Hast thou the serenity of faith in God: hast thou the calmness of the answer of a good conscience? Is the mist of the darkness of error scattered before thee is the thick cloud of thy transgressions blotted out? : : Is there no untimely ruddiness of hope and its disappointment shall make thee ashamed. Is there no muttering sound of complaint : and storms of vexation of spirit shall toss thee. Art thou neither weary nor weak are all thy springs of strength fresh and full within thee? Canst thou say, I am ready, O Lord, I am ready let the day be fair or foul, my trust is in Thee? : Yea, Lord, my trust is in Thee : I commit all things unto Thee, O Thou faithful Creator, The defence of my body: the keeping of my soul. For who can tell what the day shall bring forth to thyself Thou hast reserved the knowledge of it. : Shall flesh foretel the things of the Spirit: shall he that counteth time discern eternity? Shall he that is on earth climb up to heaven: and there tell the sum of the store of thy mercies? Or shall he descend into the deep and there count the treasure of thy wrathful judgment? Then shall I be able to forecast the day to which I have risen and shall know in the morning what shall befall me before night. O Lord, I acknowledge my ignorance I confess my helplessness. Vain is all trust but in Thee and sure is thy defence of all that look unto Thee. Be Thou my light this day be Thou my helper and defender. My boast in Thee shall never be confounded: my hope in Thee shall never make me ashamed. Lord, in this faith I begin the day: and thus unto Thee I commit the end thereof. March 24 2824 I XXVI. THE CHRISTIAN A SOWER. THE morning calleth me again to my labour: go forth to sow. Out of the hidden treasure of my heart to scatter the seeds of many thoughts. Sower, for whom sowest thou: whom callest thou master? I sow for the Lord: my Master is the Lord of the harvest of the last day. Hast thou taken good heed to thyself: hast thou well prepared thy work? Is thy seed good seed: is it the fruit of the Holy Spirit within thee? Hath it been winnowed from the chaff is there no vanity of this world in it? Hath it been carefully picked from the tares : is there no grain of falsehood in it? Hath it been steeped in the brine of tears of repentance is there no cankerworm of rebellious pride in it? O my heart, my heart: what answerest thou to this? Can the seed of the bramble bring forth the vine or the hyssop give birth to the cedar tree? Forego therefore thy worldly affections : cast out thy vain imaginings. Reveal thy secrets to the searcher and humble thyself in confession. Repent and mend that which is amiss set the throne of judgment before thee. And plead with thy High Priest : and open thy chamber to the Holy Spirit. Now go forth, and take good heed unto thyself now sow, in fear and trembling. Look to the ears that are open unto thee : and to the hearts that attend unto thee. For every idle word thou hast to give an account for every hearer's soul thou hast to answer. : O Thou tremendous Harvestmaster: who shalt reap at the last day; Help me to sow in innocence: that I may reap in glory. To sow in fearfulness: that I may reap in joy. O Lord, help me this day : I go forth with my trust in Thee. Tharch 25 1465 XXVII, A PRAYER FOR THE USE OF LIGHT. O FATHER of lights: my light and my salvation ! Thou hast sent forth thy light again : even as at the beginning. It hath obeyed thy word: it shooteth from heaven to earth. : And manifesteth thy glory to all thy creatures and revealeth the height of thy mercies. It delighteth their eyes it gladdeneth their hearts. And it saith, Thy will be done : I will proclaim thy handiwork, O my Maker. O Lord, I am thy workmanship also: Thou hast put light into my heart; That I may behold thy glory and rejoice in the shining forth of thy Majesty. Shall it not shine forth at thy command: shall I suffer the darkness to contain it? Shall it burn in the secret of the house : and not guide thy people from the hill? Shall the light, to which Thou hast not given. sense, obey thee : and shall the light of living soul rebel against Thee? O let me show forth my light : that it may shine before men; That they may testify to its brightness: and glorify thy Name! Help me to prove myself a son of light this day put away from me every deed of darkness. Let all my body be light and my soul shall live before Thee. Day by day it shall praise Thee more and more and thy light shall shine brighter as I use it ; And shall give a fuller earnest of thy promise: which thou wilt fulfil in thine appointed time; When thy children shall behold Thee in the fulness of thy glory and they shall shine as the sun before Thee. XXVIII. A PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL PROTECTION. Ar dawn the women came unto the sepulthey sought the dead in its chambers. chre |