VIII. Living to Christ. "THE LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works o thy hand: He knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with Thee; thou hast lacked nothing."-DEUT. ii. 7. “He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again."2 CORINTHIANS V. 15. I WOULD not breathe for worldly joy, 'Tis to my Saviour I would live; To Him who for my ransom died; Such bliss as blossoms at His side. EIGHTH DAY. MEN EN who have devoted their lives, with their talents and riches, to Christ, will see a striking force and beauty in the following words of a certain writer: "A meek heart, in which the altar-fire of love to God is burning, will lay hold of the commonest, rudest things of life, and transmute them, like coarse fuel at the touch of fire, into a pure and holy flame. Marble or coarse clay, it matters not with which of these the artist works, the touch of genius transforms the coarser material into beauty, and lends to the finer a value it never had before. Lofty or lowly-rude or refined as life's work to us may be, it will become to a holy mind only the material for an infinitely nobler than all the creations of genius-the image of God in the soul. To spiritualize what is material, to Christianize what is secular-this is the noble achievement of Christian principle." In this way, only in a higher degree, the Holy Spirit exerts its noblest influences. That which before was death in the soul, is raised up to become a life in Christ. But this is not accomplished without many an inward struggle,—a crucifixion, as it were, of all self-righteousness. And often before any such victory as this can be achieved, all the old human life, love, griefs, hopes, and fears, have to be all buried in one dull, ignominious grave. It was a terrible blow to the mind of a certain nobleman in Ireland, who had devoted considerable sums to charitable purposes, when he was met by the following remark of the Rev. C. J. Latrobe. Amongst other benevolent acts, this nobleman had erected an elegant church at his own expense. The nobleman, with great pleasure, showed Mr. L. over his estate, pointed him to the church, and said, "Now sir, do you not think that that will merit heaven?" Mr. Latrobe paused for a moment, and said, "Pray, my lord, what may your benefaction be worth a-year?" "I imagine," said the nobleman," about thirteen or fourteen thousand pounds. "And do you think, my lord," answered the minister, "that God would sell heaven, even for thirteen or fourteen thousand pounds?" It is when heavenly love takes such souls by the hand, that she kindly and gently leads them to the cross; there to crucify for them their earthly-mindedness, with all earth-born affections and lusts. Giving them, from henceforth, to behold no merit in the creature; and that "they which live should not live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again." There can be no other living to Christ. His work my hoary age shall bless, His love hath animating power. IX. By Earnestness. "MAN goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening."-PSALM civ. 23. "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." -LUKE ix 62. "LET us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."GALATIANS vi. 9. LIFE is earnest, when 'tis o'er Soon to meet eternity- O be earnest,-do not stay; |