Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/27



I. What  were  you  a  hundred  years  ago? Absolutely nothing; and  so  you  would  have  been  forever,  if  God had not  deigned  to  give  you  an  existence. He could have given  to  the  original  matter,  of  which  you  were made, an  infinite  number  of  other  forms,  but  he  was pleased to  endow  it  with  a  rational  soul,  and  give  you  a being  among  men. But for  what  object? Not to  trifle away your  time  and  existence  in  folly,  not  to  pursue  the honors and  pleasures  and  vanities  of  this  world,  and  to terminate  your  lives  like  irrational  creatures. "The Lord has  made  all  things  for  Himself." (Prov. xvi.  4.) It is  your  duty  then  to  serve  and  worship  Him  in  this world, that  you  may  attain  life  everlasting  in  the  next.

II. Consider the  excellence  of  this  end. Every other living  creature  is  formed  stooping  to  the  earth, and is  possessed  of  a  soul  that  ends  with  its  body. Man alone is  raised  to  the  sublime  dignity  of  blessing  and praising his  Creator  in  a  rational  manner,  and  after  a short  life  spent  virtuously,  of  being  crowned  with  immortal glory. With good  reason  holy  David,  full  of wonder,  exclaims,  "What  is  man,  that  Thou  art  mindful of  him? — Thou  hast  made  him  a  little  less  than  the angels,  Thou  hast  crowned  him  with  glory  and  honor, and  hast  set  Him  over  the  works  of  Thy  hands." (Ps. viii. 5.)

III. Consider under  what  obligations  you  are  to  your Creator for  so  great  a  favor;  and  how  diligently  you ought to  direct  your  whole  life  to  His  honor  and  service. These ought  to  be  the  only  object  of  your  actions,  and even of  your  thoughts. Wherefore say  with  the  prophet, "I will  bless  the  Lord  at  all  times,  His  praise  shall  be  al-