CHAPTER V.

THE DEACON'S CROSS.

THERE is an old canon in Eirenholt whose great delight it is to attend the morning and evening services at the cathedral. Other canons come and go, they are seldom seen there out of their term of residence; one remains always. It is said that he lives alone, contenting himself with a very humble lodging, that he may give his money to the poor and needy, while he makes his home in the cathedral. His favourite objects of charity are young girls, principally embroideresses and needlewomen; for these his sympathies are always poured out afresh. Strangers who visit Eirenholt and stray into the green close to listen to the wonderfully musical bells, sometimes meet with him. His eye brightens at the sight of a fresh face come to view the noble building whose fame be fondly believes to have reached far across the seas, and he gladly undertakes to conduct them through the lofty entrance which is overshadowed by an image of S. Clement with his anchor carved in stone. If the behaviour and manner of the strangers impresses him favourably; if the footfalls grow softer, and the voices more hushed, under the shadow of the venerable pile, they are gratified by a request to follow him into the chamber set apart for the safe keeping of the vestments and hangings required for the altar-service. And turning over the gorgeous heap of crimson and purple and golden embroideries, the old man will point to two motheaten altar-cloths, whose colourless hue marks them as once intended for Easter celebrations; the one being evidently of foreign workmanship, the other a beautiful though timeworn specimen of intricate needlework, having S. Clement's anchor outlined in the centre, in some forgotten stitch. To this last, the canon points with melancholy satisfaction as he tells of the Easter trial which was announced years and years ago, and how after all, not one of the rich draperies was chosen, and in the end these two were offered, the one by a powerful noble

man on his return from a distant enterprise; the other by one of the unsuccessful competitors who having no longer any need of the purse of gold which had been promised as the prize, dedicated her work to the service of the sanctuary, for which it had all along been intended.

And here the canon usually breaks off a little tremulously; but he is ready to answer the question if it is asked, "What led to the change of circumstances which rendered the reward once so toiled for, no longer of any account ?"

Then he tells, but low and falteringly, of the happy marriage of the fair embroideress with the noble Landgrave, who had returned to fulfil the promise of his long betrothal, and to bear his bride to the foreign court, where riches and honours awaited her, and where she might have passed the remainder of her life in splendour and luxury, had it not consorted far more with her inclinations to retire with her husband to his old ancestral home, amid its woods and orchards; where in tending the sick, and succouring the distressed, as well as in her daily and unwearying ministrations towards the vene rable relatives they had brought back with them, she gained among the simple country people the name of the good Landgravine. She had been a faithful wife and had brought up children; the good canon pauses here, and apologises for the scantiness of the details he is able to lay before the visitors, but the means of communica tion are few and far between; only when at each Easter a messenger comes from over the mountains and beyond the sea, travel-stained and weary, but bearing in his hands a bag of gold pieces, as the good Landgravine's offering to the poor and needy of Eirenholt, is he able to learn these particulars of her life.

The canon is very old now, and he will soon have to give up his daily walks to the cathedral; the last time he exhibited its perfections, and descanted on its sacred imagery, and on the solemn fitness of its hangings and ornaments; the last time his hands unfolded the two old altar-cloths long since disused, his voice shook, and there were tears in his eyes as he spoke of the good Landgravine.

Once," he said, "it was in the Holy Week; she gave all the food and wine she had in the house, that the sick and dying might be fed with the Bread and the Wine of Life. Do you think the angels remembered this, when on that very day in the past year, they, as I am told, took her to her rest ?"

He spoke to a young lady with bright fair hair, and happy blue eyes, looking none the less beautiful for the unwonted moisture that sparkled in them; she turned towards her husband, and as she did so, the folds of her rich mantle became disarranged, and the canon caught sight of an antique silver cross, hanging to a massive and jewelled chain.

"She was our grandmother," said the young Landgravine, softly.

And the old canon, is it possible that he was once the deacon who spent the night in roaming to and fro in the mountain snow-storm ?

