In the following curious composition the initial capitals spell, “My boast is in the glorious Cross of Christ.” The words in _italics_, when read from top to bottom and bottom to top, form the Lord’s Prayer complete:— Make known the Gospel truths, _Our_ Father King; Yield up thy grace, dear _Father_ from above; Bless us with hearts _which_ feelingly can sing, “Our life thou _art_ for _ever_, God of Love!” Assuage our grief in love _for_ Christ, we pray, Since the bright prince of _Heaven_ and _glory_ died, Took all our sins and _hallowed_ the display, Infinite _be_-ing—first man, and then the crucified. Stupendous God! _thy_ grace and _power_ make known; In Jesus’ _name_ let all _the_ world rejoice. Now all the world _thy_ heavenly _kingdom_ own, The blessed _kingdom_ for thy saints _the_ choice. How vile to _come_ to thee _is_ all our cry, Enemies to _thy_ self and all that’s _thine_, Graceless our _will_, we live _for_ vanity, Lending to sin our _be_-ing, _evil_ in our design. O God, thy will be _done_ _from_ earth to Heaven; Reclining _on_ the Gospel let _us_ live, In _earth_ from sin _deliver_-ed and forgiven, Oh! _as_ thyself _but_ teach us to forgive. Unless _it_’s power _temptation_ doth destroy, Sure _is_ our fall _into_ the depths of woe, Carnal _in_ mind, we’ve _not_ a glimpse of joy Raised against _Heaven_; in _us_ no hope can flow. O _give_ us grace and _lead_ us on thy way; Shine on _us_ with thy love and give _us_ peace; Self and _this_ sin that rise _against_ us slay; Oh! grant each _day_ our _trespass_-es may cease. Forgive _our_ evil deeds _that_ oft we do; Convince us _daily_ of _them_ to our shame; Help us with heavenly _bread_, _forgive_ us, too, Recurrent lusts, _and_ _we_’ll adore thy name. In thy _forgive_-ness we _as_ saints can die, Since for _us_ and our _trespasses_ so high, Thy son, _our_ Saviour, bled on Calvary. Ecclesiasticæ. EXCESSIVE CIVILITY. Tom Brown, in his _Laconics_, says that in the reign of Charles II. a certain worthy divine at Whitehall thus addressed himself to the auditory at the conclusion of his sermon: “In short, if you don’t live up to the precepts of the gospel, but abandon yourselves to your irregular appetites, you must expect to receive your reward in a certain place, which ’tis not good manners to mention here.” This suggested to Pope the couplet, “To rest, the cushion and soft dean invite, Who never mentions hell to ears polite.” SHORT SERMONS.