But when he shows his hands and heart,
With those dear prints of dying smart,
He sets my soul on fire;

Not the beloved John could rest

With more delight upon that breast,

Nor THOMAS pry into those wounds with more intense desire.

Kindly he opens me his ear,

And bids me pour my sorrow there,

And tell him all my pains.

Thus while I ease my burdened heart,

In every woe he bears a part,

His arms embrace me, and his hand my drooping

head sustains.

WATTS.

SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST'S DAY.

DECEMBER 27.

COLLECT. Merciful Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy church, that it, being enlightened by the doctrine of thy blessed apostle and evangelist Saint John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to the light of everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Amen.

HYMN.

Among the planets heavenly bright,

Which round the Sun of glory shine;
No orb emits a purer light,

A holier radiance, JOHN, than thine.

Apostle thou of Christ the Lord;

Prophet of scenes to come decreed;
Historian of the incarnate Word;
Martyr in will, if not in deed.

Yet by another name we deem

Thy claim to high renown approved,
A name, of equal praise the theme,
"Disciple, by thy Master loved.”

P

Be ours to mark His portrait fair
Whom thy recording pencil drew;
Be ours to mark thy faithful care,
To his divine commandments true;

To note thy life; to see thee fling

The beams of sacred truth abroad;
And soar with thee on eagle wing,

And view unblamed the throne of God.

And may our faith, blest Saint, like thine
By love to God and man be proved;
That we in our degree may shine,
"Disciples by our Master loved."

BP. MANT.

ANOTHER.

Peter, seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. John xxi. 21, 22.

“Lord, and what shall this man do?”.

Ask'st thou, Christian, for thy friend?
If his love for Christ be true,

Christ hath told thee of his end.
This is he whom God approves ;
This is he whom Jesus loves.

Ask not of him more than this; ́
Leave it in his Saviour's breast,
Whether, early called to bliss,

He in youth shall find his rest,
Or armed in his station wait
Till his Lord be at the gate;

Whether in his lonely course,

(Lonely, not forlorn) he stay,
Or with love's supporting force
Cheat the toil and cheer the way;
Leave it all in his high hand,
Who doth hearts as streams command.*

Gales from heaven, if so He will,

Sweeter melodies can wake
On the lonely mountain rill,

Than the meeting waters make.
Who hath the Father and the Son,
May be left-but not alone.

Sick or healthful, slave or free,
Wealthy, or despised and poor ·
What is that to him or thee,

So his love to Christ endure?
When the shore is won at last,
Who will count the billows past?

*The king's heart is in the hand of the water; he turneth it whithersoever he will.

Lord as the rivers of
Prov. xxi. 1.

Only, since our souls will shrink
At the touch of natural grief,
When our earthly loved ones sink,
Lend us, Lord, thy sure relief;
Patient hearts, their pain to see,
And thy grace, to follow thee.

KEBLE.