the divine yoke of Jesus. Of Him St. John says (1 Ep. v. 3), 'His commandments are not heavy.' So He says of Himself (St. Matt. xi. 28-30), 'Come to Me, all you that labour and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is sweet, and My burden light.'

Indeed, if a man would only do as much for God as he has done for sin, that would be counted enough. St. Paul shows us this (Rom. vi. 19), 'As you have yielded your members to serve uncleanness, and iniquity unto iniquity, so now yield your members to serve justice unto sanctification.'

On the other hand, of the servants of the devil, it is written (Wisd. v. 7), 'We wearied ourselves in the way of iniquity and destruction, and have walked through hard ways, and the way of the Lord we have not known.' So Jeremias witnesses

(ix. 5), 'They have laboured to commit iniquity.'

5. By the greatness of the reward. Here is the greatness of the gift of God. In no law are there promises like the promises of the law of Christ. The Jews looked forward to the land of promise flowing with milk and honey; but Christians wait for the glory of the angels. Jesus said (St. Matt. xxii. 30), 'In the resurrection they . . . shall be as the angels of God in heaven.' When St. Peter thought of this, he said to Jesus (St. John vi. 69), 'Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.'

Prayer.

O adorable Trinity, one God, uncreated, everlasting; Thou art my God, and I bless Thee; Thou art my God, and I praise Thee; Thou art my God, and I love Thee with all my heart. I have no God but Thee, my own God; for Thou didst make me. For Thyself Thou didst make me. I

love Thee very little; but I long to love

Thee more. I desire, with a great desire, to have Thee dwelling in my soul. Fountain of life, be to me all in all. O great Reward, be to me the fulness of my desire. My heart leaps up for joy when I remember that I come from Thee, and that, if I be faithful, I shall go back to Thee at the last.

O adorable Trinity, I bow down before the majesty of Thy glory and Thy splendour in the inaccessible light. With seraphim and cherubim I veil the eyes of my soul before the greatness of Thy white throne. Like a flame of living fire Thy train is filling all the temple.

O adorable Trinity, I bow down before Thy goodness and the bountifulness of Thy love. Unsearchable riches are ever flowing from Thee in the kingdom of nature, and far more unsearchable riches in the kingdom of grace. O, how blessed are all souls that have a hope of seeing Thee and possessing Thee for ever! O Blessed Trinity,

give me always a heart of thankfulness, and give me at last the possession of Thyself.

My God, I have promised to be faithful to Thee give me grace to keep my promise. Thou never leavest me, never forsakest me. Thy watchful eyes are always over me, and Thy ears are open to my prayers. Thou art the keeper of my soul, and Thou neither slumberest nor sleepest.

Keep before my eyes, O Blessed Trinity, the brightness of Thy reward. Eye hath not seen and ear hath not heard the things that Thou hast promised to give us. Thou dost reveal them by Thy Spirit. Thy word is truth. I am looking onward for the day when, with Thy angels, I shall praise Thee for ever. In Thy light I shall see light.

O most Blessed Trinity, great and precious are Thy promises and Thy rewards; but, O my God, Thou art Thyself far more than all. Countless worlds of love and light and beauty would be nothing compared with Thee. O adorable Trinity, Well

spring of living waters, Thou art the God of my heart, and I have no God but Thee.

CHAPTER VII.

OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT OF THE LAW.

'THOU shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain' (Ex. xx. 7). This is the second commandment of the law. As there is only one God whom we can worship, so there is only one God whom we venerate in the highest way. We are therefore commanded not to take His name in vain.

I. We must first understand that the word vain' is taken in a threefold sense.

1. Sometimes it means a lie. We read in the Psalms (xi. 3), 'They have spoken vain things, every one to his neighbour; with deceitful lips and with a double heart have they spoken.' You, therefore, take God's name in vain when you use it to