September 9
Daily Gleanings of the Saintly LifeEighth Monday after Trinity
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father Which is in heaven. S. Matthew 7:21.
"An highway shall be there, and it shall be called The way of holiness: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein." Cleverness is not what we need, but the simplicity of a wayfaring man—of one that travels right onward in the way of Christ. It is "to the meek" and obedient that "mysteries are revealed." A good man, under God's teaching, naturally looks to good men; and where he sees great obedience and reverence, he values the words and sayings of such a man; his foot "wears the steps of his door." Thus good men came to Christ Himself; they looked to His works, and so came to know Him. Christ invited them to look to them, saying, "The works that I do in My Father's Name, they testify of Me." "If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not." They were constrained to confess that such holiness and goodness could only come from God. And when they were thus brought to Him by witnessing His works they believed His words also; they said, "Thou hast the words of eternal life," and came to see in Him the Son of God, God over all blessed for evermore.
My soul, wouldst thou this one thing find?
Seek not amid created things;
Leave what is earthly far behind,
O'er Nature heavenward stretch thy wings,
Where God and man are One, in Whom appear
All truth and fulness, thou hast found it here—
The better part, the One thing needful He,
My One, My All, My Joy, Who saveth me.
All perfect wisdom lies in Thee,
As in its primal hidden source;
O let my will submissive be,
And hold henceforth its even course.
Controlled by truth and meekness, from high Heaven
To lowly simple hearts hath wisdom given;
Who knoweth Christ aright, and in Him lives,
Hath won the highest prize that wisdom gives.