Chapter 9

Everything which happens, either happens in such wise that them art formed by nature to bear it, or that thou art not formed by nature to bear it. If then, it happens to thee in such way that thou art formed by nature to bear it, do not complain, but bear it as thou art formed by nature to bear it. But, if it happens in such wise that thou art not able to bear it, do not complain; for it will perish after it has consumed thee. Remember, however, that thou art formed by nature to bear everything, with respect to which it depends on thy own opinion to make it endurable and tolerable, by thinking that it is either thy interest or thy duty to do this.

MARCUS ANTONINUS.

June 23

_Why art than cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God_.--PS. xlii. 11.

Ah! why by passing clouds oppressed, Should vexing thoughts distract thy breast? Turn thou to Him in every pain, Whom never suppliant sought in vain; Thy strength in joy's ecstatic day, Thy hope, when joy has passed away.

H. F. LYTE.

Beware of letting your care degenerate into anxiety and unrest; tossed as you are amid the winds and waves of sundry troubles, keep your eyes fixed on the Lord, and say, "Oh, my God, I look to Thee alone; be Thou my guide, my pilot;" and then be comforted. When the shore is gained, who will heed the toil and the storm? And we shall steer safely through every storm, so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God. If at times we are somewhat stunned by the tempest, never fear; let us take breath, and go on afresh. Do not be disconcerted by the fits of vexation and uneasiness which are sometimes produced by the multiplicity of your domestic worries. No indeed, dearest child, all these are but opportunities of strengthening yourself in the loving, forbearing graces which our dear Lord sets before us.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES.

June 24

_Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight_.--MATT. xi. 26.

Let nothing make thee sad or fretful, Or too regretful; Be still; What God hath ordered must be right, Then find in it thine own delight, My will.

P. FLEMMING.

If we listen to our self-love, we shall estimate our lot less by what it is, than by what it is not; shall dwell on its hindrances, and be blind to its possibilities; and, comparing it only with imaginary lives, shall indulge in flattering dreams of what we should do, if we had but power; and give, if we had but wealth; and be, if we had no temptations. We shall be forever querulously pleading our difficulties and privations as excuses for our unloving temper and unfruitful life; and fancying ourselves injured beings, virtually frowning at the dear Providence that loves us, and chafing with a self-torture which invites no pity. If we yield ourselves unto God, and sincerely accept our lot as assigned by Him, we shall count up its contents, and disregard its omissions; and be it as feeble as a cripple's, and as narrow as a child's, shall find in it resources of good surpassing our best economy, and sacred claims that may keep awake our highest will.

J. MARTINEAU.

June 25

_My times are in Thy hand_.--PS. xxxi. 15.

_Every purpose of the Lord shall be performed_.--JER. li. 29.

I am so glad! It is such rest to know That Thou hast ordered and appointed all, And wilt yet order and appoint my lot. For though so much I cannot understand, And would not choose, has been, and yet may be, Thou choosest, Thou performest, THOU, my Lord. This is enough for me.

F. R. HAVERGAL.

"We mustn't be in a hurry to fix and choose our own lot; we must wait to be guided. We are led on, like the little children, by a way that we know not. It is a vain thought to flee from the work that God appoints us, for the sake of finding a greater blessing to our own souls; as if we could choose for ourselves where we shall find the fulness of the Divine Presence, instead of seeking it where alone it is to be found, in loving obedience."

GEORGE ELIOT.

Everywhere and at all times it is in thy power piously to acquiesce in thy present condition, and to behave justly to those who are about thee.

MARCUS ANTONINUS.

June 26

_And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses_.--MARK xi. 25, 26.

'Tis not enough to weep my sins, 'Tis but one step to heaven:-- When I am kind to others,--then I know myself forgiven.

