September 28
O Snows So Pure!
In the Hour of Silence"Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy." —Leviticus 19:2
IT is an arduous commandment.
The fiery darts of sinful thoughts fall on me like showers of poisoned arrows; and as sure as they find lodgment in my heart, they destroy its likeness to God. The tides of worldliness threaten to engulf me; and when I permit them to rush in, I am no longer separate and spiritual. The temptation to sadness often gets the better of me; and if I allow it to do so, how can I bear the image of the ever-blessed Father? The inclination to silence and to sloth besets me; and, through my remissness, I do not climb the Holy Hill. Yes, the work is great indeed.
But yet it is an attainable commandment.
Be ye holy, for I am holy, my Lord says to me; and the logic is good, and I can allege nothing against it. He is my Proprietor and my King; and He has a right to dictate the conditions of my life. He is the Altogether Lovely, without spot or wrinkle; and when He asks me to be like Himself, He asks me to resemble what is most worthy of my reverence. Moreover, He has Himself reached the sublime standard in my nature, a Wayfarer exposed to the unkindly winds which beat on me. And, best of all, He gives me His fellowship, and puts in me His energy. And then nothing is impossible.
I shall be holy, for the Lord my God is holy. It is a costly vow; but it is not an impracticable vow. They that be with us are more than they that be with them.