his bitter and shameful death on the cross for our sake. In this circumstance we behold a type of his glorious return to judge all the world at the last day, when all mysteries shall be made manifest, and a just and awful retribution upon sinners shall fully vindicate God's righteous dealings with his creatures.

The Proper Lessons for this season and till the commencement of Lent are taken from the prophecy of Isaiah, which was expressly reserved for this purpose. There is a close connection between the Epistle and the First Lesson,-both powerfully awakening us from the stupor of indifference or guilt, and calling loudly upon us to repent, and to cleanse ourselves from all sin in, as our Church teaches, the blood of our Redeemer. As this season is penitential preparatory to Christmas, as Lent is to Easter, the propriety of selecting this chapter will be manifest.

The Evening Lesson accords with the Gospel, and leads us to a contemplation of the enlarged and glorious state of the Church, the kingdom of the Messiah, upon his coming and calling all nations into it. Peace and happiness are promised to the faithful and humble followers of Christ, of every nation, Jew or Gentile; while, with promises of his first coming, most awful threatenings are denounced in his second against the wilfully disobedient, who shall at length tremble when it is too late, for the glory of his majesty, and for his rising "to shake terribly the earth."

66

ST. MATTHEW xxi. 5.

Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek and sitting upon an

ass."

PROFOUND and midnight darkness clothes the sky,

No welcome star shoots forth a cheerful ray;
The wind itself low hushed forgets to sigh,
And all is still, as life had passed away.

It is a solemn hour, and one that speaks
With solemn though with silent voice to all;
An hour which wakeful memory oft-times seeks
Forgotten errors sternly to recall.

Some sound th' attentive ear would gladly hail,
Till, scared awhile, sleep's balmy kiss again
Our eyelids lightly seals, and conscience pale
Seeks, like ourselves, a respite from her pain.

At such a moment should the bird of morn
His first shrill signal give of coming dawn,
We start, as though that signal spoke
Of death, of judgment, and awoke
The terrors that we once must view.

But evanescent is the thought,
Unwelcome to our senses brought,

Transient remorse as early dew.

Again in dull security we sleep,

And all alarm in glad oblivion steep.

And year by year the Church her call,
With duteous care and tender love,
Still utters to her sons- 66 Prepare
To meet your Saviour from above."
And year by year she calls in vain,
We hear her voice and partly wake;
But quickly lay us down again,

Up! rouse thyself, thou slumbering soul! Thy idols cast to bat and mole:

The Lord, the Lord is nigh!

Lay low each haughty look,

He comes the universe to shake,
To rend the melting sky;

The world to save, his own to make

Those who his rule forsook.

Go forth to meet the train,

That leads him into Salem's walls;

Join in the rapturous strain

Which cheers the meek, the proud appalls.

Each garment cast aside

That owns pollution's guilty hue;

From Him thou canst not hide

One secret fault: nor dare to strew
His path with verdant bough
If underneath those shining leaves

Lurk serpent sin; lest thou,

Like one who his death chaplet weaves,

Thy own destruction seal.
Gentle he is, as those sad tears,
O'er Judah shed, reveal;
But awful he in wrath appears.
See him with scourges drive
Those who his temple had defiled;
Beware thou then, and strive

Thy breast to cleanse from passion wild,
That it may be

From sin so free,

Fit dwelling for thy God it prove—
He comes! each stumbling-block remove.
"Cast up, cast up,"-lay darkness bare,
A highway for your God prepare.
Though lowly now he shall descend

To call the nations forth and blend
The attributes of Judge and Friend,
And truth with grace unite.
"Arouse!" the Church repeats her cry,
"Arouse!" the woods and vales reply,
The Lord our God himself is nigh-

Jehovah, Lord and Light.

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT.

Morning Lesson, Isaiah v.

Evening Lesson, Isaiah xxiv.

Epistle, Romans xv. 14.
Gospel, St. Luke xxi. 25.

COLLECT.

in

BLESSED LORD, who has caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that, by patience and comfort of Thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which Thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Christ, in his first advent, came to us in great humility to save the world; in his second he shall come in all the majesty of heaven to judge it. In the meantime, whilst the day of salvation yet lasts, that we may be truly benefited by the former, and prepared for the latter, we must carefully endeavour to secure his blessed and spiritual advent in our hearts. He has promised, and his promises are sure, that he will ever be present with his Church by his Spirit to the end of time, and to come and make his abode with those who shall love him.† It is by a * St. Matt. xxviii. 20. † St. John xiv. 23.

*