F. W. FABER.

Every relation to mankind, of hate or scorn or neglect, is full of vexation and torment. There is nothing to do with men but to love them; to contemplate their virtues with admiration, their faults with pity and forbearance, and their injuries with forgiveness. Task all the ingenuity of your mind to devise some other thing, but you never can find it. To hate your adversary will not help you; to kill him will not help you; nothing within the compass of the universe can help you, but to love him. But let that love flow out upon all around you, and what could harm you? How many a knot of mystery and misunderstanding would be untied by one word spoken in simple and confiding truth of heart! How many a solitary place would be made glad if love were there; and how many a dark dwelling would be filled with light!

ORVILLE DEWEY.

June 27

_The kingdom of God is within you_.--LUKE xvii. 21.

Oh, take this heart that I would give Forever to be all Thine own; I to myself no more would live,-- Come, Lord, be Thou my King alone.

G. TERSTEEGEN.

Herein is the work assigned to the individual soul, to have life in itself, to make our sphere, whatever it is, sufficient for a reign of God within ourselves, for a true and full reign of our Father's abounding spirit,--thankful, unutterably thankful, if with the place and the companionship assigned to us we are permitted to build an earthly tabernacle of grace and goodness and holy love, a home like a temple; but, should this be denied us, resolved for our own souls that God shall reign there, for ourselves at least that we will not, by sin or disobedience or impious distrust, break with our own wills, our filial connection with our Father,--that whether joyful or sorrowing, struggling with the perplexity and foulness of circumstance, or in an atmosphere of peace, whether in dear fellowship or alone, our desire and prayer shall be that God may have in us a realm where His will is law, and where obedience and submission spring, not from calculating prudence or ungodly fear, but from communion of spirit, ever humble aspiration, and ever loving trust.

J. H. THOM.

June 28

_The Lord preserveth the simple_.--PS. cxvi. 6.

Thy home is with the humble, Lord! The simple are Thy rest; Thy lodging is in childlike hearts; Thou makest there Thy nest.

F. W. FABER.

This deliverance of the soul from all useless and selfish and unquiet cares, brings to it an unspeakable peace and freedom; this is true simplicity. This state of entire resignation and perpetual acquiescence produces true liberty; and this liberty brings perfect simplicity. The soul which knows no self-seeking, no interested ends, is thoroughly candid; it goes straight forward without hindrance; its path opens daily more and more to "perfect day," in proportion as its self-renunciation and its self-forgetfulness increase; and its peace, amid whatever troubles beset it, will be as boundless as the depths of the sea.

FRANÇOIS DE LA MOTHE FÉNELON.

June 29

_Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off_.--I KINGS xx. 11.

_Put on the whole armor of God_.--EPH. vi. 11.

Was I not girded for the battle-field? Bore I not helm of pride and glittering sword? Behold the fragments of my broken shield, And lend to me Thy heavenly armor, Lord!

ANON.

Oh, be at least able to say in that day,--Lord, I am no hero. I have been careless, cowardly, sometimes all but mutinous. Punishment I have deserved, I deny it not. But a traitor I have never been; a deserter I have never been. I have tried to fight on Thy side in Thy battle against evil. I have tried to do the duty which lay nearest me; and to leave whatever Thou didst commit to my charge a little better than I found it. I have not been good, but I have at least tried to be good. Take the will for the deed, good Lord. Strike not my unworthy name off the roll-call of the noble and victorious army, which is the blessed company of all faithful people; and let me, too, be found written in the Book of Life; even though I stand the lowest and last upon its list. Amen.

C. KINGSLEY.

June 30

_And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever_.--ISA. xxxii. 17.

The heart that ministers for Thee In Thy own work will rest; And the subject spirit of a child Can serve Thy children best.

A. L. WARING.

It matters not where or what we are, so we be His servants. They are happy who have a wide field and great strength to fulfil His missions of compassion; and they, too, are blessed who, in sheltered homes and narrow ways of duty, wait upon Him in lowly services of love. Wise or simple, gifted or slender in knowledge, in the world's gaze or in hidden paths, high or low, encompassed by affections and joys of home, or lonely and content in God alone, what matters, so that they bear the seal of the living God? Blessed company, unknown to each other, unknowing even themselves!

