THE FAMILY ALTAR

June 7.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who

hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (or

thing's) in Christ." Eph. 1:3.

A little crippled boy was lying in the hospital when the bells

began to ring on Christmas morning. "What are the bells ring-

ing for?" he asked the nurse. "Why, it's Christmas," sweetly

replied the kind-hearted nurse. "The Savior is born, born also

for you to bless and to save you." "Oh, then I must thank Him,"

joyfully exclaimed the little sufferer and repeated the prayer the

nurse taught him: Do we ever thank God sufficiently for all

the rich heavenly blessings He has showered on us in Christ?

We are very anxious about His giving us temporal blessings, health,

and fortune, and friends, and all good earthly things. And at

times we thank Him for them. But could we really enjoy our

temporal blessings without the spiritual blessings of our God? If

we had no Word of God, no Sacrament, no forgiveness of sins,

no peace of conscience, no Savior, no Holy Spirit to bring us to,

and keep us in, faith, to comfort us in sorrow, to dry our tears

at the grave of our loved ones, to fill us with hope in the hour

of death, — what would our temporal blessings avail us? What

would life be worth? 0 let us learn to thank and praise God for

His many spiritual blessings. They are more necessary, far more

valuable and precious than great wealth, or honor, or all the

pleasures of the world. The rich man in the well-known Bible

story lived and died without them, and perished forever. Poor

Lazarus found comfort in them in his affliction, was happy and

blessed with them in his deep poverty and misery, and now is

there where fulness of joy and pleasures at the right hand of

God are his portion forever.

Jehovah, let me now adore Thee,

For where is there a God such, Lord, as Thou?

With songs I fain would come before Thee;

0 let Thy Holy Spirit teach me now

To praise Thee in His name, through whom alone

Our songs can please Thee, through Thy blessed Son.

0 Father, draw me to my Savior,

That Thy dear Son may draw me unto Thee;

Thy Spirit guide my whole behavior

And rule both sense and reason thus in me,

That, Lord, Thy peace I taste may ne'er depart,

But wake sweet melodies within my heart.