Jesus Christ has taught us What we ought to do, He bore others' burdens,

Let us bear them too.

Thursday.

PURITY.

TEXT: JAM. I. 27.

'Unspotted from the world.'

HAVE you ever seen the snow lying white upon the ground, before the busy feet of men had soiled it?

Have you ever seen a white lily shining in the sun, before the rains had beaten it to the ground?

'Unspotted' means to be like these, pure, and white, and stainless. Are you trying to keep yourself unspotted? And from what?

From the world.

The world here means all sin and uncleanness.

For you it means, especially, evil sights

which you must guard your eyes from seeing, evil thoughts which you must guard your mind from thinking, evil words which you must guard your ears from hearing, your lips from saying.

All sin against which the Catechism bids you watch, when it tells you, to keep your body in temperance, soberness, and chastity.

If you are in doubt about what you may, or may not do, ask yourself this question,

If I were to look up and see Jesus Christ standing at my side, should I be ashamed to be seen doing this? Should I be ashamed to be found hearing this, or saying this, or thinking this?'

Will your conscience answer 'Yes,' or 'No?'

Only by prayer, and watchfulness can you hope to escape from the daily temptations you will meet with; only by God's mercy can you be kept pure in heart and in life.

PRAYER.

O Almighty God, I pray Thee to make me pure in heart and in life. Keep me from all bad companions, from vanity, idleness, and sin. May I watch against foolish talking and jesting, so that being kept from the first beginnings of sin, I may not fall unawares into the snare of the Devil.

Wash me daily in the precious blood of Christ, and keep me unspotted from the world.

Grant this for the sake of Him who died to save me, Thy blessed Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

HYMN.

Have you ever seen fair lilies
Shining in the sun?

Or yet fairer in the moonlight,
When the day was done?

Did you mark how pure and spotless,

Was each blossom there?

Did you ever learn this lesson

From the lilies fair?

That Christ's blood can make our spirits

Pure, and fresh, and clean,
Whiter than the whitest lilies
We have ever seen.

Every thought of sin and evil
Stains our garments white;
God can make us hate the evil,
Make us love the right.

We must pray that He would ever
Guard and guide our feet,

That we, too, may be like lilies,
Pure, and fair, and sweet.