H. E. MANNING.

July 1

_In the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord_.--EX. xvi. 7.

_Serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope_.--ROM. xii. 11, 12.

Every day is a fresh beginning, Every morn is the world made new. You who are weary of sorrow and sinning, Here is a beautiful hope for you; A hope for me and a hope for you.

SUSAN COOLIDGE.

Be patient with every one, but above all with yourself. I mean, do not be disturbed because of your imperfections, and always rise up bravely from a fall. I am glad that you make a daily new beginning; there is no better means of progress in the spiritual life than to be continually beginning afresh, and never to think that we have done enough.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES.

Because perseverance is so difficult, even when supported by the grace of God, thence is the value of new beginnings. For new beginnings are the life of perseverance.

E. B. PUSEY.

July 2

_Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men_.--ACTS xxiv. 16.

_I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye_.--PS. xxxii. 8.

Oh, keep thy conscience sensitive; No inward token miss; And go where grace entices thee;-- Perfection lies in this.

F. W. FABER.

We need only obey. There is guidance for each of us, and by lowly listening we shall hear the right word.

R. W. EMERSON.

The heights of Christian perfection can only be reached by faithfully each moment following the Guide who is to lead you there, and He reveals your way to you one step at a time, in the little things of your daily lives, asking only on your part that you yield yourselves up to His guidance. If then, in anything you feel doubtful or troubled, be sure that it is the voice of your Lord, and surrender it at once to His bidding, rejoicing with a great joy that He has begun thus to lead and guide you.

H. W. SMITH.

July 3

_He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities_.--PS. cxxx. 8.

Be it according to Thy word; Redeem me from all sin; My heart would now receive Thee, Lord, Come in, my Lord, come in!

C. WESLEY.

When you wake, or as soon as you are dressed, offer up your whole self to God, soul and body, thoughts and purposes and desires, to be for that day what He wills. Think of the occasions of the sin likely to befall you, and go, as a child, to your Father which is in heaven, and tell Him in childlike, simple words, your trials--in some such simple words as these--"Thou knowest, good Lord, that I am tempted to--[_then name the temptations to it, and the ways in which you sin, as well as you know them_]. But, good Lord, for love of Thee, I would this day keep wholly from all [_naming the sin_] and be very [naming the opposite grace]. I will not, by Thy grace, do one [N.] act, or speak one [N.] word, or give one [N.] look, or harbor one [N.] thought in my soul. If Thou allow any of these temptations to come upon me this day, I desire to think, speak, and do only what Thou willest. Lord, without Thee I can do nothing; with Thee I can do all."

E. B. PUSEY.

July 4

_Look at the generations of old, and see; did ever any trust in the Lord, and was confounded? or did any abide in His fear, and was forsaken? or whom did He ever despise, that called upon Him_?--ECCLESIASTICUS ii. 10.

_Remember, O Lord, Thy tender mercies, and Thy loving-kindnesses; for they have been ever of old_.--PS. xxv. 6.

My Father! see I trust the faithfulness displayed of old, I trust the love that never can grow cold-- I trust in Thee.

CHRISTIAN INTELLIGENCER.

Be not so much discouraged in the sight of what is yet to be done, as comforted in His good-will towards thee. 'Tis true, He hath chastened thee with rods and sore afflictions; but did He ever take away His loving-kindness from thee? or did His faithfulness ever fail in the sorest, blackest, thickest, darkest night that ever befell thee?

I. PENINGTON.

WE call Him the "_God of our fathers_;" and we feel that there is some stability at centre, while we can tell our cares to One listening at our right hand, by whom theirs are remembered and removed.

J. MARTINEAU.

July 5

_He stayeth His rough wind in the day of the east wind_.--ISA. xxvii. 8.

_A bruised reed shall He not break_.--ISA. xlii. 3.

All my life I still have found, And I will forget it never; Every sorrow hath its bound, And no cross endures forever. All things else have but their day, God's love only lasts for aye.

