MORALIST. – Charles Spurgeon

THE dahlia would surely be a very empress among flowers if it had but perfume equal to its beauty ; even the rose might need to look 😮 her sovereignty. Florists have tried all their arts to scent this lovely child of autumn but in vain, no fragrance can be developed or produced ; God has denied the boon, and human skill cannot impart it. The reflecting mind will be reminded of those admirable characters which are occasionally met with, in which everything of good repute and comely aspect may be seen, but true religion, that sweet ethereal perfume of grace, is wanting ; if they had but love to God, what lovely beings they would be, the best of the saints would not excel them, and yet that fragrant grace they do not seek, and after every effort we may make for their conversion, they remain content without the one thing which is needful for their perfection. O that the Lord would impart to them the mystic sweetness of his grace by the Holy Spirit ! MOTIVES. THERE are overshot water-wheels and undershot. In the one case the motive power falls from above, in the other the water turns the wheel from below ; the first is the more powerful. Men, like wheels, axe turned by forces from various sources, and too many move by the undercurrent — mercenary desires and selfish aims drive them ; but the good man’s driving force falls from above ; ?e: him endeavour to prove to all men that this is the most mighty force in existence.