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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filmd d partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrcnt la m^thode. rata 3 lelure. J 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 5 a ^>i;i-i!:::ii::ii^3;j3Eii£:i:ji;:iE; •■ 5 1%;^ 'V /-'N. 14. £ T DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH A -VEAR BCOK OF SCRIPTURE TEXTS AND LIVING TRUTHS REV. PUBLISHED BY CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE PUBLISHING CO.. Nyack. N. Y. c yp^. ?^ "£) V'4-'5f 3 5^ | 1900 CoPTiiioiiT, Dkcemher, 1897, Rev. a. B. Simi'son. Tbb Umiar* OF CoWnwRSt h» > 35L. '5 k DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH The Days of Heaven of heaven ai* peaceful CHE days days, Still as yon glassy sea; 80 calm, so still In God, our days, Ai the days of heaven would be. The days of heaven are holy days, From sin forever free; 80 cleansed and kept our days, O Lord, As the days of heaven would be. The days of heaven are happy days. Sorrow they never see; 80 full of gladness all our days, As the days of heaven would be. The days of heaven are healthful days. They feed on life's fair tree; Sp feeding on Thy strength, O Christ, Our days as heaven may be. Walk with us, Lord, thro' all the days, And let us walk with Thee ; Till as Thy will is done in heaven. On earth so shall it be. \ DAYB in' llEAVnN UPON EARTH. 7 January I "Redeeming the time." Bph. v. 16. IWO littlo words are found in the Greek version here. They are translated "ton Icairon" in the revised version, "Buying up for yourselves the oppor- tunity" The two words ton kairon mean, lit- erally, the opportunity. , , , , They do not refer to time in general, but to a special point of time, a juncture, a crisis, a tno- ment full of possibilities and quickly passing by, which we must seize and make the best of before it has passed away. - It is intimated that there are not many such moments of opportunity, because tlie days are evil. Like a barren desert, in which, here and there, you find a flower, pluck it while you can. Like a business opportunity which comes a few times in a life-time; buy it up while you have the chance. Be spiritually alert; be not unwise, but understanding what the will of God ib, "Walk circumspectly, not as fools, but aa wise, buying up for yourselves the opportunity. Sometimes it is a moment of time to be saved; sometimes a soul to be led to Christ; sometimes it is an occasion for love; sometimes for pa- tience; sometimes for victory over temptation and sin. Let us redeem it. # 8 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON KARTII. January 2 "I will cause you to walk In My statutes, xxxvl. 27. Ez. IIIE highest spiritunl condition is one where life is spontaneors and flows witlioiit effort,, like the deep floods of I'lzekiers river, where the struggles of the switnmer oeased, and he was home hy the current'p reBistlesH force. So Ood leads us into spiritual conditions and hahits which hecome the s[)ontaneous impulses of our being, and we live and move in the full- nebs of the divine life. But these spiritual habits are not the out- come of some transitory impulse, but are often slowly acquired and established. They begin, like every true habit, in a definite act of will, and they are confirmed by the repetition of that act until it becomes a habit. The first stages always involve effort and choice. We have to take a stand and hold it steadily, and after we have done so a certain time, it becomes second nature, and carries us by its own force. The Holy Spirit is willing to form such hab- its in every direction of our Christian life, and if we will but obey Him in the first steppings of faith, we will soon become established in the attitude of obedience, and duty will be delight. 1 18 one id flows floods of iggloB of by the iniiH and iinpulaea the full- the out- ire often sy begin, ; of will, n of that st stages have to after we !8 second uch hab- life,,and )pingB of d in the delight. D.WH OF HKAVf:S' VIH)S BARfH. January 3 "Watch and pray." Matt. xxvl. 11. m need to watcth for our praycrH n» well ae for the anHWcrs to our pray- ers. It needs e» much wisdom to pray rightly as it .lo.s faith to re- ceive the answers to our prayers. We met a friend the other day, who had been in years of darkness because God had failed to answer certain prayers, and the result had been • a state bordering on infidelity. A very few moments were suihcient to con- vince this friend that these prayers \m\ been entirely unauthorized, and that Ood had never promised to answer such prayers, and they were for things which this friend should have accom- plished himself, in the exercise of ordinary wis- dom. . 1 1 * The result was deliverance from a cloud ol unbelief which wm almost wrecking a Christian life. There are some things about which we do not need to pray, as much aa to take the light which God has already given. Many persons are asking God to give them peculiar signs, tokens and supernatural inti- mations of His will. Our business is to use the light He has given, and then He will give what- ever more we need. to bAYS Of* HtlAVtlN UPON BARia. January 4 'Blessed is the man that walketh not." Ps. i. 1. BHRP]E things are noteble about this manr 1. His company, "lie walketh not ^— — in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." 2. His reading and thinking. ''His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he mediate day and night." 3. His fruitfulness, "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bring- eth forth his fruit in season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall pros- per." The river is the Holy Ghost; the planting, the deep, abiding life in which, not occasional- ly, but habitually, we absorb the Holy Spirit; and the fruit is not occasional, but continual, and appropriate to each changing season. His life is also prosperous, and his spirit fresh, like the unfading leaf. Such a life must be happy. Indeed, happiness is a matter of spiritual conditions. Put a sunbeam in a cellar and it must be bright. Put a nightingale in the darkest midnight, and it must sing. ma. t." Pa. 1. 1. about this tvalketh not agoJly, nor •r sitteth in Mis delight [is law doth hall be like , that bring- af also shall a shall pros- le planting, t occasional- Holy Spirit; t continual, jason. d his spirit 1 a life must a mattea" of til in a cellar ^htingale in sing. bA'VS OF HEAVEN VPOif EARTH. January 5 "I know him that he.will do the law." Gen.xvUl.W. 0OD wants people that He can depend upon. He could say of Abraham, "I know him, that he will keep the law of the Lord,thatthe Lord may bring upon Abraham all that He hath spoken." God can be depended upon; He wants us to be just as decided, as reliable, as stable. This is just what faith means. God is looking for men on whom He can put the weight of all His love and power, and faithful promises. When God fmdE such a soul ihere is nothing He will not do for him. God's engines are strong enough to draw any weight we attach to them. Un- fortunately the cable which we fasten to the engine is often too weak to hold the weight of our prayer, therefore God is drilling us, dis- ciplining us, and training us to stability and certainty in the life of faith. Let us Icam our lessons, and let us stand fast. God has His b«*8t things tor the few Who dare to stand the test; God has His second choice for those Who will not have His best. Give me, O Lord. Thy highest choice. Let others take the rest. Their good things have no charm tor me, For I have got Thy best. a bAVS OP UtiA Vsn UPO^ EARfti. January 6 "The body Is aot one menber, but many." I Cor. xll. 14, E have a friend who has a phono- graph for his correspondence. It consists of two parts. One is a simple and wonderful apparatus, whose sensitive cylinders receive the tones and then give them out again, word for word, through the hearing tube. The other part is a common little box that stands under the table, and does nothing but supply the power through connecting wires. Now, the little box might insist upon being the phonograph, and doing the talking; but if it should, it would not only waste its own life but destroy the life of :ts partner. Its sole business is to supply power to the phonograph, while the latter is to do the talk- ing. So some of us are called to be voices to speak for God to our fellow-men; others are forces to sustain them, by our holy sympathy and silent prayer. Some of us are little dynamos tinder the table, while others are phonographs, that speak aloud the messages of heaven. Let each of us be true to our God-given ministi-y, and when the day comes our work will be weighed and the rewards distributed. TU. many." I a phono- ence. It One is a apparatus, the tones word for rhe other nJs under npply the pen being ng; but if 8 own life irer to the > the talk- ( voices to others are sympathy B dynamos mographs, ren. God-given our work •ibuted. DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. January 7 13 "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from stumbling." Jude 24. BHIS is a most precious promise. The re- vised translation is both accurate and I suggestive. It is not merely from fall- I ing tbat He wants to keep us, but from even the slightest stumbling. We are told of Abraham that he staggered not at the promise. God wants us to walk so steadily that there will not even be a quiver m the lino of His regiments as they face the foe. It is the little stumblings of life that most dis- courage and hinder us, and most of these stumblings are over trifles. Satan woiild much rather knock us down with a feather than with an Armstrong gun. It is much more to his honor and keen delight to defeat a child of CJod by some flimsy trifle than by some great temp- tation. ' . Beloved, let us watch, in these days, against the orange peels that trip us on our pathway, the little foxes that destroy the vines, and the dead flies that mar, sometimes, a whole vessel of precious ointment. "Trifles make perfec- tion," and as we get farther on, in our Chris- tian life, God will hold us much more closely to obedience in things that seem insigniflcant. 14 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. January 8 "It Is I. be not afraid." Mark vl. 50. OME one te'ls of a little child with some big story oi sorrow upon its little heart, flying to its mother's arms for comfort, and intending to tell her the story of its trouble; but as that mother presses it to her bosom and pours out her love, it soon be- comes so occupied with' her and the sweetness of her aflFection that it forgets to tell it« story, and in a little while even the memory of the trouble is forgotten. It has just been loved away, and she has taken its place in the heart of f^ little one. This is the way God comforts us Himself. "It is I, be not afraid," is His reassuring word. The circumstances are not altered, but He Him- self comes in their place, and satisfies every need of our being, and we forget all things in His sweet presence, as He becomes our all in all. I am breathing out my sorrow On Thy kind and loving breast; Breathing in Thy joy and comfort, Breathing in Thy peace and rest. I am breathing out my longings In Thy listening, loving ear. I am breathing in Thy answer, Stilling every doubt and fear. u. 60. DAYS OF UEAVEN UPON EARTH. January 9 15 fith some tie heart, comfort, ;he storj- sses it to soon be- Bweetness its story, ry of the len loved the heart Himself. ing word. He Him- ies every things in all in all. It; rt. »t. 'Not as I will, but as Thou wilt." Matt. xxvi. 39. "To will and do of His good pleasure." Phil. 11. 13. HHERE are two attitudes in which our will should be given to God. First. We should have the surren- dered will. This is where we must all begin, by yielding up to God our natural will, and having Him possess it. But next. He wants us to have the victorious will. As soon as He receives our will in honest surrender, He wants to put His will into it and make it stronger than ever for Him. It is henceforth no longer our will, but His will. And having yielded to His choice and placed itself under His direction, He wants to put into it all the strength and intensity of His own great will and make us positive, forceful, vic- torious and unmovable, even as Himself. "Not My will, but Thine be done." That is the first step. "Father, I will that they whom Thou hast given Me. shall be with Me." That is the second attitude; both are divine; both are right; both are necessary to our "right living and suc- cessful working for God. 16 UA/8 OF UEAVEV VPON EARTH. January 10 "Charity doth not behave Itself unseemly." I Cor. 13. IN the dress of a Hindn woman, her grace- ful robe is fastened upon her person en- tinly by means of a single knot. The long strip of clotli is wound around her person so as to fall in graceful folds like a made garment, and the end is fastened by a lit- tle knot, and the whole thing hangs by that single fastening. If that were loosed ihe robe would fall. And so in the spiritual life, our habits of grace are likened unto garments; end it is also true that the garment of love, which is the beautiful adorning of the child of God, is entirely fastened by little nots. If you will read with care the thirteenth chapter of Corinthians I., you will find that most of the qualities of love are purely nega- tive. "I>rf)ve envieth not, love vaunteth not herself is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, doth not behave herself rudely, thinketh no evil, is not provoked." Here are knots enough to hold on our spiritual wardrobe. Here are reasons enough to explain the failure of so many, and the reason why they walk naked, or with rent garments, and others see their shame. Let us look after the nots. IRTU. mseemly." I n, her grace- ;r person en- I knot. The i around her s hke a made 2d by a lit- mgs by that )8ed the robe :ual hfe, our arments; end love, which is Id of God, is le thirteenth vill find that purely nega- vaunteth not not her own, thinketh no knots enough 36. Here are failure of so ' walk naked, lers see their DAYS OF H HAVEN UPON EARTU. 17 January 1 1 "Hold fast till I come." Rev. 11. 25. other day we asked a Hebrew friend how it was that his coimtrj-mon were so successful in acquiring wealth. "Ah," said he, "we do not make more money than other people, but we keep more." Be- loved, let us look out this day for spiritual pickpockets and spiritual leakage. Let us "lose nothing of what we have wrought, but receive a full reward;" and, as tach day comes and goes, let us put away in the savings bank of eternity its treasures of grace and victory, and so be conscious from day to day that some- thing real and everlasting is being added to our eternal fortune. It may be but a little, but if we only econo- mize all that God gives us, and pass it on to His keeping, when the close shall come we shall be amazed to see how much the accumulated treasures of a well spent life have laid up on high, and how nnich more He has added to them by His glorious investment of the life conmiitted to His keeping. Oh, how the days are telling! Oh, how precious these golden hours will seeiu some- time! God help us to make the most of them now. m 18 DAYS OF WJAVEN UPON EARTU. January 12 "Ask and It shall be given you." Matt. vll. 7. IE must receive, as well as ask. We must take the place of believing, and recognize ourselves as in it. A friend was saying, "I want to get into the will of God," and this was the answer: "Will you step into the will of God? And now, are you in the will of God?" The question aroused a thought that had Pot come before. The gentleman saw that he had been strain- ing after, but not receiving the blessing he sought. Jesus has said, "Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." The very strain keeps back the blessing. The intense tension of all your spiritual nature so binds you that you are not open to the blessing which God is waiting to give you. "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." He tells me there is cleansing From every secret sin, And a great and full salvation To keep the heart within. And I take Him in His fullness. With all His glorious grace, For He says It Is mine by taking, And I take just what He says. sjap"*"' ITU. att. vU. 7. 8 ask. We lieving, and it. A friend ^et into the Bwer: "Will rid now, are tion aroused I. been strain- blessing he liall receive, very strain ense tension ids you that ?hich God is will, let him g in e, Lklng, &y8. IJAYK OF HEATEN UPON EARTH. January 13 19 "Thou Shalt be to him Instead of God." Ex. Iv. 16. aUCH was God's promise to Moses, and such the high character that Mohcs was to assume toward Aaron, his brother. May it not suggest a high and glorious place that each of us may occupy toward all that we meet, instead of God? What a dignity and glory it would give our lives, coxdd we uniformly realize this high call- ing! How it would lead us to act toward our fellow-men! God can always be depended upon. God is without variableness or shadow of turning. God's word is unchangeable, and we can trust Him without reserve or question. Oh, that we might so live that men can trust us, even as God! Again, God has no needs or wants to be sup- plied. He is always giving. "Rich unto all that call upon Him." The glory of His nature is love, unselfish love, and beneficence toward all His creatures. The Divine life is a self- forgetting life, a life that has nothing to do but love and bless. Let us so live, representing our Master here, while He represents us before the Throne on high. 20 DAYS OF IIKAVKN UfON EAKTH. January 14 "Unto the measure of the fullness of Christ." Eph. Iv. 13. 0()D loves 118 so well that TIo will not siitrer us to take loss than His highest will. Some day wo shall l)lo88 our faithful tear-her, who kept the stand- ard infle.xibly rigid, and then gave us the strength and grace to reach it, and would not excuse us until we had accomplished all His glorious will. lict us be inexorable with ourselves. Let us mean exactly what flod means, and have no dis( ounts uj)on His promises or commandments. Let us keep the standard uj), and never rest until wc reach it. "Let God be true and every man a liar." If we fail a hundred times don't let us acco!umodate God's ideal to our realiza- tion, but like the brave ensign who stood in front of his company waving the banner, and when the soldiers called him back he only waved it higher, and cried, "Don't bring the standard back to the regiment, but bring the regiment up to the colors." Forward, forward, leave the past behind thee. Reaching forth unto the things before; All the land of Promise lies before thee, God has greater blessings yet in store. (TH. of ChrlBt." lo will not Ids highest 1 ))]e88 our the Btaiul- ive 118 the Htul would plirthed all 08. Let us id have no iiandments. never rest ^ and every timcH don't :>ur reeliza- lo stood in lanner, and :k he only ; bring the t bring the hind thee, if ore; thee, tore. DATS OF HEAVKN VPOV EARTH. January 15 ai "A8 ye have received Christ JeauB so walk In Him." Col. II. 6. DT Ik nmcli ciiwior to koop the fire burning thnn to rt'kindh' it after it has gone out. Lot us al)ide in Him. liet us not have to remove the cinders and ashes from o>ir hearthstones every day and kindle a new flame; but let us keep it burning and never let it ex- pire. Among the ancient Greeks the sacred fire was never allowed to go out; so, in a higher sense, let us keep the heavenly flame aglow upon the altar of the heart. It takes very much less effort to maintain a good habit than to form it. A true spiritual habit once formed becomes a spontaneous ten- dency of our being, and we grow into delight- ful freedom in following it. "Let us not bo ever laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, but let us go on unto perfec- tion; and whereto we have already attained, let U8 walk by the same rule, let us mind the same things." Every spiritual habit begins with difficulty and effort and watchfulness, but if we will only let it get thoroughly established, it will become a channel along which currents of life will flow with Divine spontaneousness and freedom. ^MMMl^^^ 22 DAYS OF HEAVKN Ut'ON EARTH. January 16 "Prove what Is that good, nnd acceptable and perfect will of God." Rom. xll. 2. HIERE are three conditions in which the water in that engine may be. First, the lioiler may be full and the water clean and clear; or, secondly, the ])oilet may not only be full but the water may be hot, very hot, hot enough to wnld you, al- most boiling; thirdly, it may be just one de- gree hotter and at the boiling point, giving forth its vapor in clouds of steam, pressing through the valves and driving the mighty piston which tnrns the wheels and propels the train of cars across the country. So there are three kinds of Christians. The first we will call cold water Christians, or, per- haps better, clean water Christians. Secondly, there are hot water Christiana. They are almost at the boiling point. One degree more, we come to the third class of Christians, the boiling water Christians. The difference is a very slight one; it simply takes one reservation out, drops one "if," eliminates a single touch, and yet is all the difference in the world. That one degree changes that engine into a motive nower, not now a thing to be locked at but a ' ■■ u< . iRTH. cceptable and in which the y be. First, id the water ly, the hoiler liter may ho m\{\ you, al- juat one de- point, giving am, pressing the mighty A propels the istians. The tians, or, per- ir ChrifltianB. nt. he third class !r Chnstians. ne; it simply ps one "if," fei is all the one degree vp oower, not DAYS OF HEAVISN t^PON EARTB. 23 January 17 •It |8 Ood that worketh \n you." Phil. U. 13. y^-, ,J I ') has not two ways for any of us; but f^ one. Not two things for im to do wliich we may chorwe l)etween; but one best and highest choice. it i.* a blessed thing to find and fill the perfect will of God. It is a blessiMl thing to have oar life laid out and our Christian work adjusted to God's i)lan. Much strength is lost by working at a venture. Much spiritual force is expended in wasted ef- fort, and scattered, indefinite and inconstant attempts at doing good. There is spiritual force and financial strength enough in the hands and hearts of the consecrated Christians of today to bring the coming of Christ, to bring about the evangelization of the world in a gen- eration, if it were only wisely directed and utilized according to God's plan. Christ has laid down a definite plan of work for His church, and lie expects us to under- stand it, and to work up to it; and as we catch His thought, and obediently, loyally, fulfill it, we shall work to purpose, and please Him far better than by our thoughtless, reckless, and indiscriminate attempts to carry out our ideas, and compel God to bless our work. IS4 i^ > Pi 24 DAY8 OF BEATEN UPON EARTH. January 18 "That take and gi\d for Me and thee." Matt, xvil. 27. ^mg^^^^m HERE is a beautiful touch of loving thoughtfuhiess in the account of Christ's miracle at Capernaum in pro- viding the tribute money. After the reference to Peter's interview with the tax col- lector, it is added, "When he came into the house Jesus prevented him," that is, anticipated him, as the old Saxon word means, by arranging for the need before Peter needed to speak about it at all, and He sent Peter down to the sea to find a piece of gold in the mouth of the fish. So our dear Lord is always thinking in ad- vance of our needs, and He loves to save ua from embarrassment, and anticipate our anx- ieties and cares by laying up His loving acts and providing before the emergency comes. Then with exquisite tenderness the Master adds: "That take and give for Me and thee." He puts Himself first in the emban-assing need, and bears the heavy end of the burden for His distressed and suffering child. He makes our cares His cares, our sorrows His sorrows, our shame His shame, and "He is able to be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." lARTH. thee." Matt. ich of loving account of naum in pro- y. After the h the tax col- into the house ticipated him, by arranging x> speak about L to the sea to af the tish. inking in ad- es to save us pate our anx- is loving acts gency comes. 3 the Maste.' Ae and thee." trvassing need, urden for His tie makes our } sorrows, our to be touched DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 2p January 19 "Prove me now herewith." Mai. 111. 10. BE once heard a simple old colored man say something that we have 1 never forgotten. "When God tests ..^ I you it is a good time for you to test Him by putting His promises to the proof, and claiming from Him just as much as your tnals have rendered necessary." There are two ways of getting out of a trial. One is to simply try to get rid of the trial, and be thankful when it is over. The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing than we have ever had, and to hail it with delight as an opportunity of obtaining a larger measure of Divine grace. Thus even the adversary becomes an auxil- iary, and the things that fieem to be against us turn out to be for the furtherance of our way. Surely, this is to l)e more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Blessed rose of Sharon Breathe upon our hearto, Fill us with Thy fragrance. Keep us as Thou art. Then Thy life will make ub Holy and complete; In Thy grace triumphant, In Thy sweetness, sweet. 2^ DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. January 20 "Ye knov not what mauner of spirit ye are of ' Luke Ix. 66. HOME one has said that the most spiritual people are the easiest to get along with. When one has a little of the Holy Ghost it is like "a little l^aming, a dangerous thing;" but a full baptism of the Holy Spirit, and a really disciplined, stablished and tested spiritual life, makes one simple, tender, toler- ant, considerate of others, and like a little child. James and John, in their early zeal, wanted to call down fire from heaven on the Samari- tans. But John, the aged, allowed Demetrius to exclude him from the church, and suffered in Patmos for the kingdom and with the pa- tience of Jesus. And aged Paul was willing to take back even Mark, whom he had refused as companion in his early ministry, and to ac- knowledge that he was profitable to him for the ministry. I want the love that cannot help but love; Loving, like God, for very sake of love. A spring so full that is must overflow, A fountain flowing from the throne above. "Now abideth faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love." DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EABTB. January 21 "Pray without ceasing." I Thess. v. 17. aN important help in the life of prayer is the-habit of bringing everything to God, moment by moment, as it comes to us in life. This may be established as a habit on the principle on which all habits are formed, of repeated and constant attention moment by moment, until that which is at first an act of will, becomes spontaneous and second If we will watch our lives we shpll find that God meets the things that we commit to Him in prayer with special blessing, and often al- lows the best things that we have not com- mitted to Him to be ineffectual, simply to re- mind us of our dependence upon Him for everything. It is very gracious and mindful ol Him thus gently to compel us to remember Him and to hold us so close to Him that we cannot get away even the length of a single minute from His all-sustaining arm. In ev- erything ... let our requests be made known unto God." Let U8 bring our least petitions, Like the Incense beaten small, All our cares, complaints, conditions JesuB loves to bear them all. A "..J 28 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTE. January 22 "His wife hath made herself ready." Rev. xix. 7. JHERE is clanger of beqpming morbid even in preparing for the Lord's com- ing. We remember a time in our life when we had devoted oxirselves to spend a month in waiting upon the Ix)rd for a bap- tism of the Holy Ghost, and before the end of the month, the I^rd shook lis out of our seclu- sion and compelled us to go out and carry His message to others; and as we went, He met us in the sei-vice. There is a musty, monkish way of seeking a blessing, and there is a wliolesome, practical holinc* which finds us in the company of the Iy>rd Himself not only in the closet and on the mountain-top of prayer, but among publicans and sinners, and in the practical duties of life. It seems to us that the practical preparation for the Lord's coming consists, first, of a verj' full entering into fellowship with Him in our own spiritual life, and letting Him not only cleanse us, but perfect us in all the finer touches of the Spirit's deeper work, and then, secondly, getting out of ourselves and living for the help of others and the preparation of the world for His appearing. ITff. Rev. xlx. 7. ig morbid ord's corn- in our life » to spend for a bap- the end of our seclu- carry His rle met us seeking a practical ny of the nd on the publicans !8 of life, reparation of a very im in our not only the finer snd then, nd living nation of DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 29 January 23 "I know a man In Chrlat." II Cor. xll. 2. DT is a great deliverance to lose one's self. There is no heavier millstone that one can be compelled to carry than self-con- sciousness. It is so easy to get intro- verted and coiled roimd one's self in our 8}.iritual consciousness. There is nothing that is so easy to fasten on as onr misery; there is nothing that is more apt to produce self- consciousness than suffering, until it becomes almost a settled habit to hold on to our burden, and pray it unceasingly into the very face of God, until our very prayer saturates us with our own misery, instead of asking for power to drop ourselves altogether, and leave ourselves in His loving hands and know that we are free, and then rise into the blessed liberty of His higher thoughts and will, and His love and care for others. The very act of letting go of ooraelves really lifts us into a higher plane, and relieves us from the thing that is hurting. This habit of prayer for others, and especially for the world, brings its owii recompense, and leaves upon our hearts a blessing like th«^ fertility which the Nile desposits upon the soil of Egypt, as it flows through to its distant goal. > 30 DAYB OF HEAVEN VPON EARTH. January 24 "Freely ye have received, freely give." Matt. X. 8. M HEN God does anything marked and special for our souls, or l)odies, He intends it as a sacred trust for us to communicate to others. "Free- ly ye have received, freely give." It has pleased the Master in these closing days of the dispensation to reveal Himself in peculiar blessing to the hearts of His chosen disciples in all parts of the Christian Church; but this is intended to be communicated to a still wider circle, and every one of us who has been brought into these intimate relations with God, becomes a trustee, or witness for these higher truths to every one we can influence. If God has revealed Himself to us as our Sanctifier, it is that we may help others to know Him as a Sanctif.er. If He has become our Healer, it is because there are sick and siifEering lives to whom we can bring some blessing. In like manner, if the hope of the Lord's coming has become precious to us, it would be worse than ingratitude for us to hide our testi- mony to this truth, and hold it only for our own personal comfort. ^J TH. ve." Matt. g marked or bodies, I trust for srs. "Free- '86 closing limself in lis chosen n Church; cated to a 18 who lias itions with for these iuence. us as our rs to know is because whofti we the Lord's t would be 5 our testi- ly for our DAYS OF HEAVEy Ul'ON EARTH. January 25 81 "Hold fast that which 1b good." I Thess. v. 21. DT is a great thing to be able to receive new truth and blessing without sacrificing the truths already proved, and abandon- ing foundations already laid. Some persons are always laying the founda- tions, and they present at last, the appearance of a lot of abandoned sites and half constructed buildings, and nothing is ever brought to com- pletion. The fact that you are abandoning today for some new truth the things that a year ago you counted most precious and believed to be Di- vinely true, should be sufficient evidence that you will probably a year from today abandon your present convictions for the next new hght that comes to you, God is ever wanting to add to us, to develop us, to enlarge us, to teach us more and more, but itis ever in the line of things which He has already taught us, and in which we have been established. Wliile we are to "prove all things, let us "hold fast that which is good," and "whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the sam^rule, let us mind the same thing." 32 DAYH OF HKAYEN UPON EARTH. January 26 "I called him alone and blessed him." Is. 11. 2. IHEN we wert! in the East we noticed the heautifnl process of raising rice. The rice is sown on a morass of mud and water, ploughed up hy great buffaloes, and after a few weeks it springs up and appears above the water with its beautiful Dale greeti shoots. The seed has been sown very thickly and the planta are clustered to- gether in great numbers, so that you can pull up a score at a single handful. But now comes the process of transplanting. He first plants us and lets us grow very close to some of His children, and in great clusters in the nursery or the hothouse, but when we reach a certain stage we must be transplanted, or come to nothing. He calls us out by His Spirit and Providence into situations where we have to lean directly on Him, where He puts upon us a weight of responsibility and service so great that we have an oppor' unity of developing and are thrown upon the great resources of His grace. "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is; for he shall be like a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the rivers." ^ lAUTH. m." IB. 11. 2. lat we noticed >f raising rice, iiorass of mud up by great it springs up 1 its beautiful as been sown clustered to- ; you can pull hit Dow comes le first plants a some of His n the nursery each a certain , or come to BEis Spirit and re we have to puts upon us a rvice so great ieveloping and wurces of His rusteth in the is; for he shall 'aters and that vers." 4 DAY8 OF HEAVEN UPON EAUTU. 33 January 27 "ThlB one thing I do." Phil. 11'.. 13. HNE of Satan's favorite employees is the switchman. He likes nothing better than to side-track one of God's express trains, sent on some blessed mission and tilled with the fire of a holy pur- pose. Something will come up in the pathway of the earnest soul^ to attract its attention and occupy its strength and thought. Sometimes it is a little irritation and provocation. Some- times it is some petty grievance we stop to pur- sue or adjust. Sometimes it is somebody else's business in which we become interested, and which we feel bound to rectify, and bt fore we know, we are absorbed in a lot of distracting cares and interests that quite turn us aside from the great purpose of pur life. Perhaps we do not do much harm, hut we have missed our connection. We have got off the main line. Let all these things alone. Ijct grievances come and go, but press forward steadily and irresistibly, turning neither to the right hand nor to the left, crying, as you haste to the goal, "This one thing I do." 84 DAY8 OF H RAVEN UPON EARTH. January 28 "That my Joy might remain in you, and that your Joy might be full." Jno. xv. 11. HIERK is a joy that springs spontaucous- ly in the heart without any ''xtornal or evon rational cause. It is an artesian fountain. It rejoices because it cannot help it. It is the glory of God; it is the heart of C-'hrist; it is the joy divine of which He says, "These things have I*8poken unto you that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." And your joy no man taketh from you. lie who possesses this fountain is not discouraged by surrounding circumstances, but is often surprised at the deep, sweet glad- ness that comes without any apparent cause, and even comes most strongly when everything in our condition and circumstances is fitted to fill us with sorrow and depression. It 18 the nightingale in the heart, which sings at night, and sings because it is its nature to sing. It is the glorified and incorrtiptible joy which belongs to heaven, and anticipates already the everlasting song. Lord, give me Thy joy under all circumstances this day, and let my full heart overflow in blessing to others. vrii. 1, and that ontancoim- y external Tt is an ie8 because God; it is le of which n unto you 1 that your nan taketh fountain is umstances, sweet glad- •cnt cause, everything is fitted to irhich sings 1 nature to ( joy which ilready the i joy under r full heart UAYH Of HEAVEN UPON EARTH. January 29 85 "Send portions to then, for whom nothing Is prepared." Neh. vlll. 10. HHAT was a fine picture in the days of Nehcniiali, wlu-n lliey were celebrating their glorious Feast of Tabernacles. "Neither bo ye sorry: for the joy of the Lord is your strength, do your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared." How many there are on every side for whom nothing is prepared! Let us find out some sad and needy heart for whom there is no one else to think or care. Let us pray for m>me one that has none to pray for him. Let us be like Ilini who, one Christmas Day, gave His life and His all, and came to those who would not ap- preciate U^s holy gift, but rejected His blessed Babe, and murdered His only Son. I^t us not J)e afraid to know something even of the love that is unrequited and is thrown away on the unworthy. That is the love of Christ, and Ood has for such love a rich recom- pense. How Christ must almost weep over the sel- fishness that meets Him from those for whom He died. M UAYB OF HKAVKN UPON EAHTU. January 30 "Ca«t down but not doBtroyed." II Cor. Iv. 9. HOW (lid ()o(l hrinu; about the miracle of the Kt* of )m above. n\ can wall We can al- Rculties are H>H them 80 ider or get ine element, ^ies of faith urgency into If you will » hold upon [nities again, II them not like Jacob, it Peniel, no (1. Jjet U8 lira true. OAfS OF HKWBN VPON BAttTU. January 31 31 "Jmub. who of Ood is made unto its wiadom, and rlghteouiineBB and aanctincatlon and redemp- Uon." 1 Cor. I. 30. ■MpHOHK and more wo nrc coming to sec I |\| the Hiiprcnic iniportimce of getting I I WJk the right concoijtion of winctifica- ■■■■ tion, not a« b l»Uwing, but as fi perHonal union with the perHonal Saviour and the indwelling Holy Spirit. ThouHanda of people get Htranded after they have embarked on the great voyage of holinesH. They find themselvcB failing and falling, and are astonished and perplexed, and they con- clude that they mvist have been mistaken in their experience, and so they make a new at- tempt at the same thing and again fall, until at last, worn out with the experiment, they con- clude that the experience is a delusion, or, at least, that it was never intended for them, and so they fall back into the old way, aud their last state is worse than their first. What people need today to satisfy their deep hunger and to give them a permanent and Di- vine experience is to know, not sanctification as a state, but Christ as a living Person, who is waiting to enter the heart that is willing to re- ceive Ilim. i BAVS op heaven UPOif EAttPH. February 1 "A well of water springing up." Jno. iv. 14. DN the life overflowing in service for oth- ers, we find the deep fountain of life run- ning over the spring and finding vent in rivers of living water that go out to bless and save the world around us. It is beautiful to notice that as the blessing grows unselfish it grows larger. The water in the heart is only a well, but when reaching out to the needs of others it it not only a river, but a delta of many rivers, ovei*flowing in majestic blessing. This overflowing love is connected with the person and work of the Holy Spirit which was to be poured out upon the disciples after Jesus was glorified. This is the true secret of power for service, the heai-t filled and satisfied with Jesus, and so baptized with the Holy Ghost that it is im- pelled by the fulness of its joy and love to im- part to others what it has so abundantly re- ceived, and yet each new ministry only makes room for a new filling and a deeper receiving of the life which grows by giving. Letting go is twice possesfiing, Would you double every blessing, Pass it on. AMit. Jno. Iv. 14. rvice for oth- in of life run- ading vent in ;o out to bless s beautiful to 3 unselfish it eart is only a the needs of lelta of many essing. This h the person ch was to be ;er Jesus was r for service, Jesus, and so [lat it is ini- d love to im- lundantly re- y only makes per receiving ling, lessing, OAtS OK ttt)AVBN UPON EARTH. February 2 3d "And he that will be great among you. Jft h m be your miniater. And whosoever 7"» ^e chle' among you, let him be the slave of all. Matt. XX. 26, 27. ILAVP: is the literal meaning of the word, cloulos. The first word used for service is Idiahanos, which means a minister to to others in any usual way or work; but the word dgulos means a bond slave, and the Lord here plainly teaches us that the highest service is that of a bond slave. He Himself mftde Himself the servant of all, and he who would come nearest to Him and stand closest to Him at last, must likewise learn the spirit of the ministry that has utterly re- nounced selfish rights and claims forever. It is quite possible to be entirely loyal to the T^rd Jesus, and yet for Jesus' sake, a servant ourselves, and under the authority of those who are over us in the Lord. The douhs spirit is the spirit of self-renun- ciation and glad submission to proper authority, service utterly disinterested, and living to yield our preferences and interests unreservedly for ttie glory of the Master and the sake of our brethren. Ix)rd, clothe us with humility and make us wholly Thine. 40 DAYS OP BEAVEV VPON EARTB. February 3 "He went out, not knowing whither He went." Heb. xi. 8. DT ie faith without sight. When we can see, it is not faith but reasoning. In crossing the Atlantic we observed this very principle of faith. We saw no path upon the sea nor sign of the shore. And yet day by day we were marking our path upon the cliart as exactly as if there had followed us a great chalk line upon the sea. And when we came within twenty njiles of land we knew where we were as exactly as if we had seen it all three thousand miles ahead. How had we measured and marked our course? Day by day our captain had taken his instruments, and looking up to the sky had fixed his course by the sun. He was sailing by the heavenly, not the earthly lights. So faith looks up and sails on, by God's great Sun, not seeing one shore line or earthly lighthouse or path upon the way. Often its steps seem to lead into utter uncertainty, and even darkness and disaster. But He opens the way, and often makes such midnight hours the very gates of day. Let us go forth this day, not knowing but trusting. UTB. r He went." hen we can mning. In »erved tiiis saw no path !. And yet th upon the llowed us a id when we i we knew d seen it all narked our id taken hie lie sky had B sailing by I. So faith at Sun, not ^hthouse or sps seem to en darkness ^, and often iry gates of ;nowing but DAI'S OF BSAtUN VPOtt BARfH. 41 February 4 "Lo, I am with you alway." Matt, xxviil. 20. HIIS living Christ is not the person that was, but the person that still i8,your liv- ing Lord. At Preston Pans, near Edin- burgh,! looked on the field where in the oldea days armies were engaged in contest. In the crisis of the battle a chieftain fell wounded. His men were about to shrink away from the field when they saw their leader's form go down, and their strong hands held the claymore with trembling grip, and they faltered for a moment. Then the old chieftain rallied strength enough to rise on his elbow and cry: "I am not dead, my children, I am only watching you— to see my clansmen do their duty." And so from the other side of Calvary He is speaking; we cannot see Him, but He says, "Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world;" and He puts it, "I am"— an uninterrupted and con- tinuous presence. Not "I will be," but the un- broken presence still is with us forevermore. Soon the conflict shall be done, Soon the battle shall be won; Soon shaU wave the victor's palm; Soon shall sing the eternal Psalm; Then our Jojrful song shall be, I have overcome through Thee. 42 DAVS OF QEAVm VPON EARfB. February 5 "Rest in the Lord." Ps. xxxvll. DN the old creation the week began with work and ended with Sabbath rest. The resurrection week begins with the first day — first rest, then labor. So we must first cease from our own works as God did from His, and enter into His rest, and then we will work, with rested hearts. His works with effectual power. But why "labor to enter into rest?" See that ship — ^how restfuUy she sails over the waters, her sails swelling with the gale; and borne with- out an effort! And yet, look at that man at the helm. See how firmly he holds the rud- der, bearing against the wind, and holding her steady to her position. Let him. for a moment relax his steady hold and the ship will fall listlessly along the wind. The sails will flap, the waves will toss the vessel at their will, and all rest and power will haVe gone. It is the fixed helm that brings the steadying power -of the wind. And sp He has safd, "'Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Vhose mind is stayed on Thee, becati^e he trust^th in Tliee.'' The steady will and stayed heart arfe ours. The keeping is the Lord's. So fet us labor to enter and abide in His rest. B. gan with est. The the first v^n works His rest, tarts. His See that e waters, me with- b man at the rud- Lding hef moment wiU fall will Jiap, will, and It is the power Oif 'hou wilt mind is n Thee." irs. The ' to enter DAtS OP HBAVMN VPON BARTE. 4« February 6 Praying always for all Bainta." Bph. vl. 18. IfE good counsel will suffice just now. stop praying so much for yourself; be- gin to ask unselfish things, and see if God won't give you faith. See how much easier it will he to believe for another than for your own petty self. Try the effect of praying for the world, for definite things, for difficult things, for glorious things, for things that will honor Christ and save mankind, and after you have received a few wonderful an- swers to prayer in this dire«?tiQn, see if you won't feel stronger to touch your own little burden with a Divine faith, and theii go back ; again to the high place of unselfish prayer for others. Have you ever learned the beautiful art of let- ting God take care of you, and giving all your thought and strength to pray for others and for the kingdom of God? It will relieve you of a thousand Cfures. It will lift you up into a noble and lofty sphere, and teach you to live and love like God. Lord save us from our sel- fish prayers and give us the faith that worketh by love, and the heart of Christ for a perishing world. 44 nAY8 Of BSAVtlN VPON EARTB. February 7 "Faithful In that which 1b least." Luke xvl. 10. H[E man that missed his opportunity and met the doom of a faithless servant was not the man with fire talents, or the man with two, but the man who had only one. The people who are in danger of missing life's great meaning are the people of ordinary capacity and opportunity, and who say to them- selves, "There is so little that I can do that I will not try to do anything." One of the finest windows in Europe was made from the rem- nants an apprentice boy collected from the cut- tings of his master's great work. The sweep- ings of the British mint are worth millions. The little pivots on which the works of your watch turn are are so important that they are actually made of jewels. And so God places a solemn value and responsibility on the humble workers, the people that try to hide behind their insignificance the trifling opportunities and the single talents; and our littleness will not excuse us in the reckoning day. "Talk not of talents, what hast thou to do? Thou hast sufficient, whether five or two. Talk not of talents; Is thy duty done? This brings the blessing whether ten or one." I! Ttt. ke xvl. 10, tunity afid ervant was >r the man had only of missing f ordinary y to them- do that I ' the finest the rem- m the cut-- 'he sweep- L millions. a of your t they are >d places a tie humble de behind jortunities [enesB will do? two. or one." DAYS OF U HAVEN UPON EARTH. 45 February 8 "We are not Bufflclent of oureelveB to think any- thing as of ourselves," II Cor. HI. B. DNSUFFICIENT, "All sufficient." These two words form the complement of each other and together give the key to an efficient Christian life. The dis- covery and full conviction of our utter helpless- ness is the constant condition of spiritual sup- ply. The aim of the Old Testament, therefore, is ever to show man's failure; that f the New, to reveal Christ's sufficiency. He has all things for us, but we cannot receive them till we know that we have nothing. The very essence, therefore, of Christian per- fection is the constant renunciation of our own perfection, and the continual acceptance of Christ's righteousness. And as we receive deeper ^iews of our nothingness and evil, it is but a call to claim, more of His rich grace. But it is possible fully to know our insufficiency and yet not take firmly hold of His "all things." This, too, must be done with a faith that will not accept less than ALL. The prophet was angry because the king of Israel had only smit- ten thrice upon the ground. He should have done it five or six times. He might have had all. So let us meet H is greatness and grace. 46 UAYH OF U MAS EN UPON KARTll. February 9 "None of these things move me." Acts xx. 24. ^P^BHE best eviden ^ of God's presence is Vflfl the devil's growl. So wrote good ^^B Mr. Spurgeon once in "The Sword ^*" and the Trowel," and that little sen- tence has helped many a tried and tired child of God to stand fast ano even rejoice under the fiercest attacks of the foe. We read in the book of Samuel that the mo- ment that David was crowned at Hebron, "All the Philistines came up to seek David." And the moment we get anything from the Lord worth contending for, then the devil comes to seek us. When the enemy meets us at the threshold of any great work for God let us accept it as "a token of salvation," and claim double blessing, victory and power. Power is developed by re- sistance. The cannon carries twi(>(> as far be- cause the exploding power has to ind its way through resistance. The way eleci i icity is pro- duced in the power-house yonder is by the sharp friction of the revolving wheels. And so we shall find some day that even Satan has been of God's agencies of blessing. DAYS Of HK.WEN UPON EARTH. February 10 47 "I am crucined with ChriBt; neverthelesB 1 live." Gal. 11. 20. 0HRTST lift' is in harmony with our na- ture. A lady asked me the other day —a tlioughtful,intelligent woman who was not a Christian, but had the deep- est hunger for that which is right: "How can this be BO, and we not lose our individuality! This will destroy our personality, and it violates our responsibility as individuals." I said: "Dear sister, your personality is only half without Christ. Christ was made for you, and you were made for Christ, and until you meet you are not complete, and He needs you as you need Him." I said: "Suppose that gaB- jet" should say, 'If I take this fire in, the gas will lose its individuality.' Oh, no; it is only when the fire comes in that the gas fulfills its very purpose of being. Suppose the snowflake should say, 'What shall T do? If I drop on the ground I shall lose my individuality.' But it falls and is absorbed by the soil, and the snow- flakes are seen by-and-by in the primroses and daisies. J/et us lose ourselves and rise to new life in Christ. 