Priest to intercede for me with God and make explanation for
all my weakness.

Adelaide Proctor has given us the story of a young girl who was in a
convent in France, whose special work it was to attend the portal and
keep the altar clean. The war swept over France, the battle raged near
the convent, many of the soldiers were killed and a number injured.
These were borne into the hospital that they might be nursed back to
strength, and one of them was given to this young girl. Her nursing
was successful, but he tempted her to leave the convent. They made
their way to Paris, where she lost everything that makes life worth
living. Then, just a wreck of her former self, she came back again to
die within the sound of the convent bell. She touched the portal and
instantly it was opened, not by a girl such as she had been but by a
woman such as she might have been--true and noble. She bore her in her
arms to her old cell, nursed her back again to a semblance of her old
strength, and then she slipped into her old place to answer the portal
and keep the altar clean, and not a nun in all the convent ever knew
that she had sinned. This is Christ's ministry in our behalf at this
time. Making up for my weakness, answering for my defects, he is my
High Priest.

II

"_I am my beloved's._" This is really better than the first text,
because if he is mine, and faith is like a hand of the soul, then faith
may grow weary and the result would be sad; if I am his and he holds me
then that is different. In John the tenth chapter, the twenty-eighth
to the thirtieth verses, we have a picture of the true sheepfold and of
the place where the child of God may rest, held in the hand of God and
of his dear son. "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My
father, which gave them unto me, is greater than all; and no man is
able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one."
What a joy it is to know that we are his!

First: His by redemption, for we are redeemed not with corruptible
things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.
"Ye are not your own but ye are bought with a price."

Second: We are his because God gave us to him; in his wonderful
intercessory prayer Jesus said, "Thou gavest them to me," and again,
"Ye are not our own."

Third: We are his because again and again we have said so with our
lips. How tr