O GOD, the King of Glory, who hast exalted Thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto Thy kingdom in heaven; we beseech Thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us Thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. This is called Expectation week, in allusion to the expectant state of the Apostles, who were waiting the fulfilment of that memorable promise of Christ, "If I go away I will send the Comforter to you;"and truly they needed such Comforter; for, however high hope might be, the loss of their Lord's visible presence was a severe trial. In like manner we ourselves require the consolation and aid of that Holy Spirit, without whom not even our best desires could be quickened into corresponding action. On this conviction the Collect is grounded. Whilst we rejoice in our Saviour's exaltation, we pray for the fulfilment of His promise that we may be comforted with His Spirit in this life, and be finally received into those blessed regions whither he has ascended, as He said, "to prepare a place for us." That this consummation of bliss may be ours, the Epistle, reminding us that we are living under the last dispensation of religion that will be granted to man, exhorts us to lead such lives, as tending to the glory of God, will ensure the reward of good stewardship to ourselves. That we should not be disheartened under the difficulties or dangers of our Christian course, the Gospel furnishes us with our Saviour's own gracious words of encouragement and consolation in the promise of the Holy Spirit, styled in this Gospel, the Comforter. The original word, Paraclete, has a treble signification-Comforter, Advocate, and Teacher, which holy offices he continues to perform for all the faithful disciples of Christ as formerly for the Apostles. A knowledge of the relationship in which He stands to us supposes an acquaintance with those duties which attach to usin all our troubles and afflictions we must listen to his consolations, and in patience rest upon the relief he affords us in the bitter hours of penitence we must trust in Him to plead our cause through the merits of Christ's death, and above all we must carefully attend to His holy suggestions, and faithfully obey the dictates of his will. The Proper Lessons continue, by the admonitions and cautions given to the Israelites for their conduct through the wilderness, to remind us of the duties attendant upon our spiritual journey through life, and to prepare us for the enjoyment of that heavenly land of promise into which the great Captain of our salvation has already entered. ST. JOHN XV. 26. When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. "I will not leave you comfortless," The holy Saviour said; "Let trouble ne'er your hearts oppress, And gracious was the promise given, To see, to hear the Lord of Heaven, To dwell in love where love e'er shone, And not to weep when he was gone, Oh! this were faith that none might shew Unless by him upheld: Their gentle Master felt their woe; The love that woe impelled. He called them by the tenderest name To human anguish known; And in the orphans' sacred claim Acknowledged them his own. For in that simple word alone How sad a tale is told Of wrongs that bid the young heart groan Of love for ever cold! Yes! bitter are the woes that wring But sorrow strikes her keenest sting Another friend we yet may meet, But never love again so sweet And he had said in years before, "Your orphans leave to me;" So now from pity's richest store They have beheld their Master rise In glory to his home, And heard from out the same bright skies That he again shall come. |