prayer for guidance and assistance: grateful for the Divine care during the past night, he humbly asks a continuance of that protection through the coming day. And may he not well do so? Who can tell what a day will bring forth? How knows he what trials, what temptations, he may meet with, in his business, in his family, before that sun goes down? What need may he have for strength, for fortitude, for patience, for the power of principle—lest he suddenly fall! How knows he, indeed, but that, ere the setting of that day's sun, he may be no longer a living man upon the earth? How many hundreds and thousands have risen in the morning in health and strength, and yet have never seen the night-fall: but when the evening stars came out, they shone upon the pale corpse,—their glimmer fell unheeded on the glazed eye of death! So may it be, on any day, with any one of us. We are environed by dangers. A collision of railway-trains may dash us in pieces; a passing horse in the street may strike us down and trample us under foot: we may fall from our own door-step and receive a mortal injury.[1] Any moment we may be hurried into eternity. And will not one who reflects upon these things, be anxious, before going forth to the duties and the dangers of the day,—to commit himself solemnly to the care of Him who knows all things and has power over all things; who sees at a glance all the workings of all men; who knows perfectly everything that is taking place, and by consequence, foreknows
- ↑ The celebrated traveler Bruce, who had passed through the wilds of Abyssinia and the deserts of Arabia, unharmed, was killed by a fail down his own stair, in showing some guests to the door.
