Page:Spiritual Reflections for Every Day in the Year - Vol 1.pdf/121

 O Christian! guard thy mind from trifling with holy things. Offer not to the Lord thy worship of words and ceremonies—of faith alone which is dead; for remember, such is the offering of Cain, which never raises the countenance to heaven and its joys, but rather causes it to fall to the earth and to look downwards to things unclean. Offer in worship to thy Maker, the celestial or supreme affections of thy soul, for these are denoted by the firstlings of the flock and the fat thereof. The Lord will then bless thee and thine offering, and will feed and guide thee all the days of thy life.

HIS turning the water into wine was the first miracle that Jesus wrought; and his last act was to bless the wine in the cup, to call it the blood of the New Covenant, and to desire all his disciples to drink of it, that it might nourish their souls unto eternal life. O God of Truth! help us to contemplate this miracle, that so we may see its spiritual truth, and apply our hearts to wisdom! The marriage is on the third day, to instruct us that a holy state of mind ardently desires the union of goodness and truth to be consummated in every humble breast. This desire is expressed by the Gentiles, or those who desire truth that they may be led to holiness of life: hence the marriage was in Cana of Galilee, i. e., among the