Page:The Eternal Priesthood (4th ed).djvu/179

day? It is the keynote, and all our hours ought to move in harmony. Every word spoken in God's name; every act, however small, done for our Lord's sake, consciously or in the habitual exercise of the priestly or pastoral office; every Sacrament administered, every declaration of the word of God, every soul sought and found, every sinner converted, every penitent sustained—all this is direct personal service rendered to our Divine Friend. Into this service, too, may be counted the conscientious use of time, patience under sorrows, humility under false accusation which no faithful priest will ever escape. And while our day is full of this service to Him, He is always serving us with more than a mutual fidelity. We little know how He guides and guards and compasses us about, and lays His hand upon our head when the fiery shafts of the wicked one fly thick around us. The dangers that we know are many; but many more those that are unknown. We pray God to deliver us from our secret sins; we have need to pray that He may deliver us from our secret dangers. There is a shield over us which is turned every way, as the assault comes upon us from all sides when we least know it to be near. Surrounded all day long by the world, good and bad, men and women, upright and designing, open and false, happy is the