48 DAYti or MKAIKS UPON EARTU. February II "Strengthened with all might unto all patience." Col. i. 11. BI^^B HE apostle prays for tlie Colossians, that Hrj|fl they may be "strenf^thened with all ^^H might, according to His glorious power, 1^^^ unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness." It is one thing to endure and show the strain on every muscle of your face, and seem to say with every wrinkle, "Why does not somebody sympathize with me?" It is an- other to endure the cross, "despising the shame" for the joy set before us. There are some trees in the garden of the Lord which "shall not see when heat cometh;" and shall not be careful in the year of drought, nor cease from yielding fruit. Let us set our faces toward the sunnsing and use the clouds that come, to make rainbows. Not much longer shall we have the glorious opportunity to rejoice in tribulation, and learn patience. In heaven Me shall have nothing to teach long- suffering. If we do not learn it here, we shall be without our brightest crown forever, and wish ourselves back for a little while, in the very circumstances of which we are now trying so hard to get rid. • DAYH OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. February 12 49 "But seek ye flnit the Kingdom of Qod. and His rlgbteouanosa. and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt. vl. 88. OR ovpry heart that is seeking anything from the Lord this is a good watch- word. That very thing, or the desire for it. may unconsciously separate yoxi from the Lord, or at least from the single- ness of your purpose unto Him. The thing vve desire may be a right thing, hvit we may de- sire it in a distrusting and selfish spirit. I^et us commit it to Him, and not cease to believe for it, but let us, at the same time, keep our purpose fixed on His will and glory, ard claim even His promised blessings, not for them- selves or ourselves, but for Him. Then shall it be true, "Delight thyself in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." All other things, but Himself God will "add." Bui they mvist be ever added, and never f.r8t. Then shall we be able to believe for them without doubt, when we claim them for Him and not for ourselves. Tt is only when ''we are Christ's" that "all things are oars." liord, help me this day to seek Thee first, and be more desirous to please Thee and have Thy will than to possess any other blessing. f M DAYH OF U HAVEN UPON EaRTU. February 13 "Thy prayera are come up for a memorial before Ood." Acta X. 4. m HAT a boautifiil i'X|)reHHion the angel uwhI to ComeliuH, "Thy prayers are come lip for a irnMiiorial." It would almost mcni aR if HtipplicationH of years had accntniilated before the Throne, and at last the answer broke in blessings on the head of Cornelius, even as the aceuraula(.ef the iliing it touches. Thorc are tlie severe trials that come to minds more sensitive, to the minds that have more points of contact with what hurts; so that the higher the nature the higher the joy, iir>d the greater the aveniu's of pain that come. And then there are deeper trials that come as we pass into the hands of God, as we paas from the physical and intellectual into the spiritual nature. When it first comes, we shrink back from its unnatural and fearful breath, and we say: "Oh, this cannot be from the hand of a loving Fa- ther! This cannot be necessary to me." And then the pains and 8utTerinsj;8 that come from God's own hand, when He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver, when He lets it bum, until it seems that we must he burned to ashes, and we are, indeed, at last burned to ashes. But we must get the victory through faith. The moment you cease to fear it, that moment it ceases to harm you. He says, "The flames shall not kindle upon you." 52 DAYS OF HEAVEN VPON EARTH. February 15 "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." II. Tim. li. 1. OW to enjoy this day. This will never come by trying to be happy and yet we are responsible for the conditions of real joy. 1. Be right with God; for "Gladness is sown for the upright in heart." "It is His joy that remains in lis that makes our joy to be full." 3. Forget yourself and live for others; for "It is more blessed to give than to receive." 3. When you cannot rejoice in feelings, cir- cumstances and states, "rejoice in the Lord," and "count it all joy, when ye fall into divers temptations." Finally, obey the Lord and be faithful to your trust; ar d again and again will His blessed Spirit whisper to your heart, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy T^rd." "Not enjoyment and not sorrow Is our destined end or way, But to act that each tomorrow Finds us farther than today. I>et us then be up and doing With a heart for any fate, Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait." EARTH. in Christ Jesus." This will never ippy and yet we ; conditions of ladness is sown is His joy that ■ to be full." for others; for to receive." in feelings, cir- in the Lord," fall into divers be faithful to will His blessed Veil done, good the joy of thy orrow iray, orrow )day. ng ite, ing, lit." DArS OF HEAVEV UPON EARTH. February 16 53 "We will give ourselves continually to prayer." Acts vl. 4. DK the consecrated believer the Holy Spirit is pre-eminently a Spirit of pray- er. If our whole being is committed to Him, and our thoughts are at His bid- ding, He will occupy every moment in com- munion and occupy every thing as it comes, and we shall pray it out in our spiritual consciousness before we act it out in our lives. We shall, therefore, find ourselves taking up the burdens of life and praying them out in a woi-dless pray- er which we ourselves often cannot understand, but which is simply the unfolding of His thought and will within us, and which will be followed by the unfolding of His providence concerning us. ,. ^ xi. Want of faithfulness and obedience to the faintest whisper of His will will often hinder some blessing which He meant for us until af- ter a while we may get so dull and neghgent that He will not be able to trust us with His whispers and we shall thus stumble on m the darkness and miss His highest thoughts. T^rd, teach us to pray in the Spirit, to pray without ceasing and to lose nothing of Thy will. DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. February 17 "Your life is hid." Col. 111. 3. BOME Christians loom up in larger pro- portion than is becoming. They can tell, and others can tell, how many souls they bring to Christ. Their labor seems to crystallize and become its own me- morial. Others again seem to blend so wholly with other workers that their own individuality can scarcely be traced. And yet, after all, this is the most Christ-like ministry of all, for the Master Himself does not even appear in the work of the church except as her hidden Life and ascended Head, and even the Holy Spirit is lost in the vessels that He uses. The vine does not bear the fruit, and even the sap is un- seen in its ceaseless flow, and it is the little branches which bear all the clusters and seem to have all the honor of the vintage. And so the nearer we come to Christ the more we are willing to be lost sight of in our fruit, and let others be more prominent, while we are the glad and willing witnesses of our testimony and hold up their hands by the silent ministry of love and prayer. Lord, let me be like the veiled seraphim before the throne, who cover their faces and their feet, and hide themselves and their service while they fly to obey Thee. [RTH. larger pro- They can " many souls riieir labor ts own me- ld 80 wholly ndividuality fter all^ this all, for the pear in the hidden Life Holy Spirit The vine e sap is un- is the little •8 and seem ;e. And so ttore we are uit, and let we are the ' testimony nt ministry be like the who cover themselves ley Thee. DAY^ OF HEAVEV VPOV EARTH. S5 February 18 "ChrlBt In you." Col. 1. 27. JW great the difference between ttie old and the new way of deliverance! One touch of Christ is worth a lifetime of struggling. A sufferer in one of our hospitals was in danger of losing his sight from a small piece of broken needle that had entered 1"8 eye. , • i. *„j Operation after operation had only irritated it, and driven the foreign substance farther still into the delicate nerves of the sensitive organ. At length a skillful young physician thought of a new expedient. He came one day without lancet and probes, and holding m his hand a small but powerful magnet, which he kept before the wounded eje, as close as it could bear. Immediately the piece of steel be- gan to move toward the powerful attraction, and soon flew up to meet it and left the suf- fering eye completely relieved, without an ef- fort or a laceration. It was as simple as it was wonderful. By a single touch of power the or- gan was saved and a dangerous trouble com- pletely cured. , ., • i It is thus that God delivers U9, by the simple attraction of Christ's life and power. i I 6« DAYS OF HUAYBV UPON EARTH. February 19 j "Ab much as In me Is I am ready." Rom. 1. 15. 0E earnest. Intense eameBtness, a whole heart for Chriet, the passion sign of the cross, the enthusiasm of our whole l)e- ing for our Master and humanity — this is what the Lord expects, this is what His cross deserves, this is what the world needs, this is what the age has a right to look for. Every- thing around us is intensely alive. Life is earnest, death is earnest, sin is earnest, men are earnest, business is earnest, knowledge is earn- est, the age is earnest; God forgive us if we alone are trifling in the white heart ot this crisis time. Oh, for the baptism of fire! Oh, for the living coal upon the burning lips of love! Oh, for men God-possessed and self- surrendered grasping God's great idea and pressing forward for the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. All the world for Jesus My prayer shall be, And my watchword ever, Himself for me. All the world for Jesus, Lord, quickly come, Bring Thy promised kingdom. And take us home. ^Eit ii ' i ri .j»i t/' i ' i°5-:^" RTH. Rom. 1. 16. less, a whole a sign of the ir whole l)e- aanity — this at His cross Jeds, this is 'or. Every- ;. Life is est, men are dge is earn- fe us if we jart ot this f fire! Oh, ling lips of d and self- t idea and tlie prize of BUS. m, DAYS OF BBAVEN UPON EARTH. 57 February 30 ■■Pef.- thou not. for I am with thee." Isaiah xli. 10. H.TAN is always trying to weaken your faith hy fear. Ue is a great metaphysi- cian and he knows the paralyzing effect of fear, and that it is the great enemy of faith, and faith is the great secret of help. If he can get us fearing he will stop us trustmg and hinder the very blessing we need. Job found the peril of fear and gives us the sorrow- ful testimony, "1 feared a fear and it came "^Fear !s born of Satan, and if we would only take time to think a moment we would see that everything Satan says is founded upon a false- hood He is the father of lies. Even his fears are falsehoods and his terrors ought rather be to us encouragements. When Satan tells you, therefore, that some ill is going to come, you may quietly look in his face and t*ll him he is a liar, that instead o ill goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your Ufe, and then turn to your blessed Lord and say, "What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee." Every fear is distrust and trust is the remedy for fear. "What time I am afraid I will trust in thee." 68 DAY8 OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. February 21 "Be not dismayed, for I am thy God." Isa. xll. 10. ^^SjjOW tenderly God is always comforting I kn ""'^ fears! How sweetly He says in MjM Tsaiah xli. 10, "Fear not; for I am with ™*M thee: be not dismayed ;f or I am thy God: I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness." And yet again with still tenderer thoufjhtfulness, "I, the Lord thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not, I will help thee." Not only does He say it once, but He keeps holding our right hand and repeating such promises. The blessed Lord has condensed it all into one sweet monogram of eternal comfort in His message to the disciples on the sea of Galilee, "It is I; be not afraid." He does not say, "It is over," or "It is morning," or "It is fine weather," or "It is smooth water," but He says, "It is Ij be not afraid." He is the antidote to fear. He is the remedy for trouble; He is the substance and the sum of deliverance. There- fore, we should rise above fear. Let us keep our eyes fastened upon Him; let us abide con- tinually in Him; let us be content with Him; let us cling closely to Him and cry, "We will not fear though the oartli be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." TH. 'BO. xli. 10. omforting s says in [ am with L am thy t hand of with still thy God, nto thee, ' does He our right t all into rt in His f Galilee, t say, "It t is fine He says, itldote to le is the There- US keep )ide cou- th Him; J will not )ugh the the sea." DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. February 22 59 m ••He that liath entered Into His rest hath ceased from hlB own works even as God did from His." Heb. Iv. 10. AT a rest it would be to many of us if we could but excliange burdens with Christ, and so utterly and for- ever transfer to Him all our cares and needs that we would not feel tienceforth re- sponsible for our burdens, but that He has un- dertaken all the care and that our faith wes sim- ply to carry His burdens, and think, pray, lahor, and suiTer only for us and our interests. This .8 what He tnily invites us to do. "Come unto Me," He says, "all ye that labor and are heavy- laden and I will rest you," and then He adds, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me." He takes our yoke and we take His and we find it a thousand times easier to carry one of His burdens than to carry our own. How much more delightful it is to spend an hour in sup- plication for another than five minutes in pleading for ourselves. Are we not weary of carrying our wretched loads? 'Twas for this His mercy sought you, And to all His fulness brought you, By the precious blood that bought you. Pass it on. 60 DArs OP BEATEN UPON EARTH. February 23 "For me to live Is Christ and to die Is gain " Phil. 1. 21. ■JjjHE secret of a sound body is a sound ■ H '^^'"^' ^"'^ *^^ prayer of the Holy Ghost |L^H for us is, that we may be in health and '^•■' prosper even aa our soul prospers. We find Paul in the Epistles to the Philip- pians expressing a 8u))lime and holy indiffer- ence to the question of life or death. Indeed he is in a real strait, whether he would prefer to depart and be with Christ, or to remain still in the flesh. The fonner would indeed be his sweetest preference, but the latter would be at the same time a joyful service. His only object in want- ing to Uve is to be a blessing. "To abide in the flesh is more needful to you." Having reached this state of heart, it is beautiful to notice how quickly he rises to the victorious faith necessary to claim perfect strength and health. Because it is more need- ful to you that I abide in the flesh, he adds, "I know that I shall continue with you all, for your furtherance and joy of faith." Lord, help me today to "count not my life dear unto myself that I may finish my course with joy and the ministry that I have received of Jesus." lWJ « .i | Wm ii l i W li ARTH. die is gain." y is a sound 3 Holy Ghost II health and •ospers. t the Philip- oly indiffer- ith. Indeed yould prefer remain still his sweetest at the same ect in want- abide in the heart, it is rises to the lim perfect more need- he adds, "I you all, for Lord, help dear unto ^ith joy and Jesus." DAYS OF IIMAVEN UPON EARTH. February 24 61 "Sm shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law, but under grace.' Rom. vl. 14. H[B secret of Moses' failures was this: "TIk' law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did." And this was why his life work also came short of full realization. He saw but entered not the Promised Land. The founder of tl e law had to be it« victim, that his hfe and death might demonstrate the inability of the law to lead any man into the Prom.sed Land. The verv fact, that it was for so slight a fault that Mo;es lost his inheritance, makes all the more emphatic the solemn sentence of the a^^ "f^ursed is every one that continueth not m all things that are written in the Book of the Tjaw to do them." But to the glory of the grace of God we can add that what the law could not do for Moses the Gospel did; and he who could not pass over Jordan under the old dispensation is seen on tbe very heights of Hermon with the Son of Man, sharing His Transfiguration Klory, am talking of that death on Calvary to which h owed his glorious destiny. ,v,^ n^. That grace we have inherited under the Uo - pel of Jesus Christ. 63 hAYH OF H HAVEN UPON EARTH. February 25 "I am the vine, ye are the branches." Jno. xv. 5. HOW can T tako Christ as niySanotiflci< or Healer? is a question that we are C())n. stantly asked. It is necessary first of all that we get into the posture of fait'u. This has to be done by a definite and vohmtai-y act, and then maintained by a uniform habit. It is just the same as the plantinji of a tree. You must put it in the soil by a definite act, and then you must let it stay put and remain fixed and settled in the ground until the little roots have time to fix themselves and begin to draw the sustenance from the soil. There are two stages, the definite planting and then the habitual absorbing of moisture and nourish- ment from the ground. The root fibres must rest until they reach out their spongy pores and drink in the nutriment of the earth. After the habit is established, then by a certain uniform law, the plant draws its life from the ground without an effort, and it is just as natural for it grow as it is for us to breathe. Lord, help me this day t« abide in Thee, and ) grow into the haliit of drawing all ray life .Tom Thine so that it shall be true lor me, "In Him I live and move and have my being." 5r//. Jno. xV. 5. motifiei^ or V are CAnn- first of trll 1' of fait^i. volimtm-y )rin habi t. of a tree:, sfinite act, id remain 1 the little 1 begin to There are then the nourish- bres must pores ajid After the I uniform le ground iiral for it rhee, and II my life r me, "In ng.» DAYB OF HEAVEN Ul'ON EARTH. February 26 ■•Makeyou perfertln every goodwork." Heb.xlll.21. IN that boautiful prayer at the close of the Epistlo to th.. flcbrewB, "Now the Ood of peace, that brought agai.> from the dead, _. Jesus {^hrist, that great Shopbord of the sheep, through the blood of the e.erlasUng covenant, make you perfect m every good ^.ork Tdo IIi; will." The phrase, "Make you per- fect in every good work." literally ">««"«.;;" said, "adjust you in every good work. it is great thi^g to be adjusted, adjusted to cu.r sur- roundings and circumstances ^^'^^^^ '^'l''l ing to have them adjusted to us aflj"«t«d ^o the people we are thrown with, adjusted to the work God has for us, and not trymg to get God to help us to do our work; adjusted to do the very will and plan of (Jod for us m our whole life. This is the secret of rest, power and freedom in our life-work. "Oh, All me with Thy fulness. Ix)rd, Until my very heart o'erflow In kindling thought and glowing word. Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show. Oh, use me, Lord, use ev'i me, .Tuat as Thou wilt, and when, and where; Until Thy blessed face I see, Thy rest. Thy joy. Thy glory share." M DAYS OF HEAVEV UPON EARTH. February 27 "Stablish, strengthen, settle you." I. Pet. V. 10. DN taking Clirist in any new relationship, we must firet have MifTieient Int/»lleptu8l light to satisfy our mind that we are en- titled to stand in this relationship. The shadow of a (juestion here will wreck our con- fidence. Then, liaving seen this, we must make the venttire, the committal, the choice, and take the place just as definitely as the tree is planted in the soil, or the bride gives herself away at the marriage altar. It must be once for all, without reserve, without recall. Then there is a season of establishing, set- tling and testing, during which we must stay put until the new relationship gets so fixed as to l)ecome a permanent habit. It is just the same as when the surgeon seta the broken arm. He puts it in splints to keep it from vibration-. So God has His spiritual splints that He wants to put upon His children and keep them quiet and unmoved until they pass the first stage of faith. It is not always easy work for us, "but, the God of Jill grace who hath called you unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered awhile, stablish, strengthen, settle you." ,v ifaiiiair|ifliirn the Lord; n sitting at His 1 of His word. "That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost." H Tim. 1. 14. 0OD gives to us a power within us which will hold our hearts in victory and purity. "That good thing which was committed unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us." It is the Holy Ghost; and when any thought or suggestion of evil arises in our breast, the quick conscience can instantly call upon the Holy Ghost to drive it out, and He will expel it at the command of faith or prayer, and keep us as pare as we are willing to be kept. But when the will sur- renders and consents to evil, the Holy Ghost will not expel it. God, then, requires us to stand in holy vigilance, and He will do exceed- incr abundantly for us as we hold fast that which is good, and He will also be in us a spmt of vigilance, showing us the evil and enabhng us to detect it, and to bring it to Him for ex- pulsion and destruction. Spirit of Jesus fill us until we shall have room only for Thee!" O, come as the heart-searching Are. O, come as the sin-cleansing flood; Consume us with holy desire, And fill with fullness of God. m'imtJMj!mmM0[ 68 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. March 3 "Now no chastening for the present »eemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward." Heb. xll. 11. 0OD seems to love to work by paradoxes and contraries. In the traneforma- tions of grace, the bitter is the base of the sweet, night is the mother of day, and death is the gate of life. Many people are wanting power. Now, how is power prodnced? The other day we passed the great works where the trolley engines are supplied with electricity. We heard the hum and roar of countless wheels, and we asked our friend, 'TIow do they make the power?" "Why," he said, "just by the revolution of those wheels and the friction they produce. The rubbing creates the electric current." It is very simple, and a trifling experiment will prove it to any one. And 80 when God wants to bring more pow- er into your life, He brings more pressure. He is generating spiritual force by hard rubbing. Some of us don't like it. . Some of us don't un- derstand, and we try to run away from the pres- sure, instead of getting the power and using it to rise above the painful cause. tTH. Heemeth to afterward." ' paradoxes rancforma- 18 The base mother of Now, how ' we engines are •d the h\im e asked our le power?" volution of ;y produce, rent.^' experiment ; more pow- essure. He rd rubbing, as don't un- )m the pres- md using it DAtS OF tiEAVEN UPON EARTH. M March 4 "They were all flUed with the Holy Ghost." Acts 11. 4. 0rjESSED secret of H])iritiial purity, vic- tory aiid joy, of physical life and heal- ing, and all power for service! Filled with the Spirit there is no room for self or sin, for fret or care. Filled with the Spirit we repel the elements of disease that axe in the air as the red-hot iron repels the water that touches it. Filled with the Spirit we are always ready for service, and Satan turns away when he finds the Holy Ghost enrobing us m His garments of holy fi.me. Not half-ftlled, but filled with the Spirit is the place of victory and power. This is not only a privilege; it is a command, and He who gave it will enable us to fulfill it if we bring it to Him with an empty, honest, trusting heart, and claim our privilege in the name of Jesus and for the glory of God. Holy Ghost, I bid Thee welcome, Come and be my Holy Guest; Heavenly Dove within my bosom, M»ke Thy home and build Thy nest; Lead me on to all Thy fullness, Bring me to Thy Promised Rest, Holy Ghost, I bid Thee welcome. Come and be my Holy Guest. .. — . . B i ffflfflS - ^f ^^t^^tW^-^ 70 DAYS OF HEAVEJf VPON E ART ft. March 5 "I have overcome the world." Jno. x. 0HRIST has overcome for every one of our four terrible foes — Sin, Sickness, Sorrow, Satan. He has borne our Sin, and we may lay all, even down to our sinfulness itself, on Him. "I have over- come for thee." He has borne our sickness, and we may detach ourselves from our old in- firmities and rise into His glorious life and strength. He has borne our sorrows, tuid we must not even carry a care, but rejoice ever- more, and even glory in tribulations also. And He has conquered Satan for us, too, and left him nailed to the cross, spoiled and dishonored and but a shadow of himself. And now we have but to claim His full atonement and assert our victory, and so "overcome him by the blood of the ]jamb and the word of our testimony." Belored, are we overcoming sin? Are we overeoming sickness? Are we overcoming sor- row? Are we overcoming Satan? Pear not, though the strife be long; Faint not, though the foe be strong; Trust thy glorious Captain's power; Watch with Him one little hour, Hear Him calling. "Follow Me, "I have overci'me for thee." '.fit. >. X. ery one of , Sickness, nc our Sin, r»wn to our lave over- ir sickness, 3ur old in- 18 life and v's, tuid we ijoice ever- also. And 0, and left dishonored id now we t and assert y the blood timony." Are we joming sor- T)AYS OP HEAVEN VPOK EARTH. March 6 -Lean not unto thine own understanding.' Prov. ill. 5. B\ITH is hindered by reliance upon hu- man wisdom, whether our own or the wisdom of others. The devil's first baat to Eve was an offer of wisdom, and for this she sold her faith. "Ye shall be as gods," he said, "knowing good and evil," and from the hour she began to know she ceased to trust. It was the spies that lost the l^nd of Promise to Israel of old. It was their f<«>ljfl^ P^'*?^- tion to search out the land, aaid fi^d out by investigation whether God had told the truth or not, that led to the awful outbreak of unbelief that shut the doors of Canaan to a whole gen- eration. It iB very significant that the names of these spies are nearly all suggestive of human wisdom, greatness and fame. So in the days of Christ, it waa the bondage of the Jews to the traditions of the fathers and the opinions of men, that Jkept them back from receiving Him. "How can ye beheve. He asked, "which receive honor from men, ana seek not that which cometh from God only? Let us trust Him with all our heart and lean not to own understanding. imiS:^! ' ^' 72 DAYS OF BEATEN UPON EARTB. March 7 "It Is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts XX. 36. HOW shall we know the difference be- tween the earthly and the heavenly love? The one terminates on ourselves and is partly ourself seeking its own gratification. The other reaches out to God and others, and finds its joy in glorifying Him and blessing them. Love is unselfishness, and the love that is not unselfish is not divine. How .Much do we pray for others, and how much for ourselves? What is the centre of our be- ing? oureelves, or our Lord and His people and work? The Lord help us to know more fully the meaning of that great truth, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." "He that sav- eth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for My sake and the Gospel, shall keep it unto life eternal." Have you found some precious treasure. Pass It on. Have you found some holy pleasure, Pass it on. Giving out is twice possessing. Love will double every blessing, On to higher service pressing, Pass it on. RTB. to receive." ference be- e heavenly ►n onrselves ng its own out to God ifying Him shnees, and livine. How how much of our be- people and more fully *It is more le that sav- t loseth his lall keep it sasure, re, DAta Of HEAVEN VFON EARTH. 73 March 8 "Pray ye therefore." Luke x. 2. jRAYER is the mighty engine that is to move the missionary work. "Pray ye therefore the T-iord of the harvest that He will send forth laborers into His harvest." We are asking God to touch the hearts of men every day by the Holy Ghost, so that they shall be compelled to go abroad and preach the Gos- pel. We are asking Him to wake them up at night with the solemn conviction that the heathen are perishing, and that their blood will be upon their souls, and God is answering the prayer by sending persons to us every day who "feel that the King's business requireth haste." Beloved, pray, pray, pray; and as the incense rises to the heavens, "there will be silence in heaven" by the space of more than half an hour, and the coals of fire will be emptied out upon the earth, and the coming of the Lord will begin to draw nearer. Pray till the Lord of the harvest shall thrust forth laborers into His harvest. Send the coals of heavenly fire, From the altar of the skies; Fill our hearts with strong desire. Till our pray'rs like incense rise. 74 DAtB Of BEAVM VPOS BARTB. March 9 "How ye ought to walk and please Ood." I. Thees. Iv. 1. HOW many dear Christians are in the place that the Lord has appointed them, and yet the devil is harrassing their lives with a vague sense of not quite pleasing the Ixird. Could they just settle down in the place that God haa assigned them and fill it sweetly and lovingly for Him there wouhl be more joy in their hearts and more powei in their lives. God wants us all in various places, and the secret of accomplishing the most for Him is to recognize our places from Him and our service in it as pleasing Him. In the great factory and machine there is a place for the smallest screw and rivet as well as the great driving wheel and piston, and so God has His little screws whose business is simply to stay where He puts them and to be- lieve that He wants them there and is making the most of their lives in the little spaces that they fill for Him. There Is something all can do, Tho' you're neither wise nor strong; Tou can be a helper true, Tou can stand when friends are few. Some lone heart has need of you. You can help along. •TB. a God." I. ire in the appointed haxraseing nse of not they just as assigned y for Him [learts aiul ts us all in miplishing our places la pleasing shine there id rivet as [)iBtou4 and business is and to be- is making ipaces that rong; iw, DAtS OP HEAVm VPOJf KARfB. ?6 March 10 The peace of God that pasaeth all understanding shall keep your mind and heart. Phil. Iv. 17. QT is not peace with God, but the peace of God. "The peace that panHos all understanding" is the very breath of God in the soul. He alone is able to keep it, and He can so keep it that "nothing shall offend us." Beloved, are you there? God's rest did not come till after His work was over, and ours will not. We begin our Christian life by working, trying M.d struggling in the energy of the flesh to save ourselves. At last, when we are able to cease from our own . work, God comes in with His blessed rest, and works His own Divine works in us. Oh! have you heard the glorious word Of hope and holy cheer; From heav'n above Its tones of love Are lingering on my ear; The blessed Comforter has come, And ChrlBt fill ft >on be here. Oh. hearts that sigh there's succor nigh. The Comforter la near; He comes to bring us to our King, And fit us to appear. I'm glad the Comforter has come, And Christ will soon be here. ssm. t* • rtf SEAVFN UPON EARTH. March II But ye are a chosen generation, a peculiar peo- ple. I Peter il. 9. m E have been tliinkiiifj lately very much of the «*^range way in which Qof' .:) ciiiiiug a people out of a people already called. The word ecclesia, or church, iiicnuH called out, but God is civllirig out a still more select body from the church to be His bride — the specially pre|)ared ones for His coming. We see a fine type of this in the story of Gideon. When first he sounded the trumpet of Abiezer there resorted to him more than thirty thousand men; but these had to be picked, so a first test was applied, appealing to their courage, and all but ten thousaiid went back; but there must '^o an election out of Uic election, and so a second test was applied, ap- pealing to their prudence, caution and Biiigle- ness of purpose, and all but three hundred were refused; and, with this little picked band, he raised the standard against the Midianites, and through t!ie power of God won his glorious vic- tory. So, again, in our days, the Master is choosing His three hundred, and by them Tie will yet win the world for Himself. Let us l>e sure that we belong to the "out and out" people. Rflt. jecullar peo- lately very ly in which lie out of a The word it, but God ly from the ly prepared he story of he trumpet more than had to be ppealing to usaud went 1 out of lilii ipplied, ap- and ftiiigle- ludred were d band, he ianitep. and [lorious vic- ! Master is y them TTo Let us Iw •ut" people. DAYS OF H RAVEN VPON K.MlfU. March 12 77 "They vandered In the wlldernes in a soUUry way." Pa. evil. 4. 01.L who tight tiu' Lord's 1)attlc» raunt Ih. .(.nti-nt to Ik' in no way accounted „r oi in no ivspert .'iiooiiniKfa by the proKpnt of bnnian praine. If you make an exception, that the children of God will praise you. whatever the world .nay say-be- , ware of thin; for you may turn then, mto a world and find in then. .. world, and may ' sow to the flesh," in nowing to their approbation; Hnd von will neither be benefited by then, nor the/ by you, ae long as respect for them is your motive. Ml such nu .- ar. poison and a taking away f.oni you the strength in which you are to give glory to (-n-l It is not the fact that all that see the face of the Lord do see each other. 11. r. J The man of (4od must walk alone with God. He must be contented that the Lord knoweth— that God known. It is ...ch a relief to the natural man within us to fall back upon human .-ountenanccs and bu.nnn thoughts and sympa- tiiy, that " «' often deceive ourselves and think it""brothtM,y h.ve," when wc are just resting in the earthly sympathy of h-m- fello svorm. ■■•"••■iKr' -^^mim- 7§ DAYS OF HBiVaN UPON EARTH. March 13 "Keep yoursolveB In the love of Ood." Jude. 21. 0()ME time a)(lory. M18 that it Hole atmos- wcHt to the ivaa radiant to strange, )&t\te(\ with Qod shines vers every- nt with its come easy, set. Labor mes silver- I Hip love, ler is con- 1 gives the connnand- 1 as 1 keep DAYB OF IIKXVKN IJl'OH EAHTil. 79 March 14 "We are HIb workmanBhtp." Eph. II. 10. 011 HIST Bfiulu w to HiTvu Tlini, not in our own strength, l)iit in Ilin resources and might. "We are His workman- ship, created in .TesHH unto good works. which God hast prepared that we should walk in them." Wo do not have to prepare iheni; but to wear them as garments, made to order for every occasion of our life. We must receive them hy faith and go forth in His work, helieving that He is with us, and in us, as our all sufficiency for wisdom, faith, love, prayer, power, and every grace and gift that our work requires. In this work of faith we shall have to feel weak and help- less, and even have little consciousness of power. But if we believe and go forward, He will be the power and send the fruits. The most useful services we render are those which, like the sweet fruits of the wilderness, spring from hours of barrenness. "I will bring her into the wilderness and I will give her vine- yards from thence." Let ns learn to work by faith as well as walk by faith, then we shall re- ceive even the end of our faith, the salvation of precious souls, and our lives will bear fniit which shall be manifest throughout all eternity. ? !■ 80 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. March 15 "Continue ye In My love." Jno. Iv. 14. DS ANY atmospheres there are in which we may live. Some people live in an atmosphere of thought. Their faces are thoughtful, minds intellectual. They live in their ideas, their conceptions of truth, their tastes, and esthetic nature. Some people, again, live in their animal nature, in the lusts of the flesh and eye, the coarse, low at- mosphere of a sensuous life, or something worse. Some, again, live in a world of duty. The predominating feature of their life is con- science, and it carries with it a certain, shad- 0W7 fear that takes away the simple freedom and gladness of life, but there is a rectitude, and uprightness, a strictness of purpose, and of conduct which cannot he gainsaid or ques- tioned. But Christ bids \r5 live in an atmosphere of love. "As My Father has loved Me, so have I loved you; continue ye in My love." In the original it is, "Live in My love." Lovi^ is the atmosphere that He would have us ever live, that is, Relieving that He ever loves us, and claiming His sweet approval and tender re- gard. This is a life of love. FH. f. 14. ! in which live in an :'heir faces itellectual. eptions of re. Some ure, in the se, low at- Homething d of duty, life is con- tain, shad- ;e freedom rectitude, ose, and of I or ques- losphere of , so have I ." In the ix)V(' is the s ever live, es us, and tender re- DAY8 OP HEAVEN Vi'ON EARTH. March 16 81 "The Lord will give grace and glory." Ps. xlxxxiv. 11. j^^hlE l^rd will give grace and glory. VTH This word glory is very diificult to K^H translate, define and explain; but there HtaH is something in the spiritual con- sciousness of the quickened Christian that in- terprets it. It is the overflow of grace; it is the wine of life; it is the foretaste of heaven; it is a flash from the Throne and an inspiration from the heart of God which we may have and in which we may live. "The glory which thou has given me I have given them," the Master prayed for us. Jjet vs take it and live in it. David used to say, "Wake up my glory." Ask God to wake up your glory and enable you to mount up with wings as eagles, to dwell on high and sit with Christ in the heavenly placet). Mounting up 'tlth wingp as eagles, Waiting on the Lord we rise. Strength exchanging, life renewing, Haw our spirit heavenward flies. Then our springing feet returning, Tread the pathway of the saint, We shall run and not be weary. We shall walk and never faint. DAYB OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. March 17 "He hath remembered His covenant forever." Pb. cv. 8. 00 long as you stn^ggle under law, that is by your own effort, sin shall have do- minion over you; hut the moment you step from under the shadow of Smai, throw yourself upon the simple ijrace of Christ and His free and absolute gift oi righteousness and take Him to he to you what He h^ pledged Himself to he, your righteousness of thought and feeling, and to keep you in spite of every- thing, that ever can be against you, in His per- fect will and peace, the struggle is praxjtically over. Beloved, do you really know and beheve that this is the very promise of the Gospel, the very essence of the new covenant, that Christ pledges Himself to put His law in your heart, and to cause you to walk in His statutes, and to keep Hie judgments and do them? »o vou know that this is the oath which He sware unto Abraham, that He would grant unto us, "That we being delivered from the hands of our ^ enemies, and from all that hate us, might serve Him without fear, in righteousness and holi- ness before Him all the days of our li*^- H« has sworn to do this for you, and He is faithful, that promised. Trust Him ever. RTH. DATS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. March 18 83 ,nt forever." • law, that is all have do- momeat you >w of Sinai, ice of Christ ghteousness, ! has pledged \ of thought (ite of every- i, in His per- is practically » and believe • the Gospel, wenanir, that 8 law in your I His statutes, [o them? Do lich He sware rrant unto ufl, e hands of our 8, might serve aess and holi- our life."' He He is faithful, "Neither shall any plague come near thy dwell- ing." Pb. xlxi. 10. |E know what it is to be fireproof, to be waterproof; but it is a greater thing to be proof against sin. It is possible to be so filled with the Spirit and presence of Jesus that all the shafts of tho enemy glance oif our heavenly armor; that all the burrs and thistles which grow on the way- side fail to stick to our heavenly robes; that all the noxious vapors of the pit disappear before the warm breath of the Holy Ghost, and we walk with a charmed life even through the val- ley of the shadow of death. The red hot iron repels the water that touches it, and luc tlngers that would trifle with it; and, if so, we are on fire with the Holy Ghost, Satan will keep his fingers off us, and the cold water that he pours over us will roll off and leave us unharmed; "for He that was begotten of God keepeth us, and that wicked one toucheth us not." It is said that before going into a malarious region, it is well to fortify the system with nourishing food. So we should be fed and filled by the life of Christ in such a way that the evil does not really touch our life. fci DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. March 19 "Launch out into t\e deep." Luke, v. M H9AB ANY difficulties and perplexities in connection with our Christian life might be best settled by a simple and bold decision of our will to go forward with the light we have and leave the speculations and theories that we cannot decide for further settlement. What we need is to act, and to act with the best light we have, and as we step out into the present duty and full obedience; many things will get plain which there" is no use waiting to decide. Beloved, cut the Gordian knot, like Alex- ander, with the sword of decision. Launch out i. to the deep with a bold plunge, and Christ will settle for you all the questions that you are now debating, and more probably show you their insignificance, and let you see that the only way to settle them is to overleap them. They arc Satan's petty snares to waste your time and keep you halting when you should be marching on. The mercy of God is an ocean divine, A boundless and fathomless flood; Launch out in the deep, cut away the shore line. And be iMt in the fulness of God. DAia OF BEATEN UPON EARTH. 85 ike, V. plexities in iristian life ly a simple )ur will to 3 and leave we cannot lat we need ?ht we have, at duty and 1 get plain cide. , like Alex- Launch, out , and Christ •ns that you ■Ay show yoii see that the erleap them. » waste your ou should be he shore line. March 20 "They which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign In life." Rom. V. 17. HllECIOUS souls sonietimesfight tremen- dous battles, in order to attain to right- eousness m trying places. Perhaps the heart has l)econie wrong in some matter where temptation has been allowed to overcome, or at least to turn it aside from its singleness unto (3od; and the conflict is a terri- ble one as it seeks to adjust itself and be right with Ood, and finds itself baffled by its own spiritual foes, and its own helplessness, per- plexity and perversity. How dark and dreary the struggle, and how helpless and ineffectual it often seems at such times! It ia Almost sure to strive in the spirit of the law, and the result always is, and must ever be, condemnation and failure. Every disobedience is met by a blow of wrath, and discouragement, and it well nigh sinks to despair. OIi, if the tempted and struggling one could only understand or re- member what perhaps he has learned before, that Christ is our righteousness, and that it is not by law but by grace alone, "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye &re not under the law, but under grace." That is the secret of the whole battle. 86 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. March 21 "Casting all your care upon Him." I. Pet. v. 7. HOME things there are that God will not tolerate us in. We must leave them. Nehemiah wonld not talk with Sanhallat about hie charges and fears, but sim- ply refused to have anything to do with the matter—even to go into the temple and pray about it. How very few things we really have to do with in life. If we would only drop all the needless things and simply do the things that aboslutely touch and require our attention from morning till night, we would find what a small slender thread life was; but we string upon it a thousand imaginary beads that never come, and burden ourselves with cares and flurries that if we had trusted more, would have never needed to preoccupy our attention. Wise indeed was the testimony of the dear old saint who said, in review of. her past Ufe, "I have had a great many troubles in my life, especially those that never came." Trust and rest with heart abiding, Like a birdling in its nest, Underneath His feathers hiding, Fold thy wings and trust and rest Trust and rest, trust and rest, God is working for the best. \ARTH. • I. Pet. V. ; God will not ■t leave them. withSaaaballat mrs, but sim- I do with the iple and pray we really have ild only drop do the things ! our attention Id find what a but we string ads that never nth cares and re, would have ;tention. Wise dear old saint fe, "I have had life, especially )idlng, ling, Eind rest, d rest, >eBt. DA7B OF HEAVBN UPON EARTB. 87 March 22 "Hold fast the beginning of our confidence and the rejoicing of the hope steadfast to the end." Heb. 111. 6. HE attitude of faith is simple trust. It is Elijah saying to Ahab, "There is a sound of abundance of rain." But then there comes usually a deeper experience in which the prayer is inwrought; it is Elijah on the mount, with his face between his knees, travelling, as it were, in birth for the promised blessing. He has believed for it— and now he must take. The first is Joash shooting the ar- row out of the windows, but the second is Joash smiting on the ground and following up his faith by perseverance and victorious testing. It is in this latter place that many of us come short. We ask much from God, and then when God proceeds to give it to us we are not found equal to His expectation. We are made par- takers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, and trust Him through it all. Fainting soldier of the Lord, Hear His sweet Inspiring word, "I have conquered all thy foes. I have suffered all thy woes; Struggling soldier, trust In Me, I have overcome tor thee. 88 DAI'S OF HEAVEN UPON "^ ^HVB. March 23 "He is a new creature." II. Cor. v. 17. 0ESURRKCTED not raised. There is so much in this distinction. The teach- ing of human philosophy is that we are to raise humanity to a higher plane. This is not the Gosp^'l. On the con- trary, the teaching of the cross is that human- ity must die and sink out of sight and then be resurrected, not raised. Resurrection is not improvement. It is not elevation, but it is a new supernatural life lifting us from nothing- ness into God and making us partakers of the Divine nature. It is a new creation. It is an infinite elevation above the highest plane. Let us not take less than resurrection life. I am crucified wltb Jesus, And the cross has set me free; I have rlB'n again with Jeaus, And He lives and reigns In me. This the story of the Master, Through the cross He reachfed the throne, And like Him our path to glory, Ever leads through death alone. Lord, teach me the death-born life. Lord, let me live in the power of Thy resurrectionl ItTH. r. T, 17. There is so The teach- is that we ,0 a higher [)n the con- that human- and then be ction is not , but it is a om nothing- ;akerB of the m. It iB an , plane. Let life. be throne, I life. Lord, isurrectioni DAYS OF BEAVBH UPON EARTB. 8» March 24 "And again I say, rejoice." Phil. Iv. 4. DT is a good thing to rejoioo in the Ix)rd. Perhaps you found the first dose in- effectual. Keep on with your medi- cine, and when you cannot feel any joy, when there is no spring, and no seeming comfort and encouragement, still rejoice, and count it all joy. Even when you fall into divers temptations, reckon it joy, and delight, and God will nmke your reckoning good. Do you suppose your Father will let you carry the banner of His victory and His gladness on to the front of the battle, and then coolly stand back and see you captured or l)eaten back by the enemy. Never! the Holy Spirit will sus- tain you in your bold advance, and fill your heart with gladness and praise, and you will find your heart all exhiliarated and refreshed by the fulness of the heart within. LokI. teach me to rejoice in Thee, and to re- joice evermore. The Joy of the Lord 1b the strength of His people. The BUDBhlne that scatters their sartneas and gloom; The fountain that hurste In the desert of sorrow, And shedB o'er the wlldernees, gladnesB and. bloom. 90 DAYS OF BKAVEN ( f'UN EARTH. March 25 "The b«auty of hollneu." P«. xxlx. 2, lOME one remarked once that Iv did not know more disagroeHble people than sanctified Oiristians. He probably meant people that only profcw) sanctifl- cation There is an an^^lar, hard, unlovely type of Christian character that is not true holinoa; at least, not the highest type of it. Ifia the skeleton without the flesh covoring; it is the naked rock without the vines and foliage that cushion its rugged. sides. Jesus was not only virtuous and pure, but He was also beautiful and full of the sweet attractiveness of love. We read of two kinds of g.aces: First, "Whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things an; pure." But there is also another class, "Whatsoever Uungs are lovely and of good report." There are a thousand little graces in Christian life that we cannot afford to ignore. In fact, the la, stages in any work of art are always the finishing touches; and so let us not wonder if God shall spend a great deal of time in teaching us the little things that many might consider trifles. God would have His Bride without a spot or even a wrinkle. cxlx. 2. t he did not leople than B probably 'ess Banctifi- [Uovely type ■ue holin( 88; ,. It ia the g; it ia the foliage that as not only 80 beautiful of love, ices: First, oever things Lire." But oever things There are a life that we \e hif stages he finishing if God BhaU !hing US the der trifles, thout a spot DA78 OF nMAYEN UPON BARTH. 91 March 26 "Jeras, Lue author and flnUhei of faith." Heb. xll. 1. 01)0 to our faith— do not add to yfnir- .self . 'rhis iB whore we make the mis- take. W(> must not only enter by faith, but we must advance by faith each step of the way. At every new stage we shall find ourselves as incompetent and unequal for the pressure as before, and we must take the grace and the victory siinply by faith. Is it courage? We shall find ourselves lacking in the needed courage; we must claim it by faith. Is it love? Our own Icve will be inadequate; but we must take His love, and we shall find it given. Is it faith itself? We must have the faith of God, and Christ in us will be the spirit of faith, as well a.s the blessing that faith claims. So our whole life from beginning to end, is but Christ in us— in the exceeding riches of His grace; and our everlasting song will be: Not I; but Christ who liveth in me. 'TiB BO Bweet to walk with Jesua, Step by step and day by day; Stepping In HIb very footprints, ' Walking with Him all the way. I ! M DAYS OF BEAVES UPC2 IIRTB. March 27 "What time 1 am afraid, I will tniat In thee." Pb. Ivi. 3. |1<: Bliall never forgot a remark Mr. nmdt faith. George Miller once Bwer to a gentleman who had aaked him the best way to have strong "The only way," replied the patriarch of faith, "to learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by stand- ing firm amide severe testings." This is very true. The time to trust is when all else fails. Dear one, if you scarcely realize the value of your present opportunity, if you are passing through great afflictions, you are in the very soul of the strongest faith, and if you will only let go, H ewill teach you in these hours the mightiest hold upon this throne which you can ever know. "Be not afraid, only believe;" and if you are afraid, just look up and say, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee," and you will yet thank God for the school of sorrow which was to you the school of faith. O brother, give heed to the warning, And obey His voice today. The Spirit to thee Ib calling, Odo not grieve Him away. tTll. Bt In thee." t'inark Mr. 1(1 e in an- I liad (u)ked lavo fttrong e patriarch to endure h by Btand- rhis i« very U else fails, he value of are passing in the very ou will only B houre the lich you can elieve;" and Bay, "What Be," and you »1 of Borrov h. ling. \fe :%. t> v*,^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) y / A O S. Sf & % <^ /i / m ^.