The shallow nature lives in its impulses, its impressions, its intuitions, its instincts, and very largely in its surroundings. The profound character looks beyond all these and moves steadily on, sailing past all the storms and clouds into the clear sunshine which is always on the other side, and waiting for the afterwards which always brings the reversion of sorrow and seeming defeat and failure. When God has deepened us, then He can give us His deeper truths, His profoundest secrets, and His mightier trusts. Lord, lead me into the depths of Thy life and save me from a shallow experience. On to broader fields of holy vision; On to loftier heights of faith and love; Onward, upward, apprehending wholly, All for which He calls thee from above. DECEMBER 4. “From me is thy fruit found” (Hos. xiv. 8). Nothing keeps us from advancement more than ruts and drifts, and wheel-tracks into which our chariots roll and then move on in the narrow line with unchanging monotony, currents in life’s stream on which we are borne in the old direction until the law of habit almost makes advance impossible. The true remedy for this is to commence at nothing; taking Christ afresh to be the Alpha and Omega for a deeper, higher, Divine experience, waiting even for His conception of thought, desire, prayer, and afraid lest our highest thought should be below His great plan of wisdom and love. O Comforter gentle and tender, O holy and heavenly Dove, We’re yielding our heart in surrender, We’re waiting Thy fulness to prove. O come as the heart-searching fire, O come as the sin-cleansing flood; Consume us with holy desire, And fill with the fulness of God. Anoint us with gladness and healing; Baptize us with power from on high; O come with filling and sealing While low at the Thy footstool we lie. DECEMBER 5. “With a perfect heart to make David King” (I. Chron. xii. 38). “What is the supreme purpose of our life? They were all of one heart to make David king.” Is this our purpose, to prepare the Bride, to prepare the world, to prepare His way? Does it dwarf and dim all other ambitions, all other cares? Does it fill and satisfy every capacity, every power, every desire? Does it absorb every moment, every energy, every resource? Does it give direction and tone to every plan and work of life? Does it decide for us the education of our children, the investment of our means, the friendships and associations of life, the whole activity, interest and outlook of our being? Are we in it, spirit, soul and body, all we are, all we do, all we hope for—OF ONE HEART TO MAKE JESUS KING? We’re going forth united With loyal heart and hand, To bear His royal banner Aboard o’er every land. From every tribe and nation We’ll haste His Bride to bring. And Oh, with what glad welcome We’ll make our Jesus King. DECEMBER 6. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you” (I. Peter v. 6).