est, O LORD and teachest him in Thy

law.

That Thou mayest give him patience in time of adversity until the pit be digged up for the ungodly.

For the LORD will not fail His people: neither will He forsake His inheritance.

Until righteousness turn again unto judgment all such as are true in heart shall follow it.

Who will rise up with me against the wicked or who will take my part against the evil doers ?

:

If the LORD had not helped me it had not failed but my soul had been put to silence.

But when I said, My foot hath slipped: Thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

In the multitude of the sorrows that I had in my heart: Thy comforts have refreshed my soul.

Wilt Thou have anything to do with the stool of wickedness: which imagineth mischief as a law?

They gather them together against the soul of the righteous: and condemn the innocent blood.

But the LORD is my refuge and my GOD is the strength of my confidence.

He shall recompense them their wickedness, and destroy them in their own ma

lice: yea, the LORD our GOD shall déstroy

them.

Glory be to the FATHER, &c.
As it was in the beginning, &c.

MONDAY IN ADVENT.

"Bring forth fruits meet for repentance."S. Matt. iii. 8.

The coming of CHRIST is intimately connected with repentance. "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." And the essence of repentance consists in the love of GOD, and the hatred of sin. Without these essentials GOD does not pardon sin, nor is the Priest able to absolve the sinner. But the union of these two things forms in us that godly sorrow for the past, and that resolution, by Divine grace, of not offending GOD any more, which makes the reality of repentance. Moreover the sorrow should be life-long, and the resolution should be renewed at least every day.

But to dispose myself to repentance, let me consider its necessity. Let me think what sin does in the soul. If it be a deadly sin, it separates the soul from GOD, and de

prives it of His HOLY SPIRIT'S presence. And if this be my case, have I truly repented before GOD? Have I bewailed my sin, confessed it, and done penance for it? But even lesser sins, though they do not banish the HOLY SPIRIT from us, yet they are obstacles to the infusion of grace, and grieve the HOLY SPIRIT. The least wilful fault, the slightest permitted irregularity of affection, every inordinate passion unsubdued, all these disorder and check our spiritual life. To repent at all then, I must endeavour by God's grace to correct these evils, and to remove whatever obstructs the incoming of His SPIRIT. I must ask GoD to change my heart, to heal my wounds, to save me from my sins, and to make me whole. I must ask Him to increase my hunger and thirst for His righteousness, and to deepen in me the sense of my vileness and corruption, that I may more thoroughly throw myself upon the merits and advocacy of our blessed SAVIOUR. Moreover to co-operate with GOD in the work of repentance, I must dig deep into my heart till compunction flows forth like a stream from it. I must endeavour to attain that broken spirit, that sacrifice of contrition, which is the very soul of repentance, and the condition of justification and salvation. But from this groundwork of repentance I

am to go on, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance. Within, I must strive to put off the old man and to put on the new; to get the victory over sensual thoughts and feelings, and to have the mind of CHRIST in meekness, humility, and all graces and virtues. Without, I must practise fasting and mortification, alms and works of mercy, so far as I am able. And especially I purpose to sanctify this holy time by retrenchments on Friday, and at other times, that so by these and other means my soul may be more fit for the exercise of heavenly prayer, and may have a greater relish for spiritual things, and the consolations of the HOLY GHOST.

O come before me, ye penitents of GODPeter weeping bitterly; Paul proclaiming himself the chief of sinners; David asking for more and more cleansing; Magdalene kissing and anointing the feet of her SAVIOUR; the prodigal arising and going to his Father-and let me learn with you to sigh and groan, to wash me more and more in the bath of cleansing, to purify my heart continually by application to the sacred laver of JESUS's Blood, to disentangle my affections from all that is earthly and carnal, and thus to "bring forth fruits meet for repentance" by doing all to the glory of GOD and the praise of the holy Name of JESUS.

With you also let me join in thanksgiving. Let me never cease to bless Him, Who has blessed and enriched me with His boundless favours and treasures. Let me mingle with aspirations of gratitude, vehement desires, and invite my GOD and SAVIOUR to come into my heart, and to produce in me the tempers and dispositions which will make me meet to receive Him worthily.

And O Thou Spirit of Love, Divine Comforter, feed me with the grace of love, that I may give to JESUS love for love, and that nothing may bring to my soul such joy as the remembrance of what JESUS has done for me, and what He is to me!

O most loving FATHER, I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee! O that I had never offended Thee, my GOD and my all! but at least accept this my burning desire and wish from my inmost heart. While it is still the time of pity, look Thou upon me and be merciful unto me. Thou knowest that I desire to love Thee more than all that claims my love. Thou knowest that I trust in Thee, and offer Thee my heart, with the earnest prayer that it may be broken and contrite before Thee. Be pleased, O LORD, to accept it as a burnt sacrifice: I give it all to Thee, and with it I give Thee all my members, all I have, and all I am. O bring my soul out of