"Lord, as to Thy dear Cross we flee, "And plead to be forgiven, "So let Thy Life our pattern be, "Let grace our selfishness expel, "Kept peaceful in the midst of strife, 66 Forgiving and forgiven, "O may we lead the pilgrim's life, "And follow Thee to heaven." WEDNESDAY in Easter Week. Romans v. 8-11. St. John xiv. 19. "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the atonement." "Because I live, ye shall live also." * Our Lord came amongst us and shared our life, for only in this way could the infinite Love reach ourselves. He shared also our death, and, rising out of it, entered into His glory; and thus in His life and death identified Himself with us. In His Resurrection we rise with Him, and partake the life into which He entered. As in His self-surrender and death for us we are reconciled to God, and die to sin and the lower nature, much more are we saved from it by His life. His life, moving within us, raises our spiritual life, and enables us to live in union with God. We cannot fully understand this. But when with all our heart we believe it, we enter into the highest Easter hope and blessedness. The power of the Cross of Christ fills the heart with the sense of forgiveness and peace and reconciliation with God; Christ was lifted up, that He might through Himself draw us |