Activity in doing good is one recipe for being cheerful Christians; it is like exercise to the body, and it keeps the soul in health.--_Bishop Ryle._ =May 4th.= _Looking up to heaven He sighed. Mark vii. 34._ Too often we sigh and look within; Jesus sighed and looked without. We sigh, and look down; Jesus sighed, and looked up. We sigh, and look to earth; Jesus sighed, and looked to heaven. We sigh, and look to man; Jesus sighed, and looked to God.--_Stork._ =May 5th.= _We glory in tribulations. Rom. v. 3._ Have you ever thought that some day you will never have anything to try you or anybody to vex you again?--_A. B. Simpson._ =May 6th.= _Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Col. iii. 2._ He who has his affections set on things above is like one who hangs on by the skies; and, having a secure hold of these, could say, though he saw the world roll away from beneath his feet, "My heart is fixed; my heart is fixed; O Lord, I will sing and give praise!"--_Guthrie._ =May 7th.= _The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. Luke xxiv. 34._ _They . . . gladly received (Peter's) word; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Acts ii. 41._ Before the Lord can use us in His service we must have close individual dealing with Himself. He always will have to do in _secret_ with that soul that He intends to use in blessing others. Do you want to speak for Jesus to those around you? Then you must go to Jesus Himself for your message. What you say _for_ Jesus must be got _from_ Jesus. Oh, how much breath falls powerless on every side because it has not been inhaled in the sanctuary! We want more secret dealing with the living God. We run without being sent: we speak before God has spoken to us: no wonder we so often fail. Oh, what secret prayer and what heart-searching discipline the heart needs before God can use it!--_F. Whitfield._ =May 8th.= _The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul. Prov. xiii. 25._ Christ must satisfy; then, if we are not satisfied, it must be because we are not feeding on Him wholly and only. The fault is not in the provision which is made.--_Frances Ridley Havergal._ =May 9th.= _Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth. Heb. xii. 6._ It has been well said that "earthly cares are a heavenly discipline," but they are even something better than discipline; they are God's chariots, sent to take the soul to its high places of triumph. In the Canticles we are told of "a chariot paved with love." We cannot always see the love lining to our own particular chariot--it often looks very unlovely; but every chariot sent by God must necessarily be paved with love, since God is love. It is His love, indeed, that sends the chariot.