Men of
science tell us that shortness of sight is greatly on the increase
amongst us, especially with those who live in great cities. The reason
for this is that the city dwellers wear out their eye-sight by looking
constantly on objects close to them, without having any wider or more
distant prospect. So it is with our spiritual sight. We wear it out
by fixing our eyes on some worldly object close to us. One man has
grown near-sighted by gazing day after day at his money bags, till he
can see nothing else; and another has studied his ledger and cash book
till he has no eyes left for God's fair Heaven above him; another has
looked at his own picture till he sees his own cleverness or greatness
reflected everywhere.

My brothers, look forward, look up: see God's love and mercy on all
sides of you. Come out into God's sunshine; ask Him to open your eyes
that they may see the wondrous things of His law. I think, too, that
walking in the Spirit means having _perfect trust in God--walking with
our hand in His_. If you see a man fearful about to-morrow, dreading
the future, always expecting and anticipating evil, meeting misfortune
half-way, be sure he is not walking in the Spirit. Hold fast to God's
Hand--trust Him. Do you remember the story of the little Russian boy
who trusted in God? He and a younger sister were left utterly
destitute on the death of their father. Left alone in the house,
without money and food, the little boy knew not how to comfort his baby
sister. At last, urged by the tears of the little one, the boy wrote
on a piece of paper, "O God, please to send me three copecks (a penny)
to buy my little sister some bread," and then hurried away with this
strange letter to the alms box of a neighbouring church, believing in
his simplicity that in this way his letter would reach Heaven. A
Priest saw the little boy trying to force the paper into the alms box.
He took the letter from him and, having read it, gave the child food
and assistance. Next day the Priest preached in the church on behalf
of the orphans, and when he had related the story of the child's letter
to God, a liberal offertory was given.

Lastly, I think that walking in the Spirit means _walking in hope_. If
we trust God and do our best, we cannot despair. We shall find the
road hard and stony at times, but let us hope and go steadily forward.
We shall fall sometimes, we shall make mistakes, we shall suffer
defeats, we shall be c