SEA-SHORe musingS SEA-SHORE MUSINGS. 207 To many of our friends, who may at this season be enjoying a "sea-side sojourn," the following lines, with the illustrative texts appended to each, may suggest thoughts pleasant and profitable.] In every object here, I see Something, my heart, which tells of Thee, Unfruitful as the barren sand FLOWERS.-Until Miss Ellis is able to receive flowers again for the Infirmaries (which are otherwise unsupplied), our friends may, perhaps, like to make use of their flowers by sending them to Miss Dove (secretary of Central Flower Depôt), 110, Cannon-street, London, E.C., who will be very thankful to receive them for distribution among the sick SPANISH MISSION BUILDING. THERE are the following sums for which I have to say a most heartfelt "Thank you!" in answer to the petition in July LIVING WATERS: Waterford post mark, 1s.; No. 30,168, 6d.; Tokens of prayerful interest, 1s.; Liverpool, 3s.; London, W., 1s.; Thank-offering, A. G., 2s. 6d.; Tiverton, 2s. 6d. ; Downham, 28.; Chichester, 5s. ; U. M., 18. ; Clapham, 2s.; Aberdeen, Neh. ii. 18-20, 2s. 6d. ; The total sum received, anonymously and acknowledged by letter, amounts to £4 16s. I do not measure the value of these sums by their amount, but by the prayer and loving wishes which have come with each. So I know the Lord" will multiply this seed sown." How good it will be to meet those in Heaven who heard first of His love through the help you gave! One kind helper says she asked 1s. from each of her daughters, promising to add 5s., and thinks others might do the same if it was named in LIVING WATERS, as it is all the little drops put together which do the work. Again, Thank you! S. M. NUGENT. OUR PRAYER MEETING. BY LENA MOORE. ES; it was our Prayer Meeting. We were only a little b women, after all, not 20 of us; and we just gathered to in an upper room once a week to seek for help and st and guidance on our way. In this little quiet meeting of ours to know that God was there. I felt that our heavenly Fathe watching tenderly over us, ready to shower down the very blessin were asking. Oh, so ready! And I knew we were in deep earn those simple prayers of faith, so that they could not fail. One evening I distinctly recall. The lady who led the meeti that occasion was one of the brightest, happiest Christians I E and with a tender, peaceful glow on her beaming face she looked lovingly, saying: "Isn't it a glad thing to remember that it is where two or thr gathered together in His name that there He is in the midst of t So there is never a doubt of His being here with us, and while w so sure of His presence do let us ask Him for the help and streng everyone of us need. Let us each go home to-night confide receiving rich stores of blessing which only our loving heavenly F can bestow." The lady looked down again as she turned over the leaves o Bible, and then with a second glance upward she went on: "You see, the verse only says 'There am I in the midst of t it doesn't say what for, but we know that where He comes He com bless. Isn't that a comfort? And so if we come with cold hearts ( be some of us do sometimes) shouldn't that thought warm them earnest love and bright and happy trust ?" By-and-by one and another engaged in prayer. One so earnest ready in the expression of our needs; another, shy and nerv beginning with such a trembling petition for strength to ask for very right things, that the help came even as she spoke; after th poor member of ours, who had been sheltering herself in a si corner, was asked to offer prayer. I shall not soon forget that prayer of hers. It was just a few stam. mering, broken sentences, spoken with such evident shrinking and difficulty. Over and over again she asked that God would be there and bless His two or three, according to His promise in Christ, and after a long hesitation came the words: "And He is here, we know He is." Then she tried to go on, but fairly broke down, and, sad and troubled, waited the close of the meeting. I saw her again, that "poor" member, as we made our way out. One of our number (a timid, silent lady herself) went up to her, and taking her hand, said in a low tone : "You did help me so! And I'm so glad to think it is often the poor, feeble, stumbling prayers that reach heaven first and win the blessing. Don't you think God comforts some of us that way?" The poor woman's face looked as though a ray of sunshine had suddenly shot across it, as she replied: "Oh, miss! thank you for saying that. I was feeling so bad about it; but Miss C. did say God was surely there, and so He must help us." I have frequently thought