Cleansing The Temple

 CLEANSING THE TEMPLE.

AGAIN the Paschal feast had come,
And strangers throng the busy street;
While in the temple's sacred courts
The buyer and the seller meet.
Shrill, babbling voices, wild and rude —
The shouting of the multitude ;
The lowing cattle from the fold,
The coo of doves, the clink of gold ;
The money-changer's greedy cry, —
Loud, eager voices, fierce and high, —
Discordant sounds from far and near
Are borne upon the startled ear.

"Take these things hence!" above the din
There sounds a voice of stern command;
The while, the awestruck throng behold
A godlike Presence, firm and grand.
With scourge of cords within his hand.

Then, like a mighty torrent rushed
The surging mass, from pen and fold;
The drivers with their cattle fled,
The money-changers, with their gold;
The screaming throng, the bellowing herds,
The bleating sheep, the frightened birds, —
All, all, in one vast, rushing tide,
From that stern Presence flee to hide.
In wild dismay they flee in fear.
As though th' Avenger's sword were near 

Sermon On The Mount

 SERMON ON THE MOUNT

O holy, sacred mount! where sat.
In human form, the Prince of Heaven;
When, neath Judea's purple skies.
The sweet beatitudes were given:
Those gracious words, which echo still
Adown the corridors of time.
Till earth's remotest lands have heard
Their glorious symphony sublime.

"Blest are the poor in spirit," — they
Whose hearts are filled with godly fear ;
"And blessed they who mourn," for, lo.
The heavenly Comforter is near.
Thrice blessed are the meek ; for they
The promised earth made new shall tread :
" Blest they who thirst for righteousness,
And hunger; for they shall be fed."

''Blest are the merciful, " and those
Who gentle mercy's paths have trod;
And sweet the benediction sure, —
"The pure in heart shall see their God."
O blessed Peace ! How sweet thy sound
'Mid noisy earth's discord and dying
Her restless sons of war and strife
None but the peacemaker shall win.

And O, thrice blessed shall ye be
If for the truth of God ye stand
When Persecution dark and dire
Shall reach you with her bloody hand.
Rejoice and be exceeding glad;
The prophets suffered e'en like this.
And counted not their lives as dear

Exchange for heaven's eternal bliss.
When wicked men shall falsely bring
' Dark accusations 'gainst your name,
And slander bold her banners fling,
Truth's holy legions to defame;
If thou, like Daniel, boldly face
The king's command, the lion's paw,
If thou shalt conquer in the race
And loyal prove to God's just law,
The King of Heaven shall be thy Lord,
Eternal bliss, thy sure reward!

Healing The Nobleman's Son

HEALING THE NOBLEMAN'S SON

O'er old Capernaum the sun had set,
And evening shadows gathered, dark
and gray,
As silent watchers bent, with lashes wet,
Above the cot where a frail sufferer lay.

The stars shone out like gems of purest light,
And stormy Galilee was calm and mild;
The calm blue waters kiss the wave-girt shore,
And chant a requiem to the dying child.

"Father, come closer, closer to my bed.
And let me lay in thine my fevered hand,
Before the vale of death my feet shall tread,
Before I journey to that shadowy land."

''My child, strange rumors met my ear to-day ;
For I have heard of Christ, the mighty One:
He tarrieth now by Cana's gates they say;
I go to seek him, that he heal my son."

He went; his piteous plea the Master heard,
As even now he hears faith's earnest cry;
In tones of agony the father pleads,
''O sir, come down before my son shall die!"

Then, sweet as music, sounds the Master's
voice, —
Sweeter than birdsong in a desert drear:
Thy prayer is heard; O father, go thy way;
Thy little son shall live ; be of good cheer."

When from those sacred lips there falls the
word,
The pulse of health springs through that
fevered frame ;
Soon old Capernaum the news has heard.
And wondering souls believe on Jesus' name. 

A Broken Trust

"Thou  madest  him  to  have  dominion  over  the  works  of  thy
hands."  Psalm  8:6.

Being kind to animals reflects a 
godly spirit...

       Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  great  artist  who  painted a  beautiful  picture.  It  was  so  wonderful  that  people stopped  to  gaze  at  it  and  to  admire  the  marvel  of  its workmanship.  Into  it  the  painter  had  put  all  the  love, all  the  joy,  all  the  hope  of  many  years.

       Now  it  so  happened  that  the  artist  was  called  abroad and  he  knew  that  he  might  be  absent  for  a  long  period; so  he  resolved  that  he  would  give  the  wonderful  picture into  the  keeping  of  his  little  son.  Next  to  the  boy himself,  it  was  the  most  precious  thing  he  possessed. But  he  said,  " I  will  give  it  to  my  child  to  help  him and  to  comfort  him,  and  he  will  take  care  of  it  for  me.''

