that, not content with bearing what men have borne of old, we should, by voluntary chastisement, increase at once our labor and reward. Whereas, alas! we rather imitate the sons of Ruben and of Gad, who were content, we are told, with lands to the East of the Jordan, and shirked the work of conquering Palestine. A generous share of this world's gifts is all we worldlings ask: paradise we leave to monks and nuns. If Christ invite us to Jerusalem to a feast or ball, we accompany Him with a will, but when He speaks of being scourged and crucified, we follow Him no longer — like the Apostles, we no longer understand the things He says. Like the rich young man in the Gospel, we would all love to be Apostles, but when we learn that it involves the giving up of all to follow Christ's blood-stained footprints, we sadly turn away. He cries to us: " Blessed are the poor and meek; blessed are they that mourn and suffer persecution for justice' sake," but we cannot, we will not understand the things that are said. There is not a single one of us, perhaps, that does not love the Lord, but we love Him at what we are pleased to call His best, we love Him as He calms the winds and the seas, or stands transfigured on Mount Thabor, or feasting with the publicans and sinners; we love Christ everywhere except Christ crucified. Like the Jews on Calvary, we stand before the Saviour and cry to Him: " Come down from the cross, only come down from the cross, and we will believe in you." Ah! it is so hard to see things as God sees them — to realize the woes in store for them
