October 19

“God, my Maker, who giveth sonr/s in the night.” — Job xxxv. 10.

[“^NY man can sing in the day. WHicn llic cup i.s full, Z* man draws inspiration from it. When wealth rolls

‘“^’ in abundance around him, any man can praise the God who gives a plenteous harvest, or sends hom« a loaded argosy. It is easy enough for an olian harp to whisper music when the winds blow — the difficulty is for music to swell forth when no wind is stirring. It is easy to sing when we can read the notes by daylight; but he is skilful who sings when there is not a ray of light to read by — who sings from his heart. No man can make a song in the night of himself; he may attempt it, but he will find that a song in the night must be divinely inspired. Let all things go well, I can weave songs, fashioning them wherever I go out of the flowers that grow upon my path; but put me in a desert, where no green thing grows, and wherewith shall I frame a hymn of praise to God? How shall a mortal man make a crown for the Lord where no jewels are? Let but this voice be clear, and this body full of health, and I can sing God’s praise: silence my tongue, lay me upon the bed of languishing, and how shall I then chant God’s high praises, unless He Himself give me the song? No, it is not in man’s power to sing when all is adverse, unless an altar-coal shall touch his lip. It was a divine song, which Habakkuk sang, when in the night he said,” Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut ofi” from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Then, since our Maker gives soigs in the night, let us wait upon Him for the music. 0 Thou chief musician, let us not remain songless because afili ttion is upon us, tune Thou our lips to the melody of thanks giving.