P. GERHARDT.

We never have more than we can bear. The present hour we are always able to endure. As our day, so is our strength. If the trials of many years were gathered into one, they would overwhelm us; therefore, in pity to our little strength, He sends first one, then another, then removes both, and lays on a third, heavier, perhaps, than either; but all is so wisely measured to our strength that the bruised reed is never broken. We do not enough look at our trials in this continuous and successive view. Each one is sent to teach us something, and altogether they have a lesson which is beyond the power of any to teach alone.

H. E. MANNING.

July 6

_I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee_.--ISA. xlii. 6.

_O keep my soul, and deliver me: for I put my trust in Thee_.--PS. xxv. 20.

I do not ask my cross to understand, My way to see; Better in darkness just to feel Thy hand, And follow Thee.

ADELAIDE A. PROCTER.

O Lord, if only my will may remain right and firm towards Thee, do with me whatsoever it shall please Thee. For it cannot be anything but good, whatsoever Thou shalt do with me. If it be Thy will I should be in darkness, be Thou blessed; and, if it be Thy will I should be in light, be Thou again blessed. If Thou vouchsafe to comfort me, be Thou blessed; and, if Thou wilt have me afflicted, be Thou equally blessed. O Lord! for Thy sake I will cheerfully suffer whatever shall come on me with Thy permission.

THOMAS À KEMPIS.

My soul could not incline itself on the one side or the other, since another will had taken the place of its own; but only nourished itself with the daily providences of God.

MADAME GUYON.

July 7

_The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid_?--PS. xxvii. I.

Thou hidden Source of calm repose, Thou all-sufficient Love divine, My Help and Refuge from my foes, Secure I am while Thou art mine: And lo! from sin, and grief, and shame, I hide me, Father, in Thy name.

C. WESLEY.

Whatever troubles come on you, of mind, body, or estate, from within or from without, from chance or from intent, from friends or foes--whatever your trouble be, though you be lonely, O children of a heavenly Father, be not afraid!

J. H. NEWMAN.

Whatsoever befalleth thee, receive it not from the hand of any creature, but from Him alone, and render back all to Him, seeking in all things His pleasure and honor, the purifying and subduing of thyself. What can harm thee, when all must first touch God, within whom thou hast enclosed thyself?

R. LEIGHTON.

How God rejoices over a soul, which, surrounded on all sides by suffering and misery, does that upon earth which the angels do in heaven; namely, loves, adores, and praises God!

G. TERSTEEGEN.

July 8

_Be ye kind one to another_.--EPH. iv. 32.

She doeth little kindnesses Which most leave undone or despise; For nought which sets one heart at ease, And giveth happiness or peace, Is low-esteemed in her eyes.

J. R. LOWELL.

What was the secret of such a one's power? What had she done? Absolutely nothing; but radiant smiles, beaming good-humor, the tact of divining what every one felt and every one wanted, told that she had got out of self and learned to think of others; so that at one time it showed itself in deprecating the quarrel, which lowering brows and raised tones already showed to be impending, by sweet words; at another, by smoothing an invalid's pillow; at another, by soothing a sobbing child; at another, by humoring and softening a father who had returned weary and ill-tempered from the irritating cares of business. None but she saw those things. None but a loving heart _could_ see them. That was the secret of her heavenly power. The one who will be found in trial capable of great acts of love, is ever the one who is always doing considerate small ones.

F. W. ROBERTSON.

July 9

_Love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God_.--I JOHN iv. 7.

_Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel (or "complaint") against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye_.--COL. iii. 13.

Oh, might we all our lineage prove, Give and forgive, do good and love; By soft endearments, in kind strife, Lightening the load of daily life.

