really is your King. + +But the "whatsoever" is a little harder; and yet, if it is once really +learnt, it makes everything easy. For if we learn to be pleased with +_whatsoever_ our King Jesus does, nothing can come wrong to us. + +Suppose something comes to-day which is not quite what you would have +liked; heavy rain, for instance, when you wanted to go out,--recollect +that your King Jesus has done it, and that will hush the little murmur, +and make you quite content. Ask Him this morning to make you so loving +and loyal to Him, that _whatsoever_ He does, all day long, may please you, +because it has pleased Him to do it. I think He loves us so much, that He +always gives us as much happiness as He can possibly trust us with, and +does what is pleasantest for His dear children whenever He sees it will +not hurt them; so, when He does something which at first does not seem so +pleasant, we may still trust our beloved King, and learn by His grace to +be pleased with _whatsoever_ He does. + + "I hear a sweet voice ringing clear, + 'All is well!' + It is my Father's voice I hear, + All is well! + Where'er I walk that voice is heard, + It is my God, my Father's word-- + 'Fear not, but trust; I am the Lord, + All is well!'" + + + + +14. Fourteenth Day. + +The New Heart. + + + "A new heart also will I give you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 26. + + +Why does God promise this? Because our old hearts are so evil that they +can not be made any better; and so nothing will do any good but giving us +a quite new heart. + +Because we can not make a new heart for ourselves; the more we try, the +more we shall find we can not do it; so God, in His great pity and +kindness, says He will give it us. + +Because unless we have a new heart we can not enter the kingdom of God, we +can not even see it! Without this gift we must be left outside in the +terrible darkness when "the door is shut." + +What is the difference? The old heart _likes_ to be naughty in some way or +other; either it likes to be idle, or it likes to let out sharp words, or +to go on being sulky or fretful instead of clearing up and saying, "I am +sorry!" The new heart _wants_ to be good; and is grieved when a temptation +comes, and does not wish to yield to it; and would like to be always +pleasing the Saviour. + +The old heart is afraid of God, and does not love Him, and would much +rather He were not always seeing us. And it does not care to hear about +Jesus, but would rather be just let alone. The new heart loves God and +trusts what He says, and likes to know that He is always watching it. And +it is glad to hear about Jesus, and wants to come closer to Him. + +The old heart is a little slave of Satan, taking his orders, and doing +what he wishes. The new heart is a happy little servant of Christ, +listening to His orders, and doing what He wishes. + +Oh how happy and blessed to have this new heart! All God's own children +receive it, for He has said, "I will give them one heart;" that is, all +the same new heart. Do you not want to have it too? Then "ask, and you +_shall_ receive;" for He hath said, "A new heart also _will_ I give you!" + + "Oh for a heart to praise my God, + A heart from sin set free! + A heart that always feels Thy blood, + So freely shed for me. + + "A heart resigned, submissive, meek, + My dear Redeemer's throne; + Where only Christ is heard to speak, + Where Jesus reigns alone." + + + + +15. Fifteenth Day. + +The Gift of the Holy Spirit. + + + "I will put my Spirit within you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 27. + + +Many years ago a good clergyman wrote a tiny prayer, so short that no one +could help remembering it if they once heard it. God seemed to set that +little prayer "upon wheels," so that it might run everywhere. It was +printed on large cards and hung up, and it was printed on small ones and +kept in Bibles and pocket-books. It was taught to classes and schools and +whole congregations, and now thousands upon thousands pray it constantly. +It is a prayer which must be heard, because it asks for what God has +promised to give; and it asks for this through Him whom the Father heareth +always. It is this: "O God, give me Thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus Christ's +sake. Amen." Will you not pray it too? Begin this morning, and go on, not +just _saying_ it, but _praying_ it, till you get a full answer. For you +are quite sure to get it; here is God's own promise, "I _will_ put my +Spirit within you;" and He has promised it over and over again in other +places. Perhaps you will not know at first when the answer comes. Can you +see the dew fall? No one ever saw a single drop come down, and yet as soon +as the sun rises, you see that it has come, and is sparkling all over the +fields. It came long before you saw it, falling sweetly and silently in +the twilight and in the dark. So do not fancy God is not hearing you +because you have not felt anything very sudden and wonderful. He is +hearing and answering all the time. You would not go on asking unless the +dew of His Spirit were already falling upon your heart, and teaching you +to pray. The more He gives you of His blessed Spirit, the more you will +ask for; and the more you ask, the more He will give. + + "Thou gift of Jesus, now descend, + And be my Comforter and Friend; + O Holy Spirit, fill my heart, + That I from Christ may ne'er depart! + + "Show me my soul all black within, + And cleanse and keep me pure within; + Oh, show me Jesus! let me rest + My heart upon His loving breast!" + + + + +16. Sixteenth Day. + +How to Conquer. + + + "The Lord shall fight for you."--Ex. xiv. 14. + + +How glad the children of Israel must have been when Moses said these words +to them on the shores of the Red Sea! For when they "lifted up their eyes, +behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid." + +The Egyptians had been cruel masters to them; and they had horses and +chariots to pursue them with; and there was the sea close before them, and +no boats! Perhaps some of the Israelites thought it was no use trying to +escape, they would only be overtaken and conquered and be worse off than +before. + +And so, left to themselves, they would have been; but God fought for them +in a way they never thought of. For "the Lord saved Israel that day out of +the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the +sea-shore." + +What about your Egyptians?--the angry tempers or sulky looks, the +impatient words, the vain and foolish thoughts, the besetting sins that +master you so often. Have you tried so often to fight against them, and +failed, that it seems almost no use, and you do not see how to conquer +them or to escape them? Are you very tired of fighting, and "sore afraid" +of being always overcome just the same as ever? Now hear God's true, +strong promise to you. "The Lord shall fight for you!" "Will He really?" +Yes, really, and He will conquer for you too, if you will only believe +His Word and trust the battle to Him, and _let_ Him fight for you. + +How? First, watch! and then the very instant you see the enemy coming, +look up and say, "Come, Lord, and fight for me;" and keep on looking up +and _expecting_ Him to fight for you. And _you will find_ that He does +fight for you and gives you the victory; and you too will be "saved that +day," and will see "the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore." Try Him, and +trust Him; and you, even you, will be "more than conqueror through Him +that loved you." + + "So, when you meet with trials, + And know not what to do; + Just cast the care on Jesus, + And He will fight for you. + Gird on the heavenly armor + Of faith, and hope, and love; + And when the conflict's ended, + You'll reign with Him above." + + + + +17. Seventeenth Day. + +The Master's Voice. + + + "I will watch to see what He will say unto me."--Hab. ii. 1. + + +When the Lord Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee, "Simon, I have somewhat to +say unto thee;" he answered, "Master, say on!" When God was going to speak +to Samuel, he said, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." Has the Lord +Jesus said anything like this for us? He says, "I have yet many things to +say unto you." What things? They will be strong, helpful, life-giving +words, for He says, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and +they are life." They will be very loving words, for He says, "I will +speak comfortably to her" (margin, "I will speak to her heart"). And they +will be very kind and tender words, and spoken just at the right moment, +for He says that He knows "how to speak a word in season to him that is +weary." "Will He really speak to me?" says the little heart. Yes, really, +if you will only watch to see what He will say to you. For it will be "a +still, small voice," and you will not hear it at all if you do not listen +for it. "How will He speak to me?" If I had something very nice to tell +you, and instead of saying it out loud, I wrote it down on a piece of +paper, and gave it you to look at, would not that be exactly the same as +if I had told it you with my lips? And you would take the paper eagerly to +see what it was that I had to say to you. So to-day, when you read your +Bible, either alone or at your Bible-lesson, watch to see what Jesus will +say to you in it. You will never really watch in vain. You will see some +word that seems to come home to you, and that you never noticed so much +before. Oh, listen lovingly to it, for _that_ is what He says to you! Or +if you are really watching and wishing for a word from Him, some sweet +text will come into your mind, and you wonder what made you think of it! +That is the voice of Jesus speaking to your heart. Listen to it, and +treasure it up, and follow it; and then watch to see what else He will say +to you. Say to Him, "Master, say on!" + + "Master, speak! and make me ready, + When Thy voice is truly heard, + With obedience glad and steady, + Still to follow every word. + I am listening, Lord, for Thee; + Master, speak, oh, speak to me!" + + + + +18. Eighteenth Day + +Who will take care of me? + + + "He careth for you."--I Pet. v. 7. + + +It is so pleasant to be cared for; to have kind relations and friends who +show that they love you by their care of you, and their care for you. What +would you do if no one cared for you, like the poor little children in +London who are turned out to "do for themselves" before they are as old as +you are? What would you do if there was no one to get anything for you to +eat, or to see to your clothes, or to keep a home for you to live in? No +one to take any notice if you hurt yourself ever so badly, or if you were +ever so ill? You would feel then what a difference being cared for makes +to your life. But all the earthly care for you comes because "He careth +for you." He planned and arranged everything, without your having anything +to do with it, so that you shall be cared for. And He did not arrange it +once for all, and then leave things to go on as might happen. No! Every +day, every moment, He careth, _goes on_ caring, for you. Not only thinking +of you and watching you, but working for you; making things come right, so +that everything should be just the best that could happen to you. Not +managing the great things, and leaving the little things to arrange +themselves; but giving loving care to the least, the very least things +that concern you. Even in some tiny little trouble which no one else seems +to care about, "He careth;" or when every one else is too much taken up +with other things to attend to you, "He careth for you." + +You can never get beyond God's care, for it always reaches you; you can +never be outside of it, for it is always enfolding you. + + "'Who will take care of me?' darling, you say, + Lovingly, tenderly watched as you are? + Listen! I give you the answer to-day, + One who is never forgetful or far. + + "He will take care of you! All through the year + Crowning each day with His kindness and love, + Sending you blessings and shielding from fear, + Leading you on to His bright home above." + + + + +19. Nineteenth Day. + +Under His Wings. + + + "Under His wings shall thou trust."--Ps. xci. 4. + + +That means to-day, not some other time! Under His wings, the shadowing +wings of the Most High, you, poor little helpless one, are to trust +to-day. + +When the little eaglets, that have not yet a feather to fly with, are +under the great wings of the parent eagle, how safe they are! Who would +dare touch them? If a bold climber put his hand into the nest then, those +powerful wings would beat him in a minute from his hold, and he would fall +down the rocks and be dashed to pieces. So safe shall you be "under His +wings," "nothing shall by any means hurt you" there. + +When the wild snow-storms rage round the eyrie, and the mountain cold is +felt, that is death to an unprotected sleeper, how warm the little eaglets +are kept! Not an arrow of the keen blast reaches them, poor little +featherless things, not a snowflake touches them. So warm shall you be +kept "under His wings," when any cold and dark day of trouble comes, or +even any sudden little blast of unkindness or loneliness. + +"Under His wings shall thou _trust_!" Not "shall thou _see_!" If one of +the eaglets wanted to see for itself what was going on, and thought it +could take care of itself for a little while, and hopped from under the +shadow of the wings, it would be neither safe nor warm. The sharp wind +would chill it, and the cruel hand might seize it then. So you are to +_trust_, rest quietly and peacefully, "under His wings;" stay there, not +be peeping out and wondering whether God really is taking care of you! You +may be always safe and happy there. Safe, for "in the shadow of Thy wings +will I make my refuge." Happy, for "in the shadow of Thy wings will I +rejoice." + +Remember, too, that it is a command as well as a promise; it is what you +are to do to-day, all day long: "Under His wings _shalt_ thou trust!" + + "I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, + Trusting only Thee! + Trusting Thee for full salvation, + Great and free. + + "I am trusting Thee to guide me, + Thou alone shalt lead! + Every day and hour supplying + All my need." + + + + +20. Twentieth Day + +Always Near. + + + "I am with you alway."--Matt. xxvlii. 20. + + +How nice it would be if we could always have the one we loved best in all +the world with us; never away from us night or day, and no fear that they +ever possibly would or could leave us; never a good-bye even for ever such +a little while, and never, never the long farewell of death! + +Can this ever be for you? Yes, for you; for to every one who is a disciple +of the Lord Jesus (that is, who learns of Him and owns Him as Master), He +says, "I am with you alway." He does not even say, "I will be with you;" +so that you might be wondering when He meant to come, when He would begin +to be "with you;" but He says, "I _am_ with you." Yes, even now, though +perhaps your eyes are holden, like those of the two who walked to Emmaus +when Jesus was beside them and they did not know it. Your feeling or not +feeling that He is there has nothing at all to do with it, because His +word must be true and _is_ true, and He has said, "I _am_ with you alway." +All you have to do is to be happy in believing it to be true. And if you +go on believing it, you will soon begin to realize it; that is, to find +that it is a real thing, and that Jesus really is with you. + +How long will He be with you? Always, "all the days!" He hath said, "I +will never leave thee." "Never" means really _never_, not for one moment. +You can not get beyond "never." It goes on all through your life, and all +through God's great "forever." And "always" means really _always_, every +single moment of all your life, so that you need never ask again, "Is +Jesus with me now?" Of course He is! the answer will always be "yes," +because He hath said, "I am with you alway." How safe, how sweet, how +blessed! + + "O Jesus, make Thyself to me + A living, bright reality! + More present to faith's vision keen + Than any outward object seen; + More dear, more intimately nigh, + Than even the sweetest earthly tie." + + + + +21. Twenty-first Day. + +Doing God's Will. + + + "Teach me to do Thy will."--Ps. cxliii. 10. + + +When you see some one doing with very great delight some beautiful and +pleasant piece of work, have you not thought, "I should like to be able to +do that!" and perhaps you have said, "Please, teach me how to do it." + +Can you think of anything pleasanter to do than what the very angels are +full of delight in doing? Can you think of anything more beautiful to do +than what is done in the "pleasant land," the beautiful home above? Can +you fancy anything more interesting to do than what the dwellers there +will never get tired of doing for thousands of millions of years? Would +you not like to be taught to do it too?--to begin the pleasant and +beautiful and most interesting work now, instead of waiting till you are +grown up, and then perhaps never learning it at all, because it was put +off now? Then pray this little prayer this morning with all your heart, +"Teach me to do Thy will." For it is His will that is the happiest work +above, and the very happiest thing to do here below. + +What is His will? The Prayer-Book version of this Psalm tells you very +simply and sweetly. It says, "Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth +Thee." So doing God's will is just doing the things, one by one, that +please Him. + +Why did David ask this? He goes on to say why--"For Thou art my God." If +God is really _our_ God, we too shall wish to do the thing that pleaseth +Him. David did not think he could do it of himself, for he says next, "Let +Thy loving Spirit lead me." That loving Spirit will lead you too, dear +child, and show you how beautiful and grand God's will is, and make you +long to do it always, and teach you to do it. So that even on earth you +may begin to do what the angels are doing in heaven! + + "It is but very little + For Him that I can do, + Then let me seek to serve Him, + My earthly journey through; + And, without sigh or murmur, + To do His holy will; + And in my daily duties + His wise commands fulfill." + + + + +22. Twenty-second Day. + +Working for Jesus. + + + "Ye have done it unto me." "Ye did it not to me."--Matt. xxv., xl., and + xlv. + + +Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us opportunities of showing whether we +love Him or not. He tells us that what we try to do for any one who is +poor, or hungry, or sick, or a lonely stranger, is just the same as doing +it to Him. And when the King says, "Come, ye blessed," He will remember +these little things, and will say, "Ye have done it unto me." But He tells +us that if we do nothing for them, it is just the same as if He were +standing there and we would do nothing for Him. And He will say, "Ye did +it not to me." + +One of these two words will be spoken to you in the great day when you +see the King on the throne of His glory. Which shall it be? What are you +doing for Jesus? Are you doing anything at all for Him? Perhaps you say, +"I have no opportunity." Did you ever try to find one? Did you ever ask +Him to give you opportunities of doing something for Him? Or is it only +that you have never yet cared or tried to do anything for Him? Be honest +about it. He knows. And He will forgive. + +But now, what is to be done? Begin by asking Him to show you. And then +keep a bright, sharp look-out, and see if you can not find an opportunity +very soon (and perhaps many) of doing something kind for His sake to some +poor or sick or lonely one. Set to work to _think_ what you could do! + +It seems to me so very kind of the Lord Jesus to have told us this. For +He knew that those who really love Him would _want_ to do something for +Him, and what could we do for the King of glory in His glorious heaven? So +it was wonderfully thoughtful of Him to give us His poor people to care +for, and to say, if we have only been kind to a sick old woman or hungry +little child, "Ye have done it unto me!" + + "I love my precious Saviour + Because He died for me; + And if I did not serve Him, + How sinful I should be! + God help me to be useful + In all I do or say! + I mean to work for Jesus, + The Bible says I may!" + + + + +23. Twenty-third Day. + +Standard-Bearers. + + + "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee."--Ps. lx. 4. + + +Then what is your banner, and what are you doing with it? For if you are +among "them that fear" God, He has given you a banner "that it may be +displayed." Is yours furled up and put away in a corner, so that nobody +sees it or knows of it? Or are you trying to be a brave little +standard-bearer of Jesus Christ, carrying His flag, so that the sweet +breezes of His Spirit may lift its bright folds, and show its golden +motto? That motto, I think, is "Love." For we are told that His banner +over us is love. Are you displaying it, showing your love to Him by your +love to others? showing the power of His love over you by your sweet, +happy temper, and by trying to please Him always? + +Carrying a banner means something. First, it means that you belong to or +have to do with those whose banner you carry, and that you are not ashamed +of them. At great Sunday-school festivals we know to which school a boy +belongs by the flag that he carries. You would like to carry the flag of +England or the Queen's royal flag, because you are English and loyal. So +let us carry the banner of Jesus Christ because we are loyal to Him, and +are not ashamed to own Him as our King. Secondly, it means that we are +ready to fight, and ready to encourage others to fight under the same +banner. When you are tempted to do something wrong remember whose banner +you carry, and do not disgrace it. If one does right, it makes it easier +for the other to do right too. Thirdly, it means rejoicing. You know how +flags are hung out on grand days, and carried in triumphal processions. +The little hand that carries Christ's banner through His war, will carry +it also in His triumph; the little hand that tries to unfurl it bravely +now, will wave it when His glorious reign begins and His blessed kingdom +is come. Then, "in the name of our God we will set up our banners" _now_! + + "The Master hath called us, the children who fear Him, + Who march 'neath Christ's banner, His own little band; + We love Him, and seek Him; we long to be near Him, + And rest in the light of His beautiful land." + + + + +24. Twenty-fourth Day. + +Soldiers. + + + "Chosen to be a soldier."--2 Tim. ii. 4. + + +Are you a soldier? You ought to be, for you have been chosen to be a +soldier in the glorious army of Jesus Christ. + +You ought to be, for you have been "received into the congregation of +Christ's flock" at your baptism, and engaged "manfully to fight under His +banner against sin, the world, and the devil, and to continue Christ's +faithful soldier and servant unto your life's end." You can never undo +that, even if you are a deserter, and found in the enemy's ranks. The +Captain of our salvation will not undo it, for He is ready to receive +you, if you will but come and enlist now. Now, this very morning, come and +enlist! This very morning ask Him to receive you into His noble army, and +to give you first the shield of His salvation, and then the whole armor of +God, and to "teach your hands to war and your fingers to fight," and to +give you victories every day even now, and to let you share His grand +triumphs hereafter. + +Perhaps you know that you have enlisted already, you know and love your +Captain, and He is enabling you, even if very feebly, yet really, to fight +the good fight of faith? How came you to enlist? Was it any credit to you? +Oh no! it was all His doing. It was He who chose you to be a soldier, not +you who chose Him to be a Captain. And then He sent not some dreadful +cannon roar, but the sweet bugle-call of His love to win you to join His +ranks. And now He fights not only with you, but for you. In His war +"nothing shall by any means hurt you," for "He was wounded" for you. Your +life is safe with Him, for He laid down His own for you. By His side you +can never be vanquished, because He goes forth "always conquering and to +conquer." + + "Stand up, stand up for Jesus! + Ye soldiers of the cross; + Lift high His royal banner, + It must not suffer loss. + + "From victory to victory + His army shall be led, + Till every foe is vanquished, + And Christ is Lord indeed. + + "Stand up, stand up for Jesus! + The trumpet call obey; + Forth to the mighty conflict, + In this His glorious day!" + + + + +25. Twenty-fifth Day. + +A Loyal Aim. + + + "That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."--2 Tim. + ii. 4. + + +Here is something worth aiming at, worth trying for! The Lord Jesus, the +Captain of our salvation, is He who hath chosen us to be His soldiers and +now, does He only tell us that we may do our duty,--serve, obey, and +fight? No; He tells us something more, gives us a hope and an aim so +bright and pleasant, that it is like sunshine upon everything. He says, we +"may _please_ Him." + +Only one who knows what it is to mourn for having grieved the dear +Saviour, can quite understand what a happy word this is! That we, who +have been cold, and careless, and sinful, grieving His love over and over +again, should be told after all that we may _please_ Him! Oh, if we love +Him, our hearts will just leap at the hope of it! Perhaps we thought this +could not be till we reached heaven; but you see His own word says, we +"may please Him" now, while we are soldiers in the very midst of the +fighting. St. Paul tells us one thing in which you may please Him: +"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing unto +the Lord." But he prays too that the Colossians "might walk worthy of the +Lord unto _all_ pleasing." + +Shall this be your aim and your hope to-day? Will you look up to the Lord +Jesus now, and ask Him first to give you the faith without which "it is +impossible to please Him," and then to show you "how you ought to walk +and to please God," and so to help you to "do those things that are +pleasing in His sight;" that all your ways, even every little step of your +ways, may really and truly "please the Lord" (Prov. xvi. 7). + + "True-hearted, whole-hearted, faithful, and loyal, + King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be; + Under Thy standard, exalted and royal, + Strong in Thy strength, we will battle for Thee. + + "True-hearted, whole-hearted! Fullest allegiance + Yielding henceforth to our glorious King, + Valiant endeavor and loving obedience, + Freely and joyously now we would bring." + + + + +26. Twenty-sixth Day. + +Obedience to Christ. + + + "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."--John ii. 5. + + +How are you to know what He says to you? Ah, it is so easy to know if we +are really willing to know, and willing to obey when we do know! He has +spoken so plainly to us in His word! In that He tells us, tells even +little children, exactly what to do. It is most wonderful how He has said +everything there for us, told us everything we ought to do. When you read +a chapter or hear one read, listen and watch to see what He saith unto you +in it. There is another way in which He tells us what to do. Do you not +hear a little voice inside that always tells you to do the right thing, +and not to do the wrong thing? That is conscience and He speaks to you by +it. + +Another way is by those whom He has set over you. He has told you once for +all to "obey your parents," and to "obey them that have the rule over +you." So, when they tell you to do something, it is the Lord Jesus Himself +that you have to obey in obeying them. + +Now "whatsoever He saith unto you, do it!" Yes, "whatsoever," dear little +one, whether easy or hard, do it because He tells you; do it for love of +Him, and it will be a thousand times better and happier to obey your King +than to please yourself. And He Himself will help you to do it; only look +up to Him for grace to obey, and He will give it. + +"Whatsoever He saith unto you, _do_ it." Do not just think about doing +it, or talk about doing it, but _do_ it! "Do _it!_" Do the exact thing He +would have you do, not something a little bit different, or something +which you think will be very nearly the same, but do _"it."_ + +And "do it" at once. It is so true, that "the very first moment is the +easiest for obedience." Every minute that you put off doing the right +thing makes it harder. Do not let your King have to "speak twice" to you. +"Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it" cheerfully, exactly, and instantly. + + "Jesus, help me, I am weak; + Let me put my trust in Thee; + Teach me how and what to speak; + Loving Saviour, care for me. + Dear Saviour, hear me, + Hear a little child to-day; + Hear, oh hear me; + Hear me when I pray." + + + + +27. Twenty-seventh Day. + +Do it Heartily + + + "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord."--Col. in. 23. + + +In 2 Chron. xxxi. 21, we read of Hezekiah, that "in every work that he +began, he did it with all his heart, and prospered." And this morning's +"bell" rings a New Testament echo, "Do it heartily!" Sing it now, like a +little peal of bells! + +[Music: Do it hear-ti-ly!] + +See if that does not ring in your ears all day, and remind you that it is +not merely much pleasanter to be bright and brisk about everything, but +that it is actually one of God's commands written in His own word. + +I know this is easier to some than to others. Perhaps it "comes natural" +to you to do everything heartily. That is very nice, but it is not enough. +What else? "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, _as unto the Lord_, and not +unto men." He knows whether the industrious energetic boy or girl is +wishing to please Him, and looking up to Him for His smile; or whether He +is forgotten all the while, and only the smile of others and the pleasure +of being quick and busy is thought of. But perhaps it is hard to you to do +things heartily. You like better to take your time, and so you dawdle, and +do things in an idle way, especially what you do not much like doing. Is +this right? Is it a little sin, when God's word says, "Whatsoever ye do, +do it heartily!" Is it not just as much disobeying God as breaking any +other command? Are you not _guilty_ before Him? Very likely you never +thought of it in this way, but there the words stand, and neither you nor +I can alter them. First ask Him to forgive you all the past idleness and +idle ways, for Christ's sake, and then ask Him to give you strength +henceforth to obey this word of His. And then listen to the little chime, +"Do it heartily! do it heartily!" And _then_ the last word of the verse +about Hezekiah will be true of you too--"Prospered!" + + 'Up and doing, little Christian! + Up and doing, while 'tis day! + Do the work the Master gives you. + Do not loiter by the way. + For we all have work before us, + You, dear child, as well as I; + Let us learn to seek our duty, + And to 'do it heartily.' + + + + +28. Twenty-eighth Day. + +The Sight of Faith. + + + "As seeing Him who is invisible."