Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15

What cause to be thankful, what reason to be grateful have we! Surrounded by mercies, both temporal and spiritual. If we look back, we ought to rejoice that God has chosen us in Christ Jesus, before the foundation of the world; that He sent His only begotten Son into the world, to be a propitiation for our sins; that He sent His Holy Spirit into our hearts to convince us of sin, to lead us to Jesus, and make us ready for heaven.

We have His word in our hands, His grace in our hearts, His mercies in our houses, and His heaven before our eyes. O for a thankful heart! But let us take our poor, hard, ungrateful hearts to Jesus. He can soften them and fill them with gratitude. Let us confess our ingratitude before Him, and mourn over our unthankfulness at His feet. He is ready to forgive. He can sanctify us completely. He will hear our cry and pity our complaints.

O Jesus, grant us a deep sense of our utter unworthiness, and of Thine unmerited goodness, that our souls may daily praise Thee with joyful lips. May we live as thoughtful dependents; as grateful, loving children, before our Father and our God; and daily be thankful.

Through all eternity, to Thee

A joyful song I’ll raise;

But, oh!, eternity’s too short

To utter all Thy praise.

Daily Remembrancer by James Smith

Journal Jottings

‘While I was a child, I experienced the delivering mercy of God in a remarkable way. Near our residence was a very deep well, which supplied all the inhabitants of the neighbourhood with water. Going one day with my brother for water, while looking down into the well, my foot slipped, and I fell in head foremost. An alarm was raised, and a man who was working at a smith’s shop close by, ran and in his fright let himself down by the chain and caught me by the clothes, just as I was about to sink the last time.

The well being narrow at the bottom, he sustained himself by placing one foot on each side, while the two ladders were tied together, and he then brought me up out of my perilous condition. My escape appeared to be almost miraculous, as the bucket was down the well when I fell, and the wonder was that I did not strike my head against it in falling. But I was comparatively uninjured, to the surprise of all who were aware of the accident.

Surely the eye of the Lord was upon me for good, and my life was spared to taste the sweetness of His grace, be useful to others, and glorify His great and holy name.’

AUTOBIOGRAPHY, p.1-2