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The first faint dawn from ruin'd Eden rose,
And glimmer'd round the solitary ark,
And lighted up Moriah's sacrifice,

And shed its warmth on Jacob's dying couch,
And bathed the blood-stain'd mercy-seat

love;

The eastern heavens were flush'd with rr gleams;

It woke the minstrel shepherd, and his hand,
Obedient to the gladness, struck his harp,
"Joy cometh in the morning ;" and the words
Thereafter lived in song. Isaiah's soul
Glow'd with the coming glory, and his page
Caught the far splendours of the orient clouds
And plaintive Jeremy look'd up and smiled;
And rapt Ezekiel breathed his hopes in fire.
A deeper shade is glooming on the hills;
A livelier amber brightens in the sky
And broadens, till the Sun of Righteousness
Rises at last with healing in His wings.

Thus on their path they communed, till t
reach'd

The lowly wicket, and their urgent plea,
66 Day is far spent, abide with us," prevail'd.
The lamp is lighted o'er the simple board;
And there is silence for a space: but lo,
The Stranger takes the bread and blesses it
And breaks and like a dream the veil is rent,
Which hid their Lord and Master from their gaze.
It is His eye, His hand, His voice, Himself.
Fain had they fallen at His feet, and fain
Clung to Him as of old: it may not be ;
His place is empty, but His love is there,
A calm abiding Presence in their hearts.

O Jesu, Saviour, hear our cry. We too
Are weary travellers on life's rough path.
And Thou art still unchangeably the same.
Come, Lord, to us and let us walk with Thee:
Come and unfold the words of heavenly life,
Till our souls burn within us, and the day
Breaks, and the Day-star rises in our hearts.
Yea, Lord, abide with us, rending the veil
Which hides Thee from the loving eye of faith,
Dwell with us to the world's end evermore,
Until Thou callest us to dwell with Thee.

TUESDAY IN EASTER WEEK.

:

Lessons 2 Kings xiii. 14-22; St. John xxi. 1-15; Ezek. xxxvii. 1-15.; St. John xxi. 15-25.

Epistle: Acts xiii. 26-42. Gospel: St. Luke xxiv. 35-49.

THE COLLECT.

ALMIGHTY God, who through Thy only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech Thee, that, as by Thy special grace preventing us Thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by Thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

"Lovest thou Me?" "Lord, Thou knowest all things;
Thou knowest that I love Thee."-St. John xxi. 15, 17.
From the guiding star that led
Sages to the manger bed;
From the God incarnate press'd
To the mother-maiden's breast;
From the labours humbly plied
Day by day at Joseph's side;
From the sacred lessons learn'd
When the lamp of evening burn'd,—
Steals the voice persuasively
"Lovest thou, yea lovest Me?"

From the Holy Dove who came
Through the azure heavens like flame;
From the fast, the foughten strife;
From the victory of life;

From the happy homes that smiled,
Parent heal'd and rescued child;

From the health that play'd again
On the cheek long worn with pain,—
Still there sounds unweariedly
"Lovest thou, yea lovest Me?"
From the mingled glow and gloom
Of the Paschal upper room;
From the deepening shades that fell
Over Kedron's awful dell;

From the blood-stain'd pathway trod
By the fainting Son of God;
From the woes to us unknown,
Bitter cross, and sealèd stone,-
Ever comes persistently

"Lovest thou, yea lovest Me?"
From the dawn of Easter light
Breaking on the world's long night; ·
From the glories lingering yet
On the brow of Olivet;

From the rapturous angel-songs;
From the Pentecostal tongues;
From the voice divinely sweet
At the golden mercy-seat,-
Pleads, and pleads victoriously,
"Lovest thou, yea lovest Me?"

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Lord, Thou knowest through and through All I am and say and do,

All the daily wants that press,

All my hourly waywardness,

All my conflicts, crosses, cares,

Feeble praises, struggling prayers ;—
Yet Thou knowest, Lord, that I
Fain for Thee would live, would die ;
Surely Thou, who knowest me,
Knowest, Master, I love Thee."

G

THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. Lessons: Num. xvi., xvii. I-12; 1 Cor. xv. I—29; St. John xx. 24-30.

Epistle: I John v. 4-13. Gospel: St. John xx. 19-24.

THE COLLECT.

ALMIGHTY Father, who hast given Thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification; Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may alway serve Thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same Thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"Then the same day at evening. . . came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when He had so said, He showed them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you."-St. John

XX. 19-21.

He liveth, who was dead :

The bars of hell are riven :

The gloom of centuries is fled,

The light hath dawn'd from heaven.

Among His own He stands,

Oh why those faithless fears?

He shows His side and feet and hands,
And dries the fount of tears.

Peace, blessed peace, first sung
By angels at His birth,

Now drops melodious from His tongue,
Like balm for all the earth.

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