--Heb. xi. 27. + + +If we were always doing everything just as if we saw Him, whom having not +seen we love, how different our lives would be! How much happier too! How +brave, and bright, and patient we should be, if all the time we could +really see Jesus as Stephen saw Him! And by faith, the precious faith +which God is ready to give to all who ask, we may go on our way with this +light upon it, "as seeing Him who is invisible." + +These words were said of Moses; and this seeing Him by faith had three +effects. First, "he forsook Egypt;" it made him ready to give up anything +for his God, and God's people. It made him true and loyal to God's cause. +What did He care for anything else, so long as he saw "Him who is +invisible?" Secondly, it took away all his fear. What was "the wrath of +the king" to him, when Jehovah was by his side? Of what should he be +afraid? Thirdly, it enabled him to "endure," to wait patiently for forty +years in the desert, and then to work patiently for forty years in the +wilderness; and only think how strength-giving that sight of faith must be +which enabled him to endure everything for eighty years! + +Try for yourself to-day what was such great and long help to Moses. Ask +God, before you go down-stairs, for faith, "the eye of the soul," so that +you may walk all day long "as seeing Him who is invisible." When you are +tempted to indulge in something wrong,--idleness or carelessness, or +selfishness,--this will help you to give it up at once, and forsake it; +for how can you give way to it when your eye meets His? When something +makes you afraid, this will make you brave and peaceful; for how can you +fear anything when your God is so near? When lessons, or work, or even +having to be quiet with nothing to do, seem very tiresome, and you are +tempted to be impatient, and perhaps cross, this will help you to endure +and not only so, but to feel patient; for how can you be impatient when +you are looking up to Him, and He is looking down on you all the time! + + "God will not leave me all alone, + He never will forsake His own; + When not another friend I see, + The Lord is looking down on me." + + + + +29. Twenty-Ninth Day. + +No Weights. + + + "Let us lay aside every weight."--Heb. xii. 1. + + +If you were going to run a race, you would first put down all the parcels +you might have been carrying. And if you had a heavy little parcel in your +pocket, you would take that out, and lay it down too, because it would +hinder you in running. You would know better than to say, "I will put down +the parcels which I have in my hands, but nobody can see the one in my +pocket, so that one won't matter!" You would "lay aside _every_ weight." + +You have a race to run to-day, a little piece of the great race that is +set before you. God has set a splendid prize before you, "the prize of +the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," a crown that is incorruptible. + +Now what are you going to do about the weights, the things that hinder you +from running this race? You know some things do seem to hinder you; will +you keep them or lay them aside? Will you only lay aside something that +every one can see is hindering you, so that you will get a little credit +for putting it down, and keep something that your own little conscience +knows is a real hindrance, though no one else knows anything at all about +it? Oh, take St. Paul's wise and holy advice, and make up your mind to lay +aside _every_ weight. + +Different persons have different weights; we must find out what ours are, +and give them up. One finds that if she does not get up directly she is +called, the time slips by, and there is not enough left for quiet prayer +and Bible-reading. Then here is a little weight that must be laid aside. +Another is at school, and finds that he gets no good, but a little harm, +when he goes much with a certain boy. Then he must lay that weight aside. +Another takes a story-book up to bed, and reads it while nurse is brushing +her hair, and up to the last minute, and then her head is so full of the +story that she only _says words_ when she kneels down, and can not really +_pray_ at all. Can she doubt that this is a weight which must be laid +aside? + +It may seem hard to lay our pet weight down; but oh, if you only knew how +light we feel when it is laid down, and how much easier it is to run the +race which God has set before us! + + + + +30. Thirtieth Day. + +The Shield of Salvation. + + + "Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation."--2 Sam. xxii. + 36. + + +This beautiful little text teaches us a very precious truth. It shows us +that the salvation which the Lord Jesus came to bring is not only +salvation at last, just escaping hell, but that it is salvation now, and +salvation in everything Salvation does not only mean victory at last, but +it is like a broad, shining shield, given to us in the midst of the +battle, coming between us and the poisoned arrows and sharp sword-thrusts +of the enemy. It is a shield not only to keep us from death, but to keep +us from being hurt and wounded. It is the shield which the Captain _has_ +given us to use now, as well as the crown which He _will_ give when the +warfare is ended. + +How are you to use this shield? what does it really mean for you? It +means, that if you have come to the Lord Jesus to be saved, He does not +merely say He _will_ save you, but that you _are_ saved, that He saves you +now. And this is how you are to use it--believe it, and be sure of it, +because you have His word for it; and then, when a temptation comes, tell +the enemy that he has nothing to do with you, for you are saved; that you +belong to Jesus, and not to him,--look up and say, "Jesus saves me!" Will +He fail you? Did He ever let any find themselves deceived and mistaken who +looked up in faith and confidence to Him, trusting in His great salvation? +Never! and never will you find this shield of His salvation fail to cover +you completely. Satan himself can not touch you when you are behind this +shield! Lift it up when you see him coming, even ever so far off, and you +will be safe. + + "Jesus saves me every day, + Jesus saves me every night; + Jesus saves me all the way, + Through the darkness, through the light." + + + + +31. Thirty-first Day. + +I will love Thee + + + "I will love Thee, O Lord."--Ps. xviii. 1. + + +Yes, even if I have never loved Thee before, I will love Thee, O Lord, +now! + +I will love Thee, Lord Jesus, because Thou hast loved me, and because Thou +art loving me now, and wilt love me to the end. Oh, forgive me for not +having loved Thee! How could I have helped loving Thee, when Thou wast +waiting all the time for me, waiting so patiently while I did not care +about Thee! Oh, forgive me! and now I will love Thee always; for Thou wilt +take my love, and fix it on Thyself, and keep it for Thyself. + +I will love Thee, O Lord Jesus; I will not listen to Satan, who tries to +keep me from loving Thee; I will not ask myself anything about it, lest I +should begin to get puzzled about whether I do love Thee or not. Thou +knowest that I do want to love Thee; and now, dear Lord Jesus, hear me say +that I _will_ love Thee, and that I will trust Thee to make me love Thee +more and more, always more and more. + +I have said it, dear Lord Jesus, and Thou hast heard me say it. And I am +so glad I have said it. I do not want ever to take it back, and Thou wilt +not let me take it back. I am to love Thee always now; and Thou wilt give +me Thy Holy Spirit to shed abroad Thy love in my heart, so that it may be +filled with love. Fill me so full of Thy love that it may run over into +everything I do, and that I may love everybody because I love Thee. + +Yes, I will love Thee, dear Lord Jesus! + + "My Saviour, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine! + For Thee all the follies of sin I resign; + My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou; + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now! + + "I love Thee, because Thou hast first loved me, + And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree; + I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow; + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now! + + "I will love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death, + And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath: + And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow, + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now!" + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORNING BELLS*** + + +******* This file should be named 11563.txt or 11563.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/1/1/5/6/11563 + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d14d355 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #11563 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11563) diff --git a/old/11563-8.txt b/old/11563-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..811d853 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/11563-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2008 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Morning Bells, by Frances Ridley Havergal + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Morning Bells + +Author: Frances Ridley Havergal + +Release Date: March 13, 2004 [eBook #11563] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: iso-8859-1 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORNING BELLS*** + + +E-text prepared by Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders + + + +MORNING BELLS + +Or, Waking Thoughts for the Little Ones + +By + +FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL + + + + +To +The Twin Brothers, +Willie and Ethelbert +With +Aunt Fanny's Love. + + + +Contents. + + + +Morning Bells + + 1. "Thy Holy Child Jesus" + 2. "Even Christ pleased not Himself" + 3. "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe" + 4. "Bear ye one another's burdens" + 5. "Yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" + 6. "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly" + 7. "Faithful over a few things" + 8. "Put that on mine account" + 9. "Let thy garments be always white" +10. "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us" +11. "Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy" +12. "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this" +13. "Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people" +14. "A new heart also will I give you" +15. "I will put my Spirit within you" +16. "The Lord shall fight for you" +17. "I will watch to see what He will say unto me" +18. "He careth for you" +19. "Under His wings shall thou trust" +20. "I am with you alway" +21. "Teach me to do Thy will" +22. "Ye have done it unto me;" "Ye did it not to me" +23. "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee" +24. "Chosen to be a soldier" +25. "That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" +26. "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it" +27. "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord" +28. "As seeing Him who is invisible" +29. "Let us lay aside every weight" +30. "Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation" +31. "I will love Thee, O Lord" + + + + +Morning Bells. + + + +Most of the readers of this little book will have already read _Little +Pillows_. Those were given you to go to sleep upon night after night; +sweet, soothing texts, that little hearts might rest upon. + +But in the morning we want something to arouse us, and to help us to go +brightly and bravely through the day. So here are "Morning Bells" to waken +up the little hearts, and to remind them that we must not only rest in +Jesus, but walk in Him. If the motto of "Little Pillows" might be "Come +to Jesus," the motto of "Morning Bells" might be "Follow Jesus." + +May He who loves the little ones bless this tiny effort to help them to +follow Him day by day. + + + + +1. First Day. + +Christ's Childhood. + + + "Thy holy child Jesus."--Acts iv. 30. + + +If I asked, "How old are you?" you would give an exact answer. "Eight and +a half;" "Just turned ten;" "Eleven next month." Now you have thought of +God's "holy child Jesus" as a little baby, and as twelve years old in the +temple, but did you ever think of Him as being _exactly_ your own age? +that He was once really just as old as you are this very day? He knows +what it is to be eight, and nine, and ten years old, or whatever you may +be. God's word has only told us this one thing about those years, that He +was a _holy_ child. + +What is "holy"? It is everything that is perfectly beautiful and good and +lovable, without anything to spoil it. This is just what He was when He +was your age. He was gentle and brave, and considerate and unselfish, +noble and truthful, obedient and loving, kind and forgiving,--everything +you can think of that you ever admired or loved in any one else was all +found together in Him, and all this not only outside, but inside, for He +was "holy." + +Why did He live all these holy child-years on earth instead of staying in +heaven till it was time to come and die for you? One reason was, that He +might leave you a beautiful example, so that you might wish to be like +Him, and ask for the Holy Spirit to make you like Him. But the other was +even more gracious and wonderful, it was "that we might be made the +righteousness of God in Him." That is, that all this goodness and +holiness might be reckoned to you, because you had not any of your own, +and that God might smile on you _for His sake_, just as if _you_ had been +perfectly obedient, and truthful, and unselfish, and good, and give you +Jesus Christ's reward, which you never deserved at all, but which He +deserved for you. + +He took your sins and gives you His righteousness; He took your punishment +and gives you His reward; it is just changed over, if you will only accept +the exchange! + + "I'm glad my blessed Saviour + Was once a child like me, + To show how pure and holy + His little ones might be. + And if I try to follow + His footsteps here below, + He never will forget me, + Because He loves me so." + + + + +2. Second Day. + +Our Great Example + + + "Even Christ pleased not Himself."--Rom. xv. 3. + + +Do you really wish to follow the footsteps of the Holy Child Jesus? Have +you asked God to make you more like Him? Are you ready to begin to-day? +Then here is a motto for to-day, "Even Christ pleased not Himself." Will +you take it, and try to imitate Him? You are sure to have plenty of +opportunities of acting upon it, and thus proving not only to others, but +to your dear Saviour Himself, that you mean what you say, and mean what +you pray. + +Perhaps it seems a rather melancholy "morning bell" to you, tolling +instead of chiming! But if you really wish to be like Christ, you will +soon find that its music is as sweet as any, and that its quiet chime will +come to you again and again with a wonderful sweetness and power, helping +you over all sorts of difficulties, and saving you from all sorts of sins +and troubles. + +You can not tell, till you have fairly tried, how happy a little girl can +feel, who has cheerfully given up to another, for Jesus' sake, something +which she would have liked for herself; nor how happy a boy can be when of +his own free will, and by God's grace, he has chosen to do what his +conscience tells him would please the Lord Jesus instead of what would +have pleased himself. + +If you have never tried it yet, begin to-day, and you will find it is +quite a new happiness. + +Ah, what would have become of us if Christ had only "pleased Himself," +and had stayed in His own glorious home instead of coming down to save us! +Think of that when you are tempted to please yourself instead of pleasing +Him, and the remembrance that even He pleased not Himself because He so +loved you, will help you to try and please Him, and to please others for +His sake. + + "If washed in Jesus' blood, + Then bear His likeness too! + And as you onward press, + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?' + + "Give with a full, free hand; + God freely gives to you! + And check each selfish thought + With, 'What would Jesus do?'" + + + + +3. Third Day. + +Upholding. + + + "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe."--Ps. cxix. 117. + + +The path is not easy. There are rough stones over which we may stumble, if +we are not walking very carefully. There are places which look quite +smooth, but they are more dangerous than the rough ones, for they are +slippery. There are little holes hidden under flowers, which may catch our +feet and give us a bad fall. There are muddy ditches, into which we may +slip and get sadly wet and dirty. + +How are we to walk safely along such a path? We want a strong, kind hand +to hold us up, and to hold us always; a hand that will hold ours so +tightly and lovingly, that it will be as the old Scotchwoman said, "Not my +grip of Christ, but Christ's grip of me!" Yes, Christ's loving hand is +"able to keep you from falling;" only "let your hand be restfully in the +hand of Jesus," and "then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot +shall not stumble." But do not spoil the chime of this morning's bells by +ringing only half a peal! Do not say, "Hold Thou me up," and stop there, +or add, "But, all the same, I shall stumble and fall!" Finish the peal +with God's own music, the bright words of faith that He puts into your +mouth, "Hold Thou me up, _and I shall be safe_!" So you will if you do not +distrust Him, if you will but _trust_ Him to do just what you ask, and let +Him hold you up. + +It would be hard to find a prayer in the Bible without a promise to match +it; so David says, "Uphold me, according to Thy word." + +What has He said about it? More than there is room for on this page. "I +the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand." "Yea, I will uphold thee." "He +will not suffer thy foot to be moved." "When thou runnest thou shalt not +stumble." "Yea, he shall be holden up." "He shall keep thy foot from being +taken." "He will keep the feet of His saints." Seven promises in answer to +your one little prayer! + + "I the Lord am with thee, + Be thou not afraid! + I will help and strengthen, + Be thou not dismayed! + Yea, I will uphold thee + With my own right hand; + Thou art called and chosen + In my sight to stand!" + + + + +4. Fourth Day. + +What can I do? + + + "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of + Christ."--Gal. vi. 2. + + +Perhaps you never thought that any one around you had any! Then if you +want to fulfill this law of Christ, the first thing will be to find out +who has any burdens, and which of them you could bear instead. You will +not have to watch long! There are very few without any. Little backs can +not bear great burdens, but sometimes those who have great burdens have +little ones too, and it makes such a difference if some loving little hand +will take one or two of these. If your mother was carrying a great heavy +parcel, would it not help her if you took two or three little ones out of +her hand and carried them for her? So perhaps she has troubles that you do +not even know about, and you see she looks tired and anxious. And it tires +her a little more, because a little brother or sister wants to be nursed +or amused. Now if you put your own affairs by, and call the little ones +away, and amuse them quietly so that mamma may not be disturbed, this is +bearing one of her burdens. Never mind if it is really a little burden to +you too; is it not worth it, when it is fulfilling the law of Christ? If +for a moment a burden that you have taken up does seem rather hard, and +you are tempted to drop it again, think of what the Lord Jesus bore for +you! Think how He took up the heaviest burden of all for you, when He "His +own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree!" He did not drop that +burden, but bore it till He died under it. Think of that, and it will be +easy then to bear something for His sake. + +Now be on the watch all to-day for little burdens to bear for others. See +how many you can find out, and pick up, and carry away! Depend upon it, +you will not only make it a brighter day for others, but for yourself too! + + "Little deeds of kindness, + Little words of love, + Make our earth an Eden, + Like the heaven above." + + + + +5. Fifth Day. + +Instruments. + + + "Yield .... your members as instruments of righteousness unto + God."--Rom. vi. 13. + + +This does not sound so easy and tuneful as most of your other "morning +bells," you think! But listen for a few minutes and you will hear the +music. + +What are your members? Hands, feet, lips, eyes, ears, and so on. What are +you to do with them? "Yield" them, that is, give them up altogether, hand +them over to God. + +What for? That He may use them as instruments of righteousness. That is, +just as we should take an instrument of music, to make music with it, so +He may take your hands and feet and all your members, and use them to do +right and good things with. + +If a little one gives himself or herself to God, every part of that little +body is to be God's little servant, a little instrument for Him to use. + +The little hands will no longer serve Satan by striking or pinching; the +little feet will not kick or stamp, nor drag and dawdle, when they ought +to run briskly on some errand; the little lips will not pout; the little +tongue will not move to say a naughty thing. All the little members will +leave off serving Satan, and find something to do for God; for if you +"yield" them to God, He will really take them and use them. + +He will tell the hands to pick up what a tired mamma has dropped, and to +fetch her a footstool; and the fingers to sew patiently at a warm +petticoat for a poor child, or to make warm cuffs for a poor old man. He +will tell the feet to run on errands of kindness and help. He will set the +lips to sing happy hymns, which will cheer and comfort somebody, even if +you never know of it. He will use the eyes for reading to some poor sick +or blind woman, or to some fretful little one in your own home. You will +be quite surprised to find in how many ways He will really use even your +little members, if you give them and your whole self to Him. It will be so +nice! You will never be miserable again with "nothing to do!" + + "Take my hands, and let them move + At the impulse of Thy love. + Take my feet, and let them be + Swift and beautiful' for Thee." + + + + +6. Sixth Day. + +Willing and Glad. + + + "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly."--I Chron. + xxix. 9 + + +We thought yesterday morning about giving our members up to God for Him to +use. Did you think you would like to give them up to Him? _did_ you yield +them to Him? If you did, you will understand this morning's text! David +the King asked his people to help in bringing offerings for God's house +and service. He said, "Who then is willing to consecrate his service this +day unto the Lord?" And God made them all willing to bring what they +could. And what then? "_Then_ the people rejoiced, for that they offered +willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord." +"And did eat and drink on that day before the Lord with great gladness." + +See what came of offering willingly to the Lord--they "rejoiced," and +everything they did, even eating and drinking, was "with great gladness." +Never is any one so happy as those who offer their own selves willingly to +the Lord. He gives them a thousandfold return for the worthless little +self and weak little members which they have offered to Him. He gives them +peace, and gladness, and blessing, beyond what they ever expected to have. + +But this was not all; it was not only the people who had such a glad day, +but "David the king also rejoiced with great joy." Those who loved their +king, and recollected how much sorrow he had gone through, and how many +battles he had fought for them, must have been glad indeed to see Him +rejoicing because they had offered willingly. And I think our King, _your_ +King Jesus, rejoices over us when He has made us able (ver. 14) to offer +ourselves willingly to Him. Is not this best of all? Jesus, who suffered +for us, and who fought the great battle of our salvation for us, He, our +own beloved King, "will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His +love; He will joy over thee with singing." + + "In full and glad surrender I give myself to Thee, + Thine utterly, and only, and evermore to be! + O Son of God, who lovest me, I will be Thine alone; + And all I have, and all I am, shall henceforth be Thine own." + + + + +7. Seventh Day. + +Faithfulness. + + + "Faithful over a few things."--Matt. xxv. 21, 23. + + +The servant who had only two talents to trade with, but traded faithfully +with them, had just the same glorious words spoken to him as the servant +who had five talents: "Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast +been faithful over a few things ... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." +Think what it would be to hear the Lord Jesus saying that to you, really +to you! Oh how sweet! how blessed! how you would listen to that gracious +voice saying those wonderfully gracious words to _you_! + +But could He say them to you? Are you "faithful over a few things"? He +has given every one, even the youngest, a few things to be faithful over, +and so He has to you. Your "few things" may be very few, and very small +things, but He expects you to be faithful over them. + +What is being faithful over them? It means doing the very best you can +with them; doing as much for Jesus as you can with your money, even if you +have very little; doing as much for Him as you can with your time; doing +whatever duties He gives you as well as ever you can,--your lessons, your +work, the little things that you are bidden or asked to do every day, the +little things that you have promised or undertaken to do for others. It +means doing all these just the same whether others see you or know about +it or not. + +You sigh over all this; you recollect many things in which you have not +been quite faithful; you know you do not deserve for Him to call you "good +and faithful servant." But come at once to your gracious Lord, and ask Him +to forgive all the unfaithfulness, and to make you faithful to-day. And +then, even if it is only a matter of a French verb or a Latin noun, you +will find it a help to recollect, "Faithful over a few things!" + + "Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love + Fit us for perfect rest above; + And help us, this and every day, + To live more nearly as we pray." + + + + +8. Eighth Day. + +"On mine Account." + + + "Put that on mine account."--Philem. 18. + + +When St. Paul asked Philemon, in a most beautiful letter, to take back +Onesimus, who had run away from him, he said, "If he hath wronged thee, or +oweth thee ought, put that on my account." Onesimus had been a bad servant +to Philemon; and being willing to come back and do better, would not pay +for what he had wronged him in before, and would not pay his old debts. +And he evidently had nothing himself to pay them with. But St. Paul +offered to pay all, so that Onesimus might be received, "not now as a +servant," but as a "brother beloved." + +This is an exquisite picture of what the Lord Jesus Christ does. He not +only intercedes for us with Him from whom we have departed, and against +whom we have sinned; but, knowing to the full how much we have wronged +God, and how much we owe Him, He says, "Put that on mine account." + +And God has put it all on His account and the account has been paid, paid +in blood. When "the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all," Jesus saw +and knew all your sins; and He said, "Put that on mine account." + +Oh, what wonderful "kindness and love of God our Saviour!" Let the +remembrance of it be like a silver bell, ringing softly and clearly +whenever you are going to do, or letting yourself feel or think, something +that is not right. "Put _that_ on mine account!" Yes, that sin that you +were on the very edge of committing! that angry word, and the angry +feeling that makes you want to say it; that untrue word, and the +cowardliness which makes you afraid to speak the exact truth; that proud +look and the naughty pride of heart that made it come into your eyes; +Jesus stands by and says, patiently and lovingly, "Put _that_ on mine +account!" + +Can you bear that? does it not make you wish, ten times more than ever, to +be kept from sinning against such a Saviour? + + "Jesus, tender Saviour, + Hast Thou died for me? + Make me very thankful + In my heart to Thee; + When the sad, sad story + Of Thy grief I read, + Make me very sorry + For my sins indeed." + + + + +9. Ninth Day. + +White Garments. + + + "Let thy garments be always white."--Eccles. ix. 8. + + +"Always?" Oh, how can that be? They are soiled again directly after they +have been washed clean! Yet God says, "Let them be _always_ white;" and He +would not tell you to do what was impossible. Then how are you to help +soiling them? Only in one way. Last night's "little pillow" told you how +Jesus washes us "whiter than snow" in His own precious blood, that +cleanseth from all sin. But will He only cleanse His little one just for +the moment? is that all He is able and willing to do for you? + +No; if you will only keep on trusting to that precious blood, and not +turn away from it, He says that it cleanseth, that is, _goes on +cleansing_. You could not keep your garments white for five minutes; +careless thoughts would come like dust upon them, and wrong words would +make great dark stains and before long some naughty deed would be like a +sad fall in the mud, and you would feel sad and ashamed before the kind +Saviour who still stands ready to cleanse you again. But why should all +this happen over and over again, till anybody but our own loving, +long-suffering Saviour would be tired of us, and give up doing any more +for us? Why should it be, when His precious blood is meant to "_go on +cleansing_," so that our garments may be always white? Perhaps you never +thought of this; ask Him now this morning not only to wash you in the +fountain of His precious blood, but _to keep you in it_, to _go on +cleansing_ you all day long. _Trust_ Him to do this, and see if it is not +the happiest day you ever spent! + + "And He can do all this for me, + Because in sorrow, on the tree, + He once for sinners hung; + And, having washed their sin away, + He now rejoices, day by day, + To cleanse His little one." + + + + +10. Tenth Day. + +Made Beautiful. + + + "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us."--Ps. xc. 17. + + +"How great is His beauty!" said Zechariah. How can His beauty be upon us? +In two ways; try to understand them, and then ask that in both ways the +beauty of the Lord our God may be upon you. + +One way is by His covering you with the robe of Jesus Christ's +righteousness, looking upon you not as you are in yourself, all sinful and +unholy, but as if all the Saviour's beautiful and holy life were yours, +reckoning it to you for His sake. In this way He can call us "perfect +through my comeliness which I had put upon thee." The other way is by +giving you the beauty of holiness, for that is His own beauty; and though +we never can be quite like Him till we see Him as He is, He can begin to +make us like Him even now. Look at a poor little colorless drop of water, +hanging weakly on a blade of grass. It is not beautiful at all; why should +you stop to look at it? Stay till the sun has risen, and now look. It is +sparkling like a diamond; and if you look at it from another side, it will +be glowing like a ruby, and presently gleaming like an emerald. The poor +little drop has become one of the brightest and loveliest things you ever +saw. But is it its own brightness and beauty? No; if it slipped down to +the ground out of the sunshine, it would be only a poor little dirty drop +of water. So, if the Sun of Righteousness, the glorious and lovely +Saviour, shines upon you, a little ray of His own brightness and beauty +will be seen upon you. Sometimes we can see by the happy light on a face +that the Sun is shining there; but if the Sun is really shining, there are +sure to be some of the beautiful rays of holiness, love, joy, peace, +gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, making the life even of a little +child very lovely. + + "Jesus, Lord, I come to Thee, + Thou hast said I may; + Tell me what my life should be, + Take my sins away. + + "Jesus, Lord, I learn of Thee, + In Thy word divine; + Every promise there I see, + May I call it mine!" + + + + +11. Eleventh Day. + +Pleasant Gifts. + + + "Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."