Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

B

፡፡ 'The Lord shall be a light unto me" (MICAH VII. 8).

LIGHT-HOLDERS.

29

grace the only original source of the light that makes any man a luminary in society. And when a man has been once kindled at the Cross of Christ, he is bound to shine. And in order to do this, he need not be conspicuous in society for talents, wealth, or intellectual culture. The modest candle by which a housewife threads her needle shines as truly as does the great lantern that burns in the tower of a city hall.

VERY voyager through the British | right and serve the Lord. God's is Channel will remember the famous lighthouse that stands near the gates of the Atlantic. It rises from a rock in the midst of the waves, its beacon-blaze streaming far out over the midnight sea. The tower of Eddystone is a LIGHTHOLDER to all who come within its range. It does not create light, it only sheds it, and "giveth light" to every passer-by on his watery way. This image of a lighthouse may have been in the Apostle's mind when he wrote to the Philippians of the surrounding heathen and idolaters, and said to them, "Among whom ye shine as lights in the world" (Philippians ii. 15). Christians

are

Christ's light-holders to their fellowmen. The lantern of a lighthouse is not self-luminous. It has to be

kindled by a hand from without itself.
Conversion by the
by the Holy Spirit is a
spiritual illumination of the soul. God's
grace lights up the dark heart. Sometimes
suddenly, as in the case of Paul. Some-
times, as in the case of Newton, there is at
first a feeble germ of light, like the little
blue point of flame on a candle wick, and
this germ of light grows into a clear, full
blaze. The beginning of true religion is in
the first act of true faith-the first breath-
ings of earnest prayer-the first hungerings
after God-the first honest attempt to do

A humble saint who begins his day with household devotions, and serves his God all day in his shop, or at his work-bench, is as truly a lightholder as if he flamed from a popular preacher's pulpit, or illuminated a theological class from a professor's chair. To shine" means

something more than the mere possession of piety, or the enjoyment of piety; it is the reflection of Gospel-religion that makes the burner.

Every Christian who trims his lamp and keeps the oil of grace up to its full supply is a blessed benefactor to others, but what a terrible thing it is for a Christian to let his light go out!

I know of certain households in which I fear the lamp is out. That lad would not be seen so often on his way to the theatre, or drinking-saloon, if father and mother

[graphic]

30

"His mercy shall be on them that fear Him" (LUKE 1. 50).

held up the torch of loving warning. That giddy daughter, who was once thoughtful about her soul, might now be a Christian, if there had been a light-holder near at hand to guide her to Jesus. There was a lamp of profession in the house, but it did not shine. The oil was out. Love of the world had extinguished it. That dark lantern left the house in midnight.

Thank God! some lights never go out. Death cannot quench them. They shine for ever. Pastors, parents, teachers may be called home to Heaven; but like the good mother of the story, they "set a light in the window," to guide souls to the mansions of glory.-Cuyler.

CHR

Godly Fear.

HRIST is a gentle Lamb to all who are sad and sore because of sins that they hate and flee from, even though they are often overtaken and rent anew thereby. But He is also the Fearful One who drove Adam and Eve from the garden, who rained fire on Sodom, who made Sinai quake while He uttered His awful Law, and who slew, again and again, men who rebelled against Him. Unless public teachers, ministers especially, make this once more a familiar truth to the people, the fear of God will soon have quite forsaken our land—not cast out by "perfect love," but by utter ignorance. In that world where there is "perfect love," fear may, with all safety, be "cast out," and there alone. Here its absence is always certain to banish all real love. No sinner who does not fear God can love Him or give Him "pleasure." “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in them that

hope in His mercy." O the haughty, godless worldlings, that presume and dare to sit in judgment on God's Holy Book, and say what texts are suitable for a clergyman to use in his pulpit !-let them hear of the "judgments" of the Lord, as well as of His "mercies;" let them understand that it is not their toleration and patronage that Christ will have, but their repentance with reverence and godly fear.

The First Daily Duty.

"My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord."— PSALM V. 3.

HE voice of prayer. Probably he refers here to a general habit of praying in the morning, though he makes a particular reference to his circumstances at the time. The Psalmist felt, doubtless, that while it was a general duty and privilege to call upon God every morning, there was a special reason for it in the circumstances in which he then was. The propriety of looking to God in the morning by prayer commends itself to any reflecting mind. Who knows what a day may bring forth? Who knows what temptations may await him? Who can protect himself from the dangers which may encompass him? him? Who can enable us to discharge the duties which are incumbent on us every day? Feeble, helpless, sinful, prone to err, in a world of temptation, and surrounded by dangers, alike when we see them and when we do not, there is an obvious fitness in looking to God each morning for His guidance and protection; and the resolution of the Psalmist here should be the firm purpose of every man.-Barnes.

1

3

ྣས་་་་

"The Lord is clothed with strength My Jewels, and Who Gave Them. ONCE was poor, without a single groat To call mine own;

But in my need I sought the King,

And begged before His throne.

He heard my plea, and filled my empty lap

With purest gold,

Poured forth His treasure, till my hands had more
Than they could hold.

He gave me, too, a beauteous casket, stored
With gems so fair,

That none could equal, none in all the earth
With them compare.

Then was I blest! a prince in Heavenly things.
His hand had given

All that my heart could wish, my mind conceive, In earth or Heaven.

But here new straits arose, for how could I
Preserve such wealth,

When robbers lurked around and watched my steps
With wily stealth?

He read my thoughts: "My child, I will protect
This wealth of thine;

Leave it with Me! My power shall guard it all,
As if 'twere Mine."

