Chapter 78 of 460

Ten: Seven Rules For Daily Living.

THESE BRIEF AND simple words are intended for many earnest Christians who are dissatisfied with their present life, and long to enter that more blessed state of rest and peace of which they catch occasional glimpses; as white-plumaged sea-birds flash for a moment, far away over the breakers, and then are lost to sight.

Now out of my own experience I would suggest these Seven Rules to my fellow-Christians:

1. MAKE A DEFINITE CONSECRATION OF YOURSELVES TO GOD.

Dr. Doddridge has left in his diary a very beautiful form of self-consecration. With most it would be sufficient to write out Miss Havergal's hymn, and to sign their names at the foot.

Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing

Always-only-for my King.

Take my lips and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in endless praise.

Take my intellect and use

Every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine,

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my God, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself, and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee.

But in any case it is well to write down some record of the act, to keep for future reference.

Of course when we have really given ourselves once, we can not give ourselves a second time. We may renew the consecration vows, we may review the deed of gift, we may insert any new clauses we like; and if we have gone astray, we may ask the Lord to forgive the foul wrong and robbery which we have done Him, and to restore our souls into the position from which we have fallen. Oh, how sweet the promise, "He restoreth my soul!" Dear Christian reader, seek some quiet spot, some still hour, and yield yourself to God.

II. TELL GOD THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO BE MADE WILLING ABOUT ALL.

A lady was once in great difficulties about certain things which she felt eager to keep under her own control. Her friend, wishful to press her into the better life of consecration, placed before her a blank sheet of paper, and pressed her to write her name at the foot, and then to lay it before God in prayer. She did so, and at once entered this blessed life.

Are you willing to do this? Are you prepared to sign your name to a blank sheet of paper and then hand it over to God, for Him to fill in as He please? If not, ask Him to make you willing and able to do this and all things else. You never will be happy until you let the Lord Jesus keep the house of your nature, closely scrutinizing every visitor and admitting only His friends. He must reign. He must have all or none. He must have the key of every closet, of every cupboard, and of every room. Do not try to make them fit for Him. Simply give Him the key. He will cleanse and renovate and make beautiful.

III. RECKON ON CHRIST TO DO HIS PART PERFECTLY.

Directly you give, He takes. Directly you open the door, He enters. Directly you roll back the floodgates, He pours in a glorious tide of fulness; fulness of wealth, of power, of joy. The clay has only to be plastic to the hand of a Palissy. The marble has only to be pliant to the chisel of a Michael Angelo. The organ has only to be responsive to the slightest touch of a Handel. The student has only to follow the least hint of a Faraday or a Whewell. And there will be no failure in results. Oh, to be equally susceptible to the molding influences of Christ! We shall not fail in realizing the highest ideal of which we are capable, if only we will let Him do His work unhindered.

IV. CONFESS SIN INSTANTLY.

If you allow acid to drop and remain on your steel fenders, it will corrode them; and if you allow sin to remain on your hearts unconfessed, it will eat out all peace and rest.

Do not wait for the evening to come, or until you can get alone, but there in the midst of the crowd, in the very rush of life, with the footprints of sin still fresh, lift up your heart to your merciful and ever-present Saviour, and say," Lord Jesus, wash me now from that sin, in thy precious blood, and I shall be whiter than snow." The blood of Jesus is ever at work, cleansing us from unconscious sin; but it is our part to apply for it to cleanse from conscious and known sins so soon as we are aware of their presence in our lives.

V. HAND OVER TO CHRIST EVERY TEMPTATION AND CARE.

When you feel temptation approaching you, as a bird by some quick instinct is aware that the hawk is hovering near, then instantly lift your heart to Christ for deliverance. He can not rebuff or fail you. "He will gather you under His feathers, and under His wings shall you trust." And when any petty annoyance or heavier worry threatens to mar your peace, in the flash of a moment, hand it over to Jesus, saying, "Lord, I am oppressed; undertake this for me."

"Ah!" you sigh, "I wish indeed I could live like this, but in the moment of need I forget to look. " Then do this: trust in Christ to keep you trusting. Look to Him so to abide in you as to keep you abiding. In the early morning entrust to Him the keeping of your soul, and then as hour succeeds to hour expect Him to keep that which you have committed unto Him.

VI. KEEP IN TOUCH WITH CHRIST.

Avoid the spirit of fault-finding, criticism, uncharitableness, and anything inconsistent with His perfect love. Go where He is most likely to be found, either where two or three of His children are gathered, or where the lost sheep is straying. Ask Him to wake you morning by morning for communion and Bible-study. Make other time in the day, especially in the still hour of the evening twilight; between the work of the day and the avocations of the evening, when you shall get alone with Him, telling Him all things, and reviewing the past under the gentle light which streams from His eyes.

VII. EXPECT THE HOLY GHOST TO WORK IN, WITH, AND FOR YOU.

When a man is right with God, God will freely use him. There will rise up within him impulses, inspirations, strong strivings, strange resolves. These must be tested by Scripture and prayer, and if evidently of God they must be obeyed.

But there is this perennial source of comfort: God's commands are enablings. He will never give us a work to do without showing exactly how and when to do it, and without giving us the precise strength and wisdom we need. Do not dread to enter this life because you fear that God will ask you to do something you can not do. He will never do that. If He lays aught on your heart, He will do so irresistibly; and as you pray about it, the impression will continue to grow, so that presently, as you look up to know what He wills you to say or do, the way will suddenly open, and you will probably have said the word, or done the deed, almost unconsciously.

There may be failures in this life, but they will arise on the human side, not the Divine. Well will it be if we can instantly discover the cause of failure, and confess it, and seek restoration to the old peace and joy. After all, the sheep does not keep the shepherd. The shepherd keeps the sheep, and feeds it, and leads it, and make it to lie down. What then may we not expect from our Good Shepherd? and who can paint the verdure of the green pastures, or the crystal beauty of those unfailing springs, to which He will lead the docile and trustful spirit?

Be that spirit thine, dear reader, and mine.

END

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If you have been blessed by this volume, you may also be interested in some of our other Christian Classics Treasury collections listed below. For a full list, see: www.ClassicChristianEbooks.com

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