word of God, surrender yourselves to it, as if for eternity, with a full purpose of will to retain it in your mind, and to order your life according to it; and let it sink down right deep into your heart as into an eternity. If afterward it should come to pass that you let it slip, yet the love and aspiration which once really existed live forever before God, and in Him ye shall find the fruit thereof; that is, to all eternity it shall be better for you than if you had never felt them.

What we can DO is a small thing; but we can will and aspire to great things. Thus, if a man cannot be great, he can be good in will; and what he, with his whole heart and mind, love and desire, wills to be, that without doubt he most truly is. It is little we can bring to pass, but our will and desire may be large. Nay, they may grow till they lose themselves in the infinite abyss of God.

JOHN TAULER.

THOU, O Elder Brother, who
In thy flesh our trial knew,

Thou, who hast been touched by these
Our most sad infirmities, –

Change the dream of me and mine

For the truth of Thee and Thine,
And, through chaos, doubt, and strife,
Interfuse thy calm of life!

If I may not, sin-defiled,

Claim my birthright as a child,
Suffer it that I to Thee

As a hired servant be;

Let the lowliest task be mine,
Grateful, so the work be Thine.
If there be some weaker one,
Give me strength to help him on;
If a blinder soul there be,

Let me guide him nearer Thee.
Make my mortal dreams come true
With the work I fain would do;
Clothe with life the weak intent;
Let me be the thing I meant ;

Let me find in Thy employ
Peace that dearer is than joy;
Out of self to love be led
And to heaven acclimated,

Until all things sweet and good

Seem my natural habitude.

J. G. WHITTIER.

THOU knowest our bitterness,

our joys are thine,

No stranger Thou to all our wanderings wild : Nor could we bear to think how every line

Sweet repose

Of us, Thy darkened image and defiled, Stands in full sunshine of Thy piercing eye, But that Thou callest us brethren! Is in that word: the Lord who dwells on high Knows all, yet loves us better than He knows.

KEBLE.

THE TRUE LIGHT.

O Jesus! Light of all below,
Thou Fount of life and fire,
Surpassing all the joys we know,

All that we can desire, —

Stay with us, Lord! and with Thy light
Illume the soul's abyss ;

Scatter the darkness of our night,

And fill the world with bliss.

SAINT BERNARD