Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Ps. xliii. 5.

In prayer we own Thee, Father, at our side.
Not always feel or taste Thee; and, ‘t is well,
So, hour by hour, courageous faith is tried,
So, gladlier will the mom all mists dispel.
John Keble.

SOMETIMES we are disturbed because we have no devout feelings; but what we want is a devout will. We cannot always control the imagination, but we can always do that which is our duty carefully and patiently, with a view to pleasing God, and proving our love to Him. We may feel cold and mechanical, but we cannot fulfil our appointed duty without an exercise of the will, and therefore all duties diligently performed testify a desire to love, and prove our love.
H. L. Sidney Lear.

We must not allow ourselves to be cast down, nor to despair, because our hearts seem colder at one time than another. The test of the cold heart is the yielding to sin, and, if we are clinging to Him, and to His will, we may be quite sure that what we take for coldness of heart is a trial, not a treason.
Frederick Temple