--I Tim. vi. 17. + + +Think a little this morning of God's great kindness to you. How _very_ +good He is to you! I know one of His dear children who looks up many, many +times a day, and says, "_Good_ Lord Jesus!" or "_Kind_ Lord Jesus!" She +does not set herself to say it, but it seems as if she could not help +saying it, just because He _is_ so good and kind. And then it seems only +natural to look up again and say, "_Dear_ Lord Jesus!" How _can_ anybody +go on all day long, and never see how good He is, and never look up and +bless Him? Most especially on bright pleasant days, when He giveth us +more even than usual to enjoy! "He giveth." Not one single pleasant thing, +not one single bit of enjoyment comes to us but what He giveth. We can not +get it, we do not earn it, we do not deserve it; but He _giveth_ lovingly, +and kindly, and freely. Suppose He stopped giving, what would become of +us? + +"Richly." So richly, that if you tried to write down half His gifts to +you, your hand would be tired long before you had done. You might easily +make a list of the presents given you on your birthday, but you could not +make a list of what God gives you every day of your life. + +"All things." All the things you really need, and a great many more +besides. All the things that will do you good, a great many more than you +would ever have thought of. All the things that He can fill your little +hands with, and trust you to carry without stumbling and falling. _All_ +things, everything that you have at all! + +"To enjoy." Now how kind this is! not only "to do us good," but "to +enjoy." So you see He means you to be happy with what He gives you, to +smile and laugh and be glad, not to be dismal and melancholy. If you do +not enjoy what He "giveth," that is your own fault, for He meant you to +enjoy it. Look up to Him with a bright smile, and thank Him for having +given you richly all things to enjoy! + + "My joys to Thee I bring, + The joys Thy love hath given, + That each may be a wing + To lift me nearer heaven. + I bring them, Saviour, all to Thee, + For Thou hast purchased all for me." + + + + +12. Twelfth Day. + +Much more than this. + + + "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this."--2 Chron. xxv. 9. + + +Amaziah, king of Judah, was going to war against the Edomites. He thought +he would make sure of victory by hiring a hundred thousand soldiers from +the King of Israel, and he paid them beforehand a hundred talents, which +was about £34,218.15s. of our money. But a man of God warned him not to +let the army of Israel go with him, for Israel had forsaken the Lord, and +so He was not with them. It seemed a great pity to waste all that money, +and so Amaziah said, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which +I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord +is able to give thee much more than this." So Amaziah simply obeyed, and +sent the soldiers away, and trusted God to help him to do without them. +Was it any wonder that he gained a great victory over the Edomites? + +Does not this teach us that we should simply do the right thing, and trust +God at any cost? When you do this, you will find that, in hundreds of ways +which you never thought of, "the Lord is able to give thee much more." The +trial comes in many different ways. One may be tempted to hurry over +prayer and Bible, because there is something else that she very much wants +to get done before breakfast, and she is afraid of not having time enough. +Another shuts up her little purse when a call comes to give something for +God's work, because she is afraid she will not have enough left for +another purpose. Another is tempted to look at a key, or to glance over +another's shoulder at a lesson, because without it he would not get the +marks he is trying for. Another is tempted not to tell the exact truth, or +to conceal something which he ought to tell, because he would lose +something by it. Oh, resist the devil, and do what you know is right, and +trust God for all the rest! For "the Lord is able to give thee much more +than this," whatever your "_this_" may be. And His smile and His blessing +will always be "more than this," more than anything else! + + "Be brave to do the right, + And scorn to be untrue; + When fear would whisper 'yield!' + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?'" + + + + +13. Thirteenth Day. + +The Doings of the King. + + + "Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people."--2 Sam. iii. 36. + + +David had been giving a proof of his love for one who had long been his +enemy, but whom he had received into friendship; and he had been giving a +proof of his tender-heartedness and sympathy with the people, by weeping +with them at the grave of Abner. "And all the people took notice of it, +and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people." + +This was because they loved their king. They watched him, not as the +wicked Pharisees watched the Lord Jesus that they might find something +against Him; but with the watching of admiration and love, taking notice +of the kind and gracious things he did and said. Do you thus take notice +of what your King does? Does it please you to hear and read of what He has +done and what He is doing? It must be so if He really is your King. + +But the "whatsoever" is a little harder; and yet, if it is once really +learnt, it makes everything easy. For if we learn to be pleased with +_whatsoever_ our King Jesus does, nothing can come wrong to us. + +Suppose something comes to-day which is not quite what you would have +liked; heavy rain, for instance, when you wanted to go out,--recollect +that your King Jesus has done it, and that will hush the little murmur, +and make you quite content. Ask Him this morning to make you so loving +and loyal to Him, that _whatsoever_ He does, all day long, may please you, +because it has pleased Him to do it. I think He loves us so much, that He +always gives us as much happiness as He can possibly trust us with, and +does what is pleasantest for His dear children whenever He sees it will +not hurt them; so, when He does something which at first does not seem so +pleasant, we may still trust our beloved King, and learn by His grace to +be pleased with _whatsoever_ He does. + + "I hear a sweet voice ringing clear, + 'All is well!' + It is my Father's voice I hear, + All is well! + Where'er I walk that voice is heard, + It is my God, my Father's word-- + 'Fear not, but trust; I am the Lord, + All is well!'" + + + + +14. Fourteenth Day. + +The New Heart. + + + "A new heart also will I give you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 26. + + +Why does God promise this? Because our old hearts are so evil that they +can not be made any better; and so nothing will do any good but giving us +a quite new heart. + +Because we can not make a new heart for ourselves; the more we try, the +more we shall find we can not do it; so God, in His great pity and +kindness, says He will give it us. + +Because unless we have a new heart we can not enter the kingdom of God, we +can not even see it! Without this gift we must be left outside in the +terrible darkness when "the door is shut." + +What is the difference? The old heart _likes_ to be naughty in some way or +other; either it likes to be idle, or it likes to let out sharp words, or +to go on being sulky or fretful instead of clearing up and saying, "I am +sorry!" The new heart _wants_ to be good; and is grieved when a temptation +comes, and does not wish to yield to it; and would like to be always +pleasing the Saviour. + +The old heart is afraid of God, and does not love Him, and would much +rather He were not always seeing us. And it does not care to hear about +Jesus, but would rather be just let alone. The new heart loves God and +trusts what He says, and likes to know that He is always watching it. And +it is glad to hear about Jesus, and wants to come closer to Him. + +The old heart is a little slave of Satan, taking his orders, and doing +what he wishes. The new heart is a happy little servant of Christ, +listening to His orders, and doing what He wishes. + +Oh how happy and blessed to have this new heart! All God's own children +receive it, for He has said, "I will give them one heart;" that is, all +the same new heart. Do you not want to have it too? Then "ask, and you +_shall_ receive;" for He hath said, "A new heart also _will_ I give you!" + + "Oh for a heart to praise my God, + A heart from sin set free! + A heart that always feels Thy blood, + So freely shed for me. + + "A heart resigned, submissive, meek, + My dear Redeemer's throne; + Where only Christ is heard to speak, + Where Jesus reigns alone." + + + + +15. Fifteenth Day. + +The Gift of the Holy Spirit. + + + "I will put my Spirit within you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 27. + + +Many years ago a good clergyman wrote a tiny prayer, so short that no one +could help remembering it if they once heard it. God seemed to set that +little prayer "upon wheels," so that it might run everywhere. It was +printed on large cards and hung up, and it was printed on small ones and +kept in Bibles and pocket-books. It was taught to classes and schools and +whole congregations, and now thousands upon thousands pray it constantly. +It is a prayer which must be heard, because it asks for what God has +promised to give; and it asks for this through Him whom the Father heareth +always. It is this: "O God, give me Thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus Christ's +sake. Amen." Will you not pray it too? Begin this morning, and go on, not +just _saying_ it, but _praying_ it, till you get a full answer. For you +are quite sure to get it; here is God's own promise, "I _will_ put my +Spirit within you;" and He has promised it over and over again in other +places. Perhaps you will not know at first when the answer comes. Can you +see the dew fall? No one ever saw a single drop come down, and yet as soon +as the sun rises, you see that it has come, and is sparkling all over the +fields. It came long before you saw it, falling sweetly and silently in +the twilight and in the dark. So do not fancy God is not hearing you +because you have not felt anything very sudden and wonderful. He is +hearing and answering all the time. You would not go on asking unless the +dew of His Spirit were already falling upon your heart, and teaching you +to pray. The more He gives you of His blessed Spirit, the more you will +ask for; and the more you ask, the more He will give. + + "Thou gift of Jesus, now descend, + And be my Comforter and Friend; + O Holy Spirit, fill my heart, + That I from Christ may ne'er depart! + + "Show me my soul all black within, + And cleanse and keep me pure within; + Oh, show me Jesus! let me rest + My heart upon His loving breast!" + + + + +16. Sixteenth Day. + +How to Conquer. + + + "The Lord shall fight for you."--Ex. xiv. 14. + + +How glad the children of Israel must have been when Moses said these words +to them on the shores of the Red Sea! For when they "lifted up their eyes, +behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid." + +The Egyptians had been cruel masters to them; and they had horses and +chariots to pursue them with; and there was the sea close before them, and +no boats! Perhaps some of the Israelites thought it was no use trying to +escape, they would only be overtaken and conquered and be worse off than +before. + +And so, left to themselves, they would have been; but God fought for them +in a way they never thought of. For "the Lord saved Israel that day out of +the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the +sea-shore." + +What about your Egyptians?--the angry tempers or sulky looks, the +impatient words, the vain and foolish thoughts, the besetting sins that +master you so often. Have you tried so often to fight against them, and +failed, that it seems almost no use, and you do not see how to conquer +them or to escape them? Are you very tired of fighting, and "sore afraid" +of being always overcome just the same as ever? Now hear God's true, +strong promise to you. "The Lord shall fight for you!" "Will He really?" +Yes, really, and He will conquer for you too, if you will only believe +His Word and trust the battle to Him, and _let_ Him fight for you. + +How? First, watch! and then the very instant you see the enemy coming, +look up and say, "Come, Lord, and fight for me;" and keep on looking up +and _expecting_ Him to fight for you. And _you will find_ that He does +fight for you and gives you the victory; and you too will be "saved that +day," and will see "the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore." Try Him, and +trust Him; and you, even you, will be "more than conqueror through Him +that loved you." + + "So, when you meet with trials, + And know not what to do; + Just cast the care on Jesus, + And He will fight for you. + Gird on the heavenly armor + Of faith, and hope, and love; + And when the conflict's ended, + You'll reign with Him above." + + + + +17. Seventeenth Day. + +The Master's Voice. + + + "I will watch to see what He will say unto me."--Hab. ii. 1. + + +When the Lord Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee, "Simon, I have somewhat to +say unto thee;" he answered, "Master, say on!" When God was going to speak +to Samuel, he said, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." Has the Lord +Jesus said anything like this for us? He says, "I have yet many things to +say unto you." What things? They will be strong, helpful, life-giving +words, for He says, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and +they are life." They will be very loving words, for He says, "I will +speak comfortably to her" (margin, "I will speak to her heart"). And they +will be very kind and tender words, and spoken just at the right moment, +for He says that He knows "how to speak a word in season to him that is +weary." "Will He really speak to me?" says the little heart. Yes, really, +if you will only watch to see what He will say to you. For it will be "a +still, small voice," and you will not hear it at all if you do not listen +for it. "How will He speak to me?" If I had something very nice to tell +you, and instead of saying it out loud, I wrote it down on a piece of +paper, and gave it you to look at, would not that be exactly the same as +if I had told it you with my lips? And you would take the paper eagerly to +see what it was that I had to say to you. So to-day, when you read your +Bible, either alone or at your Bible-lesson, watch to see what Jesus will +say to you in it. You will never really watch in vain. You will see some +word that seems to come home to you, and that you never noticed so much +before. Oh, listen lovingly to it, for _that_ is what He says to you! Or +if you are really watching and wishing for a word from Him, some sweet +text will come into your mind, and you wonder what made you think of it! +That is the voice of Jesus speaking to your heart. Listen to it, and +treasure it up, and follow it; and then watch to see what else He will say +to you. Say to Him, "Master, say on!" + + "Master, speak! and make me ready, + When Thy voice is truly heard, + With obedience glad and steady, + Still to follow every word. + I am listening, Lord, for Thee; + Master, speak, oh, speak to me!" + + + + +18. Eighteenth Day + +Who will take care of me? + + + "He careth for you."--I Pet. v. 7. + + +It is so pleasant to be cared for; to have kind relations and friends who +show that they love you by their care of you, and their care for you. What +would you do if no one cared for you, like the poor little children in +London who are turned out to "do for themselves" before they are as old as +you are? What would you do if there was no one to get anything for you to +eat, or to see to your clothes, or to keep a home for you to live in? No +one to take any notice if you hurt yourself ever so badly, or if you were +ever so ill? You would feel then what a difference being cared for makes +to your life. But all the earthly care for you comes because "He careth +for you." He planned and arranged everything, without your having anything +to do with it, so that you shall be cared for. And He did not arrange it +once for all, and then leave things to go on as might happen. No! Every +day, every moment, He careth, _goes on_ caring, for you. Not only thinking +of you and watching you, but working for you; making things come right, so +that everything should be just the best that could happen to you. Not +managing the great things, and leaving the little things to arrange +themselves; but giving loving care to the least, the very least things +that concern you. Even in some tiny little trouble which no one else seems +to care about, "He careth;" or when every one else is too much taken up +with other things to attend to you, "He careth for you." + +You can never get beyond God's care, for it always reaches you; you can +never be outside of it, for it is always enfolding you. + + "'Who will take care of me?' darling, you say, + Lovingly, tenderly watched as you are? + Listen! I give you the answer to-day, + One who is never forgetful or far. + + "He will take care of you! All through the year + Crowning each day with His kindness and love, + Sending you blessings and shielding from fear, + Leading you on to His bright home above." + + + + +19. Nineteenth Day. + +Under His Wings. + + + "Under His wings shall thou trust."--Ps. xci. 4. + + +That means to-day, not some other time! Under His wings, the shadowing +wings of the Most High, you, poor little helpless one, are to trust +to-day. + +When the little eaglets, that have not yet a feather to fly with, are +under the great wings of the parent eagle, how safe they are! Who would +dare touch them? If a bold climber put his hand into the nest then, those +powerful wings would beat him in a minute from his hold, and he would fall +down the rocks and be dashed to pieces. So safe shall you be "under His +wings," "nothing shall by any means hurt you" there. + +When the wild snow-storms rage round the eyrie, and the mountain cold is +felt, that is death to an unprotected sleeper, how warm the little eaglets +are kept! Not an arrow of the keen blast reaches them, poor little +featherless things, not a snowflake touches them. So warm shall you be +kept "under His wings," when any cold and dark day of trouble comes, or +even any sudden little blast of unkindness or loneliness. + +"Under His wings shall thou _trust_!" Not "shall thou _see_!" If one of +the eaglets wanted to see for itself what was going on, and thought it +could take care of itself for a little while, and hopped from under the +shadow of the wings, it would be neither safe nor warm. The sharp wind +would chill it, and the cruel hand might seize it then. So you are to +_trust_, rest quietly and peacefully, "under His wings;" stay there, not +be peeping out and wondering whether God really is taking care of you! You +may be always safe and happy there. Safe, for "in the shadow of Thy wings +will I make my refuge." Happy, for "in the shadow of Thy wings will I +rejoice." + +Remember, too, that it is a command as well as a promise; it is what you +are to do to-day, all day long: "Under His wings _shalt_ thou trust!" + + "I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, + Trusting only Thee! + Trusting Thee for full salvation, + Great and free. + + "I am trusting Thee to guide me, + Thou alone shalt lead! + Every day and hour supplying + All my need." + + + + +20. Twentieth Day + +Always Near. + + + "I am with you alway."--Matt. xxvlii. 20. + + +How nice it would be if we could always have the one we loved best in all +the world with us; never away from us night or day, and no fear that they +ever possibly would or could leave us; never a good-bye even for ever such +a little while, and never, never the long farewell of death! + +Can this ever be for you? Yes, for you; for to every one who is a disciple +of the Lord Jesus (that is, who learns of Him and owns Him as Master), He +says, "I am with you alway." He does not even say, "I will be with you;" +so that you might be wondering when He meant to come, when He would begin +to be "with you;" but He says, "I _am_ with you." Yes, even now, though +perhaps your eyes are holden, like those of the two who walked to Emmaus +when Jesus was beside them and they did not know it. Your feeling or not +feeling that He is there has nothing at all to do with it, because His +word must be true and _is_ true, and He has said, "I _am_ with you alway." +All you have to do is to be happy in believing it to be true. And if you +go on believing it, you will soon begin to realize it; that is, to find +that it is a real thing, and that Jesus really is with you. + +How long will He be with you? Always, "all the days!" He hath said, "I +will never leave thee." "Never" means really _never_, not for one moment. +You can not get beyond "never." It goes on all through your life, and all +through God's great "forever." And "always" means really _always_, every +single moment of all your life, so that you need never ask again, "Is +Jesus with me now?" Of course He is! the answer will always be "yes," +because He hath said, "I am with you alway." How safe, how sweet, how +blessed! + + "O Jesus, make Thyself to me + A living, bright reality! + More present to faith's vision keen + Than any outward object seen; + More dear, more intimately nigh, + Than even the sweetest earthly tie." + + + + +21. Twenty-first Day. + +Doing God's Will. + + + "Teach me to do Thy will."--Ps. cxliii. 10. + + +When you see some one doing with very great delight some beautiful and +pleasant piece of work, have you not thought, "I should like to be able to +do that!" and perhaps you have said, "Please, teach me how to do it." + +Can you think of anything pleasanter to do than what the very angels are +full of delight in doing? Can you think of anything more beautiful to do +than what is done in the "pleasant land," the beautiful home above? Can +you fancy anything more interesting to do than what the dwellers there +will never get tired of doing for thousands of millions of years? Would +you not like to be taught to do it too?--to begin the pleasant and +beautiful and most interesting work now, instead of waiting till you are +grown up, and then perhaps never learning it at all, because it was put +off now? Then pray this little prayer this morning with all your heart, +"Teach me to do Thy will." For it is His will that is the happiest work +above, and the very happiest thing to do here below. + +What is His will? The Prayer-Book version of this Psalm tells you very +simply and sweetly. It says, "Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth +Thee." So doing God's will is just doing the things, one by one, that +please Him. + +Why did David ask this? He goes on to say why--"For Thou art my God." If +God is really _our_ God, we too shall wish to do the thing that pleaseth +Him. David did not think he could do it of himself, for he says next, "Let +Thy loving Spirit lead me." That loving Spirit will lead you too, dear +child, and show you how beautiful and grand God's will is, and make you +long to do it always, and teach you to do it. So that even on earth you +may begin to do what the angels are doing in heaven! + + "It is but very little + For Him that I can do, + Then let me seek to serve Him, + My earthly journey through; + And, without sigh or murmur, + To do His holy will; + And in my daily duties + His wise commands fulfill." + + + + +22. Twenty-second Day. + +Working for Jesus. + + + "Ye have done it unto me." "Ye did it not to me."--Matt. xxv., xl., and + xlv. + + +Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us opportunities of showing whether we +love Him or not. He tells us that what we try to do for any one who is +poor, or hungry, or sick, or a lonely stranger, is just the same as doing +it to Him. And when the King says, "Come, ye blessed," He will remember +these little things, and will say, "Ye have done it unto me." But He tells +us that if we do nothing for them, it is just the same as if He were +standing there and we would do nothing for Him. And He will say, "Ye did +it not to me." + +One of these two words will be spoken to you in the great day when you +see the King on the throne of His glory. Which shall it be? What are you +doing for Jesus? Are you doing anything at all for Him? Perhaps you say, +"I have no opportunity." Did you ever try to find one? Did you ever ask +Him to give you opportunities of doing something for Him? Or is it only +that you have never yet cared or tried to do anything for Him? Be honest +about it. He knows. And He will forgive. + +But now, what is to be done? Begin by asking Him to show you. And then +keep a bright, sharp look-out, and see if you can not find an opportunity +very soon (and perhaps many) of doing something kind for His sake to some +poor or sick or lonely one. Set to work to _think_ what you could do! + +It seems to me so very kind of the Lord Jesus to have told us this. For +He knew that those who really love Him would _want_ to do something for +Him, and what could we do for the King of glory in His glorious heaven? So +it was wonderfully thoughtful of Him to give us His poor people to care +for, and to say, if we have only been kind to a sick old woman or hungry +little child, "Ye have done it unto me!" + + "I love my precious Saviour + Because He died for me; + And if I did not serve Him, + How sinful I should be! + God help me to be useful + In all I do or say! + I mean to work for Jesus, + The Bible says I may!" + + + + +23. Twenty-third Day. + +Standard-Bearers. + + + "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee."--Ps. lx. 4. + + +Then what is your banner, and what are you doing with it? For if you are +among "them that fear" God, He has given you a banner "that it may be +displayed." Is yours furled up and put away in a corner, so that nobody +sees it or knows of it? Or are you trying to be a brave little +standard-bearer of Jesus Christ, carrying His flag, so that the sweet +breezes of His Spirit may lift its bright folds, and show its golden +motto? That motto, I think, is "Love." For we are told that His banner +over us is love. Are you displaying it, showing your love to Him by your +love to others? showing the power of His love over you by your sweet, +happy temper, and by trying to please Him always? + +Carrying a banner means something. First, it means that you belong to or +have to do with those whose banner you carry, and that you are not ashamed +of them. At great Sunday-school festivals we know to which school a boy +belongs by the flag that he carries. You would like to carry the flag of +England or the Queen's royal flag, because you are English and loyal. So +let us carry the banner of Jesus Christ because we are loyal to Him, and +are not ashamed to own Him as our King. Secondly, it means that we are +ready to fight, and ready to encourage others to fight under the same +banner. When you are tempted to do something wrong remember whose banner +you carry, and do not disgrace it. If one does right, it makes it easier +for the other to do right too. Thirdly, it means rejoicing. You know how +flags are hung out on grand days, and carried in triumphal processions. +The little hand that carries Christ's banner through His war, will carry +it also in His triumph; the little hand that tries to unfurl it bravely +now, will wave it when His glorious reign begins and His blessed kingdom +is come. Then, "in the name of our God we will set up our banners" _now_! + + "The Master hath called us, the children who fear Him, + Who march 'neath Christ's banner, His own little band; + We love Him, and seek Him; we long to be near Him, + And rest in the light of His beautiful land." + + + + +24. Twenty-fourth Day. + +Soldiers. + + + "Chosen to be a soldier."--2 Tim. ii. 4. + + +Are you a soldier? You ought to be, for you have been chosen to be a +soldier in the glorious army of Jesus Christ. + +You ought to be, for you have been "received into the congregation of +Christ's flock" at your baptism, and engaged "manfully to fight under His +banner against sin, the world, and the devil, and to continue Christ's +faithful soldier and servant unto your life's end." You can never undo +that, even if you are a deserter, and found in the enemy's ranks. The +Captain of our salvation will not undo it, for He is ready to receive +you, if you will but come and enlist now. Now, this very morning, come and +enlist! This very morning ask Him to receive you into His noble army, and +to give you first the shield of His salvation, and then the whole armor of +God, and to "teach your hands to war and your fingers to fight," and to +give you victories every day even now, and to let you share His grand +triumphs hereafter. + +Perhaps you know that you have enlisted already, you know and love your +Captain, and He is enabling you, even if very feebly, yet really, to fight +the good fight of faith? How came you to enlist? Was it any credit to you? +Oh no! it was all His doing. It was He who chose you to be a soldier, not +you who chose Him to be a Captain. And then He sent not some dreadful +cannon roar, but the sweet bugle-call of His love to win you to join His +ranks. And now He fights not only with you, but for you. In His war +"nothing shall by any means hurt you," for "He was wounded" for you. Your +life is safe with Him, for He laid down His own for you. By His side you +can never be vanquished, because He goes forth "always conquering and to +conquer." + + "Stand up, stand up for Jesus! + Ye soldiers of the cross; + Lift high His royal banner, + It must not suffer loss. + + "From victory to victory + His army shall be led, + Till every foe is vanquished, + And Christ is Lord indeed. + + "Stand up, stand up for Jesus! + The trumpet call obey; + Forth to the mighty conflict, + In this His glorious day!" + + + + +25. Twenty-fifth Day. + +A Loyal Aim. + + + "That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."--2 Tim. + ii. 4. + + +Here is something worth aiming at, worth trying for! The Lord Jesus, the +Captain of our salvation, is He who hath chosen us to be His soldiers and +now, does He only tell us that we may do our duty,--serve, obey, and +fight? No; He tells us something more, gives us a hope and an aim so +bright and pleasant, that it is like sunshine upon everything. He says, we +"may _please_ Him." + +Only one who knows what it is to mourn for having grieved the dear +Saviour, can quite understand what a happy word this is! That we, who +have been cold, and careless, and sinful, grieving His love over and over +again, should be told after all that we may _please_ Him! Oh, if we love +Him, our hearts will just leap at the hope of it! Perhaps we thought this +could not be till we reached heaven; but you see His own word says, we +"may please Him" now, while we are soldiers in the very midst of the +fighting. St. Paul tells us one thing in which you may please Him: +"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing unto +the Lord." But he prays too that the Colossians "might walk worthy of the +Lord unto _all_ pleasing." + +Shall this be your aim and your hope to-day? Will you look up to the Lord +Jesus now, and ask Him first to give you the faith without which "it is +impossible to please Him," and then to show you "how you ought to walk +and to please God," and so to help you to "do those things that are +pleasing in His sight;" that all your ways, even every little step of your +ways, may really and truly "please the Lord" (Prov. xvi. 7). + + "True-hearted, whole-hearted, faithful, and loyal, + King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be; + Under Thy standard, exalted and royal, + Strong in Thy strength, we will battle for Thee. + + "True-hearted, whole-hearted! Fullest allegiance + Yielding henceforth to our glorious King, + Valiant endeavor and loving obedience, + Freely and joyously now we would bring." + + + + +26. Twenty-sixth Day. + +Obedience to Christ. + + + "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."