EPHESIANS V. 15, 16. See then that ye walk circumspectly; not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time. O YEAR! thy course is nearly run, Enshrined in clouds the sickly sun Cold heavy rains and winds that chill The pensive red-breasts feebly trill The gay and laughing hours are gone, The few remaining flowers are wan— The shrivelled foliage in the dust Or borne aloft by sudden gust Light fleecy clouds no more are seen, And saddest most when most serene, The misty eve draws nigh. The very air is sad, and sad Is all on which we gaze; Ah! how unlike the season glad When Summer shed its rays! But Wisdom has ordained that all Should man a lesson teach; And these dull sounds are nature's call, Designed his heart to reach. Hear, hear the solemn voice, and heed The awful truth it speaks "So quickly doth existence speedSo life's last morning breaks.” Oh! let us then the night beware And so our hearts for death prepare, The strain of Heaven we then may sing When newborn worlds arise, For ever clothed with verdant spring, With ever smiling skies. TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Morning Lesson, Habakkuk ii. Epistle, Ephes. vi. 10. COLLECT. GRANT, we beseech Thee, merciful Lord, to Thy faithful people pardon and peace; that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve Thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord.— Amen. "There is none that doeth good, no, not one," is the assertion of the Psalmist, and who is he whose conscience does not upbraid him for offences committed, or duties neglected, that he can contradict it? But not the reprobate only, the unbeliever, or the wilful transgressor is included in this condemnation; even the "faithful people" of God have great and bitter need to implore "pardon and peace." Hence we are taught in this Sunday's comprehensive and admirable Collect, to pray that we, who are advanced in our Christian course, may be cleansed from all our sins, that so we may be enabled to serve God with a "quiet mind," through Him whose blood alone can wash away sin, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The blessing of a quiet mind, and its absolute necessity for the performance of our duty, is fully apparent, if we reflect on the horrors of conscience and the distraction caused by fear, contrasted with the calm arising from the hope of forgiveness. As the one incapacitates us from every exertion, so the other infuses life into our endeavours, and is a pledge and foretaste of eternal felicity. They, however, who would secure this blessing, are shown in the Epistle that they must act as warriors against the foes that assail them, putting on the whole armour of God, and being ever watchful at their post; for whilst all needful assistance is promised to them who diligently co-operate with divine grace, nothing will be granted to the slothful and negligent. To render these divine weapons fully efficacious, we must, according to the Apostle's injunctions, add constant and earnest prayer, the success of which is forcibly shown us in the Gospel, which records the healing of the nobleman's son by our compassionate Lord and Saviour, at the earnest intercession of the father. The singularly beautiful Chapter appointed for the Morning Lesson, cannot be heard with indifference; nor, unless we are wilfully ignorant, can we fail to make its proper application to ourselves. It is indeed so plain, that "he that runneth may read it," and reading, understand. Woe is pronounced against iniquity, and woe will certainly |