God's Greetings

God greets many a one who does not heed, far less thank him for it. Thus for instance, when his sun awakes thee to another day of life and health, God hids thee "Good morning;" and when at eventide thine eye closes in peaceful slumber, it is because God hath bid thee "Good night."

When thou sittest down with healthful appetite to a well-spread board, God says, "Much good may it do thee." When thou art enabled timeously to discover, and thereby avoid some threatened danger, what is it but God saying to thee, "Take heed to thy ways, my child, and turn back before it be too late"?

When on some genial May morning, thou walkest abroad amid blossoming flowers and singing hirds, and thy heart feels light and joyful, is not God saying to thee, "Welcome, heartily welcome! to my lower palace garden"?

And when all of a sudden, without thy knowing how or why, thy heart is moved to good thoughts, and thy chastened and softened spirit is stirred to feel sorrow for past misdoings, and a desire to do better, is not the merciful God saying to thee, "Oh, grieve not my Spirit which now stirs within thee"?

Or when thou passest by a new-made grave, and a sudden shudder of anxious foreboding runs cold through thy frame, is not God just then greeting thee with the fatherly admonition, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; for there is neither wisdom nor device in the grave, whither we are all hastening"? And if thy spirit hearken, and reverently bow to this greeting, it shall be well with thee all the days of thy earthly wanderings, and thy latter end slall be peace/—Scot, Cong. Magazine