Perhaps it seems a rather melancholy "morning bell" to you, tolling instead of chiming! But if you really wish to be like Christ, you will soon find that its music is as sweet as any, and that its quiet chime will come to you again and again with a wonderful sweetness and power, helping you over all sorts of difficulties, and saving you from all sorts of sins and troubles.
You can not tell, till you have fairly tried, how happy a little girl can feel, who has cheerfully given up to another, for Jesus' sake, something which she would have liked for herself; nor how happy a boy can be when of his own free will, and by God's grace, he has chosen to do what his conscience tells him would please the Lord Jesus instead of what would have pleased himself.
If you have never tried it yet, begin to-day, and you will find it is quite a new happiness.
Ah, what would have become of us if Christ had only "pleased Himself," and had stayed in His own glorious home instead of coming down to save us! Think of that when you are tempted to please yourself instead of pleasing Him, and the remembrance that even He pleased not Himself because He so loved you, will help you to try and please Him, and to please others for His sake.
"If washed in Jesus' blood, Then bear His likeness too! And as you onward press, Ask, 'What would Jesus do?'
"Give with a full, free hand; God freely gives to you! And check each selfish thought With, 'What would Jesus do?'"
3. Third Day.
Upholding.
"Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe."--Ps. cxix. 117.
The path is not easy. There are rough stones over which we may stumble, if we are not walking very carefully. There are places which look quite smooth, but they are more dangerous than the rough ones, for they are slippery. There are little holes hidden under flowers, which may catch our feet and give us a bad fall. There are muddy ditches, into which we may slip and get sadly wet and dirty.
How are we to walk safely along such a path? We want a strong, kind hand to hold us up, and to hold us always; a hand that will hold ours so tightly and lovingly, that it will be as the old Scotchwoman said, "Not my grip of Christ, but Christ's grip of me!" Yes, Christ's loving hand is "able to keep you from falling;" only "let your hand be restfully in the hand of Jesus," and "then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble." But do not spoil the chime of this morning's bells by ringing only half a peal! Do not say, "Hold Thou me up," and stop there, or add, "But, all the same, I shall stumble and fall!" Finish the peal with God's own music, the bright words of faith that He puts into your mouth, "Hold Thou me up, _and I shall be safe_!" So you will if you do not distrust Him, if you will but _trust_ Him to do just what you ask, and let Him hold you up.
It would be hard to find a prayer in the Bible without a promise to match it; so David says, "Uphold me, according to Thy word."
What has He said about it? More than there is room for on this page. "I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand." "Yea, I will uphold thee." "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved." "When thou runnest thou shalt not stumble." "Yea, he shall be holden up." "He shall keep thy foot from being taken." "He will keep the feet of His saints." Seven promises in answer to your one little prayer!
"I the Lord am with thee, Be thou not afraid! I will help and strengthen, Be thou not dismayed! Yea, I will uphold thee With my own right hand; Thou art called and chosen In my sight to stand!"
4. Fourth Day.
What can I do?
"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."--Gal. vi. 2.