       Now  when  his  father  had  gone  the  boy  said,  "Here is  something  my  father  has  given  to  me.  It  is  mine to  do  with  as  I  will.  Let  me  destroy  it!"  So  he seized  a  great  brush  and daubed  black  paint  over  it, obliterating  the  beautiful  blue  skies  and  the  peaceful hills;  then  he  scratched  it  with  a  sharp  instrument; and  finally  he  cut  it  in  shreds  with  a  sharp knife.

       When  the  father  returned  he  was  sorely  vexed. He  was  grieved  at  the  destruction  of  his  beautiful handiwork,  but  he  was  even  more  grieved  at  the destruction  in  the  boy's  heart.  For  the  damage  that had  been  done  in  the  picture  was  copied  there. The  child's  heart  was  blackened  and  defaced  and torn.

       Boys  and  girls,  that  story  is  a  parable.  I  wonder  if you  can  read  it.  Our  Father  in  Heaven  created  many wonderful  things.  He  formed  the  hills,  He  made  the sea  and  the  sky,  He  planted  the  flowers  and  the  trees. Then  He  created  what,  next  to  man  himself,  is  His most  marvelous  work - He  created  the  birds  and  the beasts  and  the  insects.  Last  of  all  He  made  man. And  He  said,  "I  want  the  man  whom  I  have  created to  be  happy.  I  will  give  him  of  my  best,  I  will  give into  his  keeping  these  creatures  whom  I  love  and  into whom  I  have given abundant life.  They  will help  him  and  comfort  him  and  make  him  glad,  and  he will  take  care  of  them  for  me."

       And  how  did  the  sons  of  men  fulfill  their  trust? Some  of  them  kept  it  nobly.  But  there  were  many others - and  among  them  were  boys  and  girls - who abused  it  shamefully.  They  lashed  their  horses,  they tormented  cats,  they  stole  the  eggs  the  poor  mother bird  had  laid  and  had  watched  over  with  such  love  and care. They  caught  the  gorgeous  butterflies  that  were fluttering  and  rejoicing  in  the  summer  sunshine  and they  killed  them  for  their  collections.  They  shot  tame pigeons  with  their  catapults.  They  forgot  to  feed their  rabbits  and  their  canaries.  And  the  heart  of the  great  Father  God  was  sorely  grieved.

       For,  boys  and  girls,  when  we  ill-treat  or  neglect  or wantonly  destroy  animals  there  are  three  that  we hurt.

       We  hurt  God  who  made  them  and  who  loves  them.

       We  hurt  the  creatures  themselves.  That  goes  without saying.

       We  hurt  ourselves.  We  are  putting  great  stains  on our  hearts.  We  are  making  ourselves harder  and coarser  and  more  brutal.  It  may  interest  you  to know  that  a  writer  in  one  of  our papers  has  told  us that,  out  of  seven  thousand  children  who  were  taught in  a  large  public school  to  be  kind  to  animals,  not  one was  afterwards  charged  with  a  criminal  offense;  and that out  of  two  thousand  criminals  in  a American  prison were interviewed and it was discovered that only  twelve  had  ever  had  pets  when  they  were  young.

       And  remember  that  being  kind  to  animals  doesn't just  mean  not  ill-treating  them.  It  means  looking after  their  comfort  and  their  food.  For  it  is  better  to put  an  end  to  a  beast  than  to  starve  it  or  neglect  it. The  creatures  depend  upon  us,  and  if  we  neglect  them we  are  guilty  of  a  mean  act,  we  are  guilty  of  breaking a  trust.

       And  it  means,  too,  loving  them  and  sympathizing with  them  and  doing  our  best  to  make  them  happy. For  animals  have  feelings,  feelings  far  deeper  than  we imagine. They  know  the  touch  of  a  person  who  cares for  them.

       And,  boys  and  girls,  that  love  will  be  amply  repaid. It  will  be  repaid  tenfold  in  the  devotion  of your  horse,  or  your  dog,  or  even  your  cat, yes,  even your  cat! Hastings.

Repulse At Nazareth

REPULSE AT NAZARETH.

He came unto his own, O shameful story!
His own received him not— the Prince of Glory.

THEY hated him; and yet he came
On love's sweet errand, down below, —
To lift the sons of Adam up,
To tell of life and joy and hope,
To drain for man the bitterest cup,
And save- him from eternal woe.

That he, the spotless Son of God,
The Heir of Heaven's eternal throne,
Should count as loss all earthly fame,
For man should suffer woe and shame,
A blasted and dishonored name,
And yet be hated by his own!

