M. EMORY WRIGHT.
September 28
_Forenoon and afternoon and night--Forenoon And afternoon and night,--Forenoon, and--what?
The empty song repeats itself. No more?
Yea, that is life. Make this forenoon sublime, This afternoon a psalm, this night a prayer, And time is conquered, and thy crown is won._
EDWARD ROWLAND SILL.
Help me, O Lord, if I shall see Times when I walk from hope apart, Till all my days but seem to be The troubled week-days of the heart.
Help me to find, in seasons past, The hours that have been good or fair, And bid remembrance hold them fast, To keep me wholly from despair.
Help me to look behind, before, To make my past and future form A bow of promise, meeting o"er The darkness of my day of storm.
Amen.
PHOEBE CARY.
September 29
_The iris-pillar suggested the burning bush on h.o.r.eb. In Moses"
time, nature, in the regard of science, was a mere bush, a single shrub. Now it has grown, through the researches of the intellect, to a tree. The universe is a mighty tree; and the great truth for us to connect with the majestic science of these days, and to keep vivid by a religious imagination, is, that from the roots of its mystery to the silver-leaved boughs of the firmament, it is continually filled with G.o.d, and yet unconsumed._
T. STARR KING.
Almighty G.o.d, our Heavenly Father, who in all ages has been revealing Thyself to men as a G.o.d of righteousness and love, we approach Thy throne of grace this morning confessing our unworthiness and pleading Thy forgiving love. While humbling ourselves before Thee because of the consciousness of our unworthiness, we yet approach Thee, our Father, with filial trust and confidence, yea, with gladness of heart and holy boldness in the all-prevailing name of Jesus Christ our Lord. We bless Thee for Thy watchful care over us amid all the dangers, temptations and difficulties of the past. Truly Thou hast been with us, and although Thy people have often been surrounded by fire, the bush has not been consumed. In the future as in the past, be Thou our G.o.d and Guide and finally bring us into Thine everlasting Kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A. K. MACLENNAN.
September 30
_Would you like to hear what sort of questions the school-boys had to answer eighteen centuries ago? Very well; you shall. A rabbi, who lived nearly twenty years before Christ was born, set his pupils thinking by asking them, "What is the best thing for a man to possess?" One of them replied, "A kind nature;" another, "A good companion;" another, "A good neighbor." But one of them, named Eleazer, said, "A good heart." "I like your answer best, Eleazer,"
said the master, "for it includes all the rest."_
FRANCIS AUGUSTUS c.o.x.
Our Father in heaven, we are happy to believe that Thou dost wish us to have the best. Thou dost teach us that the best possession we can have is a good heart, for out of the heart are the issues of life. Thou art the searcher of hearts,--if our hearts are hard Thou canst give us hearts of flesh, if they are sinful Thou canst create clean hearts within us. Even if they are desperately wicked Thou canst make them new.
Grant us, therefore, Thy Holy Spirit we humbly beseech Thee, that our hearts may be pure and good. Thus may we ever possess the best possible treasure, and thus may we perfectly love Thee and worthily magnify Thy holy name. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
WILLARD T. PERRIN.
October 1
_Month of fruits and falling leaves, Under thy opalescent skies The vagrant summer idly lies, While coming Autumn deftly weaves Rare tints for tall ungarnered sheaves Of goldenrod, kissing the eyes Of purple asters as she dyes The vine that swings beneath the eaves._
_And all the bending hedgerows seem A Joseph"s coat of colors. Hues That shame the rainbow"s royal arch Set all the harvest fields a-gleam With beauty, fresh with fragrant dews To crown the season"s onward march._
GEORGE W. SHIPMAN.
Author and Giver of every good and perfect gift whose infinite presence and power underlie all growth and life and activity, Who revealest Thyself in the varied forms of beauty which come so rapidly in the revolving year, in the green gra.s.s and blossoming roses and lilies and refreshing, fast-succeeding fruits, we thank Thee that Thou art now crowning the year with Thy goodness and inviting us to gather in from tree, garden, field, forest, mine, what will feed, clothe, protect us during the wintry season given us, free from arduous labors, to find enjoyment in books, music and social intercourse. These blessings remind us to present to Thee the fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance. Amen.
CALVIN S. LOCKE.
October 2
_One answered, on the day when Christ went by, "Lord, I am rich; pause not for such as I.
My work, my home, my strength, my frugal store, The sun and rain--what need have I of more?
Go to the sinful who have need of Thee, Go to the poor, but tarry not for me.
What is there Thou should"st do for such as I?"
And He went by._
_Long years thereafter, by a palace door, The footstep of the Master paused once more From whence the old voice answered piteously,-- "Lord, I am poor, my house unfit for Thee; Nor peace nor pleasures bless my princely board, Nor love nor health; what could I give Thee, Lord?
Lord, I am poor, unworthy, stained with sin,--"
Yet He went in._
MABEL EARLE.
We who are poor in spirit, turn to Thee who art the giver of every good and perfect gift, to hold out our empty hands and pray that Thou wilt make us rich. During the past days and years we have been out in Thy world striving for more things and then more things and yet more things, forgetful of the fact that a man"s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Now, realizing the poverty of our real lives, we ask Thee to bestow upon us those eternal riches which pertain to the human soul and possessing which we shall have treasure in that heaven within where moth and rust do not corrupt nor thieves break through and steal. So shall we be rich indeed. Amen.
FRANK OLIVER HALL.
October 3
_Be strong!
We are not here to play, to dream, to drift.
We have hard work to do, and loads to lift.
Shun not the struggle; face it. "Tis G.o.d"s gift._
_Be strong!
Say not the days are evil,--who"s to blame?
And fold the hands and acquiesce--O shame!
Stand up, speak out, and bravely, in G.o.d"s name._
_Be strong!
It matters not how deep intrenched the wrong, How hard the battle goes, the day how long, Faint not, fight on! Tomorrow comes the song._
MALTBIE DAVENPORT BABc.o.c.k.
O our Father, we thank Thee for this new morning. Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the same. Lift Thou upon us the light of Thy countenance and bid us go in peace. So shall we begin the day aright. With gentle skill Thou dost deal with us.
Thou art not careless with us or hasty or impatient. Help us to be strong in Thee. May we be able to cast out of our lives everything that would grieve Thee and harm us. With a loving spirit may we serve Thee this day. May we be rooted and grounded in love. However hard the battle may go give us courage and confidence to believe that through Christ, strengthening us, we can do all things required of us. Lord, increase our faith. Amen.
J. E. HAWKINS.