Gold so needed, that His gospel
May resound from sea to sea;
Can I know Christ's service lacketh,
Yet forget His "unto Me"!

'No; I lay them down--my jewels,
Truly on the altar now.
Stay! I see a vision passing
Of a gem-encircled brow:
Heavenly treasure worn by Jesus,
Souls won through my gift outpoured;
Freely, gladly I will offer
Jewels thus to crown my Lord!'

From _Woman's Work._

Chapter VIII.
Our Intellects kept for Jesus.

_'Keep my intellect, and use_
_Every power as Thou shalt choose.'_

There are two distinct sets of temptations which assail those who have,
or think they have, rather less, and those who have, or think they have,
rather more than an average share of intellect; while those who have
neither less nor more are generally open in some degree to both. The
refuge and very present help from both is the same. The intellect,
whether great or small, which is committed to the Lord's keeping, will be
kept and will be used by Him.

The former class are tempted to think themselves excused from effort to
cultivate and use their small intellectual gifts; to suppose they cannot
or need not seek to win souls, because they are not so clever and apt in
speech as So-and-so; to attribute to want of gift what is really want of
grace; to hide the one talent because it is not five. Let me throw out a
thought or two for these.

Which is greatest, gifts or grace? _Gifts_ are given 'to every man
according to his several ability.' That is, we have just as much given as
God knows we are able to use, and what He knows we can best use for Him.
'But unto every one of us is given _grace_ according to the measure of
the gift of Christ.' Claiming and using that royal measure of grace, you
may, and can, and will do more for God than the mightiest intellect in
the world without it. For which, in the clear light of His Word, is
likely to be most effectual, the natural ability which at its best and
fullest, without Christ, 'can do _nothing_' (observe and believe that
word!), or the grace of our Almighty God and the power of the Holy Ghost,
which is as free to you as it ever was to any one?

If you are responsible for making use of your limited gift, are you not
equally responsible for making use of the grace and power which are to be
had for the asking, which are alread