sses to the throne of grace, they are instruments of what
is far higher, of consecration, of sacrifice. They hurry on as if
impatient to fulfil their mission. Quickly they go, the whole is quick;
for they are all parts of one integral action. Quickly they go; for they
are awful words of sacrifice, they are a work too great to delay upon;
as when it was said in the beginning, 'What thou doest, do quickly.'
Quickly they pass; for the Lord Jesus goes with them, as He passed along
the lake in the days of His flesh, quickly calling first one and then
another. Quickly they pass; because as the lightning which shineth from
one part of the heaven unto the other, so is the coming of the Son of
Man. Quickly they pass; for they are as the words of Moses, when the
Lord came down in the cloud, calling on the Name of the Lord as He
passed by, 'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,
long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.' And as Moses on the
mountain, so we too 'make haste and bow our heads to the earth, and
adore.' So we, all around, each in his place, look out for the great
Advent, 'waiting for the moving of the water.' Each in his place, with
his own heart, with his own wants, with his own thoughts, with his own
intention, with his own prayers, separate but concordant, watching what
is going on, watching its progress, uniting in its consummation;--not
painfully and hopelessly following a hard form of prayer from beginning
to end, but, like a concert of musical instruments, each different, but
concurring in a sweet harmony, we take our part with God's priest,
supporting him, yet guided by him. There are little children there, and
old men, and simple labourers, and students in seminaries, priests
preparing for Mass, priests making their thanksgiving; there are
innocent maidens, and there are penitent sinners; but out of these many
minds rises one eucharistic hymn, and the great Action is the measure
and the scope of it. And oh, my dear Bateman," he added, turning to him,
"you ask me whether this is not a formal, unreasonable service--it is
wonderful!" he cried, rising up, "quite wonderful. When will these dear,
good people be enlightened? _O Sapientia, fortiter suaviterque disponens
omnia, O Adonai, O Clavis David et Exspectatio gentium, veni ad
salvandum nos, Domine Deus noster._"

Now, at least, there was no mistaking Willis. Bateman stared, and was
almost frightened at a burst of enthusiasm which he had been fa