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I will think also of all Thy works : and my talking shall be of Thy doings. Thy way, O GOD, is holy great a God as our GOD?

who is so

Thou art the GOD that doest wonders: and hast declared Thy power among the people.

Thou hast mightily delivered Thy people: even the sons of Jacob and Joseph.

The waters saw Thee, O GOD, the waters saw Thee and were afraid : the depths also were troubled.

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The clouds poured out water, the air thundered and Thine arrows went abroad. The voice of Thy thunder was heard round about the lightnings shone upon the ground; the earth was moved, and shook withal.

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Thy way is in the sea, and Thy paths in the great waters: and Thy footsteps are not known.

Thou leddest Thy people like sheep : by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Glory be to the FATHER, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

35

FRIDAY IN ADVENT.

"And after this the judgment."—Heb. ix. 27. Forasmuch as to every one living it is appointed once to die, so shall every one come to judgment,-to that inevitable hour when the secrets of all hearts shall be made bare, and our sentence passed for ever. The Prophet Daniel was permitted to see CHRIST on His seat of judgment, which appeared as a throne of fire, to set forth the terribleness of His wrath against the wicked: and S. John also saw Him on a most pure white throne, to represent His infinite wisdom and purity, His clemency and mercy. Before this throne, and before that most Holy and Righteous Judge, must my soul appear, Satan at my side seeking to have me condemned, and my guardian angel on the other side contending against him, even as we read in the Prophet Zechariah. How will it be with me, then?

O most just Judge and merciful FATHER, I confess that I am through my sins unworthy and altogether unclean; but O LORD, do Thou wash me and whiten me with the living water of Thy grace, and grant that when I come to stand before Thy

great white throne, the devil may have no power over me, but Thy Angel may protect me, Thy mercy receive me, and Thy justice crown me. Amen.

From that awful throne will come forth my sentence. If it be a sentence of condemnation-"Depart from Me"—then immediately will the miserable soul be forsaken of GOD; the good Angels can no longer watch over it, but sorrowfully leave it, saying, as of Babylon, " We would have healed her, but she is not healed; forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country. . . . Thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness."

O Judge most just and holy, yet most loving and pitiful, have mercy on me; and when Thou comest to judgment, cast me not forth into outer darkness! Teach me so to judge myself now, that I be not condemned in that awful day.

But if the sentence be that blessed and

joyful one, "Enter thou into the joy of thy LORD," then behold Satan fly away defeated, and the Angels making haste triumphantly to carry the happy soul into heaven, even as they bare Lazarus into Abraham's bosom. O what joy shall the soul have in that her perfect blessedness! That which was before full of sorrows, humbled with contempt, and troubled with

fears, in a moment shall see herself far otherwise; all her pain turned into glory, and her mourning into rejoicing; in the company of Angels, in a place of repose, and fulfilled for ever with the vision of her GOD. Each one of us shall be judged as we die, but further there will be the final judgment, when all men shall rise again and come from every quarter to stand before the Judge in their bodies, and all nations and all people shall be gathered together. In that day all shall fear, when they see so awful a sight; but the holy and good shall "lift up their heads, because their redemption draweth near;" while the wicked, who were afraid even where no fear was, shall tremble and be very greatly terrified. Then a great and terrible fire shall burn up the earth; and therefore, O my soul, is there good reason why thou shouldest learn not to care for the fashion of this world which passeth away, and which at last shall be burned up even as chaff in the flames. Remember then, call frequently to mind, how thou shalt be summoned by that inevitable trumpet of the Archangel, and prepare thyself for it. Obey now the voice of Almighty GOD, Who saith to thee, “Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and CHRIST shall give thee light." Consider that whereas now, CHRIST thy LORD

comes into thy heart in gentleness and meekness, then He will come terrible in judgment. O my SAVIOUR, very just is it that Thy Second Coming should discover that glory which at Thy First Coming Thou didst conceal. Grant me, O LORD, to imitate Thy humility in Thy First Coming, that I may be permitted to see Thy glory when Thou shalt come again to judge the world.

O most sweet JESUS, by all those Thy precious Wounds, which shall be seen of all men when Thou comest to judgment, I beseech Thee give me pardon and peace. Give me wings like a dove, to fly away from the dangers and temptations of the world, and hide me, ever mourning for my sins, in the shadow of that Cross, which Thou didst bear for me: and so grant me in the day of judgment, boldly to look upon Thy Cross and Thy Wounds, by which my salvation cometh, and through them admit me to Thy glory. Amen.

O my soul, choose ever in this life a low place among men, that at the Day of Judgment CHRIST may give thee a high place among the Angels. Make no account of the right hand or left hand that thou hast in this world, but of that which thou shalt have in the tribunal of CHRIST, and endeavour to live with such purity and holiness that

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