Note. There is an erroneous impression afloat that a deacon cannot administer the Bread in the Holy Eucharist, but this arises from the fact that he cannot consecrate, and the priest who is present to perform that part of the service naturally takes the initiative in all that follows. In dioceses where the clergy are but thinly scattered, as is the case for instance among the Scottish Episcopalians in the northern portion of our island, the newly ordained deacon enjoys the advantage of little priestly assistance, and is obliged to make provision for the sick and ailing among his flock, either by setting aside the consecrated elements on the comparatively rare occasions when the Holy Communion is administered in his church, or by resorting to the expedient already detailed in the preceding pages, and requesting some neighbouring priest to consecrate for him.

THOUGHTS ON THE ASCENSION.

"GRANT, we beseech Thee, Almighty GoD, that as we do believe Thy only-begotten SON, our LORD JESUS CHRIST, to have ascended into the heavens, so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with Him continually dwell.”

Is it possible that man can thus ascend to Heaven, so as continually to dwell there! For the word "continually" must allude, not only to our future state, when the just shall be caught up into glory, but to the life here also. Is it possible that man can now dwell in Heaven? To a certain extent it is possible. "Truly our fellowship," says the beloved apostle, "is with the FATHER, and with His SON JESUS CHRIST." Even now it is so with the faithful, even now while their bodies are upon earth.

There have been such good and holy men as have deemed all the things of this world unworthy of any consideration; unworthy, at least, of any that would cause them concern, either in anxiety for their attainment, or in regret for their loss, willing to relinquish them all for the sake of GOD and their religion, looking not here, but above for their riches, counting the wealth of this world as dust and vanity. Surely such might be said to have Heaven for their continual dwelling-place.

But GOD grant there may be others still, of whom this may also be said. It is not necessary, it is not required, that man should thus give up everything-GOD bestows, let man use and be thankful, but it is necessary, it is required, that we should not make these things our only, nor yet our chief object of desire, we are still to seek first the Kingdom of GOD and His righteousness. If GOD gives, let us bless GOD and employ His gifts to His glory; if He withholds, let us strive to bless Him yet for the hidden, unknown purpose for which He hath done so. If the heart and affections are set on GoD as they ought to be, if to Him we look up for the fulness of our joy, earth will lessen in our esteem, Heaven will grow the nearer, there will our treasure be, there will our hearts be also, and where the heart is, there surely may we be said to be likewise.

This is to ascend to Heaven in heart and mind, this is to dwell continually with CHRIST our LORD. Would that this prayer were more often upon our lips, would that it were so graven upon our hearts as to be ever present with us; GOD give us grace to understand and feel its value.

But this ascension of the mind is present, there is

another ascension, the ascension of the body, that is future. Though different from each other, yet both are dependent upon each other. It will not, alas, be all who shall experience this second bodily ascension, and why? because all will not seek to ascend towards Heaven now in heart and mind. They love earth too well, and the love of earth keeps them from seeking now those things that are above, and unless GOD in His mercy changes their hearts, it will keep them from rising to partake of those things hereafter; for he that would rise to GOD hereafter, must strive to rise in love to GoD now; he that would rise to Heaven hereafter, must strive to dwell in Heaven now. It is strange that man will do so little for himself, when CHRIST has done so much for him. Why will he not seek his own salvation, as anxiously as CHRIST has sought it for him? why will he not pray for himself as earnestly as CHRIST has prayed for him, "FATHER, I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory ?" And do not let any be discouraged at the seeming greatness of the attempt to dwell in Heaven now; is it not well worth the effort? and be sure the first step is the hardest; the longer we walk with CHRIST, the stronger becomes His assistance. Whilst upon earth He suffered; now in Heaven, He reigns: reigns over Satan, so that though he grieve us, he has no power to hurt unto death, except where CHRIST permits: reigns over the trials and temptations of the world, so as to temper them for the endurance of such as seek Him. And He would reign over our hearts also, would we but give them to Him. Where shall we find a greater friend, a kinder master, or a gentler king? Or, if it be terror that must move uswhere shall we find a more powerful judge than He in whose hands are life and death? But look up, faithful Christian, and with the eye of faith behold JESUS thy GOD in Heaven!

He is our Redeemer, He is our Intercessor, He is our King, and more perhaps than all, or, if not more, yet what enhances the value of the others, He is our Friend, Already have we been buried with Him in baptism, VOL. III. (N. 8.)

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