O Lord our God, our Light, and our Life, make us to know ever more and more that our true and eternal blessedness is in the knowledge and the love of Thee, and do Thou of Thy great mercy come, according to Thy promise, and dwell with us, and keep us evermore in true communion with Thee, and grant that we may increase in the knowledge of Thee, and in the love of Thee, and in obedience to Thy blessed word and will, that Thou mayest be our hope, our safety, and our comfort in this present life, and our home, our rest, and our joy everlastingly in the world to come. In the eternal Son Is God the Father shewn, Man sits upon the throne, In the eternal Son The Spirit is our own! JOHN HENRY PARKER, OXFORD AND LONDON. Tracts for the Christian Seasons. FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Want of love. "GOOD evening, Sir, what a fine day it has been." "A fine day, James, and a very warm day too; at least I thought so this afternoon in church," replied Mr. King; "but we must expect such weather at this season, and be thankful for it. To-morrow, you know, is St. Barnabas' day, and I dare say you have heard the old saying, which shews that we may look for fine weather at this time of year : "Barnaby Bright, The longest day and the shortest night." "Yes, Mr. King, I recollect the old saying well. I hope that you will not be offended, Sir, but I have a favour to ask of you. I came round this way on purpose to know what sort of a collection you got for our parish school this morning; I hope it was a good one, better than last year's, Sir ?" Old James was soon satisfied on this subject, but still he did not seem quite willing to break off the conversation which had been thus begun with his pastor, and Mr. King plainly perceiving that he had something else to say, rather encouraged him to continue talking as they both walked homewards from the little church of Holtwell, towards the village of Bunstead to which it belonged. The evening was most beautiful, the road was a pleasant one, and the Vicar and James were very old friends, and justly felt great regard and attachment to each other. A little more friendly conversation, which need not now be repeated, soon brought old James up to the point at which he was aiming; and the subject of the day's collection, in which both rich and poor were called upon to cast in their money together, as an offering to the Lord of Hosts for the spiritual teaching of their neighbours' children, soon led to the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. James expressed a wish to have two or three things connected with this parable explained to him, and though Mr. King was rather tired with his day's duty, still he undertook the task with pleasure. The conversation was agreeable and improving to them both. The good humbleminded parishioner was not allowed to depart empty from the presence of the priest," the messenger of the Lord of Hosts," at whose mouth the people should "seek the law." And the clergyman, as it often happens, was himself a gainer by the very effort he had made to instruct one of the souls committed to his charge. I will not repeat all that passed between the Vicar and his enquiring friend. James's principal questions were these. First, what had the rich man in the parable done, that was so bad as to deserve the punishment he met with? And, next, why so many Christian people do, in the face of this parable, desire more earnestly than any thing else to be rich in worldly goods? Conversation is always liable to be broken and interrupted, as well as lengthy; so for shortness and plainness the substance of Mr. King's answer to these two enquiries shall be put together. James listened with attention, now and then making a remark or putting a question which was generally to the purpose. And when he and his Vicar wished each other good night at the top of the village, they both felt more deeply than usual the close endearing nature of those ties which unite the Head of the Church and all the members of that body together; they thankfully acknowledged the power of that spiritual relationship which our spiritual shepherds, and the sheep of their flocks, and the Great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, do all respectively bear to one another. What You ask, James, what had the rich man, in the parable which we heard in this morning's Gospel, done, that was so bad as to deserve the punishment he met with? I might easily answer your question by asking another. great evil had the servant done, who, in another parable, took care of his master's talent by hiding it in the earth? The lesson taught is the same in both passages. It is not only for the actual mischief which they do, but likewise for the good which they might have done, but did not, that men will be called to account. When any one confesses that he has done what he ought not, he confesses but half his sins, and that, in many cases, not the worst half of them. It is not till we come to own how much we have left undone, which we ought to have done, and might have done, that we can form any notion of our need of mercy, of the extent of our own sinfulness, or the depths of our Creator's love. Indeed the most common occurrences of every |