The religious desire and effort of the soul to relate itself and all its interest to God and his will, read more

The religious desire and effort of the soul to relate itself and all its interest to God and his will, is prayer in the deepest sense. This is essential prayer: uttered or unexpressed, it is equally prayer. It is the soul's desire after God going forth in a manifestation, ... the soul striving after God. This is a prayer that may exist without ceasing, consisting, as it does, not in doing or saying this or that, but in temper and attitude of the spirit.

A man may go into the field and say his prayer and be aware of God, or he may be read more

A man may go into the field and say his prayer and be aware of God, or he may be in Church and be aware of God; but if he is more aware of Him because he is in a quiet place, that is his own deficiency and not due to God, Who is alike present in all things and places, and is willing to give Himself everywhere so far as lies in Him... He knows God rightly who knows Him everywhere.

CHRISTMAS DAY The King of glory sends his Son, To make his entrance on this earth; Behold the midnight bright read more

CHRISTMAS DAY The King of glory sends his Son, To make his entrance on this earth; Behold the midnight bright as noon, And heav'nly hosts declare his birth! About the young Redeemer's head, What wonders, and what glories meet! An unknown star arose, and led The eastern sages to his feet. Simeon and Anna both conspire The infant Saviour to proclaim; Inward they felt the sacred fire, And bless'd the babe, and own'd his name. Let pagan hordes blaspheme aloud, And treat the holy child with scorn; Our souls adore th' eternal God Who condescended to be born.

Maundy Thursday Jesus invites His saints To meet around His board; Here pardon'd rebels sit and read more

Maundy Thursday Jesus invites His saints To meet around His board; Here pardon'd rebels sit and hold Communion with their Lord. For food He give His flesh, He bids us drink His blood; Amazing favor! matchless grace Of our descending God! This holy bread and wine Maintains our fainting breath, By union with our living Lord And interest in His death. Let all our powers be join'd His glorious name to raise; Pleasure and love fill every mind, And every voice be praise.

Pray Him to give you what the Scriptures call "an honest and good heart," or "a perfect heart;" and, without read more

Pray Him to give you what the Scriptures call "an honest and good heart," or "a perfect heart;" and, without waiting, begin at once to obey Him with the best heart you have. Any obedience is better than none. You have to seek His face; obedience is the only way of seeing Him. All your duties are obediences. To do what He bids is to obey Him, and to obey Him is to approach Him. Every act of obedience is an approach -- an approach to Him who is not far off, though He seems so, but close behind this visible screen of things hiding Him from us.

God sometimes marvelously raiseth the souls of his saints with some close and near approaches unto them -- gives them read more

God sometimes marvelously raiseth the souls of his saints with some close and near approaches unto them -- gives them a sense of His eternal love, a taste of the embraces of His Son and the inhabitation of the Spirit, without the least intervening disturbance; and then this is their assurance. But this life is not a season to be always taking wages in; our work is not yet done; we are not always to abide in this mount; we must down again into the battle -- fight again, cry again, complain again. Shall the soul be thought now to have lost its assurance? Not at all. It had before assurance with joy, triumph, and exultation; it hath it now, or may have, with wrestling, cries, tears, and supplications. And a man's assurance may be as good, as true, when he lies on the earth with a sense of sin, as when he is carried up to the third heaven with a sense of love and foretaste of glory.

O God of earth and altar, Bow down and hear our cry; Our earthly rulers falter, Our people read more

O God of earth and altar, Bow down and hear our cry; Our earthly rulers falter, Our people drift and die; The walls of gold entomb us, The swords of scorn divide; Take not Thy thunder from us, But take away our pride. From all that terror teaches, From lies of tongue and pen; From all the easy speeches That comfort cruel men; From sale and profanation Of honor and the sword; From sleep and from damnation, Deliver us, good Lord! Tie in a living tether The prince and priest and thrall; Bind all our lives together, Smite us and save us all; In ire and exultation Aflame with faith, and free, Lift up a living nation, A single sword to Thee.

Feast of Justin, Martyr at Rome, c.165 Commemoration of Angela de'Merici, Founder of the Institute of St. Ursula, 1540 read more

Feast of Justin, Martyr at Rome, c.165 Commemoration of Angela de'Merici, Founder of the Institute of St. Ursula, 1540 It has been said that agapao refers to "the love of God" and phileo is only "the love of men." But this distinction is only a very small part of the difference, and as such is in itself incorrect. Both of these words may convey intense emotion or may be relatively weak in their meanings. These words do not indicate degree of love, but kinds of love. Agapao refers to love which arises from a keen sense of the value and worth in the object of our love, and phileo describes the emotional attachment which results from intimate and prolonged association. That is why in the Scriptures we are never commanded to "love" with the word phileo. Even when husbands and wives are instructed to love one another, the word agapao is used, for it is impossible to command that kind of love which can arise only from intimate association. On the other hand, the saints are admonished to appreciate profoundly the worth and value in others, and agapao is used to convey this meaning. All Christians are not necessarily to have sentimental attachments for one another (phileo). This would be impossible, for our circle of intimate friends is limited by the nature of our lives. But we can all be commanded to appreciate intensely the worth of others.

Oh my debt of praise, how weighty is it, and how far run up! Oh that others would lend me read more

Oh my debt of praise, how weighty is it, and how far run up! Oh that others would lend me to pay, and teach me to praise!