My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let go. Job xxvii. 6.

JOB had an ideal and clung to it. Have you such? A vision of what you may be, and, by the grace of God, will aim at being. Bishop Westcott says: — "The vision of the ideal guards monotony of work from becoming monotony of life." Bitter indeed is life for those who have not seen the heavenly vision, or heard the calling upward of the voice that says, Come up hither. Any life looks more interesting and attractive when the light of our ideal falls on it, and we realize that every yard leads somewhere, and every step is one nearer the goal. So some one has suggested that "If we cannot realize our ideal, we may at least idealize our real."

But there are many hindrances, many adverse influences to combat, many suggestions that we should let go our ideal. We have so often failed, slipped where we thought we should stand, limped where we thought to overcome by wrestling. The crags are so steep, the encouragement we receive from fellow-climbers so scant, the dissuasions and misconstructions — like those Job had from his friends — so many. But Jesus who inspired the ideal waits to realize it, if only you will open your heart and let Him enter. Do you hunger and thirst? then He will satisfy. He does not tantalize and disappoint the seeking soul.

"Have we not all, amid life's petty strife,

Some pure ideal of a noble life

That once seemed possible? It was. And yet

We lost it in this daily jar and fret,

And now live idle in a vague regret.

but still our place is kept, and it will wait.

Ready for us to fill it, soon or late:

No star is ever lost we once have seen —

We always may be what we might have been.