July 3

The ill-favored and Ican-Jleshed kine did eat up the seven well’ favored and fat kine.” — Genesis xli. 4.

PHARAOH’S dream has too often been mj waking experience. My days jf sloth have ruinously destroyed all that I had achieved in times of zealoua industry; my seasons of coldnoss have frozen all the genial glow of my periods of fervency and enthusiasm, and my fits of worldliness have thrown me back from my advances in the divine life. I had need to beware of lean prayers, lean praises, lean duties, and lean experiences, for these will cat up the fat of my comfort and peace. If I neglect prayer for never so short a time, I lose all the spirituality to which I had attained; if I draw no fresh supplies from heaven, the old corn in my granary is soon consumed by the famine which rages in my soul. When the caterpillars of indifference, the canker-worms of worldliness, and the palmer-worms of self-indulgence, lay my heart completely desolate, and make my soul to languish, all my former fruitfulness and growth in grace avails me nothing whatever. How anxious should I be to have no lean-fleshcd days, no ill-favored hours! If every day I journeyed towards the goal of my desires I should soon reach it, but backsliding leaves me still far off from the prize of my high calling, and robs me of the advances which I had so laboriously made. The only way in which all my days can be as the “fat kine,” is to feed them in the right meadow, to spend them with the Lord, in His service, in Ilia company, in His fear, and in Ilis way. Why should not every year be richer than the past, in love, and usefulness, and joy r — I am nearer the celestial hills; I have had more experience of my Lord, and should be more like Ilim. 0 Lord, keep far from me the curse of leanness of soul; let me not have to cry, “My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me!” but may I be well fed and nourished in Thy house, that I may praise Thy name.