By Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

      "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver" (Mal. 3:3).

      Our Father, who seeks to perfect His saints in holiness, knows the value of the refiner's fire. It is with the most precious metals that the assayer takes the most pains, and subjects them to the hot fire, because such fires melt the metal, and only the molten mass releases its alloy or takes perfectly its new form in the mould. The old refiner never leaves his crucible, but sits down by it, lest there should be one excessive degree of heat to mar the metal. But as soon as he skims from the surface the last of the dross, and sees his own face reflected, he puts out the fire.

      --Arthur T. Pierson

      "He sat by a fire of seven-fold heat,

      As He watched by the precious ore,

      And closer He bent with a searching gaze

      As He heated it more and more.

      He knew He had ore that could stand the test,

      And He wanted the finest gold

      To mould as a crown for the King to wear,

      Set with gems with a price untold.

      So He laid our gold in the burning fire,

      Tho' we fain would have said Him 'Nay,'

      And He watched the dross that we had not seen,

      And it melted and passed away.

      And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright,

      But our eyes were so dim with tears,

      We saw but the fire--not the Master's hand,

      And questioned with anxious fears.

      Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow,

      As it mirrored a Form above,

      That bent o'er the fire, tho' unseen by us,

      With a look of ineffable love.

      Can we think that it pleases His loving heart

      To cause us a moment's pain?

      Ah, no! but He saw through the present cross

      The bliss of eternal gain.

      So He waited there with a watchful eye,

      With a love that is strong and sure,

      And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat,

      Than was needed to make it pure."