--John ii. 5. + + +How are you to know what He says to you? Ah, it is so easy to know if we +are really willing to know, and willing to obey when we do know! He has +spoken so plainly to us in His word! In that He tells us, tells even +little children, exactly what to do. It is most wonderful how He has said +everything there for us, told us everything we ought to do. When you read +a chapter or hear one read, listen and watch to see what He saith unto you +in it. There is another way in which He tells us what to do. Do you not +hear a little voice inside that always tells you to do the right thing, +and not to do the wrong thing? That is conscience and He speaks to you by +it. + +Another way is by those whom He has set over you. He has told you once for +all to "obey your parents," and to "obey them that have the rule over +you." So, when they tell you to do something, it is the Lord Jesus Himself +that you have to obey in obeying them. + +Now "whatsoever He saith unto you, do it!" Yes, "whatsoever," dear little +one, whether easy or hard, do it because He tells you; do it for love of +Him, and it will be a thousand times better and happier to obey your King +than to please yourself. And He Himself will help you to do it; only look +up to Him for grace to obey, and He will give it. + +"Whatsoever He saith unto you, _do_ it." Do not just think about doing +it, or talk about doing it, but _do_ it! "Do _it!_" Do the exact thing He +would have you do, not something a little bit different, or something +which you think will be very nearly the same, but do _"it."_ + +And "do it" at once. It is so true, that "the very first moment is the +easiest for obedience." Every minute that you put off doing the right +thing makes it harder. Do not let your King have to "speak twice" to you. +"Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it" cheerfully, exactly, and instantly. + + "Jesus, help me, I am weak; + Let me put my trust in Thee; + Teach me how and what to speak; + Loving Saviour, care for me. + Dear Saviour, hear me, + Hear a little child to-day; + Hear, oh hear me; + Hear me when I pray." + + + + +27. Twenty-seventh Day. + +Do it Heartily + + + "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord."--Col. in. 23. + + +In 2 Chron. xxxi. 21, we read of Hezekiah, that "in every work that he +began, he did it with all his heart, and prospered." And this morning's +"bell" rings a New Testament echo, "Do it heartily!" Sing it now, like a +little peal of bells! + +[Music: Do it hear-ti-ly!] + +See if that does not ring in your ears all day, and remind you that it is +not merely much pleasanter to be bright and brisk about everything, but +that it is actually one of God's commands written in His own word. + +I know this is easier to some than to others. Perhaps it "comes natural" +to you to do everything heartily. That is very nice, but it is not enough. +What else? "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, _as unto the Lord_, and not +unto men." He knows whether the industrious energetic boy or girl is +wishing to please Him, and looking up to Him for His smile; or whether He +is forgotten all the while, and only the smile of others and the pleasure +of being quick and busy is thought of. But perhaps it is hard to you to do +things heartily. You like better to take your time, and so you dawdle, and +do things in an idle way, especially what you do not much like doing. Is +this right? Is it a little sin, when God's word says, "Whatsoever ye do, +do it heartily!" Is it not just as much disobeying God as breaking any +other command? Are you not _guilty_ before Him? Very likely you never +thought of it in this way, but there the words stand, and neither you nor +I can alter them. First ask Him to forgive you all the past idleness and +idle ways, for Christ's sake, and then ask Him to give you strength +henceforth to obey this word of His. And then listen to the little chime, +"Do it heartily! do it heartily!" And _then_ the last word of the verse +about Hezekiah will be true of you too--"Prospered!" + + 'Up and doing, little Christian! + Up and doing, while 'tis day! + Do the work the Master gives you. + Do not loiter by the way. + For we all have work before us, + You, dear child, as well as I; + Let us learn to seek our duty, + And to 'do it heartily.' + + + + +28. Twenty-eighth Day. + +The Sight of Faith. + + + "As seeing Him who is invisible."--Heb. xi. 27. + + +If we were always doing everything just as if we saw Him, whom having not +seen we love, how different our lives would be! How much happier too! How +brave, and bright, and patient we should be, if all the time we could +really see Jesus as Stephen saw Him! And by faith, the precious faith +which God is ready to give to all who ask, we may go on our way with this +light upon it, "as seeing Him who is invisible." + +These words were said of Moses; and this seeing Him by faith had three +effects. First, "he forsook Egypt;" it made him ready to give up anything +for his God, and God's people. It made him true and loyal to God's cause. +What did He care for anything else, so long as he saw "Him who is +invisible?" Secondly, it took away all his fear. What was "the wrath of +the king" to him, when Jehovah was by his side? Of what should he be +afraid? Thirdly, it enabled him to "endure," to wait patiently for forty +years in the desert, and then to work patiently for forty years in the +wilderness; and only think how strength-giving that sight of faith must be +which enabled him to endure everything for eighty years! + +Try for yourself to-day what was such great and long help to Moses. Ask +God, before you go down-stairs, for faith, "the eye of the soul," so that +you may walk all day long "as seeing Him who is invisible." When you are +tempted to indulge in something wrong,--idleness or carelessness, or +selfishness,--this will help you to give it up at once, and forsake it; +for how can you give way to it when your eye meets His? When something +makes you afraid, this will make you brave and peaceful; for how can you +fear anything when your God is so near? When lessons, or work, or even +having to be quiet with nothing to do, seem very tiresome, and you are +tempted to be impatient, and perhaps cross, this will help you to endure +and not only so, but to feel patient; for how can you be impatient when +you are looking up to Him, and He is looking down on you all the time! + + "God will not leave me all alone, + He never will forsake His own; + When not another friend I see, + The Lord is looking down on me." + + + + +29. Twenty-Ninth Day. + +No Weights. + + + "Let us lay aside every weight."--Heb. xii. 1. + + +If you were going to run a race, you would first put down all the parcels +you might have been carrying. And if you had a heavy little parcel in your +pocket, you would take that out, and lay it down too, because it would +hinder you in running. You would know better than to say, "I will put down +the parcels which I have in my hands, but nobody can see the one in my +pocket, so that one won't matter!" You would "lay aside _every_ weight." + +You have a race to run to-day, a little piece of the great race that is +set before you. God has set a splendid prize before you, "the prize of +the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," a crown that is incorruptible. + +Now what are you going to do about the weights, the things that hinder you +from running this race? You know some things do seem to hinder you; will +you keep them or lay them aside? Will you only lay aside something that +every one can see is hindering you, so that you will get a little credit +for putting it down, and keep something that your own little conscience +knows is a real hindrance, though no one else knows anything at all about +it? Oh, take St. Paul's wise and holy advice, and make up your mind to lay +aside _every_ weight. + +Different persons have different weights; we must find out what ours are, +and give them up. One finds that if she does not get up directly she is +called, the time slips by, and there is not enough left for quiet prayer +and Bible-reading. Then here is a little weight that must be laid aside. +Another is at school, and finds that he gets no good, but a little harm, +when he goes much with a certain boy. Then he must lay that weight aside. +Another takes a story-book up to bed, and reads it while nurse is brushing +her hair, and up to the last minute, and then her head is so full of the +story that she only _says words_ when she kneels down, and can not really +_pray_ at all. Can she doubt that this is a weight which must be laid +aside? + +It may seem hard to lay our pet weight down; but oh, if you only knew how +light we feel when it is laid down, and how much easier it is to run the +race which God has set before us! + + + + +30. Thirtieth Day. + +The Shield of Salvation. + + + "Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation."--2 Sam. xxii. + 36. + + +This beautiful little text teaches us a very precious truth. It shows us +that the salvation which the Lord Jesus came to bring is not only +salvation at last, just escaping hell, but that it is salvation now, and +salvation in everything Salvation does not only mean victory at last, but +it is like a broad, shining shield, given to us in the midst of the +battle, coming between us and the poisoned arrows and sharp sword-thrusts +of the enemy. It is a shield not only to keep us from death, but to keep +us from being hurt and wounded. It is the shield which the Captain _has_ +given us to use now, as well as the crown which He _will_ give when the +warfare is ended. + +How are you to use this shield? what does it really mean for you? It +means, that if you have come to the Lord Jesus to be saved, He does not +merely say He _will_ save you, but that you _are_ saved, that He saves you +now. And this is how you are to use it--believe it, and be sure of it, +because you have His word for it; and then, when a temptation comes, tell +the enemy that he has nothing to do with you, for you are saved; that you +belong to Jesus, and not to him,--look up and say, "Jesus saves me!" Will +He fail you? Did He ever let any find themselves deceived and mistaken who +looked up in faith and confidence to Him, trusting in His great salvation? +Never! and never will you find this shield of His salvation fail to cover +you completely. Satan himself can not touch you when you are behind this +shield! Lift it up when you see him coming, even ever so far off, and you +will be safe. + + "Jesus saves me every day, + Jesus saves me every night; + Jesus saves me all the way, + Through the darkness, through the light." + + + + +31. Thirty-first Day. + +I will love Thee + + + "I will love Thee, O Lord."--Ps. xviii. 1. + + +Yes, even if I have never loved Thee before, I will love Thee, O Lord, +now! + +I will love Thee, Lord Jesus, because Thou hast loved me, and because Thou +art loving me now, and wilt love me to the end. Oh, forgive me for not +having loved Thee! How could I have helped loving Thee, when Thou wast +waiting all the time for me, waiting so patiently while I did not care +about Thee! Oh, forgive me! and now I will love Thee always; for Thou wilt +take my love, and fix it on Thyself, and keep it for Thyself. + +I will love Thee, O Lord Jesus; I will not listen to Satan, who tries to +keep me from loving Thee; I will not ask myself anything about it, lest I +should begin to get puzzled about whether I do love Thee or not. Thou +knowest that I do want to love Thee; and now, dear Lord Jesus, hear me say +that I _will_ love Thee, and that I will trust Thee to make me love Thee +more and more, always more and more. + +I have said it, dear Lord Jesus, and Thou hast heard me say it. And I am +so glad I have said it. I do not want ever to take it back, and Thou wilt +not let me take it back. I am to love Thee always now; and Thou wilt give +me Thy Holy Spirit to shed abroad Thy love in my heart, so that it may be +filled with love. Fill me so full of Thy love that it may run over into +everything I do, and that I may love everybody because I love Thee. + +Yes, I will love Thee, dear Lord Jesus! + + "My Saviour, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine! + For Thee all the follies of sin I resign; + My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou; + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now! + + "I love Thee, because Thou hast first loved me, + And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree; + I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow; + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now! + + "I will love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death, + And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath: + And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow, + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now!" + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORNING BELLS*** + + +******* This file should be named 11563-8.txt or 11563-8.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/1/1/5/6/11563 + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: Morning Bells</p> +<p>Author: Frances Ridley Havergal</p> +<p>Release Date: March 13, 2004 [eBook #11563]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: iso-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORNING BELLS***</p> +<br /> +<br /> +<center><b>E-text prepared by Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders</b></center> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr /> +<div id="tp"> +<h1 class="title">Morning Bells;</h1> + +<p style="text-align:center" class="smallcaps">Or,</p> + +<h2 class="subtitle"><i>Waking Thoughts for the Little Ones.</i></h2> + +<p style="text-align:center" class="smallcaps">By</p> + +<h2 class="author">Frances Ridley Havergal.</h2> +</div> + + +<div id="dedication" style="text-align:center"> +<p>To<br /> +The Twin Brothers,<br /> +Willie and Ethelbert<br /> +With<br /> +<i>Aunt Fanny's Love.</i></p></div> + + +<div id="toc"> +<h2>Contents.</h2> + + + +<h3>Morning Bells</h3> +<ol> + <li><a href="#ch01">"Thy Holy Child Jesus"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch02">"Even Christ pleased not Himself"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch03">"Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch04">"Bear ye one another's burdens"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch05">"Yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch06">"Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch07">"Faithful over a few things"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch08">"Put that on mine account"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch09">"Let thy garments be always white"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch10">"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch11">"Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch12">"The Lord is able to give thee much more than this"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch13">"Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch14">"A new heart also will I give you"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch15">"I will put my Spirit within you"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch16">"The Lord shall fight for you"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch17">"I will watch to see what He will say unto me"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch18">"He careth for you"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch19">"Under His wings shall thou trust"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch20">"I am with you alway"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch21">"Teach me to do Thy will"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch22">"Ye have done it unto me;" "Ye did it not to me"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch23">"Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch24">"Chosen to be a soldier"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch25">"That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch26">"Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch27">"Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch28">"As seeing Him who is invisible"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch29">"Let us lay aside every weight"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch30">"Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation"</a></li> + <li><a href="#ch31">"I will love Thee, O Lord"</a></li> +</ol> +</div> + +<div class="chapter" id="preface"> +<h2>Morning Bells.</h2> + + + +<p>Most of the readers of this little book will have already read <i>Little +Pillows</i>. Those were given you to go to sleep upon night after night; +sweet, soothing texts, that little hearts might rest upon.</p> + +<p>But in the morning we want something to arouse us, and to help us to go +brightly and bravely through the day. So here are "Morning Bells" to waken +up the little hearts, and to remind them that we must not only rest in +Jesus, but walk in Him. If the motto of "Little Pillows" might be "Come +to Jesus," the motto of "Morning Bells" might be "Follow Jesus."</p> + +<p>May He who loves the little ones bless this tiny effort to help them to +follow Him day by day.</p> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch01"> +<h2>1. First Day.</h2> + +<h3>Christ's Childhood.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Thy holy child Jesus."--Acts iv. 30.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>If I asked, "How old are you?" you would give an exact answer. "Eight and +a half;" "Just turned ten;" "Eleven next month." Now you have thought of +God's "holy child Jesus" as a little baby, and as twelve years old in the +temple, but did you ever think of Him as being <i>exactly</i> your own age? +that He was once really just as old as you are this very day? He knows +what it is to be eight, and nine, and ten years old, or whatever you may +be. God's word has only told us this one thing about those years, that He +was a <i>holy</i> child.</p> + +<p>What is "holy"? It is everything that is perfectly beautiful and good and +lovable, without anything to spoil it. This is just what He was when He +was your age. He was gentle and brave, and considerate and unselfish, +noble and truthful, obedient and loving, kind and forgiving,--everything +you can think of that you ever admired or loved in any one else was all +found together in Him, and all this not only outside, but inside, for He +was "holy."</p> + +<p>Why did He live all these holy child-years on earth instead of staying in +heaven till it was time to come and die for you? One reason was, that He +might leave you a beautiful example, so that you might wish to be like +Him, and ask for the Holy Spirit to make you like Him. But the other was +even more gracious and wonderful, it was "that we might be made the +righteousness of God in Him." That is, that all this goodness and +holiness might be reckoned to you, because you had not any of your own, +and that God might smile on you <i>for His sake</i>, just as if <i>you</i> had been +perfectly obedient, and truthful, and unselfish, and good, and give you +Jesus Christ's reward, which you never deserved at all, but which He +deserved for you.</p> + +<p>He took your sins and gives you His righteousness; He took your punishment +and gives you His reward; it is just changed over, if you will only accept +the exchange!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p> "I'm glad my blessed Saviour<br /> + Was once a child like me,<br /> +To show how pure and holy<br /> + His little ones might be.<br /> +And if I try to follow<br /> + His footsteps here below,<br /> +He never will forget me,<br /> + Because He loves me so."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch02"> +<h2>2. Second Day.</h2> + +<h3>Our Great Example</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Even Christ pleased not Himself."--Rom. xv. 3.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Do you really wish to follow the footsteps of the Holy Child Jesus? Have +you asked God to make you more like Him? Are you ready to begin to-day? +Then here is a motto for to-day, "Even Christ pleased not Himself." Will +you take it, and try to imitate Him? You are sure to have plenty of +opportunities of acting upon it, and thus proving not only to others, but +to your dear Saviour Himself, that you mean what you say, and mean what +you pray.</p> + +<p>Perhaps it seems a rather melancholy "morning bell" to you, tolling +instead of chiming! But if you really wish to be like Christ, you will +soon find that its music is as sweet as any, and that its quiet chime will +come to you again and again with a wonderful sweetness and power, helping +you over all sorts of difficulties, and saving you from all sorts of sins +and troubles.</p> + +<p>You can not tell, till you have fairly tried, how happy a little girl can +feel, who has cheerfully given up to another, for Jesus' sake, something +which she would have liked for herself; nor how happy a boy can be when of +his own free will, and by God's grace, he has chosen to do what his +conscience tells him would please the Lord Jesus instead of what would +have pleased himself.</p> + +<p>If you have never tried it yet, begin to-day, and you will find it is +quite a new happiness.</p> + +<p>Ah, what would have become of us if Christ had only "pleased Himself," +and had stayed in His own glorious home instead of coming down to save us! +Think of that when you are tempted to please yourself instead of pleasing +Him, and the remembrance that even He pleased not Himself because He so +loved you, will help you to try and please Him, and to please others for +His sake.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p> "If washed in Jesus' blood,<br /> + Then bear His likeness too!<br /> +And as you onward press,<br /> + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?'</p> + +<p>"Give with a full, free hand;<br /> + God freely gives to you!<br /> +And check each selfish thought<br /> + With, 'What would Jesus do?'"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch03"> +<h2>3. Third Day.</h2> + +<h3>Upholding.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe."--Ps. cxix. 117.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>The path is not easy. There are rough stones over which we may stumble, if +we are not walking very carefully. There are places which look quite +smooth, but they are more dangerous than the rough ones, for they are +slippery. There are little holes hidden under flowers, which may catch our +feet and give us a bad fall. There are muddy ditches, into which we may +slip and get sadly wet and dirty.</p> + +<p>How are we to walk safely along such a path? We want a strong, kind hand +to hold us up, and to hold us always; a hand that will hold ours so +tightly and lovingly, that it will be as the old Scotchwoman said, "Not my +grip of Christ, but Christ's grip of me!" Yes, Christ's loving hand is +"able to keep you from falling;" only "let your hand be restfully in the +hand of Jesus," and "then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot +shall not stumble." But do not spoil the chime of this morning's bells by +ringing only half a peal! Do not say, "Hold Thou me up," and stop there, +or add, "But, all the same, I shall stumble and fall!" Finish the peal +with God's own music, the bright words of faith that He puts into your +mouth, "Hold Thou me up, <i>and I shall be safe</i>!" So you will if you do not +distrust Him, if you will but <i>trust</i> Him to do just what you ask, and let +Him hold you up.</p> + +<p>It would be hard to find a prayer in the Bible without a promise to match +it; so David says, "Uphold me, according to Thy word."</p> + +<p>What has He said about it? More than there is room for on this page. "I +the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand." "Yea, I will uphold thee." "He +will not suffer thy foot to be moved." "When thou runnest thou shalt not +stumble." "Yea, he shall be holden up." "He shall keep thy foot from being +taken." "He will keep the feet of His saints." Seven promises in answer to +your one little prayer!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"I the Lord am with thee,<br /> + Be thou not afraid!<br /> +I will help and strengthen,<br /> + Be thou not dismayed!<br /> +Yea, I will uphold thee<br /> + With my own right hand;<br /> +Thou art called and chosen<br /> + In my sight to stand!"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch04"> +<h2>4. Fourth Day.</h2> + +<h3>What can I do</h3>? + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of + Christ."--Gal. vi. 2.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Perhaps you never thought that any one around you had any! Then if you +want to fulfill this law of Christ, the first thing will be to find out +who has any burdens, and which of them you could bear instead. You will +not have to watch long! There are very few without any. Little backs can +not bear great burdens, but sometimes those who have great burdens have +little ones too, and it makes such a difference if some loving little hand +will take one or two of these. If your mother was carrying a great heavy +parcel, would it not help her if you took two or three little ones out of +her hand and carried them for her? So perhaps she has troubles that you do +not even know about, and you see she looks tired and anxious. And it tires +her a little more, because a little brother or sister wants to be nursed +or amused. Now if you put your own affairs by, and call the little ones +away, and amuse them quietly so that mamma may not be disturbed, this is +bearing one of her burdens. Never mind if it is really a little burden to +you too; is it not worth it, when it is fulfilling the law of Christ? If +for a moment a burden that you have taken up does seem rather hard, and +you are tempted to drop it again, think of what the Lord Jesus bore for +you! Think how He took up the heaviest burden of all for you, when He "His +own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree!" He did not drop that +burden, but bore it till He died under it. Think of that, and it will be +easy then to bear something for His sake.</p> + +<p>Now be on the watch all to-day for little burdens to bear for others. See +how many you can find out, and pick up, and carry away! Depend upon it, +you will not only make it a brighter day for others, but for yourself too!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p> "Little deeds of kindness,<br /> + Little words of love,<br /> +Make our earth an Eden,<br /> + Like the heaven above."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch05"> +<h2>5. Fifth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Instruments.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Yield .... your members as instruments of righteousness unto + God."--Rom. vi. 13.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>This does not sound so easy and tuneful as most of your other "morning +bells," you think! But listen for a few minutes and you will hear the +music.</p> + +<p>What are your members? Hands, feet, lips, eyes, ears, and so on. What are +you to do with them? "Yield" them, that is, give them up altogether, hand +them over to God.</p> + +<p>What for? That He may use them as instruments of righteousness. That is, +just as we should take an instrument of music, to make music with it, so +He may take your hands and feet and all your members, and use them to do +right and good things with.</p> + +<p>If a little one gives himself or herself to God, every part of that little +body is to be God's little servant, a little instrument for Him to use.</p> + +<p>The little hands will no longer serve Satan by striking or pinching; the +little feet will not kick or stamp, nor drag and dawdle, when they ought +to run briskly on some errand; the little lips will not pout; the little +tongue will not move to say a naughty thing. All the little members will +leave off serving Satan, and find something to do for God; for if you +"yield" them to God, He will really take them and use them.</p> + +<p>He will tell the hands to pick up what a tired mamma has dropped, and to +fetch her a footstool; and the fingers to sew patiently at a warm +petticoat for a poor child, or to make warm cuffs for a poor old man. He +will tell the feet to run on errands of kindness and help. He will set the +lips to sing happy hymns, which will cheer and comfort somebody, even if +you never know of it. He will use the eyes for reading to some poor sick +or blind woman, or to some fretful little one in your own home. You will +be quite surprised to find in how many ways He will really use even your +little members, if you give them and your whole self to Him. It will be so +nice! You will never be miserable again with "nothing to do!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p> "Take my hands, and let them move<br /> +At the impulse of Thy love.<br /> +Take my feet, and let them be<br /> +Swift and beautiful' for Thee."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch06"> +<h2>6. Sixth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Willing and Glad.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly."--I Chron. + xxix. 9</p></blockquote> + + +<p>We thought yesterday morning about giving our members up to God for Him to +use. Did you think you would like to give them up to Him? <i>did</i> you yield +them to Him? If you did, you will understand this morning's text! David +the King asked his people to help in bringing offerings for God's house +and service. He said, "Who then is willing to consecrate his service this +day unto the Lord?" And God made them all willing to bring what they +could. And what then? "<i>Then</i> the people rejoiced, for that they offered +willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord." +"And did eat and drink on that day before the Lord with great gladness."</p> + +<p>See what came of offering willingly to the Lord--they "rejoiced," and +everything they did, even eating and drinking, was "with great gladness." +Never is any one so happy as those who offer their own selves willingly to +the Lord. He gives them a thousandfold return for the worthless little +self and weak little members which they have offered to Him. He gives them +peace, and gladness, and blessing, beyond what they ever expected to have.</p> + +<p>But this was not all; it was not only the people who had such a glad day, +but "David the king also rejoiced with great joy." Those who loved their +king, and recollected how much sorrow he had gone through, and how many +battles he had fought for them, must have been glad indeed to see Him +rejoicing because they had offered willingly. And I think our King, <i>your</i> +King Jesus, rejoices over us when He has made us able (ver. 14) to offer +ourselves willingly to Him. Is not this best of all? Jesus, who suffered +for us, and who fought the great battle of our salvation for us, He, our +own beloved King, "will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His +love; He will joy over thee with singing."</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"In full and glad surrender I give myself to Thee,<br /> +Thine utterly, and only, and evermore to be!<br /> +O Son of God, who lovest me, I will be Thine alone;<br /> +And all I have, and all I am, shall henceforth be Thine own."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch07"> +<h2>7. Seventh Day.</h2> + +<h3>Faithfulness.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Faithful over a few things."--Matt. xxv. 21, 23.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>The servant who had only two talents to trade with, but traded faithfully +with them, had just the same glorious words spoken to him as the servant +who had five talents: "Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast +been faithful over a few things ... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." +Think what it would be to hear the Lord Jesus saying that to you, really +to you! Oh how sweet! how blessed! how you would listen to that gracious +voice saying those wonderfully gracious words to <i>you</i>!</p> + +<p>But could He say them to you? Are you "faithful over a few things"? He +has given every one, even the youngest, a few things to be faithful over, +and so He has to you. Your "few things" may be very few, and very small +things, but He expects you to be faithful over them.