24 NOTHING AND SOMETHING. highly here below, which are of no value and estimation at all in His eyes, who trieth the hearts and the reins of the children of men. Many things which we consider as SOMETHING, are with Him as NOTHING. Among men, it is considered a great and glorious thing to lay up riches, and to increase in treasures abundantly; but the word of God says, "Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven," Prov. xxiii. 4, 5. "What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Matt. xvi. 26. It appears, then, that though riches are SOMETHING among men, they are NOTHING before God. Among men, it is considered especially desirable to get the friendship of the world; but the word of God says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him," 1 John ii. 15. "Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God," Jas. iv. 4. The friendships of the world, then, valuable as they may appear, though they are SOMETHING among men, are NOTHING with God. Among men, it is considered commendable to be thoughtful for the future, and to manifest anxiety to provide for themselves and those who shall come NOTHING AND SOMETHING. 25 after them; but the word of God forbids all undue desire and anxiety about these things: "Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?— for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you," Matt. vi. 31—33. Among men, these things are SOMETHING, but they are NOTHING with God. It is thought to be an excellent thing among men, to sit in the first places of the synagogue, to make long prayers, and to give money to feed the poor; but the word of God points to the heart, to the motive of the mind, and considers these things of no avail, unless accompanied with sincere charity. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.-Though, I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing," 1 Cor. xiii. 1. These things, then, though SOMETHING among men, are NOTHING. before God. Living, as we do, in a world of sin and sorrow, with temptations without, and a heart of unbelief within us, we are continually underrating what is of great value, and attaching an importance to what is worthless; and it would be almost impossible to 26 NOTHING AND SOMETHING. point out in how many instances we consider things SOMETHING, which, alas! are NOTHING. But if riches, and the friendship of the world, and worldly wisdom, and formal prayers, and ostentatious almsgiving, are as NOTHING with God; it becomes us to consider what are those things that will be considered SOMETHING in his sight. An humble heart, fervent charity, submission to the will of God, reverence for his holy word, dependence on his precious promises, and an unreserved confidence in our Lord and Saviour for life and salvation; these things let us seek, in His name that is above every name; for though they may be accounted as NOTHING before men, they are sOMETHING before God, and will be proved to be so when every thing worldly shall become "less than NOTHING, and vanity." HALLELUIAH! I LOVE to pluck a daisy or a buttercup in my path, and to stick it in my bosom. Now there are daisies and buttercups to be found in the every-day occurrences of life, as fair to look upon as the flowers of the field. There is a text of holy Scripture which says, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God," 1 Cor. x. 31. And a letter that I have but just received from a Christian correspondent in the country supplies me with an excellent practical illustration. The whole epistle has in it but four short lines: the last two of these are as follow. "I am going out to dinner. Country delightful. Crops abundant. Halleluiah!" Now this is just what I like. Most people know that Halleluiah means, "Praise ye the Lord;" and we can all of us thank God for great favors, but how few of us put a Halleluiah to the record of our common mercies! It strikes me that it would be no bad method to find out the lawfulness of our pleasures, and the spiritual state of our affections, if we were each to ask this question in the midst of every enjoyment—" Can I put up a hearty Halleluiah at the end of it?" THE BOOK OF TIME. IN a melancholy mood I turned over, in my fan cy, some of the dark pages of the book of time. 28 THE BOOK OF TIME. The volume readily opened where the page was inscribed, "CRIME." It was the record of human deeds, but demons alone could have prompted them. All that is selfish, designing, dark and deadly; all that envy, hatred, malice, and uncharitableness could suggest and execute, was registered there. I read, and as I read I trembled; for earth seemed crying aloud to Heaven to avenge the countless iniquities of mortal men. Hot-headed rage, red-handed murder, and cold-hearted villany, unsparingly pursued their wild career. Truly "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies," Matt. xv. 19. I hurried through the shadowy paragraphs before me, and turned over the page. 66 WAR 29 was the heading that I lighted on, and I sickened at the sight. War, relentless, bitter, accursed, and cruel, has flung its plagues upon all nations. Fear goes before it, and famine and death tread upon its heels. I read with horror of seiges where fire and sword wasted the city; of battle plains where the war-horse trod fetlock deep in gore; of bayonets sheathed in human bosoms, and of murderous cannon sweeping down the multitude, as the mower cuts down grass with his scythe. I pressed the leaves together in haste, and opened them at another part; my eye fell on the word "OPPRESSION." Could it be that man, to whom |