knew that in all wars some man must march first. He was a Christian, and he could say, "Nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know Whom I ha believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that Day."

And another reason why it is more glorious to be the first to obey GoD's commands is, that it makes us more like CHRIST. He was the first that conquered Satan; He was the first that burst the bars of death; He was the first to ascend into heaven. Therefore He is called the Captain of our salvation, our Leader, Who bids us do nothing that He has not done Himself. He tells us, when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them. Therefore, when we can go before others, and show them how to obey GoD, we become in some degree like Him Who went before us all. Not that this going first is easy or pleasant. See where it led our LORD. It led Him to suffer hunger, thirst, weariness; to be in the wilderness forty days and forty nights; it led Him to be reviled, mocked, spitted on; it led Him in the company of two thieves to the hill of Calvary; it led Him as high as the Cross, as an example to those that should come after Him. Yes, it is not an easy thing to serve God at all; but least of all easy is it to serve Him first. It is difficult enough to follow a good example. It is a great deal more difficult to set it.

Now, in one sense, these words of Joshua, "ye have not passed this way heretofore," are true to us all every hour of every day. Always new temptations are coming, always new difficulties are rising up, always new troubles are threatening us. We may have had like things before,

1

we may have felt and feared something of very nearly the same kind, but not exactly the same. Therefore every

day we need the grace and the help of God in something of a different way from that in which we needed it before. But the comfort is, if all these things are changing around us, there is One Who does not change, JESUS CHRIST, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Whatever kind of help you need, He is seated at the right hand of the FATHER to give it you. Fifteen hundred years ago, He was ready to assist S. Alban in his Martyrdom; He was ready to crown him when it Since that time, think of the multitude of His servants, who in all sorts of distresses, in all kinds of fears, in all manner of temptations, have called on Him, and have found Him a very present help in time of trouble. And His Arm is not shortened now. If He had grace sufficient for the martyrs, depend upon it, He has enough grace to carry us through this life, yes, and through the Valley of the Shadow of Death also.

was over.

No; His Arm is not shortened. And so you would say if you could see what I have seen within the last few weeks. Only a year ago, in one of the wildest and fiercest countries of Asia, where there are but few Christians, our LORD gave grace to thirty to die for His sake. It seems strange to hear of Martyrdoms in our own time; but so it is. While I, perhaps, was talking to you of martyrs, than which nothing is more easy, these servants of GOD were playing the man for His sake, and becoming martyrs. One of them was a Bishop; the greater part were mere common Christians in that country, what you all might be here. Their bodies, or what remained of them, were brought to the

day to see them.

not told you yet.

city of Paris, where multitudes of people go up every But the most interesting part I have There was one among these martyrs who was kept to the last he had suffered torments for the sake of CHRIST, but he saw all the others beheaded first, and then his own turn was to come. He was just about to be put to death, (it was by the sea-shore,) when a French ship came into the bay, and the savages were afraid, and let him go. He also is in Paris, with the remains of his companions, and you may see the marks of the knives on his arms and hands, of which he has lost the use. "It was God's will," he says, "but, had it not been for that unfortunate French vessel, I should now be in Heaven."

With all these examples, then, not only of what God has done, as it was with S. Alban, but of what He still does, as it was with the thirty martyrs of last year, what business have we to doubt that He will not be able to take care of us through this life, and out of it? What business have we to fear when we come to any new trial, any place or thing of which it may be more particularly said, "Ye have not passed this way heretofore," that nevertheless we shall not pass it safely? Only let us be ready to do or to bear what He sends us; only let us try to be the first to hear what His Will is, and the first to attend to it, and if we, the HOLY GHOST helping us, take care of that, He will take care of all the rest. They that are first in His service, are first in His favour: "They that seek Me early shall find Me." This indeed would be grievous, if we desired to be the first in all earthly things-man's good opinion, money, comfort, and what not else-but in that which

really alone matters-God's favour-we are content to be last. Last in everything else, if you will; but let us try to be first in that.

And now to GOD the FATHER, the SoN, and the HOLY GHOST, be all honour and glory, for ever. Amen.

SERMON VIII.

HOW OUR LORD COMES TO US.

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. July 2.

"AND WHENCE IS THIS TO ME, THAT THE MOTHER OF MY LORD SHOULD COME TO ME?"-S. LUKE I. 43.

THIS day-the Visitation of S. Mary-we here in England look upon as in the very height and best part of summer while the days are at the longest, while the woods and hedges are at the greenest, while the hay is in the fields, before the great heats have parched the earth or withered the leaves. It is a pleasant summer feast, both the time and the thing we are called to remember. And it is a fit day to be, as it is, the birthday of that divine Hymn, "My soul doth magnify the LORD." To-day it was that S. Mary uttered it: the first Christian Hymn that ever was made, the first of a whole multitude of glorious songs that the Saints of the Church have written; Kings, Bishops, Priests, Martyrs, Confessors, who are now singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb. They all say in different words the same thing which S. Mary now said :-"My soul doth magnify the LORD, and my spirit hath rejoiced in GoD my SAVIOUR." And notice