By Thine unknown sorrows, by the mysterious burden of the spiritual cross, by Thine agony and bloody sweat, Good Lord, deliver us. By Thy cross which Thou didst bear to Calvary, by Thy most precious death and passion, by the cleansing power of Thy blood, shed for sinners, Good Lord, deliver us. 6 We sinners do beseech Thee to hear us, that being dead unto sin, we may live unto righteousness ;' We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord. That we may be ready to endure hardness as good soldiers of the cross of Christ ;' We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord. That, forsaking the world, we may live only unto Thee; We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord. That we may be ready to give up all earthly blessings at Thy call, We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord. That our hearts may be wholly Thine in prosperity as in adversity; We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord. Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy will be Give us this Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. done in earth, As it is in heaven. day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen. CHRISTINA ROSSETTI. I BORE with thee long weary days and nights, Through many pangs of heart, through many tears; I bore with thee, thy hardness, coldness, slights, For three-and-thirty years. Who else had dared for thee what I have dared? I plunged the depth most deep from bliss above; I not My flesh, I not My spirit spared, Give thou Me love for love. For thee I thirsted in the daily drouth, I bore thee on My shoulders and rejoiced; Thee did nails grave upon My hands, thy name eyes; I, Holy One, put on thy guilt and shame, I, God, Priest, Sacrifice. A thief upon My right hand and My left; At length, in death, one smote My heart, and cleft Nailed to the racking cross, than bed of down So did I win a kingdom,-share My crown; THE spectacle of a suffering Redeemer is more potent over the hearts of men than that of the greatest conqueror or the wisest philosopher. At the foot of the cross, and there alone, is the problem of life adequately solved. While the mightiest empires decay and perish, the kingdom of the suffering Jesus endures throughout all generations. In every age men and women bring to Him their load of sorrows, and are at peace. I, IF I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. St. John xii. 32. SEVENTH DAY. The Burthen of Scruples. NOW I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For, behold, this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge. e! 2 Cor. vii. 9-11. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord: . . . That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phil. iii. 8-14. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil. iv. 6, 7. Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. I St. Peter v. 7, 8. ARCHBISHOP LEIGHTON. THE HE children of God, if they rightly take their Father's mind, are always disburdened of perplexing carefulness, but never exempted from diligent watchfulness. Thus we find here, they are allowed, yea, enjoined, to cast all their care upon their wise and loving Father, and are secured by His care. He takes it well that they lay all over on Him. He hath provided a sweet quiet life for them, could they improve and use it; a calm and firm condition in all the storms and |