Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/418

 labor that  may  gain  an  honorable  object. It may  be, secondly, the  consequence  of  a  rash  fervor,  which  does not know  the  difficulties  that  it  undertakes  to  surmount. It may  be  in  the  third  place  the  effect  of  Divine  grace, according to  the  declaration  of  St.  Paul,  "  I  can  do  all things  in  Him  who  strengthens  me." (Phil. iv\  13.)  Be ashamed  of  your  negligence  in  laboring  for  the  kingdom of heaven,  because  you  will  not  exert  yourself  as  much to obtain  that  happiness  and  glory  as  worldly  men  do  to gain  some  empty  object  of  ambition  or  folly. You often say, "  I  cannot  do  it,"  when  nothing  is  wanting  but resolution and  good  will.

II. Christ, observing  this  readiness  in  them,  remarked: " Of  My  chalice,  indeed,  you  shall  drink,  but  to  sit  on  My right  or  left  hand  is  not  mine  to  give  you,  but  to  them for  whom  it  is  prepared  by  My  Father." He did  not dissuade them  from  using  their  endeavors  to  merit  the highest seats  of  glory,  but  He  gave  them  to  understand that those  seats  were  not  distributed  from  motives  of favor  or  temporal  relationship. The glory  of  heaven, which each  one  enjoys,  is  proportionate  to  his  merits, for "God  is  no  respecter  of  persons"  (Acts  x.  35),  and " He  will  render  to  every  man  according  to  his  works." (Matt. xvi.  27.)

III. A difference  exists  between  worldly  precedence and that  which  is  peculiar  to  the  school  of  Christ. " The princes  of  the  Gentiles,"  He  says,  "lord  it  over  them;  it shall  not  be  so  among  you,  but  whosoever  will  be  the greater  among  you,  let  him  be  your  minister." He confirms this  by  His  own  example,  fof  He  continues:  "Even as  the  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but to  minister." (Matt. xx.  25,  28.)  Let  it  therefore  be your  ambition  to  seek  the  lowest  places  on  all  occasions if you  desire  to  be  a  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ.