The Central Presbyterian

Self-Denial.

When Agassiz visited Oken, the great German naturalist, the latter showed to the young student his laboratory, his cabinet, his magnificent library, and all his varied and costly scientific apparatus. At length the dinner hour approached. Oken said to Agassiz, "Sir, to gather and maintain what you have seen uses up my income. To accomplish this I have to economize in my style of living. Three times in the week we have meat on the table. On the other days we dine on potatoes and salt. I regret that your visit has fallen on potato day." And so the naturalist, with the students of Oken, dined on potatoes and salt.

In the charming biography of Mr. Ticknor one meets many similar instances, in his intercourse with the scholars of Germany.— He found men of world-wide fame living with the utmost frugality, that they might devote time and means to scientific research.

This is self-denial; it is denying the lower self for the sake of a higher. And can any one fail to honor and reverence it?

And what is Christian self-denial? It is denying a lower self for the sake of the highest impulse a man is capable of, love to man, love to Christ.

Do not the times call us to this? On every hand there is suffering; and yet there is ample means. If the people of God were willing to do, for the sake of Christ and His cause, the very thing that Oken did for the sake of science, would there be any lack?— National Baptist.