Lord, give us grace, we beseech Thee, to hear and obey Thy voice which saith to every one of us "This is the way, walk ye in it." Nevertheless, let us not hear it behind us saying, This is the way; but rather before us saying, Follow me. When Thou puttest us forth, go before us; when the way is too great for us, carry us; in the darkness of death, comfort us; in the day of resurrection, satisfy usAmen.

Christina G. Rossetti.

B

Thou Thyself, O Lord, the Sanctifier and the Shepherd of Thy people, that we who are strengthened by Thy help, may, in our daily life, walk with Thee, and in all quietness of spirit serve Thee, through Jesus Christ our Master-Amen.

Roman Breviary.

Ford, I offer unto Thee all my sins and offences, which I have committed before Thee, from

the day wherein I first could sin even to this hour; that Thou mayest consume and burn them, one and all, with the fire of Thy love, and do away all the stains of my sins, and cleanse my conscience from all offences, and restore to me Thy grace, fully forgiving me all, and admitting me mercifully to the kiss of peace. I offer up also unto Thee all that is good in me, though it be very small and imperfect, in order that Thou mayest amend and sanctify it, that Thou mayest make it grateful and acceptable unto Thee, and always be perfecting it more and more; and bring me also, slothful and unprofitable poor creature as I am, to a good and blessed endAmen.

Thomas à Kempis.

Shou, O my God, art ever new, though Thou art the most ancient. Thou alone art the food

for eternity. I am to live for ever; not for a time-and I have no power over my being; I must live on, with intellect and consciousness for ever, in spite of myself. Without Thee eternity would be another name for eternal misery. In Thee alone have I that which can stay me up for ever; Thou alone art the food of my soul. Thou alone art inexhaustible, and ever offerest to me something new to know, something new to love. And so on for eternity I shall ever be a little child beginning to be taught the rudiments of Thy infinite Divine nature. For Thou art Thyself the seat and centre of all good, and the only substance in this universe of shadows, and the heaven in which blessed spirits live and rejoice-Amen.

John Henry Newman.

God, our true Life, in whom and by whom all things live, Thou commandest us to seek Thee, and art ready to be found; Thou biddest us knock, and openest when we do so. To know Thee is life, to serve Thee is freedom, to enjoy Thee is a kingdom, to praise Thee is the joy and happiness of the soul. I praise, and bless, and adore Thee, I worship Thee, I glorify Thee, I give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory. I humbly beseech Thee to abide with me, to reign in me, to make this heart of mine a holy temple, a fit habitation for Thy Divine majesty. O Thou Maker and Preserver of all things, visible and invisible! keep, I beseech Thee, the work of Thine own hands, who trusts in Thy mercy alone for safety and protection. Guard me with the power of Thy grace, here and in all places, now and at all times, forevermore-Amen.

St. Augustine (354-430).

Thou, who hast taught us to seek first Thy kingdom and its righteousness, teach me to say, "Thy will be done" before I say, "give me my daily bread." Teach me to accept Thy will as the foundation of my happiness, and other things as only its superstructure. I am more afraid of the hunger of the body than of the hunger of the spirit. Convince me that it would not profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul. Show me that it is only the possession of my soul that makes the possession of the world any gain. Impress me with the truth that no thing can give me joy, if I myself am not already joyful. Inspire me with the knowledge that the issues of life are not from without but from within. Guide me into the discovery that the pleasures at Thy right hand are the only things that are "pleasures for evermore"-Amen.

George Matheson.