PRAYER A DEFENSE - it empowers us To descend into the depth of worldly despair and to rise again for revitalization 

Among the elegant forms of insect life, there is a little creature known to naturalists, which can gather round it a sufficiency of atmospheric air—and, so clothed upon, it descends into the bottom of the pool, and you may see the little diver moving about dry and at his ease, protected by his crystal vesture, though the water all around and above be stagnant and bitter. Prayer is such a protector—a transpa- rent vesture, the world sees it not—but, a real de- fence, it keeps out the world. By means of it the believer can gather so much of heaven's atmosphere around him, and with it descend into the putrid depths of this contaminating world, that for a season no evil will touch him ; and he knows where to as
cend for a new supply.

 SOMBER THOUGHTS  from the John Pierpont, Author of Jingle Bells (Savannah, Georgia)

Dying Thoughts.

And in my dying hour,

When riches, fame and honor have no power

To bear the spirit up,

Or from my lips to turn aside the cup

. That all must drink at last,

Oh, let me draw refreshment from the past !

Then let my soul run back,

With peace and joy, along my earthly track

And see that all the seeds

That I have scattered there, in virtuous deeds

Have sprung up, and have given,

Already, fruits of which to taste is Heaven !

And though no grassy mound

Or granite pile say ’tis heroic ground

Where my remains repose,

Still will I hope—vain hope, perhaps !—that those

Whom I have striven to bless—

The wanderer reclaimed, the fatherless—

May stand around my grave

With the poor prisoner and the poorer slave,

And breathe an humble prayer

That they may die like him whose bones are moldering

there. ) —JOHN PIERPONT.

 THE FAMILY ALTAR

July 19.

"Wherefore doth a living- man complain, a man for the punish-

ment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again

to the Lord." Lam. 3:39-40.

There is so much complaining and fretting among men now-

adays over evil conditions prevailing in the world and in their

lives, and yet there is but one misfortune that they ought to com-

plain about, and that is — their sin. Sin separates between us

and our God, the Giver of every good gift, and brings down upon

us His just punishments. It is sin that makes the night of afflic-

tion so dark and "our burden so heavy. We often complain that

we are so poor in this world's goods, when we ought to complain

against our covetous heart that will not be content with the food

and raiment God provides. We murmur because we have no bril-

liant intellectual gifts, when we ought to murmur against the sinful

pride living in our hearts. We fret over enemies we may have,

over so many hardships and misfortunes that come upon us, when

we ought to fret about our stubborn and perverse heart that will

not believe that all these things are sent upon us by the wise,

merciful, and omnipotent God. In short, it is sin, our sin, that

we ought to complain about more than about misfortunes and

afflictions. Therefore let us search and try our ways, and turn

again to the Lord when assailed by doubt and fear. Let us ever

remember that it is the Lord who thus afflicts us because He would

purge us from sin that so easily besets us and would prove our

destruction if He did not free us from its evil power. He knows

our inmost hearts and sees what sinful desires still lurk in their

secret folds, often unknown to ourselves. He therefore casts us

into the fiery furnace of affliction, that our faith be cleansed from

all attaching dross and be found unto praise and honor and glory

at the appearing of Jesus Christ. (1 Pet. 1, 7.)

Father, whate'er of earthly bliss

Thy sovereign will denies,

Accepted at Thy throne of grace

Let this petition rise:

Give me a calm and thankful heart,

From every murmur free;

The blessings of Thy grace impart,

And make me live to Thee.

Let the sweet hope that Thou art mine

My path of life attend:

Thy presence through my journey shine,

And crown my journey's end.