may have its constant presence and gentle admonition. O God, we know the truth of thy Son, his blessed life, his childlike obedience, his unwearying toil, his holy patience and tender love. These are the way of the godly life to us, and may we be taught by thy Spirit, and by the experience of our own hearts, that this is our true life. Teach us that when we are away from Christ, we are away from our better selves, and away from thee. Help us to look back upon the day which has closed, that our hearts may have humiliation or devout gratitude, according as we have humbly sought to follow in our Master's footsteps; and inspire us, O God, with devout and holy purpose to follow thy dear Son with renewed mind and heart. May the love wherewith thou hast loved us in him lead us continually to penitence and contrition, that thy Spirit may dwell in us, and our life be hid with Christ in God. Thus may we find that living unto thee is life indeed, and that our Lord is the way of that life.

Come unto us now in thy gracious compassion, and let us lie down in holy confidence and trust, for whether we wake, or whether we sleep, we are still with thee. Amen.

XIX.

THE WISE CHOICE.

May I resolve with all my heart,
With all my powers, to serve the Lord;

Nor from his precepts e'er depart,

Whose service is a rich reward.

Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.

MRS. STEELE.

Call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one

consent.

Whom have I in heaven but thee, O Lord? and there is none on earth that I desire beside thee.

Thou art my God and I will thank thee; thou art my God, and I will serve thee.

I will abide in thy tabernacle forever; I will trust in the covert of thy wings.

To be silent, to suffer, to pray when we cannot act, is acceptable to God. A disappointment, a contradiction, a harsh word received and endured as in his presence, is worth more than a long prayer. - Fénelon.

Return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

O welcome service and ever to be desired, in which we are rewarded with the Greatest Good, and attain to joy which shall endlessly remain with us. À Kempis.

Know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind. If thou seek him, he will be found of thee.

As a man, thou hast nothing to commend thee to thyself, but that only by which thou art a man; that is, by what thou choosest and refusest. Taylor.

Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.

Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

A

MORNING.

LMIGHTY God, our merciful Father, we thank thee that thou hast heard our prayers, and hast blessed us with thy protection as the night went by. And now that a new day begins, and we enter upon its duties, we ask the same protection, and the same blessing. Be pleased to remember us, though we forget thee; be pleased to show us how we can make good the resolutions of yesterday; be pleased to show us what thou wouldst have us to do this day, that we may live to thy praise, as in the prayers and meditations of yesterday we have promised. Help us to choose the good, the true, the pure, and reject the evil.

We ask thy blessing also upon all whom we love, who are not here with us. Be pleased to smile on all the other homes which are very dear to us, and teach us all that we are close together when we come to thee.

We pray for our country, for thy holy Church everywhere, and for all our brethren and sisters of mankind.

In the name of the Lord Jesus, our Saviour. Amen.

OU

EVENING.

UR Heavenly Father, the labors of the day are ended, and in thy loving providence we are drawing near to the hours of rest. We seek the shelter of thine arms. When we are sinking into unconsciousness, we feel more than ever that we live encompassed by mystery, and that we can only trust in the All-wise and the All-merciful. Father, let there be nothing between our souls and thee. We would surrender our all, our most precious treasure, into the keeping of the mighty and gracious God. If we are keeping back anything, may we keep it back no longer! In times past, we have too often brought unto thee only half our hearts and half our possessions, and so we have had no peace; and when the shades of night have gathered about us, we have been cast down, and disquieted, and fearful, we have taken anxious thought for the morrow, and have not gloried in our cross, or rejoiced in the fellowship of the Lord's sufferings. Save us henceforth, dear Father, from our foolishness and our wickedness! May we choose thee for our por

tion, and the life of thy dear Son for our life, that we may have him with us henceforth in the house of feasting and the house of mourning, and break bread with him in the kingdom of God which he has established on earth. O Lord, we know that if we keep back anything it is to our great loss; that if in one point we fail in trusting loyalty, we fail in all; knowing these things, may we do them! Come, O thou guiding and gracious Spirit, and fill, warm, and satisfy our hearts! May our eyes be open to behold thee, the Supreme Beauty. Too late have we learned to love thee, and yet not too late, for thou art infinite in compassion and wonderful in all thy ways, and thou regardest not the sinner of yesterday, but the penitent and loving child who seeks thee now, prostrate at the feet of the ever-blessed Mediator. O dear God and Father, make us wholly thine! May we love no child, no creature, of thine, save in thee, O Thou who art infinitely lovely, the Beginning and End of all perfection! Let thy hand rest upon us! From thy hand none shall be able to pluck us! May we love thee! May we have this proof of thy love, and that thou hast called us, and that nothing henceforth shall be able to separate us from thee! So, Father, may we live and die! It is our prayer in Him who never did his own will, or sought his own glory. Amen.