than I feel my discomforts; let them see in me the fruit of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, gratitude; and so let them glorify Thee in me. Lord, I would do Thee honour on my bed. I cannot labour for Thee; yet let me not dishonour Thee. I must lie still; but, while I lie, grant me to show such a spirit of thankful submission as shall bring honour to Thy name. Even for this I must ask; and for this also I will give thanks.

O my Father, keep me from unthankfulness. Should my pains increase, yet make me patient, submissive, thankful. If I should not offer Thee thanks and praise, then I should dishonour Thee. Preserve me from this! Make me and keep me thankful; help me always to praise Thee. Open my eyes, to see mercy and love in Thy dealings. For every moment's ease, for every hour's sleep, for all amendment, for the kind hands that minister to me, for the gentle words spoken to me, for every text that comes to my mind, for every thought of Thee and of Thy love, my God, give me thankfulness of heart; and may my thankfulness towards

Thee appear in all my conduct towards those around me. May grateful love to Thee lead me to be thankful and loving to all. Thus give me grace to honour Thee before men.

CHAPTER XVI.

A RELAPSE.

"The needy shall not alway be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever."-Psalm ix. 18.

I THOUGHT I was on the road to recovery; for every day I was a little better, and my strength was returning. But to-day I am not so well; old symptoms have returned; a disturbed night gives me a bad day; I have gone back, I have had a relapse.

I am disappointed. But I will not give way to the feeling. Is my God changed? Has He left off caring for me? Does He not love me still? And is He not still almighty, able to do all things for me? Is He not just the same, and the same towards me, as He was when all was going on so well? Yes, I know He is. And all is still going on well, for I am still in His hand, and He

is ordering all. This relapse is as much His will as the improvement was: let me take it from Him, and never doubt that He appoints it in unchanging wisdom and love.

Those words come come to my mind with comfort, "The needy shall not alway be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever." I am poor and needy, for I have no resources of my own, I cannot make myself better. But I had a hope, an expectation; I thought God was going to make me well; I looked to Him, and prayed to Him, and expected His mercy; and when I felt a little better every day, I thought my expectation was coming true, and I felt full of gratitude and hope. Now I have received a check. Nevertheless "the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever; if it seems to have perished for the time, it has not really perished; and certainly it has not perished for ever. I cling in humble hope and trust to those words, "not for ever; and they comfort me.

O my God and Father, may I take them. to myself? Thou, Who hast caused them

to be written in Thy book, hast Thou written them for me, dost Thou speak them to me, may I make them my own? Thou knowest how poor I am, poor in every way, poor in resources, poor in spirit, unworthy, low, and inclined to be depressed; but my Saviour said, "Blessed be ye poor," and "Blessed are the poor in spi.it." Oh, give me Thy blessing now, bless me as Thou seest best, show me some token for good, revive my hope and my expectation, for my expectation is from Thee alone.

conside comfort, forgotten

And if I Father, and can I want ? This little rela it; and and if it dependence on it will prove

on

I will not be disa will thank the L I will hope in the Lo When the woman cried to our Lord for answered her not a w speak spoke in such a ground all her hopes, nearer to Him and plead earnestly; and then what Woman, great is thy fait even as thou wilt.' Saviour is mine, and E near to the Father by H Thy dear Son's sake, h

"The needy shall not alway be forgotten." Oh no, I am never forgotten; and especially in my need God does not forget me. It is not because I was forgotten that this drawback came, not because God neglected my case, and left me to myself. No, my God, Thou wilt never do that. Thou Who art infinite and almighty, Thou Who rulest the universe, Thou dost still remember me, even me. Here, in this room, lying alone, on this bed, poor and needy and helpless, and quite unworthy of Thy care, I am cared for by Thee, and Thou dost look upon me, and