</p> + +<p>What is being faithful over them? It means doing the very best you can +with them; doing as much for Jesus as you can with your money, even if you +have very little; doing as much for Him as you can with your time; doing +whatever duties He gives you as well as ever you can,--your lessons, your +work, the little things that you are bidden or asked to do every day, the +little things that you have promised or undertaken to do for others. It +means doing all these just the same whether others see you or know about +it or not.</p> + +<p>You sigh over all this; you recollect many things in which you have not +been quite faithful; you know you do not deserve for Him to call you "good +and faithful servant." But come at once to your gracious Lord, and ask Him +to forgive all the unfaithfulness, and to make you faithful to-day. And +then, even if it is only a matter of a French verb or a Latin noun, you +will find it a help to recollect, "Faithful over a few things!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love<br /> + Fit us for perfect rest above;<br /> +And help us, this and every day,<br /> + To live more nearly as we pray."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch08"> +<h2>8. Eighth Day.</h2> + +<h3>"On mine Account."</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Put that on mine account."--Philem. 18.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>When St. Paul asked Philemon, in a most beautiful letter, to take back +Onesimus, who had run away from him, he said, "If he hath wronged thee, or +oweth thee ought, put that on my account." Onesimus had been a bad servant +to Philemon; and being willing to come back and do better, would not pay +for what he had wronged him in before, and would not pay his old debts. +And he evidently had nothing himself to pay them with. But St. Paul +offered to pay all, so that Onesimus might be received, "not now as a +servant," but as a "brother beloved."</p> + +<p>This is an exquisite picture of what the Lord Jesus Christ does. He not +only intercedes for us with Him from whom we have departed, and against +whom we have sinned; but, knowing to the full how much we have wronged +God, and how much we owe Him, He says, "Put that on mine account."</p> + +<p>And God has put it all on His account and the account has been paid, paid +in blood. When "the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all," Jesus saw +and knew all your sins; and He said, "Put that on mine account."</p> + +<p>Oh, what wonderful "kindness and love of God our Saviour!" Let the +remembrance of it be like a silver bell, ringing softly and clearly +whenever you are going to do, or letting yourself feel or think, something +that is not right. "Put <i>that</i> on mine account!" Yes, that sin that you +were on the very edge of committing! that angry word, and the angry +feeling that makes you want to say it; that untrue word, and the +cowardliness which makes you afraid to speak the exact truth; that proud +look and the naughty pride of heart that made it come into your eyes; +Jesus stands by and says, patiently and lovingly, "Put <i>that</i> on mine +account!"</p> + +<p>Can you bear that? does it not make you wish, ten times more than ever, to +be kept from sinning against such a Saviour?</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Jesus, tender Saviour,<br /> + Hast Thou died for me?<br /> +Make me very thankful<br /> + In my heart to Thee;<br /> +When the sad, sad story<br /> + Of Thy grief I read,<br /> +Make me very sorry<br /> + For my sins indeed."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch09"> +<h2>9. Ninth Day.</h2> + +<h3>White Garments.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Let thy garments be always white."--Eccles. ix. 8.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>"Always?" Oh, how can that be? They are soiled again directly after they +have been washed clean! Yet God says, "Let them be <i>always</i> white;" and He +would not tell you to do what was impossible. Then how are you to help +soiling them? Only in one way. Last night's "little pillow" told you how +Jesus washes us "whiter than snow" in His own precious blood, that +cleanseth from all sin. But will He only cleanse His little one just for +the moment? is that all He is able and willing to do for you?</p> + +<p>No; if you will only keep on trusting to that precious blood, and not +turn away from it, He says that it cleanseth, that is, <i>goes on +cleansing</i>. You could not keep your garments white for five minutes; +careless thoughts would come like dust upon them, and wrong words would +make great dark stains and before long some naughty deed would be like a +sad fall in the mud, and you would feel sad and ashamed before the kind +Saviour who still stands ready to cleanse you again. But why should all +this happen over and over again, till anybody but our own loving, +long-suffering Saviour would be tired of us, and give up doing any more +for us? Why should it be, when His precious blood is meant to "<i>go on +cleansing</i>," so that our garments may be always white? Perhaps you never +thought of this; ask Him now this morning not only to wash you in the +fountain of His precious blood, but <i>to keep you in it</i>, to <i>go on +cleansing</i> you all day long. <i>Trust</i> Him to do this, and see if it is not +the happiest day you ever spent!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"And He can do all this for me,<br /> +Because in sorrow, on the tree,<br /> + He once for sinners hung;<br /> +And, having washed their sin away,<br /> +He now rejoices, day by day,<br /> + To cleanse His little one."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch10"> +<h2>10. Tenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Made Beautiful.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us."--Ps. xc. 17.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>"How great is His beauty!" said Zechariah. How can His beauty be upon us? +In two ways; try to understand them, and then ask that in both ways the +beauty of the Lord our God may be upon you.</p> + +<p>One way is by His covering you with the robe of Jesus Christ's +righteousness, looking upon you not as you are in yourself, all sinful and +unholy, but as if all the Saviour's beautiful and holy life were yours, +reckoning it to you for His sake. In this way He can call us "perfect +through my comeliness which I had put upon thee." The other way is by +giving you the beauty of holiness, for that is His own beauty; and though +we never can be quite like Him till we see Him as He is, He can begin to +make us like Him even now. Look at a poor little colorless drop of water, +hanging weakly on a blade of grass. It is not beautiful at all; why should +you stop to look at it? Stay till the sun has risen, and now look. It is +sparkling like a diamond; and if you look at it from another side, it will +be glowing like a ruby, and presently gleaming like an emerald. The poor +little drop has become one of the brightest and loveliest things you ever +saw. But is it its own brightness and beauty? No; if it slipped down to +the ground out of the sunshine, it would be only a poor little dirty drop +of water. So, if the Sun of Righteousness, the glorious and lovely +Saviour, shines upon you, a little ray of His own brightness and beauty +will be seen upon you. Sometimes we can see by the happy light on a face +that the Sun is shining there; but if the Sun is really shining, there are +sure to be some of the beautiful rays of holiness, love, joy, peace, +gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, making the life even of a little +child very lovely.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Jesus, Lord, I come to Thee,<br /> + Thou hast said I may;<br /> +Tell me what my life should be,<br /> + Take my sins away.</p> + +<p>"Jesus, Lord, I learn of Thee,<br /> + In Thy word divine;<br /> +Every promise there I see,<br /> + May I call it mine!"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch11"> +<h2>11. Eleventh Day.</h2> + +<h3>Pleasant Gifts.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."--I Tim. vi. 17.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Think a little this morning of God's great kindness to you. How <i>very</i> +good He is to you! I know one of His dear children who looks up many, many +times a day, and says, "<i>Good</i> Lord Jesus!" or "<i>Kind</i> Lord Jesus!" She +does not set herself to say it, but it seems as if she could not help +saying it, just because He <i>is</i> so good and kind. And then it seems only +natural to look up again and say, "<i>Dear</i> Lord Jesus!" How <i>can</i> anybody +go on all day long, and never see how good He is, and never look up and +bless Him? Most especially on bright pleasant days, when He giveth us +more even than usual to enjoy! "He giveth." Not one single pleasant thing, +not one single bit of enjoyment comes to us but what He giveth. We can not +get it, we do not earn it, we do not deserve it; but He <i>giveth</i> lovingly, +and kindly, and freely. Suppose He stopped giving, what would become of +us?</p> + +<p>"Richly." So richly, that if you tried to write down half His gifts to +you, your hand would be tired long before you had done. You might easily +make a list of the presents given you on your birthday, but you could not +make a list of what God gives you every day of your life.</p> + +<p>"All things." All the things you really need, and a great many more +besides. All the things that will do you good, a great many more than you +would ever have thought of. All the things that He can fill your little +hands with, and trust you to carry without stumbling and falling. <i>All</i> +things, everything that you have at all!</p> + +<p>"To enjoy." Now how kind this is! not only "to do us good," but "to +enjoy." So you see He means you to be happy with what He gives you, to +smile and laugh and be glad, not to be dismal and melancholy. If you do +not enjoy what He "giveth," that is your own fault, for He meant you to +enjoy it. Look up to Him with a bright smile, and thank Him for having +given you richly all things to enjoy!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"My joys to Thee I bring,<br /> + The joys Thy love hath given,<br /> +That each may be a wing<br /> + To lift me nearer heaven.<br /> +I bring them, Saviour, all to Thee,<br /> +For Thou hast purchased all for me."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch12"> +<h2>12. Twelfth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Much more than this.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this."--2 Chron. xxv. 9.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Amaziah, king of Judah, was going to war against the Edomites. He thought +he would make sure of victory by hiring a hundred thousand soldiers from +the King of Israel, and he paid them beforehand a hundred talents, which +was about £34,218.15s. of our money. But a man of God warned him not to +let the army of Israel go with him, for Israel had forsaken the Lord, and +so He was not with them. It seemed a great pity to waste all that money, +and so Amaziah said, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which +I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord +is able to give thee much more than this." So Amaziah simply obeyed, and +sent the soldiers away, and trusted God to help him to do without them. +Was it any wonder that he gained a great victory over the Edomites?</p> + +<p>Does not this teach us that we should simply do the right thing, and trust +God at any cost? When you do this, you will find that, in hundreds of ways +which you never thought of, "the Lord is able to give thee much more." The +trial comes in many different ways. One may be tempted to hurry over +prayer and Bible, because there is something else that she very much wants +to get done before breakfast, and she is afraid of not having time enough. +Another shuts up her little purse when a call comes to give something for +God's work, because she is afraid she will not have enough left for +another purpose. Another is tempted to look at a key, or to glance over +another's shoulder at a lesson, because without it he would not get the +marks he is trying for. Another is tempted not to tell the exact truth, or +to conceal something which he ought to tell, because he would lose +something by it. Oh, resist the devil, and do what you know is right, and +trust God for all the rest! For "the Lord is able to give thee much more +than this," whatever your "<i>this</i>" may be. And His smile and His blessing +will always be "more than this," more than anything else!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Be brave to do the right,<br /> + And scorn to be untrue;<br /> +When fear would whisper 'yield!'<br /> + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?'"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch13"> +<h2>13. Thirteenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>The Doings of the King.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people."--2 Sam. iii. 36.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>David had been giving a proof of his love for one who had long been his +enemy, but whom he had received into friendship; and he had been giving a +proof of his tender-heartedness and sympathy with the people, by weeping +with them at the grave of Abner. "And all the people took notice of it, +and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people."</p> + +<p>This was because they loved their king. They watched him, not as the +wicked Pharisees watched the Lord Jesus that they might find something +against Him; but with the watching of admiration and love, taking notice +of the kind and gracious things he did and said. Do you thus take notice +of what your King does? Does it please you to hear and read of what He has +done and what He is doing? It must be so if He really is your King.</p> + +<p>But the "whatsoever" is a little harder; and yet, if it is once really +learnt, it makes everything easy. For if we learn to be pleased with +<i>whatsoever</i> our King Jesus does, nothing can come wrong to us.</p> + +<p>Suppose something comes to-day which is not quite what you would have +liked; heavy rain, for instance, when you wanted to go out,--recollect +that your King Jesus has done it, and that will hush the little murmur, +and make you quite content. Ask Him this morning to make you so loving +and loyal to Him, that <i>whatsoever</i> He does, all day long, may please you, +because it has pleased Him to do it. I think He loves us so much, that He +always gives us as much happiness as He can possibly trust us with, and +does what is pleasantest for His dear children whenever He sees it will +not hurt them; so, when He does something which at first does not seem so +pleasant, we may still trust our beloved King, and learn by His grace to +be pleased with <i>whatsoever</i> He does.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"I hear a sweet voice ringing clear,<br /> + 'All is well!'<br /> +It is my Father's voice I hear,<br /> + All is well!<br /> +Where'er I walk that voice is heard,<br /> +It is my God, my Father's word--<br /> +'Fear not, but trust; I am the Lord,<br /> + All is well!'"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch14"> +<h2>14. Fourteenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>The New Heart.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "A new heart also will I give you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 26.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Why does God promise this? Because our old hearts are so evil that they +can not be made any better; and so nothing will do any good but giving us +a quite new heart.</p> + +<p>Because we can not make a new heart for ourselves; the more we try, the +more we shall find we can not do it; so God, in His great pity and +kindness, says He will give it us.</p> + +<p>Because unless we have a new heart we can not enter the kingdom of God, we +can not even see it! Without this gift we must be left outside in the +terrible darkness when "the door is shut."</p> + +<p>What is the difference? The old heart <i>likes</i> to be naughty in some way or +other; either it likes to be idle, or it likes to let out sharp words, or +to go on being sulky or fretful instead of clearing up and saying, "I am +sorry!" The new heart <i>wants</i> to be good; and is grieved when a temptation +comes, and does not wish to yield to it; and would like to be always +pleasing the Saviour.</p> + +<p>The old heart is afraid of God, and does not love Him, and would much +rather He were not always seeing us. And it does not care to hear about +Jesus, but would rather be just let alone. The new heart loves God and +trusts what He says, and likes to know that He is always watching it. And +it is glad to hear about Jesus, and wants to come closer to Him.</p> + +<p>The old heart is a little slave of Satan, taking his orders, and doing +what he wishes. The new heart is a happy little servant of Christ, +listening to His orders, and doing what He wishes.</p> + +<p>Oh how happy and blessed to have this new heart! All God's own children +receive it, for He has said, "I will give them one heart;" that is, all +the same new heart. Do you not want to have it too? Then "ask, and you +<i>shall</i> receive;" for He hath said, "A new heart also <i>will</i> I give you!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Oh for a heart to praise my God,<br /> + A heart from sin set free!<br /> +A heart that always feels Thy blood,<br /> + So freely shed for me.</p> + +<p>"A heart resigned, submissive, meek,<br /> + My dear Redeemer's throne;<br /> +Where only Christ is heard to speak,<br /> + Where Jesus reigns alone."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch15"> +<h2>15. Fifteenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>The Gift of the Holy Spirit.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "I will put my Spirit within you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 27.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Many years ago a good clergyman wrote a tiny prayer, so short that no one +could help remembering it if they once heard it. God seemed to set that +little prayer "upon wheels," so that it might run everywhere. It was +printed on large cards and hung up, and it was printed on small ones and +kept in Bibles and pocket-books. It was taught to classes and schools and +whole congregations, and now thousands upon thousands pray it constantly. +It is a prayer which must be heard, because it asks for what God has +promised to give; and it asks for this through Him whom the Father heareth +always. It is this: "O God, give me Thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus Christ's +sake. Amen." Will you not pray it too? Begin this morning, and go on, not +just <i>saying</i> it, but <i>praying</i> it, till you get a full answer. For you +are quite sure to get it; here is God's own promise, "I <i>will</i> put my +Spirit within you;" and He has promised it over and over again in other +places. Perhaps you will not know at first when the answer comes. Can you +see the dew fall? No one ever saw a single drop come down, and yet as soon +as the sun rises, you see that it has come, and is sparkling all over the +fields. It came long before you saw it, falling sweetly and silently in +the twilight and in the dark. So do not fancy God is not hearing you +because you have not felt anything very sudden and wonderful. He is +hearing and answering all the time. You would not go on asking unless the +dew of His Spirit were already falling upon your heart, and teaching you +to pray. The more He gives you of His blessed Spirit, the more you will +ask for; and the more you ask, the more He will give.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Thou gift of Jesus, now descend,<br /> +And be my Comforter and Friend;<br /> +O Holy Spirit, fill my heart,<br /> +That I from Christ may ne'er depart!</p> + +<p>"Show me my soul all black within,<br /> +And cleanse and keep me pure within;<br /> +Oh, show me Jesus! let me rest<br /> +My heart upon His loving breast!"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch16"> +<h2>16. Sixteenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>How to Conquer.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "The Lord shall fight for you."--Ex. xiv. 14.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>How glad the children of Israel must have been when Moses said these words +to them on the shores of the Red Sea! For when they "lifted up their eyes, +behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid."</p> + +<p>The Egyptians had been cruel masters to them; and they had horses and +chariots to pursue them with; and there was the sea close before them, and +no boats! Perhaps some of the Israelites thought it was no use trying to +escape, they would only be overtaken and conquered and be worse off than +before.</p> + +<p>And so, left to themselves, they would have been; but God fought for them +in a way they never thought of. For "the Lord saved Israel that day out of +the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the +sea-shore."</p> + +<p>What about your Egyptians?--the angry tempers or sulky looks, the +impatient words, the vain and foolish thoughts, the besetting sins that +master you so often. Have you tried so often to fight against them, and +failed, that it seems almost no use, and you do not see how to conquer +them or to escape them? Are you very tired of fighting, and "sore afraid" +of being always overcome just the same as ever? Now hear God's true, +strong promise to you. "The Lord shall fight for you!" "Will He really?" +Yes, really, and He will conquer for you too, if you will only believe +His Word and trust the battle to Him, and <i>let</i> Him fight for you.</p> + +<p>How? First, watch! and then the very instant you see the enemy coming, +look up and say, "Come, Lord, and fight for me;" and keep on looking up +and <i>expecting</i> Him to fight for you. And <i>you will find</i> that He does +fight for you and gives you the victory; and you too will be "saved that +day," and will see "the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore." Try Him, and +trust Him; and you, even you, will be "more than conqueror through Him +that loved you."</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"So, when you meet with trials,<br /> + And know not what to do;<br /> +Just cast the care on Jesus,<br /> + And He will fight for you.<br /> +Gird on the heavenly armor<br /> + Of faith, and hope, and love;<br /> +And when the conflict's ended,<br /> + You'll reign with Him above."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch17"> +<h2>17. Seventeenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>The Master's Voice.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "I will watch to see what He will say unto me."--Hab. ii. 1.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>When the Lord Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee, "Simon, I have somewhat to +say unto thee;" he answered, "Master, say on!" When God was going to speak +to Samuel, he said, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." Has the Lord +Jesus said anything like this for us? He says, "I have yet many things to +say unto you." What things? They will be strong, helpful, life-giving +words, for He says, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and +they are life." They will be very loving words, for He says, "I will +speak comfortably to her" (margin, "I will speak to her heart"). And they +will be very kind and tender words, and spoken just at the right moment, +for He says that He knows "how to speak a word in season to him that is +weary." "Will He really speak to me?" says the little heart. Yes, really, +if you will only watch to see what He will say to you. For it will be "a +still, small voice," and you will not hear it at all if you do not listen +for it. "How will He speak to me?" If I had something very nice to tell +you, and instead of saying it out loud, I wrote it down on a piece of +paper, and gave it you to look at, would not that be exactly the same as +if I had told it you with my lips? And you would take the paper eagerly to +see what it was that I had to say to you. So to-day, when you read your +Bible, either alone or at your Bible-lesson, watch to see what Jesus will +say to you in it. You will never really watch in vain. You will see some +word that seems to come home to you, and that you never noticed so much +before. Oh, listen lovingly to it, for <i>that</i> is what He says to you! Or +if you are really watching and wishing for a word from Him, some sweet +text will come into your mind, and you wonder what made you think of it! +That is the voice of Jesus speaking to your heart. Listen to it, and +treasure it up, and follow it; and then watch to see what else He will say +to you. Say to Him, "Master, say on!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Master, speak! and make me ready,<br /> + When Thy voice is truly heard,<br /> +With obedience glad and steady,<br /> + Still to follow every word.<br /> +I am listening, Lord, for Thee;<br /> + Master, speak, oh, speak to me!"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch18"> +<h2>18. Eighteenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Who will take care of me?</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "He careth for you."--I Pet. v. 7.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>It is so pleasant to be cared for; to have kind relations and friends who +show that they love you by their care of you, and their care for you. What +would you do if no one cared for you, like the poor little children in +London who are turned out to "do for themselves" before they are as old as +you are? What would you do if there was no one to get anything for you to +eat, or to see to your clothes, or to keep a home for you to live in? No +one to take any notice if you hurt yourself ever so badly, or if you were +ever so ill? You would feel then what a difference being cared for makes +to your life. But all the earthly care for you comes because "He careth +for you." He planned and arranged everything, without your having anything +to do with it, so that you shall be cared for. And He did not arrange it +once for all, and then leave things to go on as might happen. No! Every +day, every moment, He careth, <i>goes on</i> caring, for you. Not only thinking +of you and watching you, but working for you; making things come right, so +that everything should be just the best that could happen to you. Not +managing the great things, and leaving the little things to arrange +themselves; but giving loving care to the least, the very least things +that concern you. Even in some tiny little trouble which no one else seems +to care about, "He careth;" or when every one else is too much taken up +with other things to attend to you, "He careth for you."</p> + +<p>You can never get beyond God's care, for it always reaches you; you can +never be outside of it, for it is always enfolding you.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"'Who will take care of me?' darling, you say,<br /> + Lovingly, tenderly watched as you are?<br /> +Listen! I give you the answer to-day,<br /> + One who is never forgetful or far.</p> + +<p>"He will take care of you! All through the year<br /> + Crowning each day with His kindness and love,<br /> +Sending you blessings and shielding from fear,<br /> + Leading you on to His bright home above."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch19"> +<h2>19. Nineteenth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Under His Wings.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Under His wings shall thou trust."--Ps. xci. 4.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>That means to-day, not some other time! Under His wings, the shadowing +wings of the Most High, you, poor little helpless one, are to trust +to-day.</p> + +<p>When the little eaglets, that have not yet a feather to fly with, are +under the great wings of the parent eagle, how safe they are! Who would +dare touch them? If a bold climber put his hand into the nest then, those +powerful wings would beat him in a minute from his hold, and he would fall +down the rocks and be dashed to pieces. So safe shall you be "under His +wings," "nothing shall by any means hurt you" there.</p> + +<p>When the wild snow-storms rage round the eyrie, and the mountain cold is +felt, that is death to an unprotected sleeper, how warm the little eaglets +are kept! Not an arrow of the keen blast reaches them, poor little +featherless things, not a snowflake touches them. So warm shall you be +kept "under His wings," when any cold and dark day of trouble comes, or +even any sudden little blast of unkindness or loneliness.</p> + +<p>"Under His wings shall thou <i>trust</i>!" Not "shall thou <i>see</i>!" If one of +the eaglets wanted to see for itself what was going on, and thought it +could take care of itself for a little while, and hopped from under the +shadow of the wings, it would be neither safe nor warm. The sharp wind +would chill it, and the cruel hand might seize it then. So you are to +<i>trust</i>, rest quietly and peacefully, "under His wings;" stay there, not +be peeping out and wondering whether God really is taking care of you! You +may be always safe and happy there. Safe, for "in the shadow of Thy wings +will I make my refuge." Happy, for "in the shadow of Thy wings will I +rejoice."</p> + +<p>Remember, too, that it is a command as well as a promise; it is what you +are to do to-day, all day long: "Under His wings <i>shalt</i> thou trust!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,<br /> + Trusting only Thee!<br /> +Trusting Thee for full salvation,<br /> + Great and free.</p> + +<p>"I am trusting Thee to guide me,<br /> + Thou alone shalt lead!<br /> +Every day and hour supplying<br /> + All my need."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch20"> +<h2>20. Twentieth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Always Near.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "I am with you alway."--Matt. xxvlii. 20.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>How nice it would be if we could always have the one we loved best in all +the world with us; never away from us night or day, and no fear that they +ever possibly would or could leave us; never a good-bye even for ever such +a little while, and never, never the long farewell of death!</p> + +<p>Can this ever be for you? Yes, for you; for to every one who is a disciple +of the Lord Jesus (that is, who learns of Him and owns Him as Master), He +says, "I am with you alway." He does not even say, "I will be with you;" +so that you might be wondering when He meant to come, when He would begin +to be "with you;" but He says, "I <i>am</i> with you." Yes, even now, though +perhaps your eyes are holden, like those of the two who walked to Emmaus +when Jesus was beside them and they did not know it. Your feeling or not +feeling that He is there has nothing at all to do with it, because His +word must be true and <i>is</i> true, and He has said, "I <i>am</i> with you alway." +All you have to do is to be happy in believing it to be true. And if you +go on believing it, you will soon begin to realize it; that is, to find +that it is a real thing, and that Jesus really is with you.</p> + +<p>How long will He be with you? Always, "all the days!" He hath said, "I +will never leave thee." "Never" means really <i>never</i>, not for one moment. +You can not get beyond "never." It goes on all through your life, and all +through God's great "forever." And "always" means really <i>always</i>, every +single moment of all your life, so that you need never ask again, "Is +Jesus with me now?" Of course He is! the answer will always be "yes," +because He hath said, "I am with you alway." How safe, how sweet, how +blessed!