E'en Nazareth rejects his love!
The home where he had long time dwelt,
And now he treads her streets once oaore,
Where he had led, in days of yore.
His spotless life, and o'er and o'er
In humble prayer had knelt.

But they despise — reject him ! they
To whom he brings the message sweet;
They buffet him in angry strife,
And seek to take his sinless life;
Seditious, cruel threats are rife,
As scribes and rulers meet.

Yet, filled with mercy, o'er and o'er
Those sacred hills and vales he trod.
Where spires from myriad cities gleamed
As Judah's siin upon them beamed.
And like one mighty city seemed
From Lebanon's green sod.

To these, the pitying Master came.
To bear his message from above;
O Galilee! thou sacred place;
O Israel! ye favored race;
Why did'st thou turn away thy face,
And spurn a Savior's love? 

The Draught Of Fishes

 THE DRAUGHT OF FISHES

THE rising sun was scarcely seen
Above Judea's hills so green,
And springtime flowers, bright and rare,
Dotted the landscape everywhere.

The gentle zephyrs, soft and free,
Ruffled the waves of Galilee;
And where the morning sunbeams glanced,
Ten thousand diamonds gleamed and danced.

Already, o'er the cliffs along,
Wendeth an eager, anxious throng;
The haughty priest, the man of care,
The lame, the halt, the blind, are there;
For they have heard the joyous cry, —
''The MIGHTY Healer passeth by."

In Simon's boat the Master sat,
And taught the people on the shore;
While scribes and elders stand amazed
To hear such words of heavenly lore.
O Blessed Christ! How vast thy love.
Unmeasured as the heights above I

''Simon, launch out into the deep;"
"Let down the nets into the sea;"
"Yea, Master, at thy word we will.
Though vainly we have toiled," said he.

The net is cast into the deep,
And quick within its meshes leap
The myriad fishes, small and great,
Until the sudden, mighty weight
Has filled the ships, — a cumbrous store, —
Till scarce the fishers reach the shore.

Then Simon bows upon the sod.
And worships him: "O Lord my God,
Depart from me! for self and sin
Still gain the mastery within!"
And then, methinks, these words I hear:
''O Simon — wherefore dost thou fear?"
"Let peace reign in thy heart again;
From henceforth thou shall fish for men,"

Ye wayworn sons of Adam's race,
O listen as these words of grace
Come rolling through the ages dim:
"They left their nests, and followed Him.''

"Come leave your nets, ye sons of men;"
These living words of sacred fire
Fall on our weary hearts again
Like music from a heavenly lyre, —
Like chanting of the Seraphim:
"Come, leave your nets, and follow him."

The Woman At The Well

 THE WOMAN AT THE WELL.

THE sun rose high o'er Gerizim
And Ebal's mountains dark and grim,
As through Samaria s busy street
Echoed a woman's hurrying feet;
The word is borne with bated breath, —
''Come see the Man of Nazareth,
By Jacob's well he sitteth now,
A holy radiance on his brow."

"He telleth of a fountain free,
Flowing for helpless souls like me;
Of Christ, the Anointed Son of God;
Of streams of mercy, free and broad;
Of lov^e and pity, hope and grace.
For the lost sons of Adam's race."

"Is not this he — the blessed Christ
Declared by holy men of old, —
The coming One, th' anointed King
Whom Moses and the seers fortold?
Aye," quoth the woman, " Who may tell?
Come, haste, he sitteth by the well."

They follow her — a multitude —
With eager haste and flying feet;
And there, by Jacob's flowing well.
They listen to the message sweet:
"I am the living Fountain free;
O thirsty soul, come unto me."

''Now we believe," they joyful cried;
"Yet not because of this thy word;
For we with our own eyes have seen,
With our own willing ears have heard!
And we will spread the news abroad
That Jesus is the Christ of God."

A Child's Prayer for A Knight

Description of The Iluminated Prayer: topic: to become a "knight"

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Child's Prayer Concerning Shirking

Description of The Iluminated Prayer: topic: shirking

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Evil Thoughts

 Evil Thoughts

Dear God, not even Mother could

See all the Evil Thoughts that would

Keep stealing in my heart to-day,

When I seemed only just at play.

But oh, those Evil Thoughts crept in

Like serpents, telling me to sin.

The Evil Thoughts all left a track

Across my heart, and make it black.

I am ashamed to look and see

If Mother knows the thoughts in me.

I cannot watch her dear eyes shine,

For fear she'll see the sin in mine.

Please make my thoughts all good and pure,

And then I may be very sure

That I have true and honest eyes

Where not one thought of evil lies.

Amen

Child's Prayer Concerning Selfishness

 

Description of The Iluminated Prayer: topic: selfishness

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Child's Prayer Concerning Lies

 

Description of The Iluminated Prayer: topic: Lies

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