Men measure a gift by its value to the receiver. God measures it by its value to the giver. Men may be able to polish men, but only God can cleanse men. What God does not give, man can never gain. What God does give, man can still lose. Hatred of Satan is a part of religion; but the under part. Love of God is the upper. He who clings to life has not yet re signed his own will. He who courts death has not yet submitted to God’s will. By doing wrong you become God’s debtor. By suffering wrong you become God’s creditor. In prosperity men ask too little of God. In adversity, they are apt to ask too much. Without God all is a riddle. With God, all is not yet intelligible, but what is intelligible, is at least intelligent. The godly are apt to err in thinking that they can know all about God. The ungodly err in thinking they can know nothing about God. By realizing our unworthiness of God’s love, we become worthy thereof. We must come to God as children if we are to walk as men. Men may draw the color line at black, yellow and brown, but God draws it only at scarlet. To be delivered from all fear, we must have but one fear— of God. The fool’s problem is solved when he is satisfied with himself. The wise man’s problem is not solved till he is satisfied with God. The freest man is he who is made a captive of Christ and then is captivated by Christ.
Two things hide the stars; the clouds of the night, the light of day. Two things hide God; deep adversity, liigh prosperity. Sandal wood imparts its fragrance even to the axe that cuts it down, so true piety praises God even for His judg ments. To fear pain is natural. To fear pleasure is supernatural. The sorrow that runs easily to tears is apt to run off as easily as tears. It is the empty boiler that explodes* not the full one. The work of tears is not yet done until they veil our eyes to other’s faults and open them to our own. It is not the water without the ship that sinks it, but the water within the ship. That the smallest cloud hides the stars from us is due not to their small ness but to ours. The ills of life, nine times out of ten, are our invited guests, and then we pro ceed to eject them as intruders. The sharpest thing of sorrow is the question, why MUST it be thus? But sorrow is meant to teach us not to ques tion. The lightning is brightest when the clouds are darkest. Calamities are the fires kindled by a merciful God for consuming the rub bish we have not courage or zeal enough to burn ourselves. It is the severe scouring that shows whether the pot is gold or only gilded. He is truly rich who has nothing left to be deprived of. Pure faith can dwell only in a pure heart. Shells you may find on the beach, but for pearls you must dive.
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