Before Your Boat Sails...

       Turn a moment to Paul's epistle to the Philippians, 4th chapter, 3d verse: "And I entreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement, also, and with my other fellow-laborers whose names are in the book of life." Why, it is not only they themselves who know it, but Paul seemed to know their names are there. He sent them greeting, " whose names are in the book of life." My dear friend, is your name there? It seems to me it is a very sweet thought to think we can have our names there and know it ; that we can send our names on ahead of us, and know it is written in the book of life.

       I had a friend coming back from Europe, some time ago, and she came down with some other Americans from London to Liverpool. On the train down they were talking about the hotel they would stop at. They had got to stay there a day or two before the boat sailed ; and so they all concluded to go to the Northwestern Hotel; but when they reached Liverpool, they found that the hotel was completely tilled, and had been full for days. Every room was taken, and the party started to go out, but this lady did not go with them; and they asked her, ""Why, are you not coming'"' "No," said she; "I am going to stay here." "But how? The hotel is full." "Oh," said she, " I have got a room." " How did you get it?" " I telegraphed on a few days ago for one." Yes; she had alone taken pains to telegraph her name on ahead, and had thus secured her room. That is just what God wants you to do. Send your name on ahead. Have your mansion ready for you when you come to die. D. L. Moody

• Phoning Ahead: Giving and Receiving Calls To The Ministry
• The Call to Discipleship
• Seven Promises for Those Who Follow Jesus
  

Reminiscences of the Past In Heaven

       The reminiscences of the past will be sources of profit and gladness. After a success we look back with joy upon the trials over which we triumphed. After having made a perilous ocean voyage the remembrance brings gladness. Youth and childhood, with their victories and defeats, joys and sorrows, who would wish obliterated from their memories? Man will never be grateful for sin, but will gladly remember that through the grace of God he triumphed over it. The very blackness of the sin will add glory to his victory. It is the rain dropping from the clouds and catching the rays of light  which give hues to the rainbow; so the tears and sorrows of the present life, catching the light from that new heaven and new earth, will add beauty and gladness to the experiences of that day. - Rev. R. S. Storrs, D. D.

• Heaven: It's Hope
• Heaven: The Future of Christians

The Splendor Of Heaven

THE SPLENDOR OF HEAVEN.
REV. F. W. FABER, P. P.
Ah, what is this splendor that beams on me now,
This beautiful sunrise that dawns on my soul, 

While faint and far oft" land and sea lie below,
And under my feet the huge golden clouds roll?

To what mighty king doth this city belong,
With its rich jeweled shrines, and its gardens of flowers,
With its breath of sweet incense, its measures of song.
And the light that is gilding its numberless towers?

See! forth from the gates, like a bridal array,
Come the princes of heaven, how bravely they shine!
'Tis to welcome the stranger, to show me the way,
And to tell me that all I see round me is mine.

There are millions of saints in their ranks and degree
And each with a beauty and crown of his own;
And there, far outnumbering the sands of the seas,
The nine rings of angels encircle the throne.

And oh, if the exiles of earth could but win
One sight of the beauty of Jesus above,
From that hour they -would cease to be able to sin,
And earth would be heaven; for heaven is love.

But words may not tell of the vision of peace,
With its worshipful seeming, its marvelous fires;
Where the soul is at large, where its sorrows all cease,
And the gift has outbidden its boldest desires.

No sickness is here, no bleak, bitter cold,
No hunger, debt, prison, or weariful toil;
No robbers to rifle our treasures of gold,
No rust to corrupt, and no canker to spoil.

My God! and it was but a short hour ago,
That I lay on a bed of unbearable pains;
All was cheerless around me, all weeping and woe;
Now the wailing is changed to angelical strains.

Because I served Thee, were life's pleasures all gone?
Was it gloom, pain, or blood, that won heaven for me?
Oh no! one enjoyment alone could life boast,
And that, dearest Lord ! was my service of Thee.

I had hardly to give; 'twas enough to receive,
Only not to impede the sweet grace from above;
And, this first hour in heaven, I can hardly believe
In so great a reward for so little a love.

