us go on to praise God who thus draweth us as with a threefold cord not quickly broken, and let us labour strenuously to carry out St. Paul's triple maxim :— Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.-1 Corinthians x. 31. Amen. A Prayer for Union with Christ. God, of Whose free gracious bounty Thy holy Christ; who on the Mount of Transfiguration beheld the glory of his Lord;-who in the upper chamber leaned on the Bosom of his Beloved;—who in the High Priest's palace clave unto his Friend;—who at the foot of the Cross became a son unto his King's Mother; who at the empty sepulchre received the illumination of faith;-who hearing another called, himself set off to follow ;-who in will died and in deed lived unto his Master's honour;-who with bodily eyes looked upon That which was from the beginning;-who with spiritual eyes contemplated in vision the end of all things;-who inspired by the Holy Ghost preached Christ to the world, and wrote down the words of Christ for all generations for ever :-Give to us, even to us also, O our God, Thy choice gifts and graces; but in all and above all give us Christ, Whom to possess is to possess all things: that whether we live we may live unto the Lord, or whether we die we may die unto the Lord; that so whether He bid us follow Him or tarry till He come, we may ever be Iwith the Lord. And accepting us and our prayers for the same our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, do Thou, our Father, according to Thine all-holy Will, mercifully set the rest of our lives in order until He come. Amen. A Memorial of St. John the Evangelist. Psalms cxx-cxxxi. St. John is called to be an Apostle, Lo, children and the fruit of the womb are an heritage and gift that cometh of the Lord. Like as the arrows in the hand of the giant even so are the young children. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them : they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.— Blessed are all they that fear the Lord : and walk in The labourer is worthy of His ways. his hire.-St. Luke x. 7. a Son of Thunder, For thou shalt eat the labours of thine hands: 0 well is thee, and happy shalt thou be. Let them be confounded A voice roareth: He thun- and turned backward as dereth with the voice of His | many as have evil will at excellency.-Job xxxvii. 4. Sion. Let them be even as the grass growing upon the house-tops: which withereth afore it be plucked up; Whereof the mower filleth not his hand: neither he that bindeth up the sheaves his bosom. So that they who go by say not so much as, The Lord prosper you: we wish you good luck in the Name of the Lord. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue. What reward shall be given or done unto thee, thou false tongue : even mighty and sharp arrows, with hot burning coals. Out of the deep have I. called unto Thee, O Lord : Lord, hear my voice. O let Thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint. : If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss: O Lord, who may abide it? For there is mercy with Thee therefore shalt Thou be feared. : yet he follows Christ into the Palace of the High Priest, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.-2 Kings.ii. 2. stands beside the Cross.Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow, which is done unto Me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted Me in the day of His fierce anger.-Lamentations i. 12. Christ crucified the Hope of all mankind. Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.-Isaiah xlv. 22. : He will not suffer thy foot to be moved and He that keepeth thee will not sleep. Behold, He that keepeth Israel : shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord Himself is thy keeper the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand; So that the sun shall not burn thee by day : neither the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: yea, it is even He that shall keep thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in from this time forth for evermore. St. John visits the empty Sepulchre, Turn our captivity, O Lord as the rivers in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that now goeth on His way weeping, and beareth forth good seed: shall doubtless come again with joy, and bring His sheaves with Him. O Israel, trust in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is. plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his sins.When the Lord turned again the captivity of Sion: He is not here, but is risen. then were we like unto them -St. Luke xxiv. 6. whereof the stone had been sealed.— They went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch. -St. Matthew xxvii. 66. that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter: and our tongue with joy. Except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it. Except the Lord keep the city: the watchman waketh but in vain. It is but lost labour that ye haste to rise up early, and so late take rest, and eat the bread of carefulness: for so He giveth His beloved. sleep. |