Round me falls the evening gloom,
Sights and sounds all cease,
But within this narrow room
Night will bring no peace.

Other weary eyes may close,

All things seek their sleep;
Hither comes no soft repose,
I must wake and weep.
Come then, Jesus, o'er me bend,
Give me strength to cope
With my pains, and gently send
Thoughts of peace and hope.

Draw my weary heart away

From this gloom and strife, And these fever pains allay

With the dew of life;

Thou canst calm the troubled mind;
Thou its dread canst still;
Teach me to be all resigned
To my Father's will.

Then if I must wake and weep
All the long night through,
Thou the watch with me wilt keep,
Friend and Guardian true;

In the darkness Thou wilt speak

Lovingly with me,

Though my heart may vainly seek
Words to breathe to Thee.

Wheresoe'er my couch is made,
In thy hands I lie ;
And to Thee alone for aid
Turns my restless eye :
Let my prayer grow weary never,
Strengthen Thou th' oppressed,
In Thy shadow, Lord, for ever
Let me gently rest.

BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER.

THERE

`HERE should be no greater comfort to Christian persons than to be made like unto Christ by suffering patiently adversities, troubles, and sicknesses. For He Himself went not up to joy, but first He suffered pain; He entered not into His glory before He was crucified.

THIRTEENTH DAY.

Teachings of Sickness.

THOU hast dealt well with thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy word. Psalm cxix. 65-67.

It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word. I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant. Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live; for thy law is my delight.

Psalm cxix. 71-77.

I

We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. . . In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

Heb. v. 8, 10.

My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

...

Heb. xii. 5-7, II.

M. B. B.

UR Heavenly Father is evermore teaching

OURS

His children, not alone through His Word, His Church, and Sacraments, but by outward circumstances and inward experiences, by days of brightness and seasons of sorrow, bringing out from each, in turn, manifold lessons for such as with lowly watchful hearts are ever 'waiting upon God.'

But if this be so, surely He has special teaching for those on whom He, in His infinite wisdom, has seen fit to lay the cross of sorrow, sickness, or suffering. Those who have watched by the bedsides of the sick, as well as those who have had personal experience of pain and weakness, can abundantly testify to the merciful dealings of our compassionate Father at such times. His lessons to His afflicted children are varied, as are the different characters of those whom, by His loving discipline, He is chastening here, that He may fit them for those blessed mansions above, which He meanwhile is preparing for them.

Suffering, allied as it is in some mysterious way to sin, is also closely connected with the sanctification of the faithful. Christ, the true Vine, says of each living branch, 'He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.' Nor is it difficult to see how this may be, for the afflicted servant of Christ, drawn apart from the turmoil of the world, ever looking upward to his dear Lord's cross, watching