'Crown my labours, O Lord, I beseech Thee, with such success as will most promote Thy glory, the good of Thy Church, and the salvation of myself and others; for the sake of Jesus Christ, Thy son, our Lord.'

--a prayer of The Rt. Rev. William Van Mildert D.D., given in E. A. Varley, The Last of the Prince Bishops, 206.

‘O why is earth so different from Heaven? Why have we disputing, instead of adoring; questioning, instead of thanksgiving; coldness, instead of the fire of love? It is because men live so much in the things of time and sense, and think so little of Him, who never forgetteth us. Oh, sursum corda, sursum corda! One earnest, steadfast, piercing, longing, loving gaze into Heaven will reveal to thee more than all this world’s disputing, nay, than any argument, for “flesh and blood will not reveal” it unto thee, but “thy Father which is in heaven.” Blessedness will it be beyond all bliss, blessedness above all created joy, for it is the fruit of the Infinite love of Jesus, the foretaste of the eternal joy of thy Lord, when, with God-given faith, thou canst say, I love Thee, O only salvation of my soul; for Thou hast redeemed me by Thy Blood, my Lord and my God. Thou me!

--The Rev. Dr. E.B. Pusey, closing words of his sermon The Doctrine of the Atonement, in University Sermons, ii: 262.

Recently I picked up Chesterton's Heretics, since I had enjoyed Orthodoxy so much. A couple quotes from this evening's reading that I enjoyed:

"[R]everence in the sad and delicate meaning of the term 'reverence' is a thing only possible to infidels. That beautiful twilight you will find in Euripides, in Renan, in Matthew Arnold; but in men who believe you will not find it--you will find only laughter and war."
--G. K. Chesterton, Heretics, Ch. 6

"Dionysus and his church made wine, not a medicine, but a sacrament. Jesus Christ also made wine, not a medicine, but a sacrament. But Omar [Khayyam] makes it, not a sacrament, but a medicine. He feasts because life is not joyful; he revels because he is not glad. 'Drink,' he says, 'for you know not whence you come nor why. Drink, for you know not when you go nor where. Drink, because the stars are cruel and the world as idle as a humming-top. Drink, because there is nothing worth trusting, nothing worth fighting for. Drink, for all things are lapsed in a base equality and an evil peace.' So he stands offering us the cup in his hand. And at the high altar of Christianity stands another figure, in whose hand also is the cup of the vine. 'Drink,' he says, 'for the whole world is as red as this wine, with the crimson of the love and wrath of God. Drink, for the trumpets are blowing for battle and this is the stirrup-cup. Drink, for this is my blood of the new testament that is shed for you. Drink, for I know of whence you come and why. Drink, for I know of when you go and where.'"
--G. K. Chesterton, Heretics, Ch. 7

This last quote put me in mind of these stanzas:

Peace does not mean the end of all our striving,
Joy does not mean the drying of our tears;
Peace is the power that comes to souls arriving
Up to the light where God Himself appears.

Joy is the wine that God is ever pouring
Into the hearts of those who strive with Him,
Light'ning their eyes to vision and adoring,
Strength'ning their arms to warfare glad and grim.

So would I live and not in idle resting,
Stupid as swine that wallow in the mire;
Fain would I fight, and be for ever breasting
Danger and death for ever under fire.

Bread of Thy Body give me for my fighting,
Give me to drink Thy Sacred Blood for wine,
While there are wrongs that need me for the righting,
While there is warfare splendid and divine.

Give me, for light, the sunshine of Thy sorrow,
Give me, for shelter, shadow of Thy Cross;
Give me to share the glory of Thy morrow,
Gone from my heart the bitterness of Loss.

--G. A. Studdert-Kennedy, "The Suffering God," in The Unutterable Beauty.

For the Commemoration of Edward Bouverie Pusey:

"What wraps the Saint already in the third Heaven, may yet uphold us sinners, that the pit shut not her mouth upon us. The same reality of the Divine Gift make It Angels’ food to the Saint, the ransom to the sinner. And both because It is the Body and Blood of Christ. Were it only a thankful commemoration of His redeeming love, or only a shewing forth of his death, or a strengthening only and refreshing of the soul, it were indeed a reasonable service, but it would have no direct healing for the sinner.”
-E.B. Pusey, The Holy Eucharist a Comfort to the Penitent

"Deep sins after Baptism are forgiven, but upon deep contrition which God giveth, and deep contrition is, for the most part, slowly and gradually worked into the soul, deepening with deepening grace, sorrowing still more, as, by God’s grace, it more deeply loves; grieved the more, the more it knows Him Whom it once grieved, and through that grief and love inwrought in it by God, the more forgiven.”
--E.B. Pusey, Entire Absolution of the Penitent

"Penitence is not punishment, it is at its heart an expression of love, a response to the greatness of the love of God, in creation, redemption, and sanctification. The reality of that grace, the reality of the penitence which it calls forth, and the reality of the salvation God offers are the true themes of Pusey’s teaching. In his sermons, as in his more technically theological writings, he protested strongly against views which would reduce in any way the living power of the Gospel.”
-Geoffrey Rowell, The Vision Glorious

Just to prove I'm still alive, since I haven't posted here for a while and we're within the octave of All Saints:

Who are these like stars appearing,
these, before God's throne who stand?
Each a golden crown is wearing;
who are all this glorious band?
Alleluia! Hark, they sing,
praising loud their heavenly King.

Who are these of dazzling brightness,
clothed in God's own righteousness?
These, whose robes of purest whiteness,
shall their luster still possess,
still untouched by time's rude hand?
Whence came all this glorious band?

These are they who have contended
for their Savior's honor long,
wrestling on till life was ended,
following not the sinful throng;
these who well the fight sustained,
triumph through the Lamb have gained.

These are they whose hearts were riven,
sore with woe and anguish tried,
who in prayer full oft have striven
with the God they glorified;
now, their painful conflict o'er,
God has bid them weep no more.

These, the Almighty contemplating,
did as priests before him stand,
soul and body always waiting
day and night at his command:
now in God's most holy place
blest they stand before his face.

Collect for the Last Sunday after the Epiphany

O God, who before the passion of thy only-begotten Son didst reveal his glory upon the holy mount: Grant unto us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory into glory; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple

Virgin-born, we bow before thee:
blessed was the womb that bore thee;
Mary, Mother meek and mild,
blessed was she in her Child.
Blessed was the breast that fed thee;
blessed was the hand that led thee;
blessed was the parent's eye
that watched thy slumbering infancy.

Blessed she by all creation,
who brought forth the world's salvation,
and blessed they, for ever blest,
who love thee most and serve thee best.
Virgin-born, we bow before thee;
blessed was the womb that bore thee;
Mary, Mother meek and mild,
blessed was she in her Child.