THERE is such a glorious future opening, more and more clearly, that I want to say to all earth’s eternity-bound throng, “No time to lose.” One opportunity neglected and you can never be all you might have been had it been improved. Neglect of proffered gifts has crippled and almost beggared many a pilgrim from the City of Destruction to the heavenly land. The gift of perfect love is offered to every child of God; but hesitating to accept now that which, though so costly, is freely offered, many must forever fail to be what they might have been. If in the “sometime,” so vaguely indefinite, that holiness is attained which fits the soul to see the Lord in peace, yet there may be many stars wanting in such a one’s crown that might have been there if the precious gift of Jesus had not been so slighted. How much more of Heaven might have been found below, how much more work might have been done for God, if, instead of striving to grow sin out of the heart, with all its weakening, retarding influences, that heart, with all its inbred defilement, had been placed at once in the hands of Him who alone could wash it whiter than snow. For every one that believingly hears Jesus say, “I will, be thou clean,” there is an endless sphere of activity and growth—not by growth to become more pure, but more mature; not by works, to have anything whereof to boast; but doing because action is the normal state of a soul filled with love. The more love, the more untiring activity, because where selfishness is destroyed, love would see Jesus glorified. Thus believing, loving, and acting, where is the room for retrograde movement? But if faith loses its hold on Christ, then love grows cold, indolence creeps in, and the soul is pinched by want. Precious opportunities pass by unheeded. This misimprovement of opportunities dwarfs the soul more than want of capacity. The one talent in constant use is worth more than ten in the possession of an idler. That life must be barren indeed where opportunity is not found for deeds that shall be richly rewarded by the Master. Without earth’s currency, we may scatter words that shall be like apples of gold in pictures of silver, deeds of love that shall be held in everlasting remembrance. Without the fire of genius, coals from Heaven’s altar may touch our lips and make them eloquent for God. Having the assurance that we are sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty, and having fellowship with earth’s noblest souls, we can afford to wait a little while ere we see the King in his beauty, and enter into the joint-inheritance with his well-beloved Son, walking the streets of the New Jerusalem in company with angelic forms, clean-robed, and wearing star-jeweled crowns of gold. Look up! These things which surround us in a moment are gone. The objects of faith beyond the bounds of time are real. You have filled your hands with worthless toys, which, held between you and Christ, have so obscured your vision that you could but dimly see his proffered gifts; and when he called you to let these go, so that you might be able to grasp the richest gems of grace, you have cried out that all was gone! But at that moment Christ comes to give you back so much more than you let go! Not blinding, perishable gifts, but such as will draw your gaze toward the Giver, in order that he may reveal more and more of his own glory to your soul, and also show you your own high calling in Christ Jesus. You have suffered great loss heretofore from letting slip opportunities that seemed to you too small to be worth minding, but now you stop, not to question whether the service Christ demands of you is great or small, but hearing his voice, you go where he bids, nothing doubting. Once you wanted to work in some other way than your opportunities and powers indicated. But now the blessed Spirit is teaching you that your most common and daily toil, done heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men, is more pleasing to the Master than the most talented in public places, if they have not learned to cease from their own works; losing sight of self in Christ. You waste time while you stop to envy others. Improve the opportunities that come to you Jesus will trust you with a greater work when he sees he can safely. Surely, our feet should bear us joyfully onward, if it is only to do the slightest errands for our King.—Guide to Holiness.