ST. JAMES'S DAY. Ye shall drink indeed of my cap, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. St. Matthew xx. 23. SIT down and take thy fill of joy At God's right hand, a bidden guest, Thou readest all thy Saviour meant, "Seek ye to sit enthron'd by me? "Alas! ye know not what ye ask, "The first in shame and agony, "The lowest in the meanest task "This can ye be? and can ye drink "The cup that I in tears must steep, "Nor from the whelming waters shrink "That o'er me roll so dark and deep ?” "We can-thine are we, dearest Lord, « In glory and in agony, "To do and suffer all Thy word; Only be Thou for ever nigh.”"Then be it so-my cup receive, "And of my woes baptismal taste : "But for the crown, that angels weave "For those next me in glory plac'd, "But in my Father's book are writ "What names on earth shall lowliest prove, "That they in Heaven may highest sit." Take up the lesson, O my heart; Thou Lord of meekness, write it there, If ever on the mount with Thee With thoughts of coming agony a Stay Thou the too presumptuous flight: Gently along the vale of tears Lead me from Tabor's sunbright steep, Let me not grudge a few short years With Thee tow'rd Heaven to walk and weep: Too happy, on my silent path, If now and then allow'd, with Thee "Come see thy place prepar'd in Heaven.” a St. Matthew xvii. 12. "Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them." This was just after the Transfiguration. ST. BARTHOLOMEW. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. St. John i. 50. HOLD up thy mirror to the sun, So perfectly the polish'd stone Gives back the glory of his rays: Turn it, and it shall paint as true Our mirror is a blessed book, Where out from each illumin'd page We see one glorious Image look All eyes to dazzle and engage, The Son of God: and that indeed We see him as He is, we know, Since in the same bright glass we read Eye of God's word! where'er we turn Who that has felt thy glance of dread Can doubt what spirit in thee dwells? "What word is this? Whence know'st thou me?" All wondering cries the humbled heart, "The position before us is, that we ourselves, and such as we, are the very persons whom Scripture speaks of and to whom, as men, in every variety of persuasive form, it makes its condescending though celestial appeal. The point worthy of observation is, to note how a book of the description and the compass which we have represented Scripture to be, possesses this versatility of power; this eye, like that of a portrait, uniformly fixed upon us, turn where we will." Miller's Bampton Lectures, p. 128. |