Useless thought makes the soul coarse, and difficult of impression by good influences.  Pure and holy meditations are an excellent means for the refinement of your moral being.  Praying to God is talking to him, telling him the desires of the heart; whereas meditating upon God is contemplating his goodness, love, mercy, greatness, and wonderful works.  Meditation prepares the heart for that deeper communion with God called prayer.  Whoever gives attention to his meditations, and has learned to fix his mind upon God; to whom “day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge;” to whom “the heavens declare the glory of God,” and who hears God’s voice in nature and sees the goodness of his hand in all creation,—­finds no difficulty in drawing to God in prayer.  If you allow your mind to wander vaguely about upon the vanities of the world, you will find prayer a difficult and rather an unpleasant task.  Learn, therefore, I beseech you, to stay your mind upon the Lord, and great will be the peace and quietness of your soul.  Precious moments spent in idle chit-chat with your companions or indulging vagrant thoughts are time worse than wasted.  As your mind acts once, so it is disposed to act again.  The mind forms habits of thinking.  Then, how careful you should be to direct it in proper and useful channels.

[Illustration:  THINKING OF THE LIFE BEYOND.]

Some people have found it difficult to prevent their thoughts from wandering while they were reading the Bible or in secret prayer.  The wonderful works of God hardly awaken any admiration within them; they can not elevate the soul into a profound awe before his awful presence, and there is but little conscious depths of inner reverence and devotion to his name.  There is a blessed and sure remedy for this serious trouble.  Carefully watch your meditations.  Call the oftener upon God in some silent, secret place.  Select some secluded, hallowed place, where nature is most inspiring for meditation.  Isaac, the son of Abraham, went into the field at eventide to meditate.  The evening is a time well suited to draw the soul out into deep, intimate communion with God.  The the setting of the sun is a reminder of life’s setting sun.  You will be brought face to face with the fact that you must some day stand before Him who created all things.  Your meditations will become serious.  Oh, may you adore the Creator, and learn to admire his wondrous works!  Go forth in the starry evening, when Nature is most inviting, and through her let your soul adore the Almighty, and let all within you be awed to solemn stillness at his footfall.

Idle, careless thoughts generate a stupidity that will rob you of joy.  The sensibilities of your inner nature will become deadened, and you can no more hear the solemn footsteps of the Lord, nor the whispers of his voice.  Meditating upon pure and holy things and seeing God in all, will elevate the soul to a plane all radiant with light and love, and put a meekness and modesty in your life and a sweet gentleness in every expression that will seem to make you akin to angels.