from them every beginning of evil. Nor let us make the effort to resist temptation in our own unaided strength, but trusting to the assistance of thy heavenly grace.

O Lord, as the night has gathered round us, so do shadows and darkness veil the light of thy countenance from thy children's eyes. Yet grant us to commit ourselves calmly to rest, knowing that thou, though unseen, watchest over us. May we rise in safety with another day, consoled, refreshed and strengthened, for the duties to which it calls us. So, too, may every shadow of distress pass from us, and the light of happiness shine upon our path; and at length, when the last shade shall gather, grant us, O God, to sink submissively and peacefully to rest, and to rise accepted in the image of our God when the light of eternity shall dawn upon us. We offer these our petitions, O Lord, as a united though suffering family of thy children, in the name of thy blessed Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, ascribing unto thee, our heavenly Father, glory and blessedness foreverAmen.

more.

XXXII.

The True Rest.

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast bid

these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes.

Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.

All things are delivered to me by my Father; and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

BLESSED art thou, O God, our great Preserver and Benefactor, our Father in heaven. Another day closes upon us in the midst of countless mercies. Throughout its various scenes, at home and abroad, thou hast been with us in thy providential care. In every joy it has brought, in every success we have met, in every act of kindness we have experienced; in the air we have breathed, in the food which has nourished us, in the occupations which have exercised our minds and bodies, in our continued health, in the comforts and endearments of home; we acknowledge thee, and gratefully adore thy love. And above all, in the advent, mission and ministry, of thy Holy Child Jesus, our Redeemer, Saviour and Lord; in the precious revelation he has made of thee as a Father; in his great sacrifice for our sins; in all that he taught and all that he suffered, that he might bring us into living communion with thyself, save us

from the power and degradation of sin, and prepare us for death and judgment.

Hear our prayer, O God, that we may come to him who is the only true rest for our souls. Through his grace may we break the hard yoke of our passions, and leave the heavy burden of our sins, and learn of him who was meek and lowly, whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. Weary and heavy-laden, may we find in him a peace which the world cannot give and cannot take away.

Before we lie down to rest, we would commune with thee, and with our own souls. We would lay open to thee, and examine for ourselves, our own hearts. In the review of the day, we humble ourselves before thee. Thou hast not been to us a conscious, cherished abiding presence, and therefore we have sinned. The fear of God has not always been before our eyes, and therefore we have forgotten and broken thy holy law. Truly we have done those things which we ought not to have done, and have left undone those things which we ought to have done. Forgive us, we beseech thee, for thine own mercy's sake, as thou hast promised by thy Son; and may the sweet assurance of thy pardon take possession of our hearts, and give us abiding peace. We would retire to our chambers at peace with thee, at peace with the world, at peace with our own souls.

Watch over us, O God, this night; and protect us and our habitation, and all who are dear to us, while

we sleep. And should another day dawn upon us, may we awake in safety, with minds and bodies refreshed, ready to go forth to our respective duties, and faithfully serve thee and our fellow-men.

Which we ask in the name and as the disciples of Jesus Christ, our most blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

XXXIII.

The Bread of Life.

And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

But I said to you, That ye also have seen me, and believe

not.

All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise reject.

For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me.

And this is the Father's will who hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one who seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life : and I will raise him up at the last day.

ALMIGHTY GOD, our heavenly Father, who daily loadest us with benefits; we would come to thee at the close of this day to express our grateful sense of thy great and manifold mercies.

At home and abroad, in our several ways and amid varied exposures, thou hast kept us from dangers and from death. Thou hast continued to us the use of our powers and faculties, and enabled us to go through the toils required by duty and necessity without injury to mind or body. Thy bounty has supplied our wants. Thy loving hand has tenderly smoothed for us the rough and thorny paths. In thee we have found an unfailing support, when, wearied and fainting, we had felt our own strength insufficient to our need. Most humbly and fervently we thank thee, O God, for these and all the manifestations of thy unmerited goodness.

And now that we are about to retire to our rest, we would beseech thee to continue to bless us, and to take care of us. If in the day that has just past we have been successful in our endeavors to control our tempers, appetites and passions, wilt thou accept this as a proof of our sincere desire to abstain from what is evil, and by thy grace confirm and fortify within us the same holy resolution, so that on the morrow we may begin again the like efforts of self-government with yet greater zeal. If we have tried to be of use to any of our fellow-beings, to do them good, to lighten their burdens and assuage their griefs, O Father, do thou crown what we have imperfectly attempted with thine own efficacious blessing. May the happiness of others become yet dearer to our hearts with each succeeding day.