Thine, O God, is the kingdom. And blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. We believe that Thy hand has been in the founding and the fortunes of this land. We do homage to it for its ideals, its principles, its glorious company of apostles of truth, its noble army of martyrs for liberty and humanity; we love and cherish it as our home and our shrine; but we hallow it, we stand in awe of it, as the scene of Thy special activity, the instrument of Thy holy purposes. May its vision not pass; may the clouds that hang over it be dispersed by the clear shining of the sun of righteousness and peace; may the dream of freedom with fraternity be realized here, even here, upon these shores, that Thy saving health may be known among all nations. Amen. C. ELLWOOD NASH. July 5 _Far up the crag, 'twixt sea and sky, Where winds tempestuous, blowing by, Leave giant boulders swept and bare; Where forked lightnings fitful flare, And petrels sound their stormy cry._ _A dainty bluebell, sweet and shy, Lifted its head complacently, As guarded by the tenderest care, Far up the crag._ _And now, whenever fear draws nigh, In thought I stand 'twixt sea and sky, And, as of old in my despair, I bless the Power that set it there-- That tiny thing with courage high, Far up the crag!_ FLORENCE E. COATES. Eternal Presence, may we now speak to Thee? or, consciously within Thy presence, should our lips be still? Art Thou the Infinite Mercy, and shall we say, be merciful? Shall we persuade the love that can not once withhold itself? We would not ask, were prayer to change established law. But, we will open here our hearts, and so receive the blessedness that seeks us and has sought us,--sought us as the sunlight sought us early,--seeks us as the raindrops seek us in the storm. Not more canst Thou withhold the goodness from us. We wait receptively, unbarring all our rust-hinged doors to welcome the true favors that now find us. In sweet trust, asking or unasking, we abide ever in Thee. Amen. PERRY MARSHALL. July 6 _God is a kind Father. He sets us all in the places where he wishes us to be employed, and that employment is truly "our Father's business." He chooses work for every creature which will be delightful to them, if they do it simply and humbly. He gives us always strength enough and sense enough for what He wants us to do; if we either tire ourselves or puzzle ourselves, it is our own fault. And we may always be sure, whatever we are doing, that we cannot be pleasing Him if we are not happy ourselves._ JOHN RUSKIN.