December 31

Whatsoever is commanded by the God of Heaven let it be diligently done.—EZRA vii, 23.

We shall not pass this way again, Let duty be a pleasure;

Nor think it hard to bear the cross For Him who bore it for us.

Each duty done, each victory won, The crown will be the brighter,

For soon we'll enter into rest Within the Heavenly City.

Boston Courier.

Take your duty and be strong in it, as God will make you strong. The harder it is, the stronger, in fact, you will be. Understand, also, that the great question here is, not what you will get, but what you will become. The greatest wealth you can ever get will be in yourself. Take your burdens and troubles and losses and wrongs, if come they must and will, as your opportunities, knowing that God has girded you for greater things than these. Oh! to live out such a life as God appoints, how great a thing it is!—to do the duties, make the sacrifices, bear the adversities, finish the plan, and then to say with Christ (who of us will be able?) "It is finished!"

HORACE BUSHNELL.

Duties are ours, events are the Lord's. When we go to meddle with events and to hold a court (as it were) upon God's Providence, and to ask Him, "Why hast Thou done this?" and "How will Thou do that?" faith then begins to lose ground. We have nothing to do there. It is our part to follow Providence closely—never to go before it and not stay long after it—and if what we thus pursue should miscarry, it will neither be our sin nor our cross.

SAMUEL RUTHERFORD.