Beautiful faces are those that wear Beautiful eyes are those that show, Beautiful lips are those whose words Beautiful hands are those that do Beautiful feet are those that go On kindly missions, to and fro Down lowliest ways, if God wills so. ELLEN PALMER ALLERTON. Teach us, O God, to see the beauty of holiness. If we are sometime tempted to think of Thy glory as something assumed from without, open our eyes to see that Thy glory is in what Thou art, and may our hearts leap up with joy this day in remembering that we may share in Thy glory as in the smallest act we share in Thy spirit. Sometimes we have lived for what the world could give us. Help us this day to realize what we may give the world. May the trifling experiences of every hour take on new glory as they bring us new opportunities to become like Thee. Amen. W. S. AMES. Since Christ is still alive in every man Who dare not touch his hallowed garment's hem: LUCY LARCOM. Blessed Master, in Thy ministry to mankind Thou didst not overlook the fallen by the wayside — men and women who were the object of Thy divine pity. Thou didst lift them up and restore them to a life of purity and strength. We thank Thee that Thou art raising up the fallen to-day. Thou art the same yesterday, to-day, and forevermore. We do most earnestly pray that we may heartily yield ourselves to Thy service. Amen. J. H. STUBBS. Love is the river of life in this world. Think not that ye know it who stand at the little tinkling rill, the first small fountain. Not until you have gone through the rocky gorges, and not lost the stream; not until you have gone through the meadow, and the stream has widened and deepened until fleets could ride on its bosom; not until beyond the meadow you have come to the unfathomable ocean, and poured your treasures into its depths. - not until then can you know what love is. HENRY WARD BEECHER. 'Our Father which art in heaven," we Thy children upon the earth would seek the light of Thine uplifted countenance upon our pilgrim life. Help us to remember that Thou art weaving the single life-threads into a common web. Take us from the spool of selfishness, weave us into the pattern of Thy choosing. Where the threads run parallel may there be peace, where they cross, may there be no friction. Since Thou dost love each one of us well enough to be no respecter of persons, may we love Thee well enough to treat all men as Thou dost treat us. Help us to be humane as well as human. May Thy love make us loving. Amen. O. P. GIFFORD. And the sky is blue, And the fields I plow grow green, To the love of the great unseen. And here, freedom of soul I reap! ANNETTE ALlen. We thank Thee, our Father, for the busy day and the quiet night; for the beauty of the earth and sky; for loving hearts and helping hands; and for Thy great gift of life here, with the promise of a life to come. Lighten us in our darkness, we pray Thee; strengthen us in our weakness; and keep us faithful to the highest that we know. PAUL R. FROTHINGHAM. Amen. Nothing that is broken bears any value except the heart which becomes more precious the more it is broken. PERSIAN SENTENCE. If once my heart were proud, Through it God's share has plowed: This is a token That 'tis not barren ground But worthy planting found. Break it still finer, Lord; One little flower may bloom NATHAN HASKELL DOLE. By no sorrow, nor pain nor failure, O our Father, would we be disheartened, if only we may feel that Thou art with us. Though Thou breakest life into little pieces so it grows not sour and bitter, we thank Thee that by a sure law of growth the soil will be more fruitful. We ask not then, to be kept from pain, we ask only that sorrow shall not triumph. Amen. GEORGE L. PERIN. |