18S0 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



39 



think it best to let you suffer somewhat, that 

 you may receive a wholesome lesson, to en- 

 able yon to be more careful in future. lie 

 knows best, and lie is always right. Assume 

 the debt, just as you would the most honest 

 one you can think of, and try to feel that it 

 is to* God you are giving the money, and not 

 to an unfeeling enemy. If God says it is 

 right to pay it, do so cheerfully, even if it 

 leave you houseless and penniless. 

 Who was it that said, — 



"Ye arc of mire value than many sparrows" ? 



and, — 

 " Even the very hairs of your head are numbered"? 



Are you sure you have never thought of 

 putting your property out of your hands, or 

 of concealing it, or of eluding the hand of 

 the law in any way ? Are you sure you have 

 ever been ready to hand over every copper of 

 the little you have without thought or wor- 

 rying about the consequences, if a fulfill- 

 ment of the promise you gave this brother 

 demanded it r Have you been diligent and 

 faithful, working early and late, ever since 

 you found it was probable that you might 

 have to pay this money ? Have you wasted 

 no time in reading unprofitable books, or in 

 listening to idle talk that did in no way fur- 

 ther the work and claims of the Master? 

 Have you never lain in bed one half-hour 

 when you might just as well, or better, have 

 been up and doing? Are you busy now 

 every Sabbath-day in working for the Mas- 

 ter, and in instilling that same kind of faith 

 into the minds of the little ones that you j 

 just spoke about? Did the darkness come 

 while you were in the harness, engaged in 

 this work, or has it come since you have left 

 it off ? In asking these questions, I do not j 

 mean to say I am always perfect in these ; 

 things. Only a very few minutes ago I felt 

 that 1 had been writing all day, and was 

 dreading this little task of writing to you, i 

 my brother ; but had I yielded to the dispo- 

 sit ion to look over the papers and a new I 

 catalogue, I should not have felt as happy as 

 I do now. Temptations meet us all, I be- 

 lieve, at almost every turn, and, O my broth- 

 er ! if we would evade these spells of dark- 

 ness, we must watch and pray almost every 

 minute of the day. 



Last week I felt blue and dull one day ; j 

 my spirits seemed to oppress me, and I had 

 no heart or energy for anything. I tried to 

 think what it was,' but could think of noth- : 

 ing that I had done that was wrong or in 

 the least out of the way. I went off by my- 

 self and prayed, and asked God to tell me ; 

 why it was that my usual happiness and joy- j 

 ousness were gone. As I prayed, I began 

 looking back and scanning the events of the 

 day. Pretty soon my mind caught on an in- 

 cident, and' something seemed to say that 

 these dismal feelings had their source and ] 

 origin somewhere about that spot. I thought 

 back. Yes; there it was. It must be be- 

 cause I had there been a little careless and 

 regardless of telling the exact truth. Mem- 

 ory went back a little further, and I saw 

 other places in which I had put a seltish 

 construction on things I had said. Still more 

 came to my mind; in fact, I saw them all 

 along. At one time I had been extravagant 



in my speech ; at another time I had spoken 

 hastily and carelessly; again, I had made 

 something a little funnier by telling it as it 

 might have been instead of exactly as it was. 

 As these things loomed up, it seemed to me 

 as if I could hear the words, " Liar ! liar ! " 

 pronounced, and that they were not so very 

 inappropriate, after all. In dismay, I turned 

 to that only Friend — to that only Savior, 

 and, as it were, fell on my knees before him. 

 " Forgive me, (J my Savior ! forgive me this 

 once again," for it was a prayer I had uttered 

 many times before, ll and 1 will try hard, so 

 very hard, to do better in this one respect. I 

 will think every morning, every noon, and 

 every night, and I will make it my especial 

 business, all the day long, to be careful be- 

 fore I speak." As t prayed I laid my plans 

 for a 'more vigorous fight than any 1 bad 

 ever made before, against this besetting sin. 

 All at once I bethought me that I was hap- 

 py again. Yes, a whole flood of quiet joy 

 had come, and I could feel, if not hear, — 



" This is all I want, my child ; the past is 

 forgiven, freely forgiven. Go thy way, and 

 sin no more." 



This is the way in which I escape dark- 

 ness, my friend, for God always shows me 

 where I have done wrong, and always for- 

 gives me when I get into that attitude. If I 

 have wasted my time, or made a foolish use 

 of my money, I often feel that he wishes me 

 to bear the consequences, that I may remem- 

 ber better in the future, as a kind father 

 would school and train a beloved child; but 

 he never turns away from me when I am in 

 real distress. I have hard, unpleasant duties 

 to take up ; but when I can feel they are for 

 the Master's sake, and that it is his will I 

 should bear this little burden, it soon be- 

 comes a joyous one. When I have been pa- 

 tient long, and have taken up some task that 

 my seltish nature is strongly inclined to slip 

 out of, how beautifully the following lines 

 sometimes burst forth: 



"Come unto me. all ye that labor and are heavy 

 laden, and I will give you rest. Take my y kc upon 

 you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in 

 hiart: and ye sh-ill find rest unto your souls. For my 

 joke is easy, and my burden is liKht."-»ATT. xi. 28-30. 



If it is all in his hands, my friend, and we 

 are doing just the very best we can, why 

 need we be gloomy, or worry ? 



If there is no prospect ahead of your being 

 able to earn or to raise this money, let the 

 homestead go. and trust and expect God to 

 take care of you. Come out of that darkness 

 any way, friend O. In the name of our Sav- 

 ior, Jesus Christ, who died for us both. I bid 

 you come out. If there is a prospect of your 

 being able to earn the money in a few years, 

 tell your creditor so, and pay him just a lit- 

 tle, if you can. Go and see whoever has 

 charge of the matter, and have a friendly 

 talk about it. After it is arranged to let you 

 have another trial of it, as I know it will be, 

 ask God to help you to work it out, and then 

 go to work. As you value your peace of 

 mind, — nay, as you value the salvation of 

 your soul. — work, work, and doubt no more. 

 He up and doing. at fiveo'clock in the morn- 

 ing. Work until you go to sleep at night, 

 and. as you deal the vigorous strokes, say, 

 tw Get thee behind me, Satan," with an enor- 



