Ye do not call in vain, O holy band;

Within my soul the echoing voice of faith Takes up the burden of our Lord's command And boldly cries, "There shall be no more death."-E. B.

Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to help and defend us, through Jesus Christ our Lord.-COLLECT FOR THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.

CHAPTER II.

THE MYSTERY OF SUFFERING.

Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy word. Psa. 119:67.

It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Thy statutes. Psa. 119: 71.

Lord, in trouble they have visited thee: they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. Isa. 26: 16.

PRECIOUS things of everlasting grace

And secret glory are revealed to eyes

That mourn the death of every earthly joy.-B. M.

The more our life is robbed of its joy and music, the more we feel the need of the kingdom of heaven.-BISHOP WILKINSON, "COMMUNION OF SAINTS."

But first by many a stern and fiery blast

The world's rude furnace must thy blood refine And many a gale of keenest woe be passed, Till every pulse beat true to airs divine,

Till every limb obey the mounting soul,

The mounting soul the call by Jesus given; He who the stormy heart can so control The laggard body soon will waft to heaven.

KEBLE.

A loss for ever new!

A void where heart on heart reposed,

And where warm hands have pressed and

closed,

Silence, till I be silent too.-TENNYSON.

Those who most loudly vaunt the joy of living know very well that this joy is of a terribly mingled character, and that death is more cruel in exact proportion to the happiness of the life which it crushes. It is Christ alone who teaches the joy of suffering, because it is he alone who pours into the soul a divine life which no pain can overwhelm, which trial only strengthens, and which can despise death, because it permits us to face death with the fulness of immortal hope.-LE PÈRE DIDON, DE L'ORDRE DE FRÈRES PRECHEURS.

Rejoice when thou dost see

God take thy things from thee;
Ay, the greater the loss

And the heavier the cross,

The greater the gain shall be;
When thy props are laid low
And friend turns to foe,
'Tis but because now

God seeth that thou

No longer on crutches must go!
Each here

Whom He setteth alone

He himself is most near.--ANON.

Is it true, O Christ in heaven,

That, whichever way we go,

Walls of darkness must surround us, Things we would but cannot know?

ΑΝΟΝ.

Then, fainting soul, arise and sing;
Mount, but be sober on the wing;
Mount up, for heaven is won by prayer;
Be sober, for thou art not there:

Till death the weary spirit free,

Thy God hath said, 'Tis good for thee
To walk by faith and not by sight.
Take it on trust a little while;

Soon shalt thou read the mystery right

In the full sunshine of his smile.--Keble.

"A day shall come when all things that are dark Will be made clear. Then shall I know, O

Lord,

Why in thy mercy thou hast stricken me."

"I became dumb, I opened not my mouth, for it was Thy doing." So says the Burial Psalm. So let us say likewise, "I became dumb," not with rage, not with despair, but because it was thy doing, and therefore it was done well.... It had a final cause, a meaning, a purpose, and that purpose is very good. What it is we know not, and we need not know. To guess at it would be indeed to meddle with matters too high for us. So let us be dumb-dumb, not from despair, but from faith... dumb like a child sitting at its mother's feet and looking up