above that-though He had the experience of want-but we may believe that He was supremely anxious for His friends, His neighbours-His people. He knew what it was to be misunderstood and disappointed. He wept because the Jews would rush on to destruction-He grieved because even His nearest and dearest would not understand Him. He was lonely, despised, ridiculed. He entered into the grief of those whose friends were ill, the sorrow of those who had lost their dear ones. In fact He knew, and knows, all forms of trouble; therefore it is that when we are in trouble we find so much comfort in the study of what Jesus did and said: remembering that even now at the right hand of the Father He knows what we have to endure-feels for us, and helps us with love, and sympathy, and power.

The Holy Ghost the Comforter.

ALL true comfort proceeds from God. In this life we cannot understand the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. It is unwise to attempt to divide the work of the Persons. Yet the words of our Lord speak of the coming, after His Ascension, of the Holy Ghost the comforter. We know He came and we know the Church was comforted by Him. This is beautifully described in the words of the familiar hymn.

"Our blest Redeemer ere He breathed

His tender last farewell,

A Guide, a Comforter, bequeathed

With us to dwell."

But we must not suppose that the Holy Spirit's work is confined to comforting us in

the ordinary sense of the word, as an earthly friend might. There is the wider and deeper meaning. The Greek word in the Gospel of St. John is "The Paraclete "-which means the "Helper" or "Advocate." Again, His mission is to "teach" and to "bring to remembrance." Bearing these things in mind let us reverently proceed to trace His work. Troubles are sometimes, we know, sent us to purify and elevate our characters, to educate them for the Heavenly life. Yet they seem hard to bear. We need patience and faith, and the power to see the working of God's loving hand. Help of this sort and counsel how to make use of our troubles are specially given to us by the Holy Spirit the Comforter. Again, so much trouble is caused by ignorance, forgetfulness, and sin, and until these are removed the trouble will continue to come.

The Holy Spirit teaches truth, and removes ignorance, He calls to remembrance the teaching of Christ, He purifies us from

sin. The best form of comfort is to remove the causes of trouble, and to prevent their return. He makes us understand the laws and the workings of God, and so, in the surest and best ways, is our Comforter. This of course, is only a very brief outline, but we can fill it in from our experience.

The Help of Holy Communion

to those in Trouble.

SOME of our troubles we bring upon ourselves by our sins and misdeeds, some are sent to us by God for our purification, and to improve us. In either case we should be led to the Holy Communion as a blessed help to true repentance, pardon, amendment, and a higher life.

There are many aspects of this Holy Sacrament, but for our purpose we will only consider those which apply to trouble. If we are sinful we shall be moved to examination, and a true repentance, before we approach this Holy Feast. There will be brought vividly before us the great sacrifice