let me borrow
Strength from thy promise, O my God!

Not mine the grief which words may lighten;
Not mine the tears of common woes;
The pang with which my heart-strings tighten
Only the All-seeing One may know.

And I am weak, my feeble spirit
Shrinks from life's task in wild dismay;
Yet not that thou that task wouldst spare it,
My Father, do I dare to pray.

Into my soul thy might infusing,
Strengthening my spirit by thine own;
Help me, all other aid refusing,
To cling to thee, and thee alone.

And O in my exceeding weakness
Make thy strength perfect; thou art strong:
Aid me to do thy will with meekness,
Thou to whom all my powers belong.

O let me feel that thou art near me;
Close to thy side, I shall not fear;
Hear me, O Strength of Israel, hear me,
Sustain and aid! in mercy hear.

LIGHT

Lord, send thy light,
Not only in the darkest night,
But in the shadowy, dim twilight,
Wherein my strained and aching sight
Can scarce distinguish wrong from right,
Then send thy light.

Teach me to pray.
Not only in the morning gray,
Or when the moonbeam's silver ray
Falls on me, but at high noonday,
When pleasure beckons me away,
Teach me to pray.

--Constance Milman.

OUR BURDEN BEARER

The little sharp vexations
And the briars that cut the feet,
Why not take all to the Helper
Who has never failed us yet?
Tell him about the heartache,
And tell him the longings too,
Tell him the baffled purpose
When we scarce know what to do.
Then, leaving all our weakness
With the One divinely strong,
Forget that we bore the burden
And carry away the song.

--Phillips Brooks.

My proud foe at my hands to take no boon will choose.
Thy prayers are that one gift which he cannot refuse.

--Richard Chenevix Trench.

ANSWER TO PRAYER

Man's plea to man is, that he nevermore
Will beg, and that he never begged before;
Man's plea to God is, that he did obtain
A former suit, and therefore sues again.
How good a God we serve, that, when we sue,
Makes his old gifts examples of his new.

--Francis Quarles.

TALHAIRN'S PRAYER

Grant me, O God, thy merciful protection;
And, in protection, give me strength, I pray;
And, in my s