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"O Jesus, make Thyself to me<br /> +A living, bright reality!<br /> +More present to faith's vision keen<br /> +Than any outward object seen;<br /> +More dear, more intimately nigh,<br /> +Than even the sweetest earthly tie."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch21"> +<h2>21. Twenty-first Day.</h2> + +<h3>Doing God's Will.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Teach me to do Thy will."--Ps. cxliii. 10.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>When you see some one doing with very great delight some beautiful and +pleasant piece of work, have you not thought, "I should like to be able to +do that!" and perhaps you have said, "Please, teach me how to do it."</p> + +<p>Can you think of anything pleasanter to do than what the very angels are +full of delight in doing? Can you think of anything more beautiful to do +than what is done in the "pleasant land," the beautiful home above? Can +you fancy anything more interesting to do than what the dwellers there +will never get tired of doing for thousands of millions of years? Would +you not like to be taught to do it too?--to begin the pleasant and +beautiful and most interesting work now, instead of waiting till you are +grown up, and then perhaps never learning it at all, because it was put +off now? Then pray this little prayer this morning with all your heart, +"Teach me to do Thy will." For it is His will that is the happiest work +above, and the very happiest thing to do here below.</p> + +<p>What is His will? The Prayer-Book version of this Psalm tells you very +simply and sweetly. It says, "Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth +Thee." So doing God's will is just doing the things, one by one, that +please Him.</p> + +<p>Why did David ask this? He goes on to say why--"For Thou art my God." If +God is really <i>our</i> God, we too shall wish to do the thing that pleaseth +Him. David did not think he could do it of himself, for he says next, "Let +Thy loving Spirit lead me." That loving Spirit will lead you too, dear +child, and show you how beautiful and grand God's will is, and make you +long to do it always, and teach you to do it. So that even on earth you +may begin to do what the angels are doing in heaven!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"It is but very little<br /> + For Him that I can do,<br /> +Then let me seek to serve Him,<br /> + My earthly journey through;<br /> +And, without sigh or murmur,<br /> + To do His holy will;<br /> +And in my daily duties<br /> + His wise commands fulfill."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch22"> +<h2>22. Twenty-second Day.</h2> + +<h3>Working for Jesus.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Ye have done it unto me." "Ye did it not to me."--Matt. xxv., xl., and + xlv.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us opportunities of showing whether we +love Him or not. He tells us that what we try to do for any one who is +poor, or hungry, or sick, or a lonely stranger, is just the same as doing +it to Him. And when the King says, "Come, ye blessed," He will remember +these little things, and will say, "Ye have done it unto me." But He tells +us that if we do nothing for them, it is just the same as if He were +standing there and we would do nothing for Him. And He will say, "Ye did +it not to me."</p> + +<p>One of these two words will be spoken to you in the great day when you +see the King on the throne of His glory. Which shall it be? What are you +doing for Jesus? Are you doing anything at all for Him? Perhaps you say, +"I have no opportunity." Did you ever try to find one? Did you ever ask +Him to give you opportunities of doing something for Him? Or is it only +that you have never yet cared or tried to do anything for Him? Be honest +about it. He knows. And He will forgive.</p> + +<p>But now, what is to be done? Begin by asking Him to show you. And then +keep a bright, sharp look-out, and see if you can not find an opportunity +very soon (and perhaps many) of doing something kind for His sake to some +poor or sick or lonely one. Set to work to <i>think</i> what you could do!</p> + +<p>It seems to me so very kind of the Lord Jesus to have told us this. For +He knew that those who really love Him would <i>want</i> to do something for +Him, and what could we do for the King of glory in His glorious heaven? So +it was wonderfully thoughtful of Him to give us His poor people to care +for, and to say, if we have only been kind to a sick old woman or hungry +little child, "Ye have done it unto me!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"I love my precious Saviour<br /> + Because He died for me;<br /> +And if I did not serve Him,<br /> + How sinful I should be!<br /> +God help me to be useful<br /> + In all I do or say!<br /> +I mean to work for Jesus,<br /> + The Bible says I may!"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch23"> +<h2>23. Twenty-third Day.</h2> + +<h3>Standard-Bearers.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee."--Ps. lx. 4.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Then what is your banner, and what are you doing with it? For if you are +among "them that fear" God, He has given you a banner "that it may be +displayed." Is yours furled up and put away in a corner, so that nobody +sees it or knows of it? Or are you trying to be a brave little +standard-bearer of Jesus Christ, carrying His flag, so that the sweet +breezes of His Spirit may lift its bright folds, and show its golden +motto? That motto, I think, is "Love." For we are told that His banner +over us is love. Are you displaying it, showing your love to Him by your +love to others? showing the power of His love over you by your sweet, +happy temper, and by trying to please Him always?</p> + +<p>Carrying a banner means something. First, it means that you belong to or +have to do with those whose banner you carry, and that you are not ashamed +of them. At great Sunday-school festivals we know to which school a boy +belongs by the flag that he carries. You would like to carry the flag of +England or the Queen's royal flag, because you are English and loyal. So +let us carry the banner of Jesus Christ because we are loyal to Him, and +are not ashamed to own Him as our King. Secondly, it means that we are +ready to fight, and ready to encourage others to fight under the same +banner. When you are tempted to do something wrong remember whose banner +you carry, and do not disgrace it. If one does right, it makes it easier +for the other to do right too. Thirdly, it means rejoicing. You know how +flags are hung out on grand days, and carried in triumphal processions. +The little hand that carries Christ's banner through His war, will carry +it also in His triumph; the little hand that tries to unfurl it bravely +now, will wave it when His glorious reign begins and His blessed kingdom +is come. Then, "in the name of our God we will set up our banners" <i>now</i>!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"The Master hath called us, the children who fear Him,<br /> + Who march 'neath Christ's banner, His own little band;<br /> +We love Him, and seek Him; we long to be near Him,<br /> + And rest in the light of His beautiful land."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch24"> +<h2>24. Twenty-fourth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Soldiers.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Chosen to be a soldier."--2 Tim. ii. 4.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Are you a soldier? You ought to be, for you have been chosen to be a +soldier in the glorious army of Jesus Christ.</p> + +<p>You ought to be, for you have been "received into the congregation of +Christ's flock" at your baptism, and engaged "manfully to fight under His +banner against sin, the world, and the devil, and to continue Christ's +faithful soldier and servant unto your life's end." You can never undo +that, even if you are a deserter, and found in the enemy's ranks. The +Captain of our salvation will not undo it, for He is ready to receive +you, if you will but come and enlist now. Now, this very morning, come and +enlist! This very morning ask Him to receive you into His noble army, and +to give you first the shield of His salvation, and then the whole armor of +God, and to "teach your hands to war and your fingers to fight," and to +give you victories every day even now, and to let you share His grand +triumphs hereafter.</p> + +<p>Perhaps you know that you have enlisted already, you know and love your +Captain, and He is enabling you, even if very feebly, yet really, to fight +the good fight of faith? How came you to enlist? Was it any credit to you? +Oh no! it was all His doing. It was He who chose you to be a soldier, not +you who chose Him to be a Captain. And then He sent not some dreadful +cannon roar, but the sweet bugle-call of His love to win you to join His +ranks. And now He fights not only with you, but for you. In His war +"nothing shall by any means hurt you," for "He was wounded" for you. Your +life is safe with Him, for He laid down His own for you. By His side you +can never be vanquished, because He goes forth "always conquering and to +conquer."</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Stand up, stand up for Jesus!<br /> + Ye soldiers of the cross;<br /> +Lift high His royal banner,<br /> + It must not suffer loss.</p> + +<p>"From victory to victory<br /> + His army shall be led,<br /> +Till every foe is vanquished,<br /> + And Christ is Lord indeed.</p> + +<p>"Stand up, stand up for Jesus!<br /> + The trumpet call obey;<br /> +Forth to the mighty conflict,<br /> + In this His glorious day!"</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch25"> +<h2>25. Twenty-fifth Day.</h2> + +<h3>A Loyal Aim.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."--2 Tim. + ii. 4.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Here is something worth aiming at, worth trying for! The Lord Jesus, the +Captain of our salvation, is He who hath chosen us to be His soldiers and +now, does He only tell us that we may do our duty,--serve, obey, and +fight? No; He tells us something more, gives us a hope and an aim so +bright and pleasant, that it is like sunshine upon everything. He says, we +"may <i>please</i> Him."</p> + +<p>Only one who knows what it is to mourn for having grieved the dear +Saviour, can quite understand what a happy word this is! That we, who +have been cold, and careless, and sinful, grieving His love over and over +again, should be told after all that we may <i>please</i> Him! Oh, if we love +Him, our hearts will just leap at the hope of it! Perhaps we thought this +could not be till we reached heaven; but you see His own word says, we +"may please Him" now, while we are soldiers in the very midst of the +fighting. St. Paul tells us one thing in which you may please Him: +"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing unto +the Lord." But he prays too that the Colossians "might walk worthy of the +Lord unto <i>all</i> pleasing."</p> + +<p>Shall this be your aim and your hope to-day? Will you look up to the Lord +Jesus now, and ask Him first to give you the faith without which "it is +impossible to please Him," and then to show you "how you ought to walk +and to please God," and so to help you to "do those things that are +pleasing in His sight;" that all your ways, even every little step of your +ways, may really and truly "please the Lord" (Prov. xvi. 7).</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"True-hearted, whole-hearted, faithful, and loyal,<br /> + King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be;<br /> +Under Thy standard, exalted and royal,<br /> + Strong in Thy strength, we will battle for Thee.</p> + +<p>"True-hearted, whole-hearted! Fullest allegiance<br /> + Yielding henceforth to our glorious King,<br /> +Valiant endeavor and loving obedience,<br /> + Freely and joyously now we would bring."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch26"> +<h2>26. Twenty-sixth Day.</h2> + +<h3>Obedience to Christ.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."--John ii. 5.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>How are you to know what He says to you? Ah, it is so easy to know if we +are really willing to know, and willing to obey when we do know! He has +spoken so plainly to us in His word! In that He tells us, tells even +little children, exactly what to do. It is most wonderful how He has said +everything there for us, told us everything we ought to do. When you read +a chapter or hear one read, listen and watch to see what He saith unto you +in it. There is another way in which He tells us what to do. Do you not +hear a little voice inside that always tells you to do the right thing, +and not to do the wrong thing? That is conscience and He speaks to you by +it.</p> + +<p>Another way is by those whom He has set over you. He has told you once for +all to "obey your parents," and to "obey them that have the rule over +you." So, when they tell you to do something, it is the Lord Jesus Himself +that you have to obey in obeying them.</p> + +<p>Now "whatsoever He saith unto you, do it!" Yes, "whatsoever," dear little +one, whether easy or hard, do it because He tells you; do it for love of +Him, and it will be a thousand times better and happier to obey your King +than to please yourself. And He Himself will help you to do it; only look +up to Him for grace to obey, and He will give it.</p> + +<p>"Whatsoever He saith unto you, <i>do</i> it." Do not just think about doing +it, or talk about doing it, but <i>do</i> it! "Do <i>it!</i>" Do the exact thing He +would have you do, not something a little bit different, or something +which you think will be very nearly the same, but do <i>"it."</i></p> + +<p>And "do it" at once. It is so true, that "the very first moment is the +easiest for obedience." Every minute that you put off doing the right +thing makes it harder. Do not let your King have to "speak twice" to you. +"Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it" cheerfully, exactly, and instantly.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Jesus, help me, I am weak;<br /> + Let me put my trust in Thee;<br /> +Teach me how and what to speak;<br /> + Loving Saviour, care for me.<br /> +Dear Saviour, hear me,<br /> + Hear a little child to-day;<br /> +Hear, oh hear me;<br /> + Hear me when I pray."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch27"> +<h2>27. Twenty-seventh Day.</h2> + +<h3>Do it Heartily</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord."--Col. in. 23.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>In 2 Chron. xxxi. 21, we read of Hezekiah, that "in every work that he +began, he did it with all his heart, and prospered." And this morning's +"bell" rings a New Testament echo, "Do it heartily!" Sing it now, like a +little peal of bells!</p> + +<p align="center"><a href="images/heartily.midi"><img src="images/heartily.png" alt="Do it hear-ti-ly!" title=" Do it hear-ti-ly!" border="0" /></a></p> + +<p>See if that does not ring in your ears all day, and remind you that it is +not merely much pleasanter to be bright and brisk about everything, but +that it is actually one of God's commands written in His own word.</p> + +<p>I know this is easier to some than to others. Perhaps it "comes natural" +to you to do everything heartily. That is very nice, but it is not enough. +What else? "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, <i>as unto the Lord</i>, and not +unto men." He knows whether the industrious energetic boy or girl is +wishing to please Him, and looking up to Him for His smile; or whether He +is forgotten all the while, and only the smile of others and the pleasure +of being quick and busy is thought of. But perhaps it is hard to you to do +things heartily. You like better to take your time, and so you dawdle, and +do things in an idle way, especially what you do not much like doing. Is +this right? Is it a little sin, when God's word says, "Whatsoever ye do, +do it heartily!" Is it not just as much disobeying God as breaking any +other command? Are you not <i>guilty</i> before Him? Very likely you never +thought of it in this way, but there the words stand, and neither you nor +I can alter them. First ask Him to forgive you all the past idleness and +idle ways, for Christ's sake, and then ask Him to give you strength +henceforth to obey this word of His. And then listen to the little chime, +"Do it heartily! do it heartily!" And <i>then</i> the last word of the verse +about Hezekiah will be true of you too--"Prospered!"</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>'Up and doing, little Christian! <br /> + Up and doing, while 'tis day! <br /> +Do the work the Master gives you. <br /> + Do not loiter by the way. <br /> +For we all have work before us, <br /> + You, dear child, as well as I; <br /> +Let us learn to seek our duty,<br /> + And to 'do it heartily.'</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch28"> +<h2>28. Twenty-eighth Day.</h2> + +<h3>The Sight of Faith.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "As seeing Him who is invisible."--Heb. xi. 27.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>If we were always doing everything just as if we saw Him, whom having not +seen we love, how different our lives would be! How much happier too! How +brave, and bright, and patient we should be, if all the time we could +really see Jesus as Stephen saw Him! And by faith, the precious faith +which God is ready to give to all who ask, we may go on our way with this +light upon it, "as seeing Him who is invisible."</p> + +<p>These words were said of Moses; and this seeing Him by faith had three +effects. First, "he forsook Egypt;" it made him ready to give up anything +for his God, and God's people. It made him true and loyal to God's cause. +What did He care for anything else, so long as he saw "Him who is +invisible?" Secondly, it took away all his fear. What was "the wrath of +the king" to him, when Jehovah was by his side? Of what should he be +afraid? Thirdly, it enabled him to "endure," to wait patiently for forty +years in the desert, and then to work patiently for forty years in the +wilderness; and only think how strength-giving that sight of faith must be +which enabled him to endure everything for eighty years!</p> + +<p>Try for yourself to-day what was such great and long help to Moses. Ask +God, before you go down-stairs, for faith, "the eye of the soul," so that +you may walk all day long "as seeing Him who is invisible." When you are +tempted to indulge in something wrong,--idleness or carelessness, or +selfishness,--this will help you to give it up at once, and forsake it; +for how can you give way to it when your eye meets His? When something +makes you afraid, this will make you brave and peaceful; for how can you +fear anything when your God is so near? When lessons, or work, or even +having to be quiet with nothing to do, seem very tiresome, and you are +tempted to be impatient, and perhaps cross, this will help you to endure +and not only so, but to feel patient; for how can you be impatient when +you are looking up to Him, and He is looking down on you all the time!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"God will not leave me all alone,<br /> +He never will forsake His own;<br /> +When not another friend I see,<br /> +The Lord is looking down on me."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch29"> +<h2>29. Twenty-Ninth Day.</h2> + +<h3>No Weights.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Let us lay aside every weight."--Heb. xii. 1.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>If you were going to run a race, you would first put down all the parcels +you might have been carrying. And if you had a heavy little parcel in your +pocket, you would take that out, and lay it down too, because it would +hinder you in running. You would know better than to say, "I will put down +the parcels which I have in my hands, but nobody can see the one in my +pocket, so that one won't matter!" You would "lay aside <i>every</i> weight."</p> + +<p>You have a race to run to-day, a little piece of the great race that is +set before you. God has set a splendid prize before you, "the prize of +the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," a crown that is incorruptible.</p> + +<p>Now what are you going to do about the weights, the things that hinder you +from running this race? You know some things do seem to hinder you; will +you keep them or lay them aside? Will you only lay aside something that +every one can see is hindering you, so that you will get a little credit +for putting it down, and keep something that your own little conscience +knows is a real hindrance, though no one else knows anything at all about +it? Oh, take St. Paul's wise and holy advice, and make up your mind to lay +aside <i>every</i> weight.</p> + +<p>Different persons have different weights; we must find out what ours are, +and give them up. One finds that if she does not get up directly she is +called, the time slips by, and there is not enough left for quiet prayer +and Bible-reading. Then here is a little weight that must be laid aside. +Another is at school, and finds that he gets no good, but a little harm, +when he goes much with a certain boy. Then he must lay that weight aside. +Another takes a story-book up to bed, and reads it while nurse is brushing +her hair, and up to the last minute, and then her head is so full of the +story that she only <i>says words</i> when she kneels down, and can not really +<i>pray</i> at all. Can she doubt that this is a weight which must be laid +aside?</p> + +<p>It may seem hard to lay our pet weight down; but oh, if you only knew how +light we feel when it is laid down, and how much easier it is to run the +race which God has set before us!</p> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch30"> +<h2>30. Thirtieth Day.</h2> + +<h3>The Shield of Salvation.</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation."--2 Sam. xxii. + 36.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>This beautiful little text teaches us a very precious truth. It shows us +that the salvation which the Lord Jesus came to bring is not only +salvation at last, just escaping hell, but that it is salvation now, and +salvation in everything Salvation does not only mean victory at last, but +it is like a broad, shining shield, given to us in the midst of the +battle, coming between us and the poisoned arrows and sharp sword-thrusts +of the enemy. It is a shield not only to keep us from death, but to keep +us from being hurt and wounded. It is the shield which the Captain <i>has</i> +given us to use now, as well as the crown which He <i>will</i> give when the +warfare is ended.</p> + +<p>How are you to use this shield? what does it really mean for you? It +means, that if you have come to the Lord Jesus to be saved, He does not +merely say He <i>will</i> save you, but that you <i>are</i> saved, that He saves you +now. And this is how you are to use it--believe it, and be sure of it, +because you have His word for it; and then, when a temptation comes, tell +the enemy that he has nothing to do with you, for you are saved; that you +belong to Jesus, and not to him,--look up and say, "Jesus saves me!" Will +He fail you? Did He ever let any find themselves deceived and mistaken who +looked up in faith and confidence to Him, trusting in His great salvation? +Never! and never will you find this shield of His salvation fail to cover +you completely. Satan himself can not touch you when you are behind this +shield! Lift it up when you see him coming, even ever so far off, and you +will be safe.</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"Jesus saves me every day,<br /> + Jesus saves me every night;<br /> +Jesus saves me all the way,<br /> + Through the darkness, through the light."</p></blockquote> +</div> + + +<div class="chapter" id="ch31"> +<h2>31. Thirty-first Day.</h2> + +<h3>I will love Thee</h3> + + +<blockquote class="epi"><p> "I will love Thee, O Lord."--Ps. xviii. 1.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Yes, even if I have never loved Thee before, I will love Thee, O Lord, +now!</p> + +<p>I will love Thee, Lord Jesus, because Thou hast loved me, and because Thou +art loving me now, and wilt love me to the end. Oh, forgive me for not +having loved Thee! How could I have helped loving Thee, when Thou wast +waiting all the time for me, waiting so patiently while I did not care +about Thee! Oh, forgive me! and now I will love Thee always; for Thou wilt +take my love, and fix it on Thyself, and keep it for Thyself.</p> + +<p>I will love Thee, O Lord Jesus; I will not listen to Satan, who tries to +keep me from loving Thee; I will not ask myself anything about it, lest I +should begin to get puzzled about whether I do love Thee or not. Thou +knowest that I do want to love Thee; and now, dear Lord Jesus, hear me say +that I <i>will</i> love Thee, and that I will trust Thee to make me love Thee +more and more, always more and more.</p> + +<p>I have said it, dear Lord Jesus, and Thou hast heard me say it. And I am +so glad I have said it. I do not want ever to take it back, and Thou wilt +not let me take it back. I am to love Thee always now; and Thou wilt give +me Thy Holy Spirit to shed abroad Thy love in my heart, so that it may be +filled with love. Fill me so full of Thy love that it may run over into +everything I do, and that I may love everybody because I love Thee.</p> + +<p>Yes, I will love Thee, dear Lord Jesus!</p> + +<blockquote class="poem"><p>"My Saviour, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine!<br /> +For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;<br /> +My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou;<br /> +If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now!</p> + +<p>"I love Thee, because Thou hast first loved me,<br /> +And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;<br /> +I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;<br /> +If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now!</p> + +<p>"I will love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,<br /> +And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath:<br /> +And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow,<br /> +If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now!"</p></blockquote> +</div> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr /> +<br /> +<br /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORNING BELLS***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 11563-h.txt or 11563-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/1/1/5/6/11563">https://www.gutenberg.org/1/1/5/6/11563</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/11563-h/images/heartily.midi b/old/11563-h/images/heartily.midi Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..825f3fe --- /dev/null +++ b/old/11563-h/images/heartily.midi diff --git a/old/11563-h/images/heartily.png b/old/11563-h/images/heartily.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..daedf33 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/11563-h/images/heartily.png diff --git a/old/11563.txt b/old/11563.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..df6fc9b --- /dev/null +++ b/old/11563.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2008 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Morning Bells, by Frances Ridley Havergal + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Morning Bells + +Author: Frances Ridley Havergal + +Release Date: March 13, 2004 [eBook #11563] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: US-ASCII + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORNING BELLS*** + + +E-text prepared by Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders + + + +MORNING BELLS + +Or, Waking Thoughts for the Little Ones + +By + +FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL + + + + +To +The Twin Brothers, +Willie and Ethelbert +With +Aunt Fanny's Love. + + + +Contents. + + + +Morning Bells + + 1. "Thy Holy Child Jesus" + 2. "Even Christ pleased not Himself" + 3. "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe" + 4. "Bear ye one another's burdens" + 5. "Yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" + 6. "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly" + 7. "Faithful over a few things" + 8. "Put that on mine account" + 9. "Let thy garments be always white" +10. "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us" +11. "Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy" +12. "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this" +13. "Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people" +14. "A new heart also will I give you" +15. "I will put my Spirit within you" +16. "The Lord shall fight for you" +17. "I will watch to see what He will say unto me" +18. "He careth for you" +19. "Under His wings shall thou trust" +20. "I am with you alway" +21. "Teach me to do Thy will" +22. "Ye have done it unto me;" "Ye did it not to me" +23. "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee" +24. "Chosen to be a soldier" +25. "That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" +26. "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it" +27. "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord" +28. "As seeing Him who is invisible" +29. "Let us lay aside every weight" +30. "Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation" +31. "I will love Thee, O Lord" + + + + +Morning Bells. + + + +Most of the readers of this little book will have already read _Little +Pillows_. Those were given you to go to sleep upon night after night; +sweet, soothing texts, that little hearts might rest upon. + +But in the morning we want something to arouse us, and to help us to go +brightly and bravely through the day. So here are "Morning Bells" to waken +up the little hearts, and to remind them that we must not only rest in +Jesus, but walk in Him. If the motto of "Little Pillows" might be "Come +to Jesus," the motto of "Morning Bells" might be "Follow Jesus." + +May He who loves the little ones bless this tiny effort to help them to +follow Him day by day. + + + + +1. First Day. + +Christ's Childhood. + + + "Thy holy child Jesus."--Acts iv. 30. + + +If I asked, "How old are you?" you would give an exact answer. "Eight and +a half;" "Just turned ten;" "Eleven next month." Now you have thought of +God's "holy child Jesus" as a little baby, and as twelve years old in the +temple, but did you ever think of Him as being _exactly_ your own age? +that He was once really just as old as you are this very day? He knows +what it is to be eight, and nine, and ten years old, or whatever you may +be. God's word has only told us this one thing about those years, that He +was a _holy_ child. + +What is "holy"? It is everything that is perfectly beautiful and good and +lovable, without anything to spoil it. This is just what He was when He +was your age. He was gentle and brave, and considerate and unselfish, +noble and truthful, obedient and loving, kind and forgiving,--everything +you can think of that you ever admired or loved in any one else was all +found together in Him, and all this not only outside, but inside, for He +was "holy." + +Why did He live all these holy child-years on earth instead of staying in +heaven till it was time to come and die for you? One reason was, that He +might leave you a beautiful example, so that you might wish to be like +Him, and ask for the Holy Spirit to make you like Him. But the other was +even more gracious and wonderful, it was "that we might be made the +righteousness of God in Him." That is, that all this goodness and +holiness might be reckoned to you, because you had not any of your own, +and that God might smile on you _for His sake_, just as if _you_ had been +perfectly obedient, and truthful, and unselfish, and good, and give you +Jesus Christ's reward, which you never deserved at all, but which He +deserved for you. + +He took your sins and gives you His righteousness; He took your punishment +and gives you His reward; it is just changed over, if you will only accept +the exchange! + + "I'm glad my blessed Saviour + Was once a child like me, + To show how pure and holy + His little ones might be. + And if I try to follow + His footsteps here below, + He never will forget me, + Because He loves me so." + + + + +2. Second Day. + +Our Great Example + + + "Even Christ pleased not Himself."