O Lord Jesus Christ, who after the sorrows of Thine earthly life didst rest Thy sacred body for three days in the tomb,

Grant me, I beseech Thee, to rest in Thee

here, and with Thee hereafter; for Thy merits and mercies' sake, who now livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

B. M.

Behold, bless

ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord!

Lo a band of pale

Yet joyful priests do minister around

The altar, where the lights are burning low,
In the breathless night. Each grave brow wears

the crown

Of sorrow, and each heart is kept awake

By its own restless pain; for these are they
To whom the night-watch is appointed. See!
They lift their hands, and bless God in the Night!
Whilst we are sleeping, those to whom the King
Has measured out a cup of sorrow, sweet
With His dear love, yet very hard to drink,
Are waking in His temple; and the eyes
That cannot sleep for sorrow or for pain
Are lifted up to heaven; and sweet low songs,
Broken by patient tears, arise to God.

Bless ye
the Lord, ye servants of the Lord,
Which stand by night within His holy place
To give Him worship! ye are priests to Him,
And minister around the altar, pale

THESE thorns are sharp, yet I can tread on

them,

This cup is loathsome, yet He makes it sweet, My face is steadfast toward Jerusalem,

My heart remembers it.

I lift the hanging hands, the feeble knees,

I, precious more than seven times molten gold,— Until the day when from His storehouses, God shall bring new and old;

Beauty for ashes, oil of joy for grief,

Garment of praise for spirit of heaviness.

Although to-day I fade as doth a leaf,
I languish and grow less,

Although to-day I walk in tedious ways,
To-day His staff is turned into a rod,
Yet will I wait for Him the appointed days,
And stay upon my God.

INt

SECOND DAY.

The Life of Peace.

that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever : for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength : Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.

Is. xxvi. 1-4, 12.

And when Jesus was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. St. Matt. viii. 23-27.

9

And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit and cried out : for they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased. St. Mark vi. 47-51.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you : not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. St. John xiv. 27.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

St. John xvi. 33.

T. V. FOSBERY.

PEACE is promised to those whose hearts are

stayed on God. 'Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.' What then is the nature of this possession so wonderfully bestowed and preserved to us by God Himself?-Peace is that settled, calm happiness

which is more quiet and lasting than joy-more noble and worthy than pleasure. Pleasure may make us for a time forget pain, and a passing joy may take for a moment the place of a passing sorrow, but peace is deeper than these. Search the heart in which true peace dwells, and you will find it reaching down to the centre of life itself; pleasure, pain, joy, sorrow, may come and go, but peace abides through all.

It is remarkable that in the books and in the talk of the men of this world you rarely find the word peace. They seem to have found the thing itself beyond their reach; the life of peace appears to them an impossible condition here. You sometimes hear them speak of a tranquil life, but that only means a freedom from external disturbances. Now, the peaceful life of a faithful Christian is not one always of outward quietness. It may be one of constant, busy employment; we have each of us our work to do, and much of this work may be fatiguing, troublesome, full of interruptions, distasteful in itself; and so we may lead anything but what the world means by a tranquil life, and yet it may be full of peace.

'There are, in this loud stunning tide

Of human care and crime,

With whom the melodies abide

Of th' everlasting chime;
Who carry music in their heart

Through dusky lane and wrangling mart,
Plying their daily task with busier feet,
Because their secret souls a holy strain repeat.'