we may enter at death into their joy, and to abide with them in rest and peace, till both they and we shall reach our common consummation of redemption and bliss in the glorious resurrection of the last day. Amen. COLLECT. BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. ALMIGHTY GOD, who hast knit together Thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of Thy Son Christ, our Lord: grant us grace so to follow Thy blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that we may come to those unspeakable joys which thou hast prepared for those that unfeignedly love Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. From 'THE INNER LIFE.' WREATHS for our graves the Lord hath given, The cross with crowns is hung, And blest with music learnt in heaven Our hymn of praise is sung. The gulf of death, now dark with fears, IF Oh, who are these who join with us, Whose gleaming vestures touch us thus, They fought as we are fighting now: To Christ the Lord they held their vow, And still with us they have their part; Ours the communion of all saints, F genuine sympathy be inexpressibly welcome to every true heart, while here in this world, what must it not be in the life beyond? The participation in immeasurable and still augmenting happiness is a fellowship of joy to which we now are altogether strangers; we seem unable even to apprehend worthily the thought of it. But in the good land unto which-may Christ grant it-we are journeying, where sympathy shall lose the last element of sadness that clings here to its name, and where to feel together shall ever be to rejoice together, what tongue can describe its blessedness! There, this same Jesus,' human in the midst of humanity, will be the centre to which all hearts must turn; and they shall bring to Him their exceeding weight of glory,' as once they brought the burthen of their suffering and sorrow. TWENTY-FIRST DAY. The Sacredness of Sorrow. AND Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. Gen. xliii. 30, 31. Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; man to go out from me. with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. and he cried, Cause every And there stood no man Gen. xlv. 1. I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. . I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me. Ps. cxlii. The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy. Proverbs xiv. 10. Also the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded. Ezekiel xxiv. 15-18. From the French of MADAME De Gasparin. GRIEF is a delicate and fragile flower, fading even more easily than joy, but never wholly dead. Like the rose of Jericho, though seemingly dried and withered past recognition, yet, if but one warm breath pass over it for a moment, it will |