--Rom. xv. 3. + + +Do you really wish to follow the footsteps of the Holy Child Jesus? Have +you asked God to make you more like Him? Are you ready to begin to-day? +Then here is a motto for to-day, "Even Christ pleased not Himself." Will +you take it, and try to imitate Him? You are sure to have plenty of +opportunities of acting upon it, and thus proving not only to others, but +to your dear Saviour Himself, that you mean what you say, and mean what +you pray. + +Perhaps it seems a rather melancholy "morning bell" to you, tolling +instead of chiming! But if you really wish to be like Christ, you will +soon find that its music is as sweet as any, and that its quiet chime will +come to you again and again with a wonderful sweetness and power, helping +you over all sorts of difficulties, and saving you from all sorts of sins +and troubles. + +You can not tell, till you have fairly tried, how happy a little girl can +feel, who has cheerfully given up to another, for Jesus' sake, something +which she would have liked for herself; nor how happy a boy can be when of +his own free will, and by God's grace, he has chosen to do what his +conscience tells him would please the Lord Jesus instead of what would +have pleased himself. + +If you have never tried it yet, begin to-day, and you will find it is +quite a new happiness. + +Ah, what would have become of us if Christ had only "pleased Himself," +and had stayed in His own glorious home instead of coming down to save us! +Think of that when you are tempted to please yourself instead of pleasing +Him, and the remembrance that even He pleased not Himself because He so +loved you, will help you to try and please Him, and to please others for +His sake. + + "If washed in Jesus' blood, + Then bear His likeness too! + And as you onward press, + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?' + + "Give with a full, free hand; + God freely gives to you! + And check each selfish thought + With, 'What would Jesus do?'" + + + + +3. Third Day. + +Upholding. + + + "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe."--Ps. cxix. 117. + + +The path is not easy. There are rough stones over which we may stumble, if +we are not walking very carefully. There are places which look quite +smooth, but they are more dangerous than the rough ones, for they are +slippery. There are little holes hidden under flowers, which may catch our +feet and give us a bad fall. There are muddy ditches, into which we may +slip and get sadly wet and dirty. + +How are we to walk safely along such a path? We want a strong, kind hand +to hold us up, and to hold us always; a hand that will hold ours so +tightly and lovingly, that it will be as the old Scotchwoman said, "Not my +grip of Christ, but Christ's grip of me!" Yes, Christ's loving hand is +"able to keep you from falling;" only "let your hand be restfully in the +hand of Jesus," and "then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot +shall not stumble." But do not spoil the chime of this morning's bells by +ringing only half a peal! Do not say, "Hold Thou me up," and stop there, +or add, "But, all the same, I shall stumble and fall!" Finish the peal +with God's own music, the bright words of faith that He puts into your +mouth, "Hold Thou me up, _and I shall be safe_!" So you will if you do not +distrust Him, if you will but _trust_ Him to do just what you ask, and let +Him hold you up. + +It would be hard to find a prayer in the Bible without a promise to match +it; so David says, "Uphold me, according to Thy word." + +What has He said about it? More than there is room for on this page. "I +the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand." "Yea, I will uphold thee." "He +will not suffer thy foot to be moved." "When thou runnest thou shalt not +stumble." "Yea, he shall be holden up." "He shall keep thy foot from being +taken." "He will keep the feet of His saints." Seven promises in answer to +your one little prayer! + + "I the Lord am with thee, + Be thou not afraid! + I will help and strengthen, + Be thou not dismayed! + Yea, I will uphold thee + With my own right hand; + Thou art called and chosen + In my sight to stand!" + + + + +4. Fourth Day. + +What can I do? + + + "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of + Christ."--Gal. vi. 2. + + +Perhaps you never thought that any one around you had any! Then if you +want to fulfill this law of Christ, the first thing will be to find out +who has any burdens, and which of them you could bear instead. You will +not have to watch long! There are very few without any. Little backs can +not bear great burdens, but sometimes those who have great burdens have +little ones too, and it makes such a difference if some loving little hand +will take one or two of these. If your mother was carrying a great heavy +parcel, would it not help her if you took two or three little ones out of +her hand and carried them for her? So perhaps she has troubles that you do +not even know about, and you see she looks tired and anxious. And it tires +her a little more, because a little brother or sister wants to be nursed +or amused. Now if you put your own affairs by, and call the little ones +away, and amuse them quietly so that mamma may not be disturbed, this is +bearing one of her burdens. Never mind if it is really a little burden to +you too; is it not worth it, when it is fulfilling the law of Christ? If +for a moment a burden that you have taken up does seem rather hard, and +you are tempted to drop it again, think of what the Lord Jesus bore for +you! Think how He took up the heaviest burden of all for you, when He "His +own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree!" He did not drop that +burden, but bore it till He died under it. Think of that, and it will be +easy then to bear something for His sake. + +Now be on the watch all to-day for little burdens to bear for others. See +how many you can find out, and pick up, and carry away! Depend upon it, +you will not only make it a brighter day for others, but for yourself too! + + "Little deeds of kindness, + Little words of love, + Make our earth an Eden, + Like the heaven above." + + + + +5. Fifth Day. + +Instruments. + + + "Yield .... your members as instruments of righteousness unto + God."--Rom. vi. 13. + + +This does not sound so easy and tuneful as most of your other "morning +bells," you think! But listen for a few minutes and you will hear the +music. + +What are your members? Hands, feet, lips, eyes, ears, and so on. What are +you to do with them? "Yield" them, that is, give them up altogether, hand +them over to God. + +What for? That He may use them as instruments of righteousness. That is, +just as we should take an instrument of music, to make music with it, so +He may take your hands and feet and all your members, and use them to do +right and good things with. + +If a little one gives himself or herself to God, every part of that little +body is to be God's little servant, a little instrument for Him to use. + +The little hands will no longer serve Satan by striking or pinching; the +little feet will not kick or stamp, nor drag and dawdle, when they ought +to run briskly on some errand; the little lips will not pout; the little +tongue will not move to say a naughty thing. All the little members will +leave off serving Satan, and find something to do for God; for if you +"yield" them to God, He will really take them and use them. + +He will tell the hands to pick up what a tired mamma has dropped, and to +fetch her a footstool; and the fingers to sew patiently at a warm +petticoat for a poor child, or to make warm cuffs for a poor old man. He +will tell the feet to run on errands of kindness and help. He will set the +lips to sing happy hymns, which will cheer and comfort somebody, even if +you never know of it. He will use the eyes for reading to some poor sick +or blind woman, or to some fretful little one in your own home. You will +be quite surprised to find in how many ways He will really use even your +little members, if you give them and your whole self to Him. It will be so +nice! You will never be miserable again with "nothing to do!" + + "Take my hands, and let them move + At the impulse of Thy love. + Take my feet, and let them be + Swift and beautiful' for Thee." + + + + +6. Sixth Day. + +Willing and Glad. + + + "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly."--I Chron. + xxix. 9 + + +We thought yesterday morning about giving our members up to God for Him to +use. Did you think you would like to give them up to Him? _did_ you yield +them to Him? If you did, you will understand this morning's text! David +the King asked his people to help in bringing offerings for God's house +and service. He said, "Who then is willing to consecrate his service this +day unto the Lord?" And God made them all willing to bring what they +could. And what then? "_Then_ the people rejoiced, for that they offered +willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord." +"And did eat and drink on that day before the Lord with great gladness." + +See what came of offering willingly to the Lord--they "rejoiced," and +everything they did, even eating and drinking, was "with great gladness." +Never is any one so happy as those who offer their own selves willingly to +the Lord. He gives them a thousandfold return for the worthless little +self and weak little members which they have offered to Him. He gives them +peace, and gladness, and blessing, beyond what they ever expected to have. + +But this was not all; it was not only the people who had such a glad day, +but "David the king also rejoiced with great joy." Those who loved their +king, and recollected how much sorrow he had gone through, and how many +battles he had fought for them, must have been glad indeed to see Him +rejoicing because they had offered willingly. And I think our King, _your_ +King Jesus, rejoices over us when He has made us able (ver. 14) to offer +ourselves willingly to Him. Is not this best of all? Jesus, who suffered +for us, and who fought the great battle of our salvation for us, He, our +own beloved King, "will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His +love; He will joy over thee with singing." + + "In full and glad surrender I give myself to Thee, + Thine utterly, and only, and evermore to be! + O Son of God, who lovest me, I will be Thine alone; + And all I have, and all I am, shall henceforth be Thine own." + + + + +7. Seventh Day. + +Faithfulness. + + + "Faithful over a few things."--Matt. xxv. 21, 23. + + +The servant who had only two talents to trade with, but traded faithfully +with them, had just the same glorious words spoken to him as the servant +who had five talents: "Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast +been faithful over a few things ... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." +Think what it would be to hear the Lord Jesus saying that to you, really +to you! Oh how sweet! how blessed! how you would listen to that gracious +voice saying those wonderfully gracious words to _you_! + +But could He say them to you? Are you "faithful over a few things"? He +has given every one, even the youngest, a few things to be faithful over, +and so He has to you. Your "few things" may be very few, and very small +things, but He expects you to be faithful over them. + +What is being faithful over them? It means doing the very best you can +with them; doing as much for Jesus as you can with your money, even if you +have very little; doing as much for Him as you can with your time; doing +whatever duties He gives you as well as ever you can,--your lessons, your +work, the little things that you are bidden or asked to do every day, the +little things that you have promised or undertaken to do for others. It +means doing all these just the same whether others see you or know about +it or not. + +You sigh over all this; you recollect many things in which you have not +been quite faithful; you know you do not deserve for Him to call you "good +and faithful servant." But come at once to your gracious Lord, and ask Him +to forgive all the unfaithfulness, and to make you faithful to-day. And +then, even if it is only a matter of a French verb or a Latin noun, you +will find it a help to recollect, "Faithful over a few things!" + + "Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love + Fit us for perfect rest above; + And help us, this and every day, + To live more nearly as we pray." + + + + +8. Eighth Day. + +"On mine Account." + + + "Put that on mine account."--Philem. 18. + + +When St. Paul asked Philemon, in a most beautiful letter, to take back +Onesimus, who had run away from him, he said, "If he hath wronged thee, or +oweth thee ought, put that on my account." Onesimus had been a bad servant +to Philemon; and being willing to come back and do better, would not pay +for what he had wronged him in before, and would not pay his old debts. +And he evidently had nothing himself to pay them with. But St. Paul +offered to pay all, so that Onesimus might be received, "not now as a +servant," but as a "brother beloved." + +This is an exquisite picture of what the Lord Jesus Christ does. He not +only intercedes for us with Him from whom we have departed, and against +whom we have sinned; but, knowing to the full how much we have wronged +God, and how much we owe Him, He says, "Put that on mine account." + +And God has put it all on His account and the account has been paid, paid +in blood. When "the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all," Jesus saw +and knew all your sins; and He said, "Put that on mine account." + +Oh, what wonderful "kindness and love of God our Saviour!" Let the +remembrance of it be like a silver bell, ringing softly and clearly +whenever you are going to do, or letting yourself feel or think, something +that is not right. "Put _that_ on mine account!" Yes, that sin that you +were on the very edge of committing! that angry word, and the angry +feeling that makes you want to say it; that untrue word, and the +cowardliness which makes you afraid to speak the exact truth; that proud +look and the naughty pride of heart that made it come into your eyes; +Jesus stands by and says, patiently and lovingly, "Put _that_ on mine +account!" + +Can you bear that? does it not make you wish, ten times more than ever, to +be kept from sinning against such a Saviour? + + "Jesus, tender Saviour, + Hast Thou died for me? + Make me very thankful + In my heart to Thee; + When the sad, sad story + Of Thy grief I read, + Make me very sorry + For my sins indeed." + + + + +9. Ninth Day. + +White Garments. + + + "Let thy garments be always white."--Eccles. ix. 8. + + +"Always?" Oh, how can that be? They are soiled again directly after they +have been washed clean! Yet God says, "Let them be _always_ white;" and He +would not tell you to do what was impossible. Then how are you to help +soiling them? Only in one way. Last night's "little pillow" told you how +Jesus washes us "whiter than snow" in His own precious blood, that +cleanseth from all sin. But will He only cleanse His little one just for +the moment? is that all He is able and willing to do for you? + +No; if you will only keep on trusting to that precious blood, and not +turn away from it, He says that it cleanseth, that is, _goes on +cleansing_. You could not keep your garments white for five minutes; +careless thoughts would come like dust upon them, and wrong words would +make great dark stains and before long some naughty deed would be like a +sad fall in the mud, and you would feel sad and ashamed before the kind +Saviour who still stands ready to cleanse you again. But why should all +this happen over and over again, till anybody but our own loving, +long-suffering Saviour would be tired of us, and give up doing any more +for us? Why should it be, when His precious blood is meant to "_go on +cleansing_," so that our garments may be always white? Perhaps you never +thought of this; ask Him now this morning not only to wash you in the +fountain of His precious blood, but _to keep you in it_, to _go on +cleansing_ you all day long. _Trust_ Him to do this, and see if it is not +the happiest day you ever spent! + + "And He can do all this for me, + Because in sorrow, on the tree, + He once for sinners hung; + And, having washed their sin away, + He now rejoices, day by day, + To cleanse His little one." + + + + +10. Tenth Day. + +Made Beautiful. + + + "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us."--Ps. xc. 17. + + +"How great is His beauty!" said Zechariah. How can His beauty be upon us? +In two ways; try to understand them, and then ask that in both ways the +beauty of the Lord our God may be upon you. + +One way is by His covering you with the robe of Jesus Christ's +righteousness, looking upon you not as you are in yourself, all sinful and +unholy, but as if all the Saviour's beautiful and holy life were yours, +reckoning it to you for His sake. In this way He can call us "perfect +through my comeliness which I had put upon thee." The other way is by +giving you the beauty of holiness, for that is His own beauty; and though +we never can be quite like Him till we see Him as He is, He can begin to +make us like Him even now. Look at a poor little colorless drop of water, +hanging weakly on a blade of grass. It is not beautiful at all; why should +you stop to look at it? Stay till the sun has risen, and now look. It is +sparkling like a diamond; and if you look at it from another side, it will +be glowing like a ruby, and presently gleaming like an emerald. The poor +little drop has become one of the brightest and loveliest things you ever +saw. But is it its own brightness and beauty? No; if it slipped down to +the ground out of the sunshine, it would be only a poor little dirty drop +of water. So, if the Sun of Righteousness, the glorious and lovely +Saviour, shines upon you, a little ray of His own brightness and beauty +will be seen upon you. Sometimes we can see by the happy light on a face +that the Sun is shining there; but if the Sun is really shining, there are +sure to be some of the beautiful rays of holiness, love, joy, peace, +gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, making the life even of a little +child very lovely. + + "Jesus, Lord, I come to Thee, + Thou hast said I may; + Tell me what my life should be, + Take my sins away. + + "Jesus, Lord, I learn of Thee, + In Thy word divine; + Every promise there I see, + May I call it mine!" + + + + +11. Eleventh Day. + +Pleasant Gifts. + + + "Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."--I Tim. vi. 17. + + +Think a little this morning of God's great kindness to you. How _very_ +good He is to you! I know one of His dear children who looks up many, many +times a day, and says, "_Good_ Lord Jesus!" or "_Kind_ Lord Jesus!" She +does not set herself to say it, but it seems as if she could not help +saying it, just because He _is_ so good and kind. And then it seems only +natural to look up again and say, "_Dear_ Lord Jesus!" How _can_ anybody +go on all day long, and never see how good He is, and never look up and +bless Him? Most especially on bright pleasant days, when He giveth us +more even than usual to enjoy! "He giveth." Not one single pleasant thing, +not one single bit of enjoyment comes to us but what He giveth. We can not +get it, we do not earn it, we do not deserve it; but He _giveth_ lovingly, +and kindly, and freely. Suppose He stopped giving, what would become of +us? + +"Richly." So richly, that if you tried to write down half His gifts to +you, your hand would be tired long before you had done. You might easily +make a list of the presents given you on your birthday, but you could not +make a list of what God gives you every day of your life. + +"All things." All the things you really need, and a great many more +besides. All the things that will do you good, a great many more than you +would ever have thought of. All the things that He can fill your little +hands with, and trust you to carry without stumbling and falling. _All_ +things, everything that you have at all! + +"To enjoy." Now how kind this is! not only "to do us good," but "to +enjoy." So you see He means you to be happy with what He gives you, to +smile and laugh and be glad, not to be dismal and melancholy. If you do +not enjoy what He "giveth," that is your own fault, for He meant you to +enjoy it. Look up to Him with a bright smile, and thank Him for having +given you richly all things to enjoy! + + "My joys to Thee I bring, + The joys Thy love hath given, + That each may be a wing + To lift me nearer heaven. + I bring them, Saviour, all to Thee, + For Thou hast purchased all for me." + + + + +12. Twelfth Day. + +Much more than this. + + + "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this."--2 Chron. xxv. 9. + + +Amaziah, king of Judah, was going to war against the Edomites. He thought +he would make sure of victory by hiring a hundred thousand soldiers from +the King of Israel, and he paid them beforehand a hundred talents, which +was about L34,218.15s. of our money. But a man of God warned him not to +let the army of Israel go with him, for Israel had forsaken the Lord, and +so He was not with them. It seemed a great pity to waste all that money, +and so Amaziah said, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which +I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord +is able to give thee much more than this." So Amaziah simply obeyed, and +sent the soldiers away, and trusted God to help him to do without them. +Was it any wonder that he gained a great victory over the Edomites? + +Does not this teach us that we should simply do the right thing, and trust +God at any cost? When you do this, you will find that, in hundreds of ways +which you never thought of, "the Lord is able to give thee much more." The +trial comes in many different ways. One may be tempted to hurry over +prayer and Bible, because there is something else that she very much wants +to get done before breakfast, and she is afraid of not having time enough. +Another shuts up her little purse when a call comes to give something for +God's work, because she is afraid she will not have enough left for +another purpose. Another is tempted to look at a key, or to glance over +another's shoulder at a lesson, because without it he would not get the +marks he is trying for. Another is tempted not to tell the exact truth, or +to conceal something which he ought to tell, because he would lose +something by it. Oh, resist the devil, and do what you know is right, and +trust God for all the rest! For "the Lord is able to give thee much more +than this," whatever your "_this_" may be. And His smile and His blessing +will always be "more than this," more than anything else! + + "Be brave to do the right, + And scorn to be untrue; + When fear would whisper 'yield!' + Ask, 'What would Jesus do?'" + + + + +13. Thirteenth Day. + +The Doings of the King. + + + "Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people."--2 Sam. iii. 36. + + +David had been giving a proof of his love for one who had long been his +enemy, but whom he had received into friendship; and he had been giving a +proof of his tender-heartedness and sympathy with the people, by weeping +with them at the grave of Abner. "And all the people took notice of it, +and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people." + +This was because they loved their king. They watched him, not as the +wicked Pharisees watched the Lord Jesus that they might find something +against Him; but with the watching of admiration and love, taking notice +of the kind and gracious things he did and said. Do you thus take notice +of what your King does? Does it please you to hear and read of what He has +done and what He is doing? It must be so if He really is your King. + +But the "whatsoever" is a little harder; and yet, if it is once really +learnt, it makes everything easy. For if we learn to be pleased with +_whatsoever_ our King Jesus does, nothing can come wrong to us. + +Suppose something comes to-day which is not quite what you would have +liked; heavy rain, for instance, when you wanted to go out,--recollect +that your King Jesus has done it, and that will hush the little murmur, +and make you quite content. Ask Him this morning to make you so loving +and loyal to Him, that _whatsoever_ He does, all day long, may please you, +because it has pleased Him to do it. I think He loves us so much, that He +always gives us as much happiness as He can possibly trust us with, and +does what is pleasantest for His dear children whenever He sees it will +not hurt them; so, when He does something which at first does not seem so +pleasant, we may still trust our beloved King, and learn by His grace to +be pleased with _whatsoever_ He does. + + "I hear a sweet voice ringing clear, + 'All is well!' + It is my Father's voice I hear, + All is well! + Where'er I walk that voice is heard, + It is my God, my Father's word-- + 'Fear not, but trust; I am the Lord, + All is well!'" + + + + +14. Fourteenth Day. + +The New Heart. + + + "A new heart also will I give you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 26. + + +Why does God promise this? Because our old hearts are so evil that they +can not be made any better; and so nothing will do any good but giving us +a quite new heart. + +Because we can not make a new heart for ourselves; the more we try, the +more we shall find we can not do it; so God, in His great pity and +kindness, says He will give it us. + +Because unless we have a new heart we can not enter the kingdom of God, we +can not even see it! Without this gift we must be left outside in the +terrible darkness when "the door is shut." + +What is the difference? The old heart _likes_ to be naughty in some way or +other; either it likes to be idle, or it likes to let out sharp words, or +to go on being sulky or fretful instead of clearing up and saying, "I am +sorry!" The new heart _wants_ to be good; and is grieved when a temptation +comes, and does not wish to yield to it; and would like to be always +pleasing the Saviour. + +The old heart is afraid of God, and does not love Him, and would much +rather He were not always seeing us. And it does not care to hear about +Jesus, but would rather be just let alone. The new heart loves God and +trusts what He says, and likes to know that He is always watching it. And +it is glad to hear about Jesus, and wants to come closer to Him. + +The old heart is a little slave of Satan, taking his orders, and doing +what he wishes. The new heart is a happy little servant of Christ, +listening to His orders, and doing what He wishes. + +Oh how happy and blessed to have this new heart! All God's own children +receive it, for He has said, "I will give them one heart;" that is, all +the same new heart. Do you not want to have it too? Then "ask, and you +_shall_ receive;" for He hath said, "A new heart also _will_ I give you!" + + "Oh for a heart to praise my God, + A heart from sin set free! + A heart that always feels Thy blood, + So freely shed for me. + + "A heart resigned, submissive, meek, + My dear Redeemer's throne; + Where only Christ is heard to speak, + Where Jesus reigns alone." + + + + +15. Fifteenth Day. + +The Gift of the Holy Spirit. + + + "I will put my Spirit within you."--Ezek. xxxvi. 27. + + +Many years ago a good clergyman wrote a tiny prayer, so short that no one +could help remembering it if they once heard it. God seemed to set that +little prayer "upon wheels," so that it might run everywhere. It was +printed on large cards and hung up, and it was printed on small ones and +kept in Bibles and pocket-books. It was taught to classes and schools and +whole congregations, and now thousands upon thousands pray it constantly. +It is a prayer which must be heard, because it asks for what God has +promised to give; and it asks for this through Him whom the Father heareth +always. It is this: "O God, give me Thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus Christ's +sake. Amen." Will you not pray it too? Begin this morning, and go on, not +just _saying_ it, but _praying_ it, till you get a full answer. For you +are quite sure to get it; here is God's own promise, "I _will_ put my +Spirit within you;" and He has promised it over and over again in other +places. Perhaps you will not know at first when the answer comes. Can you +see the dew fall? No one ever saw a single drop come down, and yet as soon +as the sun rises, you see that it has come, and is sparkling all over the +fields. It came long before you saw it, falling sweetly and silently in +the twilight and in the dark. So do not fancy God is not hearing you +because you have not felt anything very sudden and wonderful. He is +hearing and answering all the time. You would not go on asking unless the +dew of His Spirit were already falling upon your heart, and teaching you +to pray. The more He gives you of His blessed Spirit, the more you will +ask for; and the more you ask, the more He will give. + + "Thou gift of Jesus, now descend, + And be my Comforter and Friend; + O Holy Spirit, fill my heart, + That I from Christ may ne'er depart! + + "Show me my soul all black within, + And cleanse and keep me pure within; + Oh, show me Jesus! let me rest + My heart upon His loving breast!" + + + + +16. Sixteenth Day. + +How to Conquer. + + + "The Lord shall fight for you."--Ex. xiv. 14. + + +How glad the children of Israel must have been when Moses said these words +to them on the shores of the Red Sea! For when they "lifted up their eyes, +behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid." + +The Egyptians had been cruel masters to them; and they had horses and +chariots to pursue them with; and there was the sea close before them, and +no boats! Perhaps some of the Israelites thought it was no use trying to +escape, they would only be overtaken and conquered and be worse off than +before. + +And so, left to themselves, they would have been; but God fought for them +in a way they never thought of. For "the Lord saved Israel that day out of +the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the +sea-shore." + +What about your Egyptians?--the angry tempers or sulky looks, the +impatient words, the vain and foolish thoughts, the besetting sins that +master you so often. Have you tried so often to fight against them, and +failed, that it seems almost no use, and you do not see how to conquer +them or to escape them? Are you very tired of fighting, and "sore afraid" +of being always overcome just the same as ever? Now hear God's true, +strong promise to you. "The Lord shall fight for you!" "Will He really?" +Yes, really, and He will conquer for you too, if you will only believe +His Word and trust the battle to Him, and _let_ Him fight for you. + +How? First, watch! and then the very instant you see the enemy coming, +look up and say, "Come, Lord, and fight for me;" and keep on looking up +and _expecting_ Him to fight for you. And _you will find_ that He does +fight for you and gives you the victory; and you too will be "saved that +day," and will see "the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore." Try Him, and +trust Him; and you, even you, will be "more than conqueror through Him +that loved you." + + "So, when you meet with trials, + And know not what to do; + Just cast the care on Jesus, + And He will fight for you. + Gird on the heavenly armor + Of faith, and hope, and love; + And when the conflict's ended, + You'll reign with Him above." + + + + +17. Seventeenth Day. + +The Master's Voice. + + + "I will watch to see what He will say unto me."