g light, and the days of his mourning are ended'. As I have
said, there will be sacrifice, but there also will be satisfaction;
and, as with the mother in regard to her new-born babe, the fully saved
soul forgets the suffering and the sacrifice which has been made.

Sometimes we are tempted to look at sacrifice apart from love. I heard
Mr. Bramwell Booth say in a Meeting, 'Sacrifice is the flower of love';
and you know full well that things which are otherwise impossible
become comparatively easy to true love and faith. Men do not talk about
sacrifices when they realize that they have received more--much
more--than that which they gave up.

When I hear people dwelling on how much they have given up for God, I
begin to wonder whether those self-denying ones have realized the joy
and satisfaction which God wants to give to the fully consecrated
heart. If they have, it is strange for them to talk of rushlight
sacrifices whilst they are bathed in the sunlight of the Divine
Presence.

Sometimes distressing consequences do follow surrender and faith, but
are there not also glorious consequences in the form of joy in the
seasons of sorrow, light and guidance in the hours of perplexity,
Divine approval and communion when others misunderstand and shun us?
Surely the knowledge of this leads me to cry, 'O my Lord, let me have
the blessing with all its consequences!'

Oh, my friends, whilst counting the cost, look at both sides of God's
gift, the crown as well as the cross; the delight as well as the
denial; the heavenly sunshine as well as the earthly shadows; and the
great, glorious, everlasting reward in eternity. When you have looked
at all these things, make your choice; and, having chosen aright, 'hold
fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown'.

IX

Bound to the Altar

'_Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar._'
(Psalm cxviii. 27.)

Periodically in our Halls we have had what we call Altar Services. At
such times, and more especially during the Self-Denial and Harvest
Festival efforts, Soldiers, friends, and others who are interested in
God's work are invited to come forward with gifts of money to lay upon
the special table which, for that occasion, serves the purpose of an
altar. Those who have been present at these Meetings will not need to
be told that the 'gift' is irrevocable. The giver cannot honestly get
it back--it has been deliberately parted with.

That is a v