1 R e a l ly R emarkable R em a rk s 1 É SENTENCE SERMONS FOR BUSY READERS m Faith is not asking the Lord for bushels and setting out a pint measure to catch them. No one ever wanders where a prom ise of God’s Word does not follow him. To be contented with what we have is about the same as to own the earth. Nothing is so utterly, hopelessly lost as “lost time.”
Faith carries present loads,, meets present assaults, feeds on present prom ises, and commits the future to a faith ful God. Perhaps you would not have so much trouble with your tongue in company, if you would talk more with God when alone. The lives of those who truly love God are sure to produce a hungering and thirsting after righteousness in others. Keeping ourselves ignorant of human needs will never excuse us for not reliev ing them. Do not keep the alabaster boxes of your love and tenderness sealed up until your friends are dead. Making the Bible a centre-table orna ment is an altogether different thing from making it a lamp of life. The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well and doing well whatever you do, without a thought of fame. There is only one real failure in life possible; and that is, not to be true to the best one knows. To do good to men is the great work of life; to make them true Chris- tions is the greatest good we can do them. The man who is willing to have only a little religion will never have any. Every day, as it rises out of eternity, keeps putting to each of us this ques tion afresh: “What will you do before this day has sunk into eternity and nothingness again?” True humility consists not so much in thinking meanly of ourselves, as in not thinking of ourselves at all.
The greatest reward God ever bestows upon a man in this world is greater opportunity for service. Trust in Christ to keep you trusting. Look to him so to abide in you as to keep you abiding. It is the man who tries to make the best of both worlds who make nothing of either. If Bible-reading be like getting your friend’s letter, then prayer is like a visit from your friend. Avoid diligently those false and de ceptive thoughts which say, “Wait a little, and I will pray an hour hence.” Every-day work requires every-day grace, and every-day grace requires every-day asking. Every to-morrow has two handles; we can take hold of the handle of anx iety or the handle of faith. The devil is close by when the Chris tian worries about things he can’t help. You keep the Sabbath in imitation of God’s rest. Do, by all manner of means, and keep also the rest of the week in imitation of God’s work. If you are afraid in the dark, do more praying when the sun is shining. Opportunity is often like a pin in the sweepings; you catch sight of it just as it flies away from you and gets buried again. He who passes by an opportunity to do good in order to find a better one will search in vain. A Christian, when he makes a good profession, should be sure to make his profession good.
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