about that Prayer Meeting since, and felt so thankful to remember it is happily true for us all that the weak and stumbling prayers may reach heaven first and win the blessing, because "He ever liveth to make intercession." Ah! God knows. B OUR BIBLE CLASS. BY A. ST. G. C. NUGENT. LORY! There are few words which have more "height and depth, length and breadth" in them than this short word -glory. The Bible is a revelation to us of the glory of God. All glory belongs to Him, for He is "the God of glory," "the Father of glory" (Acts vii. 2; Eph. i. 17). Through both Old and New Testament times He gave many special manifestations of His glory in the Person of Jesus Christ (Compare Isa. vi. 1 with Jo, xii. 41), Who is "the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person." Christ was recognised on earth as "the glory" very soon after His birth, by the Spirit-taught Simeon (Lu. ii. 32); and we have the whole history of His life in these words: "We beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jo. i. 14). What is the glory of God? His Deity (Jo. xvii. 5). His Presence (Exod. xvi. 10; Ch. 2 v. 13, 14). His people,-" unto me for a glory," "I am glorified in them " (Jer. xiii. 11; Jo. xvii. 10; Isa. xliii. 7). "All my goodness "is one way God describes His glory in answer to Moses' prayer (Ex. xxxiii. 18,19). Raising the dead (Jo. xi. 40. 44). Receiving sinners (Rom. xv. 7; Prov. xxv. 2; with Psa. xxxii. 1, 2). "Turning want into wealth" (Jo. ii. 9-11). Again, "His rest shall be glory" (Isa. xi. 10, marg.). The glory of God is also light (Rev. xxi. 23; Ez. xlii. 1, 2). At Christ's birth "the heavens broke open with glory," and the song then sung was 66 glory to God !" The angels knew that at last One had been born on earth whose whole life would be "glory to God." Let us trace, each one for ourselves, this one desire for God's glory through Christ's life (Jo. vii. 18; viii. 50; xiv. 13) right on to the very end. The thought of the coming agony of separation from His Father, as the Sin-bearer, could not turn Him from it. He still prayed, "Father, glorify Thy name" (Jo. xii. 28). With what joy He must have said to His Father, that night before His death, "I have glorified Thee on the earth"! Let us gratefully thank Him that this one desire for God's glory includes the very object of His coming to earth-viz., His "bringing many sons unto glory" (Heb. ii. 10). There was glory, then, at His birth, there was a special revelation of glory at His transfiguration (Lu. ix. 32; 2 Pet. i. 16-18), and at special times (Jo. ii. 11; xi. 40), as well as continually through His life, but could there be any glory connected with His death of humiliation? It is in connection with His death that He exclaims: "The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified"; and again, on the very night before His death: "Now is the Son of Man glorified"; "Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify thee (Jo. xii. 23; xiii. 21; xv. 11; Heb. ii. 7, 9; see also Lu. ix. 34). Is not His death for sinners the glory of our Lord Jesus? But there was yet more glory. He was "raised from the dead by the glory of the Father" (Rom, vi. 4; 1 Pet. i. 21), and soon after the DAILY BIBLE THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTH. 211 heavens again broke open in glory."Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory." He was "received up into glory," and the Church knew that He was "glorified" by the gift to them of the Holy Ghost (Jo. vii. 39; Acts ii. 33; Jo. xii. 16). His yet further glory is being daily accomplished." He (the Holy Spirit) shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall shew it unto you." "His glory is the fulness of the whole earth" (Isa. vi. 3, marg.). Shall we not joyfully own, Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory"? Let us think next month (D.V.) over some of God's facts about present glory in connection with our daily lives, and about the coming glory. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away." ACTS II. 22 TO XIII. 52. EPTEMBER 1.-Acts ii. 25. "I beheld the Lord always!" (R.V.). Compare with Heb. xii. 2. Hence the cause of David's rejoicing in v. 26. Sep. 2.-Ch. ii. 39. "To all that are afar off." It is also to "every ne that thirsteth" (Isa. lv. 1), and to all "that are heavy laden" (Matt. i. 28). This bears out the truth of our Lord's words, "I came not to all the righteous, but sinners." Sep. 3.-Ch. iii. 7. Compare this bodily restoration with the spiritual ne spoken of in Gal. vi. 1. The literal translation of Heb. xiii. 21 (first ause) is "put you into joint." |