Missionary Accomplishments

       "When the American missionaries came to the Sandwich Islands, they struck off the shackles from the whole race, breaking the power of the kings and chiefs. They set the common man free, elevated his wife to a position of equality with him, and gave a piece of land to each to hold forever. They set up schools and churches, and imbued the people with the spirit of the Christian religion. If they had had the power to augment the capacities of the people, they could have made them perfect; and they would have done it, no doubt.
      The missionaries taught the whole nation to read and write, with facility, in the native tongue. I don't suppose there is to-day a single uneducated person above eight years of age in the Sandwich Islands! It is the best educated country in the world, I believe. That has been all done by the American missionaries. And in a large degree it was paid for by the American Sunday-school children with their pennies. I know that I contributed." -- Samuel L. Clemens.

"How They Worship," Wow.

God moves in a mysterious way...

God moves in a mysterious way...

by William Cowper

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never-failing skill,

He treasures up His bright designs,

And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings o'er your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Life's Journey With God

Jeanette McMillan writes in this poem of a life's journey with God:

My plans were made, I thought my path all

bright and clear,

My heart with songs o'erflowed, the world

seemed full of cheer.

My Lord I wished to serve, to take Him for

my Guide,

To keep so close that I could feel Him by my

side;

And so I traveled on.

But suddenly, in skies so clear and full of

light.

The clouds came thick and fast, the day

seemed changed to night.

Instead of paths so clear and full of things

so sweet,

Rough things, and thorns, and stones seemed

all about my feet,

I scarce could travel on,

I bowed my head and wondered why this

change should come.

And murmured, "Lord, is this because of

aught I've done?

Has not the past been full enough of pain

and care?

Why should my path again be changed to

dark from fair?"

But still I traveled on.

I listened - quiet and still, there came a voice:

"This path is mine, not thine; I made the

choice.

Dear child, this service will be best for thee

and me

If thou wilt simply trust and leave the end

with me."

And so we travel on. 

The Ear-Trumpet Held Fast

       An aged sailor, on the coast of Kent, (Eng.,) was recently an object of much solicitude to some pious persons, who were acquainted with his state. He had passed his eightieth year, was so deaf that he could hear no one speak, and was rapidly advancing to the grave, as he could not take food, and would not employ medicine. The opposition he had manifested to divine truth was now diminished, but it was only as, in common with other objects of dislike, he became less sensible of their real character.

       The anxiety of those who pitied his spiritual condition was in consequence increased, and a speaking and an ear trumpet were both employed, in the hope of gaining an entrance to his mind. The experiment succeeded; he could now hear what was said, and truths of the first importance were plainly and faithfully stated. So offended, however, was he with the appeal of a Christian minister, that for ten days he would not allow him to be re-admitted to his room. But tracts - so often useful under the blessing of God - were not thus excluded, and he suffered several of them to be read to him, some of which proved both interesting and instructive. Still it was observed that he carefully removed the ear-trumpet whenever any part of a sentence bore hard on his state as a sinner before God.

       In his second interview, the minister made more guarded and careful approaches to the conscience of the old sailor, and by gradually exhibiting his state in the use of seafaring allusions, he awakened his attention. Aware of the artifice of his auditor, he held the ear-trumpet fast with his own hand, and by day and night he explained and enforced the great truths of the gospel of God.

       At length success crowned his efforts. Animated by the injunction - "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good;" he had the happiness of seeing that sailor, once so hostile to divine truth, humble, teachable, grateful, and prayerful. He died in the spring of 1839, in the attitude of prayer, leaving behind him satisfactory evidence that the language of devotion was followed by that of praise. His remains were interred before a small place of worship in one of the bays of the Kentish coast; and it is delightful to add, that his widow and three daughters rejoice, it is believed, in a scriptural hope of meeting him in glory. 

• How to Hear the Word of God
• How Should We Listen To God's Word?
• Hearing the Voice of the Lord in Your Pastor's Sermon