^^ ^y 1.0 !S«- 1^ I.I 1^ 1^ ill 2.2 S: 1^ IIIIIM 1.8 DViotrMTrnQTiihip Sciences Corporation I CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut canadien de microreproductions historiques 1fe.i- DAY^ OF BEATEN UPON EARTH. March 28 "The fruit of the Spirit is all goodnesa." V. 22. flOODNESS is a fniit of the Spirit. Goodness is just "Godness." It is to be like God. And God-like goodness has special reference to the benevolence of special reference to the active benevolence of God. The apostle gives xis the difference be- tween goodness and righteousness in this pas- sage in Romans, "Scarcely for a righteous man would one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die." The righteous man is the man of stiff, inflexible uprightness; but he may be as hard as a granite mountain side. The good man is that mountain side all covered with velvet moss and flowers, and flow- ing with cascades and springs. Goodness re- spects "whatsoever tnings are lovely." It is kindness, affectionateness, benevolence, sympa- ' thy, rejoicing with them that do rejoice, and weepinS ^'^^ ^^^"^ ^''** ^^^P' ^'"^'^^^ "^ with Thyself, and let us h<^ God-men and good men, and so represent Thy goodness. There are lonely hearts to cherish, While the days are going by; There are weary souls who perish. While th*i days are going by. : 94 DAYB OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. March 29 "He will keep the feet of His saints. I. Sam. 11. 9. QEEILS as well as privileges attend the higher Christian life. The nearer we come to God, the thicker the hosts of darkness in heavenly places. The safe place lies in obedience to God's Word, single- ness of heart, and holy vigilance. AVhen Christians speak of standing in a place where they do not need to watch, they are in great danger. Let us walk in sweet and holy confidence, and yet with holy, humble watch- fulness, and "He will keep the feot of His saints." And "now unto Him who is able to keep us from stumbling, and present us fault- less before the presence of His glory, to the only wise God, our Saviour, be glory, and ma- jesty, dominion and power, both now and for- ever. Amen." What to dt? we often wosuer, Wishing for some watchword true, Lo, the answer God has given, What would Jesus do? s. When the shafts of fierce temptation, With their fiery darts pursue. This will be your heavenly armor. What would Jesus do? RTn. I. Sam. ii. 9. I attend the e nearer we the hosts of i. The safe ord, single- ig in a place they are in et and holy nble watch- fest of His 18 able to int us fault- lory, to the ry, and ma- ow and f or- true, ptatlon, nor, DAYB OF HEAVEN VPOy EARTH. March 30 95 "I wish above all things that thou mayest pros- per and be In health even as thy soul prospereth." III. Jno. 2. DN the way of righteousness is life and in the pathway thereof is no death. That is the secret of healing. Be right with God. Keep so. live in the conscious- ness of it, and nothing can hurt you. Off from the breastplate of righteousness will glance all of the fiery darts of the devil, and faith be stronger for every fierce assault. How true it is, "Who is he that shall harm you if ye be fol- lowers of that which is ; jd?" And how true also, "Holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put away, concerning faith, have made shipwreck." At J yet again, "If thou wilt diligently heark- en to the voice of the Lord thy God, and vnlt keep all His statutes and commandments, I will put none of these diseases upon thee that I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord that healeth thee." There's a question Qod is asking Every conscience in His sight, Let it search thine inmost being, Is it right with Qod, all right 96 DAYB OF HEAVEN VPOV EARTH. March 31 "What things Boever ye dealre when ye pray, be- lieve that ye receive them and ye shall have Ihem." Mark xl. 24. • , BAITH is not working up by will power a sort of certainty that something is coming to pass, but it is seeing as an actual fact that God has said that this thing shall come to pass, and that is is true, pass, and then rejoicing to know that it is true, and just resting and entering into it because God has said it. Faith turns the promise into a prophecy. While it is merely a promise it is contingent upon our co-operation; it may or may not be. But when faith claims it, it be- comes a prophecy and we go forth feeling ^at it is something that must be done because God cannot lie. Faith is the answer from the throne saying, "It is done." Faith is the echo of God's voice. Let us catch it from on high. Let us repeat it, and go not to triumph in its glorious power. Hear the anewere tram the throne, Claim the promise, doubting one, God hath spoken, "It Is done." Palth hath answered, "It Is done;" Prayer Is over, praise begun, Hallelujah! It Is done. 1 RTH. I ye pray, be- ) shall have y will power wmething is seeing as an laid that this it i« is true, tiat it is true, to it hecause promise into promise it is a; it may or lims it, it he- ti feeling that } because God ihrone saying, >f God's voice, it us repeat it, OU8 power. tbrone, ig one, le." B done;" n, DAYS OF UEAVEN UPON EAHTU. April 1 97 "VeBselB of mercy befort prepared unto glory." Rom. ix. 23. |UR Father is fitting us for eternity. A vessel fitted for the kitchen will find itself in the kitchen. A vessel for the art gallery or the reception room will gfcaerally find itself there at last. What are you getting fitted for? to be a slop- pail to hold all the stuff that people pour into your ears, or a vase to hold sweet fragrance and flowers for the King's palace and a harp of many strings that sounds the melodious and harmonious of His love and praise? Each one of us is going to his own place. Let us get fitted now. The days of heaven are Chrletly days, The Light of Heaven Is He; So walking at His side, our days, Ab the days of heaven would be. The days of heaven are endless days Days of eternity; So may our Uvea and workB endure While the days of heaven sball be. Walk with UB, Lord, through all the days. And let as walk with Thee; 'Till as Thy will is done in heaven. On earth so shall It be. DAY8 OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. April 2 "He shall dwell on high." Pb- xx«l"- !«• DT iB easier for a consecrated Chnstian to live an out and out life for God than to live a mixed life. A soul redeemed and sanctified by Christ is too large for the shoals and sands of a selfish, worldly, Binful We. The great steamship, St. Paul, could seal m deep water without an effort, but she conld make no progress in the shallow pool, ov^on Te Long Branch sands; the smallest tugboat wBfl worth a dozen of her there; but out m mid- ocean she could distance them in an hour. Beloved, your life is too large, too glorious, too divine for the small place that you are trving to live in. Your purpose is too petty; arise and dwell on high in the resurrection life of Jesus, and the inspiring hope of Uis blessed coming. Rise with thy risen Lord, Ascend with Christ above. And In the heavenlles walk with Him, Whom seeing not. you love. Walk as a heavenly race, FrincM of royal blood; Walk as the children of the light, The sons and heirs of God. BTH. DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. April 3 99 zxlll. 16. Christian to God than to edeemed and large for the [y, sinful life, Bould sail in at she conld ' pool, ov on illest tugboat it out in mid- em hour. , too glorious, that you are ! IS too petty; e resurrection ; hope of His grith Him, 9. light, L "Our expectation Is from Tbee." Pb. xlxil. 5. jHEN we believe for a blessing, ^<'e must take the attitude of faith, and begin to act and pray as if we had our blessing. We must treat God as if He had given us our request. We must lean our weight over upon Him for the thing that we have claimed, and just lake it for granted that He gives it, and is going to continue to give H. This is the attitude of trust. When the wife is married, she at once falls into a new attitude, and acts in accordance with the fact, and so when we take Christ as a Saviour, as a Sanctifier, as a Healer, or as a Deliverer, He expects us to fall into the attitude of recogniz- ing Him in tJie capacity that we hrve claimed, and expect Him to be to us all that we have trusted Him for. You may bring Him ev'ry care and burden, You may tell Him ev'ry need in pray'r, You may trust Him for the darkest moment, He is caring, wherefore need you care? Faith can never reach its consammation, 'Till the victor's thankful song we raise: In the glorious city of salvation, God has told us all the gates are praise. 100 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. April 4 "RetJst the devil and be will flee." Jas. Iv. 7. 0ESIS'r the devil, and he will flee from yo\i. This i8 a promise, and Ood will keep it to us. If we resiBt the advoroary. He will compel him to flee, and will give us the victory. We can, at all times, fearlessly stand up m deflance, in re- sistance to the enemy, and claim the protection of our heavenly King just as a citizen would claim the protection of the government agamst an outrage or injustice on the p^rt of violent men. At the same time we are not standing on the adversary's ground anywhere by any attitude or disobedience, or we give him a ter- rible power over us, which, while God will re- strain in great mercy and kindness, He will not fuUy remove until we get fully on to holy ground. Therefore, we must be armed with the breastplate of righteousness, as well as the shield of faith, if we would successfully resist the prince of darkness and the principalities m heavenly places. Your full redemption rlghU With holy boldness claim, And to the utmost fullness prove The power of Jesus' name. ItTH. 6/irs OF nEirm upon earth. April S tOl Jas. Iv. 7. ill flee from 3, and Ood e resist the pel him to We can, at fiance, in re- le protection itizen would ment against i-t of violent not standing here by any ve him a ter- God will re- i, He will not r on to holy e armed with as well as the essfnlly resist ■incipalities in I I, prove «. "Many ghall be purified and made white and tried." Dan. xll. 10. ■^•HIS is the promise for the Lord's com- ■rj|H ing. It is more than purity. It is also ^^H made white, lustrous, or bright. To W^tM ho purified is to have the sin burned out; to be made white is to have the glory of the Lord burned in. The one is cleansing, the other is illumination and glorification. The Tjord has both for us, but in order for us to have both, we must be put into the fire to be trid, and to be led into difficult and peculiar placia where Christ shall be more to us because of tho very extremity of the situation. We are ap- proaching these days. Indeed they are already around us, and they are the precursors of the Lord's coming. Blessed is he that keepeth his garments lest he walk naked. There are voices in the air, filling men with hope and fear; There are Bignals everywhere that the end is draw- lug near, There are warnings to prepare, for the King will soon be here; O it must be the coming of the Lord! lOJ DAVB OF UEAVHN IJPOK nAttfU. April 6 Ab we have many memberB in one body, so we being many are one body In Christ. Rom. xll. 4. 5. B lOMETlMES mir communion with God i» out off, or intPrrupted becauBe of sometliing wrong with a i)r()ther, or Bome lackof unity inthe body of Christ. We try to get at the Lord, but we cannot, be- cause we are separated from some n.ember of the l-ord's body, or because there is not the freedom of His love flowing through every or- ganic jinrt. Tt does not need a blow upon the head to paralyze the brain; a blow upon so.ne nerve may do it; or a wound in some artery at the extremities may be fatal to the heart Therefore we must stand right with all His children, and meet in the body of Christ in the sweetest, fullest fellowship, if we would keep our perfect communion with Christ Himself. Sometimes we will find that an altered attitude to one Christian will bring us into the flood- tides of the Holy Ghost. It seems impossible to have faith without love, or to have Christ alone without the fullness of fellowship with all His dear saints; and if one member suffer, all suffer together, and if one rejoiae, all are blessed in common. fe.. ler//. DArR OF HBAVm Ul'ON EARTH. April 7 108 body, BO we om. xtl. 4. 5. n with God because of brother, or ly of Christ, cannot, be- n^ember of ! is not tho ?h every or- )w upon tho ' upon flo.ne me artery at ) tlve heart vith all HiB Christ in the would keep riBt Himself, ered attitude to the flood- ma impossible have Christ lowship with ember suffer, ijoice, all are "In Him we live and move." Acts ivll, J8. B (HE hand of Qehazi, and even tho staff of Klisha could not heal the lifokw boy. It newled the living touch of the proph- et's own divinely quickened flesh to in- fuse vitality into the cold clay. Lip to lip, hand to hand, heart to heart, he must touch the child ere life could thrill his pulseless veins. We must come into personal contact with the risen Saviour, and have His very life quicken our mortal flesh before we can know the full- ness and reality of His healing. This is the most frequent cause of failure. People are often tiu sting to something that has been done to them, to something that they have done, or something that they have believed intellectu- ally; but their spirit hps not felt its way to the heart of Christ, and iney have not drawn His love into their being by the hunger and thirst of love and faith, and so they are not quickened. The greatest need of our souls and bodies is to know Jesus personally, to touch Him constant- ly, to abide in Him contin\ially. May we this day lay aside all things that could hinder our near approach to Him, and walk hand in hand, heart to heart, with Jesus. 104 DAYS OF HBATEN VPOV EARTH. April 8 "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." ProT. xvll. 22. 0ING SOLOMON left among his wise sayings a prescription for sick and sad hearts, and it is one that we can safely take. "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." Joy is the great restorer and healer. Gladness of spirit will bring health to the bones and vitality to the nerves when all other tonice fail, and all other sedatives cease tx) quiet. Sick one, begin to rejoice in the Ijord, and your bones will flourish like an herb, and your cheeks will glow with the bloom of health and freshness. Worry, fear, distrust, co-e, are all poison drops; joy is balm and heal- ing; and if you will but rejoice, God will give power. He has commanded you to be glad and rejoice; and He never fails to sustain His chil- dren in keeping His commandments. Kejoice in the Lord always. He says; which means no matter how sad, how tempted, how sick, how suffering you are, rejoice in the Lord just where you are, and begin this moment. The Joy of the Lord Is the strength of our body, The gladness of Jesufl, the balm for our pain, His life and His fullness, our fountain of healing, His Joy, our elixir for body and brain. IRTIt. a medicine." >ng his wise sick and sad ve can safely eth good like restorer and mg liealth to ves when all datives cease sjoice in the like an herb, the bloom of 'ear, distrust, •dm and heal- Sod will give o be glad and tain His chil- ints. Rejoice ich means no low sick, how ie Lord just >ment. h of our body, >r our pain, iln ot healing, rain. t)A7R Of UnAVElJ UPON EARTB. 106 April 9 "I do always thoee things that please Him." John vlil. 29. DT is a good thing to keep short accounts with God. We were very much struck some years ago with an interpretation of this verse: "So every one of us shall give an arjcount of himself to God." The thought conveyed to our mind was, that of accounting to God every day of our lives, so that our accounts were settled daily, and for us judgment was passed, as we lay down on our pillows every night. This is surely the true way to live. It is the secret of great peace, and it will be a delightful comfort when life is closing, or the Master coming, to know that our account is settled, and our judgment over, and for us there is only waiting the glad "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Step by step I'll walk with Jesus, Just a moment at a time. Heights I have not wings to soar to, Step by step my feet can climb. JesuB, keep me closer — closer. Step by step and day by day Stepping in Thy very toot-prints. Walking with Thee all the way. 106 DAYS OF HEA7BK VPON EABTB. April 10 "Hold fast your confluence." Heb. 111. 6. SELDOM have we seen a sadder wreck of evea the highest, noblest Christian character than whpn the enemy haa succeeded in undermining the simple trust of a child of God, and got him into self- accusing and condemnation. It is a fearful place when the soul allows Satan to take the throne and act as God, sitting in judgment on its every thought and act; and keeping it in the darkness of ceaseless condemnation. Well in- deed has the apostle told us to hold firmly the shield of faithl This is Satan's objective point m all bis at- tacks upon you, to destroy your trust. If he can get you to lose your simple confidence m God, he knows that he will soon have you at his It is enough to wreck both the reason and the life for the soul that has known the sweetness of His love to lobe its perfect trust. in God. "Beloved, hold fast your confidence and the re- joicing of your hope firm unto the end." Fear not to take your place With Jesus on the throne, And bid the powers of earth and hell. His sovereign sceptre own. RTB. eb. iii. 6. Euider wreck !8t Christian enemy has ; the simple im into flelf- is a fearful to take the judgment on ping it in the ,n. Well in- Id firmly the in all his at- trust. If he confidence in tve you at his wason and the the sweetness trust. in God. ce and the re- e end." ind hell, DAYS OF HSAVISN UPON SARTH. 107 April 11 "Commit thy way unto the Lord." Pb. xxxvll. 5. ELDOM have we heard a better defini- tion of faith than was given once in one of our meetings by a dear old colored woman, as she answered the question of a young man how to take the Lord for needed help. In her characteristic way, pointing her finger toward him, she said with great emphasis: "You've just got to believe that He's done it, and it's done." The great danger with most of us is, that after we ask Him to do it, we do not believe that it's done, but we keep on helping Him, and getting others to help Himj super- intending God and waiting to see how He is going to do it. Faith adds its amen to God's yea, and then takes its hands ofE, and leaves God to finish His work. Its language is, "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him; and He worketh." Lord, I give up the struggle. To thee commit my way, I trust Thy word foreter, And settle It all today. 108 DAltS OF BBAVEH VPON BAUTS. April 12 "They were as It were, complalners." Nnm. xi. I. WSSSi ii lERE is a very remarkable phrase in the Book of Numbers, in the account of the murmuring of the children of Israel in the wilderne&s. It reads like this: '•When the people, as it were, murmured." Like most marginal readings it is better than the text, and a great world of suggestive truth lies back of that little sentence. In the distance we may see many a vivid picture rise before our imagination of people who do not dare to sin openly and unequivo- cally, but manage to do it "as it were" only. They do not lie straight, but they evade or equivocate, or imply enough falsehood to es- cape a real conviction of conscience. They do not openly accuse God of unkindness or un- faithfulness, but they strike at Him through somebody else. They find fault with circum- stances and people and things that God has permitted to come into their lives, and, "As it were," murmur. They do not perhaps go any any farther. They feel like doing it if they dared to "charge God foolishly." These things were written for our warning. I IRTB. ' Nnm. xi. 1. lie phrase in the account ! children of It reads like murmured." 3 better than Igestive truth aany a vivid on of people nd uneqnivo- t were" only. [ley evade or jehood to es- ce. They do idness or un- Him through with circTim- that God has 8, and, "As it erhaps go any ing it if they lur warning. DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 109 April 13 "Rejoice evermore." II. Thess. v. 16. iO not lose your joy whatever else y n lose. Keep the spirit of spring. "Rejoice evermore," and "Again I say, rejoice." - The loss of Canaan began in the spirit of murmurings, "When the people, as it were, murmured, it displeased the Lord." The first break in their fellowship, the first falter in their advance, came when they began to doubt, and grieve, and fret. Oh, keep the heart from the perforations of depression, discouragement, distrust and gloom, and Satan cannot crush a rejoicmg and praise- ful soul. Look out for the beginning of sin. Don't let the first touch of evil be harbored. It is the first step that loses all. Oh, to keep so en- cased in the Holy Ghost and in the very life of Jesus that the evil cannot reach us! The little fly on the inside of the window- pane may be attacked by the little bird on the outside, and it may seem to him that he is lost, but the crystal pane between keeps him safely from all danger as certainly ab if it were a mighty wall of iron. no DAYB OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. April 14 "I If I be lifted up will draw all men unto me." Jno. xU. 32. 0TBUE and pure Christian life attracts the world. There are hundreds of men and women who find no induce- ments whatever in the lives of or- dinary Christians to interest them in practical religion, but who are won at once by a true and victorious example. We believe that men of the world step at a bound right into a life of entire consecration than into the intermediate state which is usually presented to them at the first stage. In an audience once there was a man who for half a century or more had lived without Christ, and who was a very prominent citizen, a man in public life, of irreproachable charac- ter lofty intellect, and a most winning spmt and manners, but utterly out of sympathy with the Christian life. At the close of the service he rose to ask the prayers of the Christian people, and-before the end of the week he was himself a true and acknowledged follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, as he went home that night, "If that is the religion of Jesus Christ, I want it." DAJB OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. Ill April 15 . life attracts hundreds of i no induce- lives of or- 1 in practical jy a true and that men of into a life of intermediate ) them at the 3 a man who lived without dnent citizen, ihahle charac- nnnitig spirit ympathy with •ose to ask the md' before the If a true and Lord Jesus me that night, Christ, I want Rooted and grounded In love. Bph. Hi. 17. HCERE is a very singular shnib, which grows abundantly in the west, and is to be found in all parts of Texas. It is no less than the "mosquito tree." It is a very slim, and willowy-looking shrub, and would seem to be of little use for any industrial purposes; but it has extraordinary roots grow- ing like great timbers underground, and pos- sessing such qualities of endurance in all situ- ations that it is used and verj' highly valued for good pavements. The city San Antonio is said to be paved with these roots. It reminds one of those Christians who make little show externally, but their growth is chiefly under- ground — out of sight, in the depth of God. These are the men and women that God uses for the foundation of things, and for the pave- ments of that city of God which will stand when all earthly things have crumbled into ruin and dissolved into oblivion. Deeper, deeper let the living waters flow; Blessed Holy Spirit! River of Salvation! All Thy fullness let me know. 112 DAY 8 Ob' HEAVEN VPOV EAHTU. April 16 "Quit you like men," I. Cor. xvl. 13. m E brave. Cowards always get hurt. Brave men generally come out un- hamied. Jeremiah was a hero. He shrank from nothing. He faced hia king and countrymen with dauntless bravery, and the result was he suffered no harm, but came through the siege of Jerusalem without a hair being injured. Zedekiah, the cowardly king, was always afraid to obey God and be true, and the result was that he at last met the most cruel punishment that was erer inflicted on human heart. The men and women that stand from the be- ginning true to their convictions have the few- est tests. When God gives any one a good trial, if you can stand the strain, He is not always repeating it. When Abraham offered up his son Isaac at Mount Moriah, it was a final testing for the rest of his life. Do not let Satan see that you are afraid of him, for he will pur- sue to the death if he thinks that he has a chance of getting you. Be true, be true, Whether friends be false or few, Whatso'er betide, ever at HIb side, I.«t Him alwajri find you true. tSAHTU. . xy\. 13. DAYS OF UEAVKS UPON EARTH. April 17 113 ays get hurt. !ome out un- i a hero. He He faced his iitless bravery, iarm,but came without a hair jowardly king, id be true, and the most cruel ted on human id from the be- } have the few- ly one a good ain, He is not ham offered up , it was a final >o not let Satan [or he will pur- that he has a »r few, Hl8 Bide, ;rue. "He that ruleth his spirit la better than he that taketh a city." Prov. xvl. 32. B |EMPERANCE is true self-government. It involves the grace of self-denial and the spirit of a sound mind. It is that poise of spirit that holds us quiet, self- possossed, recollected, deliberate, and subject ever to the voice of God and the conviction of duty in every step we take. Many persons have not that poise and recollected spirit. They are drifting at the impulse of their own impres- sions, moods, the influence of others, or the circumstances around them. No desire should ever control us. No purpose, however right, should have such mastery over us that we are not perfectly free. The pure {iffection may be an inordinate affection. Our work itself may be a selfish passion. That thing that we began to do because it was God's will, we may cling to and persist in ultimately, because it is our own will. Tiord, give us the spirit ever controlled by Thy Spirit and will, and the eye that looks to Thee every moment as the eyes of a servant to the hands of her mistress. So shall Thy ser- vice be our perfect freedom,and our subjection divinest liberty. 114 DAY8 OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. April 18 "Thwjr thall mount up with wings." Pb. 1. *!• &!¥ shall mount up with wings as eagles," is God's preliminary; for the next promise is, "They shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint." Hours of holy exultation are neces- sary for hours of patient plodding, waiting and working. Nature has its springs, and so has grace. Let -UB rejoice in the Lord evermore, and again we say, rejoice. And let us take Him to be our continual joy, whose heart is a foun- tain of bleagedness, and who is anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows. We must not be disappointed if the tides are not always equally high. Jlven at low tide the ocean is just as full. Human nature could not stand perpetual excitement, even of a happy kind, and God often rests in His love. Let us live as self-unconsciously as possible, filling up each moment with faithful service, and trusting Him to stir the springs at His will, and as we go on in faithful service we shall hear, again and again, His glad whisper: "Well, done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." MRTB nth wings as linary; for the shall run and shall walk and ition are neces- g, waiting and j8, and 80 has evermore, and : us take Him leart is a foun- anointed with 0W8. We must are not always ie the ocean is ould not stand a happy kind, e. Let ua live , filling up each id trusting Him , and aa we go hear, again and done, good and D the joy of thy DAYS OF UKAVEy UPON EARTH. April 19 116 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. I. xxxvli. 7. D |T is a very siiggestivc thought th'at it is in the Gospel of Mark, which is the Gospel of service, we hear the Master saying to His disciples, "Come ye apart into a des- ert place, aifd rest awhile." God wants rcsiod workers. There is an energy that may be tire- less and ceaseless, and yet still as the ocean's depth, with the peace of God, which passes all understanding. The two deepest secrets of rest are, first, to be in harmony with the will of God, and, secondly, to trust. ''Great peace have they that love Thy law" expresses the first. "Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee," describes the second. There is a good deal in learning to "stay." Some- times we forget thai it literally means to stop. It is a great blessing even to stop all thought, and this is frequently the only way to answer the devil's whirlwind of irritating questions and thoughts, to be absolutely still and refuse to even think, and meet his evil voice with a simple and everlasting "No!" If we will be still God will give us peace. ■liK 116 DAYS Of UKAVm UPON EARTU. April ao "They dwelt with the King for Hla work." Chron. xxlv. 88. D jT is cnsy for water to run down from the uf)pt>r Hprinj^s, Imt it reqnire» a divine iinpiilHO to flow up fn)m the valley i" i-hft nt'th*^r BpriuKH. Thereisnothingth elk more of Chriat than to soe a (Christian rej /iHrif and cheerful in the humdrum and ■ utine of commonplace work, like the «ailwn from the iri'K a divine ! valk'y i" thfi hingth ollr ti«n rej /iHrj 1(1 ) ntine of lb ii.at stand nd sinking as ime with the id movements a sweeter or business man y the light of ig. Like the f the sea fowl riny tide and Jhering to its ngs, there is a liat keeps the lod, we may be ; that sin, sor- ere to us, but a as the ship >ut above, the DAYfl OF H HAVEN PPOy SARTH. April 21 117 "The anointing which ye have received." I. Jno. il. t7. B Ills iH the Hccrt't of tlif (li'ciwr life, but "Tliat yo may he rooted and grounded in love," is the substance of it, and the cwcetnesH of it. 'Hn' fulncsB of the divine love in the heart will make everything easy. It is very easy to do things tiuit we love to do, and it is very easy to trust uiie whom wo love, and the more we realize their love the more we will trust them for it. It is the scarce of healing. The tid» of love flowing through our b«Klies will strangely strengthen our very frame, and the love of our Lord will become a continual spring of youth and freshness in our physical being. The secret of love is very simple. It is to take the heart of Jesus for our love and claim its love for every need of life, whether it be toward God or toward others. It is very sweet to think of ptreons in this way, "I will take the heart of Jesus toward them, to let me love them as He loves them." Then we can love even the unworthy in some measure, if we shall see them in the light of Ilis love and hope, as they shall be, and if they are not now unworthy of our love. 118 DA7a OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. April 22 "Christ Is the head." Bph. ▼. 23. HFTBN we want people to pray for m and help us, but always defeat our ob- ject when we look too much to them and lean upon them. The true secret of union is for both to look upon God, and in the act of looking past themselves to Him they are unconsciously united. The sailor was right when he saw the little boy fall overboard and waited a minute bofore he plunged to his rescue, and when the distracted mother asked him in agony why he had waited so long, he sensibly replied: "I knew that if I went on before he would clutch and drag me down. I waited until his strugp^les were over, and then I was able to help him when he did not grasp me too strongly.'' When people graap us too strongly, either with their love or with their dependance, we are intuitively conscious that they are not looking to God, and we become paralyzed in our efforts to help them. United prayer, there- fore, requires that the one for whom we pray be looking away from us to the Lord Jesus Christ, and we together look to Him alone. iRTE. DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON BABTB. April 23 119 pray for vb efeat our ob- uch to them le true secret God, aad in to Kim they i sailor was 'all overboard Lunged to his mother asked i so long, he if I went on me down. I f er, and then did not grasp rongly, either spendance, we they are not paralyzed in prayer, there- rhom we pray e Lord Jesus [im alone. "He ia able to be touched with the feeling of our InflrmlUee," Heb. It. IB. * |OME time ago we were talking with a very suffering sister about healing. She was much burdened physically and de- sirous of being able to trust the Lord for deliverance. After a little conversation we prayed with her, committing her case to the Lord for resolute trust and deliverance as she was prepared to claim. As soop as we closed our prayer she grasped our hand, and asked us to unite with her in the burden that was most upon her heart, and then, without a word, of reference to her own healing, or the burden under which she was being crushed to death, she burst into such a prayer for a poor orphan boy, of whom she had just heard that day, aft we have never heard surpassed for siympathy and love, imploring God to help him and save him, and sobbing in spasmodic agony of love many times during her prayer, and then she ceased without even referring to her own need. We were deeply touched with the spectacle of love, and we thought how the Father's heart must be touched for her own need. no DATS OF HlHAVEN VPOK EARTB. April 24 "Fret nut thyselt In any wise." Pb. xxxvll. 8. ED LIFE was lost in Israel because a pair of human hands were laid unbidden upon the ark of Gtod. They were placed upon it with the best intent to staady it when trembling and shaking as the oxen drew it along the rough way, but they touched God's work presumptuously, and they fell paralyzed and lifeless. Much of the life of faith consists in letting things alone- If we wholly trust an interest to God we can keep our hands off it, and He- will guard it for us better than we can help Him. "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Fret not thyself in any wise because of him that prosper- eth in the way, because of the man that bring- eth wicked devices to pass." Things may seem to be going all wrong, but He knows as well as we; and He will arise in the right moment if we are really trusting Him so fully as to let Him work in His own way and time. There is nothing so masterly as inactivity in some things and there is nothing so hurtful as restless work- ing, for God has undertaken to work His sover- eign will. IRTH. DAYS OF BBArEN VPON EARTH. April 25 121 8. zxzyit. 8. "The very God of Peace sanctify you wholly." I. Thess. V. 28. pcause a pair lid unbidden They were >eiit Intent to aking as the ay, hut they sly, and they of the life of Jone< If we we can keep ard it for us "Rest in the tn. Fret not that prosper- n that bring- Dgs may seem :now8 as well ight moment fully as to let me. There is n some things restless work- )rk His Bover- GREAT tidal wave is bearing up the stranded ship, until she floats above the bar without a straining timber or struggling seaman, instead of the inef- fectual and toilsome efforts of the struggling crew and the strain of the engines, which had tried in vain to move her an inch until that heavenly impulse lifted her by its own attrac- tion. It is God's great law of gravitation lifting up by the warm sunbeams the mighty iceberg which a million men could not raise a single inch, but melts away before the rays and the warmth of the sunshine, and rises in clouds of evaporation to meet its embrace until that cold and heavy mass is floating in fleecy clouds of glory in the blue ocean of the sky. How easy all this! How mighty! How sim- ple! How divine! Beloved, have you come into the divine way of holiness! If you have, how your heart must swell with gratitude! If you have not, do you not long for it, and will yon not unite in the prayer of the text that the very God of peace will sanctify you wholly? 122 DAYS OP HEAVEN VPOV EARTH. April 26 "Stnmgwa and pUsrlmB." Heb. xl. IS. DF you have ever tried to plough a straight furrow in the country — ^we are sorry for the man that does not know how to plough and more sorry for the man tiiat istoo proud to want to know— you have found it necessary to have two stak^ in a line and to drive your horses hy these stakes. If you have only one stake before you, you will have no steadying point for your vision, but you can wiggle about without knowing it and make your furrows as crooked as a serpent's coil; but if you have two stakes and ever keep them' in line, you cannot deviate an inch from a straight line, and your furrow will be an arrow speeding to its course. This has been a great lesson to us in our Christian life. If we would run a straight course, we find that we must have two stakes, the near and the distant. It is not enough to be living in the present, but it is a great and glori- ous thing to have a distant goal, a definite oV* ject, a dear purpose before us for which we are living, and unto which we are shaping our pres- ent. IRTE. I. xi. IS. gh a atxaii^t are sorry for Qow how to the man tiiat iiave found it L line and to If you have vill have no but you cao ad make your, I coil; but if eep them' in om a straight TOW speeding to us in our [n a straight re two stakes, enough to be «at and glori- a definite oV which we are ping our pies* DATB OF HBATEN VPOV BARTH. US April 27 'The dweetnera of the Uiw." Prov. xvi. 21. [PIBITUAL conditions are inseparably connected with our physical life. The flow of the divine life-currents may be interrupted by a little clot of blood; the vital current may leak out through a very trifling wound. If you want to keep the health of Christ, keep from all spiritual sores, from all heart wounds and irritations. One hour of fretting will wear out more vitality than a week of work; and one minute of malignity, or rankling jealousy or envy will hurt more than a drink of poison. Sweetnera of spirit and joyousnees of heart are essential to full health. Quietness of spirit, Qentleness, tranquility, and the p«ce of God that pa^es all understanding, are wortii all the sleeping draughts in the country. We do not wonder that some people have poor health when we hear them talk for half an hour. They have enough dislikes, preju- dices, doubts, and fears to exhaust the strong^ constitution. Beloved, if you would keep God's life and strength, keep out the things that kiU it; keep it for Him, and for His work, and you will find enough and to spare. 124 DATS OP BEATEN UPON EARTH. April 28 "For It is God which worketh In you." tl. 18. Phil. B [ANCTIFICATION is the gift of the Holy Ghost, the fruit of the Spirit, the grace of the Tjord Jesus Christ, the pre- pared inheritance of all who enter in, the greatest obtainmeut of faith, not the attainment of works. It is divine holiness, not human Rolf-improvement, nor perfection. It is the in- flow into man's being of the life and purity of the infinite, eternal and Holy One, bringing His own perfection and working out His own will. How easy, how spontaneous, how delight- ful this heavenly way of holiness! Surely it is a "highway" and not the low way of man's vain and fruitless mortification. It is God's great elevated railway, sweeping over the heads of the struggling throngs who toil along the lower pavement when they might be borne along on His ascension pathway, by His own almighty impulse. It is God's great elevator carrying us up to the higher chambers of His palace, without overlaborious efforts, while others stniggle up the winding stairs and faint by the way. Let us today so fully take Him that He can '"cause us to walk in His statutes." ""l you. Phil. gift of the le Spirit, the rist, the pre- ) enter in, the e attainment not human It is the in- ,nd purity of ne, bringing out His own how delight- Surely it is )f man's vain ay, sweeping throngs who n they might pathway, by 8 God's great her chambers rious efforts, ing stairs and i that He can DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 125 April 29 "Chfirlty never falleth." I. Cor. xlU. 8. DN our work for God it is a great thing to find the key to men's hearts, and recog- nize something good as a point of contact for our spiritual influence. When Jesus met the woman at Samaria He immediately seized hold of the best things in her, and by this He reached her heart, and drew from her a willing confession of her salvation. A Scotchman once said that his salvation was all due to the fact that a good man (Lord Shafts- bury, we believe) once put his arms around him and said, "John, by the grace of God we will mi ke a man of you yet." The old legend tells the story of a poor, dead dog lying on the street in the midst of the crowd, every one of whom was having some- thing to say, until Jesus came along, and im- mediately began to admire its beautiful teeth. He had something kind to say even of him. There Is but One can Uve and love like this; The ChrlBt-love from the living Christ must spring O! Jesus! come and live Thy life In me. And all Thy heaven of love and blessing bring. 126 DAY8 OF HEAYBN UPON EARTH. April 30 "Love belleveth all things." I Cor. xlll. 7. 0EAUTIFUL 18 the expression in the Book of Isaiah which reflects with ex- ceeding sweetness the love of our dear liord. He said, "They are My people, children that will not lie; so He was their Sa- viour." ITiey did lie, hut He would not be- lieve it. At least He speaks as if He would not believe it in the greatness of His love, be- cause they were His people. He has not seen iniquity in Jacob nor perversity in Israel. There is plenty of it to see, and the devil sees it all, and a good many people are only too glad to see it; but the dear Father will not see it. He covers it with His love and the precious blood of His dear atoning Son. Such a wonderful love ought surely to make us gentler to others, and more anxious to cause our Father less need to hide His loving eyes from our imperfections and faults. If we have the mind and heart of Christ, we shall clothe even the world with those graces which faith can claim for them, and try our best to count them as if they were real, and by love and prayer we shall at length make them real. "Love believeth all things." r. xlll. 7. ision in the !ct8 with ex- ! of our dear 3 My people, ras their Sa- )uld not he- f He would HiB love, be- hafl not seen Israel. There 11 sees it all, ' too glad to t see it. He rocious blood a wonderful ler to others, ;her less need imperfections irt of Christ, i with those them, and try were real, and length make lings." DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTU. May 1 127 "The fruit of the Spirit Is gentleneu." Gal. t. 22. m lATlTRE'S harshness has nulted away and she is now beaming with the smile of spring, and everything around us whispers of the gentleness of God. This beautiful fruit is in lovely har- mony with the gentle mouth of which it is the keynote. May the Holy '^'pirit lead us, beloved, these days, into His sweetness, quietness, and gentleness, subduing every coarse, rude, harsh, and unholy habit, and making us like Him, of whom it is said, "He shall not strive, nor cry, nor cause His voice to be heard in the streets." The man who is truly filled with Jesus will always be a gentleman. The woman who is baptized of the Holy Ghost will have the in- stincts of a pei-fect lady, although low bom and little bred in the schools of earthly refinement. Beloved, let us receive and reflect the gentle- ness of Christ, the spirit of the holy babe, until the world will say of us, as the polished and in- fidel Chesterfield once said of the saintly Fene- lon, "If I had remained in his house another day, I should have had to become a Christian." Lord, help us today, to so yield to the gentle Dove-Spirit, that our lives shall be as His life. 188 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. May 2 "Always to triumph." II. Cor. 11. 14. HOW thcBe words help m. Think of them when the people rasp you, when the devil pricks you with his fiery darts, when your sensitive, self-willed spirit chafes or frets; let a gentle voice bo heard above the strife, whiBi)ering, "Keep sweet, keep sweet!" And, if you will but heeld David they iirison of the ; on bettor in in our little lat Adam fell, Look out, be- ilocks, and do tell hifl myr- 'er an orange wants to stop , he generally ; and makes it ny of us have )lace8 and per- )d the greatest devil hf^. bjc- them by some ItAYtl OF IIHAVHN UPON tlAUTII. May 5 "If f then be resurrected." Col. ill. 2. 131 ^ nop Ih waiting this morning to mark tlu; opcninji hoiHK for every n^ady and will- ing hetirt with a toneh of life and power that will lift our lives to higher pleasurps and offer to our vision grander hori- zons of h<»pe and holy s«'rviee. Wo shall not need to neel< far to discover our risen Lord. He was in advance even of the earliest seeker that Kaster morning, and He will he waiting for ns before the break of day with His glad "All Hail," if we have only eyes to see and hearts to welcome and obey Him. What is His message to us this spring time? "If ye then be ris<»n with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." It is nqt risen with Christ, biit remrreded. It is not rising a little higher in the old life, but it is rising from the dead. The resurrec- tion will mean no n\ore than the death has meant. Only so far as we are really dead shall we live with Him. 132 DAYS OP HEAVEN UPON EARTU. May 6 "Reckon ye also ourselves to be alive unto God." Rom. vl. 11. HEATH is but for a moment. Life is for- evermore. T.ive,then,ye children of the resurrection, on His glorioiie life, more and more abundantly, and the fulness of your life will repel the intrusion of self and sin, and overcome evil with good, and your ex- istence will be, not the dreary repression of yoiir own struggling, but the 8pringi^g tide of Christ's spontaneous overcoming life. Once in a religious meeting a dear brother gave us a most exhilarating talk on the risen life. Then another brother got up and talked for a long time on the necessity of self-cruci- tixion. A cold sweat fell over us all, and we could scarcely understand why. But after he had got through, a good sister claritled the whole situation by saying, that "Pastor S. had taken us all out of the grave by his address, and then Pastor P. has put us l.ick again." Don't go back into the grave again after you have got out, but live like Him, who "liveth and was dead, and lo! He is alive forevermore, and has the keys of hell and of death." Keep out of the tomb, and keep the door locked, and the keys in His risen hands. W0smissmmsnm ARTll. Ive unto Ood." t. Life is for- liildren of the 0U8 life, more 1(1 tlie fulness m of self and and your ex- repre«*jion of ingii?ig tide of life. dear brother on the risen up and talked of self-cruci- 18 all, and we But after he • claritled the Tastor S. had is address, and gain." igaiii after you 1, who "liveth e forevermore, death." Keep )or locked, and bAVS OF nEAVEJt UPON EARTH. May 7 133 "I travail in llrth again until Christ be penned in you." Oal. Iv. 19. D T is a blessed moment when we are bom again and a new heart is created in us af- ter the image of God. It is a more blessed moment when in this new heart Christ Himself is bom and the Christmas time is re- produced in us as we, in some real sense, be- come incarnations of the living Christ. This is the deepest and holiest meaning of Christ- ianity. It is expressed in Paul's prayer for the Galatians. "My little children, for whom I travail in birth again till Christ be formed in you." There will yet be a more glorious era when we, like Him, shall be transformed and trans- figured into His glory, and in the resurrection shall be, in spirit, soul and body, even as He. Jjet UB live, under the power of the inspir- ing thought, incanjciions of Christ; not living our life, but the Christ-life, and showing forth the excellencies, not of ourself, but of Him who hath called us "out of darkness into His mar- vellous light," and so our life shall be to all tlie re-living in our position of the Christ life, as He would have lived it, had He been here. DATS OP BBAVEN tJPOif EARTB. May 8 "Except a corn of wheat fall onto the ground and die." Jno. xii. 24. lEATH and resurrection are the central ideas of nature and Christianity. We see them in the transfommtion of tlie chrysalis, in the buried seed burst- ing into the bud and blossom of the spring, in the transformation of the winding sheet of water to the many tinted robes of spring. We see it all through the Bible in the symbol of circumcision, with its significance of death and life, in the passage of the Red Sea and the Jor- dan leading out and leading in, and in the Cross of Calvary and the open grave of the Eaater morning. We see it in every deep spiritual life. Every true life is death-bom, and the deeper the dying the* truer the living. We doubt not the months that have been passing have shown us all many a place where there ought to be a grave, and many a lingering shred of the natural and sinful which we would gladly lay down in a bottomless grave. God help us to pass the irrevocable sentence of death and to let the Holy Ghost, the great undertaker, make the interment eternal. Then our life shall be ever buddingand blossoming and shedding fragrance over all. '■■MJIWUW.MU.uaJW.ii' i&rti. DAVS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. May 9 136 o the ground e tlie central tianity. Wc 'ommtion of d seed buret- ;he spring, in ing sheet of ! spring. We he symbol of of death and , and the Jor- d in the Cross of the Easter spiritual life, id the deeper We doubt not g have shown ought to be a of the natural y lay down in IS to pass the ad to let the cer, make the B shall be ever ding fragrance "All hall." Matt xxvlli. 9. DT was a stirring greeting which the Lord of Life spake to His first disciples on the morning of the resurrection. It is a bright and radiant word which in His name wo would speak to His beloved chil- dren at the commencement of another day. It means a good deal more than appears on the surface. It is really a prayer for our health, but which none but those who believe in the healing of the body can fully understand. A thoughtful friend suggested once that the word "hail" really means health, and it is just the old Saxon form of the word. We all know that a hale person is a healthy person. Our Lord's message, therefore, was substantially that greeting which from time immemorial we give to one another when we meet. "How is your health?" "How are you?" or, better still, "I wish you health." Christ's wish is tanta- mount to a promise and command. It is very similar to the Apostle John's benediction to his dear friend Gaius, and we would re-echo it to our beloved friends according to the full- ness of the Master's will. 186 DA78 OF HEAVEN UPOV EABfB. May 10 "I am alive torevermore." B*t. 1. 18. 0EEE is the message of the Christ of tho cross and the still more glorious and precious Christ of the resurrection. It is beautiful and inspiring to note the touch of light and glory with which these simple words invest the cross. It « not said, I am He that was dead and liveth, but "I Im He that Uveth and was dead, but am alive forevermore." Life is mentioned before the death. There are two ways of loofang at the orosB. One is from the death side and^the other from the life side. One is the ^cce Homo and the other is the glorified Jesus with only the marks of the nails and the speair, It is thus we are to look at the cross.. We m not to carry about witL us the mould 6l the : sepulchre, but the glory of the resuirrection " is not the Ecce Homo, but the Living Ch-ist. And so our cruciiaxion is to be bo complete ihat it shall be lost in our resurrection and we siall even forget our sorrow and carry with us the light and glory of the eternal morning. So let us live the death-born life, ever new aud ful of a life that can never die, b«>cttU8f it is "dea*i md alive forevermore." RTS. r. 1. 