--Hab. ii. 1. + + +When the Lord Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee, "Simon, I have somewhat to +say unto thee;" he answered, "Master, say on!" When God was going to speak +to Samuel, he said, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." Has the Lord +Jesus said anything like this for us? He says, "I have yet many things to +say unto you." What things? They will be strong, helpful, life-giving +words, for He says, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and +they are life." They will be very loving words, for He says, "I will +speak comfortably to her" (margin, "I will speak to her heart"). And they +will be very kind and tender words, and spoken just at the right moment, +for He says that He knows "how to speak a word in season to him that is +weary." "Will He really speak to me?" says the little heart. Yes, really, +if you will only watch to see what He will say to you. For it will be "a +still, small voice," and you will not hear it at all if you do not listen +for it. "How will He speak to me?" If I had something very nice to tell +you, and instead of saying it out loud, I wrote it down on a piece of +paper, and gave it you to look at, would not that be exactly the same as +if I had told it you with my lips? And you would take the paper eagerly to +see what it was that I had to say to you. So to-day, when you read your +Bible, either alone or at your Bible-lesson, watch to see what Jesus will +say to you in it. You will never really watch in vain. You will see some +word that seems to come home to you, and that you never noticed so much +before. Oh, listen lovingly to it, for _that_ is what He says to you! Or +if you are really watching and wishing for a word from Him, some sweet +text will come into your mind, and you wonder what made you think of it! +That is the voice of Jesus speaking to your heart. Listen to it, and +treasure it up, and follow it; and then watch to see what else He will say +to you. Say to Him, "Master, say on!" + + "Master, speak! and make me ready, + When Thy voice is truly heard, + With obedience glad and steady, + Still to follow every word. + I am listening, Lord, for Thee; + Master, speak, oh, speak to me!" + + + + +18. Eighteenth Day + +Who will take care of me? + + + "He careth for you."--I Pet. v. 7. + + +It is so pleasant to be cared for; to have kind relations and friends who +show that they love you by their care of you, and their care for you. What +would you do if no one cared for you, like the poor little children in +London who are turned out to "do for themselves" before they are as old as +you are? What would you do if there was no one to get anything for you to +eat, or to see to your clothes, or to keep a home for you to live in? No +one to take any notice if you hurt yourself ever so badly, or if you were +ever so ill? You would feel then what a difference being cared for makes +to your life. But all the earthly care for you comes because "He careth +for you." He planned and arranged everything, without your having anything +to do with it, so that you shall be cared for. And He did not arrange it +once for all, and then leave things to go on as might happen. No! Every +day, every moment, He careth, _goes on_ caring, for you. Not only thinking +of you and watching you, but working for you; making things come right, so +that everything should be just the best that could happen to you. Not +managing the great things, and leaving the little things to arrange +themselves; but giving loving care to the least, the very least things +that concern you. Even in some tiny little trouble which no one else seems +to care about, "He careth;" or when every one else is too much taken up +with other things to attend to you, "He careth for you." + +You can never get beyond God's care, for it always reaches you; you can +never be outside of it, for it is always enfolding you. + + "'Who will take care of me?' darling, you say, + Lovingly, tenderly watched as you are? + Listen! I give you the answer to-day, + One who is never forgetful or far. + + "He will take care of you! All through the year + Crowning each day with His kindness and love, + Sending you blessings and shielding from fear, + Leading you on to His bright home above." + + + + +19. Nineteenth Day. + +Under His Wings. + + + "Under His wings shall thou trust."--Ps. xci. 4. + + +That means to-day, not some other time! Under His wings, the shadowing +wings of the Most High, you, poor little helpless one, are to trust +to-day. + +When the little eaglets, that have not yet a feather to fly with, are +under the great wings of the parent eagle, how safe they are! Who would +dare touch them? If a bold climber put his hand into the nest then, those +powerful wings would beat him in a minute from his hold, and he would fall +down the rocks and be dashed to pieces. So safe shall you be "under His +wings," "nothing shall by any means hurt you" there. + +When the wild snow-storms rage round the eyrie, and the mountain cold is +felt, that is death to an unprotected sleeper, how warm the little eaglets +are kept! Not an arrow of the keen blast reaches them, poor little +featherless things, not a snowflake touches them. So warm shall you be +kept "under His wings," when any cold and dark day of trouble comes, or +even any sudden little blast of unkindness or loneliness. + +"Under His wings shall thou _trust_!" Not "shall thou _see_!" If one of +the eaglets wanted to see for itself what was going on, and thought it +could take care of itself for a little while, and hopped from under the +shadow of the wings, it would be neither safe nor warm. The sharp wind +would chill it, and the cruel hand might seize it then. So you are to +_trust_, rest quietly and peacefully, "under His wings;" stay there, not +be peeping out and wondering whether God really is taking care of you! You +may be always safe and happy there. Safe, for "in the shadow of Thy wings +will I make my refuge." Happy, for "in the shadow of Thy wings will I +rejoice." + +Remember, too, that it is a command as well as a promise; it is what you +are to do to-day, all day long: "Under His wings _shalt_ thou trust!" + + "I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, + Trusting only Thee! + Trusting Thee for full salvation, + Great and free. + + "I am trusting Thee to guide me, + Thou alone shalt lead! + Every day and hour supplying + All my need." + + + + +20. Twentieth Day + +Always Near. + + + "I am with you alway."--Matt. xxvlii. 20. + + +How nice it would be if we could always have the one we loved best in all +the world with us; never away from us night or day, and no fear that they +ever possibly would or could leave us; never a good-bye even for ever such +a little while, and never, never the long farewell of death! + +Can this ever be for you? Yes, for you; for to every one who is a disciple +of the Lord Jesus (that is, who learns of Him and owns Him as Master), He +says, "I am with you alway." He does not even say, "I will be with you;" +so that you might be wondering when He meant to come, when He would begin +to be "with you;" but He says, "I _am_ with you." Yes, even now, though +perhaps your eyes are holden, like those of the two who walked to Emmaus +when Jesus was beside them and they did not know it. Your feeling or not +feeling that He is there has nothing at all to do with it, because His +word must be true and _is_ true, and He has said, "I _am_ with you alway." +All you have to do is to be happy in believing it to be true. And if you +go on believing it, you will soon begin to realize it; that is, to find +that it is a real thing, and that Jesus really is with you. + +How long will He be with you? Always, "all the days!" He hath said, "I +will never leave thee." "Never" means really _never_, not for one moment. +You can not get beyond "never." It goes on all through your life, and all +through God's great "forever." And "always" means really _always_, every +single moment of all your life, so that you need never ask again, "Is +Jesus with me now?" Of course He is! the answer will always be "yes," +because He hath said, "I am with you alway." How safe, how sweet, how +blessed! + + "O Jesus, make Thyself to me + A living, bright reality! + More present to faith's vision keen + Than any outward object seen; + More dear, more intimately nigh, + Than even the sweetest earthly tie." + + + + +21. Twenty-first Day. + +Doing God's Will. + + + "Teach me to do Thy will."--Ps. cxliii. 10. + + +When you see some one doing with very great delight some beautiful and +pleasant piece of work, have you not thought, "I should like to be able to +do that!" and perhaps you have said, "Please, teach me how to do it." + +Can you think of anything pleasanter to do than what the very angels are +full of delight in doing? Can you think of anything more beautiful to do +than what is done in the "pleasant land," the beautiful home above? Can +you fancy anything more interesting to do than what the dwellers there +will never get tired of doing for thousands of millions of years? Would +you not like to be taught to do it too?--to begin the pleasant and +beautiful and most interesting work now, instead of waiting till you are +grown up, and then perhaps never learning it at all, because it was put +off now? Then pray this little prayer this morning with all your heart, +"Teach me to do Thy will." For it is His will that is the happiest work +above, and the very happiest thing to do here below. + +What is His will? The Prayer-Book version of this Psalm tells you very +simply and sweetly. It says, "Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth +Thee." So doing God's will is just doing the things, one by one, that +please Him. + +Why did David ask this? He goes on to say why--"For Thou art my God." If +God is really _our_ God, we too shall wish to do the thing that pleaseth +Him. David did not think he could do it of himself, for he says next, "Let +Thy loving Spirit lead me." That loving Spirit will lead you too, dear +child, and show you how beautiful and grand God's will is, and make you +long to do it always, and teach you to do it. So that even on earth you +may begin to do what the angels are doing in heaven! + + "It is but very little + For Him that I can do, + Then let me seek to serve Him, + My earthly journey through; + And, without sigh or murmur, + To do His holy will; + And in my daily duties + His wise commands fulfill." + + + + +22. Twenty-second Day. + +Working for Jesus. + + + "Ye have done it unto me." "Ye did it not to me."--Matt. xxv., xl., and + xlv. + + +Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us opportunities of showing whether we +love Him or not. He tells us that what we try to do for any one who is +poor, or hungry, or sick, or a lonely stranger, is just the same as doing +it to Him. And when the King says, "Come, ye blessed," He will remember +these little things, and will say, "Ye have done it unto me." But He tells +us that if we do nothing for them, it is just the same as if He were +standing there and we would do nothing for Him. And He will say, "Ye did +it not to me." + +One of these two words will be spoken to you in the great day when you +see the King on the throne of His glory. Which shall it be? What are you +doing for Jesus? Are you doing anything at all for Him? Perhaps you say, +"I have no opportunity." Did you ever try to find one? Did you ever ask +Him to give you opportunities of doing something for Him? Or is it only +that you have never yet cared or tried to do anything for Him? Be honest +about it. He knows. And He will forgive. + +But now, what is to be done? Begin by asking Him to show you. And then +keep a bright, sharp look-out, and see if you can not find an opportunity +very soon (and perhaps many) of doing something kind for His sake to some +poor or sick or lonely one. Set to work to _think_ what you could do! + +It seems to me so very kind of the Lord Jesus to have told us this. For +He knew that those who really love Him would _want_ to do something for +Him, and what could we do for the King of glory in His glorious heaven? So +it was wonderfully thoughtful of Him to give us His poor people to care +for, and to say, if we have only been kind to a sick old woman or hungry +little child, "Ye have done it unto me!" + + "I love my precious Saviour + Because He died for me; + And if I did not serve Him, + How sinful I should be! + God help me to be useful + In all I do or say! + I mean to work for Jesus, + The Bible says I may!" + + + + +23. Twenty-third Day. + +Standard-Bearers. + + + "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee."--Ps. lx. 4. + + +Then what is your banner, and what are you doing with it? For if you are +among "them that fear" God, He has given you a banner "that it may be +displayed." Is yours furled up and put away in a corner, so that nobody +sees it or knows of it? Or are you trying to be a brave little +standard-bearer of Jesus Christ, carrying His flag, so that the sweet +breezes of His Spirit may lift its bright folds, and show its golden +motto? That motto, I think, is "Love." For we are told that His banner +over us is love. Are you displaying it, showing your love to Him by your +love to others? showing the power of His love over you by your sweet, +happy temper, and by trying to please Him always? + +Carrying a banner means something. First, it means that you belong to or +have to do with those whose banner you carry, and that you are not ashamed +of them. At great Sunday-school festivals we know to which school a boy +belongs by the flag that he carries. You would like to carry the flag of +England or the Queen's royal flag, because you are English and loyal. So +let us carry the banner of Jesus Christ because we are loyal to Him, and +are not ashamed to own Him as our King. Secondly, it means that we are +ready to fight, and ready to encourage others to fight under the same +banner. When you are tempted to do something wrong remember whose banner +you carry, and do not disgrace it. If one does right, it makes it easier +for the other to do right too. Thirdly, it means rejoicing. You know how +flags are hung out on grand days, and carried in triumphal processions. +The little hand that carries Christ's banner through His war, will carry +it also in His triumph; the little hand that tries to unfurl it bravely +now, will wave it when His glorious reign begins and His blessed kingdom +is come. Then, "in the name of our God we will set up our banners" _now_! + + "The Master hath called us, the children who fear Him, + Who march 'neath Christ's banner, His own little band; + We love Him, and seek Him; we long to be near Him, + And rest in the light of His beautiful land." + + + + +24. Twenty-fourth Day. + +Soldiers. + + + "Chosen to be a soldier."--2 Tim. ii. 4. + + +Are you a soldier? You ought to be, for you have been chosen to be a +soldier in the glorious army of Jesus Christ. + +You ought to be, for you have been "received into the congregation of +Christ's flock" at your baptism, and engaged "manfully to fight under His +banner against sin, the world, and the devil, and to continue Christ's +faithful soldier and servant unto your life's end." You can never undo +that, even if you are a deserter, and found in the enemy's ranks. The +Captain of our salvation will not undo it, for He is ready to receive +you, if you will but come and enlist now. Now, this very morning, come and +enlist! This very morning ask Him to receive you into His noble army, and +to give you first the shield of His salvation, and then the whole armor of +God, and to "teach your hands to war and your fingers to fight," and to +give you victories every day even now, and to let you share His grand +triumphs hereafter. + +Perhaps you know that you have enlisted already, you know and love your +Captain, and He is enabling you, even if very feebly, yet really, to fight +the good fight of faith? How came you to enlist? Was it any credit to you? +Oh no! it was all His doing. It was He who chose you to be a soldier, not +you who chose Him to be a Captain. And then He sent not some dreadful +cannon roar, but the sweet bugle-call of His love to win you to join His +ranks. And now He fights not only with you, but for you. In His war +"nothing shall by any means hurt you," for "He was wounded" for you. Your +life is safe with Him, for He laid down His own for you. By His side you +can never be vanquished, because He goes forth "always conquering and to +conquer." + + "Stand up, stand up for Jesus! + Ye soldiers of the cross; + Lift high His royal banner, + It must not suffer loss. + + "From victory to victory + His army shall be led, + Till every foe is vanquished, + And Christ is Lord indeed. + + "Stand up, stand up for Jesus! + The trumpet call obey; + Forth to the mighty conflict, + In this His glorious day!" + + + + +25. Twenty-fifth Day. + +A Loyal Aim. + + + "That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."--2 Tim. + ii. 4. + + +Here is something worth aiming at, worth trying for! The Lord Jesus, the +Captain of our salvation, is He who hath chosen us to be His soldiers and +now, does He only tell us that we may do our duty,--serve, obey, and +fight? No; He tells us something more, gives us a hope and an aim so +bright and pleasant, that it is like sunshine upon everything. He says, we +"may _please_ Him." + +Only one who knows what it is to mourn for having grieved the dear +Saviour, can quite understand what a happy word this is! That we, who +have been cold, and careless, and sinful, grieving His love over and over +again, should be told after all that we may _please_ Him! Oh, if we love +Him, our hearts will just leap at the hope of it! Perhaps we thought this +could not be till we reached heaven; but you see His own word says, we +"may please Him" now, while we are soldiers in the very midst of the +fighting. St. Paul tells us one thing in which you may please Him: +"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing unto +the Lord." But he prays too that the Colossians "might walk worthy of the +Lord unto _all_ pleasing." + +Shall this be your aim and your hope to-day? Will you look up to the Lord +Jesus now, and ask Him first to give you the faith without which "it is +impossible to please Him," and then to show you "how you ought to walk +and to please God," and so to help you to "do those things that are +pleasing in His sight;" that all your ways, even every little step of your +ways, may really and truly "please the Lord" (Prov. xvi. 7). + + "True-hearted, whole-hearted, faithful, and loyal, + King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be; + Under Thy standard, exalted and royal, + Strong in Thy strength, we will battle for Thee. + + "True-hearted, whole-hearted! Fullest allegiance + Yielding henceforth to our glorious King, + Valiant endeavor and loving obedience, + Freely and joyously now we would bring." + + + + +26. Twenty-sixth Day. + +Obedience to Christ. + + + "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."--John ii. 5. + + +How are you to know what He says to you? Ah, it is so easy to know if we +are really willing to know, and willing to obey when we do know! He has +spoken so plainly to us in His word! In that He tells us, tells even +little children, exactly what to do. It is most wonderful how He has said +everything there for us, told us everything we ought to do. When you read +a chapter or hear one read, listen and watch to see what He saith unto you +in it. There is another way in which He tells us what to do. Do you not +hear a little voice inside that always tells you to do the right thing, +and not to do the wrong thing? That is conscience and He speaks to you by +it. + +Another way is by those whom He has set over you. He has told you once for +all to "obey your parents," and to "obey them that have the rule over +you." So, when they tell you to do something, it is the Lord Jesus Himself +that you have to obey in obeying them. + +Now "whatsoever He saith unto you, do it!" Yes, "whatsoever," dear little +one, whether easy or hard, do it because He tells you; do it for love of +Him, and it will be a thousand times better and happier to obey your King +than to please yourself. And He Himself will help you to do it; only look +up to Him for grace to obey, and He will give it. + +"Whatsoever He saith unto you, _do_ it." Do not just think about doing +it, or talk about doing it, but _do_ it! "Do _it!_" Do the exact thing He +would have you do, not something a little bit different, or something +which you think will be very nearly the same, but do _"it."_ + +And "do it" at once. It is so true, that "the very first moment is the +easiest for obedience." Every minute that you put off doing the right +thing makes it harder. Do not let your King have to "speak twice" to you. +"Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it" cheerfully, exactly, and instantly. + + "Jesus, help me, I am weak; + Let me put my trust in Thee; + Teach me how and what to speak; + Loving Saviour, care for me. + Dear Saviour, hear me, + Hear a little child to-day; + Hear, oh hear me; + Hear me when I pray." + + + + +27. Twenty-seventh Day. + +Do it Heartily + + + "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord."--Col. in. 23. + + +In 2 Chron. xxxi. 21, we read of Hezekiah, that "in every work that he +began, he did it with all his heart, and prospered." And this morning's +"bell" rings a New Testament echo, "Do it heartily!" Sing it now, like a +little peal of bells! + +[Music: Do it hear-ti-ly!] + +See if that does not ring in your ears all day, and remind you that it is +not merely much pleasanter to be bright and brisk about everything, but +that it is actually one of God's commands written in His own word. + +I know this is easier to some than to others. Perhaps it "comes natural" +to you to do everything heartily. That is very nice, but it is not enough. +What else? "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, _as unto the Lord_, and not +unto men." He knows whether the industrious energetic boy or girl is +wishing to please Him, and looking up to Him for His smile; or whether He +is forgotten all the while, and only the smile of others and the pleasure +of being quick and busy is thought of. But perhaps it is hard to you to do +things heartily. You like better to take your time, and so you dawdle, and +do things in an idle way, especially what you do not much like doing. Is +this right? Is it a little sin, when God's word says, "Whatsoever ye do, +do it heartily!" Is it not just as much disobeying God as breaking any +other command? Are you not _guilty_ before Him? Very likely you never +thought of it in this way, but there the words stand, and neither you nor +I can alter them. First ask Him to forgive you all the past idleness and +idle ways, for Christ's sake, and then ask Him to give you strength +henceforth to obey this word of His. And then listen to the little chime, +"Do it heartily! do it heartily!" And _then_ the last word of the verse +about Hezekiah will be true of you too--"Prospered!" + + 'Up and doing, little Christian! + Up and doing, while 'tis day! + Do the work the Master gives you. + Do not loiter by the way. + For we all have work before us, + You, dear child, as well as I; + Let us learn to seek our duty, + And to 'do it heartily.' + + + + +28. Twenty-eighth Day. + +The Sight of Faith. + + + "As seeing Him who is invisible."--Heb. xi. 27. + + +If we were always doing everything just as if we saw Him, whom having not +seen we love, how different our lives would be! How much happier too! How +brave, and bright, and patient we should be, if all the time we could +really see Jesus as Stephen saw Him! And by faith, the precious faith +which God is ready to give to all who ask, we may go on our way with this +light upon it, "as seeing Him who is invisible." + +These words were said of Moses; and this seeing Him by faith had three +effects. First, "he forsook Egypt;" it made him ready to give up anything +for his God, and God's people. It made him true and loyal to God's cause. +What did He care for anything else, so long as he saw "Him who is +invisible?" Secondly, it took away all his fear. What was "the wrath of +the king" to him, when Jehovah was by his side? Of what should he be +afraid? Thirdly, it enabled him to "endure," to wait patiently for forty +years in the desert, and then to work patiently for forty years in the +wilderness; and only think how strength-giving that sight of faith must be +which enabled him to endure everything for eighty years! + +Try for yourself to-day what was such great and long help to Moses. Ask +God, before you go down-stairs, for faith, "the eye of the soul," so that +you may walk all day long "as seeing Him who is invisible." When you are +tempted to indulge in something wrong,--idleness or carelessness, or +selfishness,--this will help you to give it up at once, and forsake it; +for how can you give way to it when your eye meets His? When something +makes you afraid, this will make you brave and peaceful; for how can you +fear anything when your God is so near? When lessons, or work, or even +having to be quiet with nothing to do, seem very tiresome, and you are +tempted to be impatient, and perhaps cross, this will help you to endure +and not only so, but to feel patient; for how can you be impatient when +you are looking up to Him, and He is looking down on you all the time! + + "God will not leave me all alone, + He never will forsake His own; + When not another friend I see, + The Lord is looking down on me." + + + + +29. Twenty-Ninth Day. + +No Weights. + + + "Let us lay aside every weight."--Heb. xii. 1. + + +If you were going to run a race, you would first put down all the parcels +you might have been carrying. And if you had a heavy little parcel in your +pocket, you would take that out, and lay it down too, because it would +hinder you in running. You would know better than to say, "I will put down +the parcels which I have in my hands, but nobody can see the one in my +pocket, so that one won't matter!" You would "lay aside _every_ weight." + +You have a race to run to-day, a little piece of the great race that is +set before you. God has set a splendid prize before you, "the prize of +the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," a crown that is incorruptible. + +Now what are you going to do about the weights, the things that hinder you +from running this race? You know some things do seem to hinder you; will +you keep them or lay them aside? Will you only lay aside something that +every one can see is hindering you, so that you will get a little credit +for putting it down, and keep something that your own little conscience +knows is a real hindrance, though no one else knows anything at all about +it? Oh, take St. Paul's wise and holy advice, and make up your mind to lay +aside _every_ weight. + +Different persons have different weights; we must find out what ours are, +and give them up. One finds that if she does not get up directly she is +called, the time slips by, and there is not enough left for quiet prayer +and Bible-reading. Then here is a little weight that must be laid aside. +Another is at school, and finds that he gets no good, but a little harm, +when he goes much with a certain boy. Then he must lay that weight aside. +Another takes a story-book up to bed, and reads it while nurse is brushing +her hair, and up to the last minute, and then her head is so full of the +story that she only _says words_ when she kneels down, and can not really +_pray_ at all. Can she doubt that this is a weight which must be laid +aside? + +It may seem hard to lay our pet weight down; but oh, if you only knew how +light we feel when it is laid down, and how much easier it is to run the +race which God has set before us! + + + + +30. Thirtieth Day. + +The Shield of Salvation. + + + "Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation."--2 Sam. xxii. + 36. + + +This beautiful little text teaches us a very precious truth. It shows us +that the salvation which the Lord Jesus came to bring is not only +salvation at last, just escaping hell, but that it is salvation now, and +salvation in everything Salvation does not only mean victory at last, but +it is like a broad, shining shield, given to us in the midst of the +battle, coming between us and the poisoned arrows and sharp sword-thrusts +of the enemy. It is a shield not only to keep us from death, but to keep +us from being hurt and wounded. It is the shield which the Captain _has_ +given us to use now, as well as the crown which He _will_ give when the +warfare is ended. + +How are you to use this shield? what does it really mean for you? It +means, that if you have come to the Lord Jesus to be saved, He does not +merely say He _will_ save you, but that you _are_ saved, that He saves you +now. And this is how you are to use it--believe it, and be sure of it, +because you have His word for it; and then, when a temptation comes, tell +the enemy that he has nothing to do with you, for you are saved; that you +belong to Jesus, and not to him,--look up and say, "Jesus saves me!" Will +He fail you? Did He ever let any find themselves deceived and mistaken who +looked up in faith and confidence to Him, trusting in His great salvation? +Never! and never will you find this shield of His salvation fail to cover +you completely. Satan himself can not touch you when you are behind this +shield! Lift it up when you see him coming, even ever so far off, and you +will be safe. + + "Jesus saves me every day, + Jesus saves me every night; + Jesus saves me all the way, + Through the darkness, through the light." + + + + +31. Thirty-first Day. + +I will love Thee + + + "I will love Thee, O Lord."--Ps. xviii. 1. + + +Yes, even if I have never loved Thee before, I will love Thee, O Lord, +now! + +I will love Thee, Lord Jesus, because Thou hast loved me, and because Thou +art loving me now, and wilt love me to the end. Oh, forgive me for not +having loved Thee! How could I have helped loving Thee, when Thou wast +waiting all the time for me, waiting so patiently while I did not care +about Thee! Oh, forgive me! and now I will love Thee always; for Thou wilt +take my love, and fix it on Thyself, and keep it for Thyself. + +I will love Thee, O Lord Jesus; I will not listen to Satan, who tries to +keep me from loving Thee; I will not ask myself anything about it, lest I +should begin to get puzzled about whether I do love Thee or not. Thou +knowest that I do want to love Thee; and now, dear Lord Jesus, hear me say +that I _will_ love Thee, and that I will trust Thee to make me love Thee +more and more, always more and more. + +I have said it, dear Lord Jesus, and Thou hast heard me say it. And I am +so glad I have said it. I do not want ever to take it back, and Thou wilt +not let me take it back. I am to love Thee always now; and Thou wilt give +me Thy Holy Spirit to shed abroad Thy love in my heart, so that it may be +filled with love. Fill me so full of Thy love that it may run over into +everything I do, and that I may love everybody because I love Thee. + +Yes, I will love Thee, dear Lord Jesus! + + "My Saviour, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine! + For Thee all the follies of sin I resign; + My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou; + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now! + + "I love Thee, because Thou hast first loved me, + And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree; + I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow; + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now! + + "I will love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death, + And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath: + And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow, + If ever I loved Thee, my Saviour, 'tis now!" + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORNING BELLS*** + + +******* This file should be named 11563.txt or 11563.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/1/1/5/6/11563 + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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