BOOK III. NEARER TO HEAVEN. CHAPTER I. FROM DAY TO DAY. “WHEN I first wake in the morning, I could often weep with pleasure. The holy calm, the stillness, the freshness, thrill through my soul. The stillness of an empty house is paradise to me." These words, I think, are Cecil's, and the notion they convey is very pleasing. As a low, sweet prelude flows before a fuller music, so that man's waking is happy when calm thoughts and holy musings spontaneously gather to the soul-when first the sunlight breaks on the oratory of the inner chamber. "Cleanse my first springs of thought and will, is the language of Bishop Ken; and holy Herbert writes: "Sum up at night what thou hast done by day, And in the morning what thou hast to do; 318 FROM DAY TO DAY. Each day is an epitome of human life, and life itself Each day is a little life, Each morning a new "fresh fields and pas the summary of our days. and life is a prolonged day. creation smiles-we enter on tures new." Let us implore first of all Heaven's blessing on this further boon of life extended to us. Before we address ourselves to the speech and discourse of man, let us listen for a while to the language of Heaven. With wise counsel and resolve we should address ourselves to our Christian course, running once more, with the glow and freshness of morning hours, the path of our pilgrimage. Some considerations may here be advanced concerning various points of daily recurrence and everpresent importance which from day to day meet us in life. I will mention these briefly under their several heads, and with a separate consideration, although they are connected and easily blend into each other. 1. Daily care. Our blessed Lord has told us that "sufficient for the day is the evil thereof;" that is, a large part of each day's evil is not really to-day's, but we foolishly borrow it from the morrow. For this morrow we may take forethought, but not care; that is, giving the force of the original, "anxious care." We are unable to add a cubit to our stature, or rather, again seeking to bring out the force of the original, a moment to our life. But these thoughts of our own inability may be comforted by the thought of the omnipotence of God. Our heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of all these things. What peace and consolation there is in such a promise as this! No man can ever hope by becoming a Christian to make any temporal gain for himself. If that were the case, the devil's taunt would be true-whether we serve God for naught? Nevertheless, it is true that if we seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all other necessary things will be added unto us. It is dishonouring to God not to put a high, clear trust in His promises. The bread will not fail, the water is sure: with food and raiment we are to be content. The lot of poverty and care, which is necessarily that of most humble Christians, is glorified by these supreme and heavenly consolations. We may believe, however, that God causes even the cup of temporal blessings to run over where this may be safely done. There are many texts which warn us against recklessness, and the disregard of our worldly interests. We are told to acquire that we may bestow, to provide things fair and honourable in the sight of all men, and that not to provide for our own is worse than an infidel's part. With such safeguards, there ought to be little danger that the Christian should err on the side of carelessness or presumption. Bearing in mind the general analogy of Scripture, we are abundantly and authoritatively told that God careth for us, and we may bear gently the burden of the future which often is more heavy than the burden of to-day—and to-day's burden as well, because by 320 THE EVIL OF THE DAY. faith we are enabled to cast the burden on the Lord. No man rich in this world's goods should rely on them, for the Lord who gave can take them away: no one who wants them should despair, because God can give them too, if there should really be such need. "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul." cares. From many lives these temporal cares are wellnigh wholly eliminated. But, none the less, the "evil" belongs to the day, and it may even be in an aggravated shape. Cark and care, anxiety and unrest, belong to each life, and there are many grounds for believing that they are absolutely necessary to each life. No suffering can be more painful than when illness and death are in our homes, and from this deepest suffering no lot in life is exempt. But here the divine help will assuage, modify, or abolish our These cares will work out our sanctification. They will be overruled to our real good. They are the good seed which we now bear weeping, but, doubtless, "we shall come again with joy, and bring our sheaves with us." We must look forward to that harvest which is the end of the world, and the reapers the angels. As our day is, so shall our strength be, and there is encouragement here as we proceed from day to day; because, although we know not what a day may bring forth, we know it can bring forth nothing for which the divine strength shall not prove sufficient. 2. Taking up the cross. This, above all else, is |