18. Dlirist of tho glorious and resurrection, ling to note with which 18. It 19 not i liveth, but lead, but am ;ioned before [>f looking at Bide and the is the Scce ed Jesus with ;he speai". It ross. We ftre moulA 6i the; uirection. It [jiying Ch-lst. complete that 1, and we siall y with us the rning. So let lewaftd fulof it is "dead md DAVS Of ntSAVEH VPOV EARfU. May 11 187 "WhoBoever shall save his life shall lose It" Luke Ix. 24. HIRST and foremost Christ teaches resurrection and life. The power of Christianity is life. It brings us not merely law, duty, example, with high and holy teaching and admonition. It brings us the power to follow the higher ideal and the life that spontaneously does the things com- manded. But it is not only life, but resurrec- tion life. And it begins with a real crisis, a definite transaction, a point of time aa clear as the morning dawn. It is not an everlasting dying and an eternal struggle to liye. But it is all expressed in a tense that denotes definiteness, fixedness and finished action. We actually died at a certain point and as actually began to live the resurrfection life, Let us reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive imto God through Jesus ■Christ.:' /::.;; And death Is only the pathway and portal. To the life that shall die nevermore; And the crosB leadeth up to the crown everlasting, The Jordan to Canaan's bright shore. Iffi. li 188 DAYB OF HEAVEN VPOV EARTH. May 12 "Tell me where Thoa makoet Thy flocke to feed at noon." Song of Solomon, i. 7. 0ELOVED, do you not long for God's quiet, the inner chambers, the shadow of the Almighty, the secret of His presence? Your life has been, per- haps, all driving and doing, or perhaps strain- ing, struggling, longing and not obtaining. Oh, for rest! to lie down upon His bosom and know that you have all in Him, that every question is answered, every doubt settled, every interest safe, every prayer answered, every desire satis- fied. Lift up the cry, "Tell me, Thou whom my soul loveth, where Thou feedest, wheje Thou makest Thy flock to rest at noon!" Blessed be His name! He has this for us, His exclusive love — a love which each individ- ual somehow feels is all for himself, in which he can lie alone upon His breawt and have a place which none other can dispute; and yet His heart is so great that He can hold a thou- sand millions just as near, and each heart seem to possess Him just as exclusively for hjs own, even as the thousand little pools of water upon the beach can reflect the sun, and each little pool seems to have a whole sun embosomed in its beautiful depths. And Christ can teach us this secret of His inmost love. iRTB. flocks to feed \g for Ood's I, the ehadow 3cret of His 18 been, per- Thaps strain- )taining. Oh, [>m and know very question 3very interest f desire satis- me, O Then Dhou feedest, rest at noonl" a this for us, each individ- self, in which it and have a pute; and yet I hold a thou- gh heart seem y for his own, of water upon jid each littla embosomed in it can teach us DAYS OF HEAVEN VPON EARfti. 139 May 13 "Abide In Me." Jno. xv. 4. 011KIST1AN1TY may mean nothing more than a religious hystem. Chris- iian life may mean nothing more than an earnest »n(l honest attempt to fol- low and imitate Christ. Christ liife is more than these, and expresses our actual union with the I^ord Jesus Christ, and He is undoubtedly in us as the life and source of all our experience and work. This conception of the highest Christian life is at once simpler and sublimer than any other. We do not teach in these pages, that the pur- pose of Christ's redemption is to restore us to Adamif perfection, for if we had it we should lose it tomorrow; but rather to unite us with the Second Adam, and lift us up to a higher plane than our first parents ever knew. This is the only thing that can reconcile the warring elements of diverse schools of teaching with respect to Christian life. The Spirit of God will lead us to have no controversy respecting mere theories, but simply hold to the person and life of Jesus Christ Himself, and the privilege of being united to Him, and living in constant depend- ence upon His keeping power and grace. 14d t)AV8 Of ntSAVEN VPOV EARTH. May 14 m "But Ood." Luke xii. 20. IHAT else do we really need? What else is He trying to make ub realize and trust? The religion of the Bible is wholly supernatural. The one re- source of faith has always been the living God, and Him alone. The children of Israel were utterly dependent upon Jehovah as they marched through the wilderness, and the one reason their foes feared them and hastened to submit themselves was that they recognized among them the shout of a King, and the prea- ence of One compared with whom all their strength was vain. "Wherein," asked Moses, "shall we be sep- arated from all other peoples of the earth, ex- cept it be in this that Thou goest before us." A church relying on human wisdom, wealth or resources, ceases to be the body of Christ and becomes an earthly society. When we dare to do this without compromise and without doubt, the humblest and feeblest agencies will become "mighty 1 i rough God, to the pulling down of strongholds." May the Holy Spirit give to us, at this time especially, His own conception of these two great words, "But God." iTtt. 2d? What i ua realize if the Bible rhe one re- living God, Israel were 1 as they nd the one hastened to recognized id the pres- n all their vre be sep- e earth, ex- efore ufl." Jom, wealth E Christ and e dare to do it doubt, the urill become ng down of ; give to us, mception of UAYli OF UBAVMN lH'itN tlAUTU. 141 May 15 "I press toward the mark." Phil. 111. 14, m ^, have thought much about what we have received. Let us think of the things we have not received, of some of the vessels that have not yet been filled, of some of the placos in our life that the Holy Ghost has not y. losseesed for God, and signalized by His g y and His presence. Shall the coming months be marked by a diligent, heart-searching application of "the rest of the oil," to the yet unoccupied possi- bilities of our life and service? Have we known His fullness of grace in our spiritual life? Have we tasted a little of His glory? Have we believed His promise for the mind, the soul, the spirit? Have we known all His possibilities for the body? Have we tested Him in His power to control the events of providence, and to move the hearts of men and nations? Has He opened to us the treasure- house of God, and met our financial needs as He might? Have we even begun to understand the ministry of prayer, as God would have us exercise it? God give us "the rest of the oil!" 142 DAYS OF UK. WEN UPON EARTH. May 16 "It iB not In man that walketh to direct hla BtepB." Jer. x. 28. 0NITED to Jo8U8 Christ as your Re- deemer, you are acceiited in the Be- loved. He docs not merely take my I place ns a man and settle my debts. He does that and more. He <5omefl to give a perfect ideal of what a man should be. He is the model man, not for ub to copy, for tfiat wo\ild only bring discouragement and utter failure; but He will come and copy Himself in us. If Christ lives in me, I am another Christ. I am not like Him, but I have the same mind. The very Christ is in me. This is the founda- tion of Christian holiness and Divine healing. Christ is developing a perfect life within us. Some say man can never be perfect. "It is not in man that walketh to direct hi« steps." We are all a lot of failures. This is true, but we should go further. We have not only failed, but we have executed the miserable criminal. We have even more. We have taken Jesus as a sub- stitute for our miserable self. We have given up the good as well as the bad and taken Him instead . It is hard for us to learn that the very good must go, but we must have Divine im- pulses instead of even our best attainments. tTII. ) direct hiB s your Re- in the B«- ly take my ! my debts. !B to give a I be. He is py, for timt , ami \itter ' Himself in >ther Christ, same mind, the founda- rine healing, e within us. . "It is not steps." We true, but we ly failed, but •iminal. We }8U8 as a Bub- e have given d taken Him that the very e Divine im- tainments. UAYa Of HhWEN UI'OS EARTH. May 17 143 "To him that overcometh, will I give." Rev. II. 17. 0P11ECIOTTS Hcorot of Clirislian life in to have Jesurtdwellinpwithinthe heart and conquering things that we never could overcome. It is the only se- cret of power in your life ,and mine, beloved. Men cannot understand it, nor will the world believe it; but it is true, that God will come to dwell within us, and be the power, and the purity, and the victory, and the joy of our life. It is no longer now, "What its the best that I can do?" but the question is, "What is the best that Christ can do?" It enables us to say, with Paul, in that beautiful passage in Philipians, "I know loth how to be abased, and I know how to abound, everywhere and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ, which strengthen- eth me." With this knowledge I go forth . to meet my testings, and the secret standn me good. It keeps me pure and sweet, as I could never keep myself. Christ has met the adversary and defeated him for me. Thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ. 144 UAYti OF UHAVKS UPON EAUTll. May 18 "For ye are dead." Col. 111. 8. HOW, this definite, abeoluto and final putting off of ouraelves in an act of death, ia aoincthing we cannot do ourw'lvea. It ie not self-mortifying, but it is dying with Christ. There is nothing can do it but the Cross of Christ and the Spirit of God. The church is full of half dead people who have been trying, like poor Nero, lo slay themselves for years, and have not had the courage to strike tlie fatal blow. Oh, if they would just put themselves at Jesus' feet, and let Him do it, there would be accomplishment and rest. On that cross He has pn>vided for our death as well m our life, and our part is just to let His death be applied to our nature just as it has boea to our old sins, and then leave it with Hira, think no more about it, and count it dead, not recognizing it any longer as ourselves, but another, refusing to listen or fear it, to be identified with it, or even try to cleanse it, but counting it utterly in His hands, and dead to us forever, and for all our new life depending on Him at every breath, as a babe just born depends upon its mother's life. niniLiW^ iilMIIBii lurti. I. s. to and final in an set of cannot do f-inortifying, •e is nothing nd the Spirit : dead people Nero, io slay not had the Oh, if they ub' feet, and :ompliBhnient provided for \ our part is to our nature n8, and then about it, and any longer w listen or fear try to cleanse is hands, and onr new life ,th, as a babe 1*8 Ufe. IKiYH Of HUAVKN Ul'ON KAHTU. May 19 145 "H« purgflth It that It may bring forth mor« fruit" Jno. XV. 2. 0K('KN'IMiY wo pftiwd n garden. The franifnor hud juHt finished bin jinining, rtj»(l the wounds of the knife and Haw wore Just beginning to lu'al, while the warm April sun was gently nourirhing the stricken plant into frcmh life and energy. We thought as we looked at that plant how cruel it would bo to b, has its dying hour; but it must not l>e always dying: Rather reckon ourselves lo be deatl indeed unto sin, but alive unto Ood through Jesus Christ our Jjord. Death is but a moment. Live, then, ye children of the resurrection, on His glorious life f'ore and more abundantly, and the full- nees of your life will repel the intrusion of self anJ sin, and overcome evil with good, and your existence will be, not the dreary repression of your own struggling, but the springing tide of Christ's spontaneous overcoming and everlast- ing life. i 1 146 DAYH OF HEATEN UPON EARTH. May 20 "Ye are not your own." I. Cor. vl. 19. m HAT a privilege that we may conse- crate ourselves. What a mercy that God will take us, worthless worma. What rest and comfort lie hidden in those words, "Not my own." Not respon- sible for my salvation, not burdened by my cares, not obliged to live for my interests, but altogether His; redeemed, owned, saved, loved, kept in the strong, unchanging arms of His everlasting love. Oh, the rest from sin and self, and cankering care which true consecration brings! To be able to give Him our" poor weak life, with its awful possibilities and its utter helplessness, and know that He will accept it, and take a joy and pride in making out of it ilie utmost possibilities of blessing, power and usefulness; to give all, and find in bo doing we have gained all; to be so vielded to Him in entire self surrender, that He is bound to care for us as for Himself. We are putting our- selves in the hands of a loving Father, more solicitous for our good than we can be, and only wanting us to be fully submitted to Him that He may be more free to bless us. ',ARTn. or. vl. 19. ve may conse- a mercy that •thless worma. irt lie hidden Not respon- dened by my interests, but , saved, loved, arms of His n sin and self, I consecration our poor weak and its utter will accept it, king out of it ng, power and i in so doing fled to Him in bound to care ! putting our- Father, more in be, and only cl to Him that DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. May 21 147 "We will come unto Him and make our abode with Him." Jno. xlv. 23. HHE Bible has always held out two great promises respecting Christ. First, I will come to you; and, second, I will come into you. For four thousand years the world looked forward to the fulfillment of the first. The other is the secret which Paul says has been hid from ages and generations, but is now made manifest to His saints, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. This is just as great a revelation of God as the incarnation of Jesus, for it makes you like Christ, as free from sin as He is. If Christ is in you, what will be the consequences? Why, He will put you aside entirely. The I in you will go. You will say, "Not I, but Christ." Christ undertakes your battles for you. Christ becomes purity and grace and strength in you. You do not try to attain unto these things, but you know you have obtained them in Him. It is glorious rest with the Master. Jesus docs not say, "Now we must bring forth fruit, we must pray much, we must do this or that." There is no constraint about it, except that we must abide in Him. That is the centre of all joy and help. ^mnJiJi i *''' 148 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. May 22 "Plght the good flght of tsAth." I. Tim. vl. 12. 0H, beloved, how must God feel about U8 after He has given us His heart's blood, put so many advantages in our way, expended upon us so much grace and care, if we should disappoint Him. It makes the spirit cry, "Who is sufficient for these things?" Ilvennore I can see before me the time when you and I shall stand on yonder shore and look back upon the years that have been, these few short years of time. Oh, may we cast ourselves at Jesus' feet and say: "Many a time have we faltered; many a hard fight has come, but Thou hast kept me and held me, thanks to God, who has given me the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ." From the battlefields of the Peninsula, a little band of veterans came forth, and they gave each a medal, with the names of all their battles on one side, and on the other side this little sentence, "I was there." Oh, when that hour shall come, may it be a glad, glad thought to look back over the trials and sacrifices of these days and remember, "I was there, and by the help of God and the grace of Jesus, I am here." A.RTU. Tim. vl. 12. id feel about s His heart's ntages in our ) much grace int Him. It suflRcient for n see before shall stand k upon the hort years of at Jesus' feet iltered; many hast kept me has given me esus Christ." nsula, a little id they gave 1 their battles ide this littie len that hour glad thought I sacrifices of there, and by f JesuB, I am DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH, 149 May 23 "The fullness ot the blessing^ of Christ" Rom. XV. 29. HOW, a great many don't see these bless- ings as they are centered in Ilim. They want to get the blessing of salvatioa, but that is not the Christ. They want to get the blessing of His grace to help, but that is not Him. They want to get answered prayer from Him to work for Him. You might have all that and not have the blessing of Christ Himself. A great many people are attached rather, to the system of doctrine. They say, "Yes, I have got the truth; I am orthodox." That is not the Christ. It may be the cold statue in the fountain with the water passing from the cold hands and lips, but no life there. A great many other people want to get the blessing of joy, but it is not the blessing of Christ personally. A great many people are more attached to their church and pastor, or to dear Christian friends, but that is not the Christ. The blessing that will alone fill your heart when all else fails is the loving heart of Jesus united to you, the fountain of all your blessings and the unfailing one when they all wither and are exhausted— Jesus Christ Him- self. 150 DATS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. May 24 "Where Is the way where light dwelleth." Job, xxxvlll. 19. HEWELS, in themselves, are valueless, unless they are brought in contact with light. If they are put in certain positions they will reflect the beauty of the sun. There is no beauty in them other- wise. The diamond that is back in its dark gallery or down in the deep mine, displays no beauty whatever. What is it but a piece of char- coal, a bit of common carbon, until it becomes a medium for reflecting light? And so it is also with the other precious gems. Their varied tints are nothing without light. If they are many-sided, they reflect more light, and dis- play more beauty. If you put paste beside a diamond there is no brilliancy in it. In its crude state it does not reflect light at all. So we are in a crude state and are of no use at all until God comes and shines upon us. The light that is in a diamond is not its own possession; it i« the beauty of the aun. What beauty is there in the child of God? Only the beauty of Jesus. We are His peculiar people, choeen to show forth His excellencies who hath called us out of darkness into His marvellous light. Let us reflect today His light and love. m [RTH. relleth." Job, re valueless, in contact it in certain ; the beauty them other- in its dark , displays no »iece of char- il it becomes \.nd so it is Their varied If they are ;ht, and dis- iste beside a n it. In its it at all. So no use at all IS. The light n possession; lat beauty is ;he beauty of le, chosen to ath called us s light. Let DA78 OF BEATEK UPON EARfB. May 25 'That I may know Him." Phil- !«• W- 0KTTER to know Jesus Himself than to know the tnith about Him for the deep things of God as they are re- vealed by the Holy Ghost. It wa.« Paul's great desire, "That I may know Him," not about Him, not the mysteries of the won- derful world, of the deeper and higher teach- ings of God, but to enter into the Holy of Holies, where Christ is, where the Shekinah is shining and making the place glorious with the holiness of God, and then to enter into the secret of the Lord Himself. It was what Jacob strove for at Peniel, when he pleaded with God, "Tell me Thv name." He haa told us His name,, giving us "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of JesusChnst. That is the secret. It is the Lord Himself, and nothing else; it is acquaintance with God; it is knowing Jesus Christ as we know no one else; it is being able to say, not only "I believe Him" but "I know Him;" not about Him, but i know Him. That is the secret above all others that God wants us to have; it is His provision for glory and power, and it is given freely to the single-hearted seeker. 162 t}AY8 OF BEAVEK VPOH BARfB. May 26 "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your reQuest be made known unto Qod." Phil. iv. 6. 0OMMIT means to hand over, to trust wholly to another. So, if we give our trials to Him, He will carry them. If we walk in righteousness He will carry ua through. "Humble yourselves, there- fore, under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time." There are two hands there — God's hand pressing us down, humbling us, and then God's hand lifting us up. Cast all your care on Him, then His hand will lift you up, exalt you in due time. There are two cares in this verse — your care and His care. They are different in the original. One means anxious care, the other means Almighty care. Cast your anxious care on Him and take His Almighty care instead. Make no account of trouble any more, but believe He is able to sustain you through it. The government is on His shoulder. Believe that, if you trust and obey Him, and meet His will. He will look after your interests. Simply exchange burdens. Take His yoke upon you, and let Him care for you. f,v IRTB. iverythlng by Ivlng let your Phil. Iv. 6. ver, to tnist we give our ry them. If ess He will selves, there- Jod that He lere are two ig us down, id lifting us en His hand time. There sare and His riginal. One .ns Almighty [im and take } no account le is able to mment is on )u trust and ill look after ge burdens. Flim care for DAYS OF BEATEN VPON EARfH. May 27 1S3 "The government shall be upon His shoulder." Pb. »x. 6. HOU cannot make the heart restful by stopping its beating. Belladonna will do that, l)ut that is not rest. Let the breath ol life come— God's life and strength— and there will be sweet rest. Home ties and family affection will not bring it. De- liverance from trouble will not give it. Many a tried heart has said: "If this great trouble was only gone, I should have rest." But as soon as one goes another comes. The poor, wounded deer on the mountain side, thinks if he could only bathe in the old mountain stream he would have rest. But the arrow is in its Resh and there is no rest for it till the wound is healed. It is as sore in the mountain lake as on the plain. We shall never have God's rest and peace in the heart tUl we have given everything up to Christ —even our work— and believe He has taken it all, and we have only to keep still and trust. It is necessary to walk in holy obedience and let Him have the government on His shoulder. Paul said this: "This one thing I do." There is one narrow ppth for us all— Christ's will and work for us. 164 DAYS OF UEAVEN UPON SARTB. May 28 "He humbled Hlmeelf." Phil. il. ft. 0NE of the hardest things for a lofty and superior nature is to be under au- thority, to renounce his own will, and to take a place of subjection. But Christ took upon Him the form of a servant, gave up His independence. His right to please Himself, His liberty of choice, and after having from eternal ages known only to command, gave Himself up only to obey. I have seen oc- casionally the man who was once a wealthy employer a clerk in the same store. It was not an easy or graceful postion, I assure you. But Jesus was such a perfect servant that His Father said: "Behold, My Servant in whom My soul delighteth." All His life His w^atchword was, "The Son of Man came to minister." "I am among yon as He that doth serve." "I can do nothing of Myself." "Not My will, but thine be done." "Have you, beloved, learned the ser- vant's place?" And once more, "He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." His life was all a dying, and at last He gave all up to death, and also shame, the death of crucifixion. This was the consummation of His love. 11. a. for a lofty ) under au- n will, and 3tion. But a servant, it to please fter having command, ve Been oc- a wealthy It was not i you. But i His Father tn My soul hword was, T.' 'I am "I can do , hut thine led the ser- idient unto " His life e all up to crucifixion, love. DAYS OF HEAVEK UPON EARTH. 155 May 29 •The body Is for the Ix>rd and the Lord for the body." I Cor. vl. 13. 0OW, juBt as it was Chnst Himself who justified us, and Christ Himself who was made unto us sanctification, so it is only hy personal union with Him that we can receive this physical life and re- demption. It is, indeed, not a touch of power upon our body which restores and then leaves it to the mere resources of natural strength and life for the future; but it is the vital and actual union of our mortal body with the risen body of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that His own verj' life comes into our frame and He is Himself made unto us strength, health and full physical redemption. He is alive forevermore and condescends to live in these houses of clay. They who thus re- ceive Him may know Him as none ever can who exclude Him from the bodies which He has made for Himself. This is one of the deep and precious mysteries of the Gospel. "The body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the hody." "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, and ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body, which is God's." (Revised Version.) 166 DAYB OF nEAVRS UPON EARTH. May 30 "I will put My Spirit within you." Bz. xxxvi. 27. DWILL put My Spirit within you, and I will cause you to walk in My Btatutes, and ye shall keep My judgm(?nt8." "I will put My fear in your hearts, and ye shall not turn away from Me." Oh, friend, would not that be blessed, would not that be such a rest for you, all worn out with this strife in your own strength? Do you not want a strong man to conquer the strong man of self and sin? Do you not want a leader? Do you not want God Himself to be with you, to be your occupant? Do you not want rest? Are you not conscious of this need? Oh, this sense of being beaten back, longing, waiting, wanting, but not accomplishing. That is wfiat He comes to do; "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you." Better than that, "Ye shall receive the power of the. Holy Ghost coming upon you." That is the true ver- sion, and really it is immensely different from the other. You shall not receive power your- self, so that people shall say: "How much power he has got." You shall not have any power whatever, but you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghoet coming upon you. He having the power, that is all. irn. I. xxxvl. 27. you, and I [y statutes, nents." "I rts, and ye Jh, friend, lot that be I this strife lot want a nan of self r? Do you you, to be rest? Are , this sense g, wanting, t He comes }r that the Jetter than f the Holy le true ver- erent from ower your- fiuch power any power ower of the having the DAYS Of IIKAVEN UPON EAKTll. May 31 167 "WhoHoever therefore shall humble hltttuelf as this little child." Matt, xvtil. 4. B |()U will never get a huml>le heart until it in l)orn from above, from the heart of ChriBt. For man ha-s loHt hi« own humanity and too often ha<^ got a demon heart, flod wants us, ^ Christians, to be simple, human, approachable and < ildLke. The Christians that I know and love beat, and that are nearest to the Lord, are the most sim- ple. Whenever we grow 8tilte His great salvation. 168 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EAItTll. : June I "That the rightoouBueHB of the law might be ful- filled In UB." Rom. vlll. 4. HOW, beloved, do you know the inistake some of you are making? Some of you flay: "It is not possible for me to be good; no man ever was perfect, and it is no use for me to try." That is the mistake many of you are making. I agree with the first sentenoo, ">fo man ever was perfect;" hut I don't agree with the second, "There is no use trying." There is a divine righteousness that we may have. I don't mean merely that which pardons your sins — I believe that, too — but I mean far more; I mean that which comes into your soul and iiniten itself with the fibres of your being; I mean Christ; your life, your purity, making you feel as Christ feels; think as Christ thinks, love as Christ loves, hate as Christ hates, and be "partakers of the divine nature." That is God's righteosness; that the righteousness of the law niiiHit l)o fulfilled in us," not by us, but in us; not our hands and feet merely, but our very instincts, our very de- sires, our very nature springing up in harmony with His own. Have you got Him, dear friends? He will come and fulfill all right things in us, if today you will open your heart. urn. light be tul- the mistake lorae of you »r me to be ■feet, and it ;he mistake « with the >rfcct;" Init re is no use usness that that which too — but I comes into 10 fil)re« of life, your feels; think i^es, hate as the divine «; that the fulfilkHl ill hands and )ur very de- in harmony ear friends? lings in ns, DAYa OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. June! iS8 "A« ye have therefore received Christ JeBUS the Lord HO walk ye In Him." Col. 11. B. 0VUV. is the very core of spiritual life. Tt JM not n Hii»)jcotivc stato ho much ns a life in tho heart. Christ for uh is the tlivino person received to abide and source of our justification; Christ in us of our fianctificatir.n. When thJK become« real, "Yo are dead;" your own condition, states and re- sources are no longer counted upon any more than a dead man's, but "your life is hid with Christ in God." It is not even always manifest to you. Tt is hid and so wrapped up and en- folded in llim that only as you abide in llim does it appear and abide. Nay, "Christ who is your life," must Himself ever maintain it, and be made unto you of God all you need. Therefore, Chrietian life is not to come to Christ to save you, and then go on and work out your sanctification yourself, but "as ye have received Christ Jesus, the Lord, so to walk m Him," just as dependent and as simj.ly trust- ing as for your pardon and salvation. Ah friends how much It would ease our taaks For the day that's just begun, To live our life a step at a time And our moments one by one. ■SMmgtMM'WS. 160 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. June 3 "Ye 8ha]l receive the power of the Holy Ohost." Acts i. 8. |FTERE is power for us if we fiave the Holy Ghost. God wants us to speak to men so that they will feel it, so that they will never forget it. God means every Christian to be effective, to count in the actual records and results of Christian work. Dear friends, God sent you here to be a power yourself. There is not one of you but is an essential wheel of the machinery, and can ac- complish all that God calls you to. I solemnly believe that there is not r> thing that God ex- pects of man but that God will give the man power to do. There is not a claim God makes on you or me but God will stand up to, and will give what He commands. I believe when Christ Jesus lived and died and sent down the Holy Ghost, He sent resources for all our need, and that there is no place for failure in Chris- tian life if we will take God's resources. Jesm, the ascended One, and the Holy Ghost, the in- dwelling energy, life and efficiency of God, are sufficient for all possible emergencies. Do you believe this? If you believe it, let Him into your heart, without reserve and allow Him to control and work through you today by His power. RTU. aoly Ghost." ve have the I to Bpeak to it, so that God means ount in the istian work. be a power u but is an and can ac- I solemnly fiat God ex- ve the man God makes up to, and (clieve when at down the ill our need, ire in Chris- rces. Jesus, host, the in- of God, are es. Do you it Him into low Him to •day by His DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 161 June 4 '"Looking unto Jesus." Heb. xll. 2. BHERE must be a constant looking unto Jesus, or, as the German Bible gives it, an off-looking upon Jesus; that is, look- ing off from the evil, refusing to see it, not letting the mind dwell upon it for a second. We should have mental eyelashes as well as physical ones, which can be used like shields, and let no evil thing in; or, like a stockade camp in the woods, which repels the first as- sault of the enemy. This the use of the fringes to our eyes, and so it should be with the soul. Many do not seem to know that they have spiritual eyes. They go through the world as if somebody had cut off their eyelashes, and they stare away on the good and evil alike. The devil comes along with his evil pictures and bids them look. We cannot look upon evil without being defiled. Sometimes, in go- ing down the street, the sight of some of the pictures on the way will cast their fllth upon the soul so that we shall feel the need of being bathed in Jesus' blood for hours for cleansing. There has been no consent unto sin, but the sight of it has defiled. There is no help for it but in the resolute, steady, inner view of Christ. 162 DAl'8 OF HEAVEN UPON EARTU. June 5 "My heart Is fixed. O Lord." Pb. Ivll. 7. IE do not always feel joyful, but we are always to count it joy. This word reckon is one of the keywords of Scripture. It is the same word used about our being dead. We are painfully conscious of something which would gladly re- turn to life. But we are to treat ourselves as dead, and neither fear nor obey the old nature. So we are to reckon the thing that comes a blessing; we are determined to rejoice, to say, "My heart is fixed. Lord; I will sing and give praises." This rejoicing by faith will soon be- come a habit, and will ever bring speedily the spirit of gladness and the spontaneous overflow of praise. Then, although the fig tree may wither and no fruit appear in the vines, the labor of the olive fail, and the field yield no increase, the herd be cut off from the stall, and the cattle from the field, yet will we rejoice in the Lord and glory in the God of our salvation. Though the everlasting mountains, . And the earth Itself remove, Naught can change His loving kindness Or His everlasting love. iRTU •b. Ivil. 7. yful, but we joy. This he keywords 3 same word ire painfully lid gladly re- ourselves as e old nature. ;hat comes a joice, to say, ing and give will soon be- speedily the eons overflew y wither and labor of the increase, the nd the cattle i in the Lord ion. ains, kindness DAYS OF HEAVHN UPON EARTH. 163 June 6 ■ "He emptied Himself." Phil. 11. 8. HUB very first step to this righteousness of Matthew is "poor in spirit." Then ' the next is a little deeper, "they that mourn." Because now you must get plastic, you must get broken, you must get like the metal in the fire, which the Master can mould; and so, it is not enough tc see your un- righteousness, but deeply to feel it, deeply to regret it, deeply to mourn over it, to own it not a little thing that sin has come into your life. And so God leads a soul unto His right- eousness. He usually leads it through some testings and trials. This generally comes after conversion. I do not think it necessary for a soul to have deep and great suffering before it is saved. I think He will put it into the fire when He knows it is saved; when it realizes it is accepted; when it is not afraid of the discipline; when it is not the hand of wrath, but the hand of love. Oh, then, God, takes you down and makes you poor in spirit, and makes you mourn until you get to the third step, which is to be meek, broken, yielded, submissive, willing, sur- rendered, and laid low at His feet, <3rying: "What wilt Thou have me to do?" ii 'i i n,in»n i 'm i ww i < > i"»f i I iiiiiiii Trn i 'rirTi aiWMHl 164 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. June 7 "When ye go; ye shall not go empty." Ex. ill. 21. m HEN we are really emptied He would have us filled" with Himself ^f^i the Holy Spirit. It is very precious to be conscious of nothing good in ourselves; but, oh, are we also conscious of His great goodness? We may be ready to admit our own disability, but are we as ready to admit His ability? There are many Christians who can say, " We are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves;" but the num- ber I fear is very small who can say, "Our suf- ficiency is of God." You are sure that He is able to provide every want in you, or do you feel that you must sup- ply it yourself? Are you believing that God does now supply every lack in your heart and on your lips, so that all stumbling is taken away, and you are endowed with power for His service, as Elisha took the empty vessels and filled them before they were set aside to be used? Our Saviour, at Cana, ordered the water- pots to be filled to the brim, Then the water was made into wine, but not until the vessels were full. God wants His children to have al- ways a full heart. tTU. Bx. 111. 21. dHe would elf tyid the precious to g good in ious of His 3 admit our y to admit istians who >urselve8 to ,t the num- ', "Our suf- ovide every 1 must sup- y that God p heart and ig is taken wer for His vessels and iside to be i the water- n the water the vessels to have al- bAta OF HtJAVHN VPON EARTH. 166 June 8 "Bread corn 1b brulaed." Is. xxvlll. 28. HIE farmer does not gather timothy and blue grass, and hroak it witli a heavy machine. But he takes great pains with the wheat. So God takes great pains with those who are to be of much use to Him. There is a nature in them that needs this discipline. Don't wonder if the bread corn is treated with the wise, discriminating care that will fit it for food. He knows the way He is taking, and there is infinite tender- ness in the oversight He gives. He is watching the furnace you are in lest the heat should be too intense. He wants it great enough to purify, and then it is withdrawn. He knoweth our frame. He will not let any temptation take us but such as is common to man, and He will with the temptation also make, a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it. Do you believe in this disciplining love of the Hus- bandman, and are you trusting Him with the leading and government of your life? Oh, that you would cease to envy or be disturbed by the people around youl Some day you will be glad for the training and blessing they have brought you. ■J BHWM W i HWPW 166 UAY8 OF tlMAVBH UPON EARfB. June 9 "Ye are the light of the world." Matt. v. 14. m IE are called the lights of the world, light-bearera, reflectors, candle- sticks, lamps. We are to be kindled ourselves, and then we will bum and give light to others. We are the only light the world has. The Lord might come down Him- self and give light to the world, but He has chosen differently. He wants to send it through us, and if we don't give it the world will not have it. We should be giving light all the time to our neighbors. Ood. does not put a meteor in the sky to tell us when to shine. We are to be giving light all the time wherever we are, at home, or in the social circle, or in our place in the church. We should feel al- ways we may never have another opportunity for it, and so we should always be burning and shining for Him. Let our lamps be trimmed and burning ani full of the oil of the Spirit. Above all, let us be a steady light to the lost ones. Let me dwell In Timnath Serah, Where the sun forever shlnea, Where the night and darkness come not, And the day no more declines. oak, dear friends, with our eyes ever u[;war;- it the words JiAH OF tlEAVEJi UPON KARTlf' ITI June 14 "The Hecret of the l«rd Is with them that fear Him." I'B. XXV. 14. HIIKRE nro HecrctH of Providence which (Jod's dear children nuiy li'arn. His dealing with tbcin often seems, to the outward eye, dark and ti-rrible. Faith looks .leeper and says, "This is Gel's secret. You look onlv on the outside; I can look deeper and see the hidden meaning." Sometime dia- monds are done up in rough packages, so tiuit their value cannot be seen. When the taber- nacle was built in the wilderness there was nothing rich in its outside appvwrance. The costly things were all within, and its outward (lovering of rough badger skin gave no hint of the valuable things which it contained. God may send you, dear friends, some costly pack- ages. Do not worry if they are done up in rough ^^ lappings. You may be sure there are treasures of love, and kindness and wisdom hidden within. Do not be so foolish as to throw away a nugget of gold because there is some quartz in it. If we tak. what He sends, nnd trust Him for the goodness in it, even m the dark, we shall learn the meaninfi' of the secrets of His i ovidence. I Hi BAtB OF UKAVtm UPON EARTS. June 15 "Orow up Into Him tn all thlnga." Eph. Iv. IB. Q fruit. I ARVEST irt n time of ripenoHS. Then the fruit and grain are fully devel- oped, both in size and weight. Time hag tempered the acid of the green It ha« been mellowed and softened by fhe rains and the heat of summer. The sun has tinted it into rich colors, and at last it is ready and ripe to fall into the hand. So Ciiristian life ought to be. There are many things in life that need to he nn-llowed and ripened. Many Christians have orchards full of fruit, but they are all green and sharp to the taste. There is much fruit there, but it is not ripe. There is a great deal in them that is good, but it is in- complete, and very sharp and sour. Per- haps something goes wrong in your domestic life, and you get flurried and cross and lose your confidence in God, and then, of course, your Christian joy. These things produce re- gret and all kinds of misery. There are many things day after day you are sorry for. You know you are not ripe and mellow and you can- not become so by trying. You cannot bring the sweetness in. It must be wrought out from within. iRTti. Eph. Iv. 16. 'lu-HH. Then fully (level- eight. Time if the green softened by The sun has st it is ready So Ciiristian LhingH in life jned. Many i fruit, but taste. There pe. There is but it is in- Bour. Per- )ur domestic 088 and lose 1, of course, produce re- ire are many y for. You and you can- lot bring the bt out from DAYH OF HKAVKSVPi^ EARTH. Vtt June 16 "Ye cannot nerve Ood and Mammon." Matt, vl. 24. QK does not say ye cannot very well Herve (J«k1 and jimuiinon, but ye cannot Herve two masters at all. Ye shall be sure to end by serving one, The man who thinks he ip serving Ood a little is de- ceived; He is not serving God. Ood will not have his service. The devil will monopolize him before he gets through. A divided heart loses both worlds. Saul tried it. Balaam tried it. Judas tried it, and they all made a desperate failure. Mary had but one choice. Paul said: "This one thing 1 do." "For me to live is Christ." Of such a life Ood says: "Becmm he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him. I will set him on high because he hath known My name." God takes a peculiar pride in showing His love to the heart that wholly chooses Him. Heaven and earth will fade away before its trust can be disappointed. Have we chosen Him only and given Him all our heart? Say l8 it all for Jesus. As you 80 often sing? Is He your Royal Master? Is He your heart's dear King? 174 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. June 17 "The glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward." Is. Iviii. 8. m comes by our side as our helper; nay, more, He comes to dwell within us; to be the life in our blood, the fire in our thought, the faith within us, both in inception and consummation. Thus He be- comes not only the recompense of the victor, but the resources of the victory. He is the Cap- tain and the Overcomer in our lives. If we have caught any help that has relieved us of a troubled morning, it has been of Him. He lifts our eyes up unto Himself and delivers us from apathy, from discontent and from fears. He is always the helper in this heavenly com- petition, and will be the great reward in all the ag©8 to come. If our life is hidden with Him we shall have to go through the same trials that He went through, but we shall not find them too hard. If once we take Him fully as the strength of our life, and our all in all, we shall be able to lay aside all the hindering things that press upon us day by day. I have overcome, overcome, Overcome for thee, Thou Shalt overcome, overcome, Overcome thro*. Me. ■fl«S!#- rwi iBTU. ly rereward." helper; nay, ivithin us; to le fire in our us, both in hus He be- f the victor, e is the Cap- lives. If we ieved us of a >f Him. He d delivers us I from fears, eavenly com- urd in all the 3n with Him ne trials that find them too I the strength shall be able gs that press ;ome. DAYS OP HEAVEN VPON EARTH. June 18 175 "I am doing a great work, bo that I cannot come down." Neh. vi. 3. m IHEN work is pressing there are many little things that will come and seem to need attention. Then it is a very blessed thing to be quiet and still, and work on, and trust the little things with God. He answers such trust in a wonderful way. If the soul haa no time to fret and worry and harbor care, it has learned the secret of faith in God. A desperate desire to get some difficulty right takes the eye off of God and His glory. Some dear ones have been so anx- ious to get well, and have spent so much time in trying to claim it, that they have lost their spiritual blessing. God sometimes has to teach such souls that there must be a willingness to be sick before they are so thoroughly yielded as to receive His fullest blessing. The enemy often keeps at this work. San- ballat came four times to Nehemiah and re- ceived always the same answer. It is best to stick to a good answer. How many fears we have stopped to fight which have proved to be noth- ing at last. Nehemiah recognized that fear was sin, and did not dare to yield to it. 176 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. June 19 • "Who hath tint given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again." Rom. xi. 35. HIE Christian women of the world have it in their power, by a very little sacri- fice, to add millions to the treasury' of the Lord. Beloved sisters, have you found the oy of sacrifice for Jesus? Have you given up something that you might give it to Him? Are you giving your substance to Je- sus? He will take it, and He will give you a thousandfold more. I should rather be con- nected with a work founded on great sacrifice than on enormous endowments. The reason God loved the place where His ancient temple rose in majesty was because there xVoraham offered his son and David his treasure. The reason redemption is so dear to the Father and the heavenly world is because its foundation- stone is the Cross of Calvary. And the Chris- tian life that is dearest to the heart of God, and will rise to the highest glory and usefulness, is the one whose foundation principle is sacrifice and self-renunciation. This is why the Master teaches us to give, because giving means lov- ing, and love is but another name for life. IRTU. d It shall be . xi. 35. I world have T little sacri- ! treasury of 8, have you ' Have you it give it to tancft to Je- 1 give you a her be con- reat sacrifice The reason cient temple re Abraham jasure. The i Father and foundaiion- id the Chris- of God, and jsefulness, is le is sacrifice y the Master I means lov- br life. DATS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. June 20 177 "Let every man abide In the same calling where- in he was called." I Cor. vll. 20. 0YE who complain about your calling or fret about the changes and trials of life, how do you know but that these very changes are the divine methods by which God's purposes of blessing and use- fulness concerning you shall be fulfilled? Had Aquila not been compelled to leave Rome and break up his home and business, he would prob- ably have never met with Paul, and been called to the knowledge and service of Christ through this providential meeting. Had he not been a working m?n, and pursuing his ordinary avoca- tion he would no I ^nve been brought into con- tact with the apostle. It was in the line of their calling, their common duties, and the providential changes of their life that God called them. And so He meets us. Do not murmur at your business but consecrate it. Do not try hard to run away from it, but, as the apostle has so finely put it, "Let every man abide in the same, calling wherein he is called let him therein abide with God." Make the most of your incidental opportunities. 178 DAYd OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. June 21 "God haa set some In the church . . . helps." I. Cor. xli. 28. DN the apostle's lists of officers in the church the "helps" are mentioned be- fore the "governments." By the minis- try of prayer, by the ministry of giving, by the ministry of encouragement, by the shin- ing face and mute pressure of the hand, and a little word of cheer, and by the countless ways in which we can help, or at least can keep from hindering, we can all find still the footprints of Aquila and Priscilla, if we want to follow them. It is a great grace to be able to rejoice in another's work and pour our lives, like afflu- ent rivers, into great streams. But God knows whence every drop has come, and in the greater day of recompense many of the helps shall have the chief reward. Beloved, are you helping? Are you helping your pastor, your brother, your husband, your mother, your fellow-worker, and when the harvest comes shall he that soweth and he that reapeth rejoice together? You can help by holy prayer, Helpful love and Joyful song. O, the burdens you may bear, O, the sorrows you may share, O, the crowns you yet may wear, If you help along. ^ ia i wif i Tijwiw iw!iiffi|«i* June 22 "This iB that bread which came from heaven." Jno. vl. 58. M E had the sentence of death in our- selves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead; who delivereth us from so great a death, who doth deliver; in whom we truPt that He will yet deliver us." This was the supernatural secret of Paul's life; he drew con- tinually in his body from the strength of Christ, his Risen Head. The body which rose from Joseph's tomb was to him a physical reality and the inexhaustible fountain of his vital forces. More than any other he has imparted to us the secret of His strength; "We are mem. hers of His body, of His flesh and of His bones;" "The Lord is for the body and the body is for the Lord." Marvelous truth! Divine Elixir of Life and Fountain of 1 rpetual Youth! Ear- nest of the Resurrection! Fulfillment of the ancient psalms and songs of faith! "The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? My flesh and my heart faint and fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Beloved, have we learned this secret, and are we living the life of the In-' camate One in our flesh? 180 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. June 23 "Now we are the sons of God and It doth not yet appear what we shall be." I Jno. HI. 2. IE are the sons of God. We are not merely called and even legally de- clared, but actxially are sons of God by receiving the life and nature of God; and bo we are the very brethren of our Lord; not only in His human nature, but still more in His divine relationship. "Therefore, He is not ashamed to call us brethren." He gives us that which entitles us to that right, and makes us worthy of it . He does not introduce us into a position for which we are uneducated and unfitted, but He gives us a nature worthy of our glorious standing; and as He shall look upon us in our complete and glorious exaltation reflecting His own likeness and shining in His Father's glory, He shall have no cause to be ashamed of us. Even now He is pleased to acknowledge us before the universe and call us brethren in the sight of all earth and heaven. Oh, how this dignifies the humblest saint of God! How little we need mind the mis- understandings of the world if He "is not ashamed to call us brethren." So let us go out today to represent His royal family. tTH. loth not yet We are not legally de- e sons of and nature hren of our re, but still "Therefore, hren." He t right, and »t introduce uneducated ture worthy e shall look IB exaltation ning in His cause to be I pleased to •se and call earth and ie humblest lind the mis- He "is not nt His royal DArs OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 181 June 24 "I will clothe thee with change of raiment." . Zech. ill. 4. BOR Paul every exercise of the Christian life was simply the grace of Jesus Christ imparted to him and lived out by him, so that holiness was to put on the Lord Jesus and all the robes of His perfect righteousness which he loves to describe so often in his beautiful epistles. "Put on there- fore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved," he says to the Colossians, "bowels of mercies, kmd- ness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suf- fering;" and, "above all these things, put on love which is the bond of perfectness." None of these things are regarded as intrinsic qual- ities in us, but as imparted graces from the hand of Jesus. And even in the later years of his life, and after the mature experience of a quarter of a century we find him exclaiming, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord; for whom I have sujfered the loss of all things, and count them but refuse, that I might win Christ and be fousid in Him." Lord, enable us today to go out, clothed m Thy robes of perfect rightness and with our hearts in adjUcLraent with Thy perfect love. 182 DAYB OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. June 25 "Who leadeth us In triumph." II. Cor. II. 14. BVEKY victor must first be a self-con- queror. But the method of Joshua's victory was the uplifted arm of Moses on the Mount. As he held up his hands Joshua prevailed, as he lowered them Amalek prevailed. It was to be a battle of faith and not of human strength, and the ban- ner that was to wave over the discomfited foe, "Jehovah-nissi." This, too, is the secret of our spiritual triumph. "If we are led of the Spirit we shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." "Sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law but under grace." Have we thus begun the battle and in the strength of Christ planted our feet on our own necks, and thus victorious over the enemy in the citadel of the heart been set at liberty for the battle of the Lord and the service of others? It was the lack of this that hindered the life of Saul and it has wrecked many a promising career. One enemy in the heart is stronger than ten thou8aT>.d in the field. May the Lord lead us all into Joshua's first triumph, and show us the secret of self-crucifixion through the greater Joshua, who alone can lead us on to holiness and victory 1 TH. or. ii. 14. a self-con- f Joshua's 1 of Moses ild up his Bred them battle of d the ban- Tiflted foe, cret of our the Spirit )h." "Sin for ye are ind in the n our own enemy in hberty for of others? id the life promising snger than Lord lead id show us ■ough the 1 us on to DAY8 OF HEAVED UPON EARTH. 183 June 26 "When He saw the multitude He was moved." Matt ix. 36. HE is able to be "touched with the feel- ing of our infirmities." The word "touched" expresses a great deal. It means that our troubles are His troubles, and that in all our afflictions He is afflicted. It is not a sympathy of sentiment, but a sympathy of suffering. There is much help in this for the tired heart. It is the foundation of His Priesthood, and C4od meant that it should be to us a source of unceasing consolation. Let us realize, more fully, our oneness with our Great High Priest, and cast all our burdens on His great heart of love. If we know what it is to ache in every nerve with the responsive pain of our suffering child, we can form some idea of how our sor- rows touch His heart, and thrill His exalted frame. As the mother feels her babe's pain, as the heart of friendship echoes every cry from another's woe, so is heaven, our exalted Sa- viour, even amid the raptures of that happy world, is suffering in His Spirit and even in His flesh with all His children near. "Seeing then we have such a great high Priest, let us come boldly to the throne of grace," and let us come to our great High Priest. Ig4 DAYH OF HEAVEN UPON EABTU. June 27 "Bo filled with the Spirit " B3ph. v. 18. HOME of the effects of being filled with the Spirit are: 1. Holiness of heart and life. This is not the perfection of tlio human nature, but the holiness of the divine nature dwelling within. 2. Fullness of joy so that the heart is con- stantly radiant. This does not depend on cir- cumstances, but fills the spirit with holy laugh- ter in the midst of the most trying surround- ings. C 3. Fullness of wisdom, light and knowledge, causing us to see things as He sees them. 4. An ele ition, improvement and quicken- ing of the mind by an ability to receive the ful- fillment of the promise, "We have the mind of Christ." 5. An equal quxckening of the physical life. The body was made for the Holy Ghost, as well as the mind and soul. 6. An ability to pray the prayer of the Holy Ghost. If He is in us there will be a strange accordance with God's working the world around us. There is a divine harmony between the Spirit and Providence. ■n-tJUH K it) DATB OF BEATEN UPON EARTH. June 28 185 V. 18. filled with life. This be human ine nature irt is con- nd on cir- loly laugh- aurround- I. tnowledge, iem. i quicken- ve the f ul- le mind of lysical life, ost, as well f the Holy ! a Btrange the world ly hetween "Leenlng upon her bfloved." Souga of Sol. vll». 5. 01 1 ALL you make the claim moat prac- tical and real and lean 1^ -lolm your full wi'ight on the Lord's '.ireast? That is the way He w. n\A have m prove our love. "If you love m. lean iiard." said a heathen woman to her missioniiry, an Ae was timidly leaning her tired body upon iier stalwart breast. She felt slighted by the tim- orous reserve, and asked the confidenc.3 that would lay all its weight upon the one she trusted. And He says to us, "Casting all your care upon Him for He careth for you." He would have us prove our love by a perfect trust that makes no reserve. He is able to carry all our care, to manage all our interests, to satisfy all our needs. Let us go forth leaning on His breast and feeding on His life. For John not only leaned but also fed. It was at supper that he loaned. This io the secret of feeding on Hun, to rest upon His bosom. This is the need of the fevered heart of man. Let us cry to Him, "Tell me whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon?" 186 DAYB OF HBAVBN UPON EARTH. June 29 "He dwelleth with you and shall be In you." Jno. xlv. 17. no not fail to mark thcfic two stages in Christian life. The one is the Spirit's work in \m, the other ia the Spirit's personal coming to abide within us. All true Christians know the first, but few, it is to be feared, understand and receive the second. There is a great difference between my building a hous and my going to reside in that house and make it my home. And there is a great differ- ence between the Holy Spirit's work in regener- ating a soul — the building of a house, and His coming to reside, abide and control in our in- nermost spirit and our whole life and being. Have we received Him Himself not as our GucBt, but as the Owner, Proprietor and Keep- er of the temple He has built to be "an habita- tion of God through the Spirit." This ifl my wonderful story Christ to my heart has come, Jesus the King of glory, Finds In my heart a home. I am BO glad I received Him Jesus, my heart's dear King, ■I, who so often have grieved Him, All to His feet would bring. Ir I tTH. a you." Jno. stages in tho Spirit's ;he Spirit's thin lis. All few, it ia to the second, ny building t house and ^eat differ- in regener- se, and His [ in our in- id being, not as our ■ and Keep- "an habita- Him, nsn .x^T^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V /s A U. v.. 1.0 I.I 11.25 III: • 50 "^™ 25 22 M 1.8 U III 1.6 PhotDgraptiic Sciences Corporation ^^'^^ •^L^ ^IJ^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) 872-4«')T 4' te W.r CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques i^ k DATS OF nt]AVBN VPON EARTH. 187 June 30 "Therefore, chooae." Deut. xxx. 19. EN are choosing every day the spiri- tual or earthly. And as we choose we are taking our place unconscious- ly with the friends of Christ, or the world. It is not merely what ye say, it is what we prefer. When Solomon made his great choice at Gibeon, God said to him, "Because this was in thine heart to ask wisdom, therefore will I give it unto thee, and all else besides that thou didst not choose." It was not merely that he said it, because it was right to say, and would please God if he said it. But it waa the thing his heart preferred, and God saw it in his heart and gave it to him with all besides that he had not chosen. What are we choosing, be- loved? It is our choice that settles our destiny. It is not how we feel, but how we purpose. Have we chosen the good part? Have we said, "Whatever else I am or hav*^, let me be God's child, let me have His favor and blessing, let me please Him?" Or have we said, "I mast have this thing, and then I will see about re- ligion." Alas, God has seen what was in thine heart, and perhaps He has already said, "They have their reward." 188 DATS OF BEATEN UPON EARTB. July 1 "After that ye have suffered awhile." I. Pet. v. 10. 0ELOVED, are we learning love in the school of suffering? Are our hearts being mellowed and deepened by the summer heat of trial until the fruit of the Spirit, "which is love, joy, peace, long-suf- fering, gentleness, meekness, temperance, faith, is ripening for the harvest of His coming, and song and suffering is easily borne for His sake?" Oh, this is the school of love, and makes Him unutterably more dear to our hearts and us to His. And thus only can we ever learn with Him the heavenly charity which "suffers long, love to suffer and be kind, to endure all things. We see the very first and the very last feature of the face of love, as delineated in St. Paul's portrait (I. Cor. xiii.), are marks of pain and patient suffering, "suffers long," "endureth all things." So let us learn thus in the school of love to suffer and be kind, to endxire all things. Surely it will not be hard to love through all when it is the heart of Jesus within us which will love and continue to love to the vety end. I want the love that Buffers and is kind, That envies not nor vaunts its pride or fame, Is not puffed up, does no discourteous act, Is not provoked, nor seeks its own to claim. ■Mi ■-^ ARTS. '• I. Pet. V. 10. g love in the re our hearts pened by the il the fruit of ace, long-suf- lerance, faith, I coming, and 'or His sake?" cl makes Him irts and us to er learn with "suffers long, re all things. ■y last feature in St. Paul's i of pain and "endureth all the school of lire all things. love through ithin us which he very end. ind, ride or fame, us act, n to claim. DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. July 2 189 "And liath raised us up togetlier." Bph. il. 6. ISCBNSTON is more than resurrection. Much is said of it in the New Testa- ment. Christ riseth above all things. We see Him in the very act of as- cending as we do not iif the actual resurrec- tion, as, with hands and lips engaged in bless- ing. He gently parts from their side, so simply, 8o unostentatiously, with so little imposing ceremony as to make heaven so near to our common life that we can i^st whisper through. And we, too, must asceiiJ, even here. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things that are above." We must learn to live on the heaven side and look at things from above. How it overcomes sin, deifies Satan, resolves perplexities, lifts us above trials, separates us from the world and conquers the fear of death to contemplate all things as God sees them, as Christ beholds them, as we shall one day look back upon them from His glory, and as if we were now really "Seated with Him," as indeed we are, "in the heavenly places." Let us arise virith His resurrection and in fellowship with His glorious ascension learn henceforth to live above. •:■ 190 DAY8 OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. July 3 "Look from the top." S. of S. Iv. 8. HSS. our perplexities would become plain if we get on a spiritual elevation. How often when the traveller quite loses his way he can soon find it again from some tree top of some hill top where all the winding paths he has gone spread behind him, and the whole homeward road opens before. So, from the heights of prayer and faith, we too can see the plain path, and know that we are going home. There is no other way in which we can gain the victory over the world. We must get above it. We must see it from the side of our great reward. Then it looks like earthly objects after we have gazed upon the sun for a while. We are blind to them. When the Italian fruit-sel- ler finds that he is heir to a ducal palace you cannot tempt him any more with the paltry profits of his trade or the company of his old associates. He is above it all. They who know the hope of their calling and the riches of the glory of their inheritance can well despise the world. It is the poor starving ones who go hungering for the husks of earth. We are borr from above and have a drawing to go home. Let us go forth today with our hearts on the homestretch. [RTH. Iv. 8. •ecome plain ation. How lite loses his Q from some the winding im, and the So, from the can see the ing home, we can gain ist get above of our great objects after while. We an fruit-sel- i palace you L the paltry y of his old y who know iches of the despise the aes who go We are borr o go home, arts on the DAJ8 OF HEATEJf UPON EABVE. 191 July 4 "Whosoever abldeth In Him slnneth not." I. Jno. 111. 6. DN sanctification what becomes of the old nature? Many people are somewhat un- duly concerned to know if it can be killed outright, and seem to desire a P':'rt of certificate of its death and burial. It is enough to know that it is without and Christ is within. It may show itself again, and even knock at the door and plead for admittance, but it is forever outside while we abide in Him. Should we stop out of Him and into sin we might find the old corpse in the ghastly ceme- tery, and its foul aroma might yet revive and embrace us once more. But he that abideth in Him sinneth not and cannot sin while he BO abides. Therefore let us abide and let us not be anx- ious to escape the hold of eternal vigilance and ceaseless abiding. Our j)aths are made and the strength to pursue them; let us walk in them. God has provided for us a full sanctification. Is it strange that He should demand it of us, and require us to be holy, even as He is holy, seeing He has given us His own holiness. So let us put on our beautiful garments and pre- pare to walk in white with Him. DAYS OF HEAVBN UPON EARTH. July 8 "A garden enelosed." B. of S. It. 12. H |0OK at His bride, Hie churcn. Not a vine planted. The garden soil is a cultivated soil, very different from the roadside or the wilderness. The idea of a garden is culture. The ground has to be pre- pared, to be broken up by ploughing, to be mel- lowed by harrowing, all the stones removed, the roots of all natural growth dug up, for. the good things we are seeking are not natural growths and will not grow in our soil. We all start on the old baais and try to improve the old nature, but that is not God's way. His way is to get self out of the way entirely, and let Him create anew out of nothing, so that all shall be of Him; and we must find Jesus the Alpha and Omega. The thing you want, to learn here is to die. There can be no real life till self dies, and don't try to die yourself, but ask God to slay you, and He will make a thorough work of it. This the secret nature hideth, Summer dies and lives again, Spring from winter's grave arlseth, Harvest grows from burled grain. KTH. !▼. 12. rcTJ. Not a sn soil is a nt from the The idea of a 18 to be pre- ;, to be mel- es removed, up, for. the not natural oil. We all improve the i way. Hi8 !ntirely, and f, so that all d Jesus the ire 16 to die, 38, and don't lay you, and n, •irlseth, grain. DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 193 July 6 "I am my beloved." S. of S. vll. 10. DF you want power you nuist compress. It is the shutting in of the steam that moves the engine. The amount of pow- der on a flat surface that sends a hall to its destination when shut up in a gon only makes a flash. If you want to carry the elec- tric current you must he insulated. Stand a man on a grass platform and turn a battery on him -and he will be filled with electricity. Let him step off the glass, and the moment he touches earth he loses power. We must be inclosed by His everlasting Cove> nant. That holds us and keeps us from falling. He will be a wall of fire round abo it us. He comes Himself and envelops us roand about with the old Shekinah glory, and will be the glory in the midst. He wants us inclosed— by a distinct act of consecration dedicated wholly to Him. Are you inclosed by His fences, Hie commandments. His promises, His covenant? Is your heart really and only for the Ijord? If not, come to Him now and let Him sep- arate you from all the things that take your life, and let Him separate you unto Himself, the Life Giver. 194 DAYS OF UUAVtlN UFON JVARTU. July 7 "And the glory of the Lord filled the tab- ernacle." Ex. xl. 35. DN the last chapter of Exodua we i -ead all the Lord commanded Moses to d o, and that as he fulfilled these commandj >, the glory of the Lord descended and IJlled the tabernacle till there was no room for Mo ses, and from that time the pillar of cloud oversh ad- owed them, their guide, their protection. A .nd so we have been building as the Lord Himtielf commanded, and now the temple is to be handed over to Him to be possessed and fille id. He will so fill you, if you will let Him that you r- self and everything else be taken out of the wa y, and the glory of the Lord will fill the tempi* j, encompassing, lifting up, guiding, keeping'; and from this time your moon shall not with- draws its light, nor your sun go down. Do you want power? You have God for it. Do you want holiness? You have God for it; and BO of everything. And God is bending down from His throne today to lift you up to your true place in Him. From this time may the cloud of His glory so surround and fill us ( that we shall be lost sight of forever. ( tru. 1 tbe tab- »e I 'ead all to d o, and imandi < the and l.'lled for Mo 868, i oversh ad- tion. A .nd rd HimfeieU I is to be and filk*d. I that you r- of the wa y, the tempi* 3, ;, keeping,'; 1 not with- n. God for it. God for it; is bending ; you up to 8 time may and fill us t DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. July 8 195 "Having begun In the Spirit, are ye now made perfect In tbe flesb." Oal. HI. 3. 0RACE. literally moanH that which we do not have to cam. It haa two groat senses always; it comes for noth- ing and it comes when we are help- less; it doesn't merely help the man that helps himself — that is not the Gospel; the Gospel .s that God helps the man who can't help himseif. And then there is another thing; God helps the man to help himself, for cvei^thing the ma a does comes from God. Grace is given to the man who is so weak and helpless he cannot take the first step. That is the meaning of grace— a little of the meaning of it; we can never know the fullness it has. Now, this river is as free as it is full, but you know some people have an idea when they get a little farther on they have got to pay an admission, and reserved seats are very high, and they shrink back from the high- er blessings of the Gospel; ordinary Christians scarcely dare to claim them. If I understand the meaning of this, God haa not put the high- er blessings apart for a separate class who some- how are nearer to Him. God is no respecter of persons. "S!^ m li-^YH OF IIH.WKN UPON HAUTII. July 9 "CMt thy burden on the Lord." P«. »v. 22. HEAR friends, sometimcB we bring a bur- den to (}od, and we have such a groan- ing over it, and we Hocm to think God 1 haB a (In'adful time, too, but in reality it did not burden Hint at all. (}od nays: It is a light thing for Me to do this for yovi. Your load, though heavy for you, is not heavy for Ilim. Christ carries the whole on one shoulder, not two shoulders. The government of the world is upon His shoulder. He is not strug- gling and groaning with it. His mighty arm is able to carry all your burdens. There is power in Christ for our Hamtiiication. He is able to sanctify you. Yes, yes, the Lord can sancti- fy the Lord can heal, the Lord can do any- thing. You must have faith in God. If you ' come to this river this morning, it will take you as your Niagara woidd take a little boat, and just bear you down— to a precipice? Oh, no, but to the'bosom of love and blessing forever. Oft there comes a wondrous message. When my hopes are growing dim, I can hear It thro' the darkness Like some sweet and far-off hymn. Nothing Is too hard for Jesus, No man can work like Him. 1 urn Pi. Iv. 22. bring a bur- luch a groan- to think God l)ut in reality i)(l Hays: It is r yo\;. Your lot heftvy for one shoulder, ment of the is not Strug- mighty arm is 'here is power He is able •rd can sancti- l can do any- God. If you t will take you ittle boat., and nee? Oh, no. sing forever. meBsage, ig dim, SB8 If hymn. ItAfB OV HEAVKN VPOS KAKfU. July 10 "That w« miKht know the things that are freely given to lu of Ood." I. Cor il. 12. BIIK highcHt l)li'rtHingH of the Gospel are just UH free iw tiie lowest; and when you have served Him ten years you cannot sit down and say, "I have got an ex- perience now and I can count on that." How often we do that; we say. "Now I know I am saved, I feel it." And ho we are building a dif- ferent foundation— we are building on some- thing in ourselves. Always take grace as some- thing you don't deserve, something that is free- ly bestowed. The long, deep, boundless river is free; it is as free at the mouth a» it is at the mouth as it is at the little stream, and free all the way along, and anybody can come and drink, and anybody can come. and bathe in its boundless waters. Are you goinp' to believe it? God has given us His Holy Spirit that we may "know the things that are freely given of us of God." It is a hard thing for the poor child to look in through the window and see a lire, and the happy family sitting around the table when it is starving. What is the good of knowing that there is warmth, and love, and light, if it is not free? God has freely given all the goodness of His grace and love. 198 DAYS OP BBAVEN VPON EARTH. July 11 "For It iB God which worketh In you." Phil. 11. 13. -■ DAY with Jesus. Let us seek its plan ■ ■ vnd direction from Him. Let us take His highest thought and will for us in it. Let us look to Him for our de- sires, ideals, expectations in it. Then shall it bring to us exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think. Let Him be our Guide and Way. I^et us not so much be thinking even of His plan and way as of Him as the Pewonal Guide of every moment, on whom we constantly depend to lead our every step. Let Him also be the sufficiency and strength of all the day. Let us never forget the secret: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthened me." Let us have Jesus Christ Himself in us to do the works, and let us every moment fall back on Him, both to will and do in us of His good pleasure. Let our holiness be "the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus" Let our health be the "life of Jesus manifest in our mortal flesh." Let our faith be "the faith of the Son of God who loved us." Let our peace and joy be His peace and joy. And let our service be not our works, bat the grace of Christ within us. iijaSiiSfey IRTB. •• Phil. 11. 13. seek its plan Let us take ivill for us in for our de- 'hen shall it bqve all that le our Guide be thinking Him as the on whom we r step. and strength et the secret: Christ who Jesus Christ •ks, and let I, both to will ire. Let our rit of life in 5 the 'nife of h." Let our oi God who be His peace lot our works, DAVa OF HEAVEN VPOH EARTH. July 12 "When ye pray, believe that ye rocelve." Mark xl. 24. 0ONSECRATION is entered by an act of faith. You axe to take the gift from God, believe you have, and con- fess that you have it. Step out on it firmly, and let the devil know you have U as well as the I.ord. When once you say to Him boldly, "I am Thine," He answers back from the heavenly heights, "Thou art Mine," and the echoes go ringing down thro^igh aU your life, "Mine! Thine!" If you dare confeae Chnst as your Saviour and Sanctifier He has bound Hun- self to make it a reality, but you must stand behind His mighty Word. It is the essence of testimony to tell of what Jesus haa promised to become to you. It is right to have glonous words cf thanksgiving, but these ar^ not exactly testimony. God would have us put our seal on the promises, mi lilt up our hands and ac- knowledge them as ours. Then you are to ignore the old life and reckon it no longer yours if it should come up again. Every time it appears say, "This is from the under world. I am sitting in the heavenly places with Christ." 200 DATS OF HMVEN VPOlf EARTff. July 13 "Even Christ pleased not Himself." Rom. xv. 3. HCT this be a day of self-forgetting min- istry for Christ and others. Let us not once think of being ministered unto, but say ever with Him: "I am among you as He that doth serve." Let us not drag our burdens through the day, but drop all our loads of care and be free to carry His yoke and His burden. Let us make the happy exchange, giving ours and taking His. Let the covenant be: "Thou shalt abide for Me, I also for thee." So shall vire lose our heaviest load — ourselves— and so shall we find our highest joy, divine love, the more blessed "to give" than "to receive." Let us do good to all men as we have oppor- tunity. Let us lose no opportunity of blessing, and let us study ingenious ways of service and usefulness. Especially let us seek to win souls. The Days of Heaven are buBy days. They serve continually, So spent for Thee and Thine, our days, As the Days of Heaven would be. The Days of Heaven are loving days. As one they all agree So linked in loving unity May our days as Heaven be. I I.. i jiiniKll l ftrtrf,t.Ml»fe l^i" Rfff. Rom. XY. 3. [etting min- Let U8 not itered unto, [ am among us not drag drop all our lis yoke and }y exchange, ;he covenant io for thee." -ourselves — , divine love, "to receive." have oppor- f of hlessing, f service and to win souls. days, ur days, a be. f days. DAt8 OP BEAVEN VPOif EAHTH. 201 Bueu July 14 "Men ought always to pray." Luke xvlll. 1. jET this be a clay of prayer. Let us see that our highest ministry and power is to deal with God for men. Let ue be obedient to all the Holy Spirit's voices of prayer in us. Let us count every pressure a call to prayer. Let us cherish the spirit of un- ceasing prayer and abiding communion. Let us learn the meaning of the ministry of prayer. Let us reach persons this day wc cannot reach in person; let us expect results that we have never dared to claim before; let us count every diffi- culty only a greater occasion for prayer, and let us call on God for greater occasion for prayer and mighty things which we know not. And let it be a day of joy and praise. Let us live in the promises of God and the outlook of His deliverance and blessing. Let us never dwell on the trial but always on the victory just before. Let us not dwell in the tomb, but in the garden of Joseph and the light of the resur- rection. Let us keep our faces toward the sun rising. Arise, shine. Rejoice evermore. In everything give thanks. Praise ye the Lord. Lord, give us Thy joy in our hearts which shall lift us to lift others, and fill us so we may overflow to others. DAta OF BBAVBN VPOV SARTH. July 15 "I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine." S. of S. vl. 8. DF I am the Lord's then the Lord is mine. If Christ owns me I own. Him. And so faith mnst reach out and claim its fviU inheritance and begin to use ita great re- sources. Moment by moment we may now take Him as our grace and strength, our faith and love, our victory and joy, our all in all. And as we thus claim Him we will find His grace sufficient for us, and begin to learn that giving all is just receiving all. Yes, consecration is getting Him fully instead of our own miserable life. There are, indeed, two sides of it. There are two persons in the consecration. One of them is the dear Lord Himself. "And for their sakes," He says, "I consecrate Myself that they also might be consecrated through the truth. The moment we consecrate ourselves to Him He consecrates Himself to us, and henceforth, the whole strength of His life and love and everlast- ing power is dedicated to keep and complete our consecration, and to make the very best and most of our consecrated life. Who would not • give himself to such a Saviour? Surely we will today, first give ourselves and then give Him each moment as it comes, to be filled and used. ■k i MIWMfi tTB. Is mine." S. ird is mine. Di. And so litn its full ts great re- ly now take r faith and I all. And I His grace that giving secration is n miserable I it. There n. One of nd for their If that they . the truth. ! to Him He ceforth, the nd everlast- omplete our ry best and ) would not irely we will tt give Him id and used. DAY a OF BEAVEV UPON EARTH. 203 July 16 "As the hart panteth after the waterbrooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O Qod." Ps. xlll. 1. BIBST in order to a consecrated life there must be a sense of need, the need of purity, of power, and of a greater nearness to the Lord. There often comes in Christian life a second conviction. It is not now a sense of guilt and God's wrath so much as of the power and evil of inward sin, and the unsatisfactoriness of the life the soul is living. It usually comes from the deeper reve- lation of God's truth, from more spiritual teach- ing, from definite examples and testimonies of this life in others, and often from an experience of deep trial, conflict and temptation in which the soul has found its attainments and re- sources inadequate for the real issues and needs of life. The first result is often a deep dis- couragement and even despair, but the valley of Achor is the door of hope, and the seventh chapter of Romans with its bitter cry, "0 wretched man that I am," is the gateway to the eighth with its shout of triumph, "The Spirit of life in Christ hath made me free from the law of sin and death." 204 DArs Of' HEAVEN UPOJf EARTH. July 17 "By one offering He has perfected forever th;"j that are aanctlfled." Heb. x. 14. 0RE you missing what belongs to you? He has promised to sanctify you. He has promised sa notification for you by coming to you Himself and be- ing made of God to you sanctification. Jesus is my sanctification. Having Him I have obe- dience, rest, patience and everything I need. He is alive forevermore. If you have Hira nothing can be against you. Your temptations will not be against you; your bad temper will not be against you; your hard life, your cir- cumstances, even the devil himself will not be against you. Every time he comes to attack you, he will only root you deeper in Christ. You will become a coward at the thought of being alone; you will be thrown on Jesus every time a trouble assails you. All things hence- forth will work together for good to your soul. Since God is for you nothing can be against you. My heavenly Bridegroom sought me and called me one glad day, "Arise, my love, my fair one, arise and come away," I listened to His pleading, I gave Him all my heart, And we are one forever and nevermore shall part r//. 'ever tho'J to you? ify you. cation for (If and be- m. Jesus have obe- g I need, have Him imptations draper will your cir- ;rill not be to attack in Christ, bought of ^esus every rigs hence- your soul, be against d called me and come .11 my heart, > shall part. DAVtS OF HEAVEN Vl'ON EARTH. m July 18 "Ye are complete In Him." 6ol. 11. 10. DN Him we are now complete. Our whole character and perfect pattern of the life, for which He has redeemed and called us, is now in Him in heaven, even as the little ship was planned and prepared and com- pleted in the Clyde. But now it must be wrought into us and transferred to our earthly life, and this is the Holy Spirit's work. He takes the gifts and gi-aces of Christ and brings them into our life, as we need and receive them day by day, just as the sections of the vessel are reproduced in the distant Continent, and thus we receive of His fulnest*, even grace for grace, His grace for our grace, His supply for our need, His strength for our strength. His body for our body, His Spirit for our spirit, and He just "made unto us of God wisdom, nght- eousness, sanctification and redemption." But it is much more than mere abstract help and grace, much more even than the Holy Spirit bringing us strength, and peace, and pu- rity. It is personal companionship with Jesus Himself! ^ , xv. ♦ Lord, help us receive from Thee today, that grace in all trial tbat shall mean our perfecting in Thee. I^K 806 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTU. July 19 "NeverthelefiB, David took the cattle of Zion." I. Chron. xl. 5. mi LNY of you have so much fighting to do because you do not have one sharp, 'jecisive battle to begin with. It h far easier to have one great battle than to keep on skirmishing all your life. I know men who spend forty years fighting what they call their besetting sin, and on which they waste strength enough to evangelize the world. Dear friends, does it pay to throw away your lives? Have one battle, one victory and then praise God. So they had rest from their ene- mies round about. There is labor to enter in. The height is steep. The way of the cross is not an easy way. It is hard to enter in, but having entered in there is perfect rest. May God help us and give us His perfect rest. O, come and leave thy sinful self forever Beneath the fountain of the Saviour's blood; O come, and take Him as thy Sanctifler, Come thou with us and we will do thee good. Come to the land where all the foee are van- quished, And sorrow, sin, disease and death subdued; O weary soul! by Satan bruised and baAed, Come thou with us and we will do thee good. iTII. e of Zlon." fighting to have one )egin with, one great 1 your life, re fighting i on which igelizc the away your f and then tlieir ene- enter in. he cross is ter in, but rest. May •est. er 8 blood; r, ee good. « are van- iibdued; med, lee good. DAYS OP HEAVEN VPON EARTH. 207 "i<'orgei m Pa. xlv. 10. July 20 "Forget also thine own.' £, too, like the ancient I^cvit^s, must be "const'cratcd every one upon our sonand upon our brother," and "for- 1 get our kindred and our father's house" in every sense in which they could hin- der our full liberty and service for the Lord. We too, must let our business go if it stands be- tw^n UB and the Lord, and in any case let it henceforth be His business and His alone, pur- sued for Him, controlled by Him, and its profits wholly dedicated to Him, and used as He shall direct. And, dear friend, you must be willing to give up "the hired servants" too. It will make a great difference in your way of living^ It will be a change to give up your ease and luxury, your being waited upon and indulged in every wish, and have to do your own work, to give up the attentions of others, to put up with privations, and inconveniences, and humil- iations, but it will be easy to do it with Him. He never owned a foot of land. He never rode in a carriage. He never had a hired servant. He lay down at last even in a borrowed grave. But He is rich enough now, and so will you be some day if you can only be willing to suffer and to wait. 208 DAYS OF HEAVES UPON tlAKTH. July 21 "Look from the place where thou art." Qen. xlli. 14. H |ET us now see the blessedness of faith. Our own littleness and nothingness sometimes becomes bondage. We are so small in our own eyes. We dare not claim God's mighty promises. We say: "If I could be sure I whs in God's way I could trust." This is all wrong. Self-consciousnese is a great barrier to faith. Get your eyes on Him and Him alone; not on your faith but on the Author of your faith; not a half look, but a steadfast, prolonged look, with a true heart and fixedness of purpose, that knows no faltering, no parley- ing with the enemy without a shadow of fear. When you get afraid you are almost sure to fail. Travellers who have crossed the Alps know how dangerotifl those mountain passes are, how narrow the foothold, how deep the rocky ravines and how necessary to safety it is that you should look up continually; one downward glance into the dizzy depths would be fatal; and so if we would surmount the heights of faith we must look up — look up. Get your eyes off yourself, off surrounding circumstances, off means, off gifts, to the Great Giver. «*«I6 KTH. art." Oen. ess of faith. notlungnPHB e. We are We dare not 3 say: "If I iould tnist." iSB is a f?reat n Him and I the Author a steadfast, nd fixedness I, no parley- Sow of fear. sure to fail. Alps know ses are, how ocky ravines t you should glance into ind so if we ith we must off yourself, : means, off liAYH OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. July 22 209 "He that mlnlstereth let ua wait on our minlBter- mg." Rom. xil. 7. 0ELOVED, are you ministering to Christ? Are you doing it with your hands? Are you doing it with your substance and with what you have got? Is He getting the best o* what is most real to you? Has He a place at your table? And when He does not come to fill the chair, is it free to His representative. His poor and humble children? Your words and wishes are cheap if they do not find expression in your actual gifts. Even Mary did not put Him off with the incense of her heart, but laid her costliest gifts at His feet. Ye busy women, who work so hard to dress your children and furnish your houses and tables, what ha^.> your hands earned for the Master, what have you done or sacrificed for Jesus? "Con you afford it?" was asked of a noble woman, as she promised a costly offering for the Master's work, "No," was her noble re- ply, "but I can sacrifice it." lict us today look around us and see what we do and give more to the loving Saviour, who gave up His whole life for US. I 210 DAYS OF HBAVBN UPON BARTB. July 33 "Bring tliWB htth«r to Me." Matt xU. 18. HPVniY have wo not received all the fnl- ■ ■ 1 1 ^®" "' *^® ^**^^ Spirit? And how ^\^J may we be anointed with "the r*^ ■Mifl of the oil?" The greatest need i 3 make room when God makea it. Lock aro .ud you at your situation. Are you n».t ncom- pasaed with needs at this very moshviU, and almost overwhelmed with diflRculties, trials and emergencies? These are all divinely provided vessels for the Holy Spirit to fill, and if you would but rightly understand their meaning, they would become opportunities for receiving new blessings and deliverances which you can get in 110 other way. Bring these vessels to God. Hold them steadily before Him in faith and prayer. Keep still, and stop your own restless working until . He begins to work. Do nothing that He does not Himself command you to do. Give Him a chance to work, and He will surely do so, and the very trials that threatened to overcome you with discouragement and disaster, will be- come God's opportunity for the revelation of His grace and glory in your life, as you have never known Him before. "Bring them (all needs) to Me." IRTB. ;t xlT. 18. J all the fnl- ? And how ith "th© rwn, pflt neetl i J Lock aro .nd not ncom- iiuiii>.iii, and ie«, trials and lely provided I, and if you eir meaning, for receiving hich you can Hold them jrayer. Keep ivorking nntil that He does ). Give Him surely do so, d to overcome aster, will he- revelation of , as you have ing them (all DaYH of HeAVMN UPON BARTB. July 24 ill "The righteousneM of th« law fulflUed In ub." Rom. vlll. 4. DN our earlier experience* wo know the Holy OhoHt only at a diBtnricc, in things that happon in a providential direction, or in the Word alone, hut after awhile we receive Him as an inward (lue»t, and Ho dwells in our very midst, and He Hpeaks to us in the innermost chamhers of our being. But then the external working of His power does not cease, but it only increases, and seems the more glorious. The Power that dwells within us works without up, answering prayer, healing sickness, overruling providences, "Doing ex- ceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the Power that worketh in us." There is a double presence of the Lord for the consecrated believer. He is present in the heart, and is mightily present in the events of life. He is the Christ in us, the Christ of all the days, with all power in heaven and earth. And 80 the Holy Ghost is our wonder-worker, our all sufficient God and Guardian, and He is waiting in these days to work as mightily in the affairs of men as in the days of Mosetf, of Daniel and of Paul. • ~ i^immmmmmp - '^flS' I 212 DAYB OF HEAVEN UPON BARTB. July 25 "He that In these things serveth Christ is ac- ceptable to Gtod." Rom. xlv. 18. 0OD can only use us while we are right. Satan cared far less for Peter's de- nial of his Master than for the use he made o£ it afterwards to destroy his faith. So Jesus said to him: "I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not." It was Peter's faith he attacked, and so it is our faith that Satan contests. "The trial of our faith is much more precious than gold that perislieth." Whatever else we let go let us hold stead- fastly to our trust. "Cast not away, therefore, your confidence and the rejoicing in the hope, and endure unto the end." And if you would hold your trust, hold your sweetness, your right- ness of spirit, your obedience to Christ, your victory in every way. Whatever comes, regard it as of less conse- quence, than that you should triumph and stand fast, and accepting every circumstance as . God is pleased to let occur, wave the banner of your victory in the face of every foe, and go on, shouting in His name, "Thanks be unto God that always causeth us to triumph in Christ JesuB." • Gbrist is ac- we are righi Peter's de- )r the use he > destroy his have prayed :t was Peter's ir faith that faith is much lieth." i hold stead- ay. therefore, in the hope, if you would js, your right- Christ, your of less conse- triumph and rcumstance as the hanner of y foe, and go anks be unto mph in Christ DATS OF BBAVEN UPON EARTH. July 26 "Now mine eye seeth Thee." Job. xlll. B. 218 m IE must recognize the true character of our self-life and the real equality of the evil thing. We must consent to its destruction, and we must take it ourselves, as Abraham did Isaac, and lay it at the feet of God in willing sacrifice. This is a hard work for the natural heart, but the moment the will is yielded and the choice is made, that death is past, the agony is over, and we are astonished to find that the death is ac- complished. Usually the crisis of life in such cases hangs upon a single point. God does not need to strike us in a hundred places to inflict a death would. There is one point that touches the heart, and that is the point God usually strikes, the dearest thing in our life, the decisive thing in our plans, the citadel of the will, the centre of the heart, and when we yield there, there is Uttle left to yield anywhere else, and when we refuse to yield at this point, a spirit of evasion and compromise enters into aU the rest of our life. Lord, we take Thee to enable us to will Thy will to be done in all things in our Uf e without and within. 214 DAYS OF UWAVEN UPON EARTH, July 27 "The building up of tbe body of Christ." R. V., Bph. It. 18. 0OD is preparing His heroes, and when the opportunity comes He can fit them into their place in a moment and the world will wonder where they came from. Let the Holy Ghost prepare you, dear friend, by all the discipline of life; and when the last finishing touch has been given to the marble, it will, be ea^y. for God to put it on the pedestal, and fit it into its niche. There is a day coming when, like Othniel, we, too, shall judge the nations, and rule and reign with Christ on the millennial earth; but ere that glorious day can be, we must let God pre- pare us as He did Othniel at Kirjeth-sepher, amid the trials of our present life, and in the little victories, the significance of which, per- haps, we little dream. At least, let us be sure of this, that if the Holy Ghost has got an Oth- niel ready, the Lord of heaven and earth has a throne prepared for him. Is it fOT me to be used by His grace, Helping His kingdom to bring, Is it for me to inherit a place. B'en on the throne of my King? »*ii ii i«i( ' .ii RTB, rist" R. v., a, and when can fit them Lent and the ! they came re you, dear j; and when given to the rat it on the Othniel, we, lie and reign rth; hut ere let God pre- rjeth-fiepher, , and in the which, per- 3t Tu he Buie . got an 0th- 1 earth haa a grace, ng. ing? DATS OF HEAVEN VPOH EARTH. 215 July 28 "Not my will, but Thine." Luke xxll. 42. ■■y. who once suffered in Getheemane will I r^ ^ °"^ strength and our victory, too. I 1 1 We may fear, we may also sink, but let mmM MS not be dismayed, and we shall yet praise Him, and look back from a finished course, and say, "Not one word hath failed of all that the Lord hath spoken.*" But in order to do this, we must, like Him, meet the conflict, not with a defiant, hut with a submissive spirit. He had to say, "Not My will, but Thine be done;" but in saying it. He gained the very thing He surrendered. So the submission of Gethsemane is not a bUnd and dead submission of a heart that abandons all its hope; but it is the free submission that bows the head, in order to get double strength through the faith and prayer. We let go, in order that we may take a firmer hold We give up, in order that we may more fully receive. We lay our Isaac on Mount Moriah, and we ask him back, no longer our Isaac, but God's Isaac, and infinitely more se- cure, because given back in the resurrection Ufe. Bwaa 216 DAY8 OF HEAVBN UPON EARTB. July 29 "My belpen In Ohrlct Jesus." Rom. xrl. 8. ■P^PHHRIST'S Church h overrun with cap- Wm^ tains. She is in great need of a few m^|W more privates. A few rivers run into ■■■i the sea, but a larger number run into other rivers. We cannot all be pioneers, bat we can all be helpers, and no man is fitted to go in the front until he has learned well how to go second. A spirit of self-importance is fatal to all work f(Mr Christ. The biggest enemy of true spiri- tual power is spiritual self-consciousness. Joshua must die before Jericho can fall. God often has to test His chosen servants by j'yutting them in a subordinate place before He can bring them to the front. Joseph must learn to serve in the kitchen and to suffer in prison before he can rise to the throne, and as soon as Joseph is ready for the throne, the throne is always waiting for Joseph. God has more places than accepted candidates. Let us not be afraid to go into the training class, and bven take the lowest place, for we shall soon go up, if we really deserve to. Lord, use me so that Thou shalt be glorified and I shall be hid from myself and others. '.^Mi ARTS >m. zyI. 8. un with cap- eed of a few rem run into ibei' run into Deere, bat we I fitted to go well how to d to all work )f true apiri- onsciousness. a. fall. a servants by oe before He Joseph must . to suffer in irone, and as throne, the )h. God has ates. Let us ng class, and shall soon go d, use me so [ shall be hid DAY8 OP HEAVEN UPON EARTH. July 30 217 "If thou wilt diligently hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy Ood and wilt keep all Hia atat- utes." Ex. XV. B lOMETMES people fail because they have not confidence in the Physician. The very first requirement of this Doc- tor is, that you trust Him, and trust Him implicitly, so implicitly that you go for- ward on His bare word, and act as if you had received His healing the moment you claimed His promise. But no one would expect to be healed by an earthly doctor as soon as they obeyed his directions. You must do what the Great Physician tells you, if you expect Him to make you whole. You cannot expect to be healed if you are liv- ing in sin, any more than you CQuld expect the best physician to cure you while you lived in a malarial climate and inhaled poison with every breath. So you must get up into the pure air of trust and obedience before Christ can make you whole. And then, if you will trust Him, and attend to His directions, you will find that there is balm in Gilead, and that there" is a Great Physician there. U-- 218 DAYS OP HEAVEN UPON EARTH. July 31 "We w«6 troubled on every side." II Cor. vll. 8. |HY should God ha^e to lead us thus, and allow the pressure to be *o hard and constant? Well, in the first place, it shows His all-sufficient strength and grace much bet- ter than if we were exempt from pressure and trial. "The treasure is in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of MB." It makes us more conscious of our depend- ence upon Him. God is constantly trying to teach us our dependence, and to hold us abso- lutely in His hand and hanging upon His care. This was the place where Jesus Himself stood and where He wants us to stand, not with a self-constituted strength, but with a hand ever leaning upon His, and a trust that dare not take one step alone. It teaches us trust. There is no way of learning faith except by trial. It is God's school of faith, and it is far better for us -to learn to trust God than to enjoy life. The lesson of faith, once learned, is an ever- lasting acquisition and an eternal fortune made; and without trust even riches will leave us poor. ARTE. II CJor. vll. i. lead UB thu8, to be «o hard ace, it shows ce much het- pressure and I vessels, that e of God, and our depend- itly trying to hold UB abso- pon His care. Himself stood i, not with a li a hand ever . dare not take is no way of It is God's tter for us -to ife. ed, is an ever- fortune made; will leave us DATS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. August 1 219 "That every one of us may receive according to the deeds dune in our body. We must all appear before the Judgment seat." II Cor. v. 10. DT will not always be the day of toil and trial. Some day, we shall hear our names announced before the universe, and the record read of things that we had long forgotten. How our hearts will thrill, and our heads will bow, as we shall hear our own names called, and then the Master shall re- count the triumph and the services which we had ourselves forgotten! And, perhaps, from the ranks of the saved He shall call forward the souls that we have won for Christ, and the souls that they in turn had won, and as we see the issue of things that have, perhaps, seemed but trifling at the time, we shall fall before the throne, and say, "Not unto us, Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory!" Beloved, the pages are going up every day, for the record of our life. We are setting the type ourselves, by every moment's action. Hands unseen are stereotyping the plates, and soon the record will be registered, and read be- fore the audience of the universe, and amid the issues oi eternity. ff 220 DAY8 OF UEAYBN UPON EARTH. August 2 "Thy gentleneu hath made me great." Ps. XTlli. SB. 0ND 80 the Comforter is gentle, tender, and full of patience and love. How gentle are God'a dealings even with sinners! How patient His forbear- ancel How tender His discipline with Hie own erring children? How He led Jacob, Joseph* Israel, David, Elijah, and all His ancient serv- ants, until they could truly say, "Thy gentleness hath made me great." The heart in which the Holy Spirit dwells will always be characterized by gentleness, low- liness, quietness, meekness, and forbearance. The rude, sarcastic spirit, the brusque manner, the sharp retort, the unkind cut,— all these belong to the flesh, but they have nothing in common with the gentle teaching of the Com- forter. The Holy Dov© shrinks from the noisy, tu- multuous, excited, and vindictive spirit, and finds His home ' i the lowly breast of the peace- ful soul.- '"file fruit of the Spirit is gentleness, meekness." Lord, make me gentle. Hush my spirit. Befine my manner. Let me have Christ in my bearing and my very tones as well as in my heart. ARTH. entle, tender, I love. How gs even with HiB forbear- with Hifl own Bcob, Joseph, ancient serv- 'hy gentleness Spirit dwells intleness, low- forbearance. iBque manner, ut,— all these v& nothing in ; of the Com- the noisy, tu- fe spirit, and t of the peace- t is gentleness, sh my spirit ; Christ in my 18 in my heari;. DATS OF UEAYBN UPvN EARTH. August 3 231 "Humble yourselvea therefore under the mighty hand of God." I Pet. t. 6. HtE pressure of hard places makes us value life. Every time our life is giv- en back to us from such a trial, it is like a new beginning, and we learn better how much it is worth, and make more of it for God and man. The pressure helps us to understand the trials of others, and fits us to help and sympathize with them. There is a shallow, superficial nature, that gets hold of a theory or a promise lightly, and talks very glibly about the distrust of those who shrink from every trial; but the man or woman who has mffered much never doea this, but is very tender and gentle, and knows what suffer- ing really means. This is what Paul meant when hQ said, "Death worketh in us, but life in you." Trials and hard places are needed to press us forward, even as the furnace fires in the hold of that mighty ship give the force that moives the piston, drives the engine, and propels that great vessel across the sea, in the face of the winds and waves. f 222 DAYS OF HEAVES UPON EARTH. August 4 "Ye are not in the flesh but In the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of Gkxl dwell in you. Now If any man have not the Spirit of Chriat he la none of His." Rom. Till. 9. El SPIRITUAIi men is not bo much a poBsessing a strong spiritual man character as Holy Spirit. man filled with the So the apostle said: **Ye are not in the fleeh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you." The glory of the new creation, then, is not only that it recreates the human spirit, but that it fits it for the abo<1e of God Himself, and makes it dependent upon the sun, and the child upon the mother. The highest spirituality, therefore, is the most utter helplessness, the most entire dependence and the most complete possession of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the beautiiful act of Christ in breathing upon His disciples, and imparting to them from His own lips the very Spirit that was already in Him, expressed in the most vivid manner the crown- ing glory of the new creation. And when the Holy Spirit thus possesses us. He fills every part of our being. URTH. Spirit If BO be I. Now If any he la none of [>t BO much a ong spiritual lied with the apostle Baid: lie Spirit, if BO I in you." I, then, is not ipirit, but that Himself, and , and the child 3t spirituality, Iplessnefls, the most complete Therefore, the ling upon His from His own ready in Him, ner the ctowb- And when the He fills every DAYB OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. August 5 223 "If any man will hear My voice anf i)pcn the door I win come Into him and aup with Lira and he with Me." Rev. 111. 