August 26

Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.—JOB xxii, 21.

Wherefore set your affections upon my words; desire them, and ye shall be instructed.—WIS. vi, 11.

No heart but has to bear its pain,

Yet the trouble goes at length;

The fading hope is bright again

When God gives strength.

* * * * *

And let the tumult and the rush

And the doubts and questions cease;

Give God thy care, and know the hush

Of perfect peace.

Read and read again, and do not despair of help to understand something of the will and mind of God, though you think they are fast locked up from you. Neither trouble your head though you have not commentaries and expositions; pray and read, and read and pray; for a little from God is better than a great deal from men; also what is from men is uncertain, and is often lost and tumbled over and over by men; but what is from God is fixed as a nail in a sure place. There is nothing that so abides with us as what we receive from God; and the reason why Christians at this day are at such a loss as to some things, is because they are content with what comes from men's mouths, without searching and kneeling before God to know of Him the truth of things. Things that we receive at God's hand come to us as things from the minting-house, though old in themselves, yet new to us. Old truths are always new to us, if they come to us with the smell of heaven upon them. JOHN BUNYAN.