J. KEBLE.

We may, if we choose, make the worst of one another. Every one has his weak points; every one has his faults: we may make the worst of these; we may fix our attention constantly upon these. But we may also make the best of one another. We may forgive, even as we hope to be forgiven. We may put ourselves in the place of others, and ask what we should wish to be done to us, and thought of us, were we in their place. By loving whatever is lovable in those around us, love will flow back from them to us, and life will become a pleasure instead of a pain; and earth will become like heaven; and we shall become not unworthy followers of Him whose name is Love.

A. P. STANLEY.

July 10

_The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever: forsake not the--works of Thine own hands_.--PS. cxxxviii. 8.

As God leads me, will I go,-- Nor choose my way; Let Him choose the joy or woe Of every day: They cannot hurt my soul, Because in His control: I leave to Him the whole,-- His children may.

L. GEDICKE.

Why is it that we are so busy with the future? It is not _our_ province; and is there not a criminal interference with Him to whom it belongs, in our feverish, anxious attempts to dispose of it, and in filling it up with shadows of good and evil shaped by our own wild imaginations? To do God's will as fast as it is made known to us, to inquire hourly--I had almost said each moment--what He requires of us, and to leave ourselves, our friends, and every interest at His control, with a cheerful trust that the path which He marks out leads to our perfection and to Himself,--this is at once our duty and happiness; and why will we not walk in the plain, simple way?

WILLIAM E. CHANNING.

July 11

_When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble_?--JOB xxxiv. 29.

_None of these things move me_.--ACTS xx. 24.

I've many a cross to take up now, And many left behind; But present troubles move me not, Nor shake my quiet mind. And what may be to-morrow's cross I never seek to find; My Father says, "Leave that to me, And keep a quiet mind."

ANON.

Let us then think only of the present, and not even permit our minds to wander with curiosity into the future. This future is not yet ours; perhaps it never will be. It is exposing ourselves to temptation to wish to anticipate God, and to prepare ourselves for things which He may not destine for us. If such things should come to pass, He will give us light and strength according to the need. Why should we desire to meet difficulties prematurely, when we have neither strength nor light as yet provided for them? Let us give heed to the present, whose duties are pressing; it is fidelity to the present which prepares us for fidelity in the future.

FRANÇOIS DE LA MOTHE FÉNELON.

Every hour comes with some little fagot of God's will fastened upon its back.

F. W. FABER.

July 12

_Be strong, and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid ... for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee_.--DEUT. xxxi. 6.

The timid it concerns to ask their way, And fear what foe in caves and swamps can stray, To make no step until the event is known, And ills to come as evils past bemoan. Not so the wise; no coward watch he keeps To spy what danger on his pathway creeps; Go where he will, the wise man is at home, His hearth the earth,--his hall the azure dome; Where his clear spirit leads him, there's his road, By God's own light illumined and foreshowed.

R. W. EMERSON.

Though I sympathize, I do not share in the least the feeling of being disheartened and cast down. It is not things of this sort that depress me, or ever will. The contrary things, praise, openings, the feeling of the greatness of my work, and my inability in relation to it, these things oppress and cast me down; but little hindrances, and closing up of accustomed or expected avenues, and the presence of difficulties to be overcome,--I'm not going to be cast down by trifles such as these.

JAMES HINTON.

July 13

_And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought_.--ISA. lviii. 11.

Wherever He may guide me, No want shall turn me back; My Shepherd is beside me, And nothing can I lack. His wisdom ever waketh, His sight is never dim,-- He knows the way He taketh, And I will walk with Him.

A. L. WARING.

Abandon yourself to His care and guidance, as a sheep in the care of a shepherd, and trust Him utterly. No matter though you may seem to yourself to be in the very midst of a desert, with nothing green about you, inwardly or outwardly, and may think you will have to make a long journey before you can get into the green pastures. Our Shepherd will turn that very place where you are into green pastures, for He has power to make the desert rejoice and blossom as a rose.

H. W. SMITH.

July 14

_Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind_.--ROM. xii. 2.

Father, let our faithful mind Rest, on Thee alone inclined; Every anxious thought repress, Keep our souls in perfect peace.

C. WESLEY.