comfort, some friendly words that may reconcile you to your lot, that may teach you to bear your trial in a patient and Christian way. And, first of all, have you not cause for thankfulness to God that in time of need and destitution, when your work and your bread failed, there was any shelter, any place of refuge, any house where you could claim to be received? Think of the blessing of having Unions. What would have happened had there been no such place to fly to in your want? Surely you have reason to bless God that He has put into the hearts of the people of the land thus to raise houses of shelter for the destitute, and to give the needy food and raiment in their hour of need. You might have fared far worse; you might have been exposed to wind and rain; you might have been beaten upon with storms; you might have lain half famished by the road with none to care for you or help you. if And you will find fresh cause for thankfulness, you compare your present state with that of your Blessed Saviour Himself when He was manifest in the flesh. We read of Him, that "He came to His own and His own received Him not;" the whole world was His, and yet He was a stranger, an outcast upon the earth. "Foxes have holes," He said, "and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." Are you like Him? Are you not better off in worldly things than this? Have you not a house to cover you, bread to nourish, fire to warm you, medicine to heal you in sickness? Bless the Lord then for His mercies, for He has been merciful in thus providing for you, in giving you a better portion than that which your Saviour Himself chose in the days of His pilgrimage. Whatever your hardship and your trials, you have cause for thankfulness towards God. Whenever you feel low and out of heart, whenever you are inclined to complain and murmur at your lot, look to the example of your Lord; think of Him who made the world and all that is therein, who upholds all things by the word of His power, who is Lord of heaven and earth, whose are the cattle on a thousand hills, who created the fowls of the air and the fishes of the sea, who makes the valleys to laugh with corn, and crowns the earth with His goodness; think of Him, I say, choosing to be a man of sorrows, choosing to be despised and rejected of men, choosing to be homeless, friendless, to have no certain dwelling among men, no place where to lay His head. Think of Him who in the hour of His birth was laid amid the cattle of the field, exposed on a winter's night, in the yard of an inn, no one giving Him shelter, no room made for Him, no home offered Him in all the world, though, as I have said, the whole world was His. Think also of the glory which was His, of the place of glory which He had left, of His home in heaven where He had dwelt, of the throne in the very heaven of heavens, where He had received from thousands and ten thousands of His angels honour and praise. What a change to come down from that throne of glory to the manger of the inn! What a change from the very height of heavenly glory to the very last and lowest place upon earth! And think, my friend, of one other point; this our Lord and God, this our Saviour, though tempted like as we are, though attacked by Satan, was yet without sin. He suffered all this want, all this wretchedness, without having sinned. When sinners suffer, we are not surprised, for we feel that it is their due; it comes as a punishment of their sins; as the penitent thief said upon the Cross, we indeed justly; but this man hath done nothing amiss." Let these be your thoughts when the spirit of discontent creeps into your soul. Say to yourself at such a time: "What right have I to complain when I see what my Lord has suffered? Did He not make Himself poor that we through His poverty might be made rich? Must it not be a sinful thing in me to murmur when I see the sufferings and the patience of my Lord, when I compare my state with His, myself with Him, my sinfulness with His purity, my low birth and nature with His high estate, who is my Lord and my God?" Having thus shewn you what cause you have for a thankful and contented mind, let me now speak a few words in the same friendly spirit concerning your duties in the house. 1. First of all, be regular in your prayers, in your private prayers night and morning, even though those around you may be negligent. You cannot do your other duties unless you seek God's grace and help in diligent prayer. 2. When you are required to go to the chapel, go willingly; go with a true desire to worship God in spirit and in truth, to draw near to your Saviour, to obtain pardon of your sins, to obtain grace and strength for your future course, Listen attentively to God's Holy Word, do not look upon the service as a mere form which you are obliged to go through, but as a great and glorious privilege, an act full of blessing when religiously and reverently done. 3. Be kind to all those with whom you are thrown; be patient with them; they are under the same trial; and whether they have brought poverty on themselves or not, whether they are bearing it well or ill, shew towards them a Christian spirit; do not tempt them to murmur by your murmurings; rather seek to shew them the blessings and mercies which they can yet enjoy. It is in your power to fan the spirit of discontent, it is in your power to shew the bright side of the Union to your fellows. It is in your power to lead them farther away from God, and also to act upon some of them for good. You may lead some to look upward to a better home and to be patient under the short tribulations of this present life. You may find some ready to talk with you of the things of God, and thus may you help each other along the narrow way of life, cheering yourselves with those promises of rest and peace and joy, when the crown of glory shall be given to Christ's faithful disciples. 4. Treat those who are over you with all respect; endeavour to carry out their wishes and |