20. |OME of us are shivering, and wondering why the Holy Spirit does not fill us. We have plenty coming in, but we do not give it out. Give out the blessing you have, start larger plans for service and blessing, and you will soon find that the Holy Ghost iB before you, and He will present you with blessings for goodness, and give you all that He can trust you to give away to others. There is a beautiful fact in nature which has itfl spiritual parallels. There is no music so heavenly as an Aeolian harp, and the Aeolian harp is nothing but a set of musical cords ar- ranged in harmony, and then left to be touched by the unseen fingers of the wandering winds. sAnd as the breath of heaven floats over* the .chords, it is said that notes almost divine float out upon the air, as if a choir of angels were wandering around and torching the strings. And so it is possible to keep our hearts so open to the touch of the Holy Spirit that He can pky upon them at will, as we quietly wait in the pathway of His service. tU HAYS OF HBAVBN UPON EARTH. August 6 1 "Afl many u are led by the Spirit of Ckkl they are the Bona of Qod." Rom. vlii. 14. P=^ND BO the Holy Spirit la our Qtiide, ■ ■ our Leader, and our Resting-place. 0' There are timee when He presses ub forward into prayer, into aervice, into Huflfering, into new experienceB, new duties, new claims of faith, and hope, and love, but there are times when He arrests us in our activity, and restB us under His overshadowing wing, and quiets us in the secret place of the Most High, teaching us some new lesson, breathing into us srme deeper strength or fulness, and then leading ub on again, at His bidding alone,- He is the true Guide of the saint, and the true Leader of the Church, our wonderful Counsel- lor, our unerring Friend; and he who would deny the personal g\iidance of the Holy Ghost in order that he might honor the Word of God as our only guide, must dishonor that other word of promise, that His sheep shall know His voice, and that His hearkening and obedient children shall hear a voice behind me saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it." \AHTa. t of Qod tbay is our Qnide, Resting-place. fie preMes ua ) service, into w duties, new ive, but there our activity, lowing wing, > of the Moet on, breathing ' fulneM, and )idding alone,- , and the true jrfnl Counsel- le who would e Holy Ghost Word of God or that other hall know His and obedient id me saying, DAY8 OF lINAVmN UPON EAUTIl. 226 August 7 "Knowing thii that our old man is cruclflert." Rom vl. 6. DT is purely a matter of faith, and faith and Higlit Hlways (iiffcr, so that to yonr senses it does not seem to be so, but your faith must still reckon it so. This is a very diftkult attitude to hold, and only as we thoroughly believe God can we thus reckon upon His Word and His working, but hb we do so, faith will convert it into fact, and it will be even bo. These two words, ''yield" and "reckon," are passwords into the resurrection life. They are like the two edges of the "Sword of the Spirit" through which we enter into crucifixion with Christ. This act of surrender and this reckoning of faith are recognized in the New Testament as marking a very definite crisis in the spiritual life. It does not mean that we are expected to be going through a continual dying, but that there should be one very definite act of dying, and then a constant habit of reckoning our- selves as dead, and .meeting everything from -this standpoint. "Beckon yourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ. DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. August 8 "Be like the dOTe." Jer. xlvlll. 28. HARMLESS as a dove, is Christ's inter- pretation of the heautiful emblem. And 80 the Spirit of God is purity it- self. He cannot dwell in an unclean heart. He cannot abide in the natural mind- It was said of the anointing of old, "On man's flesh it shall not be poured." The purity which the Holy Spirit brings is like the whit© and spotless little plant which grows up out of the heap of manure, or the black soil, without one grain of impurity adher- ing to its crystalline surface, spotless as an angel's wing. So the Holy Spirit gives a purity of heart which gives its own protection, for it is essen- itally unlike the evil things which grow around it. It may be surrounded on every side with evil, but it is unqpntan: mated and pure because its very nature is essentially holy and divine. Like the plumage of the dove, it cannot be soiled, but comes forth from the miry pool unstained and unsullied by the dark waters, because it is protected by the oily covering which sheds oft every defilement and makes it proof against the touch of every stain. EARTH. dviil. 28. B Christ's inter- utiM emblem, ^od is purity it- 1 in an undeftn e natural mind, old, "On man's Spirit brings is tie plant which manure, or the impurity adher- , spotless as an purity of heart I, for it is eflsen- lich grow around ry side with evil, pure because its nd divine. Like jannot be soiled, y pool unstained ;ers, because it is ; which sheds ofl^ proof against the DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 227 August 9 "He shall lay bin hands upon the head of the goat and confess the sins of the people." Lev. xvl- 21. IS any evil comes up, and the con- sciousness of any unholy thing touches our inner senses, it is our privilege at once to hand it over to the Holy Ghost and to lay it upon Jesus, as something already crucified with Him, and as of old, in the case of the sin offering, it will be carried without the camp and burned to ashes. There may be deep suffering, there may be protracted pain, it may be intensely real; but throughout all there will be a very sweet and sacred sense of God's presence, and intense pur- ity in our whole spirit, and our separation from the evil wliich is being consumed. Truly, it will be borne without the camp, and even with- out the smell of the flames upon our garments. It is 80 blessed to have the Holy Spirit slay things. Ko sword but His can pass so perfectly between us and the evil, so that it consumes the sin without touching the spirit. Lord Jesus, my Sin Offering, I lay my sin, my self, my whole nature, upon Thy Cross. Consume me by Thy holy fire, and let me .die to all but Thee! 228 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. August 10 "There is no spot in thee." S. ot Sol. iy. 7. ■PVSE blessed Holy Spirit who possesses VflH the consecrated heart is intensely con- ^^H cemed for our highest life, and watches ^■■5 us with a sensitive, and even a jealous love. Very beautiful is the true translation of that ordinary passage in the Epistle of James, "The Spirit that dwelleth in us loveth us to jealousy." The heart of the Holy Ghost is intensely con- cerned in preserving us from every stain and blemish, and bringing us into the very highest possibilities of the will of God. The Heavenly Bridegroom would have His Church not only free from every spot, but also from "every wrinkle, or any such thing." The spot is the mark of sin, but the wrinkle is' the sign of weakness, age, and decay, and He wants no such defacing touch upon the holy features of His Beloved; and so the Holy Ghost, who is the Executor of His will, and the Divine Mes- senger whom He sends to call, separate, and bring home His Bride, is jealously concerned in fulfilling in us all the' Master's will. Lord, take from me every blemish and mark of weakness and decay, and make me Thy Spot- less Bride. EARTH. 9f Sol. Iv. 7. who possesses intensely con- :e, and watches even a jealoos i translation of istle of James, s loveth us to ! intensely con- very stain and le very highest oiild have His r spot, but also 1 thing." The wrinkle is' the , and He wants e holy features r Ghost, who is fie Divine Mes- , separate, and ly concerned in rill. mish and mark i me Thy Spot- t>Aya OF tiEAvm vpon earth. August 11 22d "All the land which thou seest." Gen. xUl. 16. H[E actual provisions of His grace come from the inner vision. He who puts the instinct in the bosom of yonder bird to cross the con- tinent in search of summer sunshine in yonder Southern clime is too good to deceive it, and just as surely as He has put the instinct in its breast, so has He also put the balmy breezes and the vernal sunshine yonder to meet it when it arrives. He who gave to Abraliain the vision of the Land of Promise, also said in infinite truth and love: "All the land that thou seest will I give thee." He who breathes into our hearts the heavenly hope, will not deceive or fail us when we press forward to its realization. There is nothing unfaithful in Him who has said: "If it were not so, I would have told you," and we may know that He never will deceive us nor fail us, but all that He reveals by His Holy Spirit He will make our own, as we press for- ward and enter into its realization. liord, give me first the vision and then the victory. Show me all my inheritance, and then give it all to me in Christ Jesus. HHH 230 DATS OF HBAVSN VPOlf EARTH. August 12 "Not ourselves, but Christ Jesus." II Cor. iv. 6. B I OUR Christian influence, your reputa- tion as a worker for God, and your standing among your brethren, may be to you an idol that must die, before you can be free to live for Him alone. If you have ever noticed the type on a printed page, you must have seen that the little "t" has always a dot over it, and it is that dot that ele- vates it above the other letters in the line. Now, each of us is a little t, and over every one of us there is a little dot of self-importance, self-will, self-interest, self-confidence, self-com- placency, or something to which we cling ahd for which we contend, which just as ;eurely re- veals self-life as if it wero a mountairi of, reaj importance. This t is a rivfd of Jesus Christ, taxA the enemy of the Holy Ghost, and of our peace and life, and tK^refore God has decreed its death, and the lioly Spirit^ with His: flaining sword is waiting to destroy/ii, that we may be able to enter through thie i^tes and eonie to the Tree of Life. '3jotd, ctoVd tne out by Thy fiilneiss even as the glpry of the Lord left no room for Moses in the Tabernacle; •MM IRTB. II Cor. Iv. 5. your reputa- d, and your ircn, may be t die, before ne. on a printed little "t" has dot that ele- ;iie line, d over every -importance, ce, uelf-eom- ^e cling and as purely re-; oiairi of, reai ist, «nd ike urp^e and ed its death, ling &word is y be able to to the Tree Thy fulncBfi no room for tf-.w,!iti«»wwininrr DAV8 OF HBAVSV UPON BARTB. August 13 231 "Clouda and darkness are round about Him." Ps, xcvU. 2, MVBHE presence of clouds upon your sky, ^jMfand trials in your path, is the very best KV evidence that you are following the pil- MhI lar of cloud, and walking in the pres- ence of God. They had to enter the cloud be- fore they could behold the glory of the trans- figuration, and a little later (hat same cloud became the chariot to receive the ascending Lord, and it is still waiting as the chariot that will bring His glorious appearing. Still it is trae that while "clouds and dark- ness are round ahoijt His throne," mercy and truth are ever in thdr midst, and shall go be- fore His face. Perhaps the most beautiful and graxjious use of the cloud was to shelter them from the fiery sun. lake a great umbrella, that majestic pil- lar spread its canopy above the camp, and be- came a dlielding shadow from the burning heat in the treeless desert. No one who has never felt an Oriental sun can fully appreciate how much this means— a shadow from the heat. So the Holy Spirit comes between us and the fiery, scorching rays of sorrow and temptation. mam "Touch not Mine anointed, and do Mjr prophets no harm." Pa. cv. IB. n WOULD rather play with the forked lightning, or take in my hands living wires, with their fiery current, than speak a reckless word against any servant of Christ, or idly repeat the glanderous darts which thousands of Christians are hurling on others, to the hurt of their own souls and bodies. You may often wonder, perhaps, why your sickness is not healed, your spirit filled with the joy of the Holy Ghost, or your life blessed and prosperous. It may be that some dart which you have flung with angry voice, or in an idle hour of thoughtless gossip, is pursuing you on its way, as it describes the circle which always brings back to the source from which it came every shaft of bitterness, and every idle and evil word. Let us remember that when we persecute or hurt the children of Ood, we are but persecut- ing Him, and hurting ourselves far more. Lord, make me as sensitive to the feelings and rights of others as I have often been to my own, and let rae live and love like Thee. iiiiii'ii'f iiiiiriiiMii ARTB. > My prophets I the forked hands living urrent, than it any servant iderous darts e hurling on Is and bodies. 38, why your iUed with the e blessed and e dart which or in an idle suing you on which always hich it came ery idle and persecute or but persecut- r more. the feeUnga n been to my Thee. DAVS of BMAVm VPOlif BAHTtt. ^ August 15 "He will guide you Into all truth." Jno. xvl. 18. ■PVHE Holy Ghost does not come to give us Wr§^ extraordinary manifestations, but to KVj give us life and light, and the nearer we ^■■i come to Him, the- more simple will His illumination and leading be. He comes to "guide up into all truth." He comes to shed light upon OUT own hearts, and to show us our- selves. He comes to reveal Christ, to give, and then to illumine, the Holy Scriptures, and to make Divine realities vivid and clear to our spiritual apprehension. He comet* as a Spirit of wisdom ?nd revelation in the knowledge of Christ, to "enlighten the eyes of our under- standing, that we may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty pow«r." Spirit of Powerl with heavenly fire, Our BoulB endue, our tougues inspire; Stretch forth Thy Mighty Hand, Thy Pentecostal gifts restore. The wonders of Thy power once more Display In every land. I m 234 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON BARTH. August 16 "I am with you alway." Matt. zetIII. 20. npflflH, how it helps and comfortB us in the Vl ■ plod of life to know that we have a Vl ^ Christ who spent the first thirty years ■i^i^i of His life in the carpenter rfiop at Nazareth, swinging the hammer, covered with sweat and grimy dust, physically weary as we often are, and able to understand all uor ex- periences of drudgery and labor! and One who still loves to share our common tasks and equip us for our difficult undertakings of hand and brain! Yes, humble sister, He will help you at the washboard and the kitchen-sink as gladly as at the hour of prayer. Yes, busy mechanic. He will go with you and help you to swing the hammer, or handle the saw, or hold the plow in the toil of life, and you shall be a better mechanic, a more skillful workman, and a more successful man, because you take His wisdom for the common affairs of life. There is no place or' time where He is not able and willing to walk by lur side, to work through otir hands and brainb, and to unite Himself in loving and all-sufficient partnership with all our needs and tasks and trials, and prove our all-sufficiency for all things. sm mmm^ liRTB. txrUl. 20. rts us in the lat we have ; thirty years ater shop at covered with weary as we I all uor ex- ind One who iks and equip of hand and p you at the I gladly as at lechanic, He ;o swing the 1 the plow in be a better I, and a more His Mrisdom There is no i and willing gh our hands n loving and ur needs and ill-sufficiency DA78 OF UEAVEN UPON EARTH. 286 August 17 "Speak ye to the Rock." Num. xx. s. HIE Holy Ghost is very Henflitive, as love always is. You can conquer a wild beast by blows and chain?, but you can- not conquer a woman's heart that way, or win the love of a sensitive nature; that must be wooed by the delicate touches of trust and affection. So the Holy Ght has to be taken by a faith as delicate and sen. e as the gentle heart with whom it is coming in touch. One thought of unbelief, one expression of impa- tient distrust or fear, will instantly check the perfect frt^doni of His operations as much as a breath of frost would wither the petals of the most sensitive rose or lily. Speak to the Rock, do not strike it. Believe in the Holy Ghost and treat Him with the tenderest confidence and the most unwavering trust, and He will meet you with instant re- sponse and equal confidence. Beloved, have you come to the rock in Kar desh? Have you opened all your being to the fulness of the Spirit, and then, with the con- fidence of the child to the mother, the- bride to the husband, the flower to the sunshine, have you received by faith, and are you drinking of His blessed life? '4 I m DAYa Of' UBAVStf VPOV HARTU. August 18 "The three hundred blew the trumpeta." Judges vli. 22. M little (Ireum, floinetimes, what n hasty word, a thoughtless speech, an iinprudcut act, or a coufossion of unbelief and fear may do to hinder our highest ttsefulness, or turn it aside from some great opportunity which God was prepar- ing for us. Although the Holy Ghost uses weak men. He does not want them to be weak after He chooses and calls them. Although Be uses the foolish things to confound the wise. He does not want us to be foolish after He comes to give us His wisdom and grace. He uses the foolish- ness of prwching, but, not necessarily, the fool- ishness of preachers. Like the elf^ctric current, which can supply the strength of a thousand men, it is necessary that it should have a proper conductor, and a very small wire is better than a very big rope. God -wants fit instruments for His power — wills surrendered, hearts trusting, lives con- sistent, and lips obedient to His will; and then He can use the weakest weapons, aud make them mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. mm URfti p«U." Judges ituus, what a 688 gpeeoh, an coufo68ion of do to hinder it aside from d was prepar- Areak men, He !ak after He h He ttses the viae, He does comes to give eg the fooliah- irily, the f ool- "^tric current, >£ a thousand have a proper is better than His power — ig, Uvea con- will; and then IS, aud make pulling down l)AY8 OFUHAVEN UPON UARTH. August 19 "Have the faith of Gtod." Mark xl. 22. 0K red 18, for God h U8, to shine sels reflecting 1 power. t8 a chance to il window, or or the glassy God so much woman to be igth, jn places '8 will fail us, ?h every form iturally weak, isformed into jtanding vic- »rhich its nat- t; a mind not 1 by a Divine ne of a grea, complish stu- — thi-i is what lay and adorn DAYS OF IIKAYBN UPON KSARTH. 239 August 21 "The battle Is not yours." 11. Chron. xx HIE thing is to count the battle ^oA'%. The bnttU' in not yourH, but God's." Ye shall not need to fight in this battle. As long as we count the dangers and responsibilities ours, wo shall be distraeU-d witli fear, but when we realize that it is God s business, and that He is bound to take care of us, as His property and His representativcfl, we shall feel infinite relief and security. If 1 send my servant on a long journey I am responsible for his expenses and protection, and if God sends me anywhere, He is responsible. If we belong to God, and put our life, our family, and our all in His hands, we may know He will take care of us. . „. . , ^ If our body belongs to Him, it is His interest to keep us well, just as much as it is for the interest of the shepherd to have his sheep well led and well cared for, and a credit to him. "Thanks be unto God who a>way8 causeth us to triumph." Stand up, sUnd up for JesuSi Stand In His strength alone; The arm of flesh will fail you, You dare not trust your own. I 240 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EABTB. August 22 "I the Lord, the first and with the last." Is. xH. 4. OUSANDS of people get stranded after they have embarked on the great voyage of Iioliness, because they have depended upon the experience rather than on the Author of it. They had supposed that they were thoroughly and permanently delivered from all sin, and in the eostacy of their first experience they imagine that they shall never again be tried and tempted as before, and when they step out into the actual facts of Christian life and find themselves failing and falling, they are astonished and perplexed, and they conclude that they must have beeh mis- taken in their experience, and so they make a new attempt at the same thing, and again fall, until at last, worn out, with the experiment, they conclude that the experience is a delusion, or, at least, that it was never intended for them, and so they fall back into the old way, and their last state is worae than the first. What men and women need to-day is to know, not sanctification as a state, but Christ as a liv- ing Person. Lord Jesus, give me Thy heart. Thy faith, Thy life. Thyself. RTH. t." Is. xll. 4. it stranded •n the great ! they have ence rather id supposed lermanently acy of their they shall as before, ;ual facts of failing and plexed, and 3 beeh mis- hey make a I again fall, experiment, i a delusion, id for them, y, and their r is to know, rist as a liv- Thy faith. DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON eJARTH . August 23 "Even as He Is pure." I. Jno. Hi. 8. 0OD is now aiming to reproduce in us the pattern which has already ap- peared in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Christian life is not an imitation of Christ, but a direct new creation in Christ and the union with Christ is so com- plete that He imparts His own nature to us and lives His own life in us and then it is not an imitation, but simply the outgrowth of the nature implanted within. We live Christ-like because we have the Christ-life. God is not satisfied with anything less than perfection. He required that from His Son. He requires it from u«, and He does not, in the process of grace, reduce the stand- ard, but He brings us up to it. He does not let down the righteousneKS of the law, but He requires of ue a righteousness that far ex- ceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, and then He imparts it to us. He counts us righteous in justification, ajid then He makes us righteous in sanetification, and He says of the new creation, "He that doeth righteousness is ighteous even as He is right- eous." Lord, live out thy very life in me. 242 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. August 24 "Let your moderation be known unto all men." Phil. iv. B. HCB very test of conBecration is our will- ingncBs not only to surrender the things that are wrong, but to surren- der our rights, to be willing to be sub- ject, and when God has to subdue a soul, He often requires him to yield the things that are of little importance in themselves, thus to break their neck and subdue their spirit. No Christian worker can ever be used of God until the proud Belf-wUl is broken, and the heart is ready to yield to God's every touch, no matter through whom it may come. People want to be so led of God and them- selves thet they will brook no authority or re- straint. They will give their money, but they want to dictate how it shall be spent. They will work as long as you let them please them- selves, but let any pressure come and you im- mediately run up against, not the grace of resig- nation, but a letter of resignation, withdrawing from some important trust, and arousing a whole community of criticising friends, equally disposed to have their own opinions and their own will about it. It is destructive of all real . power. iBTH. nto all men." n is our will- irrender the it to surren- ag to be 8ub- e a soul. He ings that are thus to break } used of God ten, and the ery touch, no e. )d and them- thonty or re- ney, but they spent. They please them- and you im- gnice of resig- , withdrawing d arousing a lends, equally ons and their iye of all real 1 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 243 August 25 "And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My Judgments and do them." Bzek. xxxvl. 27. IIS is a great deal more than a new heart. This is a heart filled with the Holy Ghost, the Divine Spirit, the power that causes us to walk in God's commandments. This is the greatest crisis that comes to a Christian's life, when into the spirit that was renewed in conversion, God Himself comes to (iwell and make it His abiding place, and hold it by His own mighty power in holiness and righteousness. Now, after this occurs, one would suppose that we would be lifted up into a much more hopefiil and exuberant spirit, but the prophet gives a very different picture. He says when ■ this comes to pass we shall loathe ourselves in our own eyes. The revelation of ^od gives a profound sense of our own nothingness and worthlessness, and lays U8 on our face in the dust in self-abnega- tion. The incoming of the Holy Ghost displaces self and disgraces self forever, and the highest holiness is to walk in self-renunciation. [ 244 DAY8 OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. August 26 "Thy servant hath not anything In the house save a pot of oil." II Kings Iv. 2. Q |E asked her, "What hast thou in the house?" And she said, "Nothing hut a pot of oil." But that pot of oil waa adequate for all her wants, if she had only known how to use it. In truth it represented the Holy Spirit, and the great lesson of the parable is that the Holy Ghost is adequate for aJl our wants, if we only know how to use Him. All that she needed was to get sufficient ves- sels to hold the overflow, and then to pour out until all were filled. And so the Holy Spirit is limited only by our capacity to receive Him, and when God- wants us to have a larger fullness. He has to make room for it by creating greater needs. God sends us new vessels to be filled with His Holy Spirit in the needs that come to us, and the trials that meet us. These are God's oppor- tunities for God to give us more of Himself, and as we meet them He comes to us in larger ' fullness for each new necessity. Lord, help me to see Thee in all my trying situations and to make them vessels to hold more of Thy grace. V RTH. n the house thou in the !^^othing but >t of oi] was I, if she had ' Spirit, and lat the Holy I, if we only iifficient ves- to pour out only by our I God- wants bias to make eds. led with His le to us, and God's oppor- of Himself, us in larger II my trying isels to hold DAYS OF HEAVM UPON EARTH. 245 August 27 "Take no thought for your life." Matt vl. 2B. 0TILL the Lord is using the things that are despised. The very names of Naz- arene and Christian were once epithets of contempt. No man can have God's highest thought and be popular with his im- mediate generation. The most abused men are often most used. There are far greater calamities than to be unpopular and misunderstood. There are far worse things than to be found in the minority. Many of God's greatest blessings are lying be- hind the devil's scarecrows of prejudice and misrepresentation. The Holy Ghost is not ashamed to use unpopular people. And if He uses them, what need they care for men? Oh, let us but have His recognition and man's notice will count for little, and He will give us all we need of human help and praise. Let us only seek His will, His glory, His ap- proval. Let us go for Him on the hardest er- rands and do the most menial tasks. Honor enough that He uses us and sends us. Let us not fear in this day to follow Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach, and by-and-by He will own ova worthless name before the myriads of earth and sky. I 246 DATS OF BEATEN UPON EARTH. August 28 "According to the power that worketh In ub.' Bph. Hi. 20. i™*iH inh 5N we reach the place of union with God, through the indwelling ' the Holy Ghost, we come into the inhentance of external blessing and enter upon the land of our possession. Then our physical health and strength come to us through the power of our interior life; then the prayer is fulfiilled, that we shall be in health and prosper, as our soul prospereth. Then, with the kingdom of God and His righteousness witliin us, all things are added unto us. God's external working always; keeps pace with the power that worketh in us. When God is enthroned in a human soul, then the devil and the world soon find it out. We do not need to advertise our power. Jesus could not be hid, and a soul filled with Divine power and purity should become the centre of attraction to hungry hearts and suif ering lives. Let us receive Him and recognize Him in His indwelling glory, and then will we appro- priate all that it means for our life in all its fulness. Lord, give me the "hiding of thy power,'* and let Christ be glorified in me. ARTE. trketh In us.' jce of union le indwelling 3ome into the bleBsing and ession. Then L come to us life; then the he in health I. Then, with righteousness to us. z keeps pace . When God len the devil We do not 9UB could not ne power and' of attraction es. rnize Him in rill we appro- life in dl its liding of thy 1 in me. DAfB OF EEAVBIN UP02f EARTH. 2« August 29 "Obedience is better than aacrlflca" I Sam. xv. 22. 0UR healing is thus represented aa a spe- cial recompense for obedience. If, therefore, we would please the Lord and have the reward of those who please Him, there is no service so acceptable to Him as our praise. , v i. Let us ever meet Him with a glad and thank- ful heart, and He will reflect it back in the health of our countenance and the buoyant life and springing health, which is but the echo of a joyful hetvrt. Further, thankfulness is the best preparation for faith. Trust grows spontaneously in the praiseful heart. Thankfulness takes the sunny side of the street and looks at the bright side of God, and it is only thus that we can ever trust Him. Unbelief looks at our troubles and, of course, they seem like mountains, and faith is discouraged by the prospect. A thankful disposition will always find some cause for cheer, and a gloomy one will find a cloud in the brightest sky and a fly in the sweetest oint- ment, lict us cultivate a spirit of cheerfulness, and we shall find so much in God and in our lives to encourage us that we shall have -no room for doubt or fear. i I DAYB OF HBAVBN tJPOlf EARTB. August 30 "Happjr are ye it ye do them." Jno. xlii. 17. j OU little know the rest that comes from the yielded will, the surrendered choice, the abandoned world, th^ meek and lowly heart that lets the world go by, and knows that it shall inherit the earth which it has refused! You little know the relish that it gives to the blessing to hunger and thirst after righteousness, and to be filled with a satisfaction that worldly delight can a£ford, and then to rise to the higher blessedness of the merciful, the forgiving, the hearts that have learned that it is "more blessed to give than to receive," and the lives that find that "letting go is twice possessing," and blessing others is to be doubly blessed! Nay, there is yet one jewel brighter than all the rest in this crown of beatitudes. It is the tear-drop crystallized into the diamond, the blood-drop transfigured into the ruby of heaven's eternal crown. It is the joy of suffer- ing with Jesus, and then forgetting all the sor- row in the overflowing joy, until with the heavenly Pascal we know not which to say first, and so we say them both together, "Tears upon tears, joy upon joy." UBTB. Jno. xlli. 17. at comes from surrendered )rld, th^ meek t the world go )rit the earth tie know the Qg to hunger id to be filled Y delight can ler bleasedness le hearts that tessed to give ;hat find that and blessing ?hter than all les. It is the diamond, the the ruby of joy of suflfer- ig all the sor- itil with the sh to say first, , "Tears upon DAV8 OF BBAVBN VPOH SARTH. 240 August 31 "Lead me In the way everlasting." Pa. cxxxlx. 24. 0ND so there is apparently but a little difference in two distinct lives be- tween constant victory and frequent victory. But that one little differ- ence constitutes a world of success or failure. The one is the Divine, the other is the human; the one is the everlasting way, the other the transient and the imperfect. God wants to lead us to the way everlasting, and to estabhsh us and make us immovable as He. We little know the seriousness of the slightest surrender. It is but the first step in a downward progres- sion, and God only knows where it all shall end. Let us be "not of them that draw Vrck unto perdition, but of them that believe on unto the saving of the soul." Your victory today is but preparing the way for a greater victory tomorrow, and your sur- render today is opening the door for a more terrible defeat in the days to come. Let us, therefore, whatever we have claimed from our blessed Master, commit it to His keeping, md take Him to establish us and hold us fast in the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. DAYS OF IlKAVBIf UPON EARTB. September 1 Aftefward tbat which Is ipirttual." I. Oor. xr. 46. 0OD haa often to bring us not only into the place of suffering, and the bed of sickness anil pain, but also into the place where our righteousness breaks down and our character falls to pieces, m order to humble us in the dust and sliow us the need of entire crueilixion to all our natural life. Then, at the feet of Jesus we are ready to re- ceive Ilim, to abide in Him and depend upon Him alone, and draw all our life and strength each moment from Him, our Living Head. It was thus that Peter was saved by his very fall, and had to die to Peter that he might live more perfectly to Christ. Have we thus died, and have we thus re- nounced the strength of our own self-confi- dence? We begin life with the natural, next we come into the spiritual; but then, when we have truly received the kingdom of God and His righteous- ness, the natural is added to the spiritual, and we are able to receive the gifts of His provi- dence and the blessings of life without becom- ing centred in them or allowing them to sep- arate us from Him. EARTE. ' I. Oor. XT. 46, not only into nd the bed of also into the lusness breaks iecee, m order w us the need natural life. B ready to re- depend upon and strength ng Head, jd by his very he might live I we thus re- «rn self-confi- next we come we have truly His righteous- spiritual, and of His provi- thout becom- them to sep- DAYS OF HEAVES UPON EARTH. September 2 "Who bath deaplwd the day of •mall things." Zech. It. 10. Hm oak -"the sacrifice of praise continually. One drop of poison will neutralize a whole cup of wine, and make it a cup of death, and one moment of gloom will defile a whole day of sun- shine and gladness. Let us "^joice evermore. 266 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. t , September 7 "I win joy in the God of my Balvation." Hab. iii. 18. I^^SHE secret of joy is not to wait until you H^|fl feel happy, but to rise, by an act of I^^H faith, out of the depression which is B^l^ dragging you down, and begin to praise God as an act of choice. This is the meaning of such passages as these: "Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, rejoice;" "I do rejoice; yes, and I will rejoice." "Count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations." In all these cases there is an evident struggle with sadness and then the triumphs of faith and praise. Now, this is what is meant — in part, at least — ^by the sacrifice of praise. A sacrifice is that which costs us something. And when a man or woman has some cherished grudge or wrong and is harboring it, nursing it, dwelling on it, rolling it as a sweet morsel under the tongue, and quite determined to enjoy a miserable time in selfish morbidness and grumbling, it costs us no little sacrifice to throw off the morbid spell, to refuse the suggestions of injury, neglect and the remembrance of unkindness, to rise out of the mood of self-commiseration in wholesome and holy determination, and say, "I will rejoice in the Lord; I will count it all joy, m.-^. EARTH. ftlvation." Hab. I wait until you , by an act of ission which is begin to pnuse iB the meaning ice in the Lord ' "I do rejoice; it all joy when " In all these le with Badness md praise. in part, at least sacrifice is that d when a man rudge or wrong dwelling on it, ier the tongue, miserable time ling, it costs us le morbid spell, iry, neglect and (, to rise out of I in wholesome , "I will rejoice joy, Mi DATS OF VEAVEN UPON EARTH. 257 September 8 "He that eateth Me, even He shall live by Me." Jno. vi. 67. :AT the children of God need is not merely a lot of teaching, but the Living Bread. The best wheat is not good food. It needs to be ground and baked before it can be digested and assimilated so as to nourish the system. The purest and the highest truth cannot sanctify or satisfy a living soul. He breathes the New Testament message Trom His mouth with a kiss of love and a breath of quickening power. It is as we abide in Him, lying upon His bosom and drinking in His very life that we are nourished, quickened, com- forted and healed. This is the secret of Divine healing. It is not believing a doctrine, it is not performing a ceremony, it is not wringing a petition from the heavens by the logic of faith and the force of your will; but it is the inbreathing of the life of God; it is the living touch which none can understand except thoSe whose senses are ex- ercised to know the realities of the world un- seen. Often, therefore, a very little truth will bring us much more help and blessing than a great amount of instruction. 258 DAYS OF UEAVEN UPOV EARTH. September 9 "All things are lawful for Me." I. Cor. x. 23. DMAY be perfectly free myself to do many things, the doing of which might hurt my brother and wound his con- science, and love will gladly surrender the little indulgence, that she may save her brothoi from temptation. Thm are many questions which are easily settled by this prin- ciple. So there are many forms of recreation which, in themselves might be harmless, and, under certain circumstances, unobjectionable, but they have become associated with worldliness and godlessness, and have proved snares and temptations to many a young heart and life;aiid, therefore, the law of love would lead you to avoid them, discountenance them, and in no way give encouragement to others to participate in them. It is just in these things that are not re- quired of us by absolute rules, but are the im- pulses of a thoughtful love, that the highest qualities of Christian character show thorn- selves, and the most delicate shades of Christian love are manifested. EARTH I. Cor. X. 23. ! myself to do of which might ffound hi& con- fladly surrender e may save her hwe ore many [ed by this prin- •ecreation which, less, and, under jectionable, but with worldliness oved snares and »rt and life; and, mid lead you to hem, and in no lers to participate that are not re- , but are the ini- ihat the highest 3ter show thom- lades of Christiau DAYS OF HEAVES UPON EARTH. 259 September 10 "Wherefore, receive ye one another as Christ alBO received us, to the glory of Qod." Rom. xv. 7. IIS is a sublime principle, and it will give sublimity to life. It is stated else- where in similar language, "Whatso- ' ever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Ijord Jesus." Thie is our high calling, to represent Chnst, and act in His behalf, and in His character and spirit, under all circumstances and toward all men. "What would Jesus do?" is a simple question which will settle every difficulty, and always settle it on the side of love. But we cannot answer this question rightly without having Jesus Himself in our hearts. We cannot ad Christ. This is too grave a matter for acting. We must have Christ, and simply be natural and true to the life within us, and that life will act itself out. Oh, how easy it is to love every one, and see nothing but loveliness when our heart is filled with Christ, and how every difficulty melts away and eveiy one we meet seems clothed with the Spirit within us when we are filled with the Holy Ghost! 260 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON KAKTH. September 11 "Lo, I am with you all the days even to the end of the age," Matt, xxvlll. 19. DT is "all the days," not "always." He comes to you each day with a new bless- ing. Every morning, day by day, He walks with ns, with a love that never tires and a blessing that never grows old. And He is with us "all the days;" it is a ceaseless abiding. There is no day so dark, so common- place, so uninteresting, but you find Him there. Often, no doubt, He is unrecognized, a» He was on the way to Emmaus, until you realize how your heart has been warmed, vour love stirred, your Bible so strangely vivified, and every promise seems to speak to you with heavenly reality and power. It was the I^ord! God grant that His living presence may be made more real to us all henceforth, and whether we have the consciousness and evidence, as they had a few 'lorious times in those forty days, or whether we go forth into the coming days, as they did most of their days, to walk by sim- ple faith and in simple duty, let us know at least that the fact is true forevermore, THAT HE IS WITH US, a Presence all unseen, but real, and ready if we needed Him any moment to manifest Himself for oxn relief. EARTH. even to the end "always." He ith a new hless- lay by day, He ove that never rows old. And it is a oeaseless rk, m common- find Him there, lized, a* He waa yoxi realize how nir love stirred, ied, and every 1 with heavenly le Jjord! God i may be made and whether we ■idence, a» they liose forty days, lie coming days, to walk by sim- Ict 118 know at rermore, THAT all unseen, but im any moment ef. DAYS OF niHAVEN VPON EARTB. 261 September 12 "The furnace for gold; but the Lord trleth the hearts." Prov. xvll. 3. 0EMEMBER that temptation is not sin unless it be accompanied with the con- sent of your will. There may seem to be even the inclination, and yet the real choice ff your spirit is fixed immovably against it, and God regards it simply as a solici- tation and credits you with »vn obedience all the more pleasing to Him, l)ecau8e the temptation was so strong. We little know how evil can find access to a pure nature and seem to incorporate itself with our thoughts and feelings, while at the same time we resist and overcome it, and remain as pure as the sea-fowl that emerges from the wa- ter witho\it a single drop remaining upon its burnished wing, or as the harp string, which may be struck by a rude or clumsy hand and gives forth a discordant sound, not from any defect of the harp, but because of the hand that touches it. Let but the Master's hand play upon it, and it is a chord of melody and a note of exquisite delight. "In nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to you an evident token of salvation and that of God." - vi^^spPEWWSsiMPv'H^**^*'^ 11111,1111 1 lii ; m 262 DAY8 OF HKAVMN VPOH EARTH. September Id "Count It not strange concerning the flery trial that Is to try you." Pet. I. lOST persons after a step of faith are looking for sunny skies and unruf- fled seas, and when they meet a Btorm and tempest they are filled with astonishment and perplexity. But this is just what we must expect to meet if we have re- ceived anything of the Lord. The hest token of His presence is the adversary's defiance, w.l the more real our blessing, the more certainly it will he challenged. It is a good thing to go out loolcing for the worst, and if it comes we are not surprised; while if our path be smooth and our way be unopposed, it is all the more delightful, because it comes as a glad surprise. But let us quite understand what we mean by temptation. You, especially, who have .rtepped out with the assurance that you have died to self and sin, may be greatly amazed to find yourself assailed with a tempest of thoughts and feelings that seem to come wholly from within and you wil' be impelled to say, "Why, 1 thought I was dead, but I seem to be alive. This, beloved, is the time to remember that temptation the instigation is not sin, but only of the evil one. y EARTlt. 3 ting the flery trial I step of faith are gkies and unruf- len they meet a it they are filled !xity. But this is iiect if we have re- The best token iry's defiance, aiiJ he more certainly I good thing to go nd if it comes we ur path be smooth it is all the more 18 a glad surprise, d what we mean by ', who have stepped • rou have died to ;ly amazed to find lest of thoughts and wholly from within to say, "Why, I seem to be alive." to remember that is not sin, but only DAIS Of nEAVEN UPON EARTH. 288 September 14 "For the Lord will help me, therefore will I not be confounded: therefore, have I set my face like a flint, and I know I ahall not be ashamed. llpWilS is the language of trust and victory, V|faud it waa through this faith, as we are H V told in a passage in Hebrews, that in ■M His last agony, "Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despis- ing the shame." His life was a life of faith, His death was a victory of faith, His resurrec- tion was a triumph of faith. His mediatonal reign is all one long victory of faith, "From henceforth expecting till all His enemies be made His footstool." And so, for us He has become the pattern of faith, and in every situation of difficulty, temptation and distress has gone before us wav- ing the banner of trust and triumph, and bid- ding UB to follow in His victorious footsteps. He is the great Pattern Believer. While we must claim our salvation by faith, the Great Forerunner also claimed the world's salvation by the same faith. Let us therefore consider this glorious Leader our perfect example, and as we follow close behind Him, let us remember where He has triumphed we may triumph, too. '■wmiiimif»'' 264 DAYfl OF II HAVEN VPOK EARfU. September 15 "Though It tarry, wait for It, for It will Burely come, and will not tarry." Heb. 11. 3. aOME things have their cycle in an h^ nr and some in a century; but His plans .liall complete their cycle whether long or short. The tender annual which blossoms for a season and dies, and the Colnm- bian aloe, which develops in a century, each is true to its normal principle. Many of us de- sire to pluck our fruit in June rather than wait until October, and so, of course, it is sour and immature; l)ut God's purjntses ripen slowly and fully, and faith waits while it tarries, knowing it will surely come and will not tarry too long. It is perfect rest to fully learn and wholly trust this glorious promise. Wi' may know with- out a question that His purposes shall be ac- complished when we Imve fully comm'tted uur ways to Him, and are walking in watchful obe- dience to His every prom. ting. This faith will give a calm and tranquil poise to the spirit and save us froin the restless fret anti trying to do too much ourselves. Walt, and every wrong will righten, Walt, and every cloud will brighten, If you only wait. ' EARfff. For It will surely II. 3. ^ycle in an 1i"vit ; but IliB plong lie whether long r annual which and the C'olnm- century, each is Many of us de- rather than wait B, it is sour and ripen slowly and tarries, knowing tarry too long, larn and wliolly may know with- >8e« shall be ac- ! comnr'tted uiir in watchful obe- g. This faith oise to the spirit •et and trying to 11 righten, I brighten, MfB Of rnSAVKN UPON EARtO. 2^8 September 16 "1 win never leave Thee nor forsake Thee. ' Heb. xiil. D'r 18 most cheering thiiH to know that, al- though we err iind brin^ upon ourtu'lves many troubloH that might have been easily averted, yet God docH not forsake even His mistaken child, but on his humble re- pentance and supplication is ever rutwly both to jmrdon and deliver. T^et us not give \^\^ our faith because we have perhfti)P stepped out of the path in which He would have led us. The Israelites did not follow Him when He called them into the Land of Promise, yet God did not desert them; but during the forty years of their wanderings Tie walked by their side bear- ing their backsliding with patient compassion, and waiting to bo gracious unto them when another generation should have come. "In all their afflictions He was afflicted, but the Angel of His presence saved them; He bare them and carried them all the days of old." And so yet, while our wanderings brin„ us many sorrows an.l lose us many blessings, yet to the heart which trjly choo^^'S His, He has graciously said: "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." 