and it must continue so now, for that word which we would not speak at once, we cannot now speak at all. We may sleep on, and take our rest; for the time when we might have served God, and the cause of His truth in this matter, is past.

R. C. TRENCH, Archbishop of Dublin.

CIV.-I TIMOTHY VI. 12.

FIGHTING the battle of Life!
With a weary heart and head;
For in the midst of the strife,
The banners of joy are fled ;-

Fled and gone out of sight,

When I thought they were so near,
And the music of hope this night
Is dying away on my ear.

Fighting the whole day long,
With a very tired hand,—

With only my armour strong—
The shelter in which I stand.

M

There is nothing left of me,

If all my strength were shown, So small the amount would be,

Its presence could scarce be known.

Fighting alone to-night,—
With not e'en a stander-by

To cheer me in the fight,

Or to hear me when I cry.

Only the Lord can hear,—
Only the Lord can see

The struggle within how dark and drear,
Though quiet the outside be.

Fighting alone to-night!

With what a sinking heart!—

Lord Jesus, in the fight,

Oh! stand not Thou apart!—

Body and mind have tried

To make the field my own;

But when the Lord is on my side
He doeth the work alone.

And when He hideth His face,
And the battle-clouds prevail,
It is only through His grace
That I do not utterly fail.

The word of old was true,

And its truth shall never cease,

"The Lord shall fight for you, And ye shall hold your peace."

Lord, I would fain be still

And quiet behind my shield; But make me to love Thy will, For fear I should ever yield.

Nothing but perfect trust,

And love of Thy perfect will, Can raise me out of the dust, And bid my fears be still.

Lord, fix my eyes on Thee,

And fill my heart with Thy love;

And keep my soul till the shadows flee, And the light breaks forth above.

CV.

"THIS is a hard saying, who can bear it?" were the words of some Disciples who heard, but understood not, the mystery of Christ's teaching, and who went back and walked no more with Him. And, verily, the hardness of an affliction ofttimes proves heavier to be borne than its weight, though it be crushing, or its point, though it be piercing. At times the rebellious heart says that it is undeserved, at times that it is not needful, at times that it was cruel-it makes the perceptive power of man, the measure of the wisdom of the Lord; it fain would make its feeling, His rule of action. We may feel grieved, we must never feel aggrieved by any dispensation of woe- -we grieve, and we submit - we are aggrieved, and we rebel.

He who thinks himself aggrieved by aught that God's hand hath done, shall hear from God's mouth the words, "Friend, I do thee

no wrong." No hard dealing comes from the hand of the Lord. It may be that the very hardness with which brightness is parted from, shows that we are wedded to brightness too much. Put from thee, then, all hard thoughts of God in this dark hour; what is too hard for flesh and blood, will be made easy by the working of the Holy Ghost. The Lord hath led the way; He exchanged the brightness of the Mount of transfiguration for the dark picture of a child torn of the Devil; He passed from the upper chamber, where He ate the Passover with His disciples, to the garden of Gethsemane, where they all forsook Him and fled.

REV. P. B. POWER.

CVI.-PSALM LXII. 5.

OH foolish heart, be still!
And vex thyself no more,
Wait thou for God, until

He opens pleasure's door;