August 31

Birth Saturday after Trinity

Yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Romans 6:13.

EVERY one who reflects at all upon the Christian life must be conscious that there exists an immense variety of character and temperament, disposing different men to the exercise of different virtues and graces, and making any one special virtue much easier and more attainable to certain minds than to others. God gives to each of us such a temperament as He sees to be capable of best promoting our true good, and He means each man to use the gifts intrusted to him to co-operate with His grace. The active man must use his energy, the silent man his love of retirement, the warm-hearted man his affections to God's glory, without which his natural disposition, however good, will be a snare rather than a blessing; and for want of rightly using such gifts, much evil arises. Therefore utilize all that is good in your natural disposition; till as a skilful husbandman tills the soil, so that it may bring forth such fruit as it can best produce, thereby returning fourfold to God Who gave it.

Give me, O Lord, an earnest heart, Anxious to do Thy will,

Contented with whatever part In life 'tis mine to fill.

Fearful of wealth and worldly pride; Glad, if a low degree,

With even sorrow by my side, Help me to walk with Thee.

Cautious of all the gauds and glow By earthly sunshine given,

Choosing the cloudiest paths below, So they lead up to heaven.