266 0AY8 OF' UKA VtlN VPON KARTtt. September 17 "Thy p«opie Bhtll l»e a freewill offering In the day of Thy power." P«. ex. H[ia is what the tenn consecration prop- erly nieana. It is the voluntary sur- render or Bclf-offering of the heart, by the constraint of love to be the Lord's. Its glad expression is, "I am my Beloved's." It must spring, of course, from faith. There must be the full confidence that we J re safe in this abandonment, that we are not falling over a precipicH, or surrendering ourselves to the hands of a judge, but that we are sinking into a Father's arms and stepping into «in infinite in- heritance. Oh, it is an infinite inheritance. Oh, it is an infinite privilege to be permitted thus to give ourselves up to One who pledgee Himself to make us all that we would love to be, nay, all that His infinite wisdom, power and love will delight to accomplish in UB. It is the clay yielding itself to the potter's hands that it may be shaped into a vessel of honor, and meet for the Master's use. It is the poor street waif consenting to become the child of a prince that he may be educated an^ provided for, that he may be prepart d to inherit all the wealth of his guardian. MARTti. offering In the isecratian prop- voluntary Bur- if the heart, by • be the Ijord's. my Beloved's." I faith. There ; we .re safe in not falling over urselves to the e sinking into a I ttn infinite in- ite inheritance;. ;o be permitted nc who pledgee 8 would love to dom, power and in us. It is the r's hands that it lonor, and meet poor street waif of a prince that led for, that he he wealth of his nAYH OF liBAVMV VPOJf EAttTTt. September 18 2M s 'We walk by faith, not by Bight." IHEHK are hciwciily iiotcH wliidi have power to hrcnk down walls of adamant and dissolve mountainB of difficulty. The song of I'aiil and Silaa burst the fetters of the Philippian goal; tbfi choir of .Te- hoshaphat put to flight the armies of the Am- monites, and the song of faith will disperBe our ftdven.nrie8 and lift our sinking hcu-ts into Htrength and victory. IVloved, is it thf dark hour with us? the winter of barrenoss and glooml Oh, h't us remembtir that it is (lod's chosen time for the education of faith and that He ctmceals beneath the surface, precious and untold harvests of untbought-of fruitl It will not be always winter, it will not be always night, and when the morning comes and spring spreads its verdant mantle over the barren fields then we shall be glad that we did not disappoint our Father in the hour of testing, but that fwth had already claimed and seen in the distance the glad fniition which sight now beholds, with a rapture even less than the vision of naked faith. Ijord, help me to believe when 1 cannot see, and learn from my trials to trust Thee more. Mi t)Afa OP HEAVEN tJPOi! tlA&fti. September 19 "In due season we shall reap if we faint not." Gal. vii. DP the least of us could only anticipate the eternal issues that will probably spring from the humblest services of faith, we should only count our sacrifices and la- bors unspeakable heritages of honor and op- portunity, and would cease to speak of trials and sacrifices for God. The smallest grain of faith is a deathless and incorruptible germ, which will yet plant the heavens and cover the earth with harvests of imperishable glory. Lift up your head, beloved, the horizon is wider than the little circle that you can see. We are living, we are suffering, we are laboring, we are trusting, for the ages yet to come. "Let us not be weary in welldoing JEor in due season we shall reap if we faint not," and with tears of transport we shall cry some day, "Oh, how great is thy goodness which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men." Help me today to live under the powers of the world to come, and to live as a man in hpaven walking upon the earth. tSAkfti. we faint not." r anticipate the robably spring ee of faith, we orifices and la- [lonor and op- speak of trials a deathless and yet plant the ith harvests of r head, beloved, ttle circle that 2 are suffering, g, for the ages ly in welldoing : we faint not," shall cry some [oodness which hat fear Thee, hem that trust the powers of e as a man in It AY 8 OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 269 September 20 "They Bhall not be ashamed that wait." EFTEN He calls us aside from our work for a season and bids us be still and learn ere we go forth again to min- ister. Especially is this so when there has been some serious break, some sudden fail- ure and pome radical defect in our work. There is no time lo«t in such waiting hours. Fleeing from his enemies the ancient knight found that his horse needed to be reshod. Prudence seemed to urge him without delay, but higher wisdom taught him to halt a few minutes at the blacksmith's forge byl the way to have the shoe replaced, and although he heard the feet of his pursuers galloping hard behind, yet he waited those minutes until his charger was refitt«d for his flight, and then, leaping into his saddle just as they appeared a hundred yards away, he dashed away from them with the fleetness of the wind, and knew that his halting had hastened his escape. So often God bids us tarry ere we go, and fully recover ourselves for the next great stage of the journey and work Ix)rd, teach me to be still and know that Thou art God and all this day to walk with God. 70 DAYS OF UKAVEN UPON EARTH. September 21 "Faint, yet pursuing." Judges vlii. 4. DT is a great thing thup to learn to depend upon God to work through onr feeble re- sources, and yet, while so depending, to be absolutely faithful and diligent, ard not allow our trust to deteriorate into supine- ness and indolence. We find no sloth or negli- gence in Gideon, or his three hundred; though they were weak and few, they were wholly true, and everything in them ready for God to use to the very last. "Faint yet pursuing" was their watchword as they followed and finished their glorious victory, and they rested not until the last of their enemies were destroyed, and even their false friends were punished for their treachery and unfaithfulness. \ So God still calls the weakest instruments, but when He chooses and enables them they , are no longer weak, but "mighty through God," and faithful through His grace to every trust and opportunity; -trusting," as Dr. Chalmers used to say, "as though all depended upon God, and working as though all depended upon themselves." Teach me, my blessed Master, to trust and obey. N EARTH. idgee vlll. 4. ) leam to depend igh our I'eeble re- 80 depending, to and diligent, ard irate into supine- no sloth or negli- hundred; though were wholly true, y for God to use et pursuing" was awed and finished 3y rested not until sre destroyed, and punished for their i akest instruments, enables, them they hty through God," race to every trust " as Dr. Chalmers epended upoji God, 11 depended upon aster, to trust and DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. September 22 271 "We see not yet all things put under Him, but we see JeeuB." Heb. li. QOW true this is to us all! How many things there are that seem to be stronger than we are, but blessed be His name! they are all in subjection under Him, and we see Jesus crowned above them all; and Jesus is our Head, oiir represen- tative, our other self, and where He is we shall surely be. Therefore when we fail to see any- thing that God has promised, and that we have claimed in our experience, let, us look up and see it realized in Him, and claim it in Him for ourselves. Our side is only half the circle, the heaven side is alreu.c!:' complete, and the rainbow of which we see not the upper half, shall one day be all aroimd the throne and take in the other hemisphere of all our now unfin- ished life. By faith, then, let us enter into all our inheritance. Let us lift up our eyes to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west, and hear Him say, "All the land that thou seest will I give thee." Let us remember that the circle is complete, that the inheritance is unlimited, and that all things are put under His feet. 272 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. September 23 "I am the Lord that healeth thee." Ex. xv. IT is very reasonable that God should ex- pect us to trust Hiin for our bodies as well as our souls, for if our faith is not practical enough to" bring us temporal relief, how can we be educated for real depend- ence upon ^Jod ^""^ anything that involves se- rious risk? It is all very well to talk about trusting God for the distant and future pros- pect of salvation after death! There is scarcely a sinner in a Christian land that does not trust to he saved some day, but there is no grasp in faith like this. It is only when we come face to face with positive issues and overwhelming forces that Ave can prove the reality of Divine power in a supernatural life. Hence as an edu- cation to our very spirits as well as a gracious provision for our temporal life. God has trained His people fr( m the beginning to recog- nize Him as the supply of all their needs, and to look to Him as the Physician of their bodies and Father of their spirits. Beloved, have you learned the meaning of Jehovah-rophi, and has it changed your Marah of trial into an Elim of blessing and praise? 1 EARTH. DAYH OP HEAVEV VI'ON EARTH. September lA. 273 thee." Ex. xv. God shoulcl ex- or our bodies as onr faith is not ing vxs temporal for real depend- that involves se- ell to talk about and future pros- There is scarcely lat does not trust src is no grasp in len we come face nd overwhelming reality of Divine ■Hence as an edu- ivell as a gracious life. God has eginning to recog- 1 their needs, and an of their bodies Beloved, have you ?ah-rophi, and has al into an Elim of "He calleth things that are not as though they were." Rom. iv. H[B Word of God creates what it com- mands. When Christ says to any of us "Now axe ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you," ye are clean. When He says "no condemnation" there is none, though there has been a lifetime of sin before. And when He says, "mighty through God to the pulling down of strong- holds," then the weak are strong. This is the part of faith, to take God at His Word, and then expect Him to make it real. A French commander thanked a common soldier who had saved his life and called him captain, although he was but a private, bii the man took the com- mander at his word, accepted the new name and was thereby constituted indeed a captain. Shall we thuc take God's creating word of justification, sanctification, power and deliver- ance and thus make real the mighty promise, "He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increasoth strength: for they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength." SJ*. 274 DAYB OF HEAVEN VPOlf EARTH. September 25 "The faith of the Son of God." Gal. 11. 20. HIT US learn the eecret even of our faith. It is the faith of Christ, springing m our heart and trusting in our tn^«> So shall we always sing, "the life that 1 now live I Uve by the faith of the Son of God^ who loved me and gave Himself for me.' Thus S o« unto Jesus, "the Author and FiniBh- ':1iL faith," we shall find that m^ead o struegUng to reach the promises of God, we s2 Ite down upon them in blessed repose and be borne up by them with the faith which M no ^To^ owl than ^^^Vrojr^ZlCi:^^, it rests Each new need will find us leaning afr^fon Him for the grace to trust and to 'TuXr we see here the Irue spmt of pra^^r^ Itl the Spirit of Chnst in us. "In *.e midst of the church wiU 1 Bing praises ^^^^^^^ Christ still Binga these praises in the tawhng heart and lifts our prayers into --««;;^^, This is the true spirit of prayer, like Faul ana ^^ in SL prison at PhiUppi, turning pnjye^ into praise, night into day, f^-f'f^Z into the morning of joy, and when He ib in^^^j the spirit of faith, He will also become the .pmt of praue. y EARTH. ! 1" Gal. 11. 20. even of our faith, net, springing in ng in our trials. ig, "the life that T f the Son of God, If for me." Thns author and Finish- ad that instead of mises of God, we blessed repose and e faith which is no )nii8eB upon which ill find us leaning ce to trnst and to rue spirit of prayer, ns. "In t'hc miAei praises nnto thee." isee in the truEting nto songs of victory! rayer, like Paul and ippi, turning prayer , the night of sorrow ftd when He is in us, U80 become the epirit DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 275 September. 26 "I will be with Him In trouble." Ps. xd. JP^ HE question often comes, "Why didn't vjH He help me sooner!" It is not His ■L^B order. He must first adjust you to the ™BH trouble and cause you to learn your les- osn from it. His promise is, "I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him." He must be with you in the trouble first all day and all night. Then He will ta' high towtra to which men mount by winding ntairs f ' hunamls of feet above the ground. What a ^.orious vision is liiere obtained of the surrounding aci lery. It is a picture of ascending life. To reach its highest altitudes we must find the secret places of tlie stairs. That is the only way to rise above the natural plane. Our life should be one of quiet mounting with occasional resting places; but we should be mounting higher step by step. Everybody does not find this way of secret Mcent. It is for God's chosen ones. The v 'rid may think you are going down, You may not have as much public work to do aB formeriy. "Blessed arc the poor' in spirit." It is a secret, hidden life. We may be hardly aware :hat we are growing, till some day a test comes and wo find we are established. Have you got above the power of sin so that hrist is keeping you from willful disobedience? Does it give you a shudder to know the consciousness of sin? Are you lifted above the world? m DAY8 OF HEAVEN UPON BARTB. October I "That In the ages to come He might nhow the exceeding riches of HIb grtuw." Bph. III. HHlllST'S great purpose for Hia people is to train them up to know the hope of their calling, and the riohcB of Ihe glory of their inheritance and what the exceeding greatness of His pow'iv toward us who believe. Let us prove, in all our vari(:d walks of life, and scenes of conflict, the fulness «>f His power and grace and thus shall we know "In the ages to come the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Jesus Cnrist." Beloved, are you thus foUowin;? your Teach- er in the school of faith, and finishing the edu- cation which is by and by to fit you for "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." This is only the School of Faith. Little can we now dream what these lessons will mean for us some deay, when sitting w ith Him on His throne and sharing with Him the power of God and the government of the uni- verse. Let us be faithful scholars now and soon with Him, we too, will have endured the cross despising the shame, and shall "sit down at the right hand of the throne of God." on EARTU. Ha might nhow the •' Bph. 111. )o8e for His people } to know the hope d the riohcB of Ihe eritance and what [is pow'u- toward us ari(.(l walks of life, ilneBS of Ilia power know "In the agea es of Ilia grace in Chriat." lowin;? your Teach- d finishing the edu- ;o fit you for "a far weight of glory." )f Faith. I what these lessons r, when sitting w ith aring with llim the 3mracnt of the uni- [ scholars now and II have endured the and shall "sit down rone of God." IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I 1^ 1^ ill 2.2 - I4£ IIIIIIO 1.8 11.25 1 1.4 i 1.6 P^ ^ /} Phninoranhir Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 Sfe, CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductlons historiques t mean a peace no neans a peace that 1 bring. You can- lere may be perfect r all round the hori- i rest in perfect se- e loves, He leads. DATS OP HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 283 October 4 "Instepd of the brier, the myrtle tree." Ps. Iv. 13. SOD'S sweetest memorial is the trans- formed thorn and the thistle blooming with flowers of peace and sweetness, where once grew recriminations. Beloved, Ood is waiting to make just such memorials in your life, out of the things that are hurting you most today. Take the griev- ances, the separations, „:.j strained friendships and the broken ties which have been the sorrow and heartbreak of your life, and let God heal them, and give you grace to 3 .Ke you right with all with whom you may be wrong, and you will wonder at the joy and blessing that will come out of the things that have caused you nothing but x egret and pain. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." The everlast- ing employment of our blessed Redeemer is to reconcile the guilty and the estranged from God, and the highest and most Christ-like work that we can do is, to be like Him. Shall we go forth to dry the tears of a tjorrow- ing w^orld, to heal the broken-hearted, to bind up the wounds of human lives, and to unite heart to heart, and earth to heaven? 284 DAYfi OF HtlAVEN UPON EARTH . October 5 "He hath tr'umphed glorlusly." Ex. xv. 1. QELOVED, God calls us to victory. Have any of you given up the conflict, have you surrendered? Have you said, "This thing is too much?" Have you said, "1 can give up anything else but this?" If you have, you are not in the land of promise. God means you should accept every difficult Uilng that comes in your life. He has started with you, knowing every difficulty. And if you dare to let Him, He will carry you through not only to be conquerors, but "more than conquerors." Are you looking for all the victory? God gives His children strength for the bat- tle and watches over them with a fond enthu- siasm. He longs to fold you to His arms and say to you, "I have seen thy conflict, I have watched thy trials, I have rejoiced in thy vic- tory; thou hast honored Me." You know He told Joshua at the beginning, "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life; as I ivas with Moses, so shall I be with thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." And again. He says to us, "Fear thou not, for I am with thee." ■ -.'Ssapwft'E'^aR POJf EARTH. S usly." Ex. XV. 1. ,11s us to victory, ven up the conflict, lered? Have you I too much?" Have anything else but e not in the land of should accept every I your life. He has very difficulty. And He will carry you iquerors, but "more II looking for all the itrength for the bat- with a fond enthu- ou to His arms and thy conflict, I have rejoiced in thy vie- [e." You know He ng, "There shall not before thee all the with Moses, so sha-U fail thee, nor forsake ys to us, "Fear thou DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 285 October 6 "Bphralm, he hath mixed himself." Hob. vll. 8. DT is a great thing to learn to take God first, and then He can afford to give us everything else, without the fear of ita hurting us. As long as you want anything very much, es- pecially more than you want God, it is an idol. But when you become satisfied with God, every- thing else so loses its charm that He can give it to you without harm, and then you can take just as much as you choose, and use it for His There is no harn> whatever in having money, houses, lands, friends and dearest children, if you do not value these things for themselves. If you have been separated from tiiem in spirit, and become satisfied with God Himself, tlien they will become to you channels to be filed with God to bring Him nearer to you. Then every little lamb around your household w ill be a tender cord to bind yo uto the Shep- herd's heart. Then every affection will be a little golden cup filled with the wine of liis love. Then every bank, stock and investment will be but a channel through which you can pour out His benevolence and extend His gifts. sjtm^e^mssiti^-'- 286 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. October 7 "He opened not HIb mouth. Pb. Ivlli. 7. HOW raiioh grace it requires to bear a mieunderstanding rightly, and to re- ceive an unkind judgment in holy sweetness ! Nothing testa a Cliristian character more than to have some evil thing said about him. This is the file that soon proves whether we are electro-plate or solid gold. If we could only know the blessings that lie hid- den in our lives, we would say, like David, wheii Shimei cursed him, let him curse; "it may be the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day." Some people get easily turned aside from the grandeur of their life-work by pursuing their own grievances and enemies, until their life gets turned into one little petty whirl of warfare. It is like a nest of hornets. You may disperse the hornets, but you will probably get terribly stung, and get nothing for your pains, for even their honey is not worth a search. God gives us more of His Spirit, who, when reviled, not again; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously. Consider Him that endured such contradic- tion of sinners against Himself. POV EARTH. 7 uth. Pb. Ivlll. 7. requires to bear a riglitly, and to re- jiidgnient in holy ig teste a Cliristian ,ve some evil thing file that soon proves e or solid gold. If BBsings that lie hlJ- ay, like David, wheit a curse; "it may be food for his cursing irned aside from the c by pursuing their i, until their life gets whirl of warfare. It fou may disperse the •obably get terribly your pains, for even search. is Spirit, who, when mmitted Himself to Ay. ired such contradic- iself. DAYS OF tlBAVEy UPON EARTn. 287 October 8 "There failed not aught all that the Lord had spoken." Josh. xxl. 55. HOME day, even you, trembling, faltering one, shall stand upon those heights and look back upon all you have passed through, all you have narrowly escaped, all the perils through which He guided you, the stumblings through which He guarded you, and the sins from which He saved you; and you shall shout, with a meaning you cannot under- stand now, "Salvation unto Him who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." Some day He will sit down with us in that glorious home, and we shall have all the ages in which to understand the story of our lives. And He will read over again this old marked Bible with us, He will show us how He kept all these promises, He will explain to us the mysteries that we cbuld not understand. He will recall to our memory the things we have long forgotten, He will go over again with us the book of life, He will recall all the finished story, and I am sure we will often cry: "Blessed Christ! you have been so true, you have been so good! Was there ever love like this?" And then the great chorus will be repeated once mo;e — "There failed not aught of any good thing that He hath spoken; all came to pass." 288 ItAYH OF HUAVUN UPON EARTU. October 9 "Peace be unto you." Jno. xx. 19 and 21. HIIS is the type of Ilia first appearing to our hearts when He cornea to bring ua His peace and teach ua to truat Him and love Him. But there ia a second i)eace which He haa to give. Jeaua said unto them again, "Peace be unto you." There ia a "peace," and there ia an "again peace." There ia a peace with God, and there ia "the peace of God that pasaeth un- derstanding." It ia thia deeper peace that we need before we can serve Him or be used for His glory. While we are burdened with our own cares, He cannot give ua Hia. While we are occupied with ourselves, we cannot be at leisure to serve Him. Our minds will be so filled with our own anxieties that we would not be equal to the truat which He requirea of ua, and ao, before He can entruat ua with Hia work. He wants to deliver us from every burden and anxiety. "Peace, perfect peace. In this dark world of Bin, The blood of Jesus whispers peace within. Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed. To do the will of Jesus, this rest. PON tlARTH. 9 10. XX. 19 and 21. [JB first appearing to e comes to bring ufl ch U8 to trust Him u'c which He has to m again, "Peace be )eace,'* and there is 18 a peace with God, }od that pasaeth un- eeper peace that we m or be used for His with our own cares, "hile we are occupied 36 at leisure to serve filled with our own lot be equal to the if U8, and 80, before 8 work. He wants to •u and anxiety. is dark world of sin, B peace witbin. anging duties pressed, his rest. DAYS OF UEAVEN UPON EARTH. October 10 289 "If ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of your body, ye shall live." Rom. vtll. 13. HIE Holy Spirit is the only one who can kill U8 and keep us dead. Many Chris- tiuns try +o do this disagreeable work thenisolvos, and they are going through a continual cnicifixion, but they can never at;- complish the work permanently. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, and when ;'0u really yield yourself to the death, it is delightful to find how sweetly He can slay you. JJy the touch of the electric spark they tell uh life is extinguished almost without a quiver of jiain. Itut, however this may be in natural things, we know the Holy Spirit can touch with celestial fire the surrendered thing, and slay it in a moment, after it is really yielded up to the sentence of death. That is our business, and it is God's business to execute that Sentence, and to keep it constantly operative. Don't let us live in the pain of perpetual and ineffectual suicide, bvit reckoning ourselves dead indeed, let us leave ourselves in the hands of the blessed Holy Spirit, and He will slay whatever rises in opposition to His will, and keep us true to our heavenly reckoning, and filled with His resurrection life. 290 nAYB OF UBAVtlN UPON EARTH. October 11 "And He that searcbeth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh Intercesalon tor the aalnta according to the win of Ood. " Rom. vUl. 27- HiK Holy Spirit becomes to the coMe- crated heart the Spirit of interccwion We have two Advocates. We have an Advocate with the Father, who prayu for m at God's right hand; hut the Holy Spirit iB the Advocate within, v. ho prays in us, inspir- ing our petitions and presenting them, through Christ, to God. We need this Advocate. We know not what to pray for, and we know not how to pray as we ought, hut He breathes in the holy heart the desires that we may not always understand, the groanings which we could not utter. But God understands, and He, with a loving Father's heart, is always searching our hearts to find the Spirit's prayer, and to answer it. He finds many a prayer there that we have not discovered, and answers many a cry that we never understood. And when we reach our home and read the records of life, we shall bet- ter know and appreciate the innnite love of that Divine Friend, who has watched within as the Spirit of prayer, and breathed out our every need to the heart of God. DPON EARTH. II the heartH knowetta it, because He maketb scordinR to the will of sconies to the con«e« Ipirit of intercession ocutes. W(3 have art Father, who prayn ; hut the Holy Spirit 10 prays in us, inspir- >nting them, tlirough We know not what J not how to pray as les in the holy heart ot always understand, >uld not utter, md He, with a loving earching our hearts to , and to answer it. here that we have not many » cry that we i when we reaoh our is of life, we shall bet- he innnite love of that watched within as the ■eathed out our every DAYS Of HEAVEN Ul'ON EARTH, CN;tober 12 891 "The law of the Spirit of life In ChrlBt Jeiua hath made me free." Rom. vlll. 2. HIE life of Jesus (Jhrist brought into our henrt by the Holy Spirit, and operat- ini? thoro as a new I'.w of divine slreugth and vitality, and counteract- in ii;, ovorooming and lifting us above the old law of sin and death. I«t us illustrate thoso two laws by a simple comparison. Look at my hand. By the law of gravitation it natiirnlly falls upon the desk and lies there, attracted downward by that nat- ural law which makes heavy bodies fall to the earth. But there is a stronger law than the law '^f gravitation — my own life and will And so through the operation of this higher law — the law of vitality — I defy the law of gravitation, and lift my hand and hold it above its former resting-place, and move it at my will. The law of vitality has made me free from the law of gravitation. Precisely so the indwelling life of Christ Je- sus, operating with the power of a law, lifts me above, and counteracts the power of sin in my fallen nature. '•/I 1 ' :\'ii 292 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EAUTU. October 13 "The carnal mind is enmity against God.' ' Rom. vlil. 7. HHE flesh is incurably bad. "It is not subject to the law of God, neither, in- leed, can be." It never can be any better. It is no use trying to improve the flesh. You may educate it all you please. You may train it by the most approved methods, you may set before it the brightest ex- ampleb, you may pipe to it or mourn to it, treat it vi^ith encouragement or severity; its nature will always be incorrigibly the same. like the wild hawk which the little child captured in its infancy and tries to train in the habits of the dove, before you are aware it will fasten its cruel beak upon the gentle fingers that would caress it, and show the old wild spirit of fear and ferocity. It is a hawk by nature, and it can never be made a dove. "For the carnal mind is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God, neither, indeed, can be." The only remedy for human nature is to de- stroy it, and receive instead the divine nature. God does not improve man. He crueiiies the natural life with Christ, and creates the new man in Christ Jesus. ' UPON EARTH. r 13 Ity against God." Rom. •ably bad. "It is not w of God, neither, in- It never can be any use trying to improve icate it all you please, the most approved 'ore it the brightest ex- it or mourn to it, treat or severity; its nature ly the same, which the little child nd tries to train in the e you are aware it will son the gentle fingers tid show the old wild ity. It is a hawk by be made a dove. "For ity against God. It is f God, neither, indeed, human nature is to de- tead the divine nature, man. He cruciiies the ;, and creates the new t)AV8 OP tttlATtlN VPON EAttfn. 2^3 October 14 "Qet thee behind me, Satan." Matt. xvi. 23. HEN your old self comes back, if you listen to it, fear it, believe it, it will have the same influence upon you as if it were iiot dead; it will control you and destroy you. But if you will ignore it and say: "You are hot 1, but Satan trying to make me believe that the old self is not dead; I refuse you, I treat you as a demon power out- side of me, I detach myself from you;" if you treat it as a wife would her divorced husband, saying: "You are nothing to me, you have no power over me, T have renounced yon, in the name of Jesus I bid you hence,'' — lo! the evil thing will disappear, the shadow will vanish, the wand of faith will lay the troubled spirit, and send- it back to the abyss, and you will find that Christ is there instead, with His risen life, to back up your confidence and seal your vic- tory. Satan can stand anything better than neg- lect. If you ignore him he gets disgusted and disappears. Jesus used to turn His back upon him and say, "Get thee behind Me, Satan." So let us refuse him, and we shall find that he will be compelled to act according to our faith. 294 DATS OF ttEAVM VPOH EARTB. October 15 "Faith 18 the evidence of things not seen." Heb. xl. 1. mfmRTm faith drops its letter in the post- Wjm office box, and lets it go. Distrust ftV holds on to a corner of it, and wonders ■■i that the answer never comes. I have some letters in my desk that have been written for weeks, but there was some slight uncertainty about the address or the contents, BO they are yet unmailed. They have not done either me or anybody else any good yet. They will never accomplish anything until I let them go out of my hands and trust them to the poet- man and the mail. This is the ease with true faith. It hands its case over to God, and then He works. That is a fine verse in the thirty seventh Psalm: "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He worketh." But He never worketh until we commit. Faith is a receiving, or still better, a taking of God's proffered gifts. We may believe, and come, and commit, and rest, but we will not fully realize all our blessing until we begin to receive and come into the attitude of abiding and taking. r VPOH EARTH. r 15 t things not seen." Heb. its letter in the post- lets it go. Distrust rner of it, and wonders never comes. my desk that have been there was some slight ddress or the contents, I. They have not done se any good yet. They lything until I let them trust them to the poet- true faith. It hands its ten He works. 5 in the thirty -seventh ay unto the Lord, trust orketh." But He never lit. or still better, a taking 5. We may believe, and id rest, but we will not essing until we begin to the attitude of abiding DAYa OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. October 16 296 "Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, I win make thee a Joy." Ps. Ix. IB. 0OD loves to take the most lost of men, and make them the most magnificent memorials of His redeeming love and power. He loves to take the victims of Satan's hate, and the lives that have been the most fearful examples of his power to destroy, and to use them to illustrate and illuminate the possibilities of Divine mercy and the new cre- ations of the Holy Spirit. He loves to take the things in our own lives that have been the worst, the hardest and the most hostile to God, and to transform them so that we shall be the opposites of our former selves. The sweetest spirits are made out of the most stormy and self-willed, the mightiest faith is created out of a vrildemeM of doubts and fears, and the Divinest love is transformed out of stony hearts of hate and selfishness. The grace of God is equal to the most uncon- genial temperaments, to the most unfavorable circumstances; and its glory is to transform a curse into a blessing, and show to men and angels of ages yet to .come, that "where sin abounded, there grace did much more abound." m "■"/ 296 DATS OF HEAVEN VPOTH EARTH. October 17 "Abraham believed God." Rom. Iv. 8. ED trust. BRAHAM'S faith reposed on God Himself. He knew the God he was dealing with. It was a personal con- fidence in one whom he could utterly The real secret of Abraham's whole life was that he was the friend of God, and knew God to be his great, good and faithful Friend, and, taking Him at His word, he had stepped out from all that he knew and loved, and gone forth upon an unknown pathway with none but God. Beloved, are we trusting not only in the word of God, but have we learned to lean our whole weight upon Himself, the God of infinite love and power, our covenant God and everlasting Friend? We are told that Abraham glorified God by this life of faith. The true way to glorify God is to let the world see what He is, and what He can do. God does not want us so much to do things, as to let people see what He can do. God is not looking for extraordinary characters 88 His instruments, but He is looking for hum- ble instruments through whom He can be hon- ored throughout the ages 'POU eabtb. 17 a." Rom. Iv. 3. I reposed on Qod ew the God he was was a personal con- om he could utterly lam's whole life was God, and knew Qod faithful Friend, and, he had stepped out ioved, and gone forth r with none but God. not only in the word ed to lean our whole Qod of infinite love God and everlasting lam glorified God by le way to glorify God t He is, and what He mt us so much to do see what He can do. ;raordinary characters ;e is looking for hum- ^•hom He can be hon- ttAVS OP UEAVtSTH tJPOtf EARTH. October 18 2d7 "All things are naked and open unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Heb. Iv. 18. l^^^nSE literal translation of this phrase is, Irflfl All things are stripped and stunned. ^^H This is the force of the Greek words. I™^^ The figure is that of an athlete in the Coliseum who haa fought his best in the arena, and has at length fallen at the feet of his ad- versary, disarmed and broken down in helpless- ness. There he lies, unable to strike a blow, or lift his arm. He is stripped and stunned, disarmed and disabled, and there is nothing left for him but to lie at the feet of his adversary and throw up his arms for mercy. Now this is the position that God wants to bring us to, where we shall cease our struggles and our attempts at self-defence or self-im- provement, and throw ourselves helplessly upon the mercy of God. This is the sinner's only hope, and when he thus lies at the feet of mercy, Jesus is ready to lift him up and give him that free salvation which is waiting for all. ITiis, too, is the greatest need of the Chris- tian seeking a deeper and higher life, to come to a full realization of his nothingness and help- lessness, and to lie down, stripped and stunned at the feet of Jesus. MiP } 298 DAYB OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. October 19 "Denying ungodllnees." Titus 11. 12. HI I ET us say, "No," to the flesh, the world and the love of self, and leam that holy self-denial in which consists so much of the life of obedience. Make no provision for the flesh; give no recognition to your lower life. Say "No" to eveirything earthly and selfish. How very much of the life of faith consists in simply denying ourselves. We begin with one great "Yes," to God, and then we conclude with an eternal "No," to our- selves, the world, the flesh and the devil. If you look at the ten commandments of the Decalogue, you will find that nearly every one of them is a "Thou shalt not." If you read the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, witu this beautiful picture of love, you will find that most of the characteristics of love are in the negative, what Icve "does not, thinks not, says not, is not." And so you vdll find that the largest part of the life of consecration is really saying, "^o." I am not my own, I belong to Him. I am His aione, I belong to Him. TPON EARTH. 19 " TltuB 11. 12. ) the flesh, the world self, and leam that Q which consists so of obedience. Make give no recognition "No" to everything Fery much of the life denying ourselves, t "Yes," to God, and eternal "No," to our- and the devil, ommandments of the ;hat nearly every one t not." If you read if First Corinthians, of love, you will find iristics of love are in does not, thinks not, you will find that the consecration is really n. DAVa OF ntSAVEN UPON EARTB. October 20 2M "Let UB not be weary In well-doing." Gal. vl. 9, |F Paul could only know the consolation and hope that he has ministered to the countless generations who have marched along the pathway from the cross to the Kingdom above, he would be willing to go through a thousand lives and a thousand deaths such as he endured for the blessing that has followed since his noble head rolled in the dust by the Ostian gate of Rome. And if the least of us could only anticipate the eternal issues that will probably spring from the humblest services of faith, we should only count our sacrifices and labors unspeakable heritages of honor and opportunity, and would cease to speak of trials and sacrifices made for God. The smallest grain of faith is a deathless and incorruptible germ, which will yet plant the heavens and cover the earth with harveBta of imperishable glory. lift up your head, be- loved, the horizon is wider than the little circle that you can see. We are living, we axe suffer- ing, we are laboring, we are trusting, for the ages upon ages yet to come! m 7>AVS of HtlAVtlN VPQff BAHTtt. October 31 "Who shall separate us from the love ofChrist?" Rom. viii. 36. 0ND then conies the triumphant an- swer, aftpv all the possible obstacles and enemies have been mentioned one by one, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through' Him that loved us." Our trial will be turned to helps; our enemies will be taken prisoners and made to fight our battles. Like the weights on yon- der clock, which keep it going, otir very dif- ficulties will prove incentives to faith and prayer, and occasions for God becoming more real to Ma. We shall get out of our troxibles not only deliverance but triumph, and in all these things be even more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Our security depends not upon our unchang- ing love, but on the love of God in Christ Jesus toward us. It is not the clinging arms of the babe on the mother's breast that keep it from falling, but the stronger arms of the mother about it which will never let it go. He has loved us with an everlasting love, and although all else may change, yet He will never leave xa nor forsake us. "(f^ BAttTff. I I the love of Christ?" le triumphant an- I possible obstacles •een mentioned one ill these things we through' Him that le turned to helps; )risonerB and made he weights on yon- oing, otlr very dif- ives to faith and od becoming more troubles not only 1 in all these things (rore through Him upon our unchang- God in Christ Jesus inging arms of the t that keep it from rms of the mother let it go. He has love, and although will never leave us DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. October 22 301 "Touched with the feeling of our inflrmltles." Heb. iv. IS. HOME of us know a little what it is to be thrilled with a sense of the sufferings of others, mul sometimes, the sins of others, and sins that seem to saturate us as they come in contact with us, and throw over us an awful sense of sin and need. This is, perhaps, intended to give us some faint conception of the sympathy that Jesus felt when He had taken our sins, our sicknesses and our sorrows. Let us not hesitate to lay them on Him! It is far easier for Him to bear them off us than to bear them with us. He has al- ready borne them for us, both in His life and in His death. Let us roll the burden upon Him, and let it roll away, and then, strong in His strength, and rested in His life and love, let" us go forth to minister to others the symr pathy and help which He has so richly given us. The world is full of sorrow, and they that have known its bitterness and healing are God's ministers of consolation to a weeping world. O, the tears that flow around us, Let ufl wipe them while we may; Bring the broken hearts to Jesus, He will wipe their tears away. 808 DAY8 OF HEAVMN UPON ISARTII. October 23 "How long halt ye between two oplnioni?' Kings xvUl. 21. DT is strange that peoplo will not get over the idoa that a {onHecratocl life is diffi- cult one. A simple illustration will an- swer this foolish imprepsion. Suppose a street car driver were to say, "It is much easier to run with one wheel on the track and the other off," his line would soon he dropped by the public, and they would prefer to walk. Of course, it is ever so much easier to run with both wheels on the track, and always on the track.and it is much easier to follow Chnst fully than to follow with a half heart and haltingstep. The prophet was right in his pungent question, in our golden text of last Sabbath's lesson, "How long halt ye between two opinions?" The undecided man is a halting man. The halting man is a lame man and a miserable man, and the out-and-out Christian is the admiration of men and angels, and a continual joy to himself. Say, IB it all for Je«U8, As you so often sing; l8 He your Royal Master, Is He your heart's true King? "ON EAKTII. 13 I two oplnlonB?" I. DATS OF n EATEN UPON EARTH. October 24 303 "Flrat gave their ownselvee to the I^rd, and unto UB by the will of Ood." II. Cor. Till. 6. »lo will not get over jpratt'd life is diffi- illustratiou will an- ipreusion. Suppose say, "It is much el on the track and lid soon he dropped )iild prefer to walk. !h easier to run with and always on the to follow Christ fully eart and halting step, lis pungent question, st Sabhath'B lesson, . two opinions?" Xhe g man. The halting , miserable man, and is the admiration of tinual joy to himself. feetiB, ing; Master, 8 true King? DT is essentinl, in order to successful Chris- tian work, that you shall be loyal not only to God, but to the work with which you are associated. The more deeply ono knows the Lord the easier it if to get along with Him. Superficial Christians are apt to be crotchet- ty. Mature Christiana are so near the I^ord tliat they are not afraid of missing His guid- ance, and not always trying to assert their loyal- ty to Him and independence of others. The Corinthians, who had given themselves firat to the Lord, had no difficulty in giving themselves to His Apostle by the will of God. It is delightful to work with true hearts on whom we can utterly depev.d. God give us the spirit of a sound mind and , the heart to "help along." You can help by holy prayer, Helpful love and joyful song; O, the burdens you may bear; O, the sorrows you may share; O, the crowns you may yet may wear, If you help along. SM DAYH Uf HUAVfJS UPON BAKTII. October 2S "Now la It high time to awake out of Rleep, I^et III put off the worka of darknesa and let ub put on the armor of light." Rom. xlll. 12. B KT 118 wnkf out of sleep; let us be alert, lot UH hv nlivo to the great necti^sititM that really conrorn us. Let iiB put off the gamieiitii ot the night and the indulgences of the night; the loose robes of pleasure and flowing garments of repose; the fesUtl pleasures of the hours of darkness are not for the children of the day. Ijet us cast oR the works of darkness. Ijet us arm ourst^lves for the day. Before we put on our clothes, let us put on our weapons, for we are stepping out into a land of enemies and a world of dangers; let us put on the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of faith and love, and the shield of faith, and stand armed and vigilant as the dangers of the last days gather around us. Let lis put on the Ijord Jesus Christ. This is our robe of day. Not our own works or righteousness, but the person and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave us His very life, and becomes to us our All-Sufficiency. .'•&!.< <>0N HAHTII. 5 ke out of Bleep. Ia^ «a and let ur put on II. 12. eep; let uh be alert; [ic great neftfsitieB 18. le garniuuttt ot the of the night; the lowing garmonta of * of the hours of lildren of the day. larkneHH. the (lay. Before ft us put on our [ out into a land of gers; let us put on breastplate of faith f faith, and stand langers of the last fesus Christ. This our own works or 1 and righteousness 10 gave us His very Ul-Sufficiency. /»AI« OF HUAiHN Vl'ON tSAIt'l'H. 306 October 26 "Oo.out Into the highways and compel them to com* In." Mark xlv. 28. DN the great parable in the fourteenth chapter of Luke, giving an account of (ho great supper nti ancient lord pre- pared for his friends and neighbors, and to which, when they asked to be excused, he invited the halt and the lame from the city slums and the lepers from outside the gate, there is a signifioant picture and object lesson of the program of Christianity in this age. Fn the first place, it is obvious to every thoughtful mind that the Master is beginning to excuse the Gospel-hardened people of Chris- tian countries. It is getting constantly more difficult to interest the unsaved of our own land, especially those that have been accus- tomed to hear the Gospel in the things of Christ. They have asked to he excused from the Gospel feast, and the I^ord is excusing them. At the same time, two remarkable movements indifcated in the parable are becdming more and more manifest in our time. One is the Gospel for the slums and the neglected classes at home; the other is the Gospel for the heathen or the neglected classes abroad. ^ a Ht > W«»rl^ft l^ tlWfti M»atl> «wl»a^6 aiS»E^».K^^fca^■.- 306 DAYR OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. October 27 "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for me." Jer. xxxii. 27. 0YEUS, the King, was compelled to fulfill the vision of Jeremiah, by mak- ing a decree, the instant the prophecy had foretold, declaring that Jehovah had bidden him rebuild Jeraalem and invite her captives to return to their native home. So Jeremiah's faith was vindicated and Jehovah's prophecy gloriously fulfilled, as faith ever will be honored. Oh, for thfj faith, that in the dark present and the darker future, shall dare to sub- scribe the evidences and soal up the documents if need be, for the time of waiting and then begin to testify to the certainty of its hope like the prophet of Anathoihl The word Anathoth has a beautiful meaning, "echoes." So faith is the "echo" of God and God always gives the "echo" to faith, as He answers it back in glorious fulfillment. Oh, let our faith echo also the brave claim of the ancient prophet and take our full inheritance, with his glcrious shout. "Oh, Lord, Thou art the God of all flesh, is there anything too hard for the Lord?" and back like an echo will come the heavenly answer to our heart, "I am the God of all flesh, Ife there anything too hard for Me?" UPON EARTH. 21 the God of all flesh; la me." Jer. xxxil*. 27<. g, was compelled to of Jeremiah, by mak- ! instant the prophecy jclaring that Jehovah erealem and invite her sir native home. So dicated and Jehovah's Qed, as faith ever will faith, that in the dark iture, shall dare to sub- saal uj> the documents \ of waiting and then rtainty of its hope like .! as a beautiful meaning, he "echo" of God and 'echo" to faith, as He rious fulfillment. Oh, the brave claim of the ce our full inheritance, . "Oh, Lord, Thou ut ;here anything too hard c like an echo will come >ur heart, "I am the God thing too hard for Me?" DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. October 28 307 "Thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful In a very little, have thou authority over ten cities." Luke xlx. 17. DT is not our success in service that counts, but our fidelity. Caleb and Joshua were faithful and God remembered it when the day of visitation came. It was a very difficult and unpopular position, and all of U8 are called in the crisis of our lives to stand alone and in this very matter of trusting God for victory over sin and our full inheri- tance in Christ we have all to be tested as they. Our brethren even in the church of God, while admitting in the abstract the loveliness and advantages of such an ideal life, tell us as they told Israel that it is impracticable and im- possible, and many of us have to stand alone for years witnessing to the power of Christ to save His people to the uttermost and like Caleb following him wholly, if alone. But this is the real victory of faith and the proof of our un- compromising fidelity. Let us not therefore complain when we suffer roproach for our testimony or stand alone for God, but thank Him that He so honors us, and so stand the test that He can afterwards use us when the multitudes are glad to follow. 308 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. October 29 "Whatsoever ye BhP.ll a«k the Father In toy namt. He will give it you." Jno. xvi. 28. ,70 men go to the bank cashier, both holding in their hands a piece of paper. One is dressed in expensive style, and presents a gloved and jeweled hand; the other is a rough, unwashed workman. The first is rejected ^dth a polite 8entence,and the second receives a thousand dollars over the counter. What is the difference? The one presented a worthless name; the other handed in a note en- dorsed by the president of the bank. And so the most virtuous moralist will be turned away from the gates of mercy, and the vilest sinner welcomed in if he presents the name of Jesus. What shall we give to infinite punty and. righteousness! Jesus! No other gift is worthy for God to receive. And He has given Him to us for this very end, to give back as our substi- tute and satisfaction. And He has "teBtified of this gift what He has no other, namely, that in Him He is well pleased, and all who receive Him "are accepted in the Beloved." Slutll we accept the testimony that God is satisfied with His soul? Shall we be satisfied with Hun? UPON EARTH. 29 sk the Father in «ny Jno. xvi. 23. 'Utihtii'" le bank cashier, both lands a piece of paper. 1 expensive style, and and jeweled hand; the id workman. The first jntence,and the second lars over the counter. The one presented a sr handed in a note en- of the bank. And bo ist will be turned away r, and the vilest sinner its the name of Jesus, to infinite purity and. No other gift is worthy id He has given Him to give back as our substi- And He has "testified" s no other, namely, that sed, and all who receive the Beloved." Shall we lat Qod is satisfied with satisfied with Him? DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 309 October 30 "Dwell deep."' Jcr. xUx. 8. 0OD'S presence blends with every other thought and consciousness, flowing sweetly and evcMily through our busi- ness plans, our social converse, our heart's affections, our manual toil, our en- tire life, blending with all, consecrating all, and conscious through all, like the fragrance of a flower, or the presence of a friend consciously near, and yet not hindering in the least the most intense and constant preoccupation of the hands and brain. How beautiful the estab- lished habit of this unceasing communion and dependence, amid and above all thoughts and occupations! How lovely to see a dear old saint folding away his books at night and hum- bly saying, "Lord Jesus, things are still just the same between us," and then falllDg asleep in His keeping. So let us be stayed upon Him. Let us grow into Him with all the root and fibres of our be- ing. He will not get tired of our friendship. He will not want to put us off sometimes. Beautiful the words of the suffering saint: "He never says good-bye." He stays. So let us be stayed on Him. 310 DAYS OP HEAVEN UPON EARTB. October 31 "My grace Is Bufflclent for thee; for My Btrength is made perfect In weakneBS." II. Cor. xU. 9. 03D allowed the crisis to close around Jacob on the night when he bowed at Peniel in sixpplication to bring him to Lhe place where he could take hold of God as he never would have done; and froin that narrow pass of peril Jacob came enlarged in his faith and knowledge of God, and m the power of a new and victorious life. He had to compel David, by a long and painful disciphne of years, to learn the almighty power and faith- fulness of his God, and to grow up into the es- tablished principles of faith and godhness which were indispensable for his subsequent and glorious career as the king of Israel. _ Nothing but the extremities in which Paul . waa constantly placed could ever have taught him, and taught the church through him, the full meaning of the greet promise he so learned to claim, "My graxse is sufficient for thee And nothing but our trials and perils would ever have led some of ue to know Him as we do^ to trust Him as we have, and to draw from Him the measures of grace which our very extremi- ties made indispensable. y EARTB. r, for My strength [I. Cor. xll. 9. 1 to close around irhen he bowed at Q to bring him to ould take hold of ! done; and from !ob came enlarged f God, and in the 8 life. He had to painful discipline y power and faith- ow up into the es- th and godliness, or his subsequent ng of Israel, ties in which Paul I ever have taught L through him, the omise he so learned lent for thee." And [ perils would ever «r Him as we do, to to draw from Him h our very extremi- DATS OF HEATEN UPON EARTH. November 1 311 "We will come unto Him and make our abode with him." Jno. xiv. 23. B QHIS idea of trying to get a holiness of your own, and then have Christ reward you for it, is not His teaching. Oh, no; Christ is the holiness; He will bring the holiness, and come and dwell in the heart forever. When one of our millionaires purchases a lot, with an old shanty on it, he does not fix up the old shanty, but he gets a second-hand man, if he will have it, to tear it down, and he puts a mansion in its place. It is not fixing up the house that you need, but to give Christ the vacant lot, and He will excavate below our old life and build a house where He will live for- ever. Now that is what I mean when I say that Christ will be the preparation for the blessing, and make way for His own approach. It is as when a great Assyrian king used to set out on a march. He did not command the people to make a road, but he sent on his own men, and they cut down the trees and filled the broken places, and levelled the mountains. So He^ will, if we will let Him, be the Coming King, the Author and Finisher of our faith. 812 t}AY8 Of UMrm VPOlt EAHTB. November 2 "Bringing Into captivity every thought to the obedience In Christ." II. Cor. x. 5. DF we woiild abide in Christ we must have no confidence in self. Self-repression must be ever the prime necessity of di- vine fulness and efficiency. Now you know how quickly you spring to the front when any emergency arises. When something in which you are interested comes up, you say what you think under some sudden impulse, and then perhaps you have weeks of taking back your thought, and taking the Lord's in- stead. It is only when we get out of the way of the Lord that He can use us. So, be out of self, always suspending your will about ev- erything until you have looked at it and said: "lord, what is your will? what is your thought about it?" Those who thus abide in Christ have the habit of reserve and quiet; they are not rattling and reckless talkers, they will not always have an opinion about everything, and they will not always know what they are going to do. There will be a deferential holding back of judgment, and walking softly with God. It is our head- long, impulsive spirit that keeps us so con- stantly from hearing and following the Lord. POlf BAttTB. r 2 ivery thought to the •. X. 5. Christ we must have If. Self-repression •ime necessity of di- Rciency. Now you ng to the front when rhen something in comes up, you say me sudden impulse, ive weeks of taking aking the Lord's in- e get out of the way use us. So, be out ; your will about ev- ooked at it and said: what is your thought 1 in Christ have the ; they are not rattling will not always have ing, and they will not e going to do. There ing back of judgment, God. It is our head- hat keeps us so con- following the Lord. DAYS OP HEAVEN UPON EARTH. November 3 313 "This is my Beloved, and this la my Friend.' S. of S. V. 16. 0E is our Friend. "Which of you shall have a friend at night?" This has deep significance through the experi- eivpe of each one of us. Who has not had a friend, and more of a friend in some re- spects than even a father? There are some intimacies not born of human blood that are the most intense and lasting bonds of earthly love. One by one let us count them over and recall each act and bond of love, and think of all that we may trust them for and all in which they stood by us, and then as we concentrate the whole weight of recollec- tion and affection, let us put God in that place of confidence and think He is all that and in- finitely more. Our Friend! The one who is personally in- terested in us; who has set His heart upon us; who has coma near to us in the tender and deli- cate intimacy of unspeakable fellowship; who g9,ve us such invaluable pledges and promises; who has done so much for us, and who is ever ready to take any trouble or go to any expense to aid us— to Him we are coming in prayer, our Heavenly Friend, 814 DAYB OP HBAVBlf VPOH BARTB. November 4 "Hath the Lord as great delight In burnt offer- ings as In obeying." I. Sam. xv. 22. IJANY a soul prays for sanctification, but fails to enter into the blessing because he does not intelligently understand and believingly accept God's appointed means by Jeeus Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit. Many a prayer for the salvation of others is hindered becausie the very friend takes the wrong course to bring about the answer, and resorts to means which are wholly fitted to defeat his worthy object. We know many a wife who is pleading for her husband's soul, and hoping to win him by avoiding anything that may offend him, and yielding to all his worldly tastes in the vain hope of attracting him to Christ. Far more effective would be an attitude of fiddity to God and fearless testimony to Him, such as God could biesfl. Many " congregation wonders why it is so poor and struggling. It may be found that its financial methods are wholly unscriptural and often unworthy of ordinarj' self-respect. When we ask God for any blessing, we mxat allow Him to direct the steps which are to bring the answer. 'ON EARTH. A Itgbt In burnt offer- XV. 22. I for sanctification, r into the blessing not intelligently believingly accept eeus Christ and the Many a prayer for ndered becauBfe the ig course to bring rts to means which 8 worthy object, irho is pleading for ring to win him by ly offend him, and tastes in the vain Christ. Far more ie of fidelity to God Him, such as God jnders why it is so ay be found that its ly unscriptural amd self-respect, ly blessing, we miwt « which are to bring DAYB OP HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 816 November 5 "I In them, and thou in Me." Jno. xyll. 28. DF we would be enlarged to the full meas- ure of God's purpose, let us endeavor to realize something of our own capacities for His filling. We little know the size of a human soul and spirit. Never, until He renews, cleanses and enters the heart can we have any adequate con- ception of the possibilities of the being whom God made in His very image, and whom He now renews after the pattern of the Lord Jesus Him- self. We know, however, that God has made the human soul to be His temple and abode, and that He knows how to make the house that can hold His infinite fulness. We know something of this as all our nature quickens into spring- tide life at the coming of the Holy Spirit, and as from time to time new baptisms awaken the dormant powers and susceptibilities that we did not know we possessed. Oh, let us give Him the right to make the best of us, and, with wonder filled, we shall some day behold the glorious temple which He has reared, and shall say, "Lord, what is man that Thou ha£t set Thine heart upon Him?" Sl« DAYtl OF UEAVBlf UPON EARTH. November 6 "BleBS the Lord. O. my aoul." P«. olll. 1. 0LESS the Lord my soul; and all that is within me be Bilrred up to magnify His holy name. "Bless the the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefita; who forgiveth all thine in- iquities; who hcaleth all thy diseases; who re- deemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things,^ so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.' Who so well can sing this thanksgiving song as we, rejoicing as most of ub do, we trust, m this full salvation, and praising God for the glorious health of a risen Lord and a continual youth. . . This psalm and its opening verses is m the very centre of the Scriptures by an exact count of letters and verses. So let it stand in our lives, as we look backward and forward and upward in grateful thanksgiving as we sing in its clos- ing strains, "Bless the Lord, my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name." Lord, centre my heart in Thee and in the spint of love and praise. PON EARTH. Boul." P». olll. 1. I my BOul; and all l>c Btlrreil up to nurac. "Bless the f soul, and forget )rgiveth all thine in- hy diseases; who re- uction ; who crowneth and tender mercies; with good things, so 3d like the eagle's." thanksgiving song as us do, we trust, in )raising God for the Lord and a continual suing verses is in the ires by an exact count )t it stand in our lives, forward and upward as we sing in its clos- rd, my soul, and all is holy name." Lord, ! and in the spirit of DAYH O*' II IS AV MS UI'ON ISAKTII. November 7 817 "I will Btrengthen thee; yea. I will help thee; yftt, I win uphold thee." Is. xli. 10. flpSVOD has three ways of helping us: First, V P^ He says, "I will strengthon thee;" ^ J ■ that is, I will make you a little "■■^B stronger yourself. And stniondly, "I will help thee;" that is, I will add My strength to your strength, but you shall lead pnd I will help you. But thirdly, when you arc ready, "I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness;" that is, I will lift you up bodily and carry you altogether, and it will neither he your strength or My help, but My complete upholding. Hence it must be quite true, that when we come to the end of our strength, we come to the beginning of His, and that in Him the weakest are the strongetit, and the most helpless the most helped. "He giveth power to the faint," but to "them that have no might" at all "He gives more strength," and His word forever is, "My grace is sufficient for thee." The answer is a paradox of contradic- tions, and yet the most practical of truths, "Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my in- firmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me; for when I am weak, then am T strong." 81g UAYH Of ttSAVMN UPON EARTH. Novemticr 8 "For the law of the Spirit of life In ChrUt Je«ui hath made me free." Rom. vtli. 2. ,' B[ERE is a natural law of Bin and sick* nesfl, and if we juHt let ourRolves go and sink into the trend of circuniHtances we shall go down and sink under the power of the tempter. Iliit there iH another law of spiritual life and of physical life in Christ Jesus to which we can rise and through which we can counterpoise and overcome the other law that bears us down. But to do this requires real spiritual energy and fixed purpose and a settled posture and habit of faith. It is just the same when wc bind the power in our factory. We must turn the belt on and keep it on. The power is there, but we must keep the connection and while we do so the law of this higher power will work and all the machinery will be in oper- ation. There is a spiritual law of choosing, believing, abiding and holding steady in our walk with God which is essential to the working of the Holy Ghost either in our sanctiflcation or healing. There is a word that saves the soul "I will trust;" It makes the sick and suitering whole, "I will trust" L_ f'oAf MARTIL % r life In Chrtit Jesus III. 2. I ftw of sin and sick- let oursolves go and >f circumstances we nk under the power is anothor low of life in Christ Jesus •ough which we can the other law that ) this requires real jrpose and a settled It is just the same a our factory. We I keep it on. The keep the connection )f this higher power lery will be in oper- sl law of choosing, ding steady in our Dtial to the working n our sanctification fives the soul luffering whole, DAYB OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 318 November 9 "Because I live ye shall live also." Jno. xlv. 19. 0PTER having become ae your greatet Joy. my brother. That the Lord can cvuuv «« ':";• And If all besides should fall and falter. To your trust be always true. POV EARTH. 12 m our hearts." H- fhat a rare, what a I We see it in th» it in HiB apostle, we ble, consecrated and liout it there may be It they lack the gold- II all into a chain of rhey are like a lot of 5 on a broken string, nd are lost in the end ilone could bind them ad lasting power. for "THE EABNBST, (58 that have but one for the depth an4 e heart of Christ with- spcrifice, to realize, to like Him! a trust BO sacred, iod deep, id a work bo glorlouB, charge— to keep. oy, my brother, a fail and falter, ya true. DATS OF HEAVEN DPON EARTH. 328 November 13 "Delight thyself in the Lord." Ps. xxx/li. 4. QANIEL'S heart was filled with God's love for His work and kingdom, and his prayers were the mightiest forces of his time, through which God gave to him the restoration of Israel to their own land, and the acknowledgement by the nilers of the world of the God of whom he testified and for whom he lived. There is a beautiful promise in the thirty- seventh Psalm, "Delight thyself in the Lord, and He will give thee the desires of thine heart," which it is, perhaps, legitimate to translate, that not only does it mean the fulfillment of our desires, but even the inspiration of our de- sires, the inbreathing of His thoughts into us, so that our prayers shall be in accord with His will and so shall bring back to us the unfailing answer of His mighty providence. Teach me Thy thoughts. 6 Ood! Think Thou, Thyself, In me. Then shall 1 only always think Thine own thoughts after Thee. Teach me Thy thoughts, O Ood! Show me Thy plan divine; Save uie iiuui aii lujr iiiauB auu wurks. And lead me into Thine. 322 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. November 12 "The earaeBt of the Spirit in our hearts." H- Cor. 1. 22. HIFK in earnest. What a rare, what a glorious Hpectaclel We see .t m- the Son of God, we see it in His aposrtc, we see it in every noble, consecrated and truly successful life. Without it there/nay be • L TlitB of oonBLtent Mid lasting power. into a bfe ol com' kabhimi. ,or the l-P To fo liv^ tl h.™ b.t one s;t:to.°£;;u-.ea^.^js^^ persevere, to live and d,e like H.m! we are going forth with a ti^Bt-o -acred. And a truth «> f "« *"* ^^J^ «, giorloue. With a m6flaag« clear and a ^"^ *° * And a charge-^uch a «harge--to keep, li it be your greatet Joy. my brother. That the Lord can count on you; And tf Si beside- should fail and falter. To your trust be always true. •ON EARTH. 12 In our hearts." H- hat a rare, what a We see it in tW it in His apoatle, we lie, consecrated and out it there may be ; they lack the gold- all into a chain of 'hey are like a lot of on a broken string, d ore lost in the end lone could bind them id lasting power. ) for "thb kakhbsTj s that have but one for the depth and heart of Christ with- ijicriftce, to realize, to [ike Him! i trust BO sacred. ad deePi 1 a work so glorious, cbarge— to keep. ,y, my brother. nt on you; fall and falter, strue. DAYB OF HEAVEN UPON EARTB. 323 November 13 "Delight thyself in the Lord." Ps. zxx/li. 4. HANIEL'S heart was filled with God's love for His work and kingdom, Mid his prayers were the mightiest forces of his time, through which God gave to him the restoration of Israel to their own land, and the acknowledgement by the rulers of the world of the God of whom he testified and for whom he lived. There is a beautiful promise in the thirty- seventh Psalm, **I)elight thyself in the Lord, and He will give thee the desirei> of thine heart," which it is, perhaps, legitimate to translate, that not only does it mean the fulfillment of our desires, but even the inspiration of our de- sires, the inbreathing of His thoughts into us, so that our prayers shall be in accord with His will and bo shall bring back to us the unfailing answer of His mighty providence. Teach me Thy thoughts, O God! Think Thou, Thyself, in me, Then shall I only always think Thine own thoughts after Thee. Teach me Thy thoughts, O Qod! Show me Thy plan divine; Save me from all my pluis and works. And lead me into Thine. I 324 BAY 19 OF HBAVEN UPON EARTH. November 14 "The things which are seen are temporal." II. Cor. Iv. 18. HOW strong is the snare of the thingfl that are seen, and how necessary for God to keep us in the things that are unseen! If Peter is to walk on the water, he must walk; if he is going to swim, he must swim, hut he cannot do both. If the bird is going to fly it must keep away from the fences and the trees, and trust to its buoyant wings. But if it tries to keep within easy reach of the ground, it will make poor work of flying. God had to bring Abraham to the end of his own strength, and to let him see that in his own body he could do nothing. He hfid to consider his own body as good tig dead,; aM^ thifeii take, ; God for the whole work, and when he looked away from himself, and truBu-d God alone, then He became fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was aMea^^^^^ This is what God is teaching us, and He has ip. keep a#ay encouraging results until we Ifjafiife trust without them, and then He lovp tovWa){« His wordT^I in fact as well ajs faith. i^et lis look only to Him today to do all things as H<3 'shall choose and in the vir^ fie shall choosie. ' .' "ON EARTH. 14 1 are temporal." 11. mare of the things how necessary lor the things that are ■ is to walk on the 8 going to swim, he ) both. If the bird way from the fences its buoyant wings, in easy reach of the ork of flying, m to the end of his 1 see that in hi? own He had to consider lea^j, aiiid thicn, take; md when he looked iUid God alone, then I that what He had to perform, hihg us, and He has ig results until we 1, and then He lovipfl ct AS well aj8 fftith. im today to do all and in the vray He bAVa of tlEAVnV VPOK BARTB. 32B November 15 "Oh, man of deelres." Dan. x. 18. HIIS was the divine character given to Daniel of old. It is translated in our version, "0 man, greatly beloved!" But it literally means, "0 man of desires!" This is a necessary element in all spiritual forces. It is one of the secrets of effectual pray- er, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them." The element of strong desire gives momentum to our purposes and prayers. Indifference is an unwholesome condition; indolence and apathy are offensive both to God iand nature. And so in our spiritual life, God often has to wake us np by the presence of trying circum- stances, and push us into new places of trust by forces that we must either subdue, or sink be- neath their power. There is no factor in pray- er more effectual thajn love. If we are intensely interested ; in an object, or an individual, our petitions become like living forces, and not only convey their wants to God, but in some sense convey God's help back to them. May God fill us today with the heart of Christ that we may glo\/ with the divine fire of holy desire. D 826 DAI'S OF UEAVM^ VPOJ) EAMU. November 16 "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day." Matt. XXV. 13. jESUS illustrates the unexpecteduesfl of His coming by the figure of a thief en- tering a house when the master waa not there. Life, like the old Jewish night, may be divided into three watches, youth, ma- turity, old age. The summons to meet God may come to us in either of these watches. A writer tells us of his experience with a camp- ing party, of which he was a member, and which, he tells us, always arranged to have watches at night. We became especially care- ful after what 1 am about to narrate hap- pened. During the first night, from sunset to sunrise, we had in turn carefully guarded our camp. But when the next night came, so im- pressed were we with the orderly character of the neighborhood, that we concluded that no guard was needed until bedtime. Within our main tent the evening was spent in story-telling singing and general amusement. When the hour to retire arrived, it was discovered that our other tents had been robbed and everything of value stolen. The work was done before we thought a guard necessary. It is never too soon to begin watching against sin. ^ON EAftTH. 16 jw neither the day.'' unexpectedueSB of igure of a thief en- the master waa not e old Jewish night, iratches, youth, ma- nons to meet God ' these watches. A lence with a camp- as a member, and arranged to have ime especially care- ut to narrate hap- ght, from sunset to pcfuUy guarded our night came, so im- )rderly character of concluded that no atime. Within our pent in story-telling senient. When the ! discovered that our d and everything^ of ras done before we It is never too m. soon I t)AVS OF HBAVtitl UPON EARTH. November 17 32t "The ark of the covenant of the Lord went be- fore them." Num. x. 33. flPSBOD does give us impressions but not V Pv that we should act on them as imprea- ^m M sions. If the impression be from God; ^■■B He will Himself give sufficient evi- dence to establish it beyond the possibility of a doubt. How beautifully we read, in the story of Jere- miah, of the impression that camQ to him re- specting the purchase of the field of Anathoth, but Jeremiah did not act upon this impression until after the following day, when his uncle's son came to him and brought him eternal evi- dence by making a proposal for the purchase. Then Jeremiah said: "I knew this was the word of the Lord." He waited until God seconded the impression by a providence, and then he acted in full view of the open facts, which could bring conviction unto others as well as himself. God wants us to act according to His mind. We are not to ignore the Shepherd's personal voice, but like Paul and his companions at Troas, we are to listen to all the voices that speak, and "gather" from all the circumstances, as they did, the full mind of the Lord. MPPIIPMMIMiiMH 828 DAYB OF HBAVBN tJPOtf tiAttftt. November 18 And He that Bat upon the throne said, 'It is done.' Rev. xxx. 17. ■fH^BlEAT is the difference between action ^ K^ and traneaction. We may be constant- ^41 ly acting without accomplishing any- ^^i'™ thing, but a transaction is action that passes beyond the point of return, and becomeR a permanent committal. Salvation is a trans- action between the soul and Christ in which the matter passes beyond recall. Sanctifica- tion is a great transaction in which we are utterly surrendered, irrevocably . consecrated and wholly committed to the Holy Ghost, and then He comes and seals the transaction and undertakes the work. Our covenant for our Lord's healing should be just as explicit, defin- ite and irrevocable. And so of the covenants to which God is leading His children from time to time in regard to other matters of obedience and service. God grant that during this hal- lowed day many a consecrated life may be able to say with new significance and permanence, "'Tis done, the great transaction's done." For the living Vine is Jesus, In whose fullness we may hide; And find our life and fruitfulness As we In Him abide. "Ih 'POtr BARftt. 18 le throne said, 'It Ib ence between action IVe may be constant- accomplishing any- »ction is action that return, and becomes Salvation is a trans- ,nd ChriBt in which [ recall. Sanctifiea- n in which we are vocably . consecrated the Holy Ghost, and the transaction and ir covenant for our list as explicit, defin- 80 of the covenants s children from time matters of obedience hat during this hal- ited life may be able ice and permanence, iction's done." is Jmub, we may hide; d fruitfulneBB le. bAVB Of titlAV^^ UPON EAttTtt. m November 19 "We would see Jeeus." Jno. xll. 21. jHEN any great blessing is awaiting us, the devil is sure to try and make it so disagreeable to us that we shall miss it. It is a good tbing to know him as a liar, and remember, when he is trying to prejudice us strongly against any cause, that very likely tl greatest blessing of our life lies there. Spur|. i once said that the best evidence that God wati on our side is the devil's growl, and we are generally pretty safe in following a thing according to Satan's dislike for it. Beloved, take care, lest in the very line where your prejudices are set- ting you off from God's people and God's truth, you are missing the treasures of your life. Take the treasures of heaven no matter how they come to you, even if it be as earthly treasures generally are, like the kernel inside the rough Hhell, or the gem in the bosom of the hard rock. I have seen Jeeue and my heart is dead to all be- side, I have seen Jesus, and my wants are all. In Him, supplied. I have seen Jesus, and my heart, at last, is sa-tle- fled. Since I've seen Jesus. ^|MMpnH m pAtB of atsAvm oh)N baktb. November 30 •'The diMlple whom JesuB loved leaned on Hl» breut." Jno. xxl. 20. El |N American gentleman one* vu»ited the saintly All)ert Beogcl. He wa« ▼ery d«- sirouB to hear him pray. So one night he lingered at his door, hoping to overhear his closing devotions. The rooms were adjoining and the doors ajar. The good man finished his studies, closed his books, knelt down for a moment and simply said: "Dear Lord Jesus, things are still the same between us," and then sweetly fell asleep. So close waa his cdmmunion with his I^rd that labor did not interrupt it, and prayer waa not necessary to re- new it. It was a ceaseless, almost unconscious presence, like the fragrance of the summer gar- den, or the presence of some dear one by our side whose presence we somehow feel, even though the busy hours pass by and not a word is exchanged. "O blessed fellowship, divine, O Joy, supremely sweet. Companionship with Jesus here. Makes lite with Joy replete; O wondrous grace, O Joy sublime, I've Jesus with me all the time." ifion MABTB. loved leaned on Hl« man oniie vutited ih» igel. He WM Ttrry d«- 1 pray. So one night lis door, hoping to )nB. The rooms were jar. The good man 118 books, knelt down y said: "Dear Lord ! same between us," ip. So close waa his I that labor did not a not necessary to re- i, almost unconscious e of the summer gar- >me dear one by our somehow feel, even H by and not a word p, divine, aweet, L JesuB here, ►y replete; joy Bublime, all the time." DAYS OF ttMAVBN UPON BAHTH. NovemlMr 21 3S1 "Conulder the lilies how they crow." Matt, vl. m. DT is said that a little fellow was found one day by his mother.standing by a tall sun- flower, with his feet stuck in the ground. When asked by her, "What in the world are you doing there?" he naively answered, "Why, I am trying to grow to be a man." His mother laughed heartily at the idea of his getting planted in the ground, in order to grow, like the sunflower, and then, patting him gently on the head, "Why, Harry, that is not the way to grow. You can never grow bigger by trying. Just come right in, and eat lots of good food, and have plenty of play, and you will soon grow to be a man without trying so hard." Well, Harry's mother was right. Mrs. II. W. Smith never said a sweeter thing than when she answered the question — "How do the lilies grow?" by simply adding, "They grow without trying." Our sweetest spiritual life is the life of self- unconsciousness through which we become so united to Christ, and live constantly on His life, nourished, fed, and constantly filled with. His Spirit and presence and all the fulness of His imparted life. smmmmmmim m ti.iVS OP HUAVtN VPOn gAkfti. November 22 "Caat the beam out of thine own eye.' Til. 5. ■■■■KKATER than ttie fault you condemn VVfl and criticiBC is the ein of criticiBm and ^f g condemnation. There is no place we •mB need such grace as in dealing with an erring one. A lady once called on ua on her way to give an erring siater a piece of her mind. We advised her to wait until she could love her a little more. Only He who loved sinners well enough to die for them can deal with the erring. We never see all the heart. He does, and He can convict without condemning, and reprove without discouraging. Oh, for more of the heart of Christ! Take care, brother, how you speak of another's fault. Ere you know, you may be in the same or deeper condemnation. Very significantly does the Master say that the man that sees a mote in his brother's eye, us- ually has a rafter in hia own eyel One of the two unpardonable sins of the Bible is unforgiv- ing lovelessness. "Oive me a heart like Thine, Give me a heart like Thine, By Thy •wondertul power. By Thy grace every hour. Give me a heart like Thine." vpon &Akfti. w 22 Lhlne awn eye." Matt. le fault you condemn le sin of criticiBin and There is no place we as in dealing with an e called on ua on her er a piece of her mind, ntil she could love her who loved sinners well in deal with the erring, irt. He does, and He idemning, and reprove Oh, for more of the care, brother, how you . Ere you know, you deeper condemnation. ;he Master say that the 1 his brother's eye, us- I own eye! One of the f the Bible is unforgiv- leart like Thine, lit like Thine, dertul power, le every hour, eart like Thine." liAYH OV HMAVKN UPON HAKTH. 333 November 23 "It IB high time to awak« out of Bleep." Rom. xUl. 11. 0NE of the greatont eneniioH to faith is indolence. It w much easier to lie and Huffer than to rise and overcome; much eaHier to go to sleep on a Hnowbank and never wake Hgain, than to rouse one's self and shake off thf lethargy and overcome the stupor. Faith is an energetic art; prayer is in- tense labor; the effectual working prayer of the righteouB man avnileth much. Satan tries to put us to sleep, as he did the disciples in the garden; but let us not sleep as do others, but let us wake and be sober, con- tinuing in prayer and watching therein with all perseverance, stirring up ourselves to take hold of Hin strength, "not slothful, but followers of them, who, through patience, inherit the prom- ise." It is the wind that carries the ship across the waves; but the wind is powerless unless the hand of tb boatman is held firmly upon the rudder, and that rudder ie set hard against the wind. In like manner we bold the rudder, Ood fills the sails. It is not the rudder that carries the ship; but it is the rudder which catches the wind that carries the ship, so God keeps us ifi perfect peace while we are stayed upon Him. DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. November 24 things through Christ. rA^sister said one day: "1 have oo much work to do that I have not time to get strength to do it by waiting on the Ijord." Surely that was making bricks without straw, and even if it was in the name of the I^ord and the church, it was the devil's bondage. God sends not His servants on their own charges; but "He is able to make all grace abound towards us, that we, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound unto every good work." The old story of the chieftain, fleeing from his foes and almost over- taken, but stopping in the midst of his flight to get a shoe upon his horse that he might fly niore successfully is a true type and lesson for Christian workers. The old Latin motto festina lente, "make haste slowly," has a great lesson for us. The more work we have to do, the more frequently we have to drop our head upon our desk and wait a little for heavenly air and love, and th«n press on with new strength. One hour bap- tized in the love of the Holy Ghost is worth ten, battling against wind and tide without the heavenly life. UPON EARTH. r 24 trough Christ" PWl. one day: "1 have ao that I h^ve not time do it by waiting on rely that was making even if it was in the le church, it was the lids not His servants ; "He is able to make i us, that we, always 11 things, may abound The old story of the foes and almost over- j midst of his flight to •se that he might fly le type and lesson for festina Unte, "make it lesson for us. The ), the more frequently id upon our desk and air and love, and then igth. One hour bap- Holy Ghost is worth J and tide without the DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. November 25 335 "Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come." I. Cor. iv. 5. 0OTHING will more effectually arrest the working of the Spirit in the heart than the spirit of criticism. At the end of a meeting a young minister came forward and told us of the great blessing he had received that afternoon, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit that had come into his heart and being, setting him free from the bondage of years. And then he added, "It all came through your answer to that question, "Will a criticis- ing spirit hinder the Holy Ghost from filling the heart?" As the question was asked and answered, he said, "I was sitting in the church criticising a good deal that was going on, objecting to this thing and to that thing, finding fault with the expressions, and praises and testimonies, and feeling thoroughly unhappy. The Lord brought the answer home to my heart and convicted me of my sin, and there and then I laid it down and began to see the good instead of the evil. Blessing fell upon me and my soul was filled with Joy and praise, ai^^ I saw where my error lay, that for years I had been trying to see the truth with my head instead of my heart. 1 m 836 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. November 26 "He purgeth 11 that It may bring forth more fruit." Jno. XV. 2. RNE day we passed a garden. The gar- dener'had finished his pnining.and the wounds of the knife and saw were be- B»_ grinning to heal, while the warm Apnl sun waa gently nourishing the stricken plant Z fresh life and energy. We thought as we looked at that plant how cruel it would be to be- Kin next week and cut it down again. It would Seed to death. Now, the gardenefa busm^ is to revive and nourish it into life. Its busi ;! is not to die, but to Uve So, we though , it is with the discipline of the soul. It, too, habits dying hour; but it must -t^ ^^^ dvine iJather reckon ourselves to be dead in S'unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Everlasting. Breathe Thine own breath thruugh all m mortal frame, ..,.«. Helo me Thy reaurrectlon life to claim, mfermld ail changes, still abide, the same. And lead me in the way Bverlaating. Give me the heavenly foretaete here. I pray. Let faith foredate the everlaaUng day. And walking in its glory all the way. O lead me In the way BJverlaatlng! . . 1 vi*j**»*»«r**««*»t*'««' POV EARTB. 26 ay bring forth more a garden. The gtr- his pruning, and the Ife and saw were be- ?hile the warm April g the stricken plant We thought as we •uel it would be to be- own again. It would e gardener's business t into life. Its busi- ive,. So, we thought, of the soul. It, too, t must not be always irselves to be dead in- ito God through Jesus ng. tbrwigb all ny mortal life to claim, till abides the same. iTerlasting. itaate here, I pray; irlastlng day. all the way, rerlaatlngl DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. 337 November 27 "And the remnant of the oil . upon the head." Lev. xlv. 18. shall pour |N the account of the healing of the He- brew leper there is a beautiful picture of the touching of his ears, hands and feet, with the redeeming blood and the con- secrating oil, as a sign thpi his powers of under- standing, service, and conduct were set apart to God, and divinely endued for the Master's work and will. But after all this, we are significantly told that "the rest of the oil" was to be poured upon his head. The former anointing was from the oil in the hand of the priest, but the latter was to be from the log, or vessel of oil itself. It was to be literally emptied over him, until he was bathed with all its contents. It is a figure of the large and boundless bap- tism of the Holy Ghost. It speaks of some- thing more even than the ordinary experiences of the consecrated Christian. It tells of the abundant and redundant supply which God has for us out of His illimitable fulness. Have we received "the rest of the oil?" Are _ we filled vith the Spirit, and letting the over- flow bless others? • ( 338 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. November 28 "Without Me ye can do nothing." Jno. xv. 6. I OW much can I do for Christ? We ore accustomed to say,— As much as I can. Have we ever thought we can do more than we can? This thpught was lately suggested by the re- marks of"a\.;.ristian friend, who told how God had laid it upon ^er heart to do somethmt; for His cause which was beyond her power, and when she dared to obey Him, He gave her the assurance of His power and resources, and bo marvellously met her faith that she was enabled to do more than she could otherwise, and accom- plish her heart's desire, and see a work fulfilled to which her resources were unequal. The apostle says, "I can do all things through Christ, who is my strength," and yet He says we arc not able to think anything, as of our- Oh, blessed insufficiency! Ohl blessed All- Sufficiency! Oh, blessed nothingness, which brings us all things! Oh, blessed faith, whose rich dowry is, "All things are possible to him that believeth!" O to be found of Him In peace, SpotlesB and free from blame. PON EARTH. 28 thing." Jno. XV. 5. for Christ? We are — As much 88 1 can. ight we can do more • suggested by the re- \, who told how God to do somethinj? for ond her power, and [im, He gave her the ,nd resources, and bo that she was enabled otherwise, and accom- id see a work fulfilled ire unequal. do all things through th," and yet He says anything, as of our- cy! Oh! blessed All- i nothingness, which 1, blessed faith, whose KB are possible to him Him in peace, ) from blams. DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. November 29 339 "Could ye not watch with Me one hour?" Matt. xxTi. 40. YOUNG lady whose parents had died while she was an infant, had been kindly carel for by a dear friend of the family. J3efore she was old enough to know him, he went to Europe. P'^Tiilarly he wrote to her through all his years of absence, and never failed to send hpT^^inoney for all her wants. Finally word cailfe'that during a cer- tain week he would return and visit her. He did not fix the day or the hour. She received several invitations to take pleasant trips with her friends during that week. One of these was of so pleasant a nature that she could not resist accepting it. During her trip, he came, inquired as to her absence, and left. Return- ing she found this note: "My life has been a struggle for you, might you not have waited one week for me?" More she never heard, and her life of plenty became one of want. Jesus has not fixed the day or hour of His return, but He has said, "Watch," and should He come to- day, would He find us absorbed in thoughtless dissipation? May we be found each day, in the expectant attitude of those watching for a loved one. [ MMMHOs mi 340 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. November 30 "In lowliness of mind, let ewh esteem other better than themselves." Phil. 11. 3. J<:N the apostle speaks of "the deep things of God," he means more than deep spiritual truth. There must be _^ something before this. There must be a deep soil and a thorough foundation. Very much of oui- spiritual teaching fails, be- cause the people to whom we give it are so shal- low. Their deeper nature has never been stirred. The beatitudes begin at the bottom of things, the poor in spirit, the mourners, and the hun- ery hearts. Suffering is essential to pr.-foiind gpiritual life. We need not go to a monastery or a leper hospital to find it. The first real op- portunity for unselfishness will bring into your life the anguish of crucifixion, unless you axe bom of some different race from Adam's. It is because men and women have not faced this that they know so little of suffering a^d death. We must have deep convictions. Truths must be to us a necessity, and principle a part of our very being. Tx)rd, make me poor m spirit. Lord help me to be even as Thou wert when on earth, always the lowest, and therefore "highly exalted," rpON EARTH. 30 it ottcb eeteem other 111. li. 3. speaks of "the deep he means more than ruth. There ravwt be re this. There must gh foundation, aal teaching fails, be- Hre give it are so shal- ire has never been the bottom of things, lurners, and the hun- eesential to pivfound ; go to a monastery or t. The first real op- s will bring into your ftxion, unless you are ce from Adam's, women have not faced little of suffering and >p convictions. Truths f, and principle a part rd, make me poor in be even as Thou wert e lowest, and therefore DA7a OF nEAVEN UPON EARTH. December 1 'As He Is, BO are we In this world." I. Jno. Iv. 17. B KSTIS will come into the surrendered heart and unite Himself with it, impart to it His own life and being and become anew from day to day, the supply of its spiritual needs and the substitute for its help- lessness. Our p«>rt is simply to yield ourselves fully recognizing our own worthlessness and then take Jesus Himself to live in us and be, mo- ment by moment, our strength, purity and vic- tory. One in His death on the tree, One as He rose from the dead; I from the nurse am as free E'en as my glorious Head. One In His merits I ptand, One as I pray In His name All that His worth can demand I may with c(Hifldence claim. One on the Throne by His side. One In His Sonshlp divine, • One as the Bridegroom and Bride, One as the Branch and the Vine. All that He has shall be mine. All that He is I shall be; Robed in His glory divine, I shall be even as He. 342 DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. December 2 "Looking diligently le«t any man fall." Heb. xll. 16. DT is not losing all, but coming short we are to fear. We may not lose our souls, but we may lose something more pre jious than life—His full approval, His highest choice, and our incorruptible and star-gemmed crown It is the one degree more that counts, and makes all the difference between hot water -powerless in the boiler-«nd steam-all ahve with power, nnd bearing its precious freight across the continent. I want, m this short life of mine, As much aa can be pressed Ol service true for God and man, Help me to be my best. I want to stand when ChrlBt appears And hear my name confessed, Numbered among the hidden ones, His holiest and best I want, among the victor throng. To have my name confessed; And hear my Master say at last, Well done, you did your best. Give me, O Lord, Thy highest choice; Let others take the rest; Their good things have no charm for me. For I have got Thy beat. ^*9fttl«»K^'Wsr«»Ht PON EARTH. 2 ,ny man fail." Heb. lit coming short we y not lose our souls, jthing more prt jious pproval, His highest lie and star-gemmed ee more that counts, je between hot water -and steam— all alive its precious freight a o{ mine, reesed and man, t. hrlBt appears >nte8Bene8, and if we can , we may live upon i^od. le "the Lord for the Lord." the promise, a the blood, all oar weakness \t God. ais chldren, e may share; n Ollead, rsican there, DAYB OF Heaven upon earth. 349 December 9 "Launch out into the deep." Luke v. 4. HNE of the special marks of the Holy Ghost in the Apostolic Church was the spirit of boldness. One of the most essential qualities of the faith that is to attempt great things for God and expect great things from God, is holy audacity. Where we are dealing with a supernatural Being, and tak- ing from Him things that are hn anely impos- sible, it is easier to take much than little; it is easier to stand in a place of audacious trust than in a place of cautious, timid clinging to the shore. Like wise seamen in the life of faith, let us launch oij«t into the deep, and find that all things are ponsible with God, and all things are possible unto him that believeth. Let us today attempt great things for God, take His faith and believe for them and His strength to accomplish them. The mercy of Qod is an ocean divine, A boundless and fathomless flood; Launch oat in the deep, cut away the shore-line. And be lost in the fullness of God. Oh, let us launch out in this ocean so broad. Where the floods of salvation o'erflow. Oh, let us be lost in the mercy of God, Till the depth of His fullness we know. 350 DAYH OF HEAVEN UtOS EARTH. December 10 • According to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed." II. Ccr. x. 13. IBJBBCCOBDING to thy faith be it unto VI I tiiee was Christ's great law of heal- JH I ing and blessing in His earthly Wmm ministry. This was what He meant when He said, "With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again." These mighty measures are Uniited by the measures that we bring God deals out His heavenly Treasures to us in these glorious vessels, but each of us must bring our drinking cup, and according to its measure we shall be filled. But even the measure of our faith may be a Divine one. Thank God, the little cup has become enlarged through the gra«e of Jesus, until from iU bottom there flows a pipe into the great ocean, and if that connection is kept open we shall find that our cup is as large as the ocean and never can be drained to the bot- tom For He has said to us, "Have the faith of God," and surely this is an illimitable meas- ure. Let U8 claim the mighty pPomlM, Let us light the torches dim; I^t us Join the glorious chorus, Nothing Is too h^d for Hlro. t^oy EARTU ( ol the rule which :r. X. 13. f faith be it unto great law of heai- l in His earthly va8 what He meant measure ye mete it lin." These mighty e measures that we , heavenly treasures spIs, but each of us ip, and according to id. ■ our faith may be a , the little cup has the grace of Jesus, re flows a pipe into it connection is kept \xv cup is as large as e drained to the bot- us, "Have the faith i an illimitable meas- ity promlae, ■cbes dim; [>U8 oboruB, d for Him. m I OW often we say we would like to get some strong spirit to pray for us, and feel so helped M'hen we think they are carrying us in their faith. But there is One whose prayers never fail to be fulfilled and who is more willing to give them to us than any human friend. His one business at God's right hand is to make intercession for His people, and we are simply coming in the' line of His own appointment and His own definite promise and provision, when we lay our bur- dens upon Him and claim His advocacy without doubt or fear. "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, .Jesus, the Son of God, let us come boldly to the throne of grace to help in time of need." Like a golden censer glowing, Filled with burning odors rare, All my beart It upward flowing. In a cloud of ceaseless prayer. O'er the heavenly altar bending, JesuB interceding stands. All onr prayers to heaven ascending, ' Reach the Father through His hands. 862 DAYti OF HEAVEN VPON EARTH. December 12 P I "To abide In the flmh is more needful tor you, and having this confidence, I know that I shall abide." Phil. i. 24, 2S. npSHNE of the meet blessed things about dir> Of I n vine healing is that the strength it aI^ brings is holy strength, and finds its ^KK^m natural and congenial outflow in holy acts and exercises. Mere natural strength seeks its gratification in . natural [jleasures and activities, but the strength of Christ leads us to do as Christ would do, and to seek our congenial employment in His holy service. The life of Christ in a human body saves it from a thousand temptations to self-indulgence and sin, and not only gives us strength for high- er service, but also a desire for it, and puts into it a zest and spring which give it double power. Lord, help us today to claim Thy life and then give it for the help of others. Have you found the branch of healing? Pass it (Ml. Have you felt the Spirit's sealing, Pass it on. 'Twas for this Hia mercy sought you. And to all His fulneu brought you. By the precious blood that bought you, Pass it on. . 1 .i i iiuL i i i iij ii injjriKi ii j.i' i v i »oy EA&TU. 12 are needful for you, : know that I shall ed things about di? at the strength it igth, and finds its ial outflow in holy iks its gratification activities, but the do as Christ would ial employment in iman body saves it ) to self-indulgence i strength for high- or it, and puts into ve it double power, laim Thy life and >ther8. neh of healing? t'B sealing, y~ sought you, brought you, lat bought you, -» I>AY8 OF' BEAVBN DPON EARTB. 353 December 13 "He that abldeth In Me and I In him the same brlngeth forth much fruit for apart from Me ye can do nothing." Jno. xv. 5. BO familiar are the vine and the branches, it is not necessary to explain; only the branches and the vine are oile. The vine does not say, I am the central tnmk running up and you are the little branches; but I am the whole thing, and you are the whole thing. He counts us partakers of His nature. "Apart from Me ye can do nothing." The hus- band and the wife, and many more figures con- tribute to this marvelous Christ teaching, which has no parallel, no precedent in any other teach- ing under the sun; that Christ is the life of His people, and that we are absolutely linked with and dependent upon Him. All other systems teach how much man is and may become. Chris- tianity shows how a man must lose all he is if he would come into full unity with Christ in His life. Lord, help me this day to abide in Thee. Oh! what a wonderful place Jesus baa given to me! Saved by His glorious grace, I may be even as He. 364 DAtS OF HEAVEN UPON BAttflt. * December 14 Instead of the thorn shall come up the flr tree. Is. Iv. 13. 0IFF1CULTIES and obstacles are God's challenges to faith. When hindrances confront us in the path of duty, we are to recognize them as vessels for faith to fill with the fullness and all sufRciency of Jesus, and as we go forward, simply and fully trusting Him, we may be tested, we may have to wait and let patience have her perfect work, but we shall surely find at last the stone rolled away, and the Lord waiting to render unto us double frm and the cater- lich I aeat among once: "I hare got ed, for God has man soweth, that Then why don't I world, and com- ity of his sins?" Ity, and the eame penalties, too, and nnation in every >me to UB, hut not hut only as a Di- dty has heen ful- w satisfied, and so ith Him into the I life, we are lifted , and we enter into lete satisfaction of it is troe that even ht upon our phyai- loved hy His great is made real to us. t I have lost, all I ideem the time." ,;atia- DXya OF UEAVMH UPON EARTH. 367 December 17 Be careful for nothing. Phil. Iv. 6. . IHAT is the way to lay your burden down? "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls." "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Tliat is the way to take His burden up. You will find that His burden is always light. Yours is a very heavy one. Happy day if you have exchanged burdens and laid down your loads at His blessed feet to take up His own instead. God wants to rest His workers, and He is too kind to put His burden on hearts that are already bowed down with their own weight of cares. Are you fearing, fretting or repining? You can never know God's perfect peace. On Hla boeom all your weight reclining. All your anxious doubts and cares must cease. Would you know the peace that Ood has given? Would you find the very Joy of heaven? Be careful for nothing. Be prayerful for everything, Be thankful for anything, And the peace of God that passeth understanding Shall keep your mind and heart. l)AY8 OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH. DecemtMr 18 The faith of the Son of God. Oal. 11. 20. jWH AITII iB hindered mofit of all by what |||r'*li WH call "miv faith," and fruitless stnig- IttlMl to^®* *'* ^^'""'^ ""* * ^'"'^^ which is but IHfl n tnaite-lielievo and a desperate trying t(i lr\ist (i()(l, which must ever come short of His ^ast and glorious proraim^s. The truth is that the only faith that is equal to the stupend- ous proniiHts of God and the meaisureless needs of our life, is "the faith of God" Himself, the very trust which Tie will breathe into the heart which intelligently expects Him as its power to believe, as well as its power to love, obey, or perform any other exorcise of the new life. Blessed be His name! He has has not given II a chain which reach within a -ingle l^ik of our poor helpless heart, but that one la«t link is fatal to all Uu chain. Nty, the ist link, the one tbnt fastens on tho uu, n aide is as Divine as the link that bind.- liu; <'hain of proniiw in the heavi-ns. "Have the faitb of (}od;' is His great command. "I live by the fitith of the l=^-|)ecting llie Lord Jesus is given by the evan- gelist John in the thirteenth chapter of His Gospel, when we read, "Jesus, knowing that He came from God, and went to God, riseth from supper and began to wash the disciples' feet." it was because He knew His high dig- nity and His high destiny that Tie uld stoop to tho lowest place and that place could not degrade Him. God give 10 us the divine insignia of heav( - 1\ rank, a li'Hvcd hear i meek and lowly spirit. B 8«0 DAYS OF lltSAVm UPON BARTlt. December 30 "That I Bhould be the minister of Je«u8 Ohriat to the OentJleB. mlnlHterlng the Gospel of Ood." Rom. XV. 16. Ill IS is a very beautiful and practical conception of inissiouary work. There is u great (Inference in being conse- crated to our Ood. We may be conso- crate worthily represent Thee. And carry mualc In our heart Through busy street and wrangling mart; Plying our task with busier, holler feet, Because our souls a heavenly strain repeat. r (BSJtiMS^fl ^