steadfast in the Lord, take time for meditating on the love of Christ. Especially you may find such a time at the Holy Communion. If when you have received, and others are communicating, instead of letting your mind run as it is apt to do, random, on a thousand thoughts, you fix it on a prayer, an aspiration, a desire; if you fix it on the thought of Christ's love to you, praying that His heavenly light may pour into your heart the brightness of its transforming influence, believe me, the Lord will help you to see it, and the sight of it will kindle again your affections in return, and give you a secret blessedness, compared with which all earthly joys are vain as the summer's dust when the wind sports idly with it.

Another rule of great moment, if you would be steadfast, is this; when you cannot see the love of Christ, when your heart is hard, your spirit dry and dark, and you cannot meditate, though you strive, go and act upon your belief in that love without feeling it, as an act of faith go and give, go and minister to the poor, go and deny yourself, commending the act to God as if you did see the love of Christ, and did feel all that you want to feel, and then, when your action is the outcoming of this cry: "Though He slay me yet will I trust in Him,' then will the Lord, by the breath of His own life-giving Spirit, drive those clouds away, as you may have seen the clouds of the earthly sky swept from off the blue expanse, after the rain has fallen heavily, when earth and sky seemed to be welded together in one dark opaque, until the breath of heaven rises at God's will, and

sweeps the firmament, and all is brightness, and sunshine, and rejoicing, at the descent of the radiance of heaven, because the Lord hath breathed upon it, and the earth is gladdened by the returning light. Yes, act without feeling, and the Lord will give you the feeling as a reward of a faithfulness which can endure without sight. But once more, if you cannot see Christ's love, pray that you may see it. The man who goes on praying will surely have revealed to him some sight of that love; the man who wrestles through the night and says, 'I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me ;' the man who will pray though he faints, praying against fainting; the man who will say, 'Show me Thy love, yea, kindle in me by the sight of Thy love, the love I cannot give Thee;' that man will be steadfast unto the end, and the Lord will not leave him; because in the darkness he confesses his Redeemer, because in the time of drought he puts his trust in Him; that presence which is round about him shall make itself known unto him, and the Lord in his hour of weakness will be his strength and reward. And believe me, this great grace is worth the winning, worth it even here. For there is no peace like that broad river of peace with which the Lord surrounds the soul that sees the love of Christ, and so learns to love Him again. Yea, and for him too there are Pisgah heights and revelations of the coming glory. For him too there are persuasions in his day of trial, that He to whom he has committed it, is able to keep his soul against that day.

There are granted even here to the saints of God who will wait patiently upon their Lord, sights of the heavenly world, sounds of the heavenly harps, visions of that transforming countenance, the sight of which makes the perfection and bliss of heaven.

ANCIENT COLLECT.

GRANT Thy servants, O God, to be inflamed with

Thy Spirit, strengthened by Thy power, illuminated by Thy splendour, filled with Thy grace, and to go forward by Thine aid. Give them, O Lord, a right faith, perfect love, true humility. Grant, O Lord, that there may be in us simple affection, brave patience, persevering obedience, perpetual peace, a pure mind, a right and clean heart, a good will, a holy conscience, spiritual compunction, ghostly strength, a life unspotted and unblameable; and after having manfully finished our course, may we be enabled happily to enter into Thy kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

LORD, we beseech thee, grant Thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow Thee, the only God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

AH well! she had her will,

Though not as she decreed it. God saw best To plant the warfare in her own poor breast;

To make herself her hardest bitterest ill.

Hers was a battle where no mortal eye
Beamed courage, and no voice cried 'well!'
But in the view of angel companies

She rose and fell.

She seemed not great, nor good.

She stood, her little space, amid the world:
A soldier with a banner half unfurl'd,

A pure high nature half misunderstood.

She loved, yet none clung closely to her side;
She lived, yet scarcely seemed to help a child.
Few shed a tear of sorrow when she died;
The angels smiled.

TH

HANKS be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Cor. xv. 57.

NINTH DAY.

The Burthen of the Future.

AS thy days, so shall thy strength be.

Deut. xxxiii. 25.

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee. I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day. Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together, saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver

F