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in the Epistle in what way we make manifest our inheritance: by "goodness, righteousness, truth." These are no negative qualities, but the very oriflamme of our warfare. Quicken your desires for the fruits of the Spirit, make still clearer your decision to stand with Christ; for He says "he that is not with Me is against Me."

The Spirit of God is stronger than our weak nature. He comes to us by the measure of our desire. He takes possession of all our qualities, mind, manners, actions, if we will to have it so. The right hand of His Majesty is as "a strong man armed," and in His defense we are at peace.

O merciful God, by whose fatherly love we are helped in our infirmities, take us under the shadow of Thy wings, guard us against our spiritual enemies, and let not any evil thing approach to hurt us.

Thou willest not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live. Turn us, O Lord, and we shall be turned. We hear and accept Thy most loving invitation: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you!"

And yet even as we hear, even as we accept, we feel within us ignoble tendencies and lower aims. We are not free, we are often bound with the yoke of our evil desires. Look upon us in mercy, search our hearts, and leave no wicked thing in us.

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Deliver us from pride and passion, from folly and self-love, from poor companionships, false customs, irreverent and uncharitable thoughts, and all the powers of darkness.

Grant us refreshing sleep, and may we wake to love Thee more and serve Thee better.

THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT Collect. Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that

we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of Thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Epistle. Gal. iv. 21.

Gospel. St. John vi. 1.

Refection Sunday-the Sunday of Grace. The sense of forgiveness, of reconciling love is about the lessons of the day. "Why will ye die? I have no pleasure in the death of the sinner, but that he should live," saith the Lord. The Law declared by Moses convicts us of sin, and by that sense of sin we are brought to Christ, in whom is grace and truth.

We are no longer under bondage, the cramped conditions are relieved; the sins that hampered us are not even brought to mind; we sit in the green pasture and are fed by God's bounty, beyond what we can ask or think. "They filled twelve baskets with what remained over and above unto them that had eaten." We are in the beautiful meadow with the Master, not in the barren wilderness. The sea and the sky make the setting, and, as those weary with sustained labour, we lay our burdens by, and gather round the Master's feet. We have the ennobling feeling of community with those about us, the gladsome

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sense of "Household love." In vision we see the poor, the wicked, the hungry as scattered sheep. Have we not shared in their transgression, their poverty and their grief? Oh, that we might share the blessed relief that is ours at this moment with them, and show how royally the Master entertains His guests. "Freely ye have received, freely give. Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me."

O Lord and Giver of Life, who hast revealed Thyself unto us as the God of Love, lead us into the secret places of Thy Holiness. We are not worthy of this Thy grace, but our worthiness can only come from Thee. As we examine our past we find sad laxity of effort, negligence of duty, and feebleness of purpose. We have prayed-we have not always watched unto prayer; we have made our vows unto Thee—and we have forgotten them; we have had holy visions-and they have been dimmed by dullness and indifference. Grant us a due scorn of this faltering, unprofitable religion, that we may seek, as those seek who attain, the Grace of perseverance.

Help us all to realize that we live not to ourselves; so may we not be of those who scatter, when they might gather, but give us unity of effort. Grant us to abide continually near unto Thee, and so nearer to each other.

THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT

Collect.

We beseech Thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon Thy people; that by Thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Epistle. Heb. ix. 11.

Gospel. St. John viii. 46.

Passion Sunday. The long shafts of light from the crimson dawn of suffering touch our Lord's head, and we see Him stand as the typical Son of Man. Before Abraham was, through the eternal Spirit, He offered Himself unto God. In Him we reckon ourselves to be God's people, and beseech that God may govern and preserve us evermore. Our Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. "The body of the Lord preserve thy body and soul evermore.'

The mystery of the Incarnation holds in it the mystery of Personality. It is not the words of my friend, but the man behind the words that holds communion with me, and gives me of his faith, his knowledge, his power. So the Lord and giver of Life stands behind all signs and symbols of Himself, and His personality gives significance to every creation. The growth of personality among created things is the history of evolution, the last and greatest development.