February 8

Fourth Day of January

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father Which is in heaven is perfect. S. Matthew 5:48.

THE truth is, the aim and standard God sets before us is a very, very high one; and this in order that we may never be contented with ourselves, never sit down and rest satisfied, never think we have "already attained," or are "already perfect," but be always striving on, always pressing forward, always climbing higher, yes, and always feeling with humility how far we still are from the point we aim at. And is not the Christian's aim a high one? To be "perfect" as God our Father is perfect, to be like the sinless Son of God, to love God with all our hearts, to "grow up into Him in all things Which is the Head, even Christ," to be "spiritually minded" and to walk in the Spirit, to be "dead unto sin" and alive "unto God," to have our "life hid with Christ in God," to "set our affection on things above," "to grow in grace," to "do all" things "to the glory of God,"—these are some only of the many passages which teach us what our aim must be. Is this a low aim? Then—

Waste not thy life in idle dreams

Of what that life should be,

But live it—use it,—for it teems

With tasks for thee and me.

Talk—it is easy,—dreams are sloth,

Mere wishes idler still,

Thy heart and hand, God wants them both

To love and do His will.

Then rise, and in His strengthening might

The narrow path pursue,

There wait, or watch, or rest, or fight,

Whate'er is duty do.