Page:Spiritual Reflections for Every Day in the Year - Vol 1.pdf/200

 Remember, O reader! that the life granted to thee by thy Creator is not thine own, but is a sacred trust—the talent lent thee to use faithfully in the promotion of thy best interests, both here and hereafter. Life, therefore, is God's sacred deposit in thy soul! use it faithfully in the world, and thou shalt receive the joy of the life that is everlasting.

E can hardly imagine that a single individual is to be found, laying any claim to pure religion and rationality, who can for a moment imagine that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to Peter, a very plain simple-hearted man, any keys by which he had the power to open heaven or to shut it against any at his own pleasure or will. The notion is so absurd, that no words are needed in refutation of that which will and must fall by its own weakness. Those who from the love of dominion and worldly gain put forth such a notion as a true doctrine, are, by many, more than suspected of not believing it themselves. They, by this sin, derogate from the Lord, and arrogate to themselves the power of opening and shutting heaven. To see the pure truth relative to the Lord's promise of giving the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter, we must first notice the faithful answer which Peter gave to the Lord's question. When Jesus asked his disciples, "Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?" (Matt. xvi. 13) they replied, "Some say thou