I thanked the Lord that what He gave He kept;
And what He kept

I knew was safe; for He was strong, and watched, And never slept.

Thus to His royal court each day I come,

And from my store

Receive for daily needs all that I want,

And often more.

[blocks in formation]

the same spirit. Very few are quite satisfied with the Lord's plans. Fewer still are always pleased with the Lord's works. How many quarrel with His sovereignty! What hard things have been spoken against it! How many complain of His providence, and think it partial, unkind, and almost unjust! Beloved, we are often angry with God. This temper shows itself in fretfulness, complaining, and sullen gloom. Some are so angry that they will scarcely speak to Him, and they restrain prayer before God. Others will not acknowledge their obligations, therefore they do not praise Him. But do we well to be angry? Angry with our Father, whose wisdom is infinite, whose love is as constant as the day, and who constantly showers His blessings upon us! Angry with God, who has pardoned our sins, justified our persons, provided for our wants, united us to His Son, and blessed us with all spiritual blessings! Surely it is a sin, a grievous sin, not to be pleased with all He does, with all He has provided, and with all He requires. Doest thou well to complain, to repine, or to be angry

?

WILLIAM LUFF.

Angry with God.

"Doest thou well to be angry?"-JONAH iv. 4.

ONAH quarrelled with his God. And who has not? We may not speak out as plainly as he did, but we have been in the same temper, and have manifested

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

32

"Being justified freely by His grace" (ROMANS III. 24).

The Blessing of Grace.

THE ground of
HE ground of my confidence before God
is not anything of my own, anything
in myself, even though of Divine creating
-any goodness, any contrition for sin, any
efforts after new obedience, anything that
I have wrought, any repentance and change
of life, not even the work of the Holy Spirit
within me; but simply His righteous grace
in Jesus, "made accepted in the Beloved;"
there is the whole secret. My standing
before Him is surely a standing of grace.
I renounce not only my own things, but
myself; and rejoice in a free love which I
have done nothing to earn.

The Chapel in the Heart.

IN your retirement make frequent colloquies, or short discoursings with God and thy own soul. Every return of the heart in these intercourses is a going to Him, an appearing in His presence, and in representing Him present to thy spirit and to thy necessity. This was long since called by a spiritual person "a building to God a chapel in our heart." It reconciles Martha's employment with Mary's devotion, charity and religion, the necessity of our calling, and the employment of devotion. For thus in the midst of the works of your trade you may retire into your chapel-the heart-and converse with God by frequent addresses and returns. -Jeremy Taylor.

NEW LEAFLETS.

How measureless the blessing of grace! The guilty past is forgiven; "blotted out" is the Divine word; made as if it had never been. There is now no condemnation to me, no sentence of doom against me, as against one who may prove innocent, but who has yet to undergo trial; being made accepted in the Beloved, all that stood against me is cancelled. The place given word to the Weary.-Secret Thoughts of a Poor Backsli er on seeing his

me is that of a son in the Divine family, and if a son, then an heir, an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ; and because He has made me a son God sends forth the Spirit of His Son into the heart, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. In the power of that Spirit is full provision for my living the life of a son.

The life that we are meant to live corresponds to the grace vouchsafed us. It is the very life of Christ Himself, the Son.

One of the strange and perplexing facts of experience is, that, notwithstanding all

We have pleasure in announcing the publication of a new Packet of I eaflets, by CHARLOTTE MURRAY, the accomplished writer whose poetical pieces have enriched our columns for a number of years past. The contents are as follows:

Freely and Fully.-Members of Christ.-Sabbath Morning Hymn.Here! There!-Seed-Time.-Can I Bring God Nothing?-Why are Ye Idle? -Speak for Jesus.-" Only."-A Word to the Aged.-"Hear, and Your Soul shall Live."-What do We Give?-Trust.-"He Calleth Thee."--A

Bible.

[blocks in formation]

ASSORTED PACKETS.

The Half-Crown Packet, consisting of One British Messenger, One postage, to any address in the United Kingdom.

this grace, we come so very far short of Gospel Trumpet, and One Good News, monthly for a year, for 2s. 6d., including

what we might be as Christian men and women. A strange and perplexing fact it is, when we remember how inexhaustible and free is the "supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ;" and may well give rise to great searchings of heart.-Rev. Dr. Culross.

The Four Shilling Packet, consisting of Two British Messengers, Two Gospel Trumpets, and Three Good News, sent to any part of the United Kingdom, for a year, post free, for 48.

Orders for the Stirling Publications, and business communications, to be addressed to

JOHN MACFARLANE, MANAGER, Tract Depot, Stirling, N.B., from whom Specimens may be had on application.

London Agents,-S. W. PARTRIDGE & CO., PATERNOSTER Row. Agent in Melbourne,-M. L. HUTCHINSON, 15 COLLINS STREET West.

66

THE

GOSPEL TRUMPET.

Go

Published by the Trustees of the late PETER DRUMMOND, at Drummond's Tract Depot, Stirling, N.B.

ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

[graphic][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed]

"HEARERS" AND "DOERS" OF GOD'S WORD.

HAT are all those poorlooking black people shown in the picture doing? They seem to have come to the white man's house offering to sell or give him a variety of articles. Our artist has endeavoured to represent a scene described by Mr. Nott, a

No. 281.-MAY, 1880.]

missionary to one of the islands in the Pacific Ocean. One day he had been preaching on THEFT; and in speaking of the sin of dishonesty in the sight of God, he said it was a duty to return things that had been stolen, and also to make what reparation otherwise might be in the power of the offender.

[MONTHLY ONE HALFPENNY

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »