/ 
 
 Leaves 
 
 KliO.M 
 
 My Portfolio 
 
 |5V 
 
 REV. W. K. BURR, A. M. 
 
 " Onward I onward ! toils despising, 
 Upward f upward I turn thine eyes ; 
 Only be content when rising, 
 Fix thy goal amid the skies." 
 
 BELLE VILLS, ONT.: 
 
 " raE PAILT ONrXMo" SIEAU printing EfelABLUHMEN . 
 
 1880. 
 
\ %%0 
 
 70325 
 
irsriDE::^^. 
 
 AbiJe with Us, . 
 
 A Birthday Address, 
 
 A Hundred Years to ('ome, 
 
 Alone, but Not Alone, 
 
 A Prayer, . 
 
 Arise and Do, . 
 
 Aspiration, 
 
 Awake, Tiiou that Hleepeth, 
 
 A AVedding Address, . 
 
 Beyond the Jordan, 
 
 Be Faithful, 
 
 Bring up your Children, itc.. 
 
 Change, ..... 
 
 Childhood, 
 
 Children, Make Your Parents Happy, 
 Christian Perfection, 
 Conclusion, ..... 
 Crown My Brow with Flowers, 
 
 Death, 
 
 Don't Forget Your A ged Parents, 
 
 livening Meditation, 
 
 Example, 
 
 Exceeding Great and Prescious Pi-oniises, 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 44 
 
 63 
 
 2,") 
 
 92 
 
 135 
 
 126 
 
 121 
 
 76 
 
 54 
 
 81 
 158 
 
 185 
 
 150 
 39 
 100 
 104 
 255 
 38 
 
 130 
 52 
 
 117 
 
 25 
 
 144 
 
4 iN'nr.x 
 
 Faith and Trust, 
 
 Forsake T"s Not, . . . . 
 
 l"'orjjivenes.s, .... 
 
 Forgotten, . . . . . 
 
 (Jentleness, .... 
 
 (!oiI, 
 
 (j!od Knows It All, 
 
 Cod will not Forget the World, 
 
 Hapi)iness, .... 
 
 HeaA'en, . . . . . 
 
 Holiness Unto The l^ord, 
 
 Home Again, . . . . 
 
 Human Happiness. 
 
 Human Life, .... 
 
 How Soon We Fade and Die, 
 
 I am Thinking, .... 
 
 If a Man Die shall he Live Again? 
 
 In Memoriam, Martha Vallean, 
 
 In Memoriam, Mazetta Laws, 
 
 In Memoriam, P. V. Burr, 
 
 la Memoriam, Gilbert Trumpour, 
 
 In IVfemoriam, Emily Burtch, 
 
 In Memoriam, William Burr, 
 
 I will Never Leave You, 
 
 Jgsus, the Saviour of the World, . 
 
 Lines to Mr. and Mi*s. J. W. Hams, 
 Life a Journey to the Tomb, 
 Longings, . . • . . 
 
 Man Poor Without God, 
 Man the Image of God, No, 1, 
 Man the Image of God, No. 2, 
 Ministering Spirits Sent Forth, 
 ^Miracles, ..... 
 Moderation of our Desires, 
 Musings, 
 
 13.^ 
 
IXDF.X. .» 
 
 My Home InO 
 
 Never Part in Anger . . .103 
 
 No Time to Pray, 1 -'9 
 
 On the Score of Loving Memories, ..... S.') 
 
 Onward Bretlu'cn, 7;") 
 
 Only a Child, 173 
 
 Our Childhood Home, 184 
 
 Our Saviour's Birth, 172 
 
 < >ur Loved Ones Passing Away, ..... 74 
 Our Meeting in Wainileet, . . . . . .210 
 
 Raise the Standard Higher, ...... 50 
 
 Tleminiscences from my Note Book, . . . . . fiO 
 
 Retrospective, ........ 160 
 
 Remember Thy Creator, . . . . . . .180 
 
 Remember Me, 200 
 
 Saviour We are Coming, . . . . .199 
 
 Self-examination, ....... 78 
 
 Sermonizing, . . ... .... 19 
 
 Slander, 205 
 
 Speak Kindly, 21 
 
 Spring is Waking, ........ 224 
 
 Study the Bible, 7 
 
 To-morrow Never Comes, IIG 
 
 To my Parents, 148 
 
 To Mr. E. E. Sheppard, 221 
 
 To William Burr, Esq., 225 
 
 To the Editor of the " Christian Standard," . . . .227 
 
 To the Editor of the " Standard," 228 
 
 To Mrs. Hiram Horn, 230 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. M. Konkle, ...... 233 
 
 To Mr. J. M. Laws, ........ 234 
 
 To Mrs. Jacob Snure 236 
 
 To Mrs. Israel Burtch, 239 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. William Burr, , . . . . 243 
 
 To Mr. and Mrs. M. Konkle, Jr., 245 
 
 To Mrs. W. K. Burr, 247 
 
 rp 
 
6 ixnicx. 
 
 To Mr. Wm. Biur, 
 
 To Mrs. Wm. Burr, •»() 
 
 The Age in which Wo Tiive, ...... 3 
 
 The New Birth, 24 
 
 The Everlasting Song, ....... L'6 
 
 Tliero is Brightness Boyond, 2')t\ 
 
 That Meeting Place, 19+ 
 
 The Dying Sinner, . . . . . . . .27 
 
 The Dying Christian. 2H 
 
 They Shall Never Perish 29 
 
 The Man in the Moon, . SO 
 
 The Hour of Prayer, 45 
 
 The Cross, - r 77 
 
 The Christian Hope, - - 93 
 
 The Pen of Heaven, - 99 
 
 The Dead Child, 101 
 
 Tlie Sacred Scriptures, 109 
 
 The Education of the Heart, 112 
 
 The Presence of God, - 118 
 
 The Outward Life, - - 134 
 
 The City of Gotl, .161 
 
 The Christian Warfare, - - - - * - .107 
 
 The Twilight Hour, ..-,... 169 
 
 The Career of Life, 171 
 
 The Word of God, 175 
 
 The Incorruptible Inheritance, J 89 
 
 Thou God Seest Me, 129 
 
 Thy Will, God be Done, -,.-..- 42 
 
 Watch and Pray, 
 
 We are Passing Away, IG 
 
 We All Lean upon Each Otlier, - . . , 15 
 
 We're Going Home, ^ --72 
 
 What is Life, , . . 59 
 
 What Must I Do to be Saved 1 195 
 
 Worship God, 122 
 
 Youth 93 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ^ , , I , .,■■ ' 
 
 Sii]icrliitively groat and glorious is the work of the Lord — a work 
 paramount to all others, liaving for its object tho conversion of a 
 lost and ruined world. And notwithstanding '• temporn mutantur, et 
 nos mutamur in iUis," tho great truths of Heaven are unc'iangoablo, 
 Christianity is certainly the only lever that can lift man from earth 
 to that land where there is no sorrow, nor sadness. How hlessed, 
 then, are they who are co-workers with God in the Heaven-born 
 scheme of salvation, — toiling day by day in the Lord's vineyard,— 
 laboring for tho amelioration of humanity, — the advancement of 
 that Kingdom which shall endure forever. 
 
 A Greek Philosopher once said the three great questions in the 
 world were, What am I ? Whence camn II Awl lohither do I go ? 
 Now it is truly certain that philosophy never could an^^wer these ques- 
 tions ; but happily for us, the Bible solves them all, and points to a 
 home of perpetual joy beyond the tide. It is, indeed, tho infallible 
 oracle revealing Creation and everything appertaining to man, from 
 Adam and Eve in Paradise, down to the last scene, of the last act 
 in the groat drama of man's eternal existence. Everything, then, 
 •that assists ii scattering the knowledge of the Inspired Volume and 
 improve society, demamis our heartfelt syinpathy, and our aid. And 
 whatever tends to heighten and increase the gmiial glow of ehiistiau 
 love and fraternity of feeling will receive the approbation of God, 
 and consequently the smiles of propitious Heaven will rest upon it. 
 
 In the preparation of the following pages it has been our chief 
 object to present to the public a work, the character of which shall 
 tend to purify and elevate the man and the christian. It has most 
 certainly been our earnest endeavor to insist upon a proper cultiva- 
 tion of the heart, and the development of the moral powers of the 
 emotional rather than tho intellectual nature, realizing the force of 
 the remarks of the Apostle Paul, " Knowledge pufFeth up, but love 
 
2 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 buildeth up." However, if the book shall inspire with fresh courage 
 only one soldier of the cross who is about to falter in tlie long line 
 of battle, or if it shall in any way contribute to the edilicatinn of 
 the saints and the advancement of the Kedeemer's Kingdom, the 
 result will be altogether satisftictory. And if such be truly our 
 earnest desire and constant efforts, we shall indeed be an honor to 
 ourself, a blessing to our race, a follower of the thorn-crowned 
 King, and an heir of glory. The only change, doubtless, to which 
 the glorified will be subjected, will be changing from glory to glory 
 — from glory to glory, evermore. 
 
 Wlioro amid the shilling mimbors, 
 
 Cares and trials all art! o'or ; 
 Wlioro tho guardian never Klumbcru, 
 May wo dwell forcvcnnorc. 
 
 W. K. BURR. 
 Belleville, Ont., December, 1878. 
 
 ,cl 
 
THE AGE IN WHICH WE LIVE. 
 
 In the onward march of time what a world of tliought is compre- 
 hended ! How grand the infinite movements ! We have truly 
 eclipsed what we call the savage and half civilized nations of the 
 earth in the pursuit of the arts and sciences. We have, indeed, en- 
 listed the giant arm of steam into our service, made a news-carrier 
 of the lightning, and have fashioned numberless devices of machinery 
 to carry on all the various branches of trade and manufactures. In 
 our intercourse with kindred and distant friends, in our own and 
 other lands, we have almost annihilated both time and space, and by 
 means of the printing press, have scattered the white-winged mes- 
 sengers of knowledge, thick as the leaves of the forest and beautiful 
 as the glorious orbs of heaven. 
 
 To think of the present age ! Oh, what sublimity ! What rap- 
 turous emotions ! What joys and sorrows ! What private and 
 public revolutions ! But it is the labors of faith that have civilized 
 the world — laid the Atlantic cable, and thus enabled both hemis- 
 pheres to join hands and embrace each other. Let not, then, the 
 dastard or poltroon stretch forth his nerveless hand in the support 
 of any cause, inasmuch as it requires indomitable energy and perse- 
 verance. There is no royal road to learning — no royal road to 
 Heaven ; and the development of the mental powers, or the achieve- 
 ment of that -which is grand and noble, are all due to honest ami 
 earnest endeavor. As well might the artist expect to learn without 
 study, or the gymnast to acquire his unerring skill and strength of 
 ne ve without practice, as for an individual to think of ever becoming 
 without strong exertion, what the Lord designed him to be when he 
 became a living soul, the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals. 
 
 The grand idea of humanity is Onward, and the present age is 
 truly sublime. We need not wonder in thinking of the past, at the 
 remarks of Hamlet : 
 
 Thoro aro more thiiiRs in Hfiavon niiil eartli, Horatio, 
 Than aro droampt of in your philosophy. 
 
4 TTIK IIAI'TIST lU:('Oin>ER, 
 
 The age in v liitli we live is fraught witli every species of interest 
 to humanity, lnjtli in lime and eternity. Just ior a moment think 
 of the magnilicent enterprises wliicli have been yeiirly achieved — the 
 new countries which have been christiani/'jd and won to scie ce and 
 art, and the rights and liberties which have been secured to the 
 many empires of the earth. How true the words of the poet. 
 
 "Wo are living, we arc dwoUiii,'; 
 
 In a f,'nuiil and iuvful time ; 
 111 nil a^o on nf,'t's telling— 
 
 To lie liviii>; is sublinif." 
 
 Yes, it is a privilege to live in an age so pregnant, so stirring, so 
 eventful. Its voice like the mighty cataract — the sound of many 
 waters will be echoing still, when the vast multitudes of earth who 
 are now treading its sacred dust will be sleeping in the hallowed 
 j)recincts of the grave. Its tones of jiity, of warning and encourage- 
 ment can never, never die. It is an age never-to-be forgotten. A nd 
 perhaps some little one now lying in the cradle, sweetly reposing in 
 the embrace of morpheus, may yet move the church and the world 
 and open up a new era in history. Perhajjs some silent thinker is 
 now at work in his closet whose name will some day fill the whole 
 earth, and whose mighty deeds will shine like a benign, serene, and 
 undecaying star. 
 
 8ome one in the days that are past told us in language not to be 
 mi.staken, that if we would have strong bodies, we must work; if we 
 would have strong minds, we must think, and if we would have 
 loving hearts, we must love. And we might also further add that 
 if we ever reach the great Beyond, we must daily march onward ; 
 Yes, 
 
 Oiiwaril ami upward, join in the soufj ; 
 
 Onward and upward journey along. 
 Ever aspirinp, and rising with joy, 
 
 TauBO not to murmur, but time well employ. , 
 
 Onward and u])ward, God speed you on 
 
 Till you reach fair Canaan — bright laurels won. 
 
 Higher and higher bid your spirit Koar; 
 
 Ujiward and onward ply the strongest oar. i ■ 
 
 Onward and upward joys will arise, j, • 
 
 Ho\)eH fraught with incense tliiig towards the aides; 
 
 Higher and higher, the world travels fast, 
 Keep on untiring — The goal reached at last. j .. ,, , 
 
 Think not of trials, for all liave their share ; i i ■ ■ 
 
 Hut look to tli<> Savior — continue in prayer. 
 
 Then onwiud and ujiwnrd, — notes of joy prolong; ' *' ' 
 
 Higher and higher you'll join in endless song. 
 
THE A(JE IX WIIK'II WE LIVK. 5 
 
 Now this is, indeed, the key to the whole matter. It is a law of 
 nature, that vse and v.se only shall give strength, development and 
 power ; and they seek in vain who search for them in any other 
 channel. In all the different branches of buainesg, and in all the 
 walks of life, boLh in the arts of war and in the arts of peace, we 
 see it exemplified that use and practice bring skill and development. 
 The skillful navigator ia not made by reading works on navif^ation, 
 neither is he made by sailing on the calm and unruffled waters of a 
 peaceful lake. It requires long, laborious years of experience and 
 conflict with the howling storms and tempests to give sufficient 
 knowledge and nerve necessary to contend with the giant nei)tune 
 on the mighty, mighty deep. And thus it is, too, when sailin^? on 
 the ocean of time destined for that blissful port— the land of which 
 we sing— that land without a storm. It is only by practicing the 
 will of our Savior that we are thus enabled to outride the mif^ht- 
 iest wave that ever rolled upon the vast sea of time. Hope always, 
 with .serene majesty points to the ancient seers and prophets of God, 
 and onward to the palace of the universe. 
 
 The same may also be said of the successful soldier. He is not 
 formed by studying works on tactics, or by sham fights with blank 
 cartridges on the parade grcund : but he is made upon the battle 
 field amid the clangor of arms, the fierce struggle of contending foes, 
 and the loud roar of the death dealing guns. We find it equally 
 true as regards the soldier of the Cross. His powers are developed 
 in marching forward, taking the Bible for his rule of action, and 
 waging war against the arch fiend of humanity. Thus it was that 
 the Captain of our salvation, thrice armed with this sacred panoply, 
 repelled the arch enemy of man, and thus forever established the 
 superiority and excellency of the Christian Armor. 
 
 Philosoi)hers and Poets may flourish in seclusion, but characters 
 like Bonaparte and Washington, like Luther, Calvin, Wesley and 
 Judson are born only amid the upheavels of society and the mighty 
 throes of revolution. But nevertheless, the great law of use cannot 
 be for a moment denied, neither can it be violated with impunity, for 
 inaction leads onward to misery, to weakness and decay. The same 
 law of growth which gives to the arm of the blacksmith its jjon- 
 dorous strength, and which causes the mind of the thinker to expand, 
 will, if applied to the moral or spiritual nature, inevitably lift us 
 from the lowest depths of misery, ally us toangela and bring us near 
 
»') THE BAPTIST KKf'ORDEI!. 
 
 to God, where we can view t'ue dim ontline of the everhistiiig hills, 
 listea to the siibliiiie strains of melody rolling along the plains of 
 paradise, sweeter far than the dying notes of an a'olian harp, amid 
 its rich valleys and giishing foiintains — the dew upon its Hermon — 
 the light upon its Zion — and the glory which rested upon its Tabor. 
 
 There is certainly much in this age, the influence of which will 
 be felt forever, and will bless humanity extending in the far ages of 
 eternity. But 0, how much will perish forever. For in the period 
 through which many of us have already been ushered, what thrones 
 have been shaken — kingdoms and dynasties have passed away, and 
 the knell of great changes has been tolled. And then, how many 
 hearts have bled — millions have perished and their groans and 
 agonies have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 
 
 But one of the grandest facts or doctrines of the present age is 
 that of LIBERTY — liberty of conscience, — liberty of speecli and 
 liberty of the p"ess. A little more than two centuries ago the in- 
 ventor of the telescope, Galeleo, was imprisoned for uttering the 
 discovery that our earth or globe revolved on its axis. And in 
 those days, and long afterwards, eclipses of the sun and moon — the 
 appearance of comets and the lurid glare of aurora boreulis, were 
 regarded as supernatural phenomena, tokens of some direful calamity 
 which was about to occur. Yet scientists at the present day not 
 only account for these phenomena, but calculate their periods ; even 
 that of comets in their eccentric and inconceivably extended orbits. 
 A corresponding advancement has also been made in everything 
 else. Each in their turn have been marching onward with gigantic 
 strides. The rubbish and superstition, mist and darkness which 
 brooded over the minds of humanity as regards religion during the 
 dark ages, have also gradually passed away as the dew of evening 
 at the opening day, " • • i,- . , , 
 
 To prove that there has been a corresponding advancement in the 
 church, and to impress it more fully upon your minds we refer you 
 to the following extract from an old magazine, and is an authentic 
 account and copy of an ancient document : Account of the hanging 
 and parboiling Friar Stone at Center bury in 1G39, Paid for half a 
 ton of timber to make a pair of gallows to hang Friar Stone, 28. 6d.; 
 to a carpenter for making the same gallows and the dray, l.s. 4d.; 
 to a laborer that digged the holes, 3d.; the other expenses of setting 
 up the same, and carriage of the timber from Stablegate to the Dun- 
 
arVDY THE UlULL. ( 
 
 geon, Is ; for a hurdle Gd.; for a load of wood and a horse to draw 
 him to the Dungeon, 2s. 3d.; paid two men that nat at the gate and 
 ))arboil('d him, Is. ; to three men tliat carried his quarters to the 
 gate and sat them up, Is.; for halters to hang himand sand wioh cord, 
 and for screws Is.; for a woman that scoured the kettle, 2d.; to him 
 that did execution, 3.s. fid., total 14.s. 8d. Now all this was done 
 in the name of religion. But thank God those days are passed 
 away to be numbered with those beyond the flood. They are gone, 
 and we trust, they are gone forever. The nations of the eartli are 
 now realizing the important fact that the world was made for all 
 mankind — that society is to care for each other while they progress 
 in knowledge and virtue, and enjoy the health, comfort and happi- 
 ness which God designed that they should when He placed in the 
 penetralia of their hearts an immortal spirit which alone constituted 
 them in the image of the Deity. This, indeed, is to survive the 
 present age. Few, it is true, think of it, but it is nevertheless true. 
 The immortal spirit will outlive the unfolding of every age and is to 
 dwell forever in that land of umlying bliss, of undecaying health, 
 or dwell in that pit of everlasting woe. The day is not far distant. 
 Soon will be seen the light of the approaching millenium flashing 
 along the horizon while the exultant shout of the saved will go up ; 
 IT IS DONE, Those then that have done the will of God will 
 enjoy the everlasting age forever. 
 
 STUOr THE BIBLE. 
 
 study tho Biblo, study it well ; 
 
 Deep in the hciirt lot its rich pro(;oi)ts dwoll : 
 Slight it no longer, but timo wi'll improve. 
 
 Up tuid a doing while forward yon movi-. 
 
 Tliiuk of its contents by day nnd by night, , 
 
 I'ondor its riches unci you will do right ; 
 Heed not the tempest, the stonn nor the strife, " ' • 
 
 But trust thou in Josus the giver of life, ■ ; . , , 
 
 Follow its teachings — its mandates ob(\y ; ,jr ;j^.„r ,' . 
 
 Learning its lessons of love every diiy ; 
 
 Hear the kind welcome — respond to tlie call, ''j'^wli 
 
 JesuB is calling — Ho died for us all. ,,.f; t,i = iv,^^;,:,!: 
 
 O. the glad message, receive it with joy ; 
 
 Heavenly antliems your tongues should emp.oy; 
 Thou in the blest harbor, to God will bo given, 
 
 Authoms of glory forever in Heav'n. ;- ',.„,•.' 
 
O THE IlAl'TISI' UECORDKK. 
 
 LIFE A JOURNEY TO THE TOMB. 
 
 How solemn the tliouglit. Day after day we are passing away-- 
 wc are travelling throngh the valley of tears and hastening on to tho 
 deep cold grave. IIow trne it is, and O, how sad to think that our 
 hearts are always boating funeral marches as we pass along. And 
 when we think that such is indeed the case, what saddened gloom 
 comes creeping o'er the soul. Ah I how gloomy is the grave. But 
 we are journeying thither. 'Tis true, alas ! 'tis true we're journeying 
 to the tomb. We are journeying as all those have been wort to do 
 who have tread the earth since time began. One after another reach 
 the end of their journey, having travelled alone through the dark, 
 dreary shades of death ; but of nil those that have passed tlwough 
 the'stygian flood, none, ever return to us again, to tell the secrets of 
 the great unseen-the many dangers on the road through which 
 they passed to reach their long sought home above. 
 
 That lionio — (). how swoct 
 
 It tliiillH upon tho himrt ; ' 
 
 IJonii' whoi<! the lovod ones uuM't, 
 
 And never, never vart. 
 
 O, liow the blissful days of childhood quickly p.xss aw.iy. jNIuta- 
 tiou and change are written in characters, bright and incffiicable, 
 upon all mankind. The things of yesterdoy are not the things 
 of today. O, what a change. Some of the lovliest forms with 
 whom we once associated have fled from us, forever tied. ( )ur spirits 
 love to haunt the hallowed, consecrated hills and groves where 
 together we oft did roam in innocency, and linger playfully along 
 the glittering waters of some beautiful stream. And O, how they 
 remind us of departed joys— joys that are gone forever. Our souls 
 go there to mourn like the dove that returns to her nest to sigh — to 
 sigh for her young that by some cruel hand have been snatched away 
 from her fond embrace. How often too, have we seen the grave of 
 the young while the coffin was gently and quietly lowered, and we 
 heard the hollow rumbling sound from within, while a voice, pro- 
 claimed, in mournful strains " Behold tho house appointed for all 
 living " And as we took a longing look at the loved ones we 
 thought of the bright days when we should enjoy fair sammor in 
 those heavenly mansions, high in bliss upon the mount of God. 
 
 Thus dying pilgrim, we are all journeying. Infancy f.nd child- 
 hood are fleeting, and manhood's prime comes stealing uoiselessly 
 
1,1 1'K A .IuL'KJ.'1'V TO Tin: ToMl!. 9 
 
 o'ti" US, and tlirough fear and droad wo liastin on amid fclittdc, daik- 
 nPbs and death to reach the glad forever, wht.-o angel spirits dwell. 
 O, how many in the meridian of life arrive at the end of their 
 journey. Will such bo our case! oui* spirit sighed. Tinin alone 
 will tell our soul replies, How often have wo heard the sol'S of the 
 mourners, and have tremblingly listened to the cold clods rattle 
 uj)on their collin homo. Then wo thought of the value of those 
 precious promises that gild the grave with the light of llea\on an<l 
 whisper to the hearts of the bereaved that they should not sor' ow as 
 those that have no hope, for Christ has said "I will raise them up at 
 the last day." O blessed memories how ye loom up from the past, 
 while our hearts linger lovingly ai'ound the hallowed, enchanted 
 spot, where together wo have i-ested. Yes, and links lie buried 
 in the dust which ever and anon cau.so the unbidden tear to How. 
 0, to think of other days and years that are gone. How they 
 awaken those thrilling and entrancing dreams which cause the soiil 
 almost like a repentant wanderer to return to the old remembered 
 haunts to view those scones which have i)assed away, alas ! forever; 
 but the memory of them is delicious still. 
 
 But we are all journeying. The beauty and vigor of manhood 
 quickly vanishes away, and old nge comes stealing gently on. Our 
 once raven locks, bleached row by many a winter's frost — our once 
 smooth brow now seamed by many a bitter trial, and so many un- 
 availing tears, wliile our tottering fi-ames now bent low with toil, 
 care and pain, all tell us we are journeying home. Yes, all of 
 earth's frail mortals must pass f-ver this road so dark and drear, for 
 'tis truly the highway of all mankind. All in mortality's vale float 
 upon the bosom of the swift running river of time. Where are now 
 the revered instructors of our early years — ^the bf^loved g\iides of our 
 youth— the honored counsellors of our munliouil I Oli. ugf^d pilgrim, 
 the Jordan with its swelling iiond is still before you ; but its wa\e3 
 have already been parted and its billows are hushed in sweet and 
 quiet rep )8e. Long have you stood upon the margin of the mighty 
 rolling stream of time. But what is life worth now to you ? Its 
 illusive coloring hijs faded, and stern reality is now .sketched with 
 an iron pencil ujwu life's unfolded canvass, Why then should you 
 wish to live any longer Iiere below ? For through many." dangers, 
 toils and cares you have already passed, during a long, tedious and 
 wearisome journey, now almost concliulcd. Your early friends have 
 
10 THE HAl'TIST H«CORl>lil{. 
 
 gone on before you. Eternity with its mysterious flow 1ms swept 
 them all away. And O, how many times have the plaintive, mourn- 
 ful sighs of a bleeding heart, tender as the wailings of an infant, 
 mingled with the solemn music of the melancholy chant of time. 
 Ah! and bitterest tears have too been mingled with its rushing mad- 
 dened billows, as they have borne upon their bounding forests loved 
 ones and dear, until their voices were hushed by the deafening roar 
 of this turbid stream. Oh! how long we have listened to the sigh- 
 ing, mournful cadence of a' farewell requiem over those who in silence 
 sleep in their dreamless beds, while the prolonged notes died in the 
 embrace of the wind whispers, and borne gently onward into the 
 measurless depths of eternity. Roll on then thou mighty river, roll! 
 for life's dusky eve to all will soon arrive ; and O, how dark and 
 mysterious is that state of unconsciousness and inactivity, that gloomy 
 and terrible state we call death. But the soft, silvery light emitted 
 by the day star of eternity, enables us to see in the shadowy distance 
 the dim outlines of the glorious mansions — the lofty spires within 
 the golden gates of the beautiful Zion to which we are journeying. 
 
 Life it is true, is desirable. The teeming beauties that cheer our 
 vision and charm our ears ; the ten thousand pleasures and sweet 
 associations of life we long to retain. But we are assured that 
 from all these' we must be severed, for all earth-born pleasures fade, 
 droop and die. The dark and cheerless waters of the Jordan lie 
 before us, and we are plunging onward towards this fearful stream, 
 beyond which all is darkness and disi)air. Thousands and tens of 
 thousands of our race have entered those dark and silent realms; but 
 none of them ever return to us again. This far we can see them, but 
 beyond we wonder and conjecture. Not one ray of light or bliss — not 
 one beam of hope comes back to us through that long night of dark- 
 ness; and yet we must some day enter it with all its gloom and fearful 
 forebodings. Not one moment of this vast eternity is known to us. 
 It is dark as the night of death and in many respects as fearful. But 
 in our darkest moments the sweet gentle voice of Hope, whispers to 
 our stricken spirits dreams of endless happiness. Yes, we'll soon quit 
 these mortal coasts for that invisible, but heavenly world, where the 
 rewards will be great and eternal. There lovliest flowrets bloom in 
 faultless beauty fair ; and richest music swells in sweetest notes, to 
 cheer the happy hearts in Heaven. There on those golden plains, 
 the fragrant odors float in rich profusion sweet, like incense from 
 
LU'E A JOLUNEV TO THE TOMlt. 11 
 
 aromatic groves ; while the redeemed ones catch the glory of the 
 gate, und behold the seraphs bright, on golden jiinions moving, singing 
 songs of praise which tremble o'er the Jasper sea, and fill the con- 
 cave of Heaven with loud alleluias forever. 
 
 Oh I precious hope, how dreary were life without tliee I Oh I for 
 a home where trials never come — where sorrows never enter — 
 where bereavements are never known— where mutation and change 
 never take place — where the heart never grows cold, and the soul, 
 mind and life never becomes weary^ Yes, U, yes, we long, day by 
 day for that Heaven and that home, where we shall meet the lost 
 ones of earth. And when the great day comes, Ho who is death's 
 conqueror shall give the signal ; His ineQable light will then be seen 
 flashing along the horizon. And as He makes his glorious approach, 
 accompanied by an innumerable multitude of angels, His mighty 
 power will then prevail in raising the bodies which are slumbering 
 in death's gloomy vale. "Perhaps we then shall have long been 
 buried — long decayed. Perhaps too our friendS; our nearest friends 
 and relatives may cease to rt .lember where they have laid us. The 
 broad earth will doubtless have undergone a wondrous change — 
 some mountains leveled, some valleys filled. The seasons will then 
 have chased the earth over in many a fitful round. Oceans lashed 
 into furry by the gale of to-day will to-morrow have sunk like a 
 spoiled child to their slumber. Broad trees with broad roots will 
 have interlocked them hard and knobbed as they are above our ashes, 
 as if to conceal the fact of our having lived ; and after long years of 
 life, they too, will have toppled down to join their remains to ours, 
 thus obliterating the poor testimony that man has ever lain there. 
 So shall we be lost to human sight. But the eye of God neverthe- 
 less will mark the spot, green with the everlasting verdure of faith, 
 and when the trumpet's blast shall shake the hills to their bases, our 
 astonished bodies will rise impelled upwards by an irresistable im- 
 pulse, and stand face to face with our Redeemer." 
 
 Yes, dear christian pilgrims we are journeying, journeying to that 
 land unditamed with tears, undarkened by sorrow, where adieus are 
 never spoken and farewells are never heard. But oh 1 are you 
 prepared to accomplish the last lonely reach in life's rugged journey} 
 In other words, are you prepared for death? Are you prepared 
 when your last change shall come to see the King Eternal, immor, 
 tal and invisible, and join in the songs of rejoicing as the sound 
 
12 Tin; lIAl'TlsT HECOUliEU. 
 
 (louts (III tlic aiiiliiM!-:si:il air and falls gfiitly nnoii llio ravlslu'vl car '. 
 Jl'not, now is tlio iiccopted time. Today is tlio day of sahution. 
 The Savior ia daily cullinjj to travollcis on lifo's jovirnoy, if they His 
 faco would sec, to licar His voice, His lav obey and live with Ifiiii 
 in HcavcM. 
 
 Ohl happy thought, though lifo is a journey it is ilootiiig and will 
 Boon he ended. O, yes, for what is this that .vo now fool creejjing 
 o'er our trembling frame I Is this not dfuth ? We sink I wo sink, 
 yet our soul struggles for freedom, while the portals of Heaven are 
 opened to receive the weary pilgrim. We come ! we come to join 
 your cverhistitig song. Bright angels in glittering plialanx will 
 accompany our freed spirit, while the glories of eternity will be un- 
 veiled before our longing, wondering vision amid the antliams of 
 angela and the music oftho heavenly choir. O! what a welcome 
 hour ! Our soul anticijjates the day and on eagle wings would soar 
 away to that laud of i>Iiss, where we shall enjoy the far more ex- 
 ceeding and eternal weisiht of glory, and wliere all our sorrows left 
 below, and earth exchanged for Heaven. 
 
 FORGOTTEN. 
 
 'tMc 
 
 Sp.iI it is to think of parting 
 With the onos \va so much lovo ; 
 
 Bnt how hard to bo forgotten 
 lu a brighter worltl iibovc. 
 
 The souuil falls upon us liar.shly, 
 Anil our hearts arc thrilled witli fenr, 
 
 Am wo think of tlio forgotten 
 
 ■\Vluui the night of death ilrawa ueur. 
 
 Oil! how many joyous Bumniers, • ;• 
 Storm and suushine hero will come, 
 
 WTiile we in the grave shall moulder, 
 With no thoughts of going homo. 
 
 -•. ^ 
 
 (■Si vi'iS'' : • ' There forgotten 1)0 onr ashes — • '("ij.'>».j . . .: 
 
 ,. ., ,,, ' , ,. As wti slumber in the grave ; ;,^,, ,,, ^.,,,,. 
 
 '■ '■ ' ' Eut we'll not in death forever ' 
 
 ^>»(,(./ft>i; /. „j;;;, - ■ Sink beneath the surging wave. ■ ■ ;• ( ' ' " fi'l ''■ i 
 
 ,.i-!i/t .■"», ' ''■ C ' Still vain hopes must perish ever, ' '" ' ' ■'"'•■-'* 
 
 t','t.<rrj :.,.', JWij.-^. 'I • All on earth must pass away ; iisj?"' :;,/i > .!.'•• 
 
 .■ But the Lord will leave us never, ,, i i , 
 
 .,i4.:.;* '-M .it. y,:: If we but his word obey. '' ''' -'' ''"'• '*'' 
 
SEIIMOXIZINU. 
 
 (1(1,1 will licit f()l;;i t his cliililirii, 
 'riionijli tlii'y 111! fni'Koltrli lirl'c; 
 
 ^\]lill• they sltimlttr in ()l'li\iiiii — ■ 
 111 tliMt laiiil SI) c.ilil ami drciir. 
 
 No hulocil, tlio grftvo will oiicii, 
 
 Iiooso tli(! Imniln wliirli Mud us tlicrc 
 
 AVliili! uur sjiirits iiliimc tlicir luiiiuUM 
 l''i)l' :i wcjllil that's fli'd I'lulii or.n', 
 
 N.) niori' tlu'U to hi; furt^fittcn, 
 Stciiins luiil triiil^i all mo o'er ; 
 
 And th(! dreary word Foikioitkn 
 Will there taunt um uuveruiuro. 
 
 13 
 
 SERMONIZING. 
 
 Preaching slioulil bo like other work. And thoro is intloed three 
 errors commonly conmiittcd by preachers, 1.* Tattlo work. II. 
 Science to do everything. III. Instruction making masters. There 
 arc also three divisions to sermonizing, vi/ : invention, arrangement 
 and style. I. Find the Text. 11. The Subject, and III. The 
 ^Matter. It is not absolutely necessary to ha\e a text, but on the 
 whole it is certainly better. We can in the first [)lace teach the 
 beauties of the gosjiel, II. AVo ought to give mora! weight and 
 speciBc point to the great truths of the religion of Jesus. Young 
 preaciiers are generally afraid that their subjects will run out ; but 
 in preaching many sermons, subjects multipl}'. We ought, there- 
 fore, to deal very reverently with the text, and especially most ten- 
 derly with the peoi)le, that the hard hearts may melt and proud 
 nature crash into submission. 
 
 We ought in the first place to choose the subject, and afterwards 
 to select the text, and speak in such a manner that the very atmos- 
 phere of our being is imiiregnatcd with love and sympathy, 
 that the living testimony of converted souls might be clothed with 
 almost resistless power. The Bible ought to bo studied so much 
 tliat Bible thoughts would glide smoothly, and permeate the whole 
 discoui'se. The subject matter should be taken from our own labo- 
 rious achievements, draM'n from the eternal fount, which moves the 
 mind to generous deeds and noble aspirations. It is generally best 
 not to borrow from others, inasmuch as it cultivates a laziness of 
 mind. And it is also quite certain that it is not as interesting to 
 
l4 THE BAPTIST ItElORDE*. 
 
 ourselves as it otherwise would bo when taken from our own re- 
 sources. As a rule to borrow wo ure sure to bring something dry 
 and common place, and consequently injure our sermons more than 
 what we benefit them. We also ought always to preach the word 
 of God plainly, and never contend about words to no profif. In so 
 doing we should preach our own thoughts and never throw out in- 
 sinuations, or slur other denominations. It is ungentlemanly and 
 unchristian. 
 
 Sermons are very powerful upon some propositions ; and absolute 
 unity in subjects should be most carefully maintained. We ought 
 to found a proposition upon some declarative sentence, and end with 
 imperative remarks. The text is unlike the proposition. We should 
 not read entirely for matter, inasmuch as it developes no mental 
 mussle ; and wo should develop thought to a regular system. Still 
 it is well to read for matter about which to think, and we cannot 
 read too much, as a general thing for that purpose, I. Knowledge 
 is truly what wo all want, and we get it by reading, and also by 
 observation. II. Meditation, too, is absolutely necessary. There 
 are many things within our I'each with which we are partially or 
 wholly unacquainted, and upon those things we must certainly 
 think. Yes, think till our heads ache — Think until every part is 
 transparent and the result will, indeed, astonish us. III. Analysis 
 is also requisite. We must reach to the bottom of the subject, and 
 find the most simple form in the presentation of the discourse. IV. 
 Division, too, is a necessity. If we divide our subjects, our thoughts 
 will multiply, V. Exercise Ls also of great importance. It 
 strengthens the power of invention. VI. A Chip Baskkt is truly of 
 great use. A soak will never run dry, like the mind of man. If 
 we take the trouble to |block up the stream with a fleece of wool, 
 We will catch specks of gold. So note down thoughts copiously, and 
 arrange them in order similar to the army with its commander, 
 compared to our thoughts, leading thoughts and subordinate as in 
 the al'my. 
 
 In a written production we loose the inspiration of the audience ; 
 consequ sntly it is better not to read our sermons generally, but to 
 speak i Vom the inspiration of the moment understanding the subject 
 well before we appear before the audience. And we must labor so 
 as not to scatter our thoughts, but arrange them systematically, each 
 in its own place. Now every sermon has seven points. I. The text. 
 
HEAVEN. 15 
 
 II. The explanation of tlio text. III. Tho introduction, which we 
 
 inugt have, though it ought to be short. IV. Tho propoHitioni 
 
 which iB tho backbone of a Kovrnon. V. The division. VI. The 
 
 treatment. VII. Tho conclusion in which wo should bring our nr- 
 
 guments to bear upon the laojjosition. 
 
 The object of all our preaching should be two-fold, viz: Ist the 
 
 upbuilding of the church, laboring to maintain a growth in grace, 
 
 and consequently increase tho piety and dtvotion of th« individual 
 
 members. II. The conversion of sinners, and this will very much 
 
 depend upon the religious standing of the clnirch. Every sermon 
 
 should be full of Christ and contain enough of the Gospel to save a 
 
 soul from death. When this is done we will see a erradual increase, 
 
 and sinners will be weekly flocking to the Saviouf, rejoicing in the 
 
 sweet anticipation of living beyond the grave, when time shall be no 
 
 more. We should indeed be in earnest in this matter, or the blood 
 
 of souls will rest upon our garments. How many are perishing, and 
 
 yet we speak not to them of Jesus. How many sermons are cold 
 
 and lifeless, and fall upon the hearers as being naught but empty 
 
 formality. This is one of the causes of infideliety spreading so 
 
 rapidly at the present time. Therefore, we cannot be too careful in 
 
 presenting the claims of the Gospel to a dying world ; and in the 
 
 language of the poet we should preach. 
 
 As a dviiip man to (lyinR iiu-n ; 
 
 To those to whom wc might never speak again. 
 
 HEAVEN. 
 
 Towards that hlest land we'll journey on, 
 
 Nor pause in all the way ; 
 Till we shall reach that home ahove, 
 
 Where all the good shall stay. 
 
 There, on that lovely golden shore, 
 
 All sighing will he o'er, 
 No tear drops ever trickle dor,-u, 
 
 For we shall weep no more, 
 
 Nor shall wo ever htmgcr there 
 
 In that bright home above ; 
 And tongues are never parched with thirst, 
 
 Where all is light and love. 
 
 The Bun is never needed there, 
 No darkness dims the way, 
 
16 TlIK JiAI'TlM' iti:cOKJ)EIt. 
 
 But ^'lory from the sacivil tliroa.-', 
 Hi)ro;uls cvcrliistisig il;iy. 
 
 ' Doiitli cannot mnr tlint ])(>n;'iful liojiio, 
 
 To fill the. heart with jtiiin ; 
 For KoiTdws tlicy aio nil unkiiov.u, 
 Aihl oaiiuot conio jiyain. 
 
 (roil is onv (lniJ(\ our S.iviour, Friciil, 
 
 l''o!ov>'i' still tlio .s:;ni,i ; 
 Oji Hi>u wo always can dciionil, 
 
 Th')u;^'h halt, ov blind, or lauic. 
 
 Tlioro shall we dwell with those wo luv.', 
 ^Ylu'l■(' iiartint,'s will he o'lr, 
 
 TliPi'o no iari'wclls arc cvor lisped, 
 On Canaan's lir.pin- shore. 
 
 Tlievi) wo will sin;;; the sonj; of joy, 
 (ilory to (iod he yiven ; 
 
 Wisdom and lionrr, riohes, power, 
 In tliat lilest Lome in Heavi'n. 
 
 WE ARE PASSING AWAY. 
 
 The i^postle Peter has chosen the gr.iss of the field to ilhistiMte 
 the fact that we are rapiilly passhig away to that bourne 
 " Wliere one dark, raylcss curtain covers all." 
 
 We know, too, full well that the grass of the earth i.s of shoit 
 duration. It comes forth in Spring, ripens in Sumuier and withers 
 at the apj)roach of Autumn. Yet scarcely do we realize, even in 
 our calmest reflections, that we are thus passing away. But it is 
 against the laws of Him wlio s])()ke a world into existence that any- 
 thino should remain still. Onward is the voice of all nature as well 
 as that of ()uinii)otence. Still, for a short time we are bound in 
 sorrow to this world of sin, while death is continually before us, day 
 by day warning us of our imi)oiuUng fate. Nevertheless we struggle 
 on, and frcfpuntly it would ai)pt'ar that we are only wanderers 
 jiitching our tents here and there, having no jiermanent abode. And 
 then too, how often do the fierce storms overshadow and encompass 
 us around and about ; but amid it all we Journey (>ii, and journey' to 
 our final resting place. 
 
 O, how dark is this world 'even with all its joys, inasmuch as 
 those joys are fleeting. How dreary, too, at tinii's is our ])atli\VHy 
 through life to the lonely gi'ave. We shudder and shrink at the 
 
WE ARE PASSIXO AWAY. 17 
 
 thought of ever beinp; an inmate of the cold dark grave. Yet not- 
 withstanding each one of us must die and pass away ; for wo are all 
 mortal. Our delicate frames contain tho seeds of dissolution, and 
 must finally return to atoms. There is no escape. We cannot 
 reach Heaven in the chariot of Elijah, neither can we follow 
 the track of our Sariour's ascension. Even could wo make the wind 
 
 our chariot, or go 
 
 " On the lightning's fiery wing,"' 
 
 it would be all in vain, inasmuch as there is no reprieve from 
 death's stern decree. There is no messenger from Heaven, sailing 
 on the pinions of love, having authority from the upper courts con- 
 taining a full pardon from death's cruel mandates. Alas I that such 
 should be the oase. Alas I that there should bo no hope of being 
 liberated from tlie jaws of death. And every day, too, gives signs 
 of his near approach, and wo are finally compelled to conclude that 
 all — all must die and pass away. Nevertheless, how natural it is 
 for us to think all men mortal but ourselves. And therefore in view 
 of this would it not be well for each of us to ask ourselves the fol- 
 lowing question : — and jiust i die too ? We pause for a reply ; 
 but while we pause our soul is filled with unutterable anguish. A 
 hollow voice, like the distant moan of the autumn winds, comee 
 forth from the 
 
 " High pole tombs that gleam iu uight ;" 
 
 whispering in the most solemn accents, All, all must die, and pass 
 to the dreary regions wfiere all things are forgot. 
 
 One of the ancient prophets was at one time led to exclaim, " We 
 do all fade as a loaf." And we all know how the leaves fade, wither 
 and die away. Let us in our imagination take a walk through the 
 woods in Autumn, and notice tho dry and withered leaves, which 
 tell us that we are passing away ; and that all along life's pathway 
 are strewn withered hopes — hopes that were once as full of life and 
 beauty as the leaves in Spring, but now, like them, they are wither- 
 ed and dead. The bare branches of the trees remind us of the homes 
 once the abode of youth and merry voices, but one after another left 
 that home, time passed away, and finally all, ali was gone. 
 
 'Tis thus that our brightest hopes perish, 
 
 The fairest and fondest decay, 
 While all that we tenderly chcriBh 
 
 Arc continually passing awtiy. 
 
 And when we are walking over Nature's dry carpet of leavee, 
 
18 WE ARE PASSING AWAY. 
 
 rustling beneath our feet, with the sky of a sombre color, and the 
 once green hills now brown and bare, we have an indescribable 
 feeling of loneliness. In pensive sadness we ponder over the past, 
 and listen to (he sighing breezes, which seem to bo engaged in toll- 
 ing the funeral bell, while on everything — earth, air, and sky — is 
 written, passing away. Of course this feeling comes only at times, 
 and is brought up generally when memory recoils the past with the 
 loved voices long silent in the tomb. 'Tis then our longing spirit 
 breathes an earnest wish for the touch of a vanished hand. 
 1 " And the bouucI of a voice that is still." 
 
 Yes, each of us can truly say, we are 2^aising aivay. Some in 
 infancy and childhood ; others fall as by a sudden blast, a strong, 
 healthy leaf; others reach their three score years and ten, going 
 through the different stages of life, showing little by little strong 
 marks of decay. Oh ! how blessed is old age when it is ripe for 
 eternity. Their hoary locks are to them crowns of glory, and like 
 pious Jacob of old, they are waiting to cross the tide. To all such 
 passing away will be but the decay of a little while. For 
 
 They shall never perisli — uover — 
 
 Glory to our God on high ; 
 Keep, keep ua, Blessed Saviour, 
 
 Satan then we can defy. 
 
 Come what will we're safe forever, 
 
 Trials, cares, or failing health ; 
 If our trust is in the Saviour, 
 
 We'll not fear the monster death. 
 
 No, for 0'" bodies will one day rise to the full fruition of manhood's 
 powere, clothed in garments fairer than the fairest flowers that ever 
 bloomed, and unlike them, not to fade, wither and die, but as the 
 countless ages roll on to grow in beauty and holy fragrance. 
 
 Oh ! how vast and incomprehensible are such thoughts. What 
 a sublimity in that one word immortality ! What glowing, what 
 rapturous emotions heavo our bosom. Even when in imagination 
 we are free from mortal mould — released from this short existence, 
 this prison house of cla^' ; and on seraph's wings may soar away, 
 and travel on through intt-"minable boundaries of endless space. O, 
 what enchanting scenes we view ? What delightful prospects lie 
 before us ! What grandeur ! What sublimity in infinite wisdom ! 
 Ah ! what is life here on earth, c.-aniped, chained and fettered as it 
 is with its earthy casket, crushing, trammf^iUiig soul-life, confining 
 spirit existence to so small a sphere. It orliibita only the mirrored 
 
NVE AKK I'ASSlXli AWAV. • !!• 
 
 of the inilivicUial identity, reflecting every hue on life's broad diiil 
 plate, and each shade, hue and coloring, will become wider and deep- 
 er ; and more indeliblo, and ultimately more brilliant and lasting 
 when reflected from mind's canvass in the far ages of eternity. 
 
 But then the thought rushes back, we arc passing away. We see 
 it pictured in the changing seasons — behold it in the countenance of 
 weeping friends — trace it but too plainly in the marble form of 
 departed relatives, and feel it too, in our own trembling frames. O, 
 how true it is that we must soon bid adieu to earth and all her ten 
 thousand charms. We must gaze for the last time on the form of 
 loved ones, break the heart strings asunder, and be laid away to 
 await the morning of the resurrection. Yes, die, and be forgotten 
 by all, save perchance, some dear friends who may sometimes think 
 of us when we are gone. But all this will avail nothing. It may 
 be soothing now for a while to think that we will not be forgotten, 
 yet our heart's desire should be to have our names registered in the 
 sacred archives of Heaven, in the Lamb's Book of Life, where it can 
 never be obliterated by eternal ages. 
 
 Solomon said in his day, that he had seen all that was under the 
 bun, and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit. Mutability 
 we find indelibly inscribed all over the world's pussessious. Pass- 
 ing away is written on earth, air and sky, in characters too U'gibly 
 penned to be misapprehended. The world is almost yearly shaken 
 by war, and pestilence rides with lightning speed upon the wings 
 of the wind, visiting alike the rich man in his purple robe, and the 
 bcgg'ir in his poverty. 
 
 Very justly has it been remarked that we are like clouds that 
 veil the midnight moon, which pass so swiftly by. And O, how the 
 echo of departed existences continually remind us that we are of a 
 few days and full of trouble. Like all our fathers, we have here no 
 continuing city. They have passed away, and now 
 
 ThocolJ cloJs aro roatiug 
 ■ 111 the grave ujjou thuir broast. 
 
 But bhall they sleep forever ] Is it a dream that ends and never — ■ 
 
 never — awakens. Creation, in thundering tones, exclaims No ! The 
 
 word of Him whose voice is as the sound of mighty waters responds, 
 
 No ! Child of immortality laid down in attenuated iovtliuf.ss only 
 
 to awaken in a fairer clime. Why then should we fear death, "the gitto 
 
 to endless joy V Have we not the strong assurance that the sun- 
 
20 We aue passing away. 
 
 t)6am8 of light, all radiant with celestial glory, will in due time visit 
 our last resting place, and call us to our eternal homo ? Let us 
 then i^repare well for it. Oh ! that we would all realize the great 
 necessity of living so as to be ready for dying. 
 
 Our object should continually be to secure an inheritance amons; 
 the sanctified in the Golden City. Evidently it is not worth our 
 while living so short a time in the service of Satan. He promises 
 no reward, and wo are sure of endless death. On the other hand, 
 we are promised an incorruptible inheritance ; a land pure and holy, 
 a home of joy, whore sorrow is unknown, where peace, tranquility 
 of soul, and unbounded felicity, will bo enjoyed by the redeemed for- 
 ever. O, glorious truth ! 0, joyful thought, that we can one day 
 
 meet and live , 
 
 " Wlioro everlasting spring abides, 
 And never withering flowera " 
 
 Then, while we are on the stage of action, papsing away day by day, 
 let us not only labor to save ourselves, but all those with whom we 
 associate. And the sweet soul-stirring heart-cheering thought will 
 continually inspire ua on, and notwithstanding we pass away, it will 
 be our privilege to meet again. Though we part with friends near 
 and dear to us, by doing the will of God we will meet them again 
 on the other side of the dark river. 
 
 True, it is always hard to part with those we love, yet how often 
 the dearest ties of human affection are severed in an hour, and we 
 in bitter sorrow reluctantly submit, looking forward to that meet- 
 ing that knows no parting, while so frequently we are led to 
 
 exclaim, 
 
 " Yea, we part, but not forever ; 
 Joyful hopes our bosom swell ; 
 They who love the Savior, never 
 
 Know a long, e last farewell. 
 Blissful unions lie beyond this parting vale." 
 
 We part with all around which entwine the tenderest sympathies 
 
 of our nature. We meet on earth, and though our unions are sweet, 
 
 they are not lasting, and i-emind us of a meeting beyond the region 
 
 of earth. Yet i 
 
 " Sweet the hour of benediction, 
 ^ When such unions come to mind ; 
 
 Wlicn each holy heart-conviction, 
 
 With the promises combined, 
 Tells of meetings by the Lord for us designed* 
 
 Ves, wo will meet again and unite in the songs of rejoicing which 
 
SPEAK KIXULV. 2l 
 
 i'oll on, and on forever without a dying cadence. Oh! how joyful 
 
 will bo that meeting that knows no parting, and triumphant will be 
 
 that song which will noTcr end I 
 
 " what meetings are before ur ! 
 
 Brighter far tlmn tong'ie can tell ; 
 Glorious meetings to restore us 
 
 Him witli wliom wo long to dwell. 
 With what rapture will the siglit our bosoms Bwell. 
 
 Our meetings here are only partings, and cause us often to drop 
 the silent tear. We look upon the dear ones spared, and see stamp- 
 ed on their forms passing awni/. Dark locks are changed by time's 
 silvering-touch — the steps that were once accustomed to spring with 
 elasticity are now more slow and measured. Even the voices in 
 their deep toned fondness impress us with the solemnizing truth — • 
 all, all are passing awav. 
 
 "Now indeed, we meet and sever ; 
 
 Chequered is our transient day ; 
 Lile's best flowers perish, over 
 
 Tending to a long decay, 
 Fairest dowers bud, ijnd bloom, and die away." 
 
 We are here to day enjoying the pleasures of earth ; but as our 
 
 heritage is time, these pleasures of necessity must soon pass away. 
 
 Yes, 
 
 " Soon will ceaso such short-lived plrjisnr?s, 
 Soon will fade this earth away ; 
 Brighter, fairer, nobler treasures 
 Wait the full redemption day. 
 Hail the rising of the wished-for ncfw-bom ray." 
 
 SPEAK KINDLY. 
 
 Just speak kindly, just speak kindly — 
 Every human heart must bear — 
 
 Bear enough of sorrows daily. 
 Bitter pain, and anxious cnrc. 
 
 Just speak kindly to each other 
 In your iuttircourso each day. 
 
 It will joy, and comfort bring you ; 
 Cheer you on while here you stay. 
 
 Just speak kindly — iust speak kindly— 
 
 Add not to annther,8 woo ; 
 For each path i:, strewn witli briars 
 
 In life's journey here below. 
 
22 IIAPIMNESS. 
 
 Tlion spp.ik kindly, God will bli^ss yon ; 
 
 It will choor the faintiiiR heart ; 
 For a word in liiiidiioss Kpokcii, 
 
 Oft has soothed tho acliiug smart. 
 
 It has brought sweet consolation; 
 
 Quelled the anj^riest passions lioro ; 
 And prepared tho heart that's dro()i)iiif,', 
 
 For a brighter, holier sphere. 
 
 HAPPINESS. 
 
 No rank, or position in life can make the gulty soul happy. 
 Diouysius,the great tyrant of Sicily, was far from being happy, not- 
 withstanding he possessed great riches, and all the pleasures which 
 wealth and power could procure. Haim'INESs, in the scriptural im- 
 port of the term, consists in doing the will of God. Then our peace 
 will flow on aa a river and our i*ighteousn<333 will be as the waves 
 of the sea. 
 
 Every feeling ought to be repressed that leads to unhappy results. 
 And how often pleasures untold, are lost when ease is consvilted. 
 We should by all means rise with confidence and tranquility, and 
 press on with resolution. Many think if they were only rich, they 
 could enjoy far greater happiness. But even if they were rich there 
 would be something else to annoy. There is much truth in the re- 
 mark, '* Man never is, but always to be blessed." The poor, it is 
 true, possess not soma of the conveniences of the rich ; but in re- 
 turn they are free from many embarrassments to which the rich are 
 so frequently subjected. By the simplicity and uniformity of their 
 lives, they are delivered from the variety of cares which perplex 
 those who have great affairs to manage, intricate plans to pursue, 
 and many enemies perhaps to encounter in the pursuit of greater 
 wealth. In the tranquility of home they enjoy a peace which is 
 often unknown at courts. The rich man who sits down to his 
 luxurious banquets, may not enjoy as much comfort as the one who 
 partakes of a plain meal. His sleep is not as sound — his health is 
 not as Arm, and often times more perplexed with the cares and 
 anxieties of life. All the beauty of the face of nature, all the en- 
 joyments of domestic society — all the gaiety and cheerfulness of an 
 easy mind, are as open to the one class a,s to the other. The splen- 
 dor of retinue — the sound of titles, the appearance of high respect, 
 
KOKSAKE LS NOT. 23 
 
 are indeed soothing for a sliort time to the groat, but becoming fami- 
 liar, they are soon forgotten. Custom pfTaces their impression, and 
 they very soon sink into the runk of those things that are ordinary, 
 which daily occur, without raising any sensation of joy. Let us 
 therefore never look up with unhappy feelings to those whom birth 
 and fortune has placed above us. Let us then adjust the balance of 
 happiness fairly ; and whenever we think of the enjoyments we 
 want, we should also think of the troubles from which we are free ; 
 and strive to live as becometh the redeemed of the Lord, and then 
 Heaven will bo ours to enjoy forever and over. Anion. 
 
 FORSAKE US NOT. 
 
 Finsake us uot! O Savior, dcur, 
 
 When trials throiii,' our way ; 
 And all around seems dark and drear, 
 
 Do thou then with ub stay. 
 
 Forsake uk not ! kind Saviour here, 
 
 But with us still abide ; 
 And lead nsgentlv Oveu Theue 
 
 To dwell beyond the Tide. 
 
 Finsake ns not! cruel thouj.dit ! 
 
 To dwell away from Thee ; 
 With cure ."jnl [iniii our lives are fraught, 
 
 And we witli Thee should be. 
 
 Forsake us not ! Lnmb of God ! 
 
 Thoii knowest how grent our care ; 
 And oft we pass beneath " rod, 
 
 Mid trials hard to boar. 
 
 Then let Thy spirit with us dwell, 
 
 And joy will be our lot ; 
 Wliilo we to all will gladly tell, 
 
 That Thoul't forsiiko us not. 
 
 . n»; 
 
 ;(' 
 
 
34 THE NEW UIKTll. 
 
 THE NEW BIRTH. 
 
 While visiting at tlio liouso of a fii-nid ono evening, on Jlount 
 Dorehostiiv, duiinf; the winter of 187r> and 1876, he introduced the 
 sul'ject of //t« new birth. His theory of the mutter was this : Whereas 
 the cliildren of parents that are citizens of any country, are by natural 
 right citizens of the same country, so are the children of Christian 
 parents citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. We asked him why he 
 thought thus, and what led liiui to arrive at such a conclusion 1 To 
 our great surprise, he was like the old Scotch gentleman, he want- 
 ed the figure complete. 
 
 Shortly after the foregoing transpired, wo wore interrogated by an 
 elderly gentleman in Jordan after the evening services at the Church, 
 if wo ever heard a chihl cry before it was born ? Or, again if we 
 knew anybody that ever had, or if God himself, ever heard the like 1 
 These questions were undoubtedly propounded with a view of proving 
 that those who are anxious to be born again — born of the spirit and 
 of the water, have nothing to say, or in other words, have no right 
 to pray before they are Baptized. How strange, indeed, that so 
 many peophs are thus inclined to run figures and illustrations into 
 extremes. It should be borno in mind that each parable, figure or 
 comparison, is designed to illustrate and teach one very important 
 fact, and when that is accomplished the object or design of the wri- 
 ter has been fully att&ined. For instance, our Savior has been com- 
 pared to the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valley ; to the erreat 
 apple tree bowing under its fruit. But then it is quite obvious, 
 tliat in every respect^ He is not like these different objects. Such a 
 view of the neio birth would run us into various extremes. 
 
 It is truly very evident that with a large number of people the 
 
 question is not so much. What do the Scriptures teach 7 as, what is 
 
 your opinion ] And opinions, too, are ofttimos formed without even 
 
 consulting the Scriptures. A sulyect oiight certainly to be 
 
 thoroughly investigated before the formation of any just conclusion 
 
 respecting it. This would j)rcvent the propogating of a great many 
 
 false theories and people generally would become more thoroughly 
 
 enlightened in matters pertaining to their everlasting destiny. How 
 
 slow the generality of mankind are to recognize the truth contained 
 
 in the couplet : 
 
 " They who trust in tJoil nnil love His word, 
 Ihiild on that Rock which none cart move." 
 
A IIUNDUKD YEARS TO (;OMK. 25 
 
 EXAMPLE. 
 
 Oh ! tho blessod thought of liviu)^ 
 
 Just iiH ChriHt Willi wont to do ; 
 Setting forth a good example, 
 
 That tho World might dnily view. 
 Seeds wo somotimos sow with weeping, 
 
 Bearing thou tho precious grain, 
 Will spring up and grow with vigor, 
 
 For it gets tho latter rain. 
 
 But tho foul seed that is scattered — 
 Strewn around on every hand ; 
 
 Needs no oao to guard and cherish, 
 For 'twill grow on any land. 
 
 Oft good deeds that wo are doing. 
 Seem to float into the air. 
 
 But they will not perish — never- 
 Still, tho thought seems hard to bo;ir. 
 
 In tho distant coming Judgment, 
 
 All our acts we'll meet again ; 
 Some of which will cause us sorrow 
 
 While our hearts will thrill with pain. 
 Oh! then, set a good example 
 
 In this world of jiain and strife. 
 And by earnest 8U]>plication, 
 
 You will lead a Christian life. 
 
 A HUNDRED YEARS TO COME 
 
 We all within our graves shall sleep, 
 
 A hundred years to come ; 
 No living soul for us shall weep 
 
 A hundred years to come ; 
 But other mon our land will till ; 
 
 And other men our streets will fill ; 
 And other birds will sing as gay, 
 
 As bright the sunshine as to-day, 
 A Imndrod years to come. 
 
 But where shall then our portion bo? 
 Where shall wc spend eternity ? 
 
 This ia indeed a solemn question. Ifc is truly a solemn tliouglit. 
 In the language of tbe Editor of the Christian, " Where shall we 
 be a hundred years from now ] A humble mound in some cemetery 
 will mark the resting place of most of our bodies, ere half that time 
 is passed. But our spirits — that part of us which thinks, reason?, 
 chooses, loves, liates, regrets and remembers — where will they be ? 
 Certain it is, that the resistless current of human destiny that rolls 
 everonward will have borne us oc to new conditions, new scenes, and 
 
26 TIIC UVEULASTINU SONU. 
 
 new snrrouniUngs. But what shall those ba ] It can scarcoly be 
 doubted that wherever we may then bo, tlieso immortal natures of 
 ours, if so bo that consciousness still remains, will have a greatly en- 
 larged vision of human affairs and their issues." How small will 
 seme of the questions that agitate us now, appear to us then ! How 
 unworthy of man will then appear all the petty jealousies and bit- 
 ter strifes that now estrange hearts and lives ! Our dreams of great- 
 ness, our mad struggle for wealth or fame — all our vain ambitions — 
 how infinitely small and contemptible will they be found to bo, when 
 wo shall view them from the realm of the absolute and the eternal ] 
 How mean and worthless a thing is human life, if it secures noth- 
 ing which shall bo kept and valued by us one hundred years from 
 now ! But within that time, all tho wealth, the honor, the pleasure, 
 the glory of the world — things for which most men arc striving — 
 will have faded from before the eyes that now gazo upon then., as 
 the bright-hued rain-bow fades from the summer sky. Fellow 
 traveller are you building for eternity ] Of all the labors of your 
 hands and brain, what will remain, one hundred years from now? 
 Faith and hope, and love — these shall abide forever, and the im- 
 mortal deeds which ai*e boi'n of them shall constitute a part of your 
 eternal treasures. Seek then for immortal wealth. Build against 
 the ravages of time. For tho things which are seen are temporal ; 
 but the things which are not seen are eternal. 
 
 THE EI/ERLASme SONG. 
 
 lu yondor bright anil starry lauil, 
 
 Besido the ^rj'stal sea, 
 There stands tho great white throue of God, 
 
 From all eternity. 
 Before it bows the angelic host, 
 
 And loud their voices raise, 
 In hon'ring Him, who sits enthroned, 
 
 With endless notes of praise. 
 
 One everlasting song they sing, 
 
 To him all honor be ; 
 Worthy tho Lamb who died, they cry, 
 
 All praise be unto thee. 
 Eiches and wisdom, strengtli and power, 
 
 Unto our God be given, ' 
 
 Holy, holy, Almighty Lord, ,^ 
 
 And endless praiso in Heaveit. 
 
 mK'/.'. 
 
Tui; DYiNu six.vniw 27 
 
 Boliold tlio Savior on tlio tlirono, 
 
 Wio likp a kmb wna slain ; 
 And round Him conntlesH myriadu stand, 
 
 KinKinR in coasolcHS strain. 
 Olio overlastinf? sonR they siTif* 
 
 It trcmblos over tlio nea ; 
 Worthy tho Lninh who died for ub, 
 
 All proise be unto Thcc. 
 
 The orclicJ domes re-echo back 
 
 The everlastinj: Bong ; 
 Unto our Lord all lionor now, 
 
 And endless praiso belong?. 
 \ray we, too, catch tho liuR'ring noes 
 
 The Savior died for mo ; 
 And loud re-echo bank tho song 
 
 Through nil eternity. 
 
 THE DYING SINNER- 
 
 Oh ! thcro is a pang that thrills the very heart with sorrow 
 whenever we think of tho sinner's death. And as we oft have stood 
 beside the dying bed of those doomed to destruction, we could not 
 but feel a pang of anguish at the bitter wails on life's stormy billows. 
 Oh ! kind Heaven, ehed a tear of pity over the lost ones of Earth. 
 We have one in mind now whose death we propose to describe. 
 His summer of life had glided swiftly away. He had passed across 
 Time's continent, and stood on "ife's last shore. His mind was filled 
 with vain regrets. There was a wildness in his thoughts, a dread, 
 a torturing fear that swallowed up his very life in wretchedness, 
 more dreadful than words could express. " Oh ! if I had my years to 
 livo over again," he mourufally uttered, as his life was ebbing fast 
 away. He then became somewhat delirious. His frame was bath- 
 ed in the sweats of death ; and his eyes half open, rolled w^ith wild 
 affright in phrenzy. Despair seemed indented on his haggard cheeksj 
 and his cries for mercy were enough to pierce a savage demon's 
 heart. ITe looked for a moment onward with a fixed gaze ; and ap- 
 peared to see the very arch fiend of hell with gnashing teeth, hor- 
 rid mien and eyes flaming with voageanco. He shrieked with hor- 
 ror saying, " I cannot, I cannot face it !" Ho turned his eyes to us 
 exclaiming," Can't you help me 1 must I go to hell 1 " We burst in 
 tears of sympathy and cried, my God ! Heaven look in pity v">\y 1 
 He then sprung forward, apparently conscious that the gates of the 
 Golden City were barred against hira forever. He sobbed, and in t^ 
 
d$ THE DVINU CltltlSTlAN. 
 
 low quivering inoai», followed with an audible cry, ho Bcroamed in 
 tones for mercy, but screamed in viiin. His spirit was raging 
 round in the broken wreck of mortality, shrieking for help, but help 
 never came. With wild anguish and dismay, ho seemed also to see 
 the winding shout, th» coffin, and the grave yawning to receive his 
 casket ; and the worms anxiously waiting to feed upon his cold clods 
 of corruption. He again screamed with his utmost strength, and 
 said, " I cannot face it. Oh ! Oh ! must I a;o to hell V 
 
 He continually grow worse, and his mind became more frantic. 
 He was hastening on to Judgement. Torment awaited him on every 
 hand. The great fires of hell, were to him evidently flaming up in 
 the distance, and he shrunk back and shrieked again," I dare not 
 die." Thus with a shuddering groan — a horror which seemed too 
 great for utterance, he passed away to meet his God. 
 
 THE DYING CHRISTIAN, 
 
 The hope of enjoying hapjuness in that land immortal and un- 
 fading, is a source of unbounded consolation to the dying Christian. 
 Ofttimes it has been our privilege to stand by the bedside of the 
 dying, and to witness scenes of holy triumph which no pen can 
 adequately describe. One scene of joy where the king of Terrors was 
 transformed into a smiling angel of light, we will endeavor, though 
 it must be but faintly, to portray. His hopes of Eartn were like the 
 fading grace of inspiring autumn, vanishing and dying away one by 
 one till all is gone. We were with him when t)ie pallor of death wag 
 passing gently over his features ; while the shodows of time were 
 flitting away and the glories of Eternity bursting in upon his 
 wondering vision. The placid serenity of his countenance changed 
 by degrees, and became radiant with resplendent glory. He was 
 strongly iifcited by desire, and animated with the blissful hope as 
 he passed swiftly thiough the swellings of Jordan, and the things 
 of earth gradually faded from his view. He was indeed sweetly 
 fanned by the last flutter of the sinking breeze, and his brow was 
 sprinkled with the dew of Heaven. His spirit was wrestling with 
 dissolving nature, struggling to be free, and shrieking to take its 
 final flight. Hark ! they whisper, come, come, away. Who 1 who 
 is calling 1 God in mercy calls me, responds the dying Christian. I 
 
THEY 8UALL KEVKR I'EP.IHH. 29 
 
 coino, I come, continued he. Be patient, wo replie«J, it will aoon bo 
 over. Oh ! I am patient — I am patient—I know — I know it will 
 soon be over — I am ready — Yes, wo answored, Jesus is with you. 
 He has gilded the grave with the light of Heaven, Ho has passed 
 into the tomb and conquered our grctvtest foe. Thank God, was 
 faintly uttered amid dying sighs, and dying groans. God be with 
 Tou we still repeated, and ho sweetly died in the triumphs of the 
 Gospel, with the firm hoiM) of a glorious resurrection. 
 
 The grass will soon grow over his new made grave, and the rose 
 will bloom with fragrant beauty. Years may roll around, but the 
 eye of God will mark the spot green with the everlasting verdure of 
 ^aith. We have the assurance that tho trumpet shall sound and the 
 dead shall arise incorruptible. Therefore may the riches of divine 
 grace be the consolation of all those who mourn ; and may tho 
 Shepherd of Israel walk with ua all through the '.'old flood ; and 
 ultimately save us in that home Over Yonder. 
 
 WJj.ere amid the shininft numbris, 
 
 Cares aa4 trials oil nro o'er ; 
 Wliero the' (jFuaf^afa never slumbers, 
 
 We sliall meet tp part no more. 
 
 THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH. 
 
 They shall no^r perish — never — 
 
 8aid the Savior of mankind ; 
 They who livoth and belioveth 
 
 In mo life eternal find. 
 Tliey'll not taste of death, said Jesua 
 
 Those that will in mo believe, 
 I will be their guide and keeper, 
 
 If they will my words receive. 
 
 They shall never perish, — never — 
 
 O what precious words of lovo ; 
 They revive our drooping spirits 
 
 On the road to Heav'n above. 
 Oft they bring sweet consolation 
 
 To the weary heart oppress'd ; 
 Pointing to a happy meeting 
 
 Mid the holy and the blest. 
 
 They shall never perish, — never — 
 
 Though they pass into the grave ; 
 For the Savior, Death has conquered, 
 
 Ho has triumphed, man to save. 
 Long had Death defied his victim, 
 
 And but little hope remained 
 Till tho Savior came in person , 
 
 And then, what was lost, rogaincdi 
 
THE MAX IX THE MOON*. 
 
 Thoy shall never periali,— never- 
 Light iiTadiates the grave ; 
 
 It cheers up the faintiiifj Hjjirit. 
 
 Christ has calmed the troubled wa^e. 
 
 He has answered the great question, 
 SJiall we ever live ae^iain ? 
 
 And Ho said to those wlio loved Hini, 
 Here, yoiu' labor 's not in vain. 
 
 They shall never perish, — never — 
 
 Do these things you'll never fail ; 
 I am with you, I will guide yon, 
 
 Glorious words that will avail. 
 All our fears arc dissipated. 
 
 When wo do the Saxnor's will, 
 ■\^'e can safely rest in Jesns, 
 
 For his words, He will fulfill. 
 
 They shall never perish, — never— 
 
 Glory to our God on high ; 
 Keep, Okeep us, kind Saner, 
 
 Satan then, we can defy. 
 Como what will we're safe forever. 
 
 Trials, cares or failing health ; 
 If our trust is in the Sanor 
 
 We'll not fear the monster Death. 
 
 They shall never perish, — never — 
 
 Christ has scaled it with His blood ; 
 And His promises are lasting, 
 
 Tis the promise of our God. 
 Glory be to Him forever. 
 
 He's our trust, our Friend so dear; 
 Thank Him for those words of comfort, 
 
 They shall never perish hero. 
 
 THE MAN IN THE MOON. 
 
 Nothing oiiglit to be received or admitted as true without good 
 authority ; and it is quite probable that some may object to this 
 subject being here discussed, regarding it as a step towards apostacy 
 and mere sensationalism. Others again may consider it at variance 
 vith the Gospel contending that it is not wholesome food for 
 the soul hungering and thirsting after rigiiteousness. We shall not 
 however, stop to discuss the correctness, or the feasibility, of our un- 
 dertaking the handling of this theme at the present time. Suffice 
 it to 3ay, that it is quite astonishing that so few people will pause 
 to consider and weigh carefully what they hear. Humanity, 
 generally speaking, follow in a great measure the footsteps of their 
 parents. Ask an individual, why he is in politics a Reformer, or 
 
THE MAN !N TUE MOON. 31 
 
 Consci'vative, and he ■will gonorally say it was the way in which ho 
 was bronglit up. Again, if the parents liave believed and advocated 
 u particular school of niodicino, the children are apt to follow their 
 example. In regard to Christianity, it is especially very nauch the 
 case. Whatever is instilled in the minds of childhood usually remain, 
 notwithstanding it may lie dormant for awhile and apparently fade 
 from the memory, yot it is destined to revive again. 
 
 The ancients believed that the earth was flat, and ijf they went 
 far enough they would reach the jumping oft' place. It is only 
 about two hundred years ago that Galaleo was imprisoned for 
 as.serting the fact that the earth turned round on its axis. The 
 or'gin of the belief that there existed a man in the moon extends to 
 the most remote ages of antiquity. The ancients had many fabn- 
 lous notions, and they worshipped many gods. When Paul and 
 Barnabas were preaching at Lystra we sire told that Paul cured a 
 lame man, and the people wcr? so much astonished that they shouted 
 in the speech of Lycaonia TJifi Gods are come doiun in the likeness of 
 W'fi?i! When Paul stood on Mar.s' Hill he exclaimed, F« men of Alliens, 
 I ■perceive that in all Ihlnjs ye are too superstitious, for as I passed 
 ly and hehsld yoiir devotions, I found an altar vnth this inscription, 
 'fo The Unknown God. And when Paul was shipwrecked in the 
 Mediterranean on an Island then called Melita,now Malta, on account 
 of his shaking off of his hand a venomous serpent without injury, the 
 barbarians regarded him to be a Cx >d. But Paul was ever ready to 
 declare tin; whole coiinpiol of tiu.t ; and in ids letter to Timothy, he 
 exhorted him to refuse profane and old wives's fables, or in other 
 words, to disregard them. You will also please notice how he spoke 
 to Elymas, the sorcerer who had bewitched the people, seeking to 
 turn them away from the faith. He says " O full of all subtilty 
 and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteous- 
 ness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord 1 
 
 The Apostle Peter declares in his tirst letter that they had not v 
 followed cunningly devised fables when they made known the power 
 and coming of our Lord Jesus Clirist, but wei-e eye witnesses of liis 
 majesty. Now the question may arise, what is a fable ? We an- 
 swer, it is an idle and groundless story. The heathens had fables 
 innumei'able cnncerninn; the rise and exploits of their gods. The 
 most famoiis was Herculo/t, tlie Thebun. He performed twelve great 
 exploits. 1. He subdued the Nemean lion in his den, and clothed 
 
32 THE MAN IN THE MOON. 
 
 himsolt" in his skin. 2. lie slew the Lerncnn Hydra with a hundred 
 hissing heads, and dipped his arrows in th« gall of the monster to 
 render their wounds incurable. 3. lie took alive the stag with 
 golden horns and braz>';n feet, which was famous for its incredible 
 swiftness, after pursuing it for twelve months, and presented it un- 
 hurt to Eurystheus. 4. He took alive the Eriraauthean boar, and 
 killed the Centaurs which opposed him. 5. He cleansed the stables 
 of Augias, where three thousand oxen had been confined for many 
 years. 6. He killed the carniverous birds which ravaged the 
 country of Arcadia and fed on human flesh. 7. He took alive and 
 brought into Peloponnesus, the wild bull of Crete, which no mortal 
 durst look upon. 8. He obtained for Eurystheus the mares of 
 Dioimdes which lived on human flesh, after having given their 
 owner to be first eaten by them. 9. He obtxined the girdle of the 
 Queen of the Amazons, a formidale nation of warlike females. 
 10. He killed the monster Geryon king of Gadesand brought away 
 his numerous flocks which fed upon human flesh. 11. He obtained 
 the Golden Apjdes from the garden of Hesporides, which were 
 watched by a dragon. 1 2. He finally brought up to the earth the 
 three headed dog, Cerberus, who guarded the entrance to the infer- 
 nal regions. Well now it should be borne in mind that The Man 
 in the Moon, like the labors of Hercules, is only a fable. It is true 
 people often imagine they see him, and gome have actually contended 
 that they have seen him piling brush. Now if there were a Man 
 ill the Moon, with the naked eye, it would be unreasonable to sup- 
 pose that we could see him inasmuch as the mean distance of the 
 Moon from the Earth is two hundred and forty thousand miles. 
 The same side of the Moon is always presented to the Earth ; the 
 reason of this, is doubtless owing to the fact, that the center of 
 gravity is not in the center of the Moon, as it revolves on its axis 
 only once in its revolution around the Earth, ib continually presents 
 the sam« side to us, consequently there would be only one day and 
 night in each revolution of the moon around the Eirth ; or the day 
 and night would be nearly fifteen days long. 
 
 In viewing the moon with the naked eye, the surface appears 
 diversified with dark and bright spots, which on being examined 
 with a telescope, arc dipcovered to be mountains and valleys. The 
 whole surface of the moon is covered with these .'pais, which is 
 evident from the fact that the line of separation l)ctween the illumi- 
 
TllK MAN IN THE MOOX. 33 
 
 imti'd and diirk lieiuisplioros is at all tiirios oxtroiunly ruggcid and im- 
 (^ven. 'riic lUduntains on or noar this lino cast behind them lon;^ dark 
 ■sliadoWK, liko tho mountains on tho ciarth when tlio sun is rising. 
 The moon is a much moro mountainous l)ody than tho earth, and 
 tho mountains arc vastly higher comoared with its size than those on 
 the earth. One of the mountains named Tycho situated in tlie south 
 u.'vat [KU't of the moon is- apparently n voloanie crater. According to 
 the measurement of Maedler, tho height of ten of the principle moun- 
 tains is from three miles and a half to four and tliree quarters. Tho 
 nunuitains of the moon do not run in ranges liko those of the earth. 
 'J'liese facts subsbintially prove the mo\intains of the moon to be of 
 volcaiuc origin. There are no largi; bodic's of water oa tho moon, 
 especiidiy on tho side visible to us. The moon has very little atmos- 
 phere, and indeed it has none; of sutlicient density to refract the rays 
 of light in their passage through it. h'rcjm this it follows that tliero 
 are no clouds lloating around the moon, and indeed if there were any, 
 they would at times bo visible to us ; but it is supposed that it pn;- 
 sents the same at)iiearance now that it did two thousand vears a<'o 
 A s yet there has no discovery been made of any change of seasons, 
 neither has there been found any trace of vegetation, therefore every- 
 tliing apjiears desolate and unlit for the support of either animal or 
 vi<gctable life. We conclude then from the physical constitution of 
 the moon that it is not inhabited, at least by beings constituted like 
 ourstdves. Nevertheless it should l)e borne in mind that He who 
 called the moon into existence could easily constitute bein,",s fitted to 
 inhabit its siu-fiice and enjoy life similar to what we do here on the 
 (larth. There can howevcn- be no conclusive evidence that the moon 
 is not inhabited, notwithstanding the unlitnoss and the bari-onness of 
 its surface and the absence of cloud.s, rain and snow. Should wo 
 reason from analogy we would conclude that it is inhabited. And 
 it may very properly be asked, if the moon is not a habitaijle body 
 for what purpose was it created t This is a tjuestion that is moro 
 easily asked than answered. In referring to tho first chapt(>r of the 
 book of Genesis we are told that (Jod created two great lights, tho 
 greater light to rule tho day and the lesser light to rule the night. 
 Again we are referred to this matter by one of the ius^)ire(l penmen* 
 and wo are told th.it({od erciatcul tln^ moon and stars to ruh; the night. 
 The moon is the nearest body to the earth of all the celestial bodies, 
 and is a co-stant atlendaut upon it at all timei-i, juid foiiiis a most 
 
34 THE MAN IX THE MOON. 
 
 beautiful ai)iiondage to our globe. Wlion the sun is gently sinking 
 beliind the western hills, the moon lights up her lamp in the azure 
 tirmanient and difliisos a mild radiimcc over the landscape of the 
 world. She jiours her luster on the spacious cities and lolty mountains, 
 glittering on the ocean and the beautiful landscape, and opening up a 
 l)rospect wide as the eyo can reach which would otherwise be involv- 
 ed in the deepest gloom. The proi)hct tells us, " She is the beauty 
 of heaven, the glory of the stars, an ornament giving light in the high 
 place of the Lord. " Thus the moon is ever and anon giving us joy, 
 serving as a magniiicent lamp to guiile our footsteps. While the 
 ai)parent revolutiens of the sun mark out the year, and the courae of 
 the seasons, the revolution of the moon round the heavens mai'ksoub 
 our months, and by regulaily changing its figure at the four (juarters 
 of its course, subdivides the months into regular |)eriods of weeks, 
 and thus exhibits to all the naticms of the earth a watchlight or 
 signal, which every week presents a form entirely new for marking 
 out the shorter periods of duration. It being so near tho earth and 
 the consequent increase of its gravitating power it produces currents 
 in the atmosphere, which direct the coui-se of the winds and purify tho 
 air. It raises tho waters of the ocean, and perpetuates tho regular 
 return of ebb and How by M-hich the water is preserved from iilth and 
 l)utrefaction. It extends its sway over the human frame, and our 
 health in a great measure depends upon its influence. There are ter^ 
 restrial scenes presented in moonlight which in point of solemnity, 
 grandeur and j)ictures(jue beauty, to a poetic imagination, far Buri)as8 
 in interest all the brilliancy and splendor of noonday. 
 
 The heathens have generally worshipped the moon under the 
 name of Queen of Heaven, Venus, Urania, Succothbenoth, Ash- 
 torath, Diana, Hecate, itc. Great was Diana the goddess of tho 
 Kphesians. Then again the Church is likened to the moon. How 
 comely, useful and illuminating to the world in the dark night 
 of time. Outwiiid prosperity and subjecting grace are also likened 
 to the moon ; they boiTow all their glory and usefulness from tho 
 Sun of Itightcousness. Isaiah GO, 20. This is truly the way witli 
 the moon. She is an opa(|ue, or dark body, but reflects the light of 
 the sun to us. She exerts a strong influence on the ebbing and 
 flowing of the sea, and was the great marker of the time of the 
 Jewish feasts. 
 
 The (|uestion may now bi^ asked, what has the man in the m-^'on 
 
TIIK MAX IX Tin; MOOX. '60 
 
 to ilo with our siilvivtion / Ami again, <li(l not PiUil cxiioit Tiniotliy 
 io preach the word? Certainly ho did; hut ilid ho not also cxlioit 
 him to warn the hrethren, and put thoiu in ronicmbrauco that in 
 the last days perilous times should cunie, and some would dtpai t 
 from the faith, giving hoed to Hoducing spirits and doctrines of de- 
 mons. But refuse ])rofane and old wives' fables. Now it should 
 liehorno in mind that jtrofane faldes, or babblings, are notions or 
 speeches obscene, heathenish, and teml to l>ring n^proacli on the 
 ChrLstian religion. But jtist reliect for a few moments upon the 
 fables and vain babblings which are so prevalent almost everywhere. 
 Pcmder tliis matter a little, and we think you will see a picture or 
 two of the man in the moon. We know somi^ have curiously in- 
 terrogated lis to give them a picture, not only of himself, but also 
 of his wife and children. Now if such will ))e a little ))atient we 
 shall cndeavf)r to present a few pictures of the fjimily, and woidd 
 ask you not to bo startled at tho pictures drawn. i)oubtlo.ss you 
 have all seen individuals turn up their cups at the table, and heir 
 remarks something like this: There is a bird up there, you are 
 going to hear some good news ; There's a horse and carriage, you're 
 going oft on a journey. There's a crowd of people and theie'.s 
 going to be some great doings. Or you are going to gi^t mai-riinl be- 
 fore long, I see your beaux there. Now this is truly om; picture 
 of the man in the moon. While preaching in Jordan and Clinton, 
 an old fortune teller passed through Beamsviile and some paitl as 
 high as a dollar, and a dollar and a halt to see what was in reality 
 notlii?ig more than the picture of the man in the moon. We will now 
 present you the same picture for nothing. He told some who were 
 silly enough to be duped by him that thoy were going to hear bad 
 news — some of their friends were going tc die soon. Ho told them 
 also how many children thoy had, and how many they were going 
 to havo. Others again were told that thoy w(>r» going to get mar. 
 ried and therefore they received a description of the color of tho 
 eyes and liair, the complexion, &c. He told likewise iiow many 
 years they M-ere going to live and whether they were going to get 
 rich or not. We have often known intelligent people just simple 
 enough to be led away by such fables. And we havo often been 
 astonished to sec profe.ssing Christians go aeveral miles to liavc their 
 fortunes told, in other words to see the man in tho moon. 
 
 The moon to this day is venerated more than any of the heaverily 
 
iU) Tin; MAN IX Tin; moon. 
 
 IkuHcs. Jlenw, many dread to soo it over tlicir loft .sliouldesfs, on 
 account of thinking it a sign of bud luck. Tlioreforo yon will often 
 SCO tliom nuvnifest great care to prevent themselves from seeing it 
 over the left shoulder. Now this is, indeed, another picture of the 
 man in the moon. Some time since a preacher of the (io.sj)el told us 
 that he could tell something of a person if ho only knew tin; day of 
 the numth in which they were horn ; by reading in tlie book of 
 Proverbs. He told us, if we rightly remember, that ours was this : 
 There are two things which I cannot answer, yea three things which 1 
 know not. Now, it is very obvious that all such are picturiis of the 
 man in the moon, and the more enlightened and the better people 
 live in this world, the less will they believe in such silly fables. 
 Alany think it a sign of bad luck if they on leaving a place forgot 
 something and have to return. At such times you will he.T it r(>- 
 niarked, '• \'ou are going to have bad luck. It is a bad sign to go 
 back." Ves, and even if a knife, fork, or dish cloth happens to fall 
 to the floor, or the olil i-ooster comes up to the door and crows you 
 will hear it ejaculated, 'I'here, we're going to have visitors today or 
 .something else is going to occur, or if the ears bvirn .somebody is 
 talking about you. What iionscuise I what a picture is this of com. 
 mon occ\u'rence. We hope some of you will take it home and hang 
 it up where you can see it and every time you look at it remember 
 the man in t/ui moon. 
 
 We heard an individual a short time ago remark, that were it not 
 Friday, he would begin a certain piece of work. Why not begin 
 it on Friday / (), Friday is an unlucky day. Now this is not 
 strictly true. It has been proven that Friday is not animlucky day ; 
 and all such notions are in fact nothing but falBes. Now these 
 f.ibles are spoken against by the Ai)ostle Paul in his letter to 
 Timothy, jjuke tells us in the Acts of the Apostles of one Simon, a 
 sorcerer, who had bewitched tlu; people. Now it is quite astonishing 
 how many people are bewitched with fables and false notions. It 
 pervades all society, and even linds its way into religious circles and 
 ])roduces at times a sort of fanaticism. Wo do most certainly b(> 
 lieve that there is a certain amount of fanaticism exi.sting in nearly 
 every denomination of Christians on the face of the earth. You 
 will notice it at times in the countenance, manifested in the long 
 face. At other times yovi may observe it in the hair hanging down 
 over the for<;ucad ; or in the style of the dross, as tliough style con- 
 
tllK MAN IN Tin: MOdN. 37 
 
 stiL>it(!il tlio nsligitMi of Jusus. Otlicii's iv^n'ui if they sec anything 
 (lillercnt from what thoy usually have seon, why it is just awful, for 
 they know not how to tra^ °1 except in the rut of their predecessors. 
 Why, at times the sound of un organ in Chuicli would drive them 
 from the house, and cause tliem to whine for a week. Why, even a 
 silver conununion sot has shocked some people's faith in Christ, and 
 jiiado them to shrug u]i their shoulders in wild dismay. And, in- 
 (l(!('d, singing in some of the churches has, at times produced the same 
 result, and they fancy they see you going on the lightning express 
 towards Home. Such people strain out a gnat and swallow a camel 
 in corresponding deeds, and if they will stop to look at themselves — 
 or rather at their notions of the fitness of things, they will sec in 
 themselves correctly delineated, the man in the moon. 
 
 It is natural for people to ride a hobby, and all these hobbies are 
 like the man in the moon. 8ome i)eople think that if they believe 
 certain facts, why, thei/ are sound— sound to the core sound in the 
 i'aith. We asked a lady one day, if licr husl)and was a church mem- 
 ber. " yes, he's been baptized," was the reply. Just as if baptism 
 was the principle thing in uuxking a church member. Baptism is 
 all right in its place, but there is something more to be done beside 
 being baptized. 
 
 " I am one of Bro. Benedict's pills," said an old gentleman from 
 York State to us one evening at the Church in Jordan. One of 
 Benedict's pills Hashed through our mind. What I one of Benedict's 
 ])ills ; and while we stood in amazement he ejaculated, "Did you 
 ever hear a child cry before it was born !" This he kej)t repeating, 
 meaning to teiich a very importtmt lesson, as he thought, on baptism. 
 What (juackcry ! Too many such i)ills in the world. We have no 
 faith in such pills. There are other pills like him and they are 
 liorior stricken if they see or hear anything different from their 
 l>eculiar notions of medicine. Such peoi)le imagine that they hear 
 some things that is not said, and see some things that does not ex- 
 ist. Now this is the way the man came to be in the Moon. And 
 some iiave been simple enough to imagine that at times, they have 
 actually seen him burning brush. 
 
 To ftu'ther improve on the occasion, allow us to remark that there 
 ai'e those who will contend, and contend about the meaning of words 
 to no profit, and if the term church is applied to tlic building in 
 which they worshij), or if reference is made to the organ, tln^y are 
 
38 riiowN MY niiow wrrii ri.owKiis. 
 
 liorror stricken, ami soo you at onco with tlio drum, tlio nddle, the 
 l)anjo, the piviHil chair and the " big toe." Coiiscijuently you will 
 see llioin going around couibating this is not right and that is not 
 right, and tht^y sec a great bugbear, in other words ; they see tlio 
 uian in the moon. But time would fail to ])oint all the various ways 
 in which is manifested the fiibles, and fanaticisms, and false notions 
 of life. 
 
 In taking a summary view of what we have said, we conclude 
 that the ])robal)ilities relative to the moon being inhabited are ex- 
 tremely do\ibtful ; while no man has ever yet been seen on its surface by 
 any of the inhabitants of earth. The story is a fable like the others 
 we have been endeavoring to expose ; and we hope the investigation 
 of the subject has not been unprofitable, but that it may eventually 
 lead to the examination of whatever you hear, for you will fre- 
 tjuently discover that a great deal of it is only fabulous, mere 
 gossipping, like the man in the moon. 
 
 A few words in answer to the question, wliat has this subject to do 
 with our Sah'ation 1 and we are done. It is quitt; evident thtvt it 
 has something to do with it, inasmuch as it comes under the head 
 of fables ; and is jirofitable for expanding the mind, and opens up new 
 fields for investigation ; and furthermore enabling lis to see that much 
 in every day life comes under the list of fables (Mpially as absurd as 
 the notion, the man in the mooi. Strive dear brethcrn and fellow 
 l)ilgrims to search the scriptures, throwing all false theories to the 
 moles and the bats, and by yielding obedience to the will of God, you 
 will at last reach that land of pcice and joy far beyond the moon. 
 May CJoil grant that such may be your desire and destiny. 
 
 CROW/\/ MY BROW WITH FLOWERS. 
 
 Will you crown mj' brow with flowers, 
 
 When the darkiu'ss thickens rouutl — 
 tJouiid me ujid life'H shady bowers. 
 
 And my lieart with joys abound ? 
 Summer dreiuiis, they fade so early, 
 
 Youthful days soon pass away ; 
 And the sliadows fall so Reutly, 
 
 Rfnuid my pathway, day by day . 
 
 ^ 
 
 d 
 
ClIILDHOOU. 39 
 
 Will yon (Tdwii my lnow witli ilnwiTB, 
 
 W)i(>ii tliK (liiin))s of ilcatli aro lu.'iir ? 
 And J fci'l thut incciouf) honis 
 
 'Will so soon 111! tlisiinjiciir 
 Wli(U) I'm in death's gloomy valley, 
 
 Kitting; in tin' mist iilonti ; 
 And tlic olonds iiro Katli'rinK sndly, 
 
 And yon hoar thu dying f,'roan ? 
 
 Will yon I'lown my hrow with IIowcim, 
 
 When my eyelids clost^ in doath ; 
 And till* storm of ire lowors, 
 
 And I faintly Kasj> for breath? 
 Just beyond timer's hoary mountain 
 
 llises Canaan's fairest land, 
 Through which fleams the purling fountain 
 
 Over in that better land. 
 
 Will yon crown my brow with llowcis 
 
 As I in the casket lay; 
 And my sjiirit upward towers, 
 
 To that land so far away? 
 Just acrosK death's swelling river, 
 
 Loonis up Kden's lovcjly Ijowitk, 
 There amid tlu' glad forever, 
 
 Christ will crown with fadeless flowers. 
 
 (hon crown my brow with flowers 
 
 Whilst I molder in th(! tomb ; 
 When my grave is drenclu'd with .showers. 
 
 Let the voilets o'er it bloom. 
 When the lyre of life is silent. 
 
 And the angel spirits move ; 
 L't the flowers with shining raimentH 
 
 Crown the brow of one vou love. 
 
 CHILDHOOD 
 
 Very bai»])ily has it been remarked that wo siiond a ten years bi-cath 
 before we apprehend or four a doatli. An infant, sweet days of 
 innocence. What hopes ai\d fears, what joys and sorrows, what prom- 
 i.ses of good or ill, wliat a career of glory or of shame, are wrapped 
 up in that little germ. As we gaze upon the child we wonder if tho 
 bud will open into the fragrant l)eauty of the rose, or is it destined 
 to be nipped by an untimely IVobt. What sym[)athy tills tha soul as 
 we look upon tho little child. We who have scarcely finished half 
 our voyage know .som thing of the trials that await the young adven- 
 turer on the journey through this vale of tears. 
 
 "Our childish dreams are filled with i)ainted joys, 
 Which pliiiise our sense awhile, and waking prove but toys." 
 
40 cinr.Dirooi). 
 
 Yiit it is tjiuioriilly coiisulcroil that tho firat ton yours is ihr. most 
 impditant period of our lives for tmiuing. The phuit is tlu^ii tciuh'r 
 iind will yield to tho inlliienco whioh bonds it in iiny direction, 
 (.ireat discrotiou is therefore needed to train tho chilil wisely, to 
 discern its natural capacity, and to furnish tho niiml with profier 
 aliment and culture, to mould tho character, the conduct, excito and 
 •juicken tho mental |>owers, givo u practical cast to the jmlgmcnt, 
 and above all to instill the princifile of true piety. 
 
 Tho child is continually looking forward, living in the future, 
 while on the contrary old ago is ever looking backward, living in tho 
 l)ast. Ho says, us he looks back, •' When I was a boy." Tho boy ex- 
 claims, " When I am a man." Tlu! om; thinks of what ho onee was, 
 often saying tluit tho world was better then than now. The other 
 thinks of what In* may bo when he stands upon 1if;;'s great drama. 
 To tho boy the years drag heavily on and ho becomes restless for no- 
 toriety, and is even longing for manhood's prime. On tho other 
 hand, tlio old man lookn u[)onthe storms of a Hooting world, realiz- 
 ing day by day the solemn fact that he is rapidly j)assing away. 
 For our own j)art we are standing almost where tliu shadows aro 
 lengthening. Tho ardent prophecies of our youthful days are nearly 
 ended, if not realized. It reijuiros long years for us to learn what 
 sooner or later .all must learn, viz.: that the things that are seen aro 
 temporal, while tho things that are not .seen are eternal. 
 
 The morning of life, as well as the evening, are dim and dewy, 
 while noon alone is bright, high and strong. And thus it is in the 
 mind of man, shadows are around our cradles wh m wo come into 
 tho world, and shadows are around our graves when we pass henco 
 to be no more. Fcsars and woakne.ss ai'c alike tho attendants when 
 wc come upon tho stage, and when wo loa\e it. Between tho two 
 points our manhood lies, and therefore it is well to let the youth, 
 have its dreams of love and beauty in the years to come, and let ago 
 have their retrospections and their pensive memories of years depart- 
 ed, but nevertheless it is better for all who have high resolves and 
 generous deeds to act in the living present. 
 
 We look around and wo notice events continually transpiring — 
 the past is gone, and tho faithfulness of memory is all upon which 
 we can rely, while the future is alwjiys dark and uncertain. Wo 
 should therefore constantly enjoy tho present and turn it to the Ix'st 
 advantage. Eveiy moment ought to l)o improvnil as it comos.for when 
 
cniLDiioon. • 41 
 
 onco gone, it has passed uwuy forovor. Forever I there is contained 
 in this word something which inspires with profound awo, something 
 solemn, grimd and inconcciviihlo. How can wo imagine a Bories of 
 years merging into eternity and never ending. 1 1 is impossible. A II 
 is (hirkness and uncertainty. Hope persistently points through the 
 gloom to an object in the distance, which wo are unable to see 
 through any other medium than the eye of faith. It is a gate — a 
 golden gate — which opens at times lo receive poor wayworn travel- 
 lers, ever emitting a glorious light, while the sound of exquisite 
 music comes floating down the highway of life, and as the eye of 
 faith grows stronger wc perceive an inscription wrought in golden 
 characters above the gate, which is Heaven. Lot this, then, dear 
 youth, be your beacon and watchword. Kee[) your eye steadily upon 
 the prize at the end of the race. Look to Jesus and you will be en- 
 abled, from the cradle to the grave, to surmount every difficulty. 
 Some years ago two men wero j)assing across a fiehl early in tho 
 morning, in autumn, while tho white-frost was yet on the ground, and 
 when they had reached the other side, they looked back upon the 
 footprints which remained, and the one said to the other, what is tho 
 reason your path is so straight, while mine is so crooked ? Because, 
 said he, when we stai'ted I placed my eyes upon an object at this side 
 of the field. Now this solved the mystery, and tho rule holds good 
 in the Christian's journey to tho grave, — to life's last shore — the very 
 edge of the unseen world. 
 
 Press on beloved youth in the path which leads to Heaven ! 
 Never despair. Let your motto be nil desperandum, and trusting in 
 God you can bid defiance to the arch foe of humanity, and reach at 
 last a better country. Then onward ! Catch up the watchwords — 
 never /ail; but march onward in advance and lead on to victory. 
 Never falter on the way home. Don't leave tho old ship of Zion. 
 No, no : don't leave it youthful pilgrims, ns Paid said to those with 
 him at the time they were shipwrecked. Yes, indeed, stay by the 
 ship. How often we have thought of the words of Captain 
 La-wrence, when he was expiring in the agonies of death, " Don't 
 give up the ship." And when Commodore Perry afterwards was 
 about to engage in deadly combat, he placed the dying words of 
 Lawrence upon the flcig which waved over the vessel, " Dont give 
 up the ship." This inspired the crew with greater energy, and after 
 a hard oontesthe dispatched to General Harrison, "We have met the 
 
42 THY WILL o (ion, nE done. 
 
 enemy, and they aro oars." ^'ou, too. fired with tlic same energetic 
 spirit may roach the goal at last to which you aro now journeying. 
 May Clod have mercy upon you and bo with you day by day, con- 
 stantly throwing his ahnighty arm around you, that after the 
 storms of life are over, you can enjoy those heavenly mansions pr(^• 
 pared for the redeemed in Hoavon. 
 
 THY WILL GOD, BE DONE. 
 
 Tliy will (tod, \w. donn, and 0, 
 Help us towatcli and pmy ; 
 
 III joy or Horrow, ])aiii or l)liss, 
 'Twill aid ub on our way. 
 
 Tho flosli may fail 'iioatli sorrow's stroke 
 AikI all Hi'A'WX dark and drtiiir ; 
 
 And still amid thi; thickost gloom, 
 We surely need not fuar. 
 
 Why should wo fear the ehast'aiug rod, 
 Or shrink the cross to bear? 
 
 For good, all thinpfs tof^ethor work 
 Throughout lifii's varied care. 
 
 Why should we utter a. complaint » 
 Since Christ has led the way ; 
 
 Or dare to plead our lovi! of ease, 
 W^bile wo our God ob<!y ? 
 
 Will not the Judg(> of all the earth. 
 Care for liis children dear ? 
 
 Yes, we can trace his wise design 
 In guiding footsteps here. 
 
 And if in our unworthiness, 
 
 W(! m(>ot tlie lieavy Mow ; 
 Just let us j)ause, and ponder well 
 
 Wo reap what e'ro wo sow. 
 
 Strike lightly Master, lightly strike, 
 Thou kuowe'st our feeble frame ; 
 
 And we pray theo use the rod 
 lu Mercy's loving name. 
 
 But still Thy will (lod be done, 
 
 Though sorrow only ecj.s 
 The sombre shaped, unmarked design 
 
 Which Thou, so oft decrees. 
 
 And as we daily journey on, 
 
 Until our race is run ; 
 Our hearts will breath tho old refrain — 
 
 Thy will God be done. 
 
I'OltdlVKNKSS. 43 
 
 FORGIVENESS. 
 
 It Ih tlic duty of ;.I1 to foryive caoli other, as wo wish to be 
 forgiven. The emotions of our heart shoiiid ho when l»owe<l l)eforo 
 the Tjord in jirayer, 
 
 Tho lupvcy I to otliiTH rIiow, 
 TImt iDiTcv show to me. 
 
 Tjct him who has never in liis lifo done wrong ho allowed tlie 
 privilege of remaining inexorahle. Ihit let .such an are conscious of 
 frailtieH and crimes conHider forgivc!n(!SS as a doht which they owe to 
 others. Conmion failings are the stnmgest hissoiis of natural for- 
 bearance. Were this virtue unbroken amrftig humanity, disordei- 
 aud confusion, would indeed be straiigors to human life. Injuries 
 r<!taliateil according to the exorbitant measures which passion pro- 
 scribes would excite resentment in return, till the world would be 
 rendered a field of blood, and desolation would follow in the train. 
 The lesson of forgiveness is beautifully taught by our Lord in the 
 prayer which he gave his di8cii)les : " Forgive us our trespasses as 
 we forgive those that trespass against us." Can we then from the 
 heart repeat the sentiment expressed in the foregoing lines and hold 
 any unkind feeling towards others / Mosta.ssuredly we cannot, and 
 if we will not forgive those that trespass against us we need never 
 expect to be forgiven. Never, no never ! 
 
 Of all the passior which invade the human mind, revenge is the 
 most dreadful. f appears (juite strange when we remember that 
 the evil spirits which inhabit the regions of ujisery are represented 
 as delighting in cruelty and revenge. Wlien we take this into con. 
 sideration how all important it is to live in strict obedience to the 
 will of Him, who is long suffering and slow to anger ; and who is 
 unwilling that any should perish, but that all should C9me to re- 
 pentance. Now it is ([uite obvious that revenge dwells in little 
 minds and is the index of very little hearts. But a noble and mag- 
 nanimous spirit is always superior to it. It never suffers from the 
 injuries of men, those severe shocks which others feel. And the most 
 excellent and honorable character which c»vn adorn a man and a 
 Chrintian is acquired by resisting the corrupt influence of the world, 
 and strictly adhering to the laws and commandments of God. 
 
 Revenge poisons much of our enjoyment, introducing disorder into 
 the lieart. It is a great mistake to imagine that th« pain of self 
 
H ADIDE WITH US. 
 
 denial is confined to virtue. What distresses occuf in the calm '^f 
 life and virtue can be comj«ired to those tortures which remorse of 
 conscience inflicts on the wicked. To those severe humiliations arising 
 from guilt combined with misfortune which sink them to the dust • 
 to those violent agitations of shame and disappointment which some- 
 times drive them to the most fatal extremities, and make them abhor 
 their very existence. How often in the midst of those disastrous 
 situations into which their crimes have brought them, have they 
 with bitter regret looked back to the day on which they first forsook 
 the right ways of the Lord. Oh ! then hear for eternity, banish revenge 
 from the heart, and forgivo as you expect to be forgiven. 
 
 ABIDE WITH US. 
 
 Abide witli us, kind Savior! 
 
 Do not leave us here alone ; 
 Ah the darkness settlcss round ns 
 
 Do thou take ns for Thine own. 
 Keep us ever — keep us near Thee, 
 
 Close to Thy dear blecdinj? side. 
 That arnid the storms and dangers 
 
 We may then in Thee abide. 
 
 Abide with us, kind Savior ! 
 
 For our courage oft will fail, 
 As we ride o'er troubled waters, 
 
 And earth's liardships here bewail. 
 O we need tiiy help to comfort, 
 
 Other helpers they will flee ; 
 And Thou helper of the helpless, 
 
 May wc thou abide with Thee. 
 
 Abide with us, kind Savior ! 
 
 For we need Thee every day ; 
 Every passing liour wo need Thee 
 
 For to cheer us on the way. 
 When bowed down with care; and sorrow. 
 
 And oppresed, on every side. 
 And our hearts are tilled with anguish. 
 
 May we then with Tlico abide* 
 
 Abide with us, kind Savior I 
 
 Do Thou ever present be ; 
 Let no thoughts of earth's enjoyment, 
 
 E'er intrude apait from Thee. 
 In our dreams of earthly glory, 
 
 Do Thou in much mercy guide ; 
 And in quiet hours of pleasure, 
 
 Wilt Thou still with us abide. 
 
THE UOUK OF I'HAYEK. 46 
 
 Abide with us, kind Savior ! 
 
 Timo is passing fast away ; 
 Swift to its close, life is ebbing. 
 
 Soon will end our earthly stay. 
 For the pleasures here are tleeting, 
 
 Change and death on all we see ; 
 Thou on whom there is no change, 
 
 May we still abide with Thee, 
 
 Abide with us, not a n'oment, 
 
 A brief hour, nor c'e.u a day ; 
 But as Thou didst with lisciples. 
 
 In those days now pa; sed away. 
 . Thou wert then so condescending, 
 
 So familiar, patient, free. 
 Always the lone heart consoling. 
 
 May wc thus, abide with Thee. 
 
 Abide with us, kind Saviour ! 
 
 Stay with healing in Thy wings; 
 Full of tender love and pity, 
 
 Lord of lords and King of kings. 
 Give Thy grace, give us that blessing, 
 
 Midst life's trials, though it be ; 
 And through all the clouds and sunshine. 
 
 We will still abide with Thee. 
 
 Abide with us, kind Saviour ! 
 
 Hear us when we're bowed in i)rayer ; 
 Let each hope of Ileav'n we cherish' 
 
 Burn with thoughts of living there. 
 And then when we read the scriptures, 
 
 And there learn our only plea. 
 Dearest Savior ! precious Jesus ! 
 
 May we then abide with Thee- 
 
 Yes bide with us, kind Saviour ! 
 
 Then we'll triumph over death ; 
 Earth's vain shadows all will vanish. 
 
 Mid our last expiring breath. 
 Death and grave, wo then shall conquer. 
 
 For their sting withdrawn shall be ; 
 And we'll sing the glorious anthem. 
 
 Evermore, we'll bide with Thee. 
 
 THE HOUR OF PR A YER. 
 
 Is Uicre an hour more holy or more sacred than the hour of pray- 
 er 1 Truly has it been said, that prayer is the peace of our spirit, 
 the stillness of our thoughts, the evenness of our cares, and the calm 
 of our tempest, prayer is the issue of a quiet mind, of untroubled 
 thoughts ; it is the daughter of charity and the sister of meekness, 
 
46 THE HOIR OF PRAYER. 
 
 And while thus ('ngaged in prayer what golilen vibions of the future 
 giMod with hope's brilliant llame are then enjoyed. O, what ecstatic 
 joy is realized amid the soft mellow light of the golden altar, and the 
 sweet incense of morning and ev ning prayer. Oar souls are then 
 bathed in the radiant light of a Idissful home, where the cares and 
 sorrows are for a time forgotten. It is true that in our intercourse 
 with the world, and in our daily vocation in life, our hearts oftimes 
 are filled with anguish, and we feel that life is hard and toilsome, 
 f>ut the lessons which we receive at the hour of prayer enables us tt) 
 gather strength, and bear our burdens with meekness and resignation. 
 Our hearts are then filled with benevolence and love, which like a 
 river of good gushes from a pure fountain flowing freely forth spread- 
 ing beauty and blessedness to all around. God honors every soul who 
 daily lives in close communion with him, while angels hover 
 round their jiatli, and devils tremble in their presence. 
 
 Oh ! how sad that so few pay sutticient attention to the hour of pray- 
 er when it so much calms and sooths the troubled .spirit, throwing a 
 ladiance soft and pure over all our actions. At such a time there is 
 truly to the Christian a sweetness in the unbreathing things of nature, 
 while a holy influence gently rests upan the heart. It comes fresh 
 from the hands of nature, and glows from the immediate ]>resence of 
 the Great Spirit, enabling us to rejoice amid life's trials, lifting the 
 spirit within us above the clouds, until it is tall enough to overlook 
 the shadows of our own place of probation, breaking, link ai'ter link, 
 the chain which binds us to materiality, and opens our imagination 
 to a world of beauty and holiness. 
 
 At the hour of prayer wo receive also the blessed assurance of 
 enjoying the society of the just made perfect, beyond the 
 grave. And is there anything of more importance than the 
 Christian hope ? or has sweeter associations connected with it ] Wher- 
 ever we gaze we notice its influence. And no one can enjoy this 
 fresh blooming liope as they certainly should without attending daily 
 to the hour of prayer. How it sheds its balmy influence over the 
 silence and loneliness of the human heart, builds up anew the broken 
 altars of its faith, and revives again and again the drooping flowers 
 of its desolate affections, in the hopes of forgiveness and heralds oflove^ 
 O yes it raises the sinking hea.'t, and restores the courage which 
 begins to droop ; and every time we feel the magic influence of her 
 rays we bless the God of Heaven who hears and answei*3 prayen 
 
THE HOUR OF TRAYEU. 47 
 
 111 the language of the poet. 
 
 " H\v(>('t liour of prnycr, swoct hciiir of pmyor, 
 W'hicli calls us from a world of oiiro." 
 
 Truly has it bcon thus expressed, and we feel tlio foi'co and siguili- 
 cance of tlio languajjo in a lu^ther denroo when wo tiike into 
 consideration the influence of the Holy Spirit during the sweet hour 
 of prayer ministering to the wants of humanity, visiting the abodes 
 of misery ; wiping the tear from sorrows eye ; chasing away the 
 anguish of despair, and sweetening the cup of aflliction with the all 
 soothing, and syren song of happiness. It enables us to overlook the 
 failings of each other ; and also to make due allowance fi)r the 
 weakness of poor liumanity. And we well know, that often a kind 
 word, a gentle lock, an encouraging smile may save a pereon from 
 the abyss of dispair. And it is very certain, too, that the influence 
 of prayer sweetens the disposition, and therefore renders the individ- 
 ual more agreeable and happy. What pleasure is thus derived from 
 the remembrance of kind acts 1 What a luxury, even the remem- 
 brance of kind words I A gentle look, a tender tone of the voice, a 
 warm pressure of the hands, an aflectionato Good N'ujhl, or a part- 
 ing God be with yon, have often revived our drooping spirits, and 
 cheered us on our journey home. 
 
 We should never be Batisfied with })r('Sont attainments, for we are 
 continually in need of going on to perfection, and hence we are told to 
 "pray without ceasing," and to " piay evevywhere." And, indeed 
 all that men can desire, all t' at nature can receive to prepare the 
 .soul for never ending joys, God has promised to those that oboy 
 him. And it is likewi.so very evident that tlie best patriots, 
 ministers, i)oets and elocpient men have* derived their sublime 
 powera, either directly or indirectly, from the holy influence of 
 ju'ayer. Its power is felt in the cottage of the poor man and abides 
 with him and his children, often making them contented in the 
 midst of privations. Its power is likewise manifesteJ admidst the 
 blandishments of relined society like a purifying* enobling and re- 
 deeming angel. It adds dignity to the noble, gives wisdom to the 
 wise and now grace to the lovely. O, what a precious boon to man 
 cheering him on in the way to blessed immortality. Is there then, 
 indeed, anything that oin throw an eipial charm over the world 
 as benefioial to humanity as a prayerful and a religions life ] Is 
 there anything too, that has equal power to enlighten the darkest 
 
48 THE noun OF prayeu, 
 
 lioiirs, or assuage tlio severest v/oes ? As the silent dews of aight 
 fall gently and silently upon tlio flowers, reviving their drooping 
 leaves, so does fervent prayer in hours of afliiction revive our spirits, 
 give solace to the wounded heart, thus afTording that blessed assurance 
 that gives us strength fur all our trials, that takes from miset ' its 
 bitterness, and strips afliiction of its sting. In such an houi our 
 souls are filled with love to (tod, and we pour out our hearts best 
 gratitude ; and ofTor up ourselves to Ilim who is, indeed, worthy to 
 recjive glory and honor anrl power inasmuch as He has created all 
 things, and for His pleasure they are and were created. 
 
 Love is truly the divine essence of our being. And in time of 
 prayer it flows into the soul and is truly our life. As the sun of 
 the natural world warms the flov/ers into life and beauty, so does 
 the spirit of man receive the warmth which animates it into life and 
 action. In that blest hour all the finer feelings of tho soul are 
 brought out, the dross removed and man becomes fit for the enjoy- 
 ment of a better country. Surely we all need a refuge in distress) 
 a shelter from the stormy blast, and an eternal home. And indeed 
 whenever we ai'o fleeing for refuge we go to God in prayer. And O, 
 how soul cheering and soul elevating it is ■when we gain a shelter 
 from the Vjitter and inclement blast. O how it sooths us in our 
 journeying through life to know that we have a Heavenly Father 
 to whom we can pray, and in whom we can trust, and unbosom all 
 our sorrows. Though our hearts may be bleec'ui,.T when we go to 
 God in prayer, he pours in the balm of consolation, and we are sure 
 to find relief. 0, how thankful we ought to be for that comfort and 
 consolation which we receive in prayer, and for the great power that 
 ii gives to enlighten the darkest hours of life, and assuage tho 
 severest woes into the valleys of cares and shadows, and light us 
 through a thorny path on earth, and at the close of life, lights us to 
 Heaven. 
 
 The beauty of a religious life is one of the greatest recommenda- 
 tious of a life of pvayer. It affords peace to all those who engage in 
 it with a pure heart. It teaches us wisdom which will always render 
 us beloved aud respected, and ■which will contribute to our present 
 comfort as well as to our future happiness. Its greatest ornament is 
 a meek and quiet spirit ; and it inculcates nothing but love and sim- 
 plici^} of affection. It breathes nothing but the purest delight ; and 
 it causes the praying one to shir.e in adversity. It gives us that 
 
THE IIOL'H OF nUYER. 49 
 
 meek and gentle spirit tliat lends us to iinother, and a botter world. 
 Its magic iniluenco calms the rulHed sea of life, and makes them 
 glide peacefully away. It soothes the mind in its last hours, removes 
 the sting of death and gives assurance of the passport of the soul 
 to an endless life of ha))])iness and bliss. And generally when the 
 individual is dying he wishes some one to engage with him in 
 prayer. At the hour of midnight wo have been called up from 
 calm and quiet rei)ose to go to the bed of the dying and offer up a 
 prayer. And it very often happens that the voice that has never 
 before been heard in petitioning before the throne of God, now for 
 the first time is heard to plead for mercy. At such a time the 
 dying one wishes the prayers of the sympathetic, those that are 
 accustomed to pray, and ever and anon going on errands of mercy, 
 visiting the poor and the needy, and those that are alllictcd bound 
 down in sorrow and bereft of those that are bound to them by the 
 strongest ties of affection. Wo shall never forget one night while 
 engaged in watchiog round the dying bed of a young man, a very 
 important lesson of sympathy which was at that time indelibly in- 
 scribed on the dial plate of our heart. We had been boys together 
 and strong ties of afiection had bound us very closely to each other. 
 It was his wish that we should be present at the dying hour, to 
 offer him uj) in the arms of faith and prayer. During that solemn 
 nif^ht ho wished a number to leave the room on account of their 
 being as ho supposed, devoid of sympathy and without natural afiec- 
 tion. We have often thought people generally, are just like this 
 young man, when the death hour comes they want the prayers of 
 those they love, that can in tears of sympathy offer them up to the 
 God of Heaven, that they may be enabled to bid farewell to earth — 
 mount the wings of light and live forever. These considerations 
 should prompt us to live a prayerful life. And furthermore to set 
 apart a portion of every day to attend to this important duty ; and 
 then we will always be ready to meet any trial, tribulation or fieiy 
 ordeal through which we so often are called to pass, and with re- 
 newed vigor we will journey on till wo meet in that blest harbor 
 where the good will dwell forever. Press on then fellow pilgrims. 
 There is no time to loose. Death and judgment are just before us. 
 Heaven hangs upon our faithfulness ; and when our trembling souls 
 are forever into the presence of God, we will hear the welcome 
 applaudit, " Well done " ; while our voices will mingle with the 
 anthems of angels forever, 
 
to UEMIXISCENCES FROM MY NOTE BOOK. 
 
 RAISE THE STANDARD HIGHER. 
 
 Biothron raiso tlio Rtniidard liifjhcr, 
 Holiness of heart jour aim ; 
 
 And to better things aspire 
 Tlian a mere professor's name. 
 
 Always he a zealous Christian, 
 I'larnoHt, notivo, kind and true ; 
 
 Imitate tho Lord's example 
 In what e'er you say or do. 
 
 Never be a drone, hut labor 
 
 With a will, both bold and strong ; 
 For if you would pain the harbor. 
 
 You must tight against the wrong. 
 
 Do not always be repining, 
 Onward lot your motto be ; 
 
 And your courage still increasing. 
 Till the land of bliss you see. 
 
 Let your thoughts bo pure and holy ; 
 
 Always sjieak the truth in love ; 
 And your actions kind and godly. 
 
 Then you'll gain a home above. 
 
 Step by step, you'll get up higher. 
 Nearer to the i)attern giv'n. 
 
 Faith iu God, and tireless doing 
 Vv'ill secure a home iu Heav'ii. 
 
 Oh ! then raise the standard higher ; 
 
 Let perfection be your aim ; 
 And to holier things aspire 
 
 Than a mere professor's name. 
 
 REMimCENOES FROM MY NOTE BOOK. 
 
 The day was swiftly passing by, and drawing to a close. All 
 nature seemed to wem- a smile radiant with beauty and loveliness. 
 The sun was calmly sinking behind the Western hills while earth 
 and sky were tinged with all the richness and variety of colors. 
 The queen of night, fair Cynthia, had risen with resplendent glory 
 and lent her charming loveliness to decorate the wide spreading land- 
 scape as she bathed herself in the golden light of evanishing day. 
 
 We had retired from the bustle, and busy scenes of life, and 
 
KKMINISCENCES FKOM MV NOTK liOOK. 51 
 
 strolletl away in the deep shades of the wikhvood to recline beneath 
 the auburn branches ; and as the gentle breeze moved sweetly on 
 wo listened to the music of the pines — to the deep sighing of the 
 forest trees, echoing in the deeji blue vault above. And as wo listen 
 ed wo thought of former years — the days of infancy and childhood 
 when our hearts beat with the fondest emotions of joy and bliss, and 
 almost wished that we were a child again. 
 
 On the wings of imagination we went back to other days and 
 other years, and in fancy's wide domain, we enjoyed many a spoitive 
 glee again. We sat as we -wcMe wont to do in childhood years, and 
 playfully watched the golden sunbeams as they sweetly fell through 
 the opening glades of forest trees, ui)on the green tiud mossy limbs 
 like bars of gold, resting upon the ground beneath si)a -kling and 
 dazzling as the long graceful boughs waved to and fro'v, claj)ping 
 their hands under the joyous influence of an autumn's eve. 
 
 And as we calmly looked abroad we saw the moon as she was 
 silently pursuing her coui'se through the heavens, walking in her 
 brightness, and taking her progress among tlie consttiUations ; she was 
 still sending down her rills of light through the deep shades of tho 
 tall waving elms and the ancient, venerable oaks as they stood be- 
 fore us in stately majesty. Wo listened for a while again, and now 
 heard the fluttering of the auburn leaves falling gently by our side. 
 And as we listened to the rustling of the leaves, we thought of the 
 land-locked play ground of our former years ; and O, what feelings of 
 deep awe came over us, mingled with the recollections of the days 
 when we enjoyed the soul's calm and gentle sunshine. W^e endeav- 
 ored, for a moment, to banish these solemn emotions. But the 
 mystic air of an enchanted spot was calmly resting ufion the soul ; 
 and again, in our fancy's ideal, we wandered along the sparkling 
 rills and babbling brooks to find a place to construct our dams, 
 build our flutter-mills, and watch tlu; bubbles dash into the eddies, 
 spining round most beautifully in wild fantastic glee. 
 
 O, what a welcome hour I O, what blissful moments thus passed 
 sweetly away. We were transported back to the scenes of our early 
 life, and it called up sweet, but long-forgotten memories. And 0, 
 how we lingered lovingly around that holy, hallowed spot and thotight 
 of the dear old folks at home. We were again in the fond embrace 
 of parental affection, and the fountain of filial tenderness was still 
 full and gushing over. Along with our brothers aad sisters we 
 
52 don't i-oiuiET Yorn ahed pauents. 
 
 were engaged in leiipiug over the green earth — chasing the butter- 
 iiies, and running along tlie glittering streams. The storms of life, 
 however severe, can never obliterate those fond reminiscences shad- 
 owed over in by-gonr? sunny days. They are sweet recollections that 
 must ever entwine around the joyous homes of our childhood, and 
 will remain throughout our earthly pilgrimage. And when the 
 splendors of the (Jolden City shall burst in upon our enraptured souls, 
 and we hear the thrilling commendation of the Eternal King, " Welj 
 done, "then we shall realize the joys of an endless home forever. 
 May such our portion be, and we shall one day meet and never, never 
 part. 
 
 DON'T FORGET YOUR AGED PARENTS. 
 
 \ 
 
 Don't forget your n<^c.d paronLs, 
 
 Lovo them ns in ilayH of yoro, 
 Wlion thoy K'^'itly 1('«1 you ouwnnl, 
 
 I'ointiug to tho Golden Shore. 
 
 Sml to know that now thoy' re fnilinr;. 
 Their forms frail and bent witli years ; 
 
 And amid eartli's cares and sorrows 
 Often falls tho l)riny toars. 
 
 How they used to teach you wisdom, 
 
 Teach you that which was the truth ; 
 W'liat they learned, and how they studied, 
 
 In the hajipy days of youth. 
 
 In their old ago, dont forget them. 
 
 With tlhur locks all silvered o'er, , 
 And their bodies so enfeebled, 
 
 Why not love them more and more ? 
 
 Though they may sometimes be childish 
 
 Burdened with life's cares and woes ; 
 Never mind but show them kindness, 
 
 Do not bo their dreaded foi's. 
 
 ' ■ ■ 
 
 Don't forget your tender father, i : ... . 
 
 Inasmuch as he is old ; 
 
 With his cheeks so thin and careworn, > '■ '' .u 
 
 lieady for the grave so cold. . ■ i ' 
 
 Let your words be kind and gentle, ■ • '''•'■' '- ' ' 
 
 Every act an act of love ; v/"^; 'urU: . * ' 
 
 Let his last days be the brightest 
 
 Till he gains that world abovoi • ^ i' » ■ •(.■•> lii, 
 
LiENTLENESS. S3 
 
 Pou't for).;ct your iDviiig niotlirr, 
 
 For hIic wiiH your dcMiri'st friend ; 
 ^Vll(^ oft-tinu'H inipnrtcd counsel. 
 
 Ami on whom, you might deiieml. 
 
 Oft she pave j'oii swcot instruction, 
 
 TeiudiiuK you tho crosH to b(>ar; 
 Then to how iH'foro your Miilvcr, 
 
 Offeriug up your curliest prayer. 
 
 Don't forget your dear old parents. 
 
 Daily love'theni more and more ; 
 Whilu they're Kuiling towards the harhor, 
 
 Bound fur Canaan's lovely Mln)rc. 
 
 GENTLENESS. 
 
 Wo otight always to view our characters with an impartial eye ; 
 and to learn from our feelings to give that indulgence which, in our 
 turn, we claim, It is a lack of this which fills the world with so 
 much pride and severity. We are rigorous of ofl'ence as if we had 
 never oflended, unfeeling of distress as if we knew not what it was 
 to suffer. Let us suspend our violence for a moment on every occasion 
 when causes of discord occur. And we certainly ought continually 
 to anticipate that period of coolness which of itself will soon arrive. 
 Let us reflect how little we have any prospect of gaining by fierce 
 contention ; but how much of the true happiness of life we are cer- 
 tain of throwing away. How very easily and from the smallest 
 chink, too, the bitter waters of strife are let forth, but their course 
 cannot be forseen ; and he seldom fails of suflering most from their 
 poisonous eflPect who first allows them to flow. 
 
 Most assuredly we ought to be gentle and kind to all, even to the 
 fro ward. Though we are surrounded with care and anxiety we 
 should nevertheless be gentle, remembering there is no condition in 
 life free from them. And indeed this fact ought to be indelibly 
 stamped upon the mind, that the anxiety which belongs to a sinful 
 course is far greater than what attends a course of well doing. If 
 we are weary of the labors of virtue we may be well assured that 
 the world whenever we try the exchange, will lay upon us a much 
 heavier load. 
 
 We always love the gentleness which flows from a Christian heart. 
 It calms our rising fears, and raises us above the storms of a fallen 
 
04 A WKUUIN'U AUDKKHS. 
 
 world. Christ has left us his glorious example to follow. Shall wo 
 not, then, follow it ? And then wo shall for over enjoy the true 
 riches — the unsaarchable riches — the jiure gold tried in the lire, in 
 that world of endless liai)i)iuess. Nothing there will transpire to 
 mar our peace and felicity. Pleasure will there succeed pleasure, 
 and discontent and sorrow will have no admission. The voice of 
 gentleness, of love and harmony will lull us in the shady groves, 
 which are indeed, more beautiful than those of Java. Wo will there 
 breathe the fragrance of those vine-clad bowers, those flowers be- 
 decked with gems of azure, sweeter, by fai', than the odor which floats 
 from the Aromatic Groves of the East. There amid those celestial 
 bowers we will repose upon the beds of Paradise, far softer than the 
 down of the cygnets of the Ganges. Nay, and even more, for our 
 enraptured strains of melody and harmony will echo immortal joys 
 forever. 
 
 Oh ! how much real enjoyment we loose by not being more gentle 
 and kind to those with whom we associate. How much discord in 
 the family would be prevented if the spirit of gentleness were daily 
 inculcated. And furthermore how much peace is lost to society by 
 disregarding this very important element in our natures. Every day 
 we must expect the cloud to arise, but by living a kind and gentle 
 life we will rise superior to the little cares, factions aud disputes of 
 mankind, and in the final day treasure the end of innocOuce. 
 
 A WEDDING ADDRESS, 
 
 Read at the, marriage of J. U. Smith, of Colorado, U. S. A., to Itos- 
 setta, daughter of Air. C. Prudhomme, of Ikams'cille, Ontario, 
 March ISth, 1877. 
 
 Wo have gatliored here in gladiioss ; 
 
 All our hearts now beat with joy ; 
 And we smile with deep emotion, 
 
 While gay themes our tongues employ. 
 
 Friends, tliis is, indeed, yoxir wedding — 
 
 Day of merriment and mirth : 
 May your pleasures be abiding - i 
 
 While you sojourn here on earth. ., 
 
 Early dreams, you dreamed so fondly, . ■ 
 
 You enjoy them now with pride ; ,.,.• 
 
 And the one each loved most dearly, 
 Mutually stands by your side. > ■ 
 
MINISTEBINtJ SriBITS SENT FORTH. 0S 
 
 Mrs. K : 
 
 Of tills day, jou'vo oft l)cpu thinking, 
 
 Wlipn drosHod in jdur biidnl rofx' ; 
 How you'd cliuK to your protfctor, 
 
 E'eu though he piisH'd round the glol^c. 
 
 Mr. S. 
 
 Now you've pledged yourself to keep her, 
 She is tcorthi/ of your care : 
 
 May no grief your prospects shadow, 
 liut life's richest hlessings share. 
 
 (iod be with you now and over, 
 
 Where e'er you may make your home : 
 
 May we meet in sweet re-union 
 lu the sunny days to come. 
 
 And then when your time is ended, 
 
 And your trials all are o'er. 
 May we meet again in gladness 
 
 On that lovely Golden Suohe. 
 
 MINISTERING SPIRITS SENT FORTH. 
 
 There is considerftble said in the Bible concerning the angels. 
 They are spoken of in various places and employed upon different 
 missions, yet always as in intimate connection with the inhabitants 
 of this world, and engaged in its affairs. 
 
 Angels are not seen by us, neither do they minister to us as they 
 did to God's ancient people. Isaiah .says, "Angels are oft hovering 
 around, " and who knows but what they are around us continually ; 
 for we are told that they are "ministering spirits sent forth to minis- 
 ter unto them who shall be heirs of salvation." And when we are 
 driven by the rough waves over the stream of time, and the heart 
 grows faint and sick at the anguish of human woes, may we not then 
 indulge the fancy that we can almo.st hear their little footfalls upon 
 the wind as thoy hurry to and fro upon errands of mei*cy. 
 
 Nothing rerv explicit is told us in reference to their nature, 
 whether they are spiritual beings only, or whether they have any 
 subtle and ethereal form belonging to them. Wherever mention 
 is made of them by the in.spired writers and, where they have 
 been j)alpable to the senses of man, their forms have been beyond 
 conception, bright find glorious. Tho Apostle speaks of our body, 
 after the resurrection as a spiritual body, so nearly will it ap- 
 
5G MINISTKRINO SlMlllTS SENT FOIITII. 
 
 Itroxiniato to hpirit ; and wo aro toUl Ity our Kavior tluit in llie 
 rdsmTcctiou tlicy noitlior marry nor aro given in marriage, hut aro 
 as tlu) angols of (iod. 
 
 In reference to their moral cliuractor and intellectual nature wo 
 aro informed that they aro beings superior to ourselves. ( )r, in 
 other words wo draw the c;jnolusiun from tho inspired writings 
 that they form a rank between man and his maker. Our Savour 
 in referring to them uses the very siguidcant and coinprohonsivo title, 
 " Jioly angels." 
 
 The Bible frccjuently speaks of their rank and order together with 
 ihc innumerable multitude which no man can number, surpassing 
 all our powers of computation. The Apostle Paul in writing to tho 
 Hebrews says. "But ye are come unto Mt. Zion, and unto the city 
 of the living (tod, tho heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable 
 company of angels." What a stupendous thought, and still they keep 
 perfect order in all of their employments on earth, and their worship 
 in heaven. 
 
 Angela have been present and have borne an important part in 
 all the grand aflairs, and on every occasion in which the greatest and 
 grandest events have transpired in connection with the affairs of 
 sublunary things. AVhen the worlds were formed and all matter be- 
 came obedient to His reipiirement^ ; when the foundations of the 
 earth were laid and fasteneil ; when the measures thereof were 
 drawn and the line stretched upon it, when the corner stone was 
 embedded, and the foundation thereof fastened by an almighty 
 hand, then '' the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of 
 Clod shouted with joy." They beheld the developments of creation ; 
 the new developments of the maker's perfections, and exulted in the 
 prospect of the wonderful race of beings to be made a little lower 
 than the angels — a little lower than themselves ; and if obedient to 
 the claims of Jehovah, to be raised at last to dwell Avith them in 
 heaven, in place of their former companions who had been cast out. 
 Can we then wonder at their joy and delight, when the Creator him- 
 self surveyed his work on its com2)letion with pleasure 'I Doubtless 
 he ins]»ired and accepted their rapturous harmony on that occasion. 
 "Holy, holy, holy, Lord Cod Almighty, which was, and is to come — 
 Thou art worthy oh Lord to receive glory and h ^nor and power for 
 thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure thoy are and were 
 created." 
 
MINISTKIUNO .SI'IIUT.S .4KNT FOUTll. ')7 
 
 Agiiiii wo leiu'u that lUigi.'ls iittcndoil ut tlio 1,'Ivinij of llm law uu 
 ]yrt. Siuui, "It was glvou by tlio dinporsitioa of iinrjcls," Hays Lho iiiui'- 
 tyr Stcplion, jusL iHjfovo lio was stoned to ucntli. Paul, in liis liOttcv 
 to tlio G'alatians, tellB us that it wum ordained by nngols in tlie hand 
 of u mediator. Tho Soveroiyn of Heaven nia<lo a solemn display of 
 his pomp and majesty on that occasion to lioi^et reverence, to inspire 
 fi.'ar of punishmontb for reliollion, and ho})o ot reward for obedience. 
 Then, i>uleod, were his angels made spirits, and his ministers a ilaia- 
 ing tire. What voices were then heard ! What appearances were 
 then presented ! It was tho word spoken by angels. And so torriblo 
 was tho sight that Moses said, " I exceedingly fear and quake. Who 
 is like unto Thee, O, Lord, among the gods 1 Who is like Thee, 
 glorious in holiness, fearful in praise, doing wonders unto tho children 
 of men," 
 
 How frequently were the angels employed in attending tho incar- 
 nate Saviour. They attended hitn in his previous descent in the early 
 ages of mankind. They foretold his approaching actual assumption 
 of our nature, and the birth of him who came as a messenger to pre- 
 pare tho way of tho Lord. They airaounced to shepherds the event of 
 his incarnation ; warned his reputed father of his danger from Herod ; 
 strengthened Christ after his temptation in tho wilderness ; comfort- 
 ed him after his agony in the garden ; graced his resurrection l)y 
 their glorious appearance and glad annunciations, and attended him 
 on his ascent, by his own pro))er might to tho mediatorial throne, 
 where, in obedience to the Divine mandate, they adored his Godhead 
 in the humanity, and subjected themselves, with profound and de- 
 lighted homage, to his will and order in that capacity. 
 
 We are also informed that angels will attend the Saviour at the 
 Judgment. " The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father 
 with His angels." How diflcrent his appearance then, from what it 
 was on Earth ! All those invincible hosts without number, and of 
 inJinite variety, will appear as his vassals, or servants. And though 
 they will not assist in raising the dead, which is his work alone, he 
 will empower them to gather them, when raised, to his presence in 
 tiie air, as well as a^' ^hose of his followers who will be translated 
 without dying, and tinally all the tribes of the ungodly. They shall 
 I)lace them in their respective classes, and after the judgment, drive 
 down the rebellious to p-mishment, and ascend with the righteous 
 where they will dwell forever together in tho same heavenly King- 
 
58 SlINISTERING SPIRITS SENT FORTH. 
 
 doni. " The harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the 
 angels. The godly tire the wheat which will be gathered into the gar- 
 ner, while the chaft' which is the ungodly will be cast into the fire." 
 Prior to this, however, they have many offices to perform on be- 
 half of the inkabitants of this world while dwellers upon earth, and 
 in their passage to another state. They are sent forth to minister to 
 them who shall be heirs of salvation. We need their aid. We are 
 encompassed by invisible foes. We wrestle not against flesh and 
 blood only, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers 
 of this dark world, against spiriritual wickedness in high places, the 
 regions of the air abo'^e ua, where we are told Satan's seat is, " Prince 
 of the power of the air." Now can they approach us unseen to hurt 
 us — to inject into our minds, by outward circumstances, evil thoughts 
 and desires without our God and Savior supplying us with such 
 means of defence as will bo more eflectual than all which earth could 
 afford 1 He does. And exposed and dangerous as our situation is, 
 our defence is more than equal to it. INIore are they in number, as 
 well as in wisdom and enei'gy, who are for us than all they who can 
 be against us. It is as when the King of Syria sent horses and 
 chariots to seize Elisha, but the servant of the man of God, when his 
 eyes were opened, saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of 
 fire round about Elisha. The very title of One who is above all 
 angels, in this connection, is assuring and suggestive. " The angel 
 of the Loi'd encarapeth round about them that fear him and deliver- 
 eth them !" We have great reason to believe that the ministry of 
 angels is specially secured for the heirs of salvation in the hour of 
 death. 
 
 O, you that are not followers of Christ, what will you do in that 
 hour ? Human friends you may have, in abundance, but what are 
 they as helpers when we stand at life's outer gate, and go where none 
 of them can acconqiany us 1 Oh ! to be, at that dread moment, out 
 of Christ, with no kind angel near to waft our .spirits home, but with 
 evil ones waiting till the final sigh proclaims us their victim, and 
 delivers us into their power. Oh, let us strive to be ready, that when 
 our change shall come, angels will hover round qui; he^d to waft oui; 
 ."pirits home. 
 
WHAT IS LIFE ] 59 
 
 WHAT IS LIFE? 
 
 ! what is life ?— 'Tis like the dew, 
 How somi from earth it iipwaril Hies : 
 
 Or like a taper's golden hue, 
 It shines awhile, and then it dies. 
 
 ! wliat is life ? — Tis like the leaves 
 
 Wliich burst forth in l)rij,'ht early sprin;;; 
 
 And O, how oft our spirit grieves 
 O'er sorrows their departure bring. 
 
 ! what is life ? — 'Tis like a flower 
 That blooms awhile, then dies away ; 
 
 It came to cheer life's passing hour, 
 But O how brief, how short its stay. 
 
 0! what is life?— 'Tis like a flash— 
 
 A meteor in the distant sky ; 
 It came — it shone — 'tis gone— 'tis passed, 
 
 And so death comes, and thus wo die. 
 
 ! what is life ? — wliile liere on earth ; 
 
 Surrounded by both heat and cold ; 
 Sometimes in sorrow, then in mirth. 
 
 Fettered and cramped by mortal mould. 
 
 Yes, what is life ? Our spirits mourn 
 To tlnnk that 'oft, tis wasted h(!re ; 
 
 While on the wings of time we're borne 
 From all our friends and kindred dear. 
 
 It has been said, and justly too. 
 
 That, life is what toe make it now, 
 Wliatever we on eurth i)ursue, 
 
 Is deeply marked upon our brow. 
 
 But though we perish hero in tim^;. 
 And always reap what e'er we sow ; 
 
 There is above a better climo. 
 Where all the good at last shall go. 
 
 let us strive for to prepare 
 
 To live forevermore above ; 
 Where free from sorrow, iiain and care. 
 
 We'll dwell in endless hglit and love. 
 
 There shall we fully realize 
 
 What life is to tiio elnld of God ; 
 
 When filled with wonder and sul'i)ris(i 
 Vh'i tread those burnished streets abroadi 
 
 That life shall never, never end. 
 
 To christian jjilgrims it is giv'n ; 
 A long eternity to spend 
 
 in that blest home above in Hcav'uj 
 
60 IX MEMOUIA.M. 
 
 IN MEMORIAM. 
 
 A Tribute to the. Memory of Our Lamented Father, Willinm Jhirr, 
 Es(j. Born in 'Watcrtoivn, N. Y., Oct. iiUt. ISOG. J)ied i.;. 
 llilUer, Ont. March 10th, 1S77. 
 
 Beloved Father, thou art gone, 
 No more to meet, or greet us here ; 
 
 But yet again, we hope to meet 
 In yonder bright, celestial sphere. 
 
 Dear Father, tliou from earth hast passed. 
 
 Thy i)ilgrimage below is run ; 
 Still with submissive hearts we breathe 
 
 And cry, O God Thy will be done. 
 
 I5ut then 'tis hard to give tlieo up, 
 And lay thee in the ground so cold ; 
 
 Tis hard to part and say, farewell, 
 
 And leave thee in the grave to mould. 
 
 For thou hast been so kind and true. 
 Our guardian in our tender years, 
 
 And when wo think what thou hast done, 
 Our eyes arc tilled with briny tears. 
 
 How very hard tlnu hast always toiled. 
 To lay up yearly stores of wealth ; 
 
 And for tliy childrens' comfort here, 
 Thou didst not even spare thy healtli. 
 
 Dear Father, Vv-e will miss thee here— 
 We'll miss theo in our childhood hom(> ; 
 
 But we'll not miss thee Over There, 
 In that celestial world to come. 
 
 Dear Mother, too, .she'll miss thee oft, 
 No more to lean upon thy breast, 
 
 Or journey with thee side by side 
 To that resplendent land of rest. 
 
 When the mild cv'ning's twilight hour, 
 Succeeds the fair, the lovely day ; 
 
 And the loud hum of a busy world. 
 In death-like silence pass away. 
 
 And when the sun is going down 
 So gently in the far oif West ; 
 
 When sombre shadows gather round. 
 And wearied naturi^ sinks to rest. 
 
 We'll miss thy wi41 known footsteps then, 
 Which we so oft were wont to hear ; 
 
 And tliy familiar sounding voice, 
 Will never more salute our ear. 
 
MODERATION OF Ol'll DESIUES. 61 
 
 And o'or tLy narrow, lowly bed 
 
 Wlioro niigcl forms may Kwi't^tly roam ; 
 r>on(>w our vows with thoo to met 
 
 ^Yithi^ oixr Heavenly Father's home. 
 
 vrarninR of our lonely hearts 
 
 To always dwell with th(>(! ahov<> ; 
 While on their tablets are engraved. 
 
 Your many deeds and acts (>f love. 
 
 Dear Father, tears are falling fast. 
 
 How can we say, A Last Fahewei.!, ! 
 How can wo lay thee down beneath. 
 
 The damp cold earth with worms, to dwell! 
 
 Savior ! thy richest blessings send, 
 
 And to our hearts some comfort bring ; 
 0, wipe away the falling tears. 
 
 And take us 'ueath tliy shelt'ring wing. 
 
 But thou'rt not lost, we'll meet again, 
 
 And grasp tliee warmly by the liand, 
 Beyond this world of care and pain. 
 
 Just over in the Morning La;.d. 
 
 We'll wipe oui eyes, our anguish veil. 
 
 And hope and trust thou'lt live above ; 
 And join loved ones beyond the Tide, 
 
 In that bright world of joy and love. 
 
 Farewell, some day, dear Father, dear — 
 
 We'll meet, no more to say. Farewell I 
 With hearts so sad — so full of grief 
 
 We cry. Farewell, father ! Farewell ! 
 
 MODERATION OF OUH DESIRES. 
 
 The active mind of man seldom or never is satisfied with its present 
 condition, however prosperoiis it may be. Although originally 
 formed for a wider range of objects, for a highel' sphere of enjoyment, 
 yet it finds itself, in every situation of fortune, straitened and con- 
 fined ; sensible of deficiency in this state, it is ever sending forth the 
 fond desire, the aspiring wish after something beyond what is enjoy- 
 ed at present. Hence, the restlessness which so universally prevails 
 among mankind ; that disgust of pleasure which they have tried, 
 that passion of novelty, that ambition of rising to some degree of 
 eminence or felicity, of which they have formed to themselves a 
 distant idea. All of which may bo considered as indications of a 
 
62 MODERATION OF OUK DESIUES. 
 
 certain native original greatness in the soul, swelling beyond the 
 limits of the present condition, and pointing to the higher objects 
 for which it was made. Happy indeed if these latent remains of 
 our primitive state, served to direct our wishes towards their proper 
 destination, and to lead us into the path of true happiness. 
 
 Here in this dark and bewildered state the aspiring tendency of 
 our nature often unfortunately takes an opposite direction, and feeds 
 a very misplaced ambition. The flattering appearances which hero 
 so often present themselves flowing out of the distinction which for- 
 tune confers ; the advantages and pleasures which we imagine the 
 world to be capable of bestowing actually fill up the ultimate desires 
 of most men. Now these are truly the objects which engross their 
 solitary musings, stimulate their active labors ; warm and heave the 
 breasts of the young with enthusiasm ; animate the industry of the 
 middle aged , and keep alive the passions of the old until the very 
 close of life. There is certainly nothing unlawful in our wishing to be 
 freed from whatever is disagreeable and to obtain a fuller enjoyment 
 of the comforts of life. But when these wishes are not tempered by 
 reason, they are in danger of precipitating us into much extravagance 
 and folly. Desires and wishes are the first springs of action. When 
 they become exorbitant the whole character is likely to be tainted. 
 If we suifer our fancy to create to itself Avorlds of ideal happiness wo? 
 shall discompose the peace and order of our minds and foment many 
 hurtful passions. Here then, let moderation begin her reign, by 
 bringing within reasonable bounds, the wishes that we torm. As 
 soon af they become extravagant, let us check them by jiroper re- 
 flection on the fallacious nature of those objects which the world hangs 
 out to allure desire. Wo do, certainly, dishonor the dignity of our 
 souls by allowing our wishes to terminate in nothing higher than 
 worldly ideas of greatness and happiness. 
 
 Our imagination so frequently roves in a land of shadows. Un- 
 real forms very often deceive us. It is no more than a phantom — an 
 illusion of happiness which often conceals much real roisery. We 
 often think that all are happy who have attained to those summits 
 of distinction towards which our own wishes aspire. Alas ! how 
 frequently has experience shown that whore peace •'nd happiness 
 were supposed to reign, discord and contention destroy the happiness 
 of the whole family. Now it is very evident, that with all that is 
 splendid and shining in the world, it is decreed that there should bo 
 
A BIBTIIDAV ADDRESS. 63 
 
 mixed with it many deep shades of woe. On the elevated situations 
 of fortune the great calamities of life chiefly fall. The storm spends 
 its violence, and there the thunder breaks, while safe and unhurt the 
 inhabitants of the vale remain below. Retreat then, from those vain 
 and pernicious excursions of extravagant desire. Satisfy yourselves 
 with what is rational and attainable. Always tmin your minds to 
 moderate views of human life, and human happiness. Then will your 
 pathway through life be rendered more easy. And if you guide your 
 conduct by the word of Cod, crowns of gloi'y will be yours to enjoy 
 forever. 
 
 A BIRTHDAY ADDRESS. 
 
 On the annivermry of Mr. Marshall Buri'n thirty-eighth birthday. 
 
 IJrother wo liave met to-dny 
 
 For to 'jck'bi'ato your birth ; 
 Members of one famil\ , 
 
 Bound tof,'otli(>r hore on (jarth. 
 Oft we've met in days nponc?, 
 
 Witli our hearts so full of mirth ; 
 And to-day we're tilKvl with joy, 
 
 In sweet memory of your worth. 
 
 Prospprous have hci>n your days, 
 
 While your years have been enjoyed, 
 And throUKliont life's devious ways 
 
 Yon have all your time employed. 
 Therefore joy and gratitude 
 
 Can but animate your soul, 
 And increase y<mr fortitude 
 
 For to reach the distant gaol. 
 
 Thirty-oi<,'ht of your years liave fled ; 
 
 But then you have sjicnt them well, 
 And with hopes beyond the dead, 
 
 Yonder you expc^ct to dwell. 
 But before that time shall come, 
 
 Length of days and friends be yours ; 
 Peace and joy within the home 
 
 Always happiness insures. 
 
 And when days and months tin fled, 
 
 And your journey liere is run ; 
 When your loved ones all are dead, 
 
 And their work on earth is done, 
 Then wlion time with us is past, 
 
 And our trials here arc o'er. 
 May we meet in Heaven at last. 
 
 There to dwell for evermore. 
 
61: HAPl'lNESS. 
 
 HAPPINESS. 
 
 ^lappiness may be deliued self-evjoymint ; it is foumlod upon rocti- 
 tv Je of conduct, and is certainly tlie universal desire of us all. Like 
 the weary deer jiantinj,' after brooks of living water, so is man con- 
 tinually panting after true lia])piness. From the cradle to the grave 
 he is ever looking forward to obtain this precious boon. Every 
 pursuit in which he is engaged is prosecuted with an aim that in the 
 end it will bring true enjoyment. (.)ft will he peril his life on the 
 ocean's boisterous waves, and delve deep in the hidden treasures of 
 earth, hoping to purchase true happiness unalloyed. Others, again, 
 seek it in fame's alluring temple, in the path which leads to honor 
 and renown. But in whatsoever channel it is sought, it is vei'y 
 evident that all would indeed like to bo happy if they only knew 
 how — happy not only in time, but also in eternity. There is truly 
 a void in the human breast, a constant longing after the precious 
 boon — happiness. But the history of our race abundantly proves 
 that it is the virtuous alone that can enjoy it. And, notwithstand- 
 ing the great amount of labor so lavishly bestowed in order to ob- 
 tain it, it is quite probable that there are unnumbered multitudes 
 that only view it in the distance. Ask the poor aged sinner if he 
 ever obtained that happiness v liich his poor soul so fondly desired 
 and craved in youth, and who sought for it so earnestly in manhood 
 and also in declining years. The answer will invariably be given 
 in the negative. For, 
 
 '• This woild can iiovor nivo 
 The bliss for which wo sigh." 
 
 And when nearly every source of pleasure is exhausted ; when the 
 poor pilgrim is about crossing the swellings of Jordan, 'tis then ho 
 exclaims with Solomon, " All is vanity and vexation of spirit." 
 He looks back over his past history and is led to mourn over the cares 
 and disappointments of life. How they have robbed him of so much 
 enjoyment and brought down his gray hairs in sorrow to the tomb. 
 
 But why should we despair ? The LorJ has designed that we should 
 enjov happiness even in this life. To this end htf has created every 
 thing pleasing to the eye. All that we see combine to show that 
 God was not unmindful of us ; but has filled the earth with music 
 soft and harmonious, to cheer us on amid the trials and cares inci- 
 
IIAPI'INESS. 65 
 
 dental to our pilgriniago hero below. Yes, and ho has also designed 
 that wo should enjoy still greater happiness. Society has been given 
 to comfort us during tlio lonely hours of life. CJod found it was not 
 good for man to bo alone. And notwithstanding our primeval hap- 
 piness was lost at the transgression, llo sent his only Son to earth 
 to make reconciliation for our iniquity. Nay, more, lie has given 
 to us the Bible, which, by woy of eminence may be called, the book 
 of books. It is, indeed, our chart, by which wo can ride secure the 
 mightiest v/ave that over rolled upon the vast sea of time. It is, 
 truly, the harbinger of truth, pure and unmixed with aught that can 
 alloy, that can satisfy the soul, give a sense of its security, and dis- 
 sipate the fear and terror which hover around the bed of death. But 
 is it not passing strange that the word happiness does not occur 
 even once in the Saci'od Scriptures ? But then its equivalent, good, 
 is made use of about one hundred and seventy times. And it is, 
 indeed, very evident that, tho more wo examine tlie Bible and the 
 nearer we live to the reipiirements of Him who spoke as never man 
 spoke, and whose woi-ds a'o more precious than silver and gold, the 
 greater will be our happiness on earth and also beyond the grave. 
 Our Savior in His memorable address upon the Mount, said 
 " Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." That is 
 those that are pure in mind, motive or principle ; and who live a 
 holy life in obedience to the commandments and ordinances of the 
 Lord blamelessly. These are the ones that are happy to whom the 
 Lord has promised not to impute sin. Christ died that poor hu- 
 manity might be happy. Ho shed His blood on Calvary, offering 
 himself a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Ilia blood is 
 now as it were on the mercy scat and God offers salvation to all 
 those that will accept Christ as their Savior by doing whatsoever 
 He has required at their hands. Tho Apostle Peter tells us that 
 we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness; by whose 
 stripss we are healed. And tl)ereforo, on account of His wondrous 
 lovo to us, He has required us to love him witii all our hearts, with 
 all our minds, with all our souls, and with all our strength. And 
 therefore it is (juite obvious that the yielding obedience to His will 
 is what makes us happy — happy in time and also in eternity. For 
 true happiness consists in virtue, and virtue and piety should be 
 our highest interest. God gives us talents a7id they are to be ex- 
 orcised ; capacities and they arc to be gratilicd. 
 
66 HAPPINESS. 
 
 It is qnito certain then that we receive our first rudiments of ex- 
 istence here, and afterwards we are transplanted into a more friendly 
 climate where they may spread and flourish to all eternity. There 
 is not in our opinion, a more pleasing and triumphant consideration 
 in religion than that of perpetual progress which the soul makes 
 towards the perfection of its nature without ever arriving at a period 
 in it. To look upon the soul as going on from strength to strength, 
 to consider that she is to shine forever \yith new accessions of glory, 
 and brighten to all eternity ; that she will still be adding virtue 
 to virtue, and knowledge to knowledge, carries with it something 
 wonderfully agreeable to that ambition which is natural to the mind 
 of man, Nay, more, it must be a prospect pleasing to God himself 
 to see his creatures forever beautifying in his eyes, and drawing 
 nearer to him by greater degrees of resemblance. 
 
 Greatness confers no exemption from the cares, anxieties and 
 sorrows of life ; and indeed its shai'e of them frequently bears mel- 
 ancholy proportion to its exaltation. Nqw, it is truly evident that 
 none but the virtuous, the temperate, those that are regular in their 
 habits know how to enjoy prosperity. Thus will the righteous man 
 flourish like a tree planted by the rivers of water, he brings forth 
 also his fruit in its season, and that fruit he brings forth is not for 
 himself alone. He flourishes not like a tree in some solitary desert, 
 which scatters its blossoms to the wind, and communicates neither 
 fruit nor shade to any living thing ; but like a tree in the midst of an 
 inhabited country, which to some affords friendly shelter, to others 
 fruit, which is not only admired by all for its beauty,but blessed by the 
 traveller for its shade, and by the hungry for the substance it has 
 given. 
 
 Now the questiion may very appropriately be asked. Why do not 
 more participate in the enjoyment of true happiness 1 We answer, 
 it is because they do not seek for it in the proper channel. They view 
 it only in the distance, not realizing that true happiness consists only 
 in living in strict adherence to the laws of Him who presides upon 
 the circle of the heavens ; and who has done all things necessary for 
 our happiness here below, and for our eternal felicity beyond the 
 grave. You may perchance wonder why we have used the word 
 true so often before the word happiness. We have done it for this 
 reason. Happiness is applied to almost every kind of enjoyment ; 
 and wo wished to use it only in a more elevated application, as 
 
lIAPriNESS. 07 
 
 l)eing fully prepared to enjoy that rest which remains for the people 
 
 of God. Those that are thus happy, view them as they lie on their 
 
 dying couches, and hear them joyfully exclaim, 
 
 " Jesus can make a cl.yinR lioil 
 As soft as downy pillows are." 
 
 Then contrast their condition with the wicked, those that have 
 enjoyed the pleasures of sin throughout their life time. Visit them 
 as they are about leaving this world, and hear them sigh, and weep, 
 and groan over an ill spent life. But hark I draw near and listen to 
 their bitter lamentations, " (), that I had my life to live over again ! 
 O, tliat I was prepared to meet death ! O, that I was happy and 
 prepared for Heaven ! But now I'm lost to all eternity." Is it at 
 all to bo wondered at then, that the Paalmist David should have 
 said that he would rather be a door-keeper in the house of the Lord 
 than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 
 
 Oh ! fellow-pilgrims, we ask you to ponder the path which you 
 tread. Shall happiness grow up to you of its own accord, and solicit 
 its acceptance, when to the rest of humanity it is the fruit of a long 
 cultivation, and the acquisition of much labor and care. Deceive not 
 yourselves with arrogant hopes, but cultivate true happiness by culti- 
 vating the heart ; for it gives to the mind vigor, it adds weight to the 
 characteivtt breathes generous sentiments, and it inspires an undaunt- 
 ed spirit. Therfore we desire to exhort you to strive to obtain true 
 happiness. Oh ! seai'ch well your thoughts, woi'ds, deeds and aims, 
 comparing them with the oracles of Divine truth, that you may see 
 wherein you stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Let 
 each one ask the question, Am I prepared/or death 1 Am I happy 1 
 Remember that our lifetime on earth is only a journey — ajourney to 
 the gi-eat Unknown. Yet if this world was our home, wo might 
 content ourselves to seek for ease and pleasui-e here, but it is only a 
 land through which we are passing. We rest not here, but rest in 
 Heaven by obeying Him, 
 
 " Who was, and is, and evermore shall he." 
 Then " happiness, our being's end and aim," is secured in the Golden 
 City. O, haste thy coming sweet days of peaceful rest ! Then sliall 
 we listen to those notes of joyous ecstacy that shall roll on forever, 
 without a dying cadence. To accomplish this we should begin early 
 in childhood, for youth is the time to lay the foundation of happiness. 
 The nature is then pliant and soft. Habits have not established 
 
68 HAPPINESS. 
 
 tlieir dominion. And you know virtuous youtli gradually brings 
 forward accoinplished and flourishing manhood, and such manhood 
 too, of itself, which passes into respectable and trancpiil old age. 
 Alas ! bow little do the youth know the dangers that await thorn. 
 It is, indeed, very certain that neither human wisdom nor human 
 virtue, unsupported by religion, is equal to the trying situations 
 which occur in after life. 15y the shoajs of temptation how fre- 
 queiitly have the most virtuous been overthrown. But we recom- 
 mend ourselves to God w our last refuge. At that hour how vain 
 is every sublunary happiness.. Wealth, honor, empire, wisdom, all 
 are useless sounds, and empty as the bubbles of the deej). When 
 standing on the threshold of eternity, nothing but God can afford us 
 pleasure, and the nearer we approach the shore, we will only love 
 Him the more. This is truly wonderful to tell ; but it is, neverthe- 
 less true. Whatever pit»moles and strengthens virtue, whatever 
 calms and regulates the temper, is a Source of happiness. Devotion 
 inspires composure of spirit, mildness and benignity of temper, 
 cherishes the pleasing emotions, and thus carries on the life of a 
 piouq christian in a smooth and placid tenor to that land beyond 
 the sea. 
 
 To thee, O God ! we owe the highest improvements of our natures, 
 and the real enjoyment of our life. It is devotion that elevates the 
 soul, and affords that rest and support requisite to maintain us amid 
 the turmoils of this life. Yes, for it composes the thoughts, calms 
 the passions and exalts the heart. In its presence worldly distinc- 
 tions cease, and under i's influence worldly sorrows are soon forgot- 
 ten. It is, of a truth, the balm of the wounded heart. Wo exhort 
 you then to seek a good character, a well trained mind, and that 
 purest of all earthly treasures, the Jiope of Heaven. The conscious- 
 ness of divine approbation, and support, and a steady hope of future 
 happiness, communicates a peace and joy, to which all delights of 
 the world bear no resemblance. In view of such happiness well 
 might the weary saint grow restless, and long for those everlasting 
 unions when Christ should come again. Well might too, the care 
 worn pilgrim anxiously look beyond in the dim vista of the future 
 for the light of the approaching millenium to be seen flashing along 
 the horizon. In view of such happiness well might the bones of 
 God's children that sleep in the dust grow restless and sigh for that 
 great day when Christ shall come again. What hallelujahs would 
 
tiOD WILL NOT FOnOET THE WORLD. GO 
 
 fill tlie sky — tho very vault of lioiiven •svould echo with the 
 praises of Jehovah, and in the valleys and upon the mountain tops 
 woulol the exultant shout oi" tho sived go u^), Welcome, welcome 
 Son of God ! But hark ! listen to tho enrapturing strains of seraphs 
 about the throne, mingled with the ten thousand millions of tho 
 redeemed and sanctified spirits, while voices sweet with melody 
 would yet be heard coning up from earth, seas and skies, joining 
 with the myriads of Heaven, and shouting with joyous rapture, 
 " Hallelujah ! for tlie Lord God omnipotent reigneth !" Oh, then 
 shall we not be ready 1 Shall other voices fill the earth, air and sky 
 with songs of gladness and ours be heard only in bitter groans, 
 sighs and vain regrets I God forbid that such should be our fate 
 and endless destiny. 
 
 In conclusion wo wish to impress upon your minds th'«t wealth 
 cannot purchase true enjoyment, for riches often takes wings and 
 soars away. We would ask any reflective mind whether it is gold 
 that can purchase the true happiness 1 whether it is riches that can 
 obtain for us that serenity of mind which is the result of a life of 
 prudence and rectitude ; and above all whether this will procui^ or 
 elicit intrinsic love, tho precious gift of Heaven 1 Oh ! that God 
 would enable us to take into consideration, the chief end of man, 
 and live with eternity in view and with the sweet prospect of en- 
 joying true happiness forever in Heaven. 
 
 GOD WILL NOT FORGET THE WORLD. 
 
 Cliristiau, when the storm ia gathering 
 
 Dark and dreary round your way ; 
 And your drooping lieavt is longing 
 
 For the brilhant hght of day, — 
 Just bo patient mid your sorrow, — 
 
 Think of Him whose sacred word 
 Brings joy for tho coming morrow ; 
 
 God will not forget the world. 
 
 If you cannot pierce the darkness, 
 
 That may round your pathway lie, 
 You cau put your trust in Jesus, 
 
 It will vanish by and by. 
 Soon your trials will bo over, 
 
 Aaui tho heavenly joys luxtold 
 Will, indeed, be yours forever ; 
 
 God will uot forget tho world. 
 
70 HUMAN Hl'K. 
 
 Sh.nilil tbd bittor ilroRH of r.;if?uiHh 
 
 Oft tiiucH tc jour ;.'|)H liii K'iv'n, 
 Still tlu^'n! MoHHiiiKH yon Hhoiihl clu']inli 
 
 For to bonr you lioint^ to Heav'u. 
 Tliiui lid HtcivdfiiHt, novor fiiiliiiH ; 
 
 Ouwanl niiirch with truth unfurled ; 
 Ever truHtiiiK, over lovinf? ; 
 
 God will not forget the world. 
 
 If your anxious heart would weary 
 
 Over earcH and trials great ; 
 If your troubled heart would (juery 
 
 As regards your future state ; 
 Wliy KUch liardsbips and Huch losses 
 
 In preparing for your Lord ? 
 Never mind, but bear your erosdus ; 
 
 God will not forget the world. 
 
 Soon you'll hear the trumpet sounding 
 
 To awake the slumbering dead ; 
 Jesus coming, saints ascending, 
 
 And you'll meet the Clu'ist your lioad ; 
 Meet him with the saints in glory 
 
 As you tread those streots of gold, 
 In that land of ancient story ; 
 
 God will not forget the world. 
 
 Cheer up, Cliristiau, day is coming, 
 
 Bright as summer's noontide ray ; 
 When sliall dawn the glorioiiB morning 
 
 Of a bright etf rnal day. 
 Press on in the line of duty. 
 
 Calmly march and boldly stand, 
 For your liome's in fadeless seautv 
 
 Just across the oolden siKANn. 
 
 HUMAN LIFE. 
 
 The life of humanity from the cl'adul to the grave is full of changes, 
 sometimes we are all joy and happiness and then again for a time 
 a cloud overshadows us. But such is life, a mixture of sunshine and 
 clouds. We need not wish for all sunshine, for such is useless in 
 our position on earth. But it has been very truly remarked that 
 life is what we make it. With some people everything is seen 
 through a jaundiced medium. Nothing affords the satisfaction that 
 it should. Grumbling is truly the spirit of discontent and is the 
 great destroyer of happiness, while on the other hand a cheerful dis- 
 position always affords enjoyment and doeth good like medicine. 
 
IH'MAN LIFE. 71 
 
 Jf we look on with a hopfeful aHpoct it turns a smiling coimtcnance, 
 
 if wo regard it with a scttlod niolancholy, it frowns Lack with 
 
 gloomy (IcHpiiii'. llowovor, wa know that this in tho shadelesg 
 
 shadow of existence ; and our funoios are alw.xys revelling in an 
 
 ideal world. [O, whoie would the exercise of strong faith bo if 
 
 there were no clouds, no darkness, no storms, no heart burnings 1] 
 
 And even these vile bodies ellect the immortal part. But thank 
 
 God, though they damp feelings, they cannot shake principles; and 
 
 one day they shall be fashioned like Christ's glorioiis body. Let us 
 
 wait and hoj)0 this glorious ultimatum of our warfare. Souls will 
 
 take an impress from their surroundings train and guide them as 
 
 you will. Wo will always be far more hil»py if wo make the best 
 
 of the circumstances under which we are placed and do not let false 
 
 views of life, or an unworthy pride prevent us from enjoying all 
 
 the'blessings possible in our situation, and furthermore to learn in 
 
 whatsoever situation we are place 1, to be contented. God has 
 
 promised to succor his servants in all their weaknos and to deliver 
 
 them from every snare ; but O, how dlllicult it is for us to realize 
 
 the verity of the promises. Few of the human family are so lost to 
 
 the desire of happiness here and beyond as to be willing 
 
 To (lio liko a dull worm to rot ; 
 Aiul o'ou ill ilcatli to be fovf^ot. 
 
 O, heedless one pause and reflect that each day's doings and their 
 
 consequences are not gone when the day that gave them birth is 
 
 past. We are sowing each hour the seed from which we are to reap 
 
 eternally. The sinful thought;) and unholy passions which prompt 
 
 unrighteous deeds, will utidoubtedly glow in burning characters of 
 
 living fire bofore your reluctant gaze, while unnumbered ages will 
 
 speed onward. 0, what is the use then to stop and play wiih a 
 
 thornbush when you may just as well pluck sweet flowers and eat 
 
 pleasant fruit. Happy, indeed, is he who looks upon the bright 
 
 side of life ; and who avoids the thorns, thickets and sloughs until 
 
 the chriatian growth is such that if he cannot improve them, he will 
 
 pass *hom by unnoticed. 
 
72 MIRACLES. 
 
 WE'RE GOING HOME. 
 
 W.''ro ^oiiiK hoini', wn'ro fToiiit; lioinn, 
 
 Wt'iu-y (ind tiivd wo tviivol on, 
 And wo sliiill novor faltor raoro 
 
 Till wo a crown of lifo linvo vron. 
 Wo'rc f,'oinf! liomo a liapi)y band ; 
 
 And we'll foi't^ot our trials horo, 
 ■\ViiiMi wo Khiill niacU that bettor land 
 
 In j'oudor briglit and glorious sphoro. 
 
 Wo daily troad tho ways of lifo 
 
 Ihieomimssod here, with pain and caro 
 And oft grow faint amid tho strife, 
 
 With trials that are hard to boar. 
 But soon our sorrows will bo o'er, 
 
 Our trials, too will pass away. 
 And wfl sliall dwell forovormoro. 
 
 Throughout that long oterual day. 
 
 MIRACLES. 
 
 A uiiracle is a deviation from the regular laws of Nature. It has 
 by many beea said tliat Miracles are contrary to Ui,e laws of Nature, 
 To this we deny. We lift our hands by willing it, and it OTsrcomes 
 the law of Nature ; and Avhen we don't act upon it, our arm falls to 
 our side. It is a law of attraction that all bodies fall to the earth. 
 Yet we can overcome that law and not interfere with it or set it 
 aside. So likewise God can overcome the laws of nature without in- 
 terfering or setiing them aside. It does not follow, when we raise 
 our hands from our sides at pleasure, that we are setting aside 
 the laws of nature, and so in reference to miracles. Now the 
 whole system of religion is a .system of miracles; and the object of 
 Ji miracle is to benefit mankind. Even tho prophecies are a variety 
 of miracles. And while lii.story is a record of past events, prophecy 
 is a record of events to come. It therefoi-e may jnstl}' be termed 
 prophetic history. 
 
 Miracles have been divided into three parts, viz: popular, philo- 
 sophic and theological miracles. A popular miracle is a progeny, or 
 sometlu7ig quite extraordinary or wonderful. A philosophic miracle 
 is one that ha])pens in nature, that is rot ordinary. A theological 
 miracle is a miracle in the highest sense of the term in which God 
 interferes with the laws of nature. Infidels have endeavored to set 
 aside the force and influence of miracles so far as to establish their 
 own system. For they well know if miracles can be proved to be 
 true, then it is also proved that the JJible is a fcvelationfrom God, 
 
LON(JINGS, 73 
 
 LONGINGS. 
 
 Our heart is longing day by day 
 
 For that bright homo abovo ; 
 Its distant vales and mountanib fair, 
 
 Our longing passions move. 
 
 Our thirsting spirit longs to breathe, 
 
 The living freshness there ; 
 And fain would now our wearied foot 
 
 Find rest from pain and caie. 
 
 And when the storms are gathering round, 
 
 And hghtnings fiercely play ; 
 And all tho powers of Heaven seem 
 
 To join iu wild affray. 
 
 'Tis then we long for brighter worlds, 
 
 Where stormy days are o'er ; 
 Beyond the sunset's georgeous gato, 
 
 Where they will rise no more. 
 
 When friends arc snatched from our embrace 
 
 And all seems dark and drear ; 
 When thorns and briars throng our way, 
 
 And there seems nought to cheer. 
 
 then we long for fairer climes. 
 
 Where all is harmony ; 
 Where peace and joy forever reigns, 
 
 Throughout Eternity. 
 
 Our longing spirit even now. 
 
 Would catch a gleaming ray 
 Beyond the mellowed blaze of morn. 
 
 Beyond the kmd close oi day. 
 
 Fain would we pierce the rifting clouds, 
 
 That lloat across tho sky ; 
 And bask mid palaces of gold. 
 
 And on green pastures Ue. 
 
 A little while, n-e'll long no more. 
 
 Indeed 'twill not be long ; 
 And when our long-'ngs all inv o'er. 
 
 We'll join in endless song. 
 
 God ! our longing spirit take, 
 
 keep it safely here ; 
 And when wo shall from earUi go heme, 
 
 take it OvEu TunnK. 
 
OUn LOVED ONES PASSING A\VAY. 
 
 OUR LOVED ONES PASSING AWAY. 
 
 Vcs, our loved ones, day liy day, arc going down the streum of 
 time. souH) of wliom have already reached the end of their pilgri- 
 mage and arc now sleeping in death's cold embrace. We all doubt- 
 less Iia\(' our graves consecrated for the receptacle of our revered 
 and \enerate(l dead, for death only is a fate which none can miss. 
 Ot't wo linger about the cold white stones, kc(!])ing the lonely watch 
 over the roui:iins of those we have so dearly loved, iind view the 
 green grass growing over the mounds that hide forever from our 
 sight the forms of those who have so often met our own. Oh ! is 
 tiiere anything on earth more sacred than a sanctified grave? We 
 think of those mouldering back to dust. How we loved them. How 
 the tears like dew drojjs trickled down our cheeks when we bade 
 ilicni farewell for the last time. But why should we weep in sor- 
 niw when (Jod in safety bears them through the pearly gates] Wo 
 know in that home above the inhabitants sweep their harps of golj 
 and join in singing their songs triumphant. 
 
 But tlien, how natural to weep for our loved ones when they 
 leave us for climes which are to mortal eyes unknown. Some go iu 
 life'.s l)right and joyous morning, some at noon, and some at the set- 
 ting sun. I'hus the stars of our ho))e, our ambition, our prayers, 
 whose light ever shine before us, how soon their places are left 
 empty, cold and dark. Those of them that have bowed to the mild 
 scepter of Prince Immaniiel, and having held fast the profession of 
 their faith without wavering, have gone from a world of misery 
 across time's rough and rugged continent, through the cold stream 
 of the Jordan to the land of blessedness and jjeace. A little while 
 and we too shall follow them. Day after day we journey upward 
 iu life's mountain path, sot on either side with wild entangled briars 
 and thorns. Hand over hand we grasj), we climb and long to i ? set 
 free. Our ])ilgrim feet are often torn by flinty rocks; but upw.;;d 
 Me still wend our way. Tired and weary we oftimes sigh and wee]), 
 desiring to be at rest. A thousand fears come thronging o'er us, 
 lest we should ultimately fail. Would to Clod we were safe even 
 now beyond this world of anguish, where all toil and danger 
 would be past and (roil's own hand would wipe away our 
 tears at last ; and there amid the angelic host welcome us home to 
 
ONWARD nUETIIUEN. 7,1 
 
 that land whore tlie glorined ever shall dwell, and t!ie .songs ..: tri- 
 umph and the CUory to God in the Highest will bn a seven {olil 
 chorus of hallelujahs sind hari)ing symphonicH. 
 
 ONWARD, BRETHREN. 
 
 Onward, ouwaiJ L'llow pil^a'inis, 
 
 Tlii;rc is liuro no time to loose, 
 Lite oacli day is (^rciwin;; .sliorti'r 
 
 And the good we all hhould choose, — 
 Choo.su the good, the bad rejecting, 
 
 As we, on Time's ocean ride 
 Daily striving to gain tlie harbor, 
 
 lu that port beycmd the tide. 
 
 Oh ! how many now are resting, 
 
 Wlani th(!re's so much to be done ; 
 Precious souls to be instructed. 
 
 All the paths of death to shun. 
 Onward, over onward brethren, 
 
 wiiy tarry 'long tlie way •.' 
 Those that John saw in his vision. 
 
 They had journeyed day by day. 
 
 Well they know that work was needed, 
 Something noble should be done ; 
 
 That delays were always dang'nnis, 
 _ They who would obtain must run, — 
 
 Yon nnist run the race witli patience. 
 Trusting in tlie Christian's God ; 
 
 Fearing not life'.s bitter trials, 
 Bravely passing 'neath the rod. 
 
 You should not weary here, nor falter, 
 
 JJound for Canaan's lovely sl.'ore ; 
 Jesus, He will guide you safely, 
 
 He will aid you evermore. 
 O how poor, bow frail ami trembling, 
 
 Tossed upon the tide of woe ; 
 But th(> Savior, whispers, Onward I 
 
 Strengtli He'll give yon while below. 
 
 Onward then, dear pilgrims onward. 
 Though your way l)e rough and drear; 
 
 Angels oft are gatli'ring round you. 
 And yon, tlnnefore, need not fear, 
 
 Vou nnist pass through storms and triiils, 
 And thi-ough many dangers iiere 
 
 \Vhi(^h m every hand surromid you, 
 But the Lord i^ ulway < near, — 
 
7G AWAKE TIIOU THAT SLEErETII. 
 
 Yes, Hn's always near His cliiklrou, 
 
 Ho ia ever bj' their side ; 
 That amid the stormy billows, 
 
 They will safely o'it them glide. 
 And when all is (lark and dreary, 
 
 And your trials, you bewail ; 
 Jesus whispers, / am with you, 
 
 'Trust in vie you'll never fail. 
 
 Onward then, yes, over onward, 
 
 A, strong, valiant hearted baud ; 
 And by daily iiersevering. 
 
 You will reach that Betteu Land. 
 Keaeh that laud without a tempest. 
 
 And no longer heave a sigh ; 
 Safely in that blissful liarbor, 
 
 Where the good will never die. 
 
 AWAKE THOU THAT SLEEPETH. 
 
 Awake ! awake I you that are at ease in Zion. Arouse from 
 your state of lethargy ! Long have you been blind to the dangers 
 around you ; and it is now high time for you to awake out of sleep. 
 Open your eyes and yoa will ([uickly observe that danger is nigh, 
 even at your door. You arc indeed in a perilous condition, and we 
 wish to aid in sounding the alarm, that possibly you may arise from 
 your slumbex'ing and turn to the living God, who will have mercy, 
 and to our God who will abundantly pardon. There is now no time 
 to loose. Soon you may be doomed to an eternal death. Do you 
 hear if? Yes you hear it; but will you arise 1 Oh 1 how can you 
 perish forever ? Unless you arise there is no hope of your ever 
 gaining an immortal cro-vn. Unless you respond to the call, tliere 
 is truly no prospect of your ever escaping the arch enemy of nuin, 
 nor yet the torments of an endless hell. 
 
 Pause if you please and think candidly, remembering to put oft' 
 your soul's salvation is dangerous work. Life's hour glass will soon 
 run out, and if asleep your soul will be lost ! Oh, ye careless and 
 unconcerned, beware ! You may, it is true, expect some day to 
 awake, but such scenes generally occur at the dying hour. The 
 charms of earth then gradually fade flway, and the poor pilgrim 
 rushes into the dark exclaiming, " It's too late ! I'm Lost ! I'm 
 TiOST ! ! " Should such a fate be yours, it were better for you if you 
 
THE CUOSK. 77 
 
 had never been born. How much bettor then to awake in early 
 life and lean upon the kind arm of God. 
 
 All, all has been done for your hapjjincss hero and your enjoy- 
 ment beyond earth's sorrows; done, too, by the Son of God, "It is 
 finished." Conseciucntly look t» the cross. Behold the dying 
 Lamb ! Observe what he has doiw to save you, and then awake, 
 arise and Christ sV ill give you rest. Yes, He will save you and give 
 you an incorruptible inheritance among the saints in light. Why 
 then delay ? Why put off your eternal interest till an uncertain 
 period 1 Oh I answer these questions in the fear of the Lord and 
 come to the wise conclusion to be up and doing, that you may ulti^ 
 mately be numbered with those that have come up out of great 
 tribulations, having washed their robes and made them white in the 
 blood of the Lamb. What happiness will then fill your bosom, and 
 what love will animate your souls continually in being fully assured 
 of coming forth from the embrace of the grave at the glorious sun- 
 rise of the resurrection morning. 
 
 Kousc, then ! lou.sc ! rmiso to action ! 
 Arm you for the ponding strife. 
 
 And when fully e([uipped, and engaged in christian warfare, wo 
 Would add the following beautiful words of a christian poet: 
 
 Fight on, you conquwiug rouLs, fight on, 
 And when the concjuest you liavo won. 
 Then pahns of victory yon shall bear, 
 And in his kingdom have a .slmn;, 
 And crowns of gloiy ever wear 
 To endless day. 
 
 THE CROSS. 
 
 Jesus the Christ 
 
 For sinners slain ; 
 
 Now our High Priest, 
 
 Who lives again. 
 
 He spilt his blood 
 
 On Calvary's Mount 
 That He salvation to all might give; 
 To open up a crystal fount 
 That weary ones might drink and live. 
 Might live beyond tlie narrc w tomb — 
 Beyond this world of pain and gloom, 
 For us He Ijore so many frov/ns. 
 
SELF EXAMINATION'. 
 
 For us He wore 
 A iTowii of thorns, 
 For iirt H(! blud, 
 HulTerod ami cried, 
 For ua H(> plead, 
 Was cruciliod. 
 For us He endured 
 Tlio shameful cross, 
 When from each iiorc 
 H(! suffered loss. 
 The blood ran down, 
 A crystal fount, 
 All gathered ; :id 
 Him on the Mount. 
 But soon they Hed, 
 And He alone 
 Was with the dead. 
 His work was done. 
 Yet now Ho lives, 
 He dwells in love, 
 No more to die. 
 He reigns above. 
 Thus has He shown 
 The way to heav'n. 
 To hear the cross 
 Life will be given. 
 Come then and how 
 Before the Lord, 
 Have faitli in Him, 
 Obey His word, 
 And you a crown 
 Of life shall wear. 
 Beyond the reach of pain and care; 
 And there the Lamb of (jod adon;. 
 And dwell with Him for evermore. 
 
 SELF EXAMINATION. 
 
 "Let a man examine himself," is the hxnguage of the inspired vol- 
 ume. It is one of the injunctions which we would do well to 
 observe in our pilgrimage through life, and it is quite certain were 
 it oftener observed, we would see more of our fellow beings walking 
 circumspectly and attending to every ordinance of the Lord's house. 
 Now we may feel as though we were biving in conformity to the 
 requirments of the Lord, notwithstanding we may be daily wander- 
 ing from the path of duty and rectitude. It appears to be so 
 difiicult to persuade ourselves, or even to be persuaded by others, 
 to do our whole duty. This is one reason we see so many on their 
 death beds ti'ying to gain at that critictd period an abundant en' 
 
SELF EXAMINATION. 79 
 
 trance into that ever rich and luxuriant land where all is joy, peace 
 and hapi)iness. They are then brought, as it wero, to their senses:, 
 and enabled to see themselves in their true light by undergoing a 
 rigid examination. Thus it is that alllictions prove beneficial to us 
 by enabling us to prepare for an eternity of bliss beyond the grave. 
 
 8elf examination consists in studying and examining ourselves in 
 the light of God's word. Were this more frecjuently attended to, 
 there would be far more christian's in the world ; for an individual 
 may be regarded an an acce])table membei of the Church, and ho 
 may feel as though his life conformed in all essential matters with 
 the rc([uirements of the gospel, while in the light of truth he is but 
 too iille and unfruitful in the knowledge of his Lord and Haviour. 
 Hence, we see the great importance of adopting a regular course for 
 examining ourselves in order that we may be pure, holy and unde- 
 filed, and ready to enjoy the society of the celestial country. 
 
 The more we are engaged in examining ourselves and comparing 
 our works with the word of Ciod, the greater will be the opportuni- 
 ties for doing good ; and we will be greatly enabled to live in 
 obedience to all the commandments of God. Would it not be well to 
 make out our reports at the close of every day, always keeping a 
 conscience void i>f offence toward God and man. Then we would 
 always be in readiness for the dying hour, with our lamps trimmed 
 and burning, having on the wedding garments, with our robes wash- 
 ed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. 
 
 By examining ourselves we will be greatly enabled to progress ia 
 the divine life. But we should remember that we are not t(< com- 
 pare ourselves with others, even though they may be good men. 
 N(it unfrequcntly we have hoard tlie following remark: "Why, 
 
 what IS the use of being so strict ? Mi'.— is a good nu\n, and ho 
 
 ia not so particular." To all such we say that the word of God 
 which shall judge us in the last day, i.^ the standard and the only 
 standard by which wo are to examine ourselves and reform our 
 lives. We are required to look into the perfect law of liberty, and 
 continue therein, Tlicn, and not till then, have we the promise of 
 being blessed in our deeds. 
 
 It requires a great deal of energy antl a considerable amount of at- 
 tention paid to the Bil)le in order for a christian to know himself. 
 We should also cevtrnly pay more regard to the duty of watch- 
 fulness and self examination. We would then have a greater 
 
80 now «oo\ WE I'Aui: axu dii;, 
 
 desire to study tlio Scriptures, ami tlinrobj lit) euabloil to be more 
 faitliful and devoted to the service of Christ. Too many professed 
 cliristi:\i\s study the Scripture but little, and very many who do 
 study them, do not do it to show themselves appi'ovcd unto God. 
 They apjieai* to have a desire siin)ily to learn doctrines and defend 
 certain principles. Alas, for such I 
 
 Therefore wo exhort you to daily read the Scriptures, and at the 
 same time by comparing your actions with its sacred truths, you 
 can easily porceive whether you are living as you ought, in order to 
 obtain that rich reward promised to the redeemed. For instance, 
 when we read the A])ostolic injunction, " Pray without ceasing," 
 we should ask ourselves the (jueslion, " Do wo always ])ray V' 
 Again we are required to be watchful in everything, to give thanks, 
 to speak the truth in love, to lay aside all malice, hypocrisies, 
 enveyings, backbiting, eavil speaking, itc. How very important 
 then that we examine our thoughts, our words, our deeds antl our 
 aims to know whether we are living in strict conformity to the will 
 of Him " who Avns, aiul is, and ever more shall be." 
 
 Soon our days will be numbered— soon our work will be ended. 
 And soon too wo will stand an examination before the judge of quick 
 and dead. What solemnity pervades our inmost soul to think of 
 this 1 How careful we ought to b?, to so fit and prepare ourselves 
 here by frequent and thorough examinations that when brought be- 
 fore the God of Heaven and Earth for a final examination, we may 
 be enabled to stand the test and receive the prize, a crown of glory 
 to be enjoyed forever. 
 
 HOW SOON WE FADE AND DIE. 
 
 And is this ftll of life ? How soon wo fade and dio. 
 
 And tlii'ii our fond ho])os disapiicnr; 
 How tender is the tie, liow sooa we all do lie 
 
 With those that we revere. 
 
 The (leeji, dark clouds, how vast ! God's inuposes divine, 
 
 Though living faith can only see 
 The light across the sky. Beyond the just design 
 
 What He does now decree. 
 
 Oh ! how past /Iiidiug out, are all the ways of Him 
 
 With whom wc daily have to do, 
 And oh His mighty hand, how oft our eyes are dim 
 ^ Wheu'er we sigh adieii. 
 
BEYOND THE JORDAN, 81 
 
 But tlion Ho will not break the bruised sliakcn rcod, 
 
 For Ho well known our feeble frame; 
 And hence He always gives the chastisement wcnced, 
 
 In mercy's loving name, 
 
 Will not the righteous judge of all the earth do right ? 
 
 He only takes the ones He gave; ., 
 
 And all His children's tears are precious in his sight. 
 
 And He has power to save. 
 
 Ho justly saves his own from all the countless snares 
 {j^\ In life's unbounded cares and ills ; 
 And thus in wisdom guid(!s, and always kindly bears 
 Witli all our stubborn wills. 
 
 How many spirits horn have found a heavenly home, 
 
 Where dwells the sanctified and bU^st; 
 A better home beyond the lleoting things of time 
 
 And an eternal rest. 
 
 It seems we all must weep and drencli our heart with tears, 
 
 But then He'll give to us relief; 
 And we will go to Him, for we've no slavish fe,ars. 
 
 He'll banish all our griof. 
 
 BEyOI\lD THE JORDAN. 
 
 With what thrilling emotions do wo contemplate the mighty con- 
 quest of our Savior over death, hell and the grave, inasmuch as we 
 are only pilgi'ims upon the eai'th expecting some day to pass over the 
 Jordan. In view of this our joys on earth ai'e only transitory. No 
 wonder Solomon should have said, "■ All is vanity and vexation of 
 spirit" in addition to the words of Job, " Man cometh forth like a 
 flower and is out down ; he fleeth also as a shadows, and continueth 
 not," 
 
 How our hearts, then, should swell with emotions of gratitude 
 when we think of the glorious — the gracious plan of redemption. 
 When we think of Him who gave His Son to die for man, and who 
 for blackest human guilt, brings forth smiling peace and immortality. 
 Rejoice, O, my soul, rejoice in the wonders of His love : for everlast- 
 ing, eternal praise is duo unto Him who made a perfect redemption 
 for man by obtaining a glorious victory over temptations, df?ath, hell 
 and the grave to procure for him eternal felicity 
 
 In sailing down the stream of time we see in the 'tistant future 
 the swelling flood of Jordan, and as it comes nearer and nearer to 
 
82 IIKYOND THE JOP.DAN. 
 
 our view we hear tlio suloinn worda in moiunful tonoa ropoatoil, " I 
 was boi'ii to be sad" ; notwithstanding w^ are asaiirod that just be- 
 j'ond the Jordan lies tlio Iloavonly Land, th'j Holy City, the New 
 JonisaUiin. A most glowing description is glvoa of tint fir faiuod 
 country by tho AposUo John in whioli wo aro in.'')nnod that 
 none but tho pure and holy can enter that blcssod abolo — tlioso only 
 whoso names are written in tho Lamb's Book of lafi). l[o\v all-im- 
 portant, then, that wo sliould bo living in conformity to tho will of 
 C!od. AVoall ought to bo happy, and bo continualy Hying in halcyon 
 tran(|uility. Tho storms of boisterous mirth — tho wild shout of rev- 
 elry — tho tumult of excitement aro not designed to bo pormanont ; 
 and like a beggared monavcli. tho devotee of pleasure, after a night 
 of gaiety and debauch, feels the vacuim, mourns over joys that aro 
 (led, and lives only in anticipating their return. Christianity is not 
 chained to lordly pahxces, to massive plate, to delicious winos, to sump- 
 tuous banquets. Like the sweet violet, it loves tho shady bank, and 
 vies tliere in loveliness witli the bluo heavens tliat smilo above it. 
 The cottage is oft tlij seat of tranipul joy when tho palace is reft 
 with the pickaxe of discord, political controversy or ambition. 
 
 Every day we should be endeavoring to (qualify ourselves for tho 
 eternal world. Our daily study should be to learn tho way of tho 
 Lord more perfectly, and to bo guided by tho light of revelation. 
 In the language of Dr. Guthrie " I despise not the lights of science j 
 but they burn in a dying chamber as dim as its candles. They can- 
 not penetrate the mists of death, nor light the foot of tho weary 
 traveller on his way in that valley through which we've all to pass. 
 Commend me, therefore to the light which illumes tho last hour of 
 life — commend me to the light that can irradiate the faco of death 
 — commend me to the light that, when all others are quenched , 
 shall guide my foot to the portals of that blessed world whero thero 
 is no need of the sun, and no need of the moon, and no need of any 
 created lights, for God and tho Lamb are the lights thereof. 
 
 Let each of us now pause and reflect for a moment over our past 
 lives, going through a rigid examination, comparing our actions 
 with the immortal truths that adorn the sacred page, that wo may 
 know whether we are prepared to cross the Jordan and enjoy the 
 heavenly society which occupy the county lying beyond its cold 
 stream. 
 
 "Man is born unto trouble^ as ^the sparks arc t;o Ily ui)wards." 
 
HEYONU THE JOUDAN. 83 
 
 *'Yi!t there arc few of ua who do not Jruam of a tinio when, ruUovod 
 from iinnnyanco, bunion and gi'luvanco, wo may rojtoao on a l«',d of 
 roses M-illi nothing to do but to enjoy tho delight of living. Tho 
 husbandman thinks when his acres arc clear of mortgages, or are 
 raised to a certain degree of fertility, or are brought near the great 
 centres of coinmerca by new lines of railnjads that his days of 
 struggle will bo over. lEis wife, burdened with tho care of young 
 children, anticipates the time when tln'y will bo lieljjs instead of 
 hindrances; the boy looks forward to tho freedom and dignity of 
 manhood, and the girl to the blessedness of beint; a young lady in 
 society, or the center of another homo ; and thus through all grades 
 and classes of society, " man never is but always to be blessed." 
 
 The very conditions of our lives on this planet are those of con- 
 conflict toil and struggle. Man was i)laced here to subdue tho earth, 
 but, in addition to that, he has since to subdue himself, which of the 
 two, is by far the most dillioult task ; and this earth will never be 
 the Heaven we fancy, until, to a greater or less extent, each indivi* 
 dual has accomplished for himself these two prime objects. To aid us 
 in achieving this mighty work we have science, philosophy, religion 
 and we need them all ; the first to give intelligent direction to our 
 jdiysical toil, the second to anable us to bear patiently tho difHculties 
 and annoyances -which beset us while thus toiling, and the last to 
 assure lis that all the diciplino of life is for our good, and will sooner 
 or later be recompensed with duo reward. 
 
 However secure from trouble the lives of the rich and gveat may 
 seem, they are really infested with as much annoyance and as many 
 cares as those of lower degree. Now the sooner we make up our 
 minds to accept the evil with the good, to walk over snow and mud 
 and dust as on June lawns, and under stormy clouds and skies, as 
 though they glowed with radiant light, tlwough thorny paths as along 
 flower bordered parterres, the better for us and the higher is the 
 plane along which v/e travel. The dust and the storm and the 
 thorns need not keep eternal sunshine from resting on the soul ; 
 nay, they may be the ministries which si all lift the spirit above the 
 fleeting, the sordid, the material, into that " region mild, of calm 
 and serene air, where bright aerial spirits live insphcred." While 
 our hands are busied with the toils of daily life, our eyes blinded 
 with its dust, our feet bleeding by reason of the roughness of the 
 way, and we stagger along overweighted with burdens that press us 
 
84 BEYOND THE JOllDAN. 
 
 to the very dust, the soul may make its own Heaven and triumph 
 over every evil, transforming it by celctial alchemy into only good. 
 Doubtless "happiness is our being's end and aim," but that happi- 
 ness which deserves the name is wrought only through hardship, 
 toil, and struggle. Bi.t there are many things calculated to 
 cheer the Christian onward to the very verge of the Jordan. And 
 though while standing on its brink horror may pass through every 
 avenue of his system, yet he remembers that Jesus, the blessed 
 Savior has gone on before, and has promised to be with all those who 
 put their trust in Him. 
 
 "Jesus can make a dying bed 
 As soft as downy pillows are." .•■< i , 
 
 "And as Christ our Saviour rose ' 
 
 So all His followers must." 
 
 " But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and mur- 
 derers, and lewd persons, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars 
 shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brim- 
 stone, which is the second death." We have often thought while 
 reading these and similar passages of scripture, how utterly impossi- 
 ble it would be for those who have no taste for Christian society 
 here to enjoy the society of the just made perfect. Instead of its 
 being a place of enjoyment to them it would certainly be a place of 
 torment. It is these characters which sing the words. 
 
 "I'm very sad, no joy for me." 
 While on the other hand the christian can rejoice in the hour of 
 tribulation, disease and death, having the full assurance that "all 
 things work together for good to them that love God." 
 
 The occupation of the inhabitants beyond tho Jordan has been a 
 subject of much controversy. One man's opmion is about as good 
 as another's on such subjects, and it would appear that the only safe 
 ground to occupy, is to keep close to tho bible on bible ground. If 
 it were absolutely necessary to our happiness it would most certainly 
 be revealed. God knows what is best for us, and consequently it is 
 better to have a "thus saith the Lord" for every position we occupy. 
 Let us then listen to John the Apostle: "After thia I beheld, and lo 
 a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and 
 kindred, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne and 
 before the Lamb, clothed wil ;. v 'hite robss, and palms in their hands 
 and they cried out with a loud voice saying : This salvation be as- 
 cribed to our God, who sittoth upon tl>e throne, and unto the Lamb. 
 
Oil THE SCORE O^ LOVING MEMORIES. 85 
 
 And all the angels stood round about the throne and about the el- 
 ders, and the four living ci'eatures, and fell befoi-e the throne on 
 their faces, and worshipped God saying: Amen; blessings, and glory, 
 and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be 
 unto our God throughout all ages, amen." Further than this we are 
 not informed, consequently we will be compelled to leave it here and 
 disregard all speculations. How many pages too have been written 
 about the intermediate state and the location of heaven, much of 
 which have tended to bewilder rather than enlighten the understand* 
 ing. Our highest object should be to live to enjoy the society of the 
 redeemed beyond the gsave. We have no reason to fear that the 
 future world will not be right, inasmuch as it has been planned by 
 infinite wisdom and goodness. But we have greater reason to fear 
 that we shall never be ready to enjoy that blessed abode unless we 
 obey the commands of God, which will certainly fit and prepare us 
 for such a great and glorious event. 
 
 Oh ! how comforting to all God's children to know that their 
 Saviour, who is revealed to them in the Gospel, has gone to prepare, 
 and has prepared, mansions in the skies for all those who love him. 
 What a glorious, soul-stirring, heart-cheering thought to the awak- 
 ened sinner, inasmuch as he, too, is piivileged to comply with God's 
 requisitions, and thus be enabled after death to arise from the 
 crumbling urn, come forth robed in white, mount up to God as on 
 eagle's wings, and run over the hills of paradise ! Hallelujah ! 
 Crossing the Jordan is but the threshold of eternity — the portals of 
 Heaven. ' . , ' ■' 
 
 In conclusion, we exhort you to labor to this end, ever making 
 preparation to cross the stream. Do not delay. You cannot be too 
 sure in being prepared for so solemn an event. Then in the last day 
 you will mingle your voices with the exultant shouts of the saved, 
 forever and ever. 
 
 ON THE SCORE OF LOVING MEMORIES: 
 
 'Pa ■ 
 
 To Mr. aKo Mns. Matthias Konkle, jb., oFBEAMSviiiLE, Ont. 
 
 , , ,f. Tho loveliest tints of earth and sky 
 
 '■' '•' May iu our childliood dreams appear ; ^ I 
 
 .?> Fond joy allures the happy eye, •..,•> .,(' ,.• 
 
 And music captivates the ear. 
 
86 GOD. 
 
 Plcasiiros fill up tho transient hours, 
 
 But these will always have an end, 
 And sorrows too, sometimes arc ours 
 
 And then how sweet to have a friend. 
 
 Just such a friend as you have been. 
 
 Who've cheered my heart when pierced with pain, 
 How very few like you I've seen 
 
 Survive the ticklouess of men. 
 
 At times wc little prize the vorth 
 Of friends, the world seems bright and fair, 
 
 And then we think that mother earth 
 Will give us pain with little caie. 
 
 In youth what do we know of life ? 
 
 Our hearts are filled with hope and joy, 
 But soon we find this world has strife 
 
 Which oft our happiness destroy. 
 
 We all have had a summer friend 
 
 Who cheered us in a smnmer day; 
 But upon such how few depend 
 
 When trials throng our pilgrim way. 
 
 Yes, when tho days of sorrow come. 
 
 And earth does ill repay us here, 
 'Tis then we look beyond the tomb, 
 
 Beyond tho reach of pain or fear. 
 
 And now with pleasure I recall 
 
 Tho happy days I spent with you. 
 And sigh that e're my lot did fall 
 
 To part with friends so kind and true. 
 
 But then I look beyond this world, 
 Where wo shall dwell in perfect peace, 
 
 Among the pure and sanctified • ' 
 
 In that bright home of joy and bliss. 
 
 • 
 
 Till then, may you and I press on, 
 
 And never falter by tho way. 
 And when a crown of life we've won - 
 
 We'll thou enjoy that happy day. 
 
 O-OD- 
 
 The term God litefally signifies The Good ; but in its fullest sense, 
 in all 'probability, it means an Infinite, Absolute Spirit or person — 
 the Self-existent Infinite, Absolute, Intelligent cause of all being — an 
 Eternals Self-existent, Infinite, Absolute Person, Spirit or Mind, 
 who controls, governs and sustains all being, and who is infinite in 
 
GOD. 87 
 
 his being, perfections and attributes. The correct idea of God 
 would undoubtedly be a correct idea of such a being. However, it 
 is supposed by some that as those words God and good are written 
 exactly alike in the Anglo-"^axon, that this name >va8 applied to the 
 Supremo Being on account of liis goodness, especially as he is the 
 one that is eternally good. Hence, the expressions of the Savior, 
 " He alone is good." 
 
 It was said of Simonides, the poet and philosoper, that he was 
 one time asked wliat God loas, by Dionysius, the great tryant of 
 Sicily. He desired one day to consider it previous to making his 
 reply. But when the day was expired he desired two days, and 
 afterwards instead of returning the answer, demanded still twice as 
 much time to consider it. We furthermore learn that the more he 
 thought of Him who created the heavens svnd the earth, and who is 
 omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, the farther he wandered 
 from arriving at any just conception or conclusion concerning the 
 Almighty. This was doubtless, owing to the fact that he viewed 
 him merely by the light of reason and philosophy. Nevertheless, 
 when this is correctly done, we find in Him all the pefection o f a 
 spiritual nature ; and since wo have no notion whatever of any kind 
 of spiritual pex-fection, but what we discover in our own souls, we 
 consequently, join infinitude to each kind of these pefections, and 
 what is a faculty in a human soul becomes an attribute in God. 
 
 There are indeed various liieories ft the present day concerning 
 the Almighty. But it is veiy eviderit that all infidel notions and 
 theories conflicting with the inspired volume have only tended to be- 
 wilder them than enlighten the intellect. How absurd and disgust- 
 ing are the conclusions of Darwin respecting man's origin to one 
 who is familiar with the divine historian. And how simple too is 
 the theory of Buffon and other savans of the same school, by which 
 they attempt to account for the origin of the eorth, to those who are 
 acquainted with the writings of those men of God who spoke as they 
 were moved by the Holy Spiiit. Now deep as they have delved in 
 the mysteries of nature, clearly as they have pre tended to understand 
 her laws, there is much that they have not yet learned, much that 
 they cannot comprehend. Linking together the scattered facts which 
 they have observed, they try to weld them into a chain of laws by 
 which life evolves itself from matter, and through a series of natural 
 and inevitable changes develojie into the countless forms which we 
 
88 ciOD. 
 
 now see. They assert that the universe was at first a vast chaos of 
 gaseous matter, but that by the workings of the laws of repulsion 
 and attraction it resolved itself into spheres which went whirl' 
 ing into orbits, and that by the natural chemical transformations to 
 which all matter is subject, they solidified themselves into worlds. 
 Furthermore these self-impovUint scientists also assert that where the 
 ultimate atoms of certain gases are brought into contact, life is the 
 result, a very low and imperfect form of vegetable life which they 
 term protoplasm, but life nevertheless, and this weak atom of life 
 having been formed, growth is the result ; and from that growth by 
 those processes which they profess to have discovered, have l)een de- 
 veloped all the forms of animal and vegetable life. 
 
 Now a question of very great moment arises. Who created those 
 indestructahle jaseous elements from which scientists claim, that the 
 whole universe lias been evolved ? Now it is very certain that no one 
 unaided by the light of revelation can solve satisfactorily this great 
 probleTQ. And then again we might submit other questions. Is it 
 easier to suppose matter possessed of infinite wisdom, and governing 
 itself hy laws in which all the combined wisdom of man can find no 
 fault t/tan to believe in an omniscient God 1 We do moat certainly 
 believe that it is far easier to accept the truth that God exists. But 
 then how many times we are told of the workings of natural laws. 
 But in the very nature of things does it not follow that the term 
 law presupposes a law giver, a being who has the power to make and 
 execute laws 1 Most assuredly it does. "What then is that power- 
 ful force 1 for it is but one and the same force, though known un- 
 der the various names of attraction, repulsion and gravitjition, which 
 keeps this vast machinery in working order. Why it is the will of 
 God holding every particle of matter in the universe in its proper 
 place. Philosophers may indeed arm themselves with all the com- 
 bined wisdom of mortals, and guided by all the light which science 
 can shed, grope as far as they may into the' silence and darkness of 
 that mysterious beginning, but then the only answer that they will 
 ever hear will be the words echoing down from the heights of infinity, 
 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The 
 Paalmist in speaking to Him says : 
 
 "Wliithor uliall I go from Thy spirit ? 
 , And wliitlipr shall I flee from Thy prcsonco ? 
 
 f,.^ • , ,. If I asccml the LcavouH, Thou art there ; 
 
 If I make my bed iu the abyss, , . 
 
OOP. 89 
 
 Bohold Thoii art tliero ; 
 
 And if I tftko tho wingH of tho morning 
 
 And dwell in tho oxtromo parts of tho ocean, 
 
 There also thy hand shall lead mo 
 
 And Thy right haUd shall hold mc." 
 
 But tlio Psalmist is here viewing Him in the light of revelation, 
 as the One boundless in wisdom, in majesty and power. But then, 
 had God our Creator no beginning ] Of all the deep thoughts that 
 have entered into the mind of man since creation's dawn, there is 
 none so grand as this. An eternal God, from everlasting to everlast- 
 ing. A Creator who was never created. In fact however far we 
 stretch our imagination there was a time when all things began, and 
 consequently of necessity there must have been a Creator. Yet how 
 strange that so many claiming to be philosophers cast aside revelation 
 as an imposition because they cannot fathom this mystery ; and de- 
 clare that the Universe created itself by the working of natui'al laws. 
 Oh ! preposterous vanity ! Well might the Psalmist say, " The fool 
 hath said in his heart there is no God." And shall we, too, say the 
 same because our frail minds cannot grasp the problems of infinity 1 
 No, never ! 
 
 But where can we find a history of the creation if not in the Vol- 
 ume of Inspiration 1 It is nowhere else to be found for the learning 
 of the East is dumb, yet the Bible speaks to us, and tells us of the 
 birth of time — how something out of nothing was produced — how 
 light sprang out of darkness, and order from confusion came, — how 
 earth, air and seas were peopled with their several hosts — how man 
 received the breath of life, and stood erect, the beauty of the world — 
 the paragon of animals. From this we ar^ led to conclude that 
 there is no end to the greatness of God, who, in the language of the 
 Prophet, " is glorious in holiness, fearful ia praise, doing wonders." 
 The most exalted creature he has made is not capable of compre- 
 hending it; and when we raise our conception of this Infinite 
 Being as high as it is possible for the mind of man to extend, even 
 then we shall fail, for the Lord is terrible and marvelous in His 
 jiower. How, then, shall we be able to magnify him, inasmuch as 
 He is gi-eat above all His works 1 When we glorify the Lord we 
 may exalt Him as much as we can, and even then will He far ex- 
 ceed ; for He has spoken the most sublime oracle that was ever an- 
 nounced to the world,as recorded by the Prophet, " I Am that I Am. '» 
 
 God is our Creator, and when we view him as such we need not 
 
90 GOD. 
 
 wonder that the Psalmist should have said, *' Hap))y is that people 
 whose God is the Lord." Now as man has fallen, it is very evident 
 that God is not only *he author of our existence, but he is likewise 
 the author of religion as revealed to us in the Bible. We know 
 that the question has sometimes been asked, By whom was religion 
 revealed '\ Was it by the magicians of Egypt, the Maji of Persia, 
 Budha of India, Confucius of China, Socrates of Greece, Mahommed 
 of Arabia, or was it by Jesus of Palestine 1 However old the 
 world may be, its recorded religions are before us, and have been 
 telling upon its destiny for thousands of years. Is there one God 
 and one religion ? or one God and many religions. Look over the 
 history of Egypt, of the Hindoos, the Chinese ; of Persia, Greece, 
 Eome and Arabia, and see what are the fruits of their religions. 
 Is there any religion to-day lifting up the Tace ? If so, who is its 
 author? The answer must cowe back from every informed and 
 candid man, It is Jesus. He is the Prince of Peace and Prince of 
 the most high God. And by faith in him and in his word, we are 
 enable to hear the morning stara sing together and all the sons of 
 God shout for joy. We see the grand panorama of the drama of 
 Creation, move off at the first fiat of Jehovah. Orb after orb dances 
 forth from the plastic hand of the Creator. Worlds and systems of 
 worlds move off in perfect order, singing as they go : " The hand that 
 formed us is Divine." Oh ! what a morning that must have been 
 when the voice of God was heard saying, " Let there be light," and 
 light, with its cuiiously blended colors, flashed along the sky, and the 
 very words as they echoed broke the stillness of eternity. 
 * It is indeed very evident from all that we see that the touches of 
 a Divine pencil may be clearly traced, dipped as it is in the celes- 
 tial colors, in the structure of man and in the whole realm of crea- 
 tion. We learn from both nature and revelation, that the Lord is 
 infinitely good and transcendently glorious. The Jews it is said held 
 this name in such great reverence that they would not allow it to 
 enter into their religious discourses. What can we tlien think of 
 those who make use of the name God ^without any hesitation or 
 reverence in the common frivolous conversation from day to day. 
 It is enough to make the heart to shudder to be in the presence of 
 those who indulge in profane swearing — taking the name of God in 
 vain. It would be an affront to reason in a great mersure to set 
 forth the horror and profaneness of such a practice. The very men- 
 
GOD. 91 
 
 tion of it exposes itself suiEciently to those in whom the light of na- 
 ture is not wholly extinguished, for He is the rock and all hia ways 
 are perfect. He is the God of truth without iniquity and his ways 
 are judgment. He is truly glorio\is in holiness, fearful in praise, 
 doing wonders. The heavens declare His glory and the firmament 
 showeth forth his handiwork. 
 
 0, Thou Eternal One, whoso prcBonco bright 
 
 All space doth occupy, all motion guide ; 
 Unchanged through time's all-devastating flight : 
 
 Thou only God — there is no God beside. 
 Being above all beings ; Mighty One 
 
 Whom none can comprehend, and none explore ; 
 Wlio fills existence with Thyselit alone ; 
 
 Embracing all — supporting — ruling o'er ; 
 
 Being whom wo call God and know no more. 
 
 Thou from primeval nothingness didst call 
 First chaos, then existence — Lord ! on TI'oc 
 
 Eternity had its foundation — all 
 
 Spring forth from Thee — of light, joy, harmony, 
 
 Bole origin — all life — all beauty Thine. 
 Thy word created all, and doth create ; 
 
 Thy splendor fills all space with rays divine. 
 
 Thou art, and wast, and shall be. glorious, great, 
 Light giving — life sustaining Potentate. 
 
 Thy chains the unmoasured universe surround, 
 
 Upheld by Thee, by Thee inspired with breath, 
 " Thou the beginning with the end hast bound, 
 
 And beautifully mingled life and death. 
 As sparks mount upward from the fiery blaze. 
 
 So suns are born, so worlds spring forth from Thee : 
 And as the spangles in the starry ray 
 
 Shine round the silver snows, the pageantry 
 Of Heaven's bright army glitters in Thy praise. • • 
 
 Thou art directing, guiding all Thou art I 
 Direct our understanding then to Thee ; 
 
 Control our spirit — guide our wandering heart ; 
 Though but an atom 'midst immensity. 
 
 Still we are something fashioned by Thy hand ; 
 ' We hold a middle rank twixt heaven and earth ; 
 
 On the last verge of mortal being stand, 
 Close to the realms where angels have their birth, 
 Just on the boundaries of the spirit-land. 
 
 . . ,, Thou Spirit of our spirit, and our Lord : 
 
 Thy light. Thy love, in their bright plenitude. 
 Filled us with an immortal soul — to spring 
 O'er the abyss of death, and bade it wear 
 The garments of eternal day, and wing 
 The heavenly flight beyond this little sphere, 
 , E'en to its source — to Thoe — Its Author, there. i 
 
\)2 ALONE BUT NOT ALONE. 
 
 tliought9 ineffable ! visions blest I 
 Though wortliless onr conceptions arc of Thoc, 
 
 Yet shall Thy shadowed image fill our brenst 
 And waft its homage to Thy Deity. 
 
 Gotl ! thus alone our lowly thoughts can sour ; 
 Thus sDok thy presence — Being wise and good. 
 
 'Midst Thy vast works, admire, obey, a<loTe, 
 And when the soul is eloquent no more 
 The soul shall speak in tears of gratitude. 
 
 ALONE BUT NOT ALONE. 
 
 The day has past and gone. Darkness has thrown her gloomy 
 mantle on all around. Not a star is visible throughout the vault of 
 heaven, and we are alone. Oh ! how full of fears and sadness, too, 
 are those hours of solitude. Notwithstanding, oftimes it is sweet 
 to retire from the busy scenes of life for quiet meditation, and com- 
 mune with God, There we can school our hearts aright, and profit 
 by our retirement. We can think of the days that have forever 
 flown, and of everything that we have done which will be revealed 
 in the day of eternity when the books are opened and all secrets re- 
 vealed. 
 
 Alone ! yes, alone ! No one is near to ofier a cheering word. 
 We are not alone. No, for the Father is with us. He who is orani_ 
 present has promised to be with all those who put their trust in Him^ 
 Happy, then, are they who can in truth say, we are neter alone. 
 Ho-v wretched and miserable are those who can look towards heaven 
 without feeling that God sees and owns them as his dutiful children. 
 
 Alone ! no, not alone ! for God our Maker accompanies us not only 
 in prosperity, but also in adversity. He continually directs our 
 wandering footsteps, and leads us along the shady bowers of righteous, 
 ness. There we can bathe in the pure watei-s of peace, and drink 
 deep draughts from the crystal fount that can never be drained. 
 We listen for a moment in the stillness of the night. All is quiet as 
 death- —not a stir. But hark ! do you not hear those gentle whispers 1 
 It is the voice of the Savior, " My peace I leave with you ; my peace 
 I give unto you." Again, do you not hear a fluttering voice close at 
 hand 1 Aye ! these are the angels hovering around. They are God's 
 ministering spirits. They often soothe our aching hearts, causing 
 us to exclaim in holy rapture, Alleluia ! We are not alone, for Vie 
 Father is with us. 
 
, ) i ,.'■' > 
 
 THE CURISTIAM's HOPE. 98 
 
 YOUTH. : 
 
 Wbittun at the Aoe of Sixteen while at the FniENrb' Seminaiiy. 
 
 Youth is the time to serve the Lord, 
 
 The time to mould aright our ways, 
 And learn with care His precious word 
 
 While yet we're in our chiklhood days. 
 
 Is the time for to prepare 
 
 Ourselves for active service here j 
 And labor on with patient care 
 
 Till we can reach that heav'nly sphere. 
 
 And may our paths be ever straight 
 
 While in this world we onward move. 
 And we'll enjoy the Lord's estate 
 
 When we shall reach that home above. 
 
 iet us never hero forget 
 
 But always wo should bear in mind, 
 That just as the young twig is bent 
 
 So is the aged tree inclined. 
 
 Bemomber snores are on our track, 
 
 Youth cannot very long remain, 
 And though we may yet wish it back, 
 
 It ne'er will come to us again. 
 
 Then let us strive, for time flies fast, 
 
 Tj fit ourselves for manhoods prime. 
 And when our days on earth ore past 
 
 We'll then enjoy a happy cUme. . . i,, 
 
 There on the ever shining shore. 
 
 Where oil the saints of God shall rest, i ' > , *• ' ■ 
 We'll shout and sing glad anthems o'er , . •. 
 
 And dwell forever 'moug the blest. • . 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE. 
 
 The Ap jstle John says : "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, 
 and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that 
 when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as 
 he is ; And every man that bath this hope in him purifieth himself 
 even as he is pure." And the Apoutle Paul in his letter to the 
 Church at Ephesus says, " Even as ye are called in one hope of jonV 
 calling." And in his letter to the church at Bome, he remarks 
 that tribulations worketh patience, and patience experience, and ex- 
 
94 THE christian's hope. 
 
 perionco liope, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of 
 God is shed abroad in our heai'ts by the Holy spirit which is given 
 unto us." From these quotations it is evident that the Christian 
 who bows to the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, and walks in 
 obedience to his commandments and ordinances blamelessly, has a 
 hojie that is worth more to him than all the gold of Ophir, or the 
 cedars of Lebanon. And they who possess this hope shine brighter 
 than the richest diamonds that ever glistened in Christendom, for 
 she is ever brightening their paths with her efl'ulgont beams that 
 lead to the celestial realms of bliss — the saints sweet home in 
 Heaven. 
 
 O, Hope, celestial visitant, imparting to the young half their 
 happiness and vivacity, and to old age a blessed assurance of a home 
 beyond the regions of earth in. the great hereafter. If hope were 
 taken away, a blank would be left which it would be impossible to 
 fill. And one would indeed think that the aged after having wit- 
 nessed so many wishes unrealized, and expectations blasted, would 
 no more listen to the syren song of pleasure ; but on the contrary 
 even the dying man still clings to this eternal principle. And then, 
 as the lamp blazes brightest when gleaming its last, so the spark of 
 hope flies heavenward and is rekindled upon the altar of eternity. 
 
 Hope is truly the connecting link between the past and the 
 future ; carries her consoling rays into the recesses of the fluugeon ; 
 smiles serenely on the bed of sickness, sustains in every period of 
 life, and sheds its grateful radiance around the pillow of the dying. 
 It blooms in every season of existence, and like the evergreen it 
 preserves its verdure throughout the year. How bright and beautiful 
 is that hope that meets the shadowy future, without fear, which 
 come to us amid storms and darkness to tell us we have a friend in 
 our dear Eedeemer. Well might the Apostle Paul declare that she 
 is an anchor oi the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entiereth 
 into that within the veil, whither the forerunner is for us entered ; 
 even Jesus made an high priest forever. Yes, truly she is an anchor 
 of the soul by which we can ride secure the stormy waves of time, 
 buoying us up in the hour of tribulation, disease and death, con- 
 tinually illuminating our labyrinthic march to the world of celestial 
 spirits. And when the dark waves of the sea of Gallilee rush upon 
 us and threaten to engulf us, and dash our little bark upon the tower- 
 ing billows, she still points us onward to a haven of sweet 
 
THE CHRISriAN's HOPE. 90 
 
 repose. Then as the storms increase, and tho convulsive and 
 tumultuous swells with convolving motions roll, she with her twin 
 sister Faith stands with magic wand pointing like the lloman James 
 looking backward and forward. 
 
 Faith looks back to the days of old, when the prophets of God saw 
 in their visions of tho future, the dear Savior in peeiles majesty and 
 excellency forsake his Father's courts to save a lost and ruined 
 world. Yes, filled with condescending love. He visited our earth 
 that we might be saved from death and hell and enjoy at last a 
 home, a rich inhericance in that land of the blest. Hope always 
 looks forward to the future — to the days of unbroken sunshine > 
 where the redeemed of the TiOrd will dwell forever. 
 
 But, then, wlnt is hope ? Or, are there many hopes 1 We ans- 
 wer, there is but one hope, and this hope is the Chrsitian's hopo. 
 But again, what is the Christian's hope ? Why it is the hope of im- 
 mortality and eternal life. Or in the language of the Apostle Paul. 
 "The hope of the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ." Hope is composed of desire and expectation. Tho Christian 
 anticipates the day and looks forward with ecstatic joy, animated by 
 the influence of the exalted passion, whose inspii*ation makes glad 
 the aching, sorrowing, bleeding, heart-stricken one, and points bim 
 on to hallowed bliss, unsullied and undiramed amid the skies. 
 
 Hope, has very justly been termed by the Apostle Paul, the 
 "helmet of salvation." And in his letter to the Ephesians, he ex. 
 horts them to take it in their warfare against the arch enemy of 
 souls, who goes around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he 
 may devour. And when gloom, impenetrtible gloom, confines us in 
 its spell, when earthly securities seem to fail, and streams of sublu- 
 nary bliss dry up, this heavenly attribute revives us by the way, 
 and with its efi'ulgent beams divine, lights up the path which leads 
 on to the Eternal City. But before tho Christian reaches his desti- 
 nation — reaches his happy home on high — he has great trials to 
 undergo, as it is through tribulations he entors the everlasting 
 kingdom of God. And it is trials and tribulations that fit and pre- 
 pare the Christian, and thus make'him pure for the enjoyment of 
 the Holy City. Tribulations are indispensably necessary in the ac- 
 quirement of high Cljiistian attainments. They work patience, pat- 
 ience experience, and experience hope. 
 
 The Patriarchs possessed this noble attribute and died in the hope 
 
96 THE christian's hope. . 
 
 of heaven. The Jews also possessed it. Daniel's piercing glance 
 beheld the ancient of days, and even Job caught a glimpse of the 
 future glory in the golden age of humanity. He asked the very im- 
 portant question, " If a man die, shall he live again ?" Now, no 
 question would be more natural to ask than this one, because our 
 eternal felicity hinges here, and we rejoice in the prospect of that 
 grand inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled and unfading, 
 beyond the shadows of death. 
 
 But again, what is the ground of the Christian's hope? This is 
 truly a veiy important question, and one of immense value. Paul 
 tells us, " If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and you 
 are yet in your sins." From this you will please observe that the 
 resurrection of Christ — his mighty conquest over death, hell, and 
 the grave — is the foundation of the Christian's hope. "For whatso- 
 ever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, 
 that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have 
 hope. ' The r'ghteous, we are told, have hope in his death. But 
 the hope of the wicked is confined to earth — it is confined to this 
 life and perishes at the approach of death — at the very brink of the 
 grave. Paul tells us, "If we have hope only in this life, we are of 
 all men most miserable." True, the hope of meeting friends, the 
 hope of better days are dear to the soul, but the hope of immortality 
 is an angelic friend, ever consoling the care-worn pilgrim onw^ard to 
 the climes above. 
 
 Hope is sometimes used as synonymous with the term wish. 
 We hear, not unfrequently, individuals say that they hope to be 
 saved. But it is truly a faint hope and soon perishes down the dark 
 lane of life. Then it is that 
 
 Hope withering flies, anil mercy sighs farewell ! 
 
 How very soon the strong hopes of youth die away. Yea, and 
 when life's meridian is I'eached the vigor of manhood quickly decays 
 while the hopes of old age soon depart and leave the poor pilgrim 
 to joui'ney along through the dark portals of death. Thus one by 
 one our earthly hopes die away and soon eternity comes. O, how 
 solemn the thought ! Like hail stones the days drop from the 
 clouds of time to fall cold and dreary into the fathomless past. 
 Each day is a life — a history. The hopes of the morning are very 
 often tears by night — the air castles of Monday are frequently graves 
 by Saturday night. Alas ! too oft. Alas that such should be the 
 
THE CHBISTIAN'S HOPE. 97 
 
 case ! Still we know that God gives us everything necessary to our 
 comfort here ; but above all the golden Christian's hope. All our 
 earthly hopes desert us — soon they pass away. But the Christian's 
 hope, twin sister of immortality, is ours to enjoy throughout life's 
 fleeting journey, to bear us diy and happy through the dark waters 
 of the Jordan. Blessed, then, be the Christian's hope, and blessed 
 be the rights which call us to her sacred aliar. 
 
 The Christian's hope is the main sjiring of the Christian's life. 
 She has achieved some of the mightiest conquests and put forth some 
 of the most heroic efforts to save the perishing lost ones of earth. 
 Oh ! have you no hope dear brother 1 Seek for the precious boon. 
 Beckon her to your side. She will repay your pains. Life is, indeed, 
 hard enough at best — but hope — God be praised — will lead you over 
 its mountains, and sustain you amid its raging billows. Part with 
 all beside, but keep your hope, the anchor of the soul. 
 
 Hope is certainly beautiful — beautiful beyond the powers of im- 
 agination. She is always telling us that we were born for immor- 
 tality, and destined to the highest and noblest happiness. She tells 
 us that yonder in the distant future are scenes more wondrous still, 
 guspended on the very verge of time ; when Jesus in the cluuds of 
 heaven, with myriads of his angels shall make his second flight to 
 earth to invite his ransomed people home. Then, and not till then, 
 will the Christian fully realize his blessed, undying hope. Yes, and 
 even when he is dying, hope will lift her fingers to the portals of 
 the sky, breathing unspeakable words of the glory and the grandeur 
 of that land of undying pleasure where the Christian filled with the 
 glorious hope, shall arise triumphant, "amid the wreck of matter, 
 and the crush of worlds," to join with that innumerable multitude 
 of all kindreds, tribes and tongues that have washed their robes and 
 made them white in the blood of the Lamb, shall enter tliose pearly 
 gates, and there abide forever. Press on, then, dear brother, press 
 on with the golden anchor hope, daily striving to gain the desired 
 port. Lo. \ to the Saviour. Put your trust in Jesus. "Walk in 
 wisdom's ways. Yield not to temptation. Look away to the last 
 days of time — to the judgment, and on to your eternal homo. Such 
 indeed is the Christian's hopoi 
 
,96 11? MEMORIAH. 
 
 IN MEMORIAM. 
 
 In loving Remembrance of our kind and affectionate motfier, Mrs. 
 Martlta Potter, wife of Mr. Peter Valkau, who died Feb- 
 ruary 10th, 1879. 
 
 Too floon hast thou left us, fond mother. 
 And deep sorrow has filled us with pain ; 
 
 Yet brightness looms up in our pathway 
 As we think of our meeting again. 
 
 Wo think of thy days of affliction, 
 Which so long thou didst patiently bear ; 
 
 Thy kindness and meekness of spirit, 
 Which prepared thee to dwell Over There. 
 
 Our thoughts, they will ever and anon 
 Wander back to the home of our youth, 
 
 And see thee so cheerful and happy, 
 Beloved mother, in deed and in truth. 
 
 'Tis then that thy words of affection, — 
 They will find a place deep in our heart, 
 
 While in kindness and beauty unbroken. 
 They can never, no never depart. 
 
 And still in our cars your tones linger. 
 Ever floats on the air the sweo'^ strain ; 
 
 To such as obey the dear Savior, 
 They will meet Over Yonder again. 
 
 Y'et can it thus bo, O kind mother I 
 That thy place will bo filled nevermore ? 
 
 Thy voice remain silent forever ? 
 That thy journey on earth will be o'er ? 
 
 Yes, thy place will always be vacant, 
 And thy voice remain silent in death ; 
 
 Wliile thy spirit will dwell in the mansions. 
 Where our life is by no moans a breath. 
 
 'Tis thus that our friends all do perish, 
 
 And molder in death and decay ; 
 While all that wo tenderly cherish. 
 
 Arc continually paosing away. 
 
 Soon the dawning of Spring wo shall welcome. 
 But alas ! its delights thou'lt not share ; 
 
 The music of wild birds will echo, 
 But thou'lt know nought of eai-th or its care. 
 
 And when the plants open thoir leaflets. 
 
 And the violets bloom on thy lied ; 
 Earth will then put on her carpet of green. 
 
 While thy form will repose with the dead. 
 
THE PEN OF HEAVEN. 99 
 
 For in tho lone grave we laid sadly, 
 
 Thy cold, lifeless, yet beautiful clay ; 
 And left it to sleep till tho dawning 
 
 Of that lovely millennial day. 
 
 0, our hearts will long for thee Mother, 
 
 Tis our loss but thy infinite gain ; 
 For in the blest home, thou hast entered, 
 
 There will neither bo sorrow nor pain. 
 
 But though we now mourn thy departure. 
 
 Such a sudden transition away, 
 Yet rays of hope, beaming with gladness 
 
 Oft will cheer lis along while we stay. 
 
 And t'will console us Dear Mother, 
 
 For to know, thou wcrt reading God's word, 
 
 Wlien the summons cnme for the exit. 
 Breaking asunder the frail silver cord. 
 
 Yet mid tho strong ties that are broken, 
 
 Still our Faith shall unshaken remain ; 
 Whilst Hope with unwavering finger. 
 
 Ever points to our meeting again. 
 
 We now bid thee adieu 1 Loving Mother, 
 
 Arid sigh as we pronounce the farewell ', 
 For Father, how oft he will miss thee, 
 
 Whilst longer on earth he shall dwell. 
 
 All join in the last farewell, Mother ; 
 
 And then echo vafts back the refrain, 
 In the promise onr Savior has given 
 
 Of a meeting in Heaven again. 
 
 THE PEN OF HEAVEN. 
 
 How awfully solemn, and O how it thrills tho very soul to think 
 of that pen that inscribed all our acts performed while here on earth, 
 in that great record, coatained in the very archives of heaven ! It 
 would certainly appear from our actions that we seldom thought of 
 the fact, that for every idle word, we shall be required to give an ac- 
 count to God in the day of judgment. And not only for every idle 
 word, but also for every deed, whether it be good or whether it be 
 evil. "Would to God that we were all duly impressed with this 
 solemn fact. What a groat check and what a great stimulus it would 
 be in guarding us from the evils of this life, thus enabling us with 
 renewed vigor to march onward and upward to that land where 
 saints shall dwell in blissful communion, and where their glory 
 
100 CHILDREN MAKE VOUR PARENTS HAl'l'V. 
 
 shall be undimmed by the flight of time to shine forth with redoubl- 
 ed splendor. 
 
 It is truly evident from the inspired volume that we shall at some 
 future day meet all that we have done in this life, both good and 
 bad. In this respect, the pen of heaven differs from our own pens. 
 We place upon record our good deeds, leaving the bad to pass into 
 oblivion. But a time is coming when all of them shall be revealed. 
 The graves will give up their dead, and those who have long slum- 
 bered beneath the briny deep shall come forth, while from the tombs 
 of oblivion, the past will give up all that it holds in keeping, to be 
 witness for or against us. O how it strikes us with awe when wo 
 think that there is such a pen writing all that we say or do ! No 
 wonder then that we should so often pray for the Lord to blot out 
 all our sins from the book of remembrance, and remember them 
 against us no more. But would it not be well for us oft to bear 
 this in mind 1 Surely it woiild prompt us to do better. It would be 
 a strong curb in keeping our wandering footsteps in the path of 
 virtue, and consequently would make our journey through this vale 
 of tears much moi'o agreeable by causing us to avoid the thousand 
 snares, hidden paths, and cataracts which obstruct our way to the 
 Spirit Land. But to get a faint idea of the record that is daily kept 
 against us, let us for one day at least write all that we say, or do, 
 and in the evening, by reading it, we will find that we have said 
 and done things beneath the dignity of a Christian* It will be a 
 good lesson for us and will enable us to go on to perfection, that we 
 may ultimately crojs the Jordan in peace and safety, and finally be 
 welcomed homo amid the anthem of angels and the music of the 
 heavenly choir. ■ ' >.>'>-v' .■■.. •■ . > o Tiit iv'n ,■:; 
 
 CHILDREl\l MAKE YOUR PARENTS HAPPY. 
 
 AV' 
 
 Children make your parents happy, ■ -' 
 
 Cheer them ever on the way ; 
 Cheer them with sweet words of comfort, 
 
 While they with you longer stay. 
 Their hearts here oft-times are heavy, 
 
 Burdened with a load of grief ; ^ 
 
 While they weary amid life's trials, 
 
 Which you oft can give relief. ■ , 
 
 ".'•i IX'i.i" 
 
THE DEAD CHILD, 101 
 
 Children make your parents liappy, 
 
 Aid them in their daily care ; 
 Let not pleasures here deter yon, 
 
 From performing, well your share. 
 remember, yea, remember. 
 
 That obedience cheers the heart. 
 While an act of disobedience 
 
 Tierces like a poisoned dart. 
 
 Children make your parents happy, 
 
 Think how hard they toiled for you ; 
 How they labored for your comfort, 
 
 And were always kind and true. 
 Soon they'll leave you, yes they'll leave you ; 
 
 For their brows as marked with care ; 
 See how they are always deepening ; 
 
 Wliile your own are smooth and fair. 
 
 Children make your parents happy, 
 
 Soon their journey will be run ; 
 Then fond mem'ries you will cherish, 
 
 When labor here is done. 
 the joy, the peace, the comfort. 
 
 Springing up within the heart ; 
 When you've made your parents happy. 
 
 Having kindly done your part. 
 
 Then daily strive to make them happy 
 
 begin at once, I pray ; 
 Render quick and sweet obedience, 
 
 Please them do in every way. 
 Never will you find, dear children, 
 
 Long as you shall dwell on earth 
 Friends more true, more kind or faithful, 
 
 Than the ones who gave you birth. 
 
 THE DEAD CHILD. 
 
 " Death flies on every passing breeze, 
 And lurks on every flower." 
 
 Oh 1 how frequently he lays his cold merciless hand on the broW 
 of prattling childhood, blooming with the smiles of Heaven, and 
 radiant with the sunniest charms of angelic loveliness. 'Tis then the 
 kind heart throbs with tender emotions and melts in sympathy. The 
 yearnings of love, in reality, cannot be stifled, notwithstanding all 
 its little world of thoughts, that were so delightful, are gon3 forever. 
 Sweet beautiful child ! How lovely it was in all its artless helpless- 
 ness aud innocence ; and then how worthy to be loved. And now 
 that it is dead, who can help loving it still 1 Few things, indeed, 
 
102 THE DEAD CHILD. 
 
 appear so boaatiful as a darling child in ita shroud. The little round 
 cherub face, its soft velvety cheek, now nestling so sublimely simple 
 and confiding among the cold terrors of death. Crimeless and fear- 
 less that little lonely voyager has ])as8ed safely under the dark 
 shadow, and through the dark valley of death* No hatred, no sus- 
 picion, no hypocrisy, no care for the morrow ever darkened that 
 angelic brow. 
 
 In performing the memorial services of children we have usually 
 noticed that but little sympathy is shown. The common expression 
 is, The child is better off. Still when we behold the new made graves 
 and see the coffins gently and quietly lowered we feel constrained to 
 say that they have escaped a world of trouble. And when ever we 
 repeat the words, Dxiat to dust ; asfies to ashes, we always remember 
 that the Grave is swallowed up in victory, and Death has lost its 
 stinsf. A hollow voice from within proclaims the blissful tidings, 
 We^ll meet on some glad day. Oh ! how our countenance beams with 
 heavenly light, as we think of that land where life is unfading, and 
 where supernal joys and celestial peace shall abound forever. Oh ! 
 what a flood of joy rushes into our mind when we contemplate the 
 full fruition of that clime where death shall find no victims and 
 the grave no tenantry. 
 
 The death of a child is truly death in its sublimest and purest 
 image. "We are awed in its presence as we view the halo of glory 
 in the serenity of its countenance, resting fully assured that it has 
 gone into the presence of an all- wise Creator. Death has stamped 
 upon it the seal of immortality, thus rendering imperishable, 
 " A thing of beauty and a joy forever." 
 
 The children that are thus rendered immortal are the only ones 
 that remain, as it were, children. All the rest of the family grow 
 up and battle with the stern realities of life ; but these remain pure 
 as the angels, and sweetly bloom year after year across the Golden 
 Strand in that home where kindred and friends will meet and mingle 
 forever in the aithems of tha redeemed. 
 
 .■^i.'- 
 
m HEMORIAM. 1Q3 
 
 IN MEMORIAM. 
 
 MiBs MazetwV Laws, oi' TEmAM, O-vt-, Died Marcu lOrn, 1877, Aoe 21 years. 
 
 (loar Mazotta, you havo Rono, 
 Ymir cares and sorrows hero arc o'er ; 
 
 You havo laid by your cumbrous colls, 
 And we shall see you here no mora. 
 
 The clouds thai love the golden tints 
 Of life's bright, joyous morning ray ; 
 
 How soon they vanished from the skies, 
 And with them you have passed away. 
 
 And o'er your peaceful, silent dnst, 
 The lovely flowers shall sweetly bloom. 
 
 While angels oft will gather round 
 And safely watoh your lonely tomb, 
 
 Parents wipe off the falling tears. 
 
 And O remember all must die ; 
 A little while — 'twill not be long. 
 
 When in the grave you too will lie. 
 
 Brothers weeping for the loved one, 
 
 That lies before you low in deatli. 
 Think of the changeless hereafter, 
 
 Where life is not a fleeting breath. 
 
 Sisters bovp.l down with sorrow, too, 
 
 Ariss cheer up, and banish grief; 
 For though you al'. are thus bereft. 
 
 The Lord will bring to you relief. 
 
 Willie, for you we drop a tear, 
 
 To see you in deep mourning clad ; 
 And look upon your tender form. 
 
 So very frnil, so pale, so sad. 
 
 God 1 to all a blessing send, 
 And to each mourner, comfort give, 
 
 •'• i ■■■' >■■ Just wipe the tears that trickle do\TO, • i- -U'; I 
 
 , , That they may Heo to thee and life. 
 
 ' ' ■' Perchance, dear FriendF, you'll meet and greet, •'' 
 
 , ,. i Mazktta Laws in Hcav'n above; i^. ,, 
 
 Beyond the far off staiTy sky, 
 
 ■ ' • ' ' ^ ;. . lu that bright world of joy and love. '»•''''!' 
 
 M^ 
 
104 CHRISTIAN PEFECTION. 
 
 CHRISTIAN PERFECIION. 
 
 Paul ill his letter to tbo Hebi'ews says, "Tliereforo leaving the 
 doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection." Now the word per- 
 fection is here used in a relative and not in an absolute sense. The 
 general idea is that a person to be perfect must be pure and holy as 
 the angels, or in other words, entirely free from sin. But such is 
 not the case, for angelic perfection is not attainable here while sub- 
 ject to the turmoils of this life. Consequently this has led many to 
 believe that there are no Christians now-a-days, unless they are in 
 regions of country where they are wholly unacquainted. Such, in- 
 deed is the world's estimate of christian perfection. 
 
 The Apostle Paul speaks of those that hftve lately been introduced 
 into Christ's Kingdom as being babes desiring the sincere milk of the 
 word, and are not able to use the strong meat. Now observe the 
 figure used, and see how they are to arrive at the stature of a perfect 
 man in the Lord. A child, for instance, when it arrives at the age 
 of manhood is a perfect man, as far as the physical organization or 
 growth of the body is concerned. So it is with the babes in Christ, 
 when they arrive at the state of manhood in the gospel, they have 
 likewise arrived at the state of christian perfection. 
 
 It is doubtless quite certain that the roajority of the babes in 
 Christ never ai'rive to a state of perfection. It is also certain, on the 
 other hand, that vast multitudes of children die before they arrive 
 at the age of manhood. Now why is this the case 1 The reason is 
 very obvious from the fact that disease is prevalent everywhere. 
 Wherever we go ; wherever we dwell we are continually subject to 
 disease. Death is always before us and sooner or later claims us 
 as one of his victims. 
 
 But religious growth, or going on unto perfection, differs widely 
 from physical growth, inasmuch as a child grows to be a man as the 
 years roll around ; and at the age of twenty-one years all children 
 are said to enter upon their majority in life. Hence they are now 
 out of their minoi'ity and ai'e no longer considered children. But 
 such is not the case with babes in Christ. Their growth does not 
 depend upon the elapse of time so much as it does upon their faith- 
 fulness in discharging the duties of a christian life. By so doing 
 they will continually bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, and at all 
 
CIiniSTIAN PERFECTION. 105 
 
 times will bd growing in graca and in tho knowledge of our Lord and 
 Saviour Jesus Chrial.. ' '-^ • - - ' 
 
 But many professing to be Christians never tiiink of growing. 
 It seems suci. a thought never enters their minds. We have oft 
 sat and listened to their christian experience ; and they would con- 
 tinually refer to the time when they were converted, or born into 
 the Kingdom. Then they were so happy ; and could shout, Glory ! 
 glory be to God ! Victory ! victory through the blood of the Lamb ! 
 Now such Christians very much resemble some insects, on account 
 of their being the largest when born, and certi.inly it is very evident 
 their standard of perfection is very low indeed. 
 
 We very much fear there are very many professing Christians that 
 are living in such a manner as to prevent them from ever arriving 
 at that period when they ought to enjoy christian perfection. Hence, 
 their worldliness and mechanical worship. Such individuals have 
 too much head religion, and not enough heart religion. You will 
 please excuse these terms as they do not convey the proper ideas un- 
 less taken in their general accep'^'tion. But the thought we wish to 
 impress upon your minds, is tho necessity of showing by your exam- 
 ples, in all your pursuits in life, that you are walking in strict 
 accordance with all the requirements of God, and continually living 
 in close communion with Him from day to day, from week to week, 
 from year to year, until your pilgrimage is ended, and consequently 
 your labor done, and ready to receive the wreaths that crown the 
 victor's brow. 
 
 Especially do we desire to exhort you to press on to this happy 
 state. Remomber that prayer is indisponsible to high christian at- 
 tainments. Without it we can do nothing worthy of the approval 
 of God. We must pray in our closets and examine ourselves daily, 
 and see how our actions accord with the teachings of the Bible. 
 And in addition to this we must be ever clothed with humility, and 
 by patience and perseverence wo will at last arrive at the period in 
 our lives when we may be justly called perfect in the Lord. 
 
 But oh ! the miasma of this world. It destroys thousands and 
 tens of th'ousands. It aflFects all more or le8s,renderin'» us feeble and 
 oft in a declining state. But by applying to the Great Physician 
 the malady can be cured. Yet it must be done in time, The quicker 
 the better, for delays are dangerous. We know not what the mor- 
 row may bring forth. And disease, when once seated is hard to be 
 
106 CHRISTIAN FERFECTIOM. 
 
 removed. Oh ! remember this and make application in time, for 
 through negligence wo see so many sickly, and consequently have 
 not grown any for years. They are mere dwarfs, and seldom try to 
 be cured that they may go on to perfection. 
 
 Oh ! let each of us examine ouraelves and see whether we are in 
 health and vigor. Let us also notice on every liord's day, how much 
 we have grown during the week. This will enable us to note our pro' 
 gross, and certainly at the end of each year by taking a retrospective 
 view of the p.:ist, wo will be able to make a correct estimate in re- 
 gard to our true standing, and by squaring ourselves, and settling 
 up all accounts with our Physician, we will bo enabled to spend a 
 Happy New Year, If any of you have never adopted this course 
 we wish you to try it for one year, and when the year is expired, if 
 you are as small a Christian as you were at the beginning and have 
 made no progress in the divine life and are still as unhealthy, look, 
 ing as pale, and so deathly, and are becoming so feeble that you are 
 going into the decline, we can only nay that your disease is of that 
 nature that medicine is of no use, consequently you can never bo 
 cured, yoa have waited too long. The balm of Gilead was not ap- 
 plied at the proper time. You have been given over to a hardness 
 of heart and a reprobate mind. It is truly a fearful thing to neglect 
 the statutes of the Lord. 
 
 We remarked in the beginning that very many considered that an 
 individual in order to be a christian must possess angelic perfection, 
 and hence, entirely free from sin. Now for fear of being misunder- 
 stood we wish to remark that according to the Apostle John, there 
 are none with^. . un. And if we say that we have no sin we deceive 
 ourselves and the truth is not in us. Yet not unfrequently we hear 
 individuals remark that they have been sanctified, and are now liv- 
 ing without sin. This has given rise to non-professors doubting the 
 Christian integrity of those professing entire sanctification. Nay 
 more, they make the assertion that there are no Christians at all to 
 be found. This is truly lamentable. 
 
 Our Saviour said to his disciples, "Be ye perfect even as you'^ 
 Father in heavsn is perfect. Now to get a correct idea of our 
 Saviour's words you will please bear in mind that there are many 
 who want to do just as little work as they possibly can for the Lord* 
 They want to see how little they can do and get to heaven. Hence 
 you will hear them say thi* is esaeutial, that it in nou fssen 
 
CIIRIStlAN PliRFBCTlOM. l07 
 
 tial. But it is very obvious to our mind that thero is nothing that 
 the Lord lias commanded Init what is essential to our happiness here 
 and our eternal happiness beyond the grave Paul tells us that all 
 scripture given by inspiration is profitable foi doctrine, for reproof, 
 for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that a man of God 
 may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good woilc. 
 
 There is no state of perfection that we cam attain to here, but 
 what there may be still higher degrees of perfection attainable. 
 Onward is the voice of all nature — it is, indeed, the voice of Om- 
 nipotence. You will now notice the force of our Savior's remark, 
 Be ye perfect, even as I am perfect. Not that we shall ever, or can 
 ever attain to that high state of perfdction ; but that wo may bo 
 daily laboring to this end. One of the apostle's exhortation was 
 that wo should continually grow in grace and in the knowledge of 
 our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ We therefore conclude that it 
 is the imperative duty of every member of the church to be laboring 
 to enjoy the highest state of christian perfection attainable in this 
 life. Our all should bo laid upon tho altar in order that Christ may 
 sanctify the gift, and cleans us from all sin. And though we are 
 not at all times withoat sin, yet the Apostle informs us that we 
 have an advocate Christ Jesus, and consequently can present our 
 petitions to tho Father through Hira ; and He has promised to hear 
 us if we ask in faith, and in accordance with His will. Our prayer 
 to God is that we may be enabled, as followers of Christ the Lord, 
 to do His will — to do all things to His honor and glory and ultimate- 
 ly we shall arrive at that state of christian perfection that the Lord 
 has required of us in order to enjoy the society of the just made 
 perfect. Let this then be our reliance, we will serve the Loi"d with 
 all diligence every day, and confess before Him all our sins, and 
 when the final moment comes we will trust the mercy of God for 
 the forgiveness of all short comings, and close our eyes in peace. 
 Then we shall meet the pure and holy of every age, of every clime 
 and tongue, and mingle our voices witli theirs in the songs of praise 
 that tremble on the Jasper Sea as it ascends from the hearts of ten 
 thousand times ton thousand of the redeemed of earth, throughout 
 the years of eternity. 
 
108 I AM TIIINKINO. 
 
 I AM THINKING . 
 
 To Mns. Naomi Bunn Valleau. 
 
 
 -|f 
 
 I am thinkiug, yon, I'm thinking > 
 
 Of tlio davH when I was yoiing ; 
 Whun tlio fri(>ii(lH I lovod wcro near JMO, 
 
 And our homo with muHic rung. 
 Yos, I'm thinking now Dkab Sistkii ! 
 
 Of tlio days tliat's passed and goiK!, 
 Whon wo gathorod round tho fircBido 
 
 After tho days work wan done. 
 
 what mem'ries now aro thronging, 
 
 Itnshing in upon my mind, 
 When I panso to think of moments 
 
 Which How paHt us Hko tlie wind. 
 In thoHO liourfl wo wero not dreaming, , 
 
 Time would make Huch rapid change ; ' ' 
 Or tlirow o'er our path a shadow [ i • ; 
 
 Which Hope churishod in hor range. 
 
 Bu t those days have all departed, > ; " ' 
 
 Youthful friends, they tiuickly lied ; 
 While some who were then so cheerful, " ' 
 
 Are now mould'ring with tho dead, , , i 
 
 Father then on life's great drama, 
 
 Striving to act well his part ; 
 Since has passed from tho homo circle, '• >. ■ . > 
 
 Oouo where dwells the pure in heart. , , 
 
 Mother, how old she's growing, ^ / ' , , 
 
 Care sits on her furrowed brow ; ... 
 
 Early hopes they have receded — ' ' 
 
 They were dearer then than now. ■■ >,'\ f * 
 
 And though it may cause us sorrow, 
 
 Wo know that she's passing away ; 
 Soon she'll go to meet bkab fatueb. 
 
 Where there'll be perpetual day. 
 
 And the family group is scattered; ^i 
 
 Soon we'll pass into the tomb ; ' * ' •*' ' 
 
 And there slumber midst corruption, • 
 
 In that dark and dismal gloom. 
 0, 'tis sad to think of parting. 
 
 Leaving frienr.s and kintlred dear ; !i+,; : r. 'vni 
 But 'tis sweet to think of meeting 
 
 In a brighter, holier sphere. 
 
 
 I i >*ii .• nj'tiol' ii;vji' 
 
 Till then, press on, O my sister 1 
 i' -.i."'' 'iwH Jesus, He will guide your way. 
 Load you to a better country 
 
 Where you'll rest in endless day. 
 Then when all of ue aro lying 
 Low in death's cold, narrow home ; ; • 
 
 ' ' Where there will be no more dying, 
 
 -_ • ,%,'it, ■ May our spirits sweetly roam. 
 
THE SACKED SCRIPTURES 109 
 
 . .It. ^ ■ illl,',- 
 
 THE SACRED SCRIPTURES. 
 
 F&ul tells U4 that uU Scripturo given by inspiration is profitable 
 fordoctrine, for roproof,for correction, for instmction in righteousncsp^ 
 that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every 
 good work. The Apostle Peter tolls us that the word of the Lord 
 endureth forever. And again we learn that tho testimony of the Lord 
 is perfect converting the soul. And indeed, upon every page the Scrip, 
 tures show strong marks of design, and their great superiority is 
 indelibly inscribed by ihe sacred jienmcn. We shall now notice 
 some of those strong marks of design and superiority. 
 
 The superiority of its productions. It is remakablo for its 
 biography, portraying, as it does, the character, and giving accounts 
 of tho origin and destiny of those great and glorious personages. 
 Where is the character that can be compared with that of Moses, 
 in all his gentleness, in all his meeknes 1 Where can you find one 
 to be compared to the immortal Job ? Or in short, where will you 
 find or meet with individuals so pure and holy, so great and noble 
 as were all the holy apostles and prophets 1 But there is still a 
 nobler character, the model of models, which none can ever equal. 
 We mean tho Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, think of His labors, think of 
 His toils and sufierings, and then think of His death, and of the 
 grand object he had in view. Most certainly all will admit that 
 no biography of the present day can equal the biography of the 
 Bible. 
 
 How men degrade themselves whec they forsake their tnio merciea 
 and belie their own nature ! What fools they become when they 
 adopt sense instead of faith — instead of the Scriptures their safest 
 guide, and rely upon reason rather than revelation, on those subjects 
 which lie beyond our earthly horizon. 
 
 If man is only an animal, simply flesh and blood — mere organized 
 matter — in what is he greater than the race of animated creation '^ 
 Can he worm himself into the earth as a serpent 1 Has he the sting 
 of the adder 1 Has ho the industry and foresight of the ant 1 Can 
 he build suoh houses as the bee and fill them with such sweets 1 
 Can he sing with the lark, and singing as he soars, fill 
 
110 THE SACRED SCUIPTUUES. 
 
 '•All the earth and air, 
 
 With his voice as loud 
 As when night is boar, 
 
 From one lonely cloud. 
 The moon rains out her beams and heaven is overflowed." 
 
 Has he the cunning and the handicraft of the beaver 1 Can he spin 
 such silken threads and weave such gossamer veils as the spider t Does 
 he understand geometry as the wasp t or can he throw such a circle as 
 warms the breast of the wren ? Has be the eye of the eagle, the meek- 
 ness of the dove, or can he snuff up the battle from afar like the wild 
 horse of the desert 1 Has he the tread of the elephant, the endurance 
 of a camel, the patience of the ox 1 Can he draw out leviathan with 
 an hook, or his tongue with a cord 1 Can he put an hook into his 
 nose, or boi-e his jaw through with a thorn 1 Will he make many 
 supplications to thee ] Will he speak soft words to thee 1 Lay 
 thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. 
 
 Now those that have studied Latin and Greek classics well know 
 their tendency. These classics contain facts of gods and real men; 
 yet we find no characters, real or imaginary, that are worthy to be 
 compared with the charactei'S delineated in the Sacred Scriptures. 
 For instance when we read of a man like Moses, we too want to be 
 meek. When we read of a man like Enoch, we desire also to bo 
 pure. And when we read of a man like tf ob, we are constrained 
 to be more patient Such hallowed influences are thus exerted up- 
 on us when we read the biography of the Sacred Scriptures. Yet it 
 tells us also of their imperfections. We read of the sin of David, 
 Sampson, &c., &c. They speak to us in a warning voice to be care- 
 ful in departing from the laws of God. They tell us of the fearful 
 curse ot the wicked and are ever with a warning voice thundering 
 it in our ears. Here then we observe the excellency and 8i:periority 
 of the Sacred Scriptures. ■. , ,_.., , 
 
 Again we notice its literattire is superior. The writings of Livy, 
 Pliny, Washington Irving, Milton, Homer, «kc., have been handed 
 down to us. Yet all of these are inferior to the productions of the 
 Scriptures. Its poetry is superior, its wisdom is superior. Where 
 can you find poetry that for sublimity of imagery, or beauty of 
 sentiment, is so remarkable as the Hebrew. Isaiah sang in such ce- 
 lestial strains as would become a seraph or a cherub in its loftiest, 
 holiest, sweetest song. The poetry of the Scriptures chooses for its 
 theme every thing that is grand and inspiring in the universe. It 
 
THE SACRED SCRIPTUBES. Ill 
 
 plays with suns and with systems, and takes up the isles as a very 
 little thing. It weighs the mountains in scales and the hills in a 
 balance, and throws its measuring line around all things. Its voice 
 is upon the waters, it rides upon the winds, its pavillion, the dark 
 clouds. Never did the fipiint of song mount up to so lofty a height, 
 or achieve such wonders, as when it received the divine afHatus upon 
 Zion's hill. To their God inspiring poetry, nothing was too high or 
 too low 08 the sulject matter of their song. The grass of the field 
 and the flower of the grass ; the heath in the desert and the whirling 
 balls, light as the gossamer thread, together with the oakb of Bashan, 
 the coders of Lebanon, and the forests of Carmal, alike are the 
 materials of its splendid web, through which the golden thread of 
 inspiration is woven, telling of the hand that fashioned it, claiming 
 it as its own. 
 
 The logic of the Scriptures sur|)a.s8es that of the present day. No 
 man can study better logic. Who has ever been more logical than 
 Paul, so remarkable for erudition. Its Rhetoric too, is vastly 
 superior. It cei'tainly is far ahead of Whately, and its beauty and 
 correctness of style far surpasses that of Dr. Blair. Is it not 
 necessary, therefore, for an individual to be saturated with its logic 
 and erudition '( Most certainly it is, and the superiority of thfe 
 Sacred Scriptures is a mark of God upon it. And the language of 
 the Apostle Paul is very happily expressed when he says, they are 
 profitable for doctrine, for co! rection, for instruction in righteousness 
 that the man of God may be perfect thoioughly furnished unto 
 every good woi'k. 
 
 We will now notice the great comprehensiveness of the' Scriptures. 
 God has spoken that man may hear, and hearing may be benefitted- 
 H e has also spoken that man may understand and live acccording to 
 his precepts. For this it must be plain and comprehensive. Some 
 may doubt this and ask the question. " If it be so plain why are 
 there so many divisions 1 It is true the Scriptures condemn division. 
 Indeed they know nothing of it but to condemn it. Men who are 
 pi'ofessing gotUiness differ, not so much in regard to what the 
 Scriptures contain, as thoy do in regard to what they do not contain. 
 Do they differ in regard to its being the word of Godi No. Do 
 they differ about ihu iaw given by Moses on Mt. oinni 1 No. Do 
 they differ concerning the promise made to Abraham 1 No. Do 
 they differ in i-egard to Christ being the son of Mary ? By no 
 
112 THK EDUCATION OF THE HEART. 
 
 meanB. Do they differ in regard to his murveloua eayings, hia suf- 
 fci'iugs, hia death and resurrection, and finally his ascent to those 
 heavenly mansions ? Not at all. Do they difler about the inspira- 
 tion of the apostles ? Not even this. Well then, what do they dis- 
 agree about 1 Something that is n^t so much as mentioned in the 
 Scriptui-es. They differ in reference to total depravity, the mode of 
 baptisn", ic, which ai'e strangers to the word of God. Why not, 
 then, study the Scrijitures and throw away every thing that is not 
 therein contained 1 It is plain — the way to heaven is so plain that 
 a way- faring man, though a fool, shall not err while upon the road 
 leading to everlasting bliss. 
 
 Nature is a very plain system, yet in it there are mysteries which 
 none of the philosophers will probably be ever able satisfactorily to 
 exi)lain. For instance, the origin of meteors. How plants grow, 
 &c. Yet nature is a plain system generally. Will you then say 
 because there are mysteries in the Scriptui-es, they are not from God? 
 For certainly there are fewer mysteries in the Scriptures than in 
 nature. God has truly spoken plainly and this plainness is indeed 
 another mark of God upon the Scriptures. And now a« all Scrip- 
 ture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruc- 
 tion in righteousness, how all-important that we should daily read 
 and study them. For they contain the written experience of all 
 men who think and feci, the every day sentiments which tind their 
 home in all pure, earnest-minded men. They keep nothing back 
 that has enstamped upon it the impress of truth. They utter every 
 cry from that of the i %nt on the breast to the shout of the con- 
 (picror on the field of v^arnago. They describe every phase of char- 
 acter, from him who walketh in the counsel of the ungodly, to him 
 who sits in the seat of the scornful, — to him that delights himself 
 in the law of the Lord — to him that bringoth forth his fruit in due 
 season. May God grant to give us grace that we may be enabled to 
 study the Scriptures and fit and prepare ourselves for Heaven' 
 
 THE EDUCATION OF THE HEART, 
 
 It is quite obvious that the heart and moril afl'octions require to 
 bo educated as well as the head. The one is certainly just as im- 
 portant as the other. But it is too often the c:i:e that t la t^fiectiona 
 
THE EDIXATICN OF THE .lEART. 113 
 
 nro wholly neglected by giving all the iittention to tho cultivation 
 of tho intellect, in the acijuiremcnt of knowledge. We do not now, 
 nor did we evei', believe in extremes— cultivating oce and omitting 
 to improve the other. Tho education of both are indispensably 
 necessary, and consc<iucntly should bo begun together in childhood, 
 when the heart is tender, and the mind as respects knowledge, a 
 carte blanche. But generally this is not tho case, learning being 
 BubstitiKted for wisdom, and therefore the heart is not right, not- 
 withstanding tho head may be very much enlightened. How vastly 
 different it is now from wliat it was in the days of Solomon. Tbe 
 fear of the Lord was then considered the beginning of wisdom, but 
 now it is only a secondary consideration. 
 
 The cultivation of the affections, as well as tho cultivation of tho 
 intellect, is of great im])ortanco to the Cliristian. In the Bible, tho 
 term heart, bears about tho same meaning that intellect, or iniwl, 
 bcai'S in common usage ; while the term bowels in Scripture, has 
 about tho same meaning conveyed by the word h'jart, in common 
 usage. It is therefore in the common acceptation of tho terms that 
 they are hero employed. And we wish it distinctly understood 
 that we would not for a moment take the position that oho Tnind, 
 has little or nothing to do in forming the Christian. On the con- 
 trary, we believe that it has much to do ; nevertheless, wo consider 
 it absurd for any one to think of living the life of a Christian with- 
 out the heart also being cultivated and disciplined according to tho 
 requirements of Him, 
 
 Who was, and is, and is to come. 
 
 To this end we should live in close communion with the Lord 
 Jesus, always continuing upon tho watch-tower, in order to obtain 
 strength sutRcient for our day and generation. It is in prayer that 
 all the finer feelings of the heart are brought out, strengthened and 
 improved. We then partake of tho chai'acter of the blessed Saviour 
 rejoicing in tho prospect of enjoying unbounded felicity beyond the 
 grave. 
 
 With such prospects before us, would it not indeed bo well for us 
 to examine ourselves to see whether our hearts are such as become 
 the redeemed of tho Ijord ? llemember the dying hour will soon ar- 
 rive, when it will bo necessary that all of us should bo ready to pass 
 the gates of death into the mansions of peace whore our Kldor Bro- 
 
114 IN MEMORIAM. 
 
 ther reigns. O, how sweot the thought that wo are permitted to 
 meet each other in glory, by preparing our hearts for that solemn 
 change that awaits us, even though our frail bodies repose in the 
 crumbling urn, till the glorious sunrise of the resurrection morning. 
 
 IN MEMORIAM, 
 
 On the DE.vrii op oun Infant Son, P. V. Burr, died August 28tii, 1872. 
 
 Baby ! thou art gone doar baby, 
 
 Peaceful in thy slumbers lay ; 
 Gently to the grave we boro thco, 
 
 Laid thee from our sight away. 
 
 Bailing ! thou art gouo forever, 
 
 Nevermore thy cry we'll hear ; 
 Gone to happy homes above us, 
 
 Far from sorrow, paiu or fcur. 
 
 Long e'er sin could mar thy beauty, 
 
 Or oppress thy heart with care ; 
 Jesus came, and tho\i didst leave us. 
 
 For to dwell with Him o'er there. 
 
 Still wc know that God in wisdom 
 
 Took thy angel spirit home ; 
 Took thco from this world of sorrow 
 
 From the evils yet to come. 
 
 Now thy little hands will beckon, 
 
 Beckon from the distant skies ; 
 And long as we hero shall tarry 
 
 Oft we'll wipe our weeping eyes. 
 
 Barling 1 many times we'll miss thoo, 
 Wiilo wo on this earth shall dwell ; 
 
 But amid life's cares aud trials, 
 We will sigh, farewell ! farewell! • ; 
 
 The ancients buried their children, it is said, at the dawn of day, 
 because they thought that Aurora lovod them and took them to her 
 arms. At the present time, how natural it is for us to associate 
 their smiles, their dreams, and even their very being with those of 
 seraphs. Yet, notwithstanding, if fond care could save them from 
 the jaws of death we would, certainly, forever shield them from 
 the destroyer's power. But our efforts are abortive, for the Angel 
 Reaper is abroad at all times, and the fairest flowers are often the 
 first to fade, wither and die away. • »"' 
 
IN MEMOUIAM 115 
 
 It wa3 near the hour of midday- -the sun had just passed across 
 
 the meridian, and we gathered round our darling clicnib who had for 
 
 a short time folded his angelic wings upon his mother's tender breast; 
 
 but who now tired of earth seemed anxious to lay aside his cumbrous 
 
 cells and soar away to Heaven, there to adorn the house of many 
 
 mansions. Oh, how every fibre of our being was called out in 
 
 sympathy with the little sufferer. And as we eagerly watched the 
 
 progress of the disease, what unutterable anguish filled our hearts to 
 
 see him writhing in pain, struggling with the cruel monster Death. 
 
 We sought hard, but sought in vain to catch one gleam of hope in 
 
 those sweet eyes which had been accustomed to look into ours with 
 
 those innocent pleadings and smiles of joy. But O, how soon those 
 
 lids were closed forever, and his freed s})irit found its wings and 
 
 noiselessly beating the air about him flew away — far away to 
 
 the angel's home. Then, O, how the fountains of love so freely 
 
 gushing from the deepest well-eprings of our nature suddenly turned 
 
 into the bitter waters of grief, and with a sorrowful moan we 
 
 uttered, Farewell ? 
 
 Fnrfiwoll, Dear Child ! altiH ! farewell ! 
 • Thy cry ou earth no more we'll hear ; 
 With angels thou are fjone to dwell 
 Beyond the reach of pain or fear. 
 
 In pensive sadness we tenderly lingered l)y the side of that marble 
 form beautifully wrapped in its little shroud. The sweet smile no 
 longer played over his soft velvety checks, for his lovely brow was 
 cold in death. Oh I it was with sorrowful hearts we saw all that 
 was left of that fair child placed in a tiny casket and carried out. 
 How slowly we followed him to the little cemetry resting at the 
 brow of the hill. On reaching his Charnel house, the burial servi- 
 ces were performed, and the little sleeper was quietly lowered and 
 laid in his final resting place. And there as we stood bsside the cold 
 dark and dreary grave how our hearts yearned for the little love we 
 had lost. The very breathings of our affections •\^i8perftd,re8t in thy 
 narrow home sweet child ; rest evermore, enveloped as thou art in 
 the thick clods of earth, 'vhilet thy pure spirit has flown away with 
 angels, borne upward on their wings of light to that land beyond the 
 tide. But we often think of that sweet pale face lying under that 
 little mound of earth, and see the m irble stone that gleams in night 
 standing as a faithful sentinel over his lonely grave. Oh ! } cs, and 
 how often too do we see it beaten by the midnight dreary rain, or 
 
lie IN MEMOIUAM. 
 
 chilled beneath the moon. Ah ! what a iliuk dismal couch for oul' 
 darling pet, whom wo would have shielded from tho gentle breeze 
 that would scarcely have stirred the sweet violet on his tomb. How- 
 ever it is u consoling rellection when we contemplate that the flown 
 angel no longer needs u a parent's care. Oh ! how sweet the thought ; 
 his heart will vibrato forever with the melodies of song ; his tiny 
 hands e'en now are beckoning from the skies and will be among the 
 tirst to welcome us to that eternal home. 
 
 FAin CiuLU, thou'it gone for evermoic, 
 • To moulder in tliy dreamless bed, 
 
 But thy freed spirit's on that shore 
 E'en though thou sleepest with the dead. 
 
 And well we know that Christ, our Lord 
 
 Co"vey8 our little angels honiB ; 
 He saves them from the downward road, 
 
 From all the evils yet to come. 
 
 Soon, too, we'll leave this world of wo,*, 
 
 And go where we shall weep no more ; 
 Soon we will leave all things below. 
 
 Bound for the ever shining shore. 
 
 Soon shall our weary soul find rest. 
 
 From bitter sorrow, grief and pain ; 
 Soon shall we mingle with the blest 
 
 Where we shall never part again. 
 
 Once more, farewell ! Deau Dahlino Boy, 
 
 For we on earth must longer dwell, ' 
 
 While sjngs of joy thy lips employ, ' ' '■ ■ ■ 
 
 We'll shout a long — a last farewell. , , 
 
 TO-MORROW NEVER COMES. 
 
 It has been said, and very truly too, that the road to hell is j^avcd 
 with good intentions. There is scarcely any one but what expect 
 to become ii ChristLin some day, birt at present are not quite ready 
 and consequently would rather put oil' till to-moi-row what ought to 
 be done to-day, nol^hinking that 
 
 "To-morrow never yet ' , A."\^- '.'.'* ^i! 
 
 . . j , On any human being rose or set." ,. , • 
 
 Present time only is ours. We have no promise of to-morrow. 
 Our Savior says, " Now is the accepted time, to-day is the day of 
 salvation." What a heart rending thought that so many are perish- 
 ing by not attending at onco to their eternal interest. There is but 
 
EVEXINO MEUITATION. 11 
 
 » 
 
 one time fixed for turning to the Savior and tlmt is to-day. Delajs 
 
 lire extremely dangerous, inasmuch as we know not how soon before 
 
 we shall be in the eternal world. 
 
 " Tho future is hid, tlie past has flown. 
 And the prcBout inomunt n all wo own." 
 
 Day after day pass away, and how often, we hoar it remarked by 
 those out of Christ that they expect to he saved ; some day or other 
 they intend to become children of Clod, and heirs of the kingdom. 
 But the faint hope which they now possess, how frequently it is 
 dashed to earth, and the glowing fancies of the mind ai'e crushed. 
 The golden chain is broken and death, with all hla horror, compels 
 them to submit to the impulses of frail humanity. How terrible 
 then, it must be to find themselves irretrievably lost to all eternity. 
 
 O, Sinner, Sinner ! take warning while you are in health and 
 vigor, continually remembering the well avthenticated fact that we 
 have no promise of to-morrow. By so doing you will always bo 
 prepared for death, and that eternity to which we are all fast hasten- 
 ing. Then, when Christ shall again make His appearance and 
 take His ransomed people home, you will be among the glorified com. 
 pany that shall inherit all things in that great city, described by tho 
 Apostle John as having the glory of God, and her light like unto a 
 stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. There 
 shall we rest with Him on those blissful shores where sun shall 
 set no more, and where life shall never end. 
 
 El/EI\/m M EDIT A / ION. 
 
 How gently falla the eventide, 
 
 The darkness thickly gathers round ; 
 And as we ponder o'er the past . 
 
 *' ' 1 • •" i: ' With pleasant scenes our thoughts abound. 
 
 
 Wo look around, tho night is here, 
 The day has swiftly passed away ; 
 
 And now we muse and meditate 
 And think o'er what we've done to-day. 
 
 .1 
 
 ->n-: vj >■•! ■ •' 
 
 0, yes, and then wo bow in prayer, •'' ' 
 
 And kneel to one who loves to hear . ; ^ ,,■ < ^^ j 
 
 Our carucBt pleadings all with oaro, 
 J» fv'. •■• And never disregards a toar. •(•• 
 
 ! „ ,.. I 
 
118 THE I'ttESENCE OF (iOD. 
 
 And though we've notliing new to toll 
 We know He will not wearied bo ; 
 
 Our cnrea and BorrowH Ho can feci, 
 And each and Bvery conflict sec. 
 
 He sees the morniuf? and the night, 
 With all the joy, the pain, the Iosh ; 
 
 The tBn|,'led path, the golden light. 
 The, hourly thorn, the daily cross. 
 
 'Tis Hwect to think that Jesus knows 
 The burden of an aching heart. 
 
 That on His breast we can roposc, 
 And He will soothe the cruel smart. 
 
 yes, 'tis sweet to meditate. 
 
 When nightly shadows settle round ; 
 
 And lift our hearts to God in prayer, 
 In whom, alone true peace is found, 
 
 THE PRESENCE OF GOD. 
 
 0, how the Christian longs to be with GoJ,the everlasting Father 
 who has so loved the world as to give His only Begotten Son to save 
 a world lying in wickedness. And is it at all to be wondered at 
 that the Psalmist David after a long and eventful career should 
 have been led to exclaim, that "in the presence of God there is full- 
 ness of joy." But the phrase, the presence of God, is used in differ- 
 ent ways and admits of various modifications. 
 
 God is omnipresent. The Psalmist in speaking to Him says : 
 
 "Whither shall I go from thy spirit. 
 
 And whither shall I flee from thy presence; ' 
 
 If I ascend the heavens. Thou art there; 
 
 If I make my bed in the abyss,behold thou art there; 
 
 If I take the wings of the morning 
 
 And dwell in the extreme parts of the ocean, 
 
 There also thy hand shall lead us 
 
 And thy right band shall bold us." 
 
 Adam and Eve enjoyed the presence of God in the garden of 
 Eden. He there talked with them face to face. And after sin en- 
 tered they endeavored to hide from Him, but the Lor d again met, 
 reproved, rebuked and drove them from his presence. How lament- 
 able it is to reflect upon man's happiness in Eden contrasted with it 
 now. Oh ! could we enjoy His presence as did our first parents, 
 and dwell in that delightful gardoLi. But in vain. 
 
 God has blessed his followers in all ages of the world. He as 
 
THE PRESENCE OF QOD. 119 
 
 over been present with them. IIo was the Patri'irclis when 
 they erected the altar and offered up sacrifioes. The Jews 
 also enjoyed his presence. Mosos went up into the Mount 
 and talked with God as a fnend talks with friend, until hig 
 very face shono with the glory which he had caught from the face 
 of Jehovah. And the High Priest communed with God upon the 
 mercy seat. God was with the Jews in the tabernacle and after- 
 wards in the temple. Here the Lord promised to meet and bless 
 them. He dwelt between the cherubims, and the Jews enjoyed the 
 privilege of appearing in His presence — yet it was only through the 
 High Piiest. But the Lord has not been with them for more than 
 eighteen hundred years. His presence is now manifested to the 
 Cliristian. "Where two or throe are gathered together in my name 
 there am I in the midst of them," is the language of the Son of God. 
 And the Apostle says, "Ye are the temple of the living Go«l, and are 
 builded together for an habitation of God, through the spirit." Now 
 the nearer we draw to God the nearer He will draw to us, and the 
 more shall we enjoy his presence by participating in His glorious 
 nature and superlative excellence. 
 
 Now, as pilgrims and strangers here, we all wish to enjoy "full- 
 ress of joy," and David the sweet psalmist of Israel says it is "in 
 the presence of God." How soul cheering it is, then, to come into 
 His presence, to bow before him and hold communion with Him, 
 whom to know is life eterrfsl, and whom to love is to enjoy His pre- 
 sence forever. This is truly as near Him as mortal man ever gets 
 in this life. And it is this vital nearness to God, that makes prayer 
 acceptable to Him, and profitable to \is all. If we pray to God as to a 
 being a million of miles away, who may prehaps hear us, if not gone 
 off upon a journey, why our prayers will be infrequent, cold and 
 formal. But when we feel that we are in the very presence of Him 
 who has created us, and who doth still nourish and sustain us, that 
 we stand face to face with Him, why our prayers will be free from a 
 sickly scntinientalism, and will be direct, earnest and prevailing. 
 This is truly communion with God, and such as the angels them- 
 selves behold with delight, while they can but imperfectly under- 
 stand the happiness known only to the saints of God. 
 
 It is necessary th.it man should be pure and holy in order to en- 
 joy God's presence. One of the petitions of David, the Royal Psalm- 
 ist of Israel, was, that the Lord would create within him a clean 
 
120 THE PHESENCE OF GOD. 
 
 lieart. It wns ovidciitly tlio dosiro of liis liourt, for ho says " Then 
 hIi:iU I bo upiiglit." And riiinst, when addreusing his dicipli^s up 
 on tho Mount says, " BleHsed aro tlio pure in heart for thoy bliall 
 see Ood." From ihis it is (juito certain that our hearts must bo 
 kept pure and holy, continually looking unto (lod for his guidance 
 and protection, that \dtinuitely wo nuiy drink froni tlio eternal fount 
 and live forever. ' • ' ' ' ' ' 
 
 How many proftss to bo Christians becatise thoy aro right in 
 theory. Alas for such ! My soul shrinks within me. Wo need 
 more deep toned, self-denying and self dovotod piety, and less theoriz- 
 ing. This must bo done in order to let our light shine that tho 
 world may know that we aro Christians in deed and in truth. If 
 this were tho case there would be a very difTtTont aspect in tho 
 increase of the Church. An hundred fold more would be flocking 
 to tho Savior rejoicing in the 5,wect anticipation of the happiness 
 anl holinesss of Heaven. Would to God that tho change was even 
 now realized. Yet can there not be something more done than what 
 is now being acccmplis^hcd to hasten the day when even all shall 
 know the Lord ? O, Time, outstretch thy wing? and fly away ! 
 Then shall we land upon the banks beyond the stream," where all 
 the ship's company meet, 
 
 Who sailed with the master beneath, 
 
 With shouting each other they Rfeet, I ' • 
 
 And triumph at sorrow and death ; ',,...' 
 
 The voyage of life at an end, 
 
 The mortal afHiction is past, 
 
 Tho age that in Heaven they spend, r , , > 
 
 Forever and ever shall last." 
 
 But the clii'istian is also permitted to enjoy after death tho jn-esence 
 of God. The Apostle Paul exclaims, *' I am in a stmight betwixt 
 two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ which is far bet- 
 ter." And again, "We are always confident knowing that while we 
 aro absent from the body we aro present witli the Lord ; we aro con- 
 fident and willing rather to be absent from the body and b 3 present 
 with the Lord." What joy arises in our minds when we con- 
 template the joy that is unspeakablo and full of glory in the 
 presence of God. 
 
 And even then the grand climax is not reached until the saints 
 shall arise at the last day and 1)6 received into the presence of Je- 
 hovah to go no more out forever. Truly blessed then, are the dead 
 that die in tho Lord, for they that sleep in Jesus will God bring 
 
ASPinXTIOK. 181 
 
 forth with Him, and at His right hand there is fullness of joy. 
 There was joy in Eden's lovely bowers when Adam and Eve were 
 ushered from the hand of their Maker. And notwithstanding their 
 fallen condition they afterwards rejoiced in the hope of a better 
 country. The Jews also partook of Heaven's precious blessings, and 
 looked forward to the time with ecstacy of joy when they should be 
 released and admitted into the presence of Jehovah to go no more 
 out forever. The Christian, too, is filled with rejoicings in this 
 life ; but greater joy will be experienced in that bright world above 
 where he shall realize the height and depth and the length and 
 breadth of the fulness of joy. ' ' 
 
 Oh, then, why not endeavor day by day to Walk in the fear of the 
 Lord that it may be well with you in the morning of the resurrec- 
 tion t Consider and reflect for a moment upon the condition of 
 those that are banished from the Lord and the glory of his power, 
 contrasted with the enjoyment of the happy saints in heaven. This 
 ought certainly to be enough to induce all mankind to live soberly, 
 righteously, and godly in this present evil world, and hence secure 
 an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled and that fadeth not away. 
 
 ' .n ..• tj 
 
 ,:■';, :'^,:i:r:'"\ AsmArm. '■'::::.:■■::,:, 
 
 Arise my trembling soiU ! arise 
 Above the cares of earth ; 
 
 Above the fleeting things of time 
 To Him who gave thoo birtli. 
 
 ,oJj)i '0 /('('• '>'' '' ' 
 
 *. •>i'fv,> -lii-i . ■ ■ 
 
 Arise my fainting spirit, rise ! r 
 
 ■ "' - ' '■ Aspire to worlds above ; 
 
 V i , ." 'I '^' ' ! 1' ;■ Nor pause in all the mountain path, 
 
 But ever onward move. . 
 
 ;.«.'=• v. 7. .f 7 i», Arise my longing spirit, riso, r I'w 
 
 Mount upward day by day, 
 Onward and upward, thou wilt reach ' 
 . , , That land far hence away. 
 
 • ■ "'ft' do not fold thy angel wings 
 
 In passing through the skies ; ;;.i ,,,1 
 But bid farewell to all on earth, 
 And onward, upward rise. 
 
 And then in sweeping through the gates 
 Mid scenes of heav'nly bliss ; 
 
 What aspirations fill my soul 
 With hopes of happiness. 
 
 fM I,.. 
 
 ■1 
 
 
122 WORSHIP OOD. 
 
 M-.iA 
 
 Thou rJHo my louKiug houI, iiriHc ! , 
 
 ' Wliild y»it thou miiyimt roain; 
 
 AiulhriDg uio liiiav'iily viriioiiH hriyht, .< " -t't m'I 
 To ohcor uiy uarthly home. . , , 
 
 > ' " 'ill'' xl-lll 
 
 , !'. ,1 .llilii 
 
 WORSHIP GOD. ' ' " '' ' 
 
 Tlio Apostle John says, "and of them whicli keep tlio sayinga of 
 this book ; Worship Uod. Rev. XXII, 9. We shall in the first 
 place notice the meaning of the word worship ; secondly why we 
 should worship God j and thirdly the benefits resulting from 
 worshiping God. 1. The meaning of the word worship. It is truly 
 of importance to know the meaning of all the terms which wo em- 
 ploy to convey our ideas, and of much greater importance when 
 these terms ar j used to reveal to us our duty to Ilim, who is the 
 way, the truth, and the lijjht. . . ; •, .« i. ,...,-, i,>,.-, 
 
 Now worship is composed of two words, worth and ship. It 
 originated along the Baltic Sea, in Germany. The people along 
 this sea were not considered of much importanca or consequence 
 until they were toorth a ship, that is they were not appreciated or 
 esteemed. Hence, came the word, worship. Now, when this word 
 occurs in the Bible or elsewhere by substituting the word, 
 appreciation, we have the correct idea. In the Freemason's book 
 thoy have the expression, " worshipping the High Master. When 
 we speak of worshipping God, then, wo mean that we appreciate, 
 esteem, love and adore Him. And if we do this it is quite evident 
 we will keep his commandments, and those commandments are not 
 grievous. It seems to be as natural as life for man to worship 
 something, even the heathen will tow down and worship the works 
 of his own hands. 
 
 2. We will now consider a few of the reasons why we should 
 worship God. a. He is our creator. He has created us in his own 
 image for a noble purpose to glorify him on earth and pi-aise him 
 eternally, b. Isaiah and the Iloyal Psalmist of Israel both sang the 
 loftiest p raise to the most High, on account of His unbounded good- 
 ness and loving kindness to the children of men. The Psalmist says, 
 Praise ye the Lord : for it is good to sing praises to our God ; for it 
 is pleasant and praise is comely. Great is our Lord and of grt:at 
 power : His understanding is infinite. He coveretk the huivens 
 
WORSHIP ooD. 123 
 
 with clouds, and prcparnth rain fur the earth, and nmkoth grasa to 
 grow upon the mountains. IIo giveth to tho beast his food, and to 
 the young ravens which cry. The Lord takes pleasure in them that 
 fear him, and those thdt hope in Iiia merer. And then after con- 
 sidering still further the great goodness of the Lord, exclaims with 
 gi-oat vehemence: " Praise yo the Lord. Praise yo tho Lord from 
 the heavens ; praise him in the heights ; praise yo him, all his 
 angels ; praise ye him all his hosts ; praise yo him sun and moon ; 
 praise yo hiro all ye stars of light. Praise him ye heavens of 
 heavens, and ye watera that be above tho heavens. Let them praise 
 the name of the Lord ; for he commanded, and they were created. 
 He hath also established them for ever and ever ; he hath made a 
 decree which shall not pass. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye 
 dragons and all deeps. Fire and hail ; snow, and vapors ; stormy 
 wind fulfilling his word ; mountains and all hills ; fruitful trees, 
 and all cedars ; beasts, and all cattle ; flying fowl, and creeping 
 things ; kings of the earth, and all people ; princes and all judges of 
 the earth." And now the Psalmist in conclusion ends by saying, 
 " Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the 
 Lord." These then are a few of the resons why we should worship 
 Crod. And it ought certainly to be the main object of our living in 
 this world. Yet how diversified and varied are the objects of our 
 lives, notwithstanding, we wore all created for a noble purpose, viz : 
 to glorify God on earth and make preparations to praise him 
 etei'nally. Yet generally it would appear that we had forgotten the 
 object of life and were only living to while away the time. This is 
 truly heart rending, and God will bring us to an account in the 
 day of retribution. Alas ! that so many should live to no good pur- 
 pose, without a definite aim or object, and accomplish nothinaj 
 worthy to be remembered. 
 
 We will now proceed to notice tho benefits resulting from wor- 
 shipping God. 
 
 It is truly the highest ambition of mortal man to do the will of 
 God— to worship him — to do all things which ho has required at our 
 hands, since it will ennoble and glorify our natures, elevating us to 
 i the Royal palace, and prepares us for a home in Heaven. Yet how 
 very few appreciate the time allotted here, and consequently fail to 
 live for anything better than the gratification of carnal desires. 
 
 Life is compared to a race, and we are required to so run that we 
 
l24 WoBskiP oob. 
 
 may obtain the prize when our pilgrimage is ended. Christ in hia 
 address upon the mount informed us that the way was straight and 
 narrow — that few entered thereupon. What sadness fills the soul 
 whenever we think of Ihis melancholy fact ! Alas ! that so many 
 should perish in the waywardness of life. Kind Heaven have mercy 
 on poor depraved humanity ! O, thou Father of our spirits, thou 
 mighty conqueror before whom the everlasting hills did bow to pay 
 homage, spare us the horroi-s of the future, where the furrows of time 
 can never come to the heart ol the disconsolate, and where memory 
 blots out no record of the guilty past, and sin sinks the soul down 
 into the mighty abyss of misery and everlasting woe. Surely then 
 our last end will be peace, and crowns of glory will be ours to enjoy 
 for ever and ever. 
 
 And we are not only benefitted in eternity, but also in time. 
 Compare our Christian land to the heathen, and observe how divei-se 
 in their influence. Notice the poor Indian of North America and 
 the benighted Hindoo of the East, wandering in wretchedness in 
 the abysmal shades of misery and woe. But we find God worshiped 
 and adored as the Supreme Being, superlatively great and transcen- 
 dantly glorious, in the most enlightened nations of the earth. It 
 pi events us in a thousand ways from falling into crime, and enables 
 us to wend our way on to that port which we call Heaven. And 
 another benefit that it confers upon us is, that it enables us to count 
 only tite hours that are serene. "Horas non numsro vise serenas," 
 are the words inscribed on a sun-dial near the city of Venice. O, 
 that it was indelibly inscribed upon the dial plates of all our hearts. 
 How delightful the thought and how joyous the feeling produced by 
 counting only the hours which have conferred a benefit. It is no 
 use nursing trouble. Thousands have done it to their everlasting 
 ruin. It is high time to look upon the bright side and stop tor- 
 menting ourselves by fretting over the past, or bringing imaginary 
 trouble from the future. If we take heed to this injunction, or 
 rather motto, an everlasting benefit will be conferred ; if we ne- 
 glect this, our misery will be continually augmented. It is our firm 
 conviction that in order to live a Christian life, it is truly necessary 
 to ''count only the hours that are serene." This must bo observed, 
 especially if we atend to the injunction of the apostle Paul, "Re- 
 joice evermore." Not only in prosperity but likewise in adversity, 
 remembering that all things work together for good to them that 
 
Worship cioti. l25 
 
 lovo God. What a consoling reflection ! How it dispels the cares 
 and anxieties of life, and a flood of radiance bursts in upon the soul ! 
 Pleasing thought. As we look forward to the time when the last 
 hour which the dial-plate shall count will expire amid the throbbings 
 and convulsions of a universe, and the heavens shall pass away. 
 
 Another benefit which it still confers is the continual pi-esence of 
 God. God has promised to be v/ith those that worship him in sin- 
 rity and in truth. He says, "Where two or three are gatfiered to- 
 gether in my name, there am I in the midst of them" Would it not 
 be well then to continually remember tliLs, and thereby enjoy his 
 presence in the marts of business when engaged in the daily inter- 
 course with our fellow beings. Surely we would then do to others 
 as we would that they should do to us in like circumstances. 
 
 We exhort you furthermore to take the blessed Lord with yo\i in 
 your every day walk and conversjition, inasmuch as he has said, for 
 *every idle word that, we shall say, we will have to render an 
 account to him in the day of judgment. We should also take Him 
 with us in the social circle, and fail not to impress upon the minds 
 of our associates His unbounded mercy and goodness to the children 
 of men. 
 
 Wo should likewise take Him with us in visiting the poor, for 
 God has eaid, " Thou shalt open thine hand wide to thy brother, to 
 thy poor, to thy needy in the land." Acd furthermore we are as- 
 sured that if we give to the jjoor we lend to the Lord. 
 
 We should too take Him with us at the bed side of the dying, 
 pointing the poor stricken one to the blesssed Saviour as his solace 
 in affliction, his rock and abiding place. And last, but not least, by 
 worshipping God, he will bo with us in all the journeyings of life, 
 from the cradle to the grave. It will save us from a thousand 
 snares and disappointments. It will adorn our natures and enable 
 us to be ready at any moment to take our departure from earth, and 
 all her joys and sorrows, pass through the vale of tears— the deep, 
 deep vale of death and enjoy the rich reward of the redeemed, for- 
 ever with the Lord. This will certainly repay us for all our labor 
 in obeying His commandments, in keeping the sayings of the pro- 
 phecy of this book, and in worshipping God. For surely he above 
 all others, claims our respect, appreciation vaud adoration, inasmuch 
 as He is the Creator, presiding upon Heaven's golden circle, ruling in 
 the kingdoms of this world ( .d has promised a crown of life in the 
 
l26 
 
 MAX POOR WITHOUT ODD. 
 
 coming kingdom. O., that you and I may be so unspeakably happy 
 as to be numbered with the citizens of that everlasting kingdom is 
 our earnest prayer. 
 
 ' "i'" ARISE AND DO. ' ' i 
 
 .•y.'n, -v Arise and do ! Dear Friend, arise 1 ; •>; i, k j 
 
 Nor paust! to murmur, or complain ; 
 But labor on with watchful care, 
 y .'!• •■■■''■ And you'll a crown of glory gain, . 
 
 •>ni iji , . 1 1 1 /-w 1-.-I • • I i>' 'i-i . '•11' !!,i .i' 
 
 Arise and do ! Pilgrim rise I 
 
 \ ., < ■(■■ • 
 
 Be ever on your tirloss wing ; i , j 
 
 Nor droop, nor faint while on the way, ;,) 
 
 To that bright world where cherubs Hin,-^. 
 
 I 
 
 .).' Ill I 
 
 (»:>■ 
 
 I Arise and do your being's work, 
 
 March onward to that clime above ; 
 '. • \: I Where angel spirits sweetly move, 
 
 , 1 1^ , , • <; „ ^^ "'^ ^^ J"y' '^"'^ peace, and love. 
 
 ijii; '.. I. 
 
 I'!' .' Arise and do, nor dream the hours • ' mi tJ »:i 
 
 Hi, 
 
 4.1 ( I, . Of this short, transient life away : ;h 
 But onward, over onward move. 
 
 I >'...■>••: •:!••> t 
 
 And waste no time, while here you stay. .r>m !■ 
 
 Arise and do — just think how true, ' ' ''' ' ' ' ' '* 
 t' !■' ■■\l _ The Doer, not the Dreamer gains ' ' .'•,«; ,> .' i-«. 
 
 The prise laid up for those who wins 
 A crown where Christ in glory reigns. 
 
 'I i/ii 
 
 Arise and do ! drink from the fount 
 A soul inspiring, chee-ing draught ; 
 •••I' ■ -t'i ■. 1 For only from the Holy Mount, m- ^Mn'iji. | 
 
 ,j , , Can such sweet nectar draughts be quaffed. ,. ,.,.,. 
 
 »' ' ' I'l' Arise and do ! Be on your your guard, ,vi' 'ifiii 'i ■ 
 
 ^ _, , . , Nor linger here awhile to dream .Nj., t :, ,, ■» 
 
 Till you have gained a heavenly home, '' *' " ' 
 
 ■I " I'l. • "ii Beyond death's roUing, fearful stream. ■[»'■; i; ' " >'*..n 
 
 . -•'•. .!> Ill ii., 
 
 ■..■„, 1 
 
 Af/f/l/ P(?0/? WITHOUT GOD. 
 
 How poor is man without God, even though he may possess wealth 
 and the world may call him happy. He is j)Oor I notwithstanding 
 he may perehance preside opon the throne, and sway the destiny 
 of nations. The hope of immortality is not his to enjoy, inasmuch 
 as it belongs only to the Christian; consequently, he is without hope 
 
IN MEMORIAM, 127 
 
 and laboring for that which perishes, and vanishes away like the 
 mist and morning duo before the glorious king of day. 
 
 Now, we ask you, is this wisdom 1 No, indeed, but folly in the 
 extreme. Strange that the masses of humanity will spend the years 
 allotted them in order to make preparation for the enjoyment of 
 that better land, in the vain and frivolous pursuits of life. But 
 what does wealth and honor all amount to in the dying hour, when 
 we are about to throw off these cumbrous cells and give them over 
 to corruption, earth, and worms ? In the language of our Saviour 
 " What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose 
 his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul 1 " 
 He has nothing to give, for poverty and emptiness are indelibly in- 
 scribed all over the world's possessions. Hence, the necessity, the 
 great necessity of being rich in faith and good works. 
 
 This is, indeed, wisdom, and the fear of the Lord is the beginning 
 of it. It is the fii-st step in the acquirement of that wealth which 
 is inestimable, unspeakable. May we not address those, then, who 
 are called by the world rich, but whose poor souls are famishing for 
 want of the bread of life. Shortly death will have done its work 
 and the opening graves will soon contain your tenements of clay. 
 Thei*efore we exhort you to turn to the Lord and lay up treasui'es in 
 heaven, that you may enjoy them throughout the ages endlessly. 
 
 /yi/ MEMORIAM. 
 
 On the Death or Mn. Gilbert Trumpour, who Died at West Lake, Ont., 
 June, IStii, 187G. Age 61 tears and 5 Months. 
 
 i. 
 
 How sad to find another one, 
 With whom wo loved to meet, 
 
 And hold sweet converse, now has gone 
 Wliero friends no more will greet, — 
 
 We'll meet, nor gre(>t tio more in time. 
 Our friend and brother denr ; 
 
 No more to grasp each other's hand, 
 And offer words of ciieor. 
 
 Our hearts in sorrow mourn for him •• 
 
 For him we knew so well ; 
 To think that such a one should die, 
 
 No more on earth to dwell. 
 
128 IK MEMORIAM. 
 
 ;,; ; ; "I, ' It i^vcn soems that yot wo licur ' •., "" * ' 
 
 The ocho of liis voioc ; i . 
 
 And SCO bis mild pontic and form, ' "" 
 
 ,;1 , ,,, 1 III So full of life rejoice. i.y ,•. 
 
 I'l 
 
 '1- 1 
 
 But ho has passed away from earth, ' ' . ' ' ' 
 
 To the bright morning Land, i > '' ; >' ■•t'/ 
 
 . • ■» Whore the rodeonied will always stay, , , ^ , 
 
 •' ..-Mif Across the Golden Strand. iv- ' 
 
 I 
 
 W" 
 
 ,,-,J ,r : ' ^ '\ ■' - ■"'' 'I.!- •-• • •'" •.'" •'■' 
 
 , His faith was always strong in God. 
 
 ' ■' ' '■ - ' Bo had no foars of death ; 
 
 I .•■). •• ' Ho fain would lie l>eneath the sod, imi' , . .m ht 
 
 J I , And calmly yield his breath. ii • .,,.,/ .. 
 
 For many years he lol)orod hard — '"^ ' *'<' "' 
 
 Hh labored for the grave ; . , ,f, ,j ,,| 
 
 While earnestly he journeyed on, 
 
 Eely'ng on Christ to save. • ■ ■ 
 
 And when the cruel summons came. 
 And Death in deed, and truth ; ' 
 
 He clung with loving tenderness 
 To her he loved in youth. 
 
 ..,.,' ^' I.. ■.'.; , 
 
 His wife, she shared in his last thoughts. 
 
 His last faint, ling'ring look ; 
 The last slight pressure of the hand, "<> .i 
 
 From her he gladly took. ' ■■ i ,^ 
 
 who that watched around his bed, ''' 
 
 And saw him sweetly die ; ti, I •• n wil 
 
 Could wish him back again to tread. 
 This world of misery ? 
 
 Dear Brother, now thy work is done, 
 
 Rest from your labor here ; 
 Tlio contest's o'er, the vict'ry's won. 
 
 Enter that holy sphere. 
 
 Farewell, dear Friend ! Farewell! Farewell! ,) 
 
 Thou art now safe at last ; 
 No more to go through Death's cold flood. 
 
 All toil and danger past. 
 
 Then licar him gently to the tomb, 
 ■ So tired, ho needed rest ; 
 God took him safely tlirough the gloom 
 To dwell among the blest. 
 
 Our Friend ! again we say adieu ! 
 
 We trust that all is well ; 
 Wn hope in Heaven again to moot, 
 
 Wlierc all the good dhall dwell. 
 
 There in that happy.happy land, 
 We shall our God behold ; , 
 
 And never, never say, Farewell ! 
 
 On streets of biuuishod gold. . . * t - 
 
NO TIME TO PRAY. 129 
 
 THOU GOD SEEST ME. 
 
 All ! Binder, did you ever think of this ] Stop one moinout and 
 answer tliis question. If you only would, it seems to us you could 
 not longer continue in sin. Did you ever think, when engaged in the 
 frivolous pursuits of life, of tliat (Jod that possesses an a!l-sc(dng 
 oyc ? Did you not, when engaged in midnight revelry, reflect upon 
 the fact that the eye of Jehovah rested upon you ? Or had you fail- 
 ed to learn that whether upon the mountain or in the valley, awake 
 or asleep, at toil or at rest, at the hour of midnight or in the beauty 
 of noonday, "Thou God Seost me." Yes, He sees all your actions, 
 and knows all your thoughts. What solemnity, then, should pervade 
 your inmost soul ! Should you not shrink from doing anything 
 contrary to His will ? Oh ! remember that there is a day of reckon- 
 ing, in which all will be judged according to their works. What, 
 then, should be your conduct ? Did 3'ou ever meditate upt)u your 
 various acts while wandering in sin ? Wo have submitted the.?o 
 questions for your consideration, ttusling that you will answer them 
 in the fear of the Lord. Our prayer to God is that He will have 
 mercy upon you by sparing your unpi-ofitable lives till it shall be 
 your good pleasure to turn to him and live. Do not delay, llo- 
 member the pleasures of this world are fleeting, while the joys of 
 Heaven are enduring. Then, when upon your dying pillow yi)u can 
 realize that God sees you, and has promised to bo with jou in tho 
 hour of death, to bear you safely to the never ending, novcr-dyin'i' 
 uiifadins; mansions of bliss. 
 
 '11! 
 
 In a l)ri<,'lit maiis'ion far above the sky ■' 
 
 A royal banquet for your coming; waits. 
 
 To that far liome on an^^els' wiuf^'H to lly 
 When tho Lord Josus oi)ons thoso pearly Kntt)s. 
 
 TIkui will tho weary, liomolcss waiuleror rest — 
 Ami ihviill foruver thoro, a wolconio guest 
 In that bright home. 
 
 HI,' 
 
 .,r: 
 
 NOTIMETOPRAY. 
 
 No time to jiray ! How sad tho thouKJit, 
 So frau(;ht witli pUMisuro, caro or paiu ; 
 
 That weary travdlerH should think, 
 They had nothing beyond to gain. 
 
ISO DEATH. 
 
 No time to pray ! 'Tis strange imlcod, 
 That Christian pilgrima hero below, 
 
 Should have tlicir hearts bo clean, so pure, 
 To need no more in prayer to go. 
 
 No time to pray I " Time is too short. 
 Midst bnsiucHs' urgent, earnest call," 
 
 But is this true ? It cannot bo 
 Since Christ the Lord has died for all. 
 
 Wo all have time to do His will ; 
 
 Wo all havo time in which to pray ; 
 And wo should ever humbly bow, 
 
 And give to God some part of day. 
 
 " Pray without ceasing" we are told. 
 It throws a charm around our home ; 
 
 And bears us on amid life's cares 
 To brighter homes in worlds to come. 
 
 And never till we reach that climo 
 
 Will we be able for to know 
 liow much we've lost by giving heed, 
 
 " No time to pray while here below.' 
 
 No time to hear ? this would pain, 
 The longing, anxious, bleeding heart ; 
 
 To think that God His face would hide. 
 And ever more from us depart. 
 
 0, say no more. No time to pray / 
 But ever on God's word rely ; 
 
 Take time to pray while hero you live, 
 That you may bo prepared to die. 
 
 DEATH. 
 
 Death is robbing us of the nearest, the dearest, anl the fairest 
 flowers of earth. Nevertheless he is only hiding God's jewels until 
 the Lord shall gather them up as goms for his crown. The people 
 of God, those that have done his will, shall one day swallow up death 
 in victory ; and doubtless, ere long that day of victory shall come. 
 Soon the trumpet blast will rend the dark dominion of the cold 
 and dreary grave. At his command, earth and ocean will give up 
 their slumbering host ; weakness will be changed to strength, cor- 
 ruption to incorruption, mortality to immortality. Then shall the 
 parted meet the sorrowing and rejoice ; and thosa who \v\ve suffered 
 with Christ will be blest forever. 
 
 How very short is our lifetime here on e:rth. One by one we 
 
DEATH. 131 
 
 quickly pass into eternity. O, how very soon our race is run, cur 
 pilgrimage is ended. A few years of sorrow and trial hero on earth 
 and then we humbly bow to death's stern decree. At all times how 
 changeable, how uncertain is human life. IIow rapidly all its gar- 
 lands fade and its glories fly away. Swift is the hand of time to 
 work a blighting change on all to which the affections here may 
 cling. Whorft now are our olden friends, around whom we dallied, 
 and in whose fond embraces we lincjered when childliood's thouifht- 
 less, sportive hours beguiled us 1 Where the mother's lips that kiss- 
 ed us, or the father's hands that lol us onward? IIow very often 
 must the earth from her dismal bo3ora answer: I wlt^ gave them 
 have reclaimed them. Ask the aged of the brilliant hopes which 
 shed such enchanting luster around them, whoa just merging from 
 childhood into the highway of mauliood, and your listening ear may 
 catch only a tell-tale sigh, and wo can answor you no better when 
 we say, the gale of adversity swept over them, and like the mid- 
 night taper, they went out and left them in the darkness of dis- 
 pair. How soon, then, how very soon they are forgotten. Not- 
 withstanding monuments may be reared to their memory, the rava- 
 ges of time obliterates the inscriptions wrought in marble and the 
 unknown dust mingles with that of mother earth. But one hand- 
 alone can mark the spot, one eye alone can see the waisted forms 
 decayed. It is the dear Saviour. He has marked the spot, green 
 with the everlasting verdure of faith. O, happy thought ! notwith- 
 standing the rubbish of earth now hides them from our view, their 
 freed spirits have flown away — passed beyond the eternal gates into 
 those shining realms, where the presence of God gives light, and the 
 day wears not into night. O, what rapture must fill the soul when 
 it beholds the grandeur of the eternal world, llow sad were life 
 without the consolation of the hope which gilds the grave with the 
 light of heaven. How dark and rayless would bo the death hour 
 without the blessed assurance of the Gospel. 
 
 Our hearts swell with gratitude when we take into considera- 
 tion that Christ has conquered the grave ; and the sweet thought 
 comes as bright angels of love and beauty. But still how powerful 
 yet is the K.ing of Terrors. From his stern decree there is no sure 
 appeal. We all must die. Yes, 
 
 " We all must die, yot thluk not doath ia light, 
 ur/i, i-i Its gloomy night kuow not ono oheeiing ray; 
 
 Till Christ in mercy changed that dreary night 
 Into otoruol day," 
 
U52 DEATH. 
 
 But O Dentil, tliDU liiist no compassion. Tlio my.stoiios of tlio 
 universe are tliine. Thy breath toucluis tlie loaves of the forest, and 
 their green leaves fiulo, wither .vud die away. Nay more, the trees 
 themselves, soon moulder back to dust. And Man, the masterpiece 
 of Deity, dieth and wasteth away ; Yea, lie giveth up the ghost, 
 and where is he ? The past sends up no voice to tell us what thou 
 art, wliile wieck and ruin and eternal silence, like a vast shadow, 
 shrouds thy annals dark with gloom and terrible forebodings. Wo 
 turn to Time, and ask him concerning thoc, but Time is dumb and 
 utters no response. Tlio all-conqtiering temiicst hurls cities into 
 space, and rolling on with wanton power^ swings wide the massive 
 pate of clouds for egress to the dark winged wind, but when we ask^ 
 whence conies the i)0wcr of death ? wo only hoar the thunder of his 
 mocking voice in answer to our spirits cry for knowledge. The 
 llosh grows f3oblo. Time glides away, and when the hand of nature 
 roaches up to grasp her own, the .ipark of Doity within claims kin- 
 ship with eternal youth. Great Mother Nature may assert her 
 empire over the marble form slio carved from outlier own breast, but 
 when once she claims the handiwork which she has wrought, her 
 power over the soul is lost forever, for the spirit feels no taint of 
 the dissolving clay overshadowed by the wings of the Death-angel. 
 
 When death is passing by there is a fluttering of angel wings, 
 and pride and pomp shrink far from sight, aad the light that breaks 
 above the eternal hills that skirt the glowing Eastj seems but an 
 emblem of the sacred dust kindled by fiith upon God's Holy 
 Mount. From peak to peak, from ridgo to ridge, this beacon light 
 leaps forth until the dim dark inystijry of death forgotten lies, 
 while the passing soul catches the gleam ot pearly gates beyond the 
 mountain heights. . 
 
 Watching one day beside a dying saint, we thought of that bright 
 day when she would, in her bright and violet couch arise, and in 
 her amber chariot float to earth. In her hand she held day's golden 
 (]uiver, and as she bsnt the azure bow, (juickly the sunlight arrows 
 sped, and lo ! the dark n'ght died ; and shadows hid theuiselvea in 
 dim old caves, ia tangled oopse and woody dells afar from sight. 
 0, what is life frails transient hour 1 How short the step to lasting 
 bliss or woo. How quickly we reach the bitter flood which rolls 
 betwoei the known and the unknown world, and whoso changeless 
 waves touch the margin of that lake whore eddying in dark abyss 
 
FAITH AXU TUUST. 133 
 
 ami wliirling pools shipwrecked souls fcjrever drift iu climes unljlest. 
 
 O, how dark the chilly waves look It) those iink'pt by faith in God, 
 
 the Holy, Infinite and Just. But then, 
 
 " Is life a clrcain ? Aliw ! too late 
 When its briglit lioui'H have llown ; 
 , We look with auRuiHh at our fate, i : ' ■ 
 
 And cry, God nave thine own." , ; 
 
 Pity U8 Lord in our feebleness and sorrow. We are very frail, 
 and these tenements of ours must soon mingle with the dust. 
 Death with the sickle in hand p'uclcs the fair ilowcrs of earth. We 
 are living in a world of change. There is nothing stable, nothing 
 here permanent, Nature is always changing — never at rest, never 
 one thing long. Perpetual motion is the great law of the universe. 
 A ceaseless activi ty governs everything. This active principle of 
 change brings in their several turns, S])ring in all it freshness and 
 beauty. Summer with its golden grain and rijjcned harvests. 
 Autumn with the sighing winds and falling leaves, and Winter with 
 its chilling blasts and bleacking snc>ws. Thus we see all that is in 
 the natural world is change. No object ; however strong and en- 
 during, but that yields to the corroding touch and influence of time 
 and deatli. 
 
 FAITH AND TRUST. ' 
 
 The storm-clouds gather round our way, 
 And makes our life seem dark and drear 
 
 Still, through the darkest hour of day 
 We'll trust in God and ncvir fear. 
 
 'Tis sweet to look beyond this world 
 When daikness gathers round us here ; 
 
 And with our banners then xmfurled 
 Maich onward to that heavenly sphere. 
 
 Through nil the thorny path He guides, 
 And leads us onward day by day ; 
 
 Therefore we'll trust Him, for He feeds 
 Our hungry souls from day to day. 
 
 How pleasant, then, to know He's near 
 To save us from the snares of life ; 
 
 Believing He's our friend so dear. 
 We'll trust in Him and never fear. 
 
 'I 
 
Idi TI!E outward LIP£L 
 
 THE OUTWARD LIFE. 
 
 Tho Christian like St. Paul of olden time carries his letters of com- 
 mendation in his countenance, known and read by all men. But 
 the question with propriety may be asked, Who is the Christian 1 
 We answer, It is he who has sought the kingdom of God and his 
 righteousness, and whose inner ajid outer life corresponds to the re- 
 quirements of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is quite 
 evident that we cannot live in the spirit alone, inasmuch as we are 
 inhabiting tabernacles of clay, neither can we live in the senses alone 
 a Christian life. It is the blendin^; of the two together, the actual 
 and the ideal, which make life what it should be, healthful and happy, 
 God has placad us here on the earth, having given us a body as well 
 as a spirit. The body is subject to mortality and its passions are 
 gross, notwithstanding it is the casket of the spirit. Hence, we are 
 required to purify our caskets, and in so doing our outward lives 
 will ever correspond to the dictates of the spirit, It was doubtless 
 in view of this fact that the Apostle Paul prayed that the Lord 
 would sanctify both body and spirit. 
 
 Now it is quite obvious that we can serve God as acceptably in 
 doing good to others, by giving a helping hand to the needy, by 
 speaking a kind word to tho sorrowing, by administering a balm of 
 consolation to the afflicted ; and in short, in a thousand little acts of 
 kindness, in the private intercourse of life as well as though we 
 v^ore actually engaged in devotional exercises at the house of prayei-. 
 Nevertheless, we do not for a moment wish to detract, or say aught 
 against the true worship of God in the sanctuary, the closet, at 
 homo or abroad. Our object, on the contrary, is to impress tho 
 great necessity th&t in addition to praise and prayer, it is absolutely 
 necessary to discharge every duty arising from the intimate relation 
 which we bear to each other. Or in other words to strictly observe 
 everything that God has reqidrcd at our hands. Then we have the 
 full assurance of resting in that happy world above, to enjoy a long 
 eternity, forever with the Lord. 
 
 Press forward, tLen, for life is short, 
 Let nothing hero thy course delay ; 
 
 And thou sbalt dwell in Heaven above. 
 Throughout that long, that endless day. 
 
JESUS TUB SAVIOUR OF TUE WORLD. 135 
 
 A PRAYER. 
 
 0, (toil ! boforp tliy throiio I how, 
 My lumrt in ))ra}'or hooh up to Thco ; 
 
 I iicrd thy aid to help mo now, 
 For Thou aloiic can succor mo. 
 
 0, lot vac fool Thy prcsonco nonr, 
 CloHO to Thy bloodiuR Hido I'll cliiiR ; 
 
 0, hoar my prayer ! D(!ar Saviour hoar I 
 For Thou alouo canst comfort bring. 
 
 0, save mo now ! kind Saviour bless 
 My poor, my hungry, thirsty soul ; 
 
 Tuko from mo all which horo oppress 
 And load mo to that hcau'uly goal. 
 
 JESUS, THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD. 
 
 The central idea of the Bible i.s Jesus. He is the Alpha and the 
 Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. He is 
 called the Bright and Morning Star who has arisen with healing in 
 his beams to sit in darkness, never. Again, ho is called the Sun 
 of Bighteousness, and has truly declared that he is the light of the 
 world, which is certainly one of the grandest statements in the word 
 of God. Nor is this all. He is compared to the rose of Sharon, the lily 
 drooping in the valley, the upple tree bowing under its fruit, the 
 great rock shadowing a weary land, the river gladdening the dry 
 place, the moon and the morning star, Carmel by the sea, and Tabor 
 among the mountains, the dew from the womb of the morning, the 
 rain upon the mo wn grass, the rainbow encompassing the landscape, 
 the light God's shadow, tlie ihundcr His voice, the w'nd and the 
 earthquake his footsteps, the lion spurning the sands of the desert, 
 the wild roe leaping over the mountains, the lamb led in silence to 
 the slaughter, the goat speeding to the wilderness — all such varied 
 objects are made as if naturally designed from their creation to re- 
 present Him who is the chief among the ten thousand, and the 
 One altogether lovely. 
 
 Jesus is the author of Christian ity which was gradually develop- 
 ing itself for four thousand years. And immediately after the Fall 
 we find the embryo of the Gospel, the very first promise of the Savior 
 couched in these woi-ds, The seed of the woman s^iaU bruise the head 
 
13G JE8U8 THE 8AVI0UH OF THE WOULD. 
 
 of tliii serpent. il(3 w.is, iniloeil, the biinlou of tins prophets song — 
 the light and glory of tho beautiful and cKxpiont Psalms, lie also 
 constitntod th(! tlicnie of that memorable discoiirse delivered on the 
 day of Penticost by the Apostle Petei*. If(i was preached by tho 
 Apostles in Jorusahun, in Samaria, and throughout all Judea, as 
 tho Savior of the world. 
 
 His life and laliors mo truly womhaful. Ho spoke as man was 
 never wont to sprsik. IHs words are more precious than silver or 
 gold, inasmuch as eternity hangs upon thorn ; they connect us with 
 that imperishable crown, and with the worm that never dies. They 
 are the brilliant stars in tho firmament of tho soul which lead us up 
 to the eternal throne. We learn more from Jesus than from any 
 other source. Human teaching has it boundary and belongs to time, 
 and to tho earth, but the teaching of Jestis has no boundary and bo- 
 long to Heaven and to eternity. Ho was the first on earth to teacli 
 humility, for no one had announced its importance before. Ho was 
 also tho first to teach mercy to the world. Tho Jews, Grecians and 
 Romans had ideas of Justice, but mercy was unknown and un- 
 taught before Jcsiis. Ho it was that first taught men to pray 
 " Our Father who art in Heaven ," and his followers are called "5on8 
 and daughters of the Lord God Almighty." He likowi.se t.aught 
 love to our enemies, and gave the golden rule to the world. We 
 live in an age of light and knowledge; but who now is accomplish- 
 ing what Jesus did 1 Who has a voice like him, lieai-d all over the 
 world, and even in the silence of the tomb. 
 
 There are stronger proofs of his life and labors, death and resur- 
 rection, than there are of the lives and conquests of Alexander, Caesar 
 and Hannibal. Tho A poistlcs gave their lives in proclaiming the.so 
 facts and died in attestation of this truth. The facts are more clearly 
 proved that Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate, that ho was 
 ' buried, and that ho rose from the dead the third day, than that 
 Caesar was assassinated by Brutus. In fact we find upon every 
 bank note and upon every legal document, in.scribed the day of our 
 Lord. 
 
 All nature redolent with glory seems to be aglow with praise to 
 Jesus. Poetry has culled her fairest flowers and wreathed her soft- 
 est garlands to bind the bleeding brow of Imraanuel. Music has 
 strung its sweetest harps and breathed its noblest strains, and lent 
 her loftiest charms to celebrate his fame. No name shines half stt 
 
JESUS THE SAVIOI'R OF TIIK WOUI-D. 137 
 
 bright iu tlio galaxy of tliatinguished herooH, none half so sweot as 
 the numu of Jesus. 
 
 Eighteen Inmdi'oJ years after his death there is perha[)8 not an 
 institution in all tho face of the world of love and mercy whicli he 
 cinnot claim. Before (.'hrist and l)eyoud Christianity, where are 
 tho institutions of benevolence for tho lame, the halt, tlio blind, tlio 
 i';(thojk'S8 and tlio aged. Nothing before Christ — nothing in nations 
 not Christian, nothing by infidels — no, nothing ! Jesus said, " I 
 will give you rest, and the weury and sufleiing repose." 
 
 He stands alone in contrast with tho great of earth. Ho towers 
 so high above them all that it re(]uires far greater l.bor to make 
 liim liunian than divine. Ho was born in poverty, surrounded 
 with the selfishness and bigotry of tho age, yet ho taught tho widest 
 philanthropy of earth. Uneducated, ho uttered tho wisest sayings 
 recorded on tho rolls of time. While ho never wrote but a single 
 sentence of which we have any knowledge, and that was in the 
 sand, yet his words are recorded in the books of all civilized nations 
 and engraved on tho monuments and tombs of earth. 
 
 Learning may bring her abund mt records, rich with the spoils of 
 every age, gathered from every land, and gleaned from every source. 
 Philosophy and science may brin^ their abstruse researches, and 
 wondrous revelations. Literature with the toils of her pen and the 
 labors of her p' .^i\, are little more than idle tales, when compared 
 to the joys wip* i flow from living in accordance with the teaciiings 
 of Jesus. The vast researches of the philosophers and the learning 
 of ages may cultivate tho intellect, enlighten the understanding, 
 give scope to the imagination and refine the sousibilitie>3, but they 
 open not to our weak eyes and longing vision the sun bright clime 
 of crystal founts and fadeless flowers. Jesus triumphed over death, 
 and as Christ rose and gained that great victory, so also likewise 
 must his followers. Philosophy may tread tho pathway of the 
 stars, dive deep into the bowels of the earth, and stand a delightful 
 listener to the music of tho spheres, but the follower's of Jesus are 
 enabled to gaze upon the palace royal of tho Universe. 
 
 Jesus changed both times and laws. The world stopped count- 
 ing from creation and began at the birth of Christ. Consequently 
 we write now, in the year of our Lord. People twine wreaths of 
 immortelles on tho day of his birth and give gifts to their children ; 
 while on the day of his resrrrection they pause and think of his 
 
138 JESUS THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD. 
 
 wondrous work. His name is first lisped in tenderness and loved 
 by the child, revei-cd from year to year, and last spoken in death. 
 The greatest minds of the world are engaged in discussing his life. 
 Ho lives in the finest written prose of the best writers for eighteen 
 hundred years. Tiie purest ideas of those who deny his divinity 
 are borrowed or taken from him. There is nothing good or pure 
 or holy which he has not uttei'ed. Standing midway in earth's 
 history his character is the only perfect one to man. He is the 
 peer of the realm, and commands the respect of the past, and will 
 undoubtedly that of succeeding ages. Nearly two thousand years 
 have passed since the day of his death, and the world has been ad- 
 vancing towards his life, and has not yet reached its perfection. 
 And even when two thousand more have rolled away man will no 
 doubt look up to him with increasing admiration. Ho also lives in 
 poetry. No name is so frequently sung as his. Strike it from th5 
 poetry of civilization and the dearest and sweetest songs cannot be 
 sung. The poetry of the past would be marred and the songs of the 
 saints hushed f. -ever. Jesus in poetiy is the name chief among 
 ten thousand, and will be sung round the world till the latest ages 
 of time. The living enjoy and the dying are cheered by its won- 
 drous charm. Would not the earth be drearier if the living lived 
 and the dying died without these hallowed songs ? And We would 
 not be saying too much were we to add that they are more sweet 
 and tender than the ones sung by the angels of God. He lives in 
 the most beautiful painting of the finest artists living and dead. 
 How much of art relates to Jesus and his followers. What would 
 certainly be left if Jesus were taken from the gallaries of the 
 world. 
 
 Take Jesus from civilization and you change its history,its poetry, 
 its art, its literature, its government, its morals, its religion, and its 
 hopes of a blissful home beyond the grave. Since his death art is 
 purer, prose holier, and poetry is sweeter, man enjoys more, lives 
 better, dies happier ; truth has new significance, life batter objects, 
 hopes brighter prospects, and death new revelations. 
 
 The mission of the Saviour to earth was to save humaniiy from 
 everlasting destruction and provide for him a home beyond the 
 grave. What beautiful lessons of mercy and love he taught. How 
 full of truth they were. How in his presence all manner of sin was 
 abashed. He taught for time and eternity. What ho has Kift ua 
 
JESUS THE SAVIOUU OF THE WOr.LD. l.SD 
 
 on record is of far more consequence than all the gold of Ophor or 
 the cedars of Lobauon. He is indeed the light of thi world, light- 
 ing all that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He brought 
 life and immortality to light by his resurrection from the grave. 
 And Paul tells us, "If Christ be not risen than is our preaching 
 vain, and ye are yet in your sins." And again, he says, " When I 
 came among you I came not with tlie excellency of speech, or of 
 man's wisdom, declaring unto }ou the testimony of God, for I was 
 determined to know nothing ami)ng you save Jesus Christ and Him 
 crucified." Would it not be well for us all to imitate this beautiful 
 example 1 What subject, then, could be more sublime or exalted 
 than that of a Saviour 1 
 
 No one but Jesus ever made such bold and stirring announc- 
 ments. No one but but Him ever established his claims with such 
 stupendous miracles as He performed. Who, but Jesus, ever mark- 
 ed an era recognized by the world as a point by which to reckon 
 time 1 None but Jesus ever came through a lineage marked out by 
 prophetic vision centuries before His birth. Never was the sun 
 darkened, or the rocks burst, or the earth shook at the death of 
 any mere man. No one but Jesus ever rose from the dead, and was 
 seen after the resurrection forty days, and then seen by raen ascend- 
 ing to heaven. None but the Saviour ever established a kingdom 
 whose duration should extend into the ages of eternity. And even 
 now it is deepening and widening year after year, winning new 
 fame and glory. Thousands of Churches, erected for His worship, 
 girdle the world, and His praise is sung by millions on all the con- 
 tinents of the earth, and in the isles of the sea. He has a name 
 written upon His breast plate and upon His thigh, " King of kings 
 and Lord of lords," which is going forth con(]uering and to conquer ; 
 and vill in no distant period come back with the crowns of the 
 world upon His head, and the kiugs of the earth at His feet. Lord 
 over all blessed for evermore. 
 
 Jesus taught by example as well as by precept. How all-impor- 
 tant then, that we should do likewise. Example is a living lesson, 
 and life is a grand reality. The life sjieaks. Every action has a 
 tongue. Deeds are the facsimile of the soul ; they proclaim what is 
 within. Now our Saviour went about doing good and we should 
 follow His footsteps. There is nothing that makes earth ho much 
 like heaven, as doing good. Arouse then, ye favored ones of earth 
 
140 (iOn KNOWS IT ALL. 
 
 to nobler deeds. Up and bear the waving banner liigli, and save 
 the world from sin and death. Every man to his post ! Catch np 
 the watchword Onward ! and the battle cry, Jesus Christ and Him 
 crucified. O, Zion awake, put on thy beautiful garments and shine 
 in the light of God. 
 
 GOD KNOM IT ALL 
 
 In the lono chamber of the heart, 
 Soino bidden, silent Rriof is there 
 
 Whicli Josiis ])itying eye can see, 
 And feel that it is bard to bear. 
 
 Wlien too, tbou'rt tossed on life's rough sea, 
 And midnight darkness hastens on ; 
 
 How often courage seems to fail, 
 And trembling hope is almost gone. 
 
 Then .Tcsns sweetly whispers ^jeacc ; 
 
 He listens to each piteous call ; 
 And when the storms are threatening death, 
 
 He very justly knows it all. 
 
 But dost thou sin and then conceal 
 
 The shame, the anguish and the gaul. 
 
 In some dark corner of the lieart ? 
 Itemember that God knows it all. 
 
 Art thou a sinner steeped in sin ; 
 
 And very great has been thy fall 
 And but for sin, thou woulii'st do good? 
 
 O be assured, God knows it all. 
 
 If thou art poor and much oppresEcd, 
 
 No one to pity or console ; 
 And all thy br)pes are well-nigh crushed, 
 
 'Tis sweot to think, God knows it all. 
 
 If thou'rt a mourner drenched with tears. 
 And grieve like the beloved Paul : 
 
 Still when thou dost in anguish weep. 
 Just pause and think, God knows it all. 
 
 If thou'rt a lonely pilgrim here ; 
 
 And often fear lest thou shouldst fall 
 While trav'ling home to Hoav'n above ; 
 
 Bo not afraid, God knows it all. 
 
 Then go to Him and tell thy care. 
 Tell Him thy sorrow, tell it all ; 
 
 He'll boar tlieo up, He'll give thee strength, 
 He'll hear tliy moans, He'll hear thy call. 
 
MAN TUE IMAGE OF GOD. 141 
 
 There is no cloiul bo thick with gloom, 
 
 But what His Imiid can wipe away; ' ' 
 
 No load of sin but He'll remove, 
 
 If thou wilt only Him obey. , 
 
 Then daily bow before the cross, 
 
 In earnest prayer, Ion 1 be thy call ; 
 And never fail while hero on earth 
 
 To bear in mind, God knows it all. 
 
 MAN THE IMAGE OF GOD. 
 
 We often hear it remarked that man is poor and feeble. Now in 
 one respect this may be true, but in another it is not. Is he poor 
 vho has power to wend his way to that land where angels dwell 1 
 Is he in roality a j)oor and feeble worm 1 Look at the work of the 
 Sculptor as he almost n akes the .aarble speak. Notice also that 
 of the painter, as he pictures the living in such a manner as almost 
 to make the very canvass breathe, liook at the magnificence of art, 
 and see what wonders have been achieved from time immemorial. 
 Those hanging gardens and walls of Babylon, the pryamids of Egypt, 
 the Mausoleum of Artime.sa and the Colossus of Rhodes. Nor is 
 this all. He has harnessed the iron horse to go with the velocity 
 of the wind. He has also drew the lightning from heaven to send 
 messages with the speed of thought, thus almost annihilating both 
 time and space, and accelerating even the rapid fiight of time. 
 
 "The project is vain," exclaimed the learned ecclesiastics of Spain 
 to Columbus as he unveiled his theories of the rotundity of the 
 earth, and undiscovered regions. And neither tliey, nor their 
 generation would abandon their credence in the flatness of our globe. 
 Ponce de Leon clung to his belief in the fountain of youth until 
 death overtook him in the flowery land where he had searched in vain. 
 The total number of lives over the crucible failed to convince 
 Paracelsus, or Bacon, or Tully and scores of alchemists, to tlie in- 
 cidental products of whose labors the world owes some of ita gran- 
 dest discoveries, that the baser metals could not be transmuted into 
 gold, nor the philosopher's stone found. Now the mind has from 
 time to time grappled with these themes and the foolish convictions 
 of some of those philosoi)her8 in the past have gradually disappeared 
 before the light of truth. , ., , . , , .. ..,.. , . ,. 
 
142 MAN THE IMAGE GOD. 
 
 It will be found to hold good in general, that they who in any of 
 the great lines of life have distinguished themselves for thinking 
 profoundly and acting nobly have depised popular prejudices, and 
 departed in many things from the common ways of the world. Such 
 was the case with Enoch, Noah, and a host of uf others whose char- 
 acters are delineated in the sacred page. They shone 'ike stars in 
 the midst of surrounding darkness, and are now shining , » the bright- 
 ness of the firmament for ever and ever. Now all this goes to 
 demonstrate the fact that man is a progressive being ; that he has 
 an intellect which is capable of expanding and developing, and will 
 so continue in the great eternal future. 
 
 Man is endowed with the mind, and it is this mighty piece of 
 mechanism, this masterpiece of Deity that raises him above the 
 brute creation, allies him to the angels above, and brings him near 
 to God. He certainly could not havj given to man a greater prize 
 than the mind, which stamps him in the image of his Maker, though 
 He had power to create a larger earth, a greater variety of living 
 things, and a far larger number of worlds. 
 
 God has always had special regard for man. Angels, time and again 
 have come and ministered unto him. And even now attending 
 angels are often hovering around. They are always going on errands 
 of mercy, which is a strong indication, showing the great value God 
 has placed upon the image stamped upon man. Oh ! that we would 
 wilae more and more the immort-al mind. There is surely something 
 more than mere life. The mind is eternal, wbi-^h stamps man with 
 infinite value. Yes, infinite value, inasmuch as JiO never ceases to 
 exist. 
 
 Eternity is the lifetime of God. lid was from everlasting to 
 everlasting and he knows no termination. And as we are created 
 in His likeness we are also in existence in the circle that has no 
 end. This at once appears strange, yet it is nevertheless true. We 
 cannot count the eternity of our own being. 
 
 In view, then, of enjoying a life time that knows no end, in 
 heaven, let us labor with this prospect before us, that finally we 
 may safely stand on the eternal shore when life's weary labors are 
 ended. We are hastening on to the grave and on to judgment. The 
 time of our departure will soon arrive. We are exhorted to be in 
 readiness. Are we prepared to meet those solemn scenes in peace. 
 O, may God awaken us to arouse to greater faithfulness. 
 
MUSINGS. 143 
 
 It is quite evident that a firm belief iu Christianity and a practice 
 suitable to it, will support and invigox-ate the mind to the last. We 
 all have the power to make the preparations requisite. And if we 
 fail to do this, eternal woe will be pronounced upon us. Never for 
 a day should we forget this. Morever, «ve should always bear in 
 mind that the error of a moment is often the sorrow of a life. Con- 
 sequently, let us march onward, fresh and vigororous with rest, ani- 
 mated with hope, and incited by desii-e, we can walk swiftly for- 
 ward through the valley in peace, and ultimately gain an admittance 
 through the gates into the city. 
 
 There to dwell iu Heaveu forever, 
 
 With the holy and tlio blest ; 
 Where the storms float o'er us, never, 
 
 There dear brethren, we shall rest. 
 
 ■.•\v. 
 
 MUSINGS. 
 
 In childhood days I loved to dream 
 
 Of objects far away ; 
 And oft I've viewed Time's sparkling stream. 
 
 So merry, blithe and gay. 
 
 I've thought of hills in other lands, 
 
 And banks on other shores, 
 And I've dreamed of happy bands 
 
 Across the distant moors. 
 
 I've watcliod the gentle breeze of morn 
 
 And caught the rills of light, 
 Just as they did the earth atlorn, 
 
 And tinged the hills so bright. 
 
 r.- 
 
 The lovely creek — the babbling brook, 
 I've strolled along with pride ; , ; 
 
 And now how beautiful they look, 
 As they ill fancy glide. ' .. , 
 
 I've mused upon the golden beams , * , , 
 
 Of life's bright morning ray ; ' . ' 
 
 And sometimes yet I catch the gleams , , _ ,. • .• ■ ^■.\'< 
 In manhood's sultry day. , , 
 
 I've viewed the spring with all its joys. . •,,,;• in;- .! 
 So lovely to behold ; ' , ' 
 
 if And gazed upon the merry boys, 
 
 In all their freaks so bold. 
 
 And summer with her fruits and flowers 
 
 I've looked upon with pride; 
 And oft reclined beneath the bowers , 
 
 With others by my side. ' " 
 
 .(..■ 
 
144 EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES. 
 
 How oft I've Hccn the richost fields 
 Wave ill tlie g(!iitlo broczo ; 
 
 Anil pluukod till! flint that autumn jicKls 
 From off tlie bending trees. 
 
 And then Vvv longed for winter snow, 
 
 To ride upon the wlcd ; 
 And face the fierce winds as they blow, 
 With cheeks so cold and red. 
 
 But 0, how changed the times since then, 
 The seasons (iniekly fled; 
 
 While many earthly friends have been 
 Laid in their dreamless bed. 
 
 Yes. those wo loved in life's young spring 
 Have faded like the flowers ; 
 
 While here no more their voices ring 
 Amid the transient hours. 
 
 And now I dream of years that's fled, 
 And numbered with the past ; 
 
 I dream, alas ! of those who're dead 
 Who calmly sleep at last. 
 
 I dream also of years to come, 
 That we are not to see ; 
 
 I think of yonder heav'nly home 
 Where all the good shall be. 
 
 And then to think when on that shore, 
 Where musings will bo o'er ; 
 
 We shall the Christ our God adore , 
 And praise Him :?vermore. 
 
 EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES. 
 
 How great are the promises of God, His word is always sure. It 
 can never fail. Though the heavens and the earth shall pass away, 
 not one jot or tittle of His word shall pass away till all be fulfilled ; 
 for God is faithful who has promised, and in His infinite mercy has 
 given us exceedingly great and precious promises. 
 
 But the promises belong only to the Christian. " To them who 
 by patient endurance in well doing seek for glory, honor and immor- 
 tality ; eternal life." The Lord has promised to be always with His 
 children ; and this promise is very cheering, very elevat'ng. If wo 
 thought that He was afar off when troubles encompass our putliway 
 we could not call upon Him for help with much assurance ; could not 
 bear up under our manifold temptations. But thanks to His name for 
 
EXCEEDING OUEAT AND PIIECIOUS PROMISES. 145 
 
 tho blessed promise that He will bo with us in prosperity and also 
 in adversity, in hopes and in fears, at home and abroad. And if we 
 are only mindful to do His will the sweet words of comfort will coma 
 to our hearts as to the disciples of old, " Peace be with you." The 
 PsaloDist tells us " God is our nfuge in time of trouble." When our 
 frail barks are tossed upon the stormy billows, and when the infernal 
 powers gather round the soul. He is ever ready to exclaim, " Peace, 
 be still !" Yes He is, indeed, cur refuge if we only put our trust in 
 Him. His words are, " I will guide you with mine eye." This is» 
 indeed, a sweet consolation to the Christian, ever inspiring him with 
 a disposition to have his aspirations heavenward. There is a time 
 coming, — it is the dying hour, — ^vheQ we will flei to Him for refuge. 
 Never for a day should this be forgotten. Hov many members of 
 the Church live carelessly from year to year, and when they are 
 prostrated upon a bed of disease will cry for mercy, and endeavor at 
 that late hour to seek a refuge. Terrible thought ! for it is a sad 
 scene to behold. Oh ! God bear gently with the erring ! Kind 
 Heaven drop a tear of love oyer the infirmities of tallen humanity t 
 
 Upon the unsaved, especially, we desire to impress the humilia- 
 ting truth that inasmuch as you have failed in the past to fly to God 
 for refuge, wait no longer. If you do you may eventually have to 
 call for the rocks and the mountains to hide you from the face of 
 Him that presides upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. 
 Oh ! just for a moment anticipate the scene, and then resolve to 
 take God for your refuge while you possess strength of body and 
 mind, which is quite necessary to fit and prepare yourselves for en- 
 tering into that refuge, and thus enjoy the society of the pure and 
 the holy throughout all ages. 
 
 Now God knows just what we need. He is perfectly acquainted 
 with all our wants and therefore we can safely rely upon his pro- 
 mises. He kntows our joys and sorrows, which are such as no 
 stranger's breast can feel. The apostle Peter says, " Accordini; to 
 His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertian unto 
 life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called 
 us to glory and virtue." And we are informed by the Psalmist 
 David that they that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion 
 which cannot be removed, but abidetb forever. Truly then, none 
 need fear to trust in the Lord, and they who can claim his promisea 
 
146 EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES. 
 
 are rich indeed, far richer than all the kings of earth. O, the fuU- 
 nesci of redemption ! ,' 
 
 When our confidence is based on the promises of God, though we 
 are chastened, we are assured that it is all for our good that 
 wo through patience and tribulation might have hope and be par- 
 takers of his holiness. And though we may begreived and wounded 
 we cannot be discouraged ; for the light alHictions ai-e but for a 
 moment and are not worthy to be compared with the glory that 
 shall be revealed in us in that better land. 
 
 Then Christians banish your gloom. Remember the Lord has 
 said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Cling to that word 
 never. Hide it richly in your heart. And though we may have 
 tribulation the Apostle Paul assures us that tribulation workoth 
 patience, and patience experience, experience hope, and hope maketh 
 not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by 
 the Holy Spirit which is given unto us." And again, " All things 
 work together for good to them that love God." We are still 
 further informad that the very hairs of our head are all numbered, 
 that God heareth the young raven's when thoy cry, and clothes the 
 ilies of the field. He has likewise promised to answer our petitions 
 when asked according to His will. Let us, therefore, bo sledfast 
 and unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord, and 
 His promises which are yea and amen, shall be realized and enjoyed 
 throughout the ages endlessly. 
 
 But 0, the heart-rending thought, so many toiling to no profit, 
 laboring days, months, and evenyears to obtain that which soon, yes, 
 very soon will have perished. All things earthly are vanity. Pov- 
 erty and emptiness are indelibly inscribed all over the world's pos- 
 sessions. But we are assured that " labor in the Lord is not in vain." 
 Happy, indeed, are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness 
 for they shall be filled. This affords us sweet consolation ; and wo . 
 are farther cheered and encouraged by the Apostle Peter, " The eyes '. 
 of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their 
 prayers." .j 
 
 How rich, then, is the Christian. He can rejoice from day to day, 
 possessing that " Fresh-blooming hope, gay daught r of the sky." . 
 Heaven smiles upon him, and he continually lives in that tranquil 
 atmosphere, purified by the rays of a moral sun. And wherever he 
 goes, wherever he dwells, Heaven's richest and choicest blessings 
 
EXCEEUINO GREAT AiJD PUECIOUS PROMISES. 147 
 
 rest upon liim. Happiness continually springs up in his pathway, 
 ever glowing with the brightness of the beams of the Sixn of Right- 
 eousness. 
 
 O, what would man be without th« promises of God ! A poor, 
 forlorn wanderer, without hope and God in the world. The future 
 would be all dark and dreary. In the hour of death, when our 
 bodies would be I'ucked with pain, and the sun of this life would be 
 near the horizon, nil would be sad and gloomy ; and the thrilling 
 thought would flash through our minds that we must be laid like 
 the brutes in the damp, cold earth, never to rise again. 
 
 Let us, then, cherish the hope of enjoying those precious promises 
 and live to the honor and glory of God. Certainly he will reward 
 us, for like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them 
 that fear Him ; and His grace is suflicient for us. Then when death 
 shall stare us in the face we will be ready to be borne gently away 
 to those bright climes above, where we shall see the King ir. His 
 beauty, clad in all the habiliments of glory. 0, how great are the 
 enjoyments of Hearen ! Who can express them 1 Joys that pass 
 not away. We should daily strive to be more faithful knowing that 
 heaven is our final destiny. 
 
 The Patriarchs before the Bible was written lived on a few prom- 
 ises and prospered in their souls. They were cordials for them. 
 Whoever has a plain promise need not be cast down. When your 
 hearts are failing and ready to halt apply the promises of God. Re- 
 member, too, that they are. not the promises of man, subject to 
 earth's change and care, but of God who never changes. " Has He 
 said a thing and shall He not do it !" The things that are impossi- 
 ble with men are not impossible with God. If we geb not the 
 benefits of the promises of God the fault is not in God but in our- 
 selves. Think, too, of what is contained in those " exceeding great 
 and precious promises." It would appear that the Apostle had 
 exhausted the vocabulary of the language in which he spoke to give 
 a faint idea of what the Christian is to enjoy in Zion, beautiful Zion 
 above. 
 
 Brethren to each of you we appeal to strive to raise your motto, which 
 should be " Higher, still higher." Donotletushang our harps upon the 
 willows and bow down our heads always, but pray fervently that the 
 Spirit of God may be with us. TheE shall the stream of peace fliow 
 round the withering heart and a flood of radiance come tiding in upon 
 
148 TO MY tAhENTS. 
 
 die soul. Oh ! that wo could all feel the responsibility that rests 
 upon us, and humbly discharge our duties in the fear of the Lord. 
 Shall we luot expect these things ; or is it all a dream never to be 
 realized till the millennial days shall be ushered in 1 Then shall the 
 ecstacied soul join in the songs that roll over the hills of Paradise, 
 and enjoy fair summer high in bliss upon the Mount of God. 
 
 But O, sinner, did you ever think that it was your privilege to 
 enjoy those exceeding great and precious promises t Stop one mo- 
 ment and think of this. If you only did you could not continue longer 
 upon the road leading to everlasting woe. Our prayer to God is, 
 that He will have mercy upon yon by sparing your unprofitable 
 lives, till it shall be your pleasure to turn to him and live, Do not 
 linger. Remember the pleasures of this world are fleeting, while the 
 joys of Heaven are enduring. Then when upon your dying pillow, 
 you can realize that God owns you, and has promised to be with you 
 in the hour of death to bear you safely to the never ending, never 
 dying, unfading mansions of bliss. 
 
 . TO MY PARENTS. 
 
 AnDBEssED TO Theu whils T«AVKLLi:ta IN A Foueion Cmue. 
 
 Pabents, now of you I'm thinking — 
 
 Musing over other years, 
 When in boyhood's joyous morning 
 
 I was free from burd'uing cares ; 
 And I know that you are longing, 
 
 Longing for my saife return ; 
 And with anxious hearts you're looking 
 
 While your warm affections burn. 
 
 You no doubt are ofttimes feeling — ; 
 
 Feeling lonely when you think, 
 ^y Of the times we've had in parting, 
 
 " '' Which produced one broken link. 
 
 Sometimes, too, you're sad with weeping — 
 
 Weeping how that time has torn — 
 Tom BO many from your dwelling : 
 
 ' And you now are left alone. ^ 
 
 * 
 
 Alone t no, angels are smiling. 
 Smiling that our God is near ; . . 
 
 _ And with linked hands they arc flying, '"' 
 
 ,, , Hovering round you there. «:j > 
 
 the word of God is glad'ning — ^ 
 
 Gladdening with peace and love, ' '"^ '"" 
 The lone heart that here is sorrowing, 
 . , Longing for those climca above. 
 
 *ijt--i^»*^r 
 
TO HV PARENTS 149 
 
 And my thoughts aro over wandoring — 
 
 Wandoring o'er childhood days ; 
 Whtui with sohoolraat<!B I was sporting 
 
 Up and down life's devious ways. 
 Those scenes, they aro always thronging — 
 
 Thronging in upon the mind ; 
 While old father Time is riding, 
 
 Rushing by us like the wind. 
 
 Those mth whom I then was playing — 
 Playing o'er the earth so gay ; 
 ' ■ what posts are they now manning f 
 
 I , f , Scattered far — so far away. ■ ,1.' " 
 
 Some of them wo know aro sleeping — ^ ^ 
 
 Sleeping in the silent tomb, ' 
 
 , , Such a bright and joyous morning, < ' 
 
 how soon 'twas filled with gloom. , . 
 
 r 1 
 
 t i.l /'( 
 
 I 
 
 ^ ■' I ! 
 
 Now and then we find one toiling — 
 
 Toiling in the legal courts ; 
 Some aro now in commerce dealing, 
 
 And but few ore at their sports. 
 Many loo the ground aro tilling — 
 ' 1' ' "'f' Tilling with such patient care ; 
 
 . While at machines some are working ; 
 Mid life's burdens hard to bear. 
 
 , / Others are engaged in teaching — 
 Teaching children young and gay ; 
 ' But how few there are that's preaching, 
 [■__, Pointing out the narrow way. .j 
 
 As physicians, some are working — 
 -' Praticing the healing art ; 
 , Or as authors they are wntmg — ' '■< 
 
 Striving hard to do their part. , 
 
 Thus you see that all are toiling - ■ 
 
 Toiling in their different spheres ; 
 • • Day by day they all are travelling, 
 .; Onward mid life's cares and fears. ■"• .<t<t. i 
 Yes, indeed, we all are marching — ■ . ■ ■., 
 
 ■-"■ Marching downward to the grave, 
 ,, Each io turn will soon be crossing — •' ' 
 ' Plunging 'neath the silent wave. 
 
 I 
 
 ;!| J 
 
 .'1 ■ 
 
 1 W' I 
 
 ■ t;ii 
 
 True, but then there is a meeting — 
 
 Meeting in the sunny land ; \ 
 
 Loved ones there as they arc passing, 
 
 Will be welcomed on the Strand. 
 Parents, your sun will be setting — 
 
 Setting soon to rise no more ; 
 God be with you when departing, 
 
 May we meet on the other shore. 
 
 On that shore to join in singing — 
 
 Singing songs of victory ; 
 Where glad anthems, they are ringing, 
 
 And sweet harping symphony, 
 
150 HOME. 
 
 Adiou, with OixVa rioliost bloBHing- 
 BlcdsinRB (ift for you I pray ; 
 
 Atliou with onr pmyors nfiocindiiig ; 
 God bo with you day by day. 
 
 CHANGE. 
 
 Change is indelibly inscribed as with an iron pen itpon all things 
 earthly. Ever since " the morning stars sang together and all the 
 sons of God shouted for joy," Earth and all her tenantry have beea 
 rapidly passing away. Every day we see God's bruises upon 
 the desolate human heart, notwithstanding the years are ushered in 
 and welcomed amid the ringing of bells, and the many congitvtulations 
 of friends and acquaintances. Then soon the seasons roll their 
 round, giving that endless variety of scenery developed by the God 
 of the Universe. This is produced by the two-fold motion of the 
 earth, and, as it is continually changing, various forms of matter are 
 constantly wasting away. We look around to find those ancient 
 cities which were onco the pride and glory of kingdoms, but where 
 or« they now 'I Old Nineveh is gone ! Babylon is fallen ! and long 
 since have they slumbered in their ruins. But where are the mighty 
 hosts which have tread the earth since time began ] Ah ! a voice 
 from within responds : Gone — gone to tlieW final retting place. Yes, 
 and we t' o, will soon follow. This is the most so'emn change, and 
 far more important in its consequences, than any other to which we 
 are subjected. Hence it becomes necessary for us to to prepare for it, 
 knowing that within this tenement of clny there is an immortal spirit 
 which must live foj-ever. Then let us labor, watch and pray, in order 
 to be ready for that great day when this corruptible should put on 
 incorruption, and this mortal, put on immortality. Then will come 
 to pass the saying, Death is swallowed up in victory. O, death, 
 where is thy sting ? O, grave, where is thy viciory ? 
 
 , i*^' MY HOME. 
 
 Oh! tho endearing rame, MY home, 
 There's musio in the very thouglit ; 
 
 What hallowed memories ;'pring up, 
 As if by inspiration brought. 
 
IF A MAN DIE SHALL HE LIVE AOAIM, 151 
 
 Oh ! tell us not, tlio tluimc is worn, , 
 
 Tlmt on it wii onplit not to write ; ' ' ' 
 
 For wlicrti wo'vo dwelt in jKiaco and lovn, - . .■■ i , 
 
 There will our thoughts go buck to-night. 
 
 M ft. 
 
 1 
 
 For thcro'n n rndianco soft nnd swoct, 
 
 In tlio Kunli^'ht of limine, Kwcut homo, 
 \Vli('r(! frii-nds nnd kindrctl Iouk liavo lived, 
 ' , ■ Now thither shall our spirit roam. 
 
 And thou Wii'll think of brotliors tliero, 
 Of sisters, gentle, kind and true ; 
 
 We'll tliink of Mother's constant care. 
 And Father's earnest pleadings too. 
 
 I We'll tliink of those who worshiped thero , 
 " ' And since have passed to yonder sky ; 
 
 i .• . I • Where cacJi at last may safely live 
 
 No more to weep, uo moro to die. 
 
 )/iii 
 
 •I , I ' . 
 
 ■<'.• 
 
 Then toll us not the tlieme is worn. 
 For on it wo shall often dwell ; 
 
 A theme that points us to the place, 
 Which we have always loved so well. 
 
 It points us to our manhood home, ] 
 
 Amid life's ever vary'nf? tide ; •' 
 
 And then again to homos beyond — 
 In Heav'n above, where saints abide. 
 
 That home, where after toils are o'er, 
 
 The weary and the worn repose ; 
 Whtire loud they sing the exulting theme, 
 
 Eedemption from all earthly woes. 
 
 . U. ' 
 
 IcMl 
 
 IF A MAN DIE SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN? ' 
 
 This, undoubtedly, is one of the most important questions that 
 could be propounded, and the solution of it demands our most serious 
 attention, burdened, as it is, with such thronging hopes and longing 
 
 aspirations. •,.,..,.,. .. '•■:,.;,, !,;.., :..fn'-':'r h, •''-': ■ m. i W 
 
 There are various theories entertained on this subject. Many 
 suppose there is no immortal principle in man different from what 
 there is in the bru^e creation ; while some think there is a difference, 
 but still regard 'l as mortal. Others ngain take the position that 
 the soul was immortal at the creation, but man having fallen lost it 
 at the transgression, onseLjuently the whole human family a,re also . 
 mortal, and when thei" lives terminate they cease to exist,both body 
 and spirit, except such as have the boon of immortality extended to 
 
 I.' 
 
 ■Irfj 
 
162 IF A MAN DIE SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN. 
 
 them for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Another class re- 
 gard the Boul as being created immortal and will remain so, yet 
 claim that the wicked will be annihilated by the punishment that 
 will bti inflicted upon them at the judgment. And the last class we 
 shall mention are those that fit-mly believe that the soul was 
 created immortal and will never, no never, cease to exist. We shall 
 not at present enter into an elaborate discussion as to which of the 
 foregoing theories is correct, yet it is very evident from the laspired 
 Volume that the last one of these is in accordance with the will of 
 Jehovah. 
 
 The truth that God exists is thundered throughout the realms of 
 creation ; everywhere we seeaknowledgeofhis existence demonstrated. 
 No one whose mind has not been grossly abused and perverted 
 can for a moment doubt the existence of a Supreme Being. But man 
 is destined to an immorlal atate of existence. The Bible, in the 
 language of inspiration, declares this. "He shall never taste of 
 death," said Jesus; "He shall never see death ; whosoever liveth 
 and believeth in Me shall never die. " 
 
 "Cold in thti dust this perished heart may lie, 
 But that which wanned it once shall never die. 
 That spark unburied in its mortal frame, 
 With living light, eternal and the same, 
 Shall beam on joys, interminable years, 
 Unveiled by darkness, unassuaged by tears 
 Shall lure its eye to deathless scenes sublime. 
 Beyond the realms of nature and of time." 
 
 Joyous and stupendous thought ! Gladly should we hail the long 
 expected day, while emotions of ecstatic joy which language can- 
 not describe crowd round the altar of the heart, caushing us to ex- 
 claim in holy rapture, Hallelujah ! for the Lord God omnipotent 
 reigneth and is able to raise us up at the last day. We have the 
 strongest assurance that when the long drawn note of the last trump 
 shall sound it will be heard throughout earth's remotest caverns. 
 Yes its thrilling notes will pierce through the covered up tablets and 
 awake the sleeping dead that repose beneath the 
 
 " High pn!es tombs that gleam in night," 
 and send its thundering tones on to arouse those that have long 
 slept beneath the briny deep. The dead in Christ have the promise 
 of participating in the first resurrection against which the second 
 death has no power. Yes, the dead in Christ — those that have died 
 in the Ttord.^The Apostle John says, " Blessed are the dead that die 
 
IF A MAN DIE SHALL HE Lr;E AGAIN. 153 
 
 in the Lord." How sweet the thought, these are the ones that have 
 a peaceful exit, being welcomed home amid the anthem of angels, 
 and the music of the heavenly choir. How different their depar- 
 ture from those that die in their sins. Heaven smiles upon them in 
 the dying hour, and angels are hovering around to carry their freed 
 spirits home. 
 
 Who has not, with indescribable emotion, been overwhelmed with 
 awe while contemplating the moment after death ? O, what a mo- 
 ment it must be, and how vast its consequences. Language fails to 
 express either the agony of the wicked or the joy of the enraptured 
 saints. But would it notbe well for us often to have a panoramic 
 view of the terrific and joyous scenes of the moment after death 1 
 To the righteous it will certainly be a glorious scene ; while tongue 
 cannot express the horror of those that are to be cast into outer 
 darkness, where there shall be weeping, wailing and gnashing of 
 teeth, where the worm dieth not and their fire is not quenched. 
 
 To get a faint idea of that moment we may call to mind the dying 
 hours of both the righteous and the wicked. And in the first place, 
 let us bring to our minds that of the wicked when his life is fast 
 ebbing away, snd his soul is filled with unutterable anguish. O, is 
 it not enough to make the heart to sicken, and the sympathetic tears 
 to flow ? Hear him mourn over his past ill-spent life, as his con- 
 Bciense accuses him, and brings to memory the sinful life which he 
 has lived ! Delirium often sets in, and sometimes you will hear the 
 awful oaths — cursing his very existence, and swearing by the very 
 God who gave him being ! Frequently he has been heard to exclaim, 
 " There is the Devil ; don't you see him 1 Now he is on my bed !" 
 Then come the shrieks of horror ; and he strikes and kicks to drive 
 the devil from his bed ! It would seem that the torments of hell 
 had already begun — a prelude to that awful condition and state 
 where the smoke of their torments ascendeth up forever and forever. 
 
 We will now notice another and a far different seen© — the dying 
 hour 0^ the righteous. He views death with a smile, and exhorts 
 those standing around his bed to prepare for Heaven. He exclaims, 
 I know in whom I have believed. He then commends his spirit to 
 Him who death all things well, invoking Heaven's richest and 
 choicest blessings upon them around him. Angels now accompany 
 his freed spirit as it soars away to heavenly mansions — there to 
 tread forever the sapphire floors of Paradise. 
 
154 IF A MAN DIE SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN. 
 
 To the believer iu God, no truth stands more conspicuously fore- 
 nnost, from the heights of nature and revelation, than that of our 
 immortal destiny. And while it is undeniably true, from all the 
 lights which nature, with all her inexhaustible and exhuberant pro- 
 fusion, has afforded — from the rich and full develop viout^. of science 
 — from all the deep researches of philosophers, that there :3 a God, 
 matchless in wisdom, boundless in power,and infinite in benevolence 
 and love. It is likewise almost self-evident that this scene of exis- 
 tence, to which we are chained by immutable and uncontrolable laws, 
 is not the end and terminating point of all the pleasing hopes and 
 fond desires that animate us in this wilderness of sorrow. The 
 Psalmist says, "The fool hath said in his heart there is no God.'' 
 And we well know that if there is no God there caa be no resur- 
 rection. But the proofs of it everywhere develope themselves. He 
 is seen, heard and felt, wherever we turn our eyes, our ears, our 
 hands. We see Him in the boundless magnitude and harmonioua 
 arrangements of all His works. If we turn our eyes above and 
 view the blue ethereal vault, bespangled by all the variety and i-et. 
 inue of world upon world — to the immensity of suns, systems and 
 globes, with all their stupendous magnitude, glorious splendor or 
 harmonious and sublime movements : or turn we to the earth, labor' 
 ing, as it does, under the curse imposed upon it, we there behold 
 enough to demonstrate the momentous truths; and the more we exam- 
 ine the more we are assured of its immutable foundation. Upon every 
 side the clusters of evidence hang around and press upon us with 
 certain proofs that a God of infinite wisdom, power and goodness, is 
 near and about us. If with Israel's Psalmist we ascend into the 
 heavens, He is there ; and there He displays His attributes of peer- 
 less splendor and ineffable majesty, diffusing light, life and love, in 
 all the inexhaustible riches upon the wide expanded vault, and lost 
 in the maze of unaccountable operations, sublime, m.ngnificent and 
 immense, our soul 
 
 falls prostrate nnd adores 
 
 The rast design of God ; 
 Wonder and praise engross our powers, 
 Wbere'r His feet have trod." 
 
 There we behold His boundless power, unerring wisdom, impartial 
 
 goodness, and the multifarious exhibitions of Divine perfection. Or 
 
 do we make our bed in Hades, there ho is evidently employed in the 
 
 same works of wisdom and goodness ; harmoniously leading on the 
 
IF A MAX DIE SHALL HE LIVE AOAIK. 155 
 
 silent circle of decomposition and reorganization ; fructifying to cold 
 and dreary regions of the tomb, rendering death itself, the mysterious 
 source of reproduction and new existence, and thus literally making 
 "the dry bones live, and the dead sing praises to His name." If we 
 examine the globe on which we dwell, or the world without and the 
 world within us," they are equally demonstrative of His existence 
 and government. In short, if -.ve take a general survey of those 
 parts of the mighty fabric of the universe submitted to our reach — 
 view their peculiar arrangements, exquisite beauty, order, harmony, 
 and the systematical state in which they all move onward in their 
 majestic courses and proper spheres, accomplishing the end for 
 which they were severaly designed, without any interruption or pre- 
 vention in the disposal of their beneficial and salutary infiuences, we 
 at once see, hear, feel and know, that there is a Creator and Governor 
 of the universe. 
 
 Next in importance is the truth that we are destined to an im- 
 mortal state of existence, and hence when we look at nature, with 
 all her retinue of variety, when we look at the heavens with all their 
 wide circumference of space, ornamented by all those immense ob- 
 jects contained within the range of our vision, it is only to be as- 
 sured that somewhere in the boundless regions of our Father's 
 kingdom. He designs us to dwell immortal. The same evidence that 
 sustains one, sustains the other ; for do we deny to man everything 
 but what this earth affords, he is made poor indeed, and his maker is 
 represented by such a denial, devoid of wisdom, goodness or benevo- 
 lence. But that man will exist when the heavens and the earth shall 
 have iindergone a change after all nature's riches — state and ample 
 treasures — her mighty arches, chambers and walls shall have become 
 desolate, shattered, and broken down, is a truth so self-evident, that 
 scarcely a man of intelligence, can for a moment doubt. Man is the 
 consumation of the creation — last made, and made as the head and 
 end of all terraqueous things. All beings exist for him — all minis- 
 ter to him. And as it is a truth that ho is the ultimate design, and 
 tot a means of creation ; and as the end of one series of things, 
 may and does become the means of another and higher series ; so 
 man may, nay will, be the means, introductory to some other more glo- 
 rious and exalted state of existence than this. As remarks a chaste 
 and deservedly distinguished writer of this century, " He is not the 
 means of himself any more than he is not the end of himself." He 
 
156 IF A MAN DIE SUALL UE LIVE AGAIN. 
 
 is distinguished for anotlier state of bein<^, the consumation of all 
 sublunary things ; and thus is his soul filled and inspired with hope 
 — hope, delightful and sublime, which commenced, and will continue, 
 with his existence. 
 
 Yes man is to enjoy a state wherein all his capacious faculties, 
 moral and intellectual, will be expanded and be cajiacitated to grasp 
 in that knowledge which is hero denied him. There ample scope 
 will be given to all the benevolent energies of his soul ; and having 
 been disrobed of his fetters, emancipated from this little dark prison 
 house, he shall burst forth into open day, forever to unfold his now 
 recluse and dormant powers, and admire the vast variety of all his 
 Maker's works and ways. His powers, too, will be enlarged, and 
 new fields open for their gratification and enjoyment. There, freed 
 from the " periodic portions " and " wretched repetitions " that con- 
 tinually clog him here — unloosed from his " distempered body and 
 distempered mind," he will be called to the full enjoyment of eter- 
 nity. He will not then be annoyed by the pei'pctual round of 
 business and care that here absorb in counteracting evils, our 
 powers for information — no longer encountering the difficulties and 
 numerous obstructions which continually gather around us in our 
 pursuit after knowledge, and researches after truth — no longer per- 
 plexed by the contradictory opinions, speculative inconsistencies, 
 jarring interests and wayward opinions of men — no longer embrace 
 the wild and fantastic romance instead of the substantial truths that 
 shall then burst forth upon our enraptured vision — no longer reduced 
 into error by the prejudices and i)assion8 which here estrange our 
 hearts from plain and simple facts — no longer become weary and 
 faint in the intense application of our minds to intellectual pursuits 
 —no longer shall the unbounded and diversified scene of objects, 
 relations, changes, revolutions, events of which we here catch, as it 
 were, but an occasional glimpse, be involved in impenetrable obscuri- 
 ty. But beyond the grave we shall be like Him. We shall then 
 see Him as He is. Ought we not, then, in view of immortality and 
 Heaven, to prepare for death t for the grave soon will contain us all. 
 Surely we can say to the earth, thou art my mother, and then turn 
 and address the worm, and exclaim thou art my brother and my 
 sister. 
 
 But though we die and be forgotten, though nothing ba kept in the 
 memory of those that shall live after us, to lighten on the pleading 
 
IF A MAN DIE SUALL HE LIVE AGAIN. 157 
 
 apologies of our he! [less dust, still we have the assurance of bui'sting 
 the bands of death, even as Christ our Saviour rose and rejoice forever 
 in the Paradise above. Yes, man will not sleep forever, but will, at the 
 sound of the last trump, awake and come forth from the mouldering 
 um arrayed with immortal glory. O, what thrilling emotions fill 
 the soul whene'er wo think of this, and contemplate the future life. 
 We think of the past, of the many happy hours we have squandered 
 in youth's gay morn. O, the friends of our early years ! The days 
 of infancy and childhood, when our hearts beat with the fondest 
 emotions of happiness, yea, emotions of sublimity ! How they call 
 to mind the joys and sorrows of former times. O, the dim memo- 
 ries ot faint gleaming i-emembrances ! How they rush upon our 
 memories, and bring to mind the forms of our boyhood and college 
 associates ! But where are they all now 1 Echo answers, where 1 
 A voice from within responds, all scatlered and sundered, while upon 
 many the cold clods ere lying low ujjon their breasts. O, solitude 
 and meditation ! We think of the things that have been, but are 
 not, and return on the wings of imagination to the old remembered 
 haunts ! What melancholly mingled with emotions of joy rests upon 
 their recollection. No wonder we all desire to live forever. Oh ! 
 that pleasing hope, the hope of immortality. How it cheers 
 our weary pilgrimage, inasmuch as God in His word speaks of the 
 end. " He that doeth the will of God shall abide forever." For 
 " blessed are they that do His commandments, for they shall have 
 right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the city." 
 And again " blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, for henceforth, 
 yea, saith the Spirit, thay rest from their labors and their works do 
 follow them." Now may we not address such and say, Ye dead 
 in Christ sleep on, for death is but a change of scene — a docrway 
 into that celestial mansion not made with hands, eternal in the 
 heavens. Joyful hope 
 
 " Spring shall soon visit the mouldering arm, 
 
 Day shall soon dawn on the uighi of the grave, 
 
 On tho cold choek of doath, smilcH and roses arc blending, 
 
 And beauty, immortal awakes from tho tomb." 
 
 In view of this it could not be otherwise than probable that the 
 sainted Job would exclaim, " If a man die, shall he live again?" And 
 in thundering tones the answer comes echoing and re-echoing in 
 the distance, "I am the resurrection and the life. He that liveth 
 and believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live." This 
 
15S BE FAITUFUL. 
 
 solves the great mystery. Christ has answered the momentous 
 question of the Patriarch Job, and removed the dark curtain over- 
 hanging the tomb. Let us then continually view death as the en- 
 trance into that ever rich and luxuriant garden in the far-famed re- 
 gions of Jehovah. And though we may lay down, as it were, in cold 
 oblivion, in our attenuated loveliness, we are assured, beyond the shad- 
 ow of a doubt, that the sunbeams of light, all radiant with the glory 
 of heaven, shall visit our lonely mansions and call us to that happy 
 world , when we shall realize the *' Eternal weight of glory," and 
 where 
 
 "All our sorrows left below 
 
 And earth exchanged for heaven." 
 
 BE FAITHFUL 
 
 bo faithful ! yes, be faithful ! 
 
 There is need of it while here ; 
 In an age of sin and sorrow, 
 
 Travelling to a holier sphere. 
 what joy will fill our bosoms 
 
 To bo faithful in that day. 
 When the Lord shall save His people. 
 
 From earth's ruin and decay. 
 
 bo faithful ! brethren labor — 
 
 Heed not storms and trials here j 
 Clouds that cover you with sorrow 
 
 Will pass over, never tear. 
 Cheer up, brethren !— do not murmur, 
 
 Look beyond — sec ! light is near ; 
 Soon will come the next transition— 
 
 be faithful ! — persevere. 
 
 One stroke at a time is given, 
 
 God sees every step you take ; 
 And Ho tries to have you better, 
 
 That you may some progress make. 
 Th(>n be faithful, never falter, 
 
 With united voice be strong 1 
 Though temptations may t)e many. 
 
 They will loose their pow'r ere long. 
 
 Yes, be faithful ! — there's a blessing 
 Waiting for you in that land. 
 
 Where all trials then will vanish- 
 Flee away at God's command. 
 
 Labor then, till life's calm even 
 Closes round you, bright and clear ; 
 
 And till called from earth to Heaven, ■ 
 Just bo faithful ! — PfinsBVEBii:. 
 
THE DYING SINNER, 159 
 
 THE DYING SINNER. 
 
 Oh ! there Is a pang that thrills tho very heart with sorrow when 
 ever we think of a sinner's death. And as we oft have stood beside 
 the dying bed of those doomed to destruction, we oould not but feel 
 a pang of anguish at the bitter wails on life's stormy billows. Oh ! 
 kind Heaven, shead a tear of pity over the lost ones of earth. Wo 
 have one in mind now, whose death we propose to describe. His 
 summer of life had glided swiftly away. He had passed across Time's 
 continent, and stood on Life's Last shore. His mind was filled with 
 vain regrets. There was a wildness in his thoughts, a dread, a 
 torturing fear that swallowed up his very life in wretchedness more 
 dreadful than words could speak. '• Oh ! if I had my j'ears to live 
 over again," he mournfully uttered as his life was ebbing fast away. 
 He then became somewhat delirious. His frame was bathed in the 
 sweats of death ; and his eyes half open, rolled with wild affright in 
 phrenzy. Despair seemed indented on his haggard cheeks ; and his 
 cries for mercy were enough to pierce a savage demon's heart. He 
 looked for a moment onward with a fixed gaze ; and appeared to 
 see the very arch fiend of hell with gnashing teeth, horrid mien and 
 eyes flaming with vengeance. Ho shrieked with horror, saying, " I 
 cannot, I cannot face it!" He turned his eyes to us exclaiming, "Can't 
 you help me ? Must I go to hell V We burst in tears of sympathy 
 and cried my God ! Oli ! Heaven look in pity now ! He then 
 sprang forward, apparrently conscious that the gates of the Golden 
 City were bai red against him forever. He sobbed and in a low quiv- 
 ering moan, followed with an audible cry, he screamed for mercy ; 
 but screamed in vain. His spirit was raging round in the broken 
 wreck of mortality shrieking for help, but help never came. With 
 wild anguish and dismay he seemed also to seo the winding sheet, 
 the cofiin and the gi'ave yawning to receive his casket ; and the 
 worms anxiously waiting to feed upon his cold clods of corruption. 
 He again screamed with his utmost strength, and said, "I cannot face 
 it. Oh ! Oh ! Must I go to hell V 
 
 He continually grew worse, and his mind became more and more 
 frantic. He was liastening on to judgement. Torment awaited 
 him on every hand. The great fires of hell were, to him, evidently 
 flaming up in the distance, and he shrunk back and shrieked and 
 
160 RETROSPECTIVE. 
 
 shriekoil again, "I dare not die." Thus with a shuddering groan — 
 a Iiorror which seemed too great for utterance, he passed away to 
 meet his God. 
 
 RETROSPECTIVE. 
 
 TO MY MOTIIEn. 
 
 Sntldeucil thoughts of curly years 
 Oft doat o'or your memory ; 
 
 And you think of loved cues gouc, 
 Gone into eternity. 
 
 Oft you think of childhood hours 
 When you were so blitho and gay ; 
 
 You rejoiced and talked with those, 
 Scattered now so far away. 
 
 How your youthful dreams havo flod— 
 Vanished like the morning dew ; 
 
 And your joys in girlhood's prime, 
 Will no more come back to you. 
 
 Your life's morning now is o'er. 
 All its beauty hero has flown ; 
 
 Yet the hours you can recall 
 When its brigtness round you shouo. 
 
 Then no doubt j-ou think yourself 
 Dress'd in bridal robe of white ; 
 
 Wlien you with my father stood 
 In the morning's rosy light. 
 
 The days are as lovely yet ; 
 
 But the bloom is olf your cheek ; 
 And the sun shines just as bright, 
 
 But your frame is now so weak. 
 
 Your strength's failing day by day ; 
 
 Friends are passing to the tomb ; 
 Others still are on the way, 
 
 Working hard mid care and gloom. 
 
 Those you loved in early years, 
 
 They liave withered like the flowers ; 
 
 And no more their voices ring, 
 To light up life's transient hours. 
 
 Hopes lie faded out and strewn. 
 Just like wrecks along the shore ; 
 
 And life's bittter trials now, 
 Pierce more than in days of yore. ' 
 
 ■i-'-. 
 
THE CITY OF GOD. 101 
 
 I / . M' But though early joys have liod, 
 
 Yet o'oii now you bring them back ; 
 Far o'er hfe's swift current path ; 
 ..'II {'■': j< I' Far o'er mom'ry'B Bhiniug track, 
 
 «».*.' r, V J, ,i . MM You look back to youthful days, 
 Ml) r. hti ^ ■•'■/'.• And you think how time has fled ; 
 
 , J Since you were in bridal white, 
 '^ ^ "'■'"'*■'■'" ' With bright flowers upon your head. 
 
 But now dimmed your eyes of blue, 
 ' " And your locks are thinned with gray 
 
 .-I ><i' While your feeble pulsos beat, 
 
 ^ ,_ ^, ^, With the thrill of early May. 
 
 r^fj.iii ■ ^ Fatiieb won your heart when young, 
 
 And has soj)thcd you oft in care ; 
 And the praise ho now bestows 
 "! i! > '/< ) <!»!. For the smiles you used to wear. 
 
 All your children now have gone, 
 m ■ • 'I i 1 .!?/: . -; Except one who will abide ; 
 
 Long as life here shall last, 
 She'll sit closely by your side. 
 
 < ■ 1. 1 I' 
 
 
 ,, You've some things that may depresa- 
 Trials that may cause you pain ; 
 .;iiiJ ill M'-i"i Still be cheerful mid it all, 
 
 J , h t ,ii -''> Cheerfulness and gratitude 
 
 > 
 
 •tjMi 
 
 Will inspire you day by day ; 
 Give you stronger fortitude 
 All along life's devious way. 
 
 »;iT .1 t- 
 
 MoTHEH it will not be long, 
 11' ' ■ i y-" - .: Some few fleeting days of woe; 
 
 , . A few years to face the storm ; 
 
 ■' '' ' ' And to journey here below. 
 
 •ir.,l 
 
 , Mother ! still press on ! press on ! 
 
 • '. For the Lord will be your stay; 
 
 - 1 : !..■'''; ;■ And when your race course is run, 
 
 , . God will take you hence away. 
 
 
 AUll ■ i ■" ^i-*...>". : 1- 
 
 1''"' ■■ "ii;.|il }l' 
 
 THE CITY OF GOD. 
 
 What a picture does the name present to the imagination ! As- 
 cending upward as on eagle wings we scale the mount of vision, and 
 there behold the glories of the eternal city. ButO how immeasurably 
 short of reality must fancy fall in her loftiest flight,even when aided 
 by the light of revelation. What ecstatic joy we feel — what thrills of 
 
162 THE CITY OF (iOD. 
 
 delight vibrato nptm tho heart whenever wo lucture to ourselves its 
 iinbovmdofl glory and felicity. 
 
 " Blessed are they that do his comiuandnicnts that they may 
 have a right to tho tree of life and enter in through tho gates into 
 the city." A beautiful description of this city is given us by the 
 A-postle John, in which wo are informed that it is of pure gold, like 
 unto clear glass, and the foundation of it garnished with all manner 
 vi })recious stones. It is the most glorious city in the universe, 
 needing not the light of gas, moon, or sun, for the glory of God is 
 sufficient, far surpassing the glittering sun at noonday. Its bright- 
 ness forever disperses the gloom of night, and darkness is a stranger 
 there. It is truly the Holy City, and the pure and the holy are to 
 enjoy it forever, drinking the pure living water from the eternal 
 fount. 0, what sublime rapture must animate tho spirit of the de- 
 parting saint when it passes beyond the eternal gates and becomes 
 an inhabitant of its shining realms, there to dwell in that land 
 where they shall hunger no more, neither do they thirst. Nor is 
 this all, for we are assured that friends will never be severed, inas- 
 much as riickness and death can find no admission. There in that 
 beautiful city, storms never come,and death haunts not his victim to 
 the grave. There affliction has neither name nor dominion, for the 
 soul which it has purified, it cannot affoct. There no tear of sorrow 
 falls, for weeping is unknown to bliss. 
 
 How consoling it is to know that there is a city far, far away 
 from this world of sorrow, where we can live by doing what God 
 has required us to perform. A land where all is peace and quiet- 
 ness ; a home that can never be broken up. It is not strange, then, 
 that in the vigor and vivacity of youth, in the brown autumn of life, 
 and more intensely still when the night of death is throwing its 
 dark shadows around us, we should think fondly of the promised 
 land of rest, where pleasure has no rival, and tho lovely is ever 
 lovely. The treasures which the faithful soul has enshrined in this 
 land of fadeless splendor, will grow brighter and more abun- 
 dant when tho wealth which the miser has gathered together 
 will have retunied to its original dust" The broad acres of the rich, 
 together with their kindred earth, shall be wrapped in inextinguish- 
 able flames, kindled by the breath of Deity ; the moon, in her pen- 
 sive beauty, the glittering stars and the glorious sun, shall fade into 
 eternal darkness, but heaven and the righteous soul shall be lit up 
 ■ 
 
NEVER PART IN AN(iEU. 163 
 
 with'tlie glory of eternity. While living, then, in tho full prospect 
 of enjoying that delightful city, let us strive to bo worthy to receive 
 the approbation of Him who presides upon the throne,and who now 
 sways the destany of nations. How all important that we should 
 endeavor from day to day to deposit our treasures in that Golden City 
 that we may have the opportunity of enjoj-int; the fruits of our la- 
 bors when the tabernacles of clay which wo now inhabit shall be 
 dissolve*!, and our spirits wing their flight to glory and to Grod, 
 
 Why should we wish to linger hero below, where hope flatters 
 but to deceive ; where to-morrow's hoped for-bliss never comes; 
 where the tinsels which we pursue disgust us wh n possessed ; 
 where care engraves her ineffaceable furrows on tho face of beauty j 
 where lime quickly saps the luster from the eye, and dismantles 
 forever the cheek of that bloom with which nature adorned it. O, 
 it cannot be ! Tell us not that life's baubles can satisfy the undying 
 principle in man, for these have and end, and mortality cannot satisfy 
 immortality. Among them man vainly searches for a balm for the 
 soul, and, in the search, immortal bliss may pass him by forever, 
 and despair wrap his soul in unending night ; but to still, with in- 
 extinguishable joy, the deathless spirit of man, it must walk by the 
 stream that tever ebbs, among the flowers that never fade, and in 
 the light that never wanes. O, lonely strangers ! would you not 
 like to enjoy that beautiful city, arrayed in ever-living green, and 
 covered with the flowers of perennial bloom ? Can you not prepare 
 yourselves for entering it, that you may be ready to exclaim with 
 the Christi n Poet, 
 
 •■'.'rt'v!;> trj.rtit'ii-:.' " Jerusalem my happy homo, 
 
 0, how I long for theo !" * 
 
 Then the blessings of the triune God will rest upon you, and your 
 reward will be great and e|»rnal. 
 
 , 111! I " .. ' '>f^ ^'i tt.f ;• ':1 ■ 
 
 A .J!, 
 
 : i-'i ' /l^£i^£/? PART IN ANGER. 
 
 
 ,,t(;J!:cv-i jvinnff Never part in anger hero, " r.i--,^ „,.;■)■. ,,. 
 
 Kemember that all are frail ; . , , 
 
 ^fuir* j-itffffr^;" •'''■' ! And though just, it may appear. ' '''* ■ ' '' 
 
 You will yet some time bewail. 1 -, .'nvv'! -/^^ /•• 
 
164 I WILL NEVER LEAVE VOL'. 
 
 Never part in angor, — No, ,,,•»(),/. 
 
 Fniiulsliip is tlu! Hwpctcst boon ; 
 i\'i ' And you'll always tinil it HO, 
 
 Thiu you cauuot learn too 800U. • i i' i^' 
 
 Never part in ouger hero, ' ' ',''*' 
 
 It will cause you bitter pain ; ..n ,! if: > 
 
 There's an hour you'll always foar, 
 
 "lis the time you meet again. ' " '' 
 
 Never part in anger, — No, 
 For it often mars your peace. 
 
 When enraged you sometimes go — 
 With no hopes of lasting bliss. 
 
 ,. .,,,1 '■•, /. ..• II • 
 
 .(I ' •]•..( ;. (■ !(•*' 
 t'. li 'li ' ' 
 
 Never port in anger, — No, ■.i;. .j,- i. iJv 
 
 Mortal ! you are weak and frail ; 
 
 Soon in death, you'll lay so low '^ •' ' '' " 
 
 With those fiery cheeks so pnle. , , , , , > li •• > j ( ,\ 
 
 Never part in anger, then, ;...,...( i •• . ' • ».-t 
 
 Strive in quietness to move ; >- ., iim-- li 
 
 And if angry you have been, 
 Leoru to live in pcucc and love. " •" '*' '"!'•''• "1 
 
 .. . ,, . > 1 Hi/. ./■. :. -<>■.. 1'; 
 
 / WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU. ' 
 
 How these words ch?er the weary soul, and enables us to look 
 beyond this world of vanity and toil, to a land of perpetual happi- 
 ness. O, Christian ! lay hold of this promise and store it away in 
 your heart. Many a time you will need it, and it will revive your 
 drooping spirits to know that the most High has said, " / willnever 
 leave you." Gi'asp it then firmly, and cling to it as a drowning man 
 would to a life preserver. In hours of tribulation, disease 
 and death, you will feel safe in leaning upon the arms of Jesus. 
 Turn, then, from the vanities of earth — subdue all sinful passionp, 
 continually looking to the Savior for strength and guidance, thus 
 showing to all around that you are determined to live and die for 
 Jesus. He will not leave you comfortless and you are sura of that 
 life which will be eternal, and of that bliss which shall never end. 
 
 It is truly very certain that if we would always keep this promise 
 before our minds, we would never despair. Aud more so, especially^ 
 as we would eventually have a right to the tree of life, and mingle 
 our voices with those about the throne, which would continually 
 blend, with the gentle murmur of the Beautiful River running close 
 by the throne of God. 
 
'w i LINES. . 165 
 
 But Christian, where is your heart ? It is true, you expect to 
 
 live beyond the oolcl stroam, but can you in the sweet prospect of 
 
 Heaven exclaim, God is with me ] Can you exclaim with the 
 
 Pfulmist David, " Though I wulk through the valley and the shadow 
 
 of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me ; thy rod and tliy 
 
 stafl, they comfort me." Happy are you, if you can answer these 
 
 questions in the atHrmative. But if you can not, you are not a 
 
 Christian, even though you profess to be one. Therefore, strive 
 
 patiently to bo more faithful that you may at all times rejoice in 
 
 the sweet hope of an immortality of bliss beyond the grave. 
 
 When amid tho shiuing numbers, >~iii 
 
 lit ,„:,('. Cares aud trialH all are o'er ; r ,^ , ,, 
 
 ' ' '' ' Where our Guardian never slumbjrs, '' " . . 
 
 ■' i|l I'i ,1 i May WO dwell forcvcrmoro. i ■ ii- , ;i 'I'ln! 
 
 ■ !!■'" • ■>' I C 'l ' .. ... . , . : : . .'I • I . 1. .|i V'.-'' ,1 
 
 ' •■»• .'^ ■'■'.• Viij.l'. ;!• I. ,. ' ' !'■ TT II ■< .lyV •, t 
 
 ;■!• ■ > ..■ < (.■■'■,.• !■ , J' ..:' ■ ■■ ' .,- :'i . ..,!■(•. ./. . . ILi'l 'ji «i(j:;ii 
 
 'I'.., ,•...;! ■■ >,u.- LINES ." ■'"' !'"( I 1' ' • '>.>.' .V ">:. ir.' 
 
 I ( 
 
 Addressed to Mit. & Mrs. J. W. Harms, On Their Bridal Day. 
 
 Married.— Dec. 4th, '78, by Eev. W. K. Burr, A. M., at the residence of Mr. 
 H. B. Valleau, Mr. Jesse W. Harns of Hillier to Miss Eittie N. Denike, 
 ... of Tyondinaga. 
 
 , ; 1 ,, May happiness and peace be yours 
 
 " ' 'i^ :' .:v In holy sweetness blend; •■-....uy.,'.;. 
 
 .ijil ».'.s; .1 /• , Embalm your homo wth hallow'd blisB » f yi'i«' ; 
 
 . ., , . . . Until life's dream shall end. / , 
 
 '1^ t" -'•: t';;.- Plenty in store, you need not want, «/ k.i uii -, vju:)! 
 
 ....,,. , ,, , So long as health is yours ; , .,..,,, 
 
 <^ A life-time hid with Christ m God, - '• 
 
 • I'.'Jfvi (.' r.ii i ..ji A world of wealth insures. ,;. ' 'm'^,' \rnu.i 
 
 And mid the fleeting years of time, ' 
 
 *.,i avi-'i ■'.).. I • f;! You're numbered with the past ; '! , ■ ii /.jti 
 
 .if'H' '■;■.. d" o.uii May angels lead the path sublime _ 
 
 ' \ " To reach yon Aome at last. -»' 
 
 That home above where friends shall dwell 
 
 Who sened the Loi with fear ; 
 Transplanted from your homo below 
 
 To yonder home so deor. 
 
 Ki* A-.':jl 
 
 i,: 
 
 ii n 
 
 Hi(;< ■/>.■,- uKit )xil'. May such your lot and portion be. 
 
 These words of cheer are given, 
 With joyful hopes and prospects bright, 
 '. To cheer you on to Heav'u. 
 
I6>i THE IN'IIEUITANCE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 r ; THE INHERITANCE IN HEAVEN. ^ "* ' 
 
 How pleasing it is to contemplate the joys occasioned by having 
 an inheritance incorruptible, undetiled, and that fadeth not away. 
 How widely it differs from an earthly inheritance, inasmuch as it 
 can never be taken away from the true followers of Jesus. Nor is 
 this all, for it never decays, but continually remains the same 
 throughout every age. Millions have left the earth poor as Lazarus 
 of old, but being rich in faith and good works, they become heirs to 
 this grand inheritance. . .. - 
 
 O, poor believer ! heart broken wanderer in this world of sorrow, 
 there is a rich heritage for you which will always increase, laid up in 
 those heavenly mansions. There in that Golden City it will endure 
 forever. Fail not, then, to remember this, continually casting your 
 aspiration towards that happy land. In times of sorrow, care and 
 anxiety, you can look forward with pleasure to that joyful retreat. 
 You can exclaim with the Psalmist David — "I was glad when they 
 said unto me, let us go uj) to the house of the Lord ; our feet shall 
 stand within thy gates O, Jerusaleto." 
 
 Lonely pilgrim in the wilderness of siu, you who are laboring for 
 Golconda's sordid wealth, why is it that you have made no prepara- 
 tion to enjoy that heavenly estate '\ Soon, very soon, your earthly 
 inheritance will be of no good to you, inasmuch as time will have 
 borne you down to the mansions of the dead. O, why then have 
 you not rather labored to lay up treasures above. Then, when your 
 fleah shall have failed you, aud death shall have stared you in the 
 face, you may at the sumo time rejoice in anticipating that inheri- 
 tance which is immense, inestimable, unspeakable. Pause before 
 you proceed further, aud think of tliis, for certainly thus far you 
 have had an unpleasant journey. The storms of life have been un- 
 ceasing. It is, nevertheless, true, that the soothing breezes softly 
 blowing and the refreshing rain in gentle showers, together with the 
 summer heat, in shady bowers, amid the vales with fragrant flowers 
 have cheered you onward in your pilgrimage. But alas ! a long 
 eternity will soon dawn, and a day of reckoning will come, when all 
 will receive their just reward. May God grunt that you may die 
 the death of the righteous, and be partakers of that inheritance 
 which is promised to the aaints iu glory. 
 
THE DYING CHRISTIAN. 167 
 
 ,, ■..;,,, When amid the countless ngcs, ... ,;, . , 
 
 Storms and trials never come ; 
 
 '.,""'' ■' ' Whore lile's fever never rages, ' ''" ''" '' 
 
 ■ 1. ,;,iii .. May you dwell in p<;ace at home. i fiiv, oi! .•••lu, 
 
 -»i(a 7,! '1'", 7 ■< '• I '.■if,-' -1 ,.,,.. ■.,.,. li'j;- 1! ■'■• ■■•((■f.: ;ji:t 
 
 •: ''-'"' ^^ CHRISTIAN WARFARE. ^' /- ' 
 
 • 11 Km ;>". 1 V \' il'i' ))•;/' 
 
 I , r , .... We are weary in the warfare, ,, : •. .;. • 
 
 And the battle rages long, 
 .■■'>■■ 'U .' 'Iij . Wo are very tired and feeble .'•'!< . t t;,- !. -J 
 
 , r ^ 1 • , While onr foes arc bold and strong. ; ■ ,: ,• ,,, 
 
 ^ ' But the voice of the dear Saviour 
 
 ! > '''xi\^'' vi; i': Echoes from the courts on high, ' ' .\wit - I..'-'v.'( 
 
 . , Tells us how He fought and conquered ; .. i . u 
 
 ^■'; • ■'.' ■-• "■•' That Ills help is always "igh. ' '"' ' '^' "' 
 
 ' ".l s" ri'!i; i-i-' . '.!■. '>'■ ii '■■•■!' 'Ill' V ' 
 
 * , True indeed, but tlien our striving, . i . . ' 
 
 Often hero appears in vam ; 
 \A\''-\ ..ijiii • i,i Lo ! the tempter's 'round our pathway, ■ .ii;*; 
 
 , . ■ , . And we know he'll come again. ' , • . 
 
 But poor soul cease thy repining. 
 
 Cease that faithlosB, bitter wail ; , ■' ' '■ <■■'•' 
 
 If thou wouldst be pure and holy 
 Trust in God thou It never fail. 
 '■<! ;!'i.'-. '■'i'"'' U •-• ■ i'l:*!, I 
 
 But this heavy weight of sorrow, 
 tliis load of guilt and pain, 
 ■,)■.. I .-. How we're sometimes robbed of blessings, '; 
 And our labor oft is vain. 
 Still lemeniber mourning servant 
 Jesus soon will whisper Peace ; 
 Soon will wp.ary cares and lightings — 
 ' Soon will these sad doublings cease. 
 
 
 '.((: . .: > 
 
 1 
 
 .fvf • ,. , 
 
 1 
 
 
 .,(1 ■ ' !";: 
 
 Nay, but shnll wo ever cojuiuer, 
 
 And the crowns of glory wear ? 
 Shall we ever join in singing, • 
 
 Palms of victory to bear;' ,, 
 
 my child ! the Savior crieth, 
 
 Look to me when trouble's near 
 And OIK! day thou'lt come off coiKpieror 
 
 Trust in mo and never fear. 
 
 THE DYING CHRISTIAN. , ,; , 
 
 The hope of enjoyinj^ future Imppiuess in tliat lind immortal, un- 
 faiing, is a source of unbcundtd consoUition to the dying Christian. 
 Of ttiines it has been our privilege to st;ind by the bed side of the dying 
 and to witness scenes of holy triiimiih which uo pen can adequately 
 
168 THE DYING CIIBISTIAN. 
 
 describe. One scene of joy where the King of Terrors was trans- 
 formed into a smiling angel of light, we will endeavor, though it 
 must be faintly, to portray. His hopes of earth were like the fad- 
 ing grace of inspiring autumn, vanishing and dying away one by one, 
 till all were gone. We were with him when the pallor of death 
 was passing gently over his features ; while the uhadows of time 
 were flittinri; away and the glories of eternity bursting in upon his 
 wondering vision. The placid serenity of his countenance changed 
 by degrees and became radiant with resplendent glory. He was 
 strongly incited by desire and animated with the blissful hope as he 
 passed swiftly through the swellings of Jordan and the things of 
 earth gradually faded from his view. He was indeed sweetly fanned 
 by the last flutter ot the sinking breeze, and his brow was sprinkled 
 with the dew of Heaven. His spirit was wrestling with dissolving 
 nature, struggling to be free, and shrieking to take its final flight 
 Harkl they whisper, come, come away. Who? Who is calling t 
 God in mercy calls me, responds the dying Christian. I come, 
 I come, continued he. Be patient, we replied, it will soon be over. 
 Oh ! I am patient — I am patient — 1 know — I know it will soon be 
 over — I am ready. Yes, we answered, Jesus is with you. He has 
 gilded the gj-ave with the light of Heaven. He has passed into the 
 tomb and conquered our greatest foe. Thank God was faintly ut- 
 tered amid dying sighs and dying groans. God b'ess you and take 
 you home to rest. Amen, was said in tender response. God be 
 with you, we still I'epeated, and he sweetly died in the triumphs of 
 the Gospel, with the firm hope of a glorious resurrection. 
 
 The grass will soon grow over His new made grave, and the rose 
 will bloom with fragrant beauty. Years may roll around but the 
 eye of God will mark the spot, green, with the everlasting verdure of 
 faith. We have the assurance that the trumpet shall sound and the 
 dead shall arise incorruptible. Therefore may the riches of Divine 
 grace be the consolation of all those who mourn ; and may the Shep- 
 herd of Israel walk with us all through the cold flood ; nd ultimate- 
 ly savo us in that home over yonder. 
 
 Where amid the shining numbers, 
 ,,,» _;> ; Cares and trials all are o'er ; •. .. '; t.I';' 
 
 Where the guardian never slumbers, 
 '■'^'■' .•'■' _ We shall meet to part no more. ' ' ' '^ ''■' '' 
 
THE 'nvi LIGHT HOUR. 1G9 
 
 THE TWILIGHT HOUR. 
 
 There is no time more sacred hero 
 
 Thau is the twilight hour ; 
 The Buu lias calmly sunk to rest, 
 
 While birds sing in the bower. 
 
 Sweet twilight hour! the day is o'er, 
 
 All nature seeks repose ; 
 And we can sit with God alone, 
 
 He knows earth's cares and woes. 
 
 And WG can seek His face in prayer, 
 
 For Ho well knows it all ; 
 He knows our trials on the way. 
 
 And we have heard his call. 
 
 His voice comes floating on the breeze, 
 
 In eve's sweet tranquil hour ; 
 When guided by the star of hope, 
 
 Earth's 'tractions lose their pow»r. 
 
 Wo know that life is waning fast, 
 
 Time passes quickly on ; 
 And soon life's twilight hour will come, 
 
 And all our days be gone. 
 
 No wonder then we love this liour, 
 
 To muse o'er things around. 
 And when earth's pleasures lose their charms, 
 
 We'll go where joys abound. 
 
 This holy hour, indeed we love 
 To bit beneath the shady bowers. 
 
 And live again through other years, 
 Life's transient fleeting hours. 
 
 No hour could bo more fitting then 
 
 To search the heart within ; 
 V/hon all around us is serene. 
 
 To cleanse ourselves from sin. 
 
 Dear twilight hour I wo love to muse 
 
 O'er scones now past and fled ; 
 And think of childhood's merry years. 
 
 And schoolmates who are dead. 
 
 Wo think of those unlinked with earth. 
 
 Whose troubles now are o'er ; 
 Who passed away beyond the stars, 
 
 Whom we shall see no more. 
 
 And then , alas I we think of hours 
 
 Thot wo shall never see ; 
 When in the grave we slumber there, , „, ; 
 
 From cares and soirows free. 
 
170 A HUNDRED YEARS TO COME. 
 
 One eye alone can sec us tJiere, 
 One voice nwako tlae dead ; 
 
 The great archangel's trump sliall sound, 
 And rend Death's narrow bod. 
 
 The t\viHght hour will then be past, 
 And time and seasouH o'er ; 
 
 Jlny God then grant that we may fly 
 Where sun shall sot no more. 
 
 A HUNDRED YEARS TO COME. 
 
 Wc all within our graves shall sleep 
 
 A hundred years to come ; 
 No living soul for us shall weep 
 
 A hundred years to come ; 
 But other men our land will till, 
 
 And other men our streets will fill, 
 And other birds will eing as gay, 
 
 As bright the sunshine as to-day 
 A hundred years to come. 
 
 But where shall then our portion be ? 
 Where shall we spend eternity ? 
 
 This is indeed a solemn question. It is truly a solemn thought. 
 In the language of the Editor of the Christian, " Where shall we 
 be a hundred years from now 1" A humble mound in some cemetry 
 will mark the resting place of most of our bodies, ere half that time 
 is passed. But our spirits — that part of us which thinks, reasons, 
 chooses, loves, hates, regrets and remembers — where will they be 1 
 Certain it is, that the resistless current of human destiny that rolla 
 ever onward will have borne us on to new conditions, new scenes 
 and new surroundings. But what shall these be 1 It can scarcely 
 be doubted that wherever we may then be, these immortal natures of 
 ours, if so be that consciousness still remains, will have a greatly 
 enlarged vision c" human affairs and their issues. How small will 
 some of tlie questions that agitate us now, appear to us then ! How 
 unworthy of man will then appear all the petty jealousies and bit- 
 ter strifes that now estrange hearts and lives ! Our dreams of 
 greatness, our mad struggle for wealth or fame — all our vain am- 
 bitions — how infinitely small and contemptible will they be found 
 to be, when we shall view them from the realm of the absolute and 
 the eternal ! 
 
 How mean and worthless a thing is human life, if it secures noth- 
 ing which shall be kept and valued by x» one htHidFed years from 
 
THE CAREER OF LIFE. 171 
 
 now ! But withia that time, all the wealth, the honor, the pleasure, 
 the glory of the world — things for which most men are striving — 
 will have faded from before the eyes that now gaze upom them, as 
 the bright-hued rain-bow fades from the 8uu:mer sky. Fellow 
 travellers are you building for eternity 1 Of all the labors of your 
 hands and brain what will remain one hundred yoara from now ? 
 Faith pnd hope, and love — these shall abide forever, and the im- 
 mortal deeds which are born of them shall constitute a part of your 
 eternal treasures. Seek then for immortal wealth. Build against 
 the ravages of Time. For the things which are seen are temporal j 
 but things which are not seen are eternal. 
 
 EXAMPLE. 
 
 Oh 1 the blessed thought of liviug 
 
 Just as Christ was wont to do ; 
 Setting forth a good example, 
 
 That the world might daily view. 
 Seeds wo sometimes sow witli weeping, 
 
 Bearing then the precious grain, 
 Will spring up and grow with vigor. 
 
 For it gets the latter rain. 
 
 But the foul seed that is acattcied— 
 Strewn aroun 1 on every hand, 
 
 Needs no one to guard and cherish, 
 For twill grow on any land. 
 
 Oft good deeds that we are doing 
 Seem lo float into the air ; 
 
 But they will not perish — never- 
 Still the thought seems hard to boar. 
 
 In the distant coming judgment 
 
 All our acts we'll meet again ; 
 Some of which will cause us sorrow, 
 
 While our hearts will thrill with pain. 
 Oil ! then set a good example 
 
 In this world of pain and strife ; 
 And by earnest supplication, 
 
 You will lead a Christian life. 
 
 THE CAREER OF LIFE. 
 
 The career of life from infancy to old age is one of marked interest j 
 the first breath is indeed a pang, and the first cry one of agony. 
 
172 oLii saviour's niRTH. 
 
 "We are ushered into this world helpless worms of the dust, de- 
 pendent upon others for support in our tender years. W« are, 
 therefore, entirely ignorant of the great object and aim of life ; and 
 it is not until we arrive at the age of reason that we realize our 
 responsibility. Then we begin to engage in childish reveries — 
 build air castles, and lay plans for the future. The rainbow of 
 hope beams with ineflable joy and spans the entire arch of our future 
 destiny. The birds appear to sing their sweetest iongs, and even 
 all nature in sublime strains, agle their mxric together in rap- 
 turous harmonies in the grand chorus of the universe. 
 
 But soon the days of childhood flee away, and the morning of life 
 is past, time having, with his untiring pinions, hastened us on to 
 manhood. Nov we find ourselves upon the stage of action, having 
 entered the great arena of life for the purpose of contending with 
 its numerous conflicts. The sun is now shining in meridian glory 
 and the scorching heat of summer falls heavily upon us in the zenith 
 of our strength, as v/e trudge along in the journey of life. 
 
 How fast time flies. Look at yonder sun ; it is now setting be- 
 hind the western hills, and we have reached our three score years 
 and ten. Our heads have become frosted over with gray, through 
 the storms and trials of many wintets. The eye is now sunken and 
 the visual organ refuses to perform its ofl!ice. Nor is this all, the 
 ear is deaf and our form is drooping to the earth, and we are im- 
 pressed with the solemn fact that dust we arc and iinto dust shall 
 we return. 
 
 The sun is now below the horizon, our days are numbered, and 
 we launch out upon the great sea of eternity, hoping to reach that 
 happy land where discordant vessels never anchor, and where sor- 
 row is unknown. 
 
 Then scud us tliy holp Lord to shun 
 
 The weary aud daugerouB road ; 
 Oh 1 load us to mansious on high, 
 
 lu the beautiful city of God. 
 
 OUR SAVIOUR'S BIRTH. 
 
 oil ! thero was great joy iu Heaven, 
 
 ^Vhen our Savior came to earth ; ." ' t 
 
 Mid the signs and visions given, , i '. .„i i 
 
 To announce his humble birth. 
 
ONLY A 6HILD. 173 
 
 O'er the plains 'twas peaceful even 
 
 All was hushed in quiet rost, 
 W lien the Savior came from Heaveu, 
 
 From the regions of the blest. 
 
 And the wise men came to see Him, 
 
 Bringing precious gifts witli tliom ; 
 While they gazed with;rapturo on Him, 
 
 As He laid in Bethlehem. 
 The rude Pagaus stood a wondering, 
 
 As they threw aside their gold ; 
 Thinking of the Savior's coming. 
 
 Whom the prophets had foretold. 
 
 And the temples, they were trembling . , i 
 
 Trembling to tiieir very base ; 
 While the idols, they were crumbling 
 
 Standing near the holy place. 
 Round about the priesthood gathered. 
 
 Long they'd bowed to gods in vain ; • • 
 
 And while looking ou they shuddered 
 
 As if iilled with bitter pain. 
 
 »■ 
 • 
 
 Nature felt a thrill of pleasure, 
 
 When the star moved o'er the plain ; 
 Pointing to a precious treasure — 
 
 Christ the Lord had come to reign. 
 On the air the music echoed* 
 
 " Glory, glory unto God," 
 While the Savior's head was pillowed — 
 
 (Juiokly spread the news abroad. 
 
 Shepherds watched the light approaching. 
 
 It .xunounced the Savior then ; 
 And they heard a voice proclaiming, 
 
 " Peace on earth, good will to men." 
 How they gazed upon the Savior 
 
 Whoa they saw the angels there ; 
 Guarding safely that .ich treasure 
 
 With such signs of loving care. 
 
 O'er the earth spread the glad tidings, 
 
 " Christ is born in Bethlehem :" 
 While the heav'us above were ringing 
 
 Hallelujahs to His name. 
 Long and Loud their notes wore echoing 
 
 Glory to the Savior then, 
 On the midnight air 'twas floating, 
 
 " Peace on earth, good will to men." 
 
 ONLY A CHILD. 
 
 Gone, thou, art gone, dear baby 
 Peaceful in thy slumbers lay / 
 
 Gently to the grave wc bore thee 
 Laid thee from our sight awey, 
 
174 ONLY A CHILD. 
 
 " Only a child," were the wonla that foil from the lip3 of one aa 
 
 we stood years ago at the grave of oar departed — our darling cherub. 
 
 But it was, indeed, more than merely a child to us, as we saw it 
 
 laid in the cold grave, and heard the fresh dirt rattle on its narrow 
 
 home. We shuddered at the very thought. The out-gushing of the 
 
 heart — the souls deep emotion, sighed in bitter agony. But 
 
 then we knew full well that it had passed away 
 
 E'et the oartli lind profaned it ; 
 
 Or sin tlirow a charm o'er its rarly bhiom. 
 
 Only a child ? Can this be true ? Hush ! sad heart, and repine no 
 
 more. Hark 1 listen to the words of kindness, comfort and love 
 
 falling from the lips of the dear Savior, as he sweetly whispers, 
 
 *' Of such is the kingdom of Heaven." Neverthles, nature weeps 
 
 when the children are taken away, and are laid in the damp cold 
 
 grave to moulder back to dust. In such an hour our very hearts 
 
 cry out. Oh ! could we have held the hand of the Insatiate Archer 
 
 we would have forever shielded our loved ones from the jaws of 
 
 death. But our brightest hopes wrapped up in these precious buds 
 
 of promise ofttimes wither and fly away while mercy sighs farewell ! 
 
 Here in mortality's vale these fair flowers raised their gentle 
 
 heads, but too good for earth they have been transplanted into a 
 
 lovelier clime beyond the sky. They have passed on only a little 
 
 before us ; and are now waiting on the golden strand to welc( me the 
 
 arrival ot the stricken ones amid the anthem of angels whic > ever 
 
 and anon trembles over the Sea of Glass. Why, then, should we 
 
 mourn for the departing flowers 1 Though they have been nipped 
 
 by the cold wintry blasts of death, we have the sweet assurance that 
 
 they are now blooming in the land of the Loal, that bright world of 
 
 fadeless splendor. StiU, how prone we are to forget this. How 
 
 hard for our faith to put back the dead love from our arms, and 
 
 looking upward to the glory that encompasses them forever, exclaim, 
 
 " Not my will, O, God, but Thine be done." O, how slow we are 
 
 to yield to our Father's chastening hand, notwithstanding in it we 
 
 feel the earnest of the joy to come, that we shall meet again at the 
 
 glorious dawn of the resurrection morning. 
 
THE WORD OF GOD. 175 
 
 THE WORD OF GOD. 
 
 The Psalmist David ia addi-essing the Most High in the second 
 veree of the 138th Psalm says, "Thou hast magnified thy loorrf above 
 all thy name." No^v in order to get an idea of the importance 
 attached to his woi-d it is very necessary that we should 
 understsnd a?so the importance attached to his name. The 
 Psalmist says, it is a strong tower into which the right- 
 eous run and are safe. And the Apostle Paul in his let- 
 ter to the Philipians says, at the name of Jesus every knee should 
 bow of things in heaven, and things in eai'th, and things under the 
 earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to 
 the glory of God the Father. And the same Apostle in his Epistle 
 to the Romans says, at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, 
 and every tongue shall confess. 
 
 There is something quite remarkable in the several names given 
 to the Most High. He is called God, which literally means the 
 good, for He alone is good. He is called God in all probability to 
 give an idea cf his greatness, and it apprars to have refei-ence more 
 particularly to his supremacy or power, and to be equivalent to Lord 
 or Ruler. Again he is called The Great I Am, which is certainly 
 the most sublime oracle ever announced to the world. Truly can 
 he say I am God the crentrr of heaven and earth; 1 am Jehovah 
 who was from everlasting to everlasting, without begining and with- 
 out end — the God of the Jcm's ; I am the Redeemer who came to 
 save the world. I am the Messiah, the Christ, the Annointed — the 
 Saviour of mankind ; I am Lord of lords, and King of kings. 
 T am the Judge of quick and dead. Is it at all to be wondered at 
 then that we should so frequently sing, 
 
 ' ' " Jcsns the nnme high over all 
 
 In hell, or earth, or sky ; 
 Angels and men before it fall 
 And devils fear and fly." 
 
 From the foregoing we are led to conclude that the name of the 
 Lord is above every name and will consequently be revered as long 
 as eternity. But His word is magnified above his name, and to- 
 day it stands as a monument whose top reaches the highest heaven, 
 and whose base is deeply laid in the mansions of the dead. Upon 
 the one side we find insci'ibed the history of the past in characters 
 
176 THE WORD OF GOD. 
 
 whose lustre shall bo brightest when adiunantine columns shall 
 moulder and be diffused in space ; and on the other we find inscrib- 
 ed the history of tho things which shall hereafter be. It lias come 
 down to us amid the rage of bigotry and persecution, and the fiery 
 ordeal to which it has been subjected instead of detracting from its 
 merits has but unfolded ils rich treasures and disclosed its 
 beauties. So that it now occupies a jjosition pre-eminently above 
 the works of philosophers and snges. For the Apostle John tells us 
 it was written that wo might believe, and in believing have life 
 through the name of Jesus. 
 
 Those Holy men that spoke as they were moved by the Holy 
 Spirit needed not the aid of science and art to decorate their simple 
 but subliire thoughts. Tho literature which they presented were not 
 like that which is so populav at the present day. No, no, for on theira 
 hung eternity with its joyous hopes and longing aspirations. They 
 ever taught the important fact that God's word must be revered and 
 obeyed. He who in the bnginniiig spoke and it was done ; 
 Avhose word we are told by the prophet is like a fire and a hammer 
 that breaketh the rock in pieces, and whose word shall judge the 
 world and never pass away, will surely respect and honor it. A 
 lack of reverence for the word of God is truly one of the greatest 
 sins of the day. When will the time come when men will cease to 
 throw contempt on (he Word of God ? That Word which has en- 
 lightened the earth and caused the desert to rejoice and blossom as 
 the rose. 
 
 And is it not strange that His Word having done so much for 
 man, ever ameliorating his condition, should be neglected and so 
 much despised. That so many attempts should have been made to 
 pr<yve it to be a collection of myths and lies, of absurd and loose 
 speculations'; in other words a collection of falsehoods. But having 
 passed through the keenest investigations and the severest ordeals 
 they still remain a tn-asuiy of gold and gems — the same great ora. 
 cles of h«avon. Compiue them if you please with the Koran of tho 
 Arabian prophet, the writings of the philcisophf-'rs of Greece and 
 .Rome, and the abfeuiditits of the Mormon Bible, All these sink 
 into utter insignificance when contrasted with the Book of Inspira- 
 tion. And should we continue our researches further, making a 
 comparison between the Word of God and the ancient classics, we 
 would still find that it was the most ancient, venerable and noble. 
 
THE WORD OP OOD. 177 
 
 classic tliat is to bo found in the compaBs of Grecian and Roman 
 Literature. In the language of Butler, " If any boast that the 
 AristotleH, and Platos, and Tullies of the classic ages dipped their 
 I)en8 in intellect, the sacred authors dipped theirs in inspiration." 
 If those were the " Secretaries of Nature," these were the Secretar- 
 ies of the very Author of Nature. If Greece and Rome have ga- 
 thered into the cabinet of curiosities the pearl of heathen poetry and 
 eloiiuonce, the diamonds of i)agnn history and philosojdiy, God 
 himself has treasured up in His VVoid the poetry and eloquence, the 
 philosophy and history of sacred lawgivers, of prophets and apostles, 
 of saints, evangelists and martyrs. The pure light of universal 
 truth is not to bo found in the Augustan age of antiquity. It is 
 only to be found in the volume of inspiration. 
 
 In sublimity and beauty, in the descriptive and pathetic, in dignity 
 and simplicity of narrative, in power and comprehensiveness, depth 
 and variety of thought, in purity ar.d elevation of sentiment, the 
 most enthusiastic admirers of tho hrathen classics havo conceded 
 their inferiority to the Scriptures. 
 
 Tho w^ord of God is the only universal classic, the classic of all 
 mankind of every age and country, of time and eternity, more hum- 
 ble and simple than the primer of the child, more grand and 
 elevating than the Epic and the Oration, the Ode and the Drama, 
 when Genius with his chariot of fire and his horses of flame asccndis 
 in a whirlwind in the heaven of their own invention. 
 
 How diflerent in its influence is the word of God from all the rest 
 of the volumes which have ever been written. When we read 
 Shakespear, Milton, Addison, Longfellow, Campbell, Scott, McCau- 
 ley or Irving, there is still a desire for sotcething they cannot tell us. 
 There is still left a longing desire — an acheing void in the breast. 
 But if we read God's word we find something to fill up and satisfy 
 the mind. Reading the word does not make us weary, nor does its 
 lessons grow old. Surely no bard or tage has ever taught such 
 beautiful lessons of instruction, fraught with every species «of interest 
 to humanity, both in time and eternity. 
 
 We may study the fleeting wisdom of this world and become 
 acquainted with equations, points, lines, angles, triangles, circles, 
 spheres, parabolas, &c.,Un the department of mathematics, and close- 
 ly examine the sciences of Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Geology, 
 Mineralogy, the various works on Mental, Moral and Natural Phi- 
 
178 THE WOBD OP GOD. 
 
 losophy, Political Economy and Logic, Khetoric and Elocution, and 
 then become intimately acquainted with the He'^ rew, Latin, French, 
 Spanish, Italian and German languages we should find, even when 
 seated upon the pinnacle of the " Hill of Sccience,'' that there was 
 a void within — a longing after iramortality. 
 
 Yes, we mny pore over the wisdom of sages, dwell upon the beau- 
 ties of the poets, delight to look upon the paintings of earth's most 
 celebrated artists ; may love to dwell upon the many beauties of art, 
 may love human nature in all its simplicity ; may love the sweet 
 scented flowers and think them emblematic of all that is good, pure 
 and holy; may admire the magnificent oaks of the forest as Ihey stand 
 erect and beautiful; may stop to consider tho aablime majesty of the 
 ocean's waves ; may listsn to the music of little birds and murmur- 
 ing rivulets; view the green and far spreading plains, and notice the 
 clouds which darkly veil the midnight sky passing away leaving all 
 calm and lovely, but the mind soon wearies of the sameness. And 
 wore this all that we could do — all that we could think upon life 
 would indeed be but a monotonous round of scenes and duties. 
 But thank heaven we have pleasures for the mind and heart bevond 
 all these. It is found in tne word of God, which He has kindly 
 given us to guide us safely 
 
 Over the boisterous soft of Life, ; ' ■ 
 
 Wi.ore storms arise and oceans roll, 
 
 and journeying safely home beyond the tide and beyond the tomb. 
 O, what pleasure to derive devotion from the songs of David ; to learn 
 wisdom of Solomon ; to learn unshaken confidence from Abraham 
 and Noah ; meekness from Moses ; to find every good and lovely 
 grace shining forth in the life of Jesus, and to loam something from 
 the book of Revelation of what we are to enjoy in that bright region 
 
 of eternal sunshine. . ,. • .,>w . ,, ■>». , ,; ., ,.J 
 
 Is there anything on earth of equal comparable importance then 
 to the word of inspiration. Truly those holy men spake as never 
 man was wont to speak. Their teachings were filled with poetio 
 eloquence, pure and natural. They taught morality day after day 
 for the perfection of human happiness. In the language of anothtr, 
 " Let us abide by the precepts, admire the beauty, revere the mys- 
 tery, and as far as in us lies, practice '' mandates of this sacred 
 volume, and should the ridicule of earth and the blasphemy of hell 
 assail us, we shoidd console ourselves bj the contemplation of those 
 
. WATCH AND PRAY. i 179 
 
 blessed spirits who in the same holy cause have toiled and shone 
 and suffered. In the goodly fellowship of the saints, in the noble 
 army of the martyrs, in the society of the good and great and wise 
 of every nation. If we err with the luminaries we have chosen for 
 our guides wo confess ourselves captivated by the loveliness of thair 
 abberation. If we err it is in the fields of light ; if they aspire it 
 is at all events a glorious daring ; and rather than sink with infi- 
 delity into the dust we are content to cheat ourselves with the 
 visions of eternity. If it be nothing but delusion, then we err with 
 the disciples of philosophy and virtue, with men who have drank 
 deep at the fountain of knowledge, but who dissolved not the pearl 
 of their salvation in the draughts. Many thanks then be to God 
 for His Word which shall endure forever. 
 
 WATCH AND PRAY. 
 
 Christian iu the race you run, 
 
 Be careful on your way ; 
 So many dangers hero and there, 
 
 That you must watch and pray. 
 
 And when the darkness gathers round, 
 
 And snares oft cause delay ; 
 If you would keep from stumbling then, 
 
 Fail not to watch and pray. 
 
 Remember Satan's lurking round, ' 
 
 He's near you every day ; 
 In order for to conquer him, 
 
 O you should watch and pray. 
 
 There also are a host of foes, 
 
 Who seek you for to slay ; ' 
 
 They are allied to the arch-fiend, ,.. 1 , 
 
 \nd you must watch and pray. 
 
 Yea, Christian, do not rest, but strive 
 
 To keep them all at bay ; 
 To save your soul from death and hell 
 
 Requires that you should pray. 
 
 And then there are the foes within, 
 
 Therefore, mn.ko no delay ; 
 Lest you should fail to conquer them, 
 
 Be sure you watoh and pray. 
 
180 REMEMBER TIIY CREATOR IN THE DAYS OP THY YOUTH. 
 
 .■?'('. 
 
 To be successful, searcli tlie heart, i • . ' 
 
 Or you mil go astray ; 
 Examine it with patient care, '' 
 
 And don't forgot to pray. 
 
 Would you but conquer all your foes, 
 
 March onward in the fray ; 
 And then to gain the victory. 
 
 Dear pilgrim watch and pray. 
 
 Look yonder towards fair Canaan's port 
 And catch one gleaming ray ; 
 
 Bemembering those who anchored there, 
 Failed not to watch and pray. 
 
 Until you reach that better land. 
 Where angels eing their lay ; 
 
 Where faith is changed to endless sight, 
 Christian watch and pray. 
 
 Yes, watch and pray a few more days 
 
 Your toils will then be o'er. 
 And with the Savior, safe at home, 
 
 Y'ou'll dwell forevermore. 
 
 HEMEMBER THY CREATOR IN THE DAYS OF THY 
 
 YOUTH. 
 
 The thonghfc we wish to impress on every mind is that childhood 
 and youth are by far the most interesting period of our lives. It is 
 the most critical period, and the everlasting destiny fixed for weal 
 or woe. 
 
 Children seem to have an innate love of Deity, a reverence for 
 some unknown, mysterious power, and a yearning for something 
 beyond this material existence. Indeed, if angels dwell upon this 
 earth, and Isaiah tells us that they are oft hovering around, it must 
 be in the form of children, for from the earliest period they have 
 been associated with all that is good and beautiful. The ancients 
 buried their children at the dawn of day because they thought 
 Aurora loved them and took them to her arms. We associate their 
 smiles, their dreams, their very being, with seraphs. And thus we 
 are led to conclude with Solomon that childhood is vanity, for it 
 soon passes away. ' 
 
 It is truly evident that what we are in childhood and youth we 
 are apt to bo in manhood, and also in declining years. Our outward 
 habits and manners may be changed and modified by time and place, 
 
REMEMBER THY CREATOR IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH. 181 
 
 but our hearts and affections generally remain the same. The 
 habits in youth are tender and affectionate, and when they become 
 matured they seldom or cevcr change. This, we presume, needs 
 no proof, for it is demonstrated in the characters of drunkard?, 
 liars, thieves, murderers, Ac, almost everywhere. Hence we see 
 the importance of fixing early in the mind, pure principles and cor- 
 rect habits. Habits are said to be second nature. They appear to 
 be permanent. Now, it is evident that in order to obtain just 
 habits it is necessary for us to remember our Creator in the days of 
 our youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh 
 when we shall say we have no pleasure in them. 
 
 One of the most wonderful characteristics of children and yo'.ith 
 is the intense keenness of their perceptions. They cherish the good, 
 the true, the beautiful, and at first thej? repel the wicked, the false 
 the hideous, with instinctive quickness. They can discern the sharp 
 points of conversation, and are as quick at repartee as older heads 
 could bo. A little boy of Indiana one day asked his mother if God 
 real)- heard his prayer. " Yes," was the reply, " God always hears 
 our prayers." " Well," said the boy, •' I think he must be disgust- 
 ed with mine, for he has heard the same old prayer ever since I 
 could talk." 
 
 Now youth resembles the young twig that may bo bent in almost 
 any form. And just as the twig is bent, just in such a manner the 
 tree is inclined. All you that are acquainted witli fruit nurseries 
 are also acquainted with the fact and ai'e perfectly aware that if the 
 young trees ai'e not pruned and cultivated right while young they 
 must always remain in a crooked position. Their fiuit will be 
 small, and when they become old it is impossible to make beautiful 
 trees of them. So, on the other hand it is with the youth : they 
 must be cultivated while young, for in youth the mind is most sus- 
 ceptible of religious and moral impressions, and as respects know- 
 ledge B. cai'te blanche. <* ^ < ', <• . ' ' >'!•..'( > .k.. ' i 
 
 It is certainly true that all that is required to make life wliat it 
 should be, to render our homes happy, is to remember our Creator 
 in the days of our yoiith, and to serve Him acceptably with reverence 
 and godly fear in manhood and also in declining years. It is prob- 
 able the physical and material may be wanting, money may be locked 
 up in the exchequer, broad acres may be absorbed by a wealthier 
 neighbor, silver and gold there may be none ; but there is a richer 
 
182 BEMEMBBn THY CREATOR IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH, 
 
 treasure locked up in living hearts, hearts burning to remoye difficul- 
 ties out of the way, to uproot the nettle and to implant the rose, to 
 light up the soul with the beacon light of joy, to smoothe the brew 
 of care, to filter the waters of adversity, to overcome real griefs, and 
 to expel imaginary ones — to cheer when the world frowns, to let in 
 the beams of comfort on the mind darkened with melancholy, and 
 to open up the ample storehouse of religion, when every minor con- 
 sideration fails, exhibiting the rich mine of wealth and glory reserv- 
 ed for the patient, submissive believer beyond the regions of death's 
 vast domain. Begin to live right in youth, keep the even tenor of 
 life in manhood, in sickness, adversity, and o'd age, all will be well, 
 and thus continue throughout eternity. 
 
 Let us now take for an illustration a crooked old man bent at an 
 angle of forty-five degrees with the horizon. His habit of walking 
 and sitting bent over was undoubtedly formed in youth. It could 
 then have been prevented, but now it is too late. How important 
 the advice of Solomon, " Bring up a child in the way he should go 
 and when he is old he will not depart from it." It has been truly 
 said that the child is father to the man. The day rests in the 
 bosom of the morning. The rose is bound up in the bud. The oak 
 lies in the acorn. Summer and autumn are contained in spring, so 
 the heart and destiny of man is generally wrapped up in the breast 
 of the child. How absolutely necessary then that parents should 
 bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 
 Great responsibility rests upon parents, and it is indeed an awful 
 thing to be a parent as well as a youth. Every day should be em- 
 ployed in laying up treasures in Heaven. No time should be lost. 
 Salamais, one of the greatest scholars of his day, saw cause to ex- 
 claim literally on his dying bed : " Oh, 1 have lost a world 
 of time — time, the most precious thing in the world ! Had I 
 but one year more it should be spent in perusing David's Psalms 
 and Paul's Epistles. Oh, sirs," said he, addressing thoae about 
 him, " mind the world less and God more." The greatest misfor- 
 tune in life is old age without the remembrance of a virtuous and 
 well speat life. But when the Creator has been remembered in 
 youth, revered in manhood, worshipped and adored in the last 
 stages of life, why the floods of anguish may dash wildly about 
 him and still his eyes are fixed upon heaven and heavenly things. 
 The sainted one can exclaim, Oh, blessed memories ! how ye loom 
 
REMEMBER THY CREATOR IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH. 183 
 
 up from the past cheering me on through the cold waters of the Jor- 
 dan of death. 
 
 Oh ! youth ! beware and avoid every appearance of evil so as not to 
 learn the habits of the vile. Things when laid up in the memory 
 can never be forgotten, though they may lie dormant for a while, 
 and apparrently fade from the memory, they are in their nature im- 
 perishable, and are destined to revive again. How necessary, then 
 that you should bo governed aright so as to walk in wisdom's wayp, 
 and bring your acts and aims most powerful for good. You have 
 now launched out upon life's journey more or less elated with strong 
 hopes and prospects of success. To you all is joy and gladnest- 
 The rainbow of hope, sparkling with beauty and sublimity, spans 
 the entire arch of your future destiny. The prospects of having 
 happiness unalloyed in the future, and the many joyous and happy 
 scenes continually occurring, gladden your hearts and fill your souls 
 with high anticipations. You are looking forward to the time 
 when you exp«ct to possess a fortune, and you rush on to secure it 
 without a single thought of failure. And when all this is accom- 
 plished you in';end to turn to the Lord. But pause and remember 
 that while yoa are in the midst of life you are also in the midst of 
 death. Let each of you then take the matter home to your hearts, 
 and ask yourselves the all impoitant question, Am I prepared for 
 that eternity to which I am fast hastening. Now is the time, 
 when in health and vigor and in the springtime of life, to put forth 
 blossoms that when the autumn days shall come each of you may be 
 as a shock of corn fully ripe for the great harvest day, to be gathered 
 into those mansions not made with hands eternal in the heavenr. 
 RemsmVjer also that the world and all itu fullness is before you and 
 you should labor manfully for a heritage therein. Write your names 
 on the .sltoU of virtue, and lot dignity of soul be the climax of your 
 aspirations. . , , 
 
 Filled with 'jiMtitude for a prospect so full of bliss our aspirations 
 should ooutinually be towards that happy land. " BK;s8 the Lord, 
 oh my soul, and all that is within me join to bless His holy name." 
 Put your trust in the promises of Him who endured the cross, des- 
 pised the shame, and has sat down on the right hand of the throne 
 of God. Turn from earth's vain and fleeting show and by the aid 
 of the blessed Redeemer, crush the passions and show to the world 
 that you have Christ formed within the hoi>e of glory. 
 
184 
 
 OUtt CniLDIIOOD HOME. 
 
 ■■ This world with all her vain pomp and show^ is rapidiy pa Bing 
 away. You are treading life's slippery paths and hastening on to 
 death and judgment. Time is continually be.-xring you onward. 
 The poet very beautifully expresses it, 
 
 " Time is winginp us awny ^ 
 , ; , . , ,, • I To our eternal Lome. , t 
 
 Life is but a wiuter's day, 
 ' *.i A journey to the tomb. 
 
 ..,,.■: . , Youth and viKor soon will flea, 
 
 Blooming beauty lose its oharras, 
 All that's mortal soon shall bo 
 Enclosed in death's cold arms. 
 
 The question will soon be asked, where are you "? The answer will 
 be, gone to dwell in the silent city. In conclusion we exhort you to 
 turn to the Lord while your years are young and tender. And may 
 it be said of you when the pale hand of death is laid upon you that 
 you have gone home to rest. Then remember your Cieator in early 
 life that you may also be remembered by Ilim throughout your 
 earthly pilgrimage. Study well the Bible. It is your only chart to 
 heaven. Be like Timothy, who from a child knew the Holy Scrip- 
 tures. Now is the time, in the morning of your pilgrimage, and a 
 crown of lifj will be yours forever. 
 
 ■ 1 1 
 
 ■ ; ' I. • ■ ■ . 
 
 r 
 
 f I 
 
 '.1 I 
 ■ • ! . 
 
 
 OUR CHILDHOOD HOME. 
 
 Our chikUiood home, our dearest home, 
 
 How joyous were the days 
 When brothers, sisters all would com(>. 
 
 And join in youthful plays. 
 The pleasant scenes from hill so fair 
 
 From which we loved to look, 
 Then chase the floating butterlly 
 
 Or prattle iu the brook. 
 
 Our childliood home, our happy homo, 
 
 Wo never shall forget 
 The peaceful hours wo thcu enjoyed 
 
 E'er time or vain regret 
 Had stole tlio flush from off our cliojk 
 
 And dimmed our cheerful eye. 
 Or cast n shadow o'er the years 
 
 That paBS'id so quietly by. 
 
 And when in future tinia our heart 
 
 t hall be oopressitd b. care 
 W( 11 close f ur eyes to 11 around 
 
 And think again we'i i? there — 
 
 ';fr)}^yiif 
 
naiNG UP YOUR CHILDREN ETC. 185 
 
 Sitting boncath tlio lovely trocs ' 
 
 Upon tho bright hill side, ' < 
 
 Where oft we've sat and r.to tho fruit 
 
 In all our childish pride. ^ 
 
 But now no more we'll see the brook, 
 
 Or listen to tho broezo 
 That gently whistled thioagh the boughs 
 
 Or sported 'mongst its leaves. 
 Tho birds that sweetly sang amid 
 
 The old trees' shady bowers 
 Will sing no more their songs to us 
 
 As in those happy hours. 
 
 Nor never shall we hear tho steps , 
 
 Ee-ocho through the hall 
 As in the happy days of youth, ' 
 
 Which brought such joy to all. 
 And then tho sports upon the green 
 
 Have faded from our view ; r 
 
 And oft our bosom heaves with pain 
 
 When e'er we sigh adieu. 
 
 .il w . 
 
 And when in death they lay us low 
 ' Upon tho earth's cold breast ; .;..,••. 
 
 , Wo hope in that dear fairy spot i , p ■ 
 
 Our form may safely rest , ,, 
 
 Among the scenes, the pleasant scones 
 ■ , viif Where wo once loved to roam, i-> i 
 
 Beneath tho trees so dear to us 
 "^'' ■''■' Aroiuid our childhood home. ' 
 
 
 BRING UP YOUR CHILDREN IN THE NURTURE AND 
 ,, ,„,., ^^, , ADMONITION _0F^ THE LORD. , , , ,, 
 
 How pleasant and hov? sweet it is to dwell on the beautiful and 
 picturesque of family worf?hip, — when the parents are engaged in 
 training; their children in the pathway of holiness. All must ad- 
 mit that a thorough training is absolutely necessary to fit and pre- 
 pare the child for future usefulness. The parents will be amply re- 
 paid for the time and labor devoted to the culture of those commit- 
 ted to their charge. But it is certainly very evident that in order 
 to direct a child to walk in wisdom's ways, parents must set the 
 eriarapij?,. for example, you all know, is much better than precept. 
 The effect is moi-e enduring. And all the duties of Christianity are 
 very solemn and venerable in the eyes of children. But none so 
 strongly proves the sincerity of the parent, none so beautifully and 
 powei*fully awakens the reverence of the child, and none so happily 
 
186 BRINO UP YOUR CHILDREN ETC. 
 
 recommends the instruction he receives as family worsliip, particu- 
 larly those in which petitions for the children occupy a distinguished 
 place. 
 
 It is truly very evident that many train up their children to a 
 knowledge of their own occupations, inculcating morality, and thus 
 striving to make them respectable citizens of society. But it is quite 
 obvious that something more is required to elevate them, to ally 
 them to angels, and bring them near to God. The deeper the foun- 
 dation is laid in virtue, the steadier, the firmer, and more impreg- 
 nable will be the superstructure. Remember that Christ is the 
 chief corner stone on which to build. He is truly the Rook of 
 Ages. In the language of another, then, *' Think not that more 
 secular knowledge will resist the storms of temptation and time. 
 Husbandmen tell us that in order to secure an ample return it is 
 necessary to throw up the subsoil. Economy and morality are the 
 upper surface ; religion is the undersoil ; and where this department 
 is stirred and pulverized there is no danger of the superficial layer 
 being well tilled and in proper condition. Oh ! how many foolish 
 parents sow the wind at'.d reap the whirlwind ! It is indeed an 
 awful thing to be a parent as well as a youth. O, parents, beware 1 
 
 It is religion alone that can afford " the promise of the life that 
 now is and ot that which is to come." What does it all amount to 
 in the hour of death, even thoxtgh your sons and daughters were 
 ranking high among the proud of earth, and still should be un2)re- 
 pared to enjoy the Golden City 1 
 
 Man, though a sinner, is neither beyond the pale of hope nor the 
 boundary of mercy. , The human heart, though naturally composed 
 of stone, is capable of being molified. Perseverance, prayer, and 
 faith, will remove mountains. Aud when the soul shall be sancti- 
 fied, redeemed, and set down, clothed in the habiliments of immor- 
 tality upon the eternal throne, oh, what a sparkling jewel will be 
 added to your crown of glory ! 
 
 Press on ! press on, dear sainted one, "for life is real, life is eiirnest, 
 and the grave is not its goal." Yes, onward, in the path of duty, 
 for the Prophet tells us that "they that turn many to righteousnegs 
 shall shine as the stars for ever and ever." Say not then that there 
 is nought worth laboring for, when within this tenement of clay 
 there is an immortal spirit which must live for ever in the presence 
 of God, or to sink down to hell there to wrestle forever with the 
 
flamo vp YOUR cuildiien etc. 187 
 
 Worm tiiat dieth not, and the fire that is not quenched ; nay, it can- 
 not be by mortals here below. It surely must; be delightful when 
 reflecting from the resting places of life's restless commotion, that 
 there upon the Hill of Zion stands our eternal home. 
 
 Parents not unfrequently become discouraged on account of the 
 waywardness of their children. Some of the most godly parents have 
 wild and very ungodly children. But the reason may be attributed 
 to different causes. Probably the parents may have been too indul- 
 gent, and consequently failed to study the dispositions and temper, 
 aments of their offspring. On the other hand no visible effect may 
 be produced at the time being, but afterward, long after the father 
 and mother are sleeping in the silent tomb, they may, through their 
 former teaching in childhood, be led to turn from the orror of their 
 ways to serve our Heavenly Father. It has been truly said that a 
 father's council and a mother'a prayera have been as life from the 
 dead to the wandering prodigal. Oh parents ! learn from this never 
 to cease praying for your children, however wicked they may be. 
 Perhaps far away in some distant land, God may write upon their 
 hearts the lessons you taught them in their youth, and they may cry 
 " God of my father and of my mother have mercy upon me ! " 
 
 How delightful, nay how soul-stirring and heart cheering, for u be- 
 loved parent to meet their family group in paradise. After 
 the Christian has ascended the hill of glory, and the children 
 stimulated by the godly example left them ai-e endeavoring to keep 
 themselves pure in this vale of teai's— after angels have entwined 
 their silvery locks with the fillet of Divine approbation' — after Satan 
 has stamped and foamed in fury, ihat another band of pious souls 
 have broken the chains of their captivity, and ilung them back 
 against the walls of the dungeon — after the deep tide of death bus 
 been touched, crimsoned with the blood of countless victims — after 
 fiery steeds appear above, resplendent with gold and azure, lowering 
 their celestial car to bear those pilgrims to the mansions of peace 
 where our Elder Brother reigns. Behold those happy spirits stand- 
 ing at the sapphire gates, with transparent robes glittering like a 
 sunbeam, and crowns dazzling with gems and lustre, and their feet 
 like polished brass. Behold their white hands waiving in accla- 
 mation, and see their immortal eyes flashing flashes of indescribable 
 joy ! Their golden harps are flung behind them in transport, as 
 they fly to receive the strangers from the giant arms of Death ! It 
 
166 bRIKO UP YOUR CUILDREN &t6. 
 
 is the glorified parents rushing to embrace their loved ones and wel- 
 come them home amid the anthems of angels, never to \ art again. 
 We now leave imagination to conceive their holy rapture — their days 
 of endless endearment under the shades, the arbors, and by the rivers 
 of paradise. May we then not exclaim with the poet : 
 
 "Twine, twino the victor's wicath ; • • *■ 
 
 '.' ►-'•.. i';v Spirits that meet them, 'm,(;,j,«>/. 
 
 1. ,tr\;,;7 ,. . Sweet songs of triumph breathe, ; >. , -v .,..:;■ Mi-. 
 
 S'iraphs to greet tliem. . v , 
 
 i' 4<« ■• '' From their high resting plnco, 'i-Uuf >;;.:■ • - 
 
 ,.,*,,• :<; . Who shall them sever ? :;.j(i ,>j**.<''' • l-.'« , ! .' 
 
 ' With their God face to face, 
 
 • I' ''I Leave them forever." 
 
 Parents do you anticipate this unbounded felicity 1 If you do you 
 must walk before your children to heaven. You must shout, boys 
 on ! girls onward ! and lead them with you, and lead them after you. 
 How could your cup of happiness be full if these precious gems of 
 the soul were exiles from parailise. Alas that such should be the 
 case ! 
 
 It is sweet to think that you will be remembered in after years^ 
 when your tenements of clay will be committed to earth ; dust to 
 dust, and ashes to ashes, by those you have trained for heaven, with 
 deep affection. Your names will be breathed in youthful ears with 
 dreams and memories of the past, sacred and hallowed with sweet 
 recollections of the days of auld lang syne. 
 
 Yes, you will certainly bless the Lord that he has given you chil- 
 dren to train up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, when 
 your heads have become silvered over with gray. Tell us not then, 
 of the trim, precisely arranged homes where there are no children ; 
 tell us not of the never disturbed nights and days, of the tranquil 
 unanxious hearts where children are not; we care not for these 
 things. God gives us children to enlarge our hearts, to make us 
 unselfish and full of kindly sympathies and affections ; to give our 
 souls higher aims and thus enoble and glorify our happy firesides 
 and cheer us on to the eternal throne. 
 
 Then let the blooming children rejoice in their play, knowing that 
 some day they will bend beneath the infirmities of old age ; and in 
 that melancholy day the sweet hours of childhood will be remem- 
 bered. The western sky may shut out the beautiful aurora and the 
 eastern glow may be reflected in the west, but the clouds become 
 ' darker and no second sun arises in life. Consequently let the chil* 
 
*rlie IKCORRtlPTlBLe IMbBRlTAKOe. ISd 
 
 (^ron rejoice while the rose color of the morning of life glides past 
 thein like the tinted flowers fluttering to meet the sun. May Qod 
 grant to let his manifold blessings rest upon every parent and enable 
 them to meet their fumilies in Heaven. 
 
 !■ : 
 
 THE INCORRUPTIBLE INHERITANCE. 
 
 )\y 
 
 Those that daily love the Savior, 
 
 j,.,i,,, .. ,; ^,.;i That obey His sacred word, <•; • ii,)' 111 
 
 , . ' , '' '" Tftko it as their rule of action, ' ,,' 
 
 [t: ,..!:', »*\ ,iil> Take it as the Christian's Bword. ■''■•in-\\ fti- t.f 
 !• 'i;ii •■"'^ ,!j They'll enjoy that rich inhor'tanoe, ^_ »v^;m' •.! >[', - - 
 , , It can never, never fail ; . - ' 
 
 ., ' And they'll tread its vales and mountains •" 
 
 ,1, ,i . riM T j;i ' Lying 'cross death's gloomy vale. , li'* i/ 
 
 ' *■' ' : Fain would now our longing spirit .'*' J>'' - ■^-■'' 
 
 I't-A. !' L, !i -;'. I'i Wander o'er those plains 80 fair, .",if,' t. ;.,:(i>(i.-.-t; 
 
 ' . , ' And long breathe its living freshness , , ' ' .' , 
 
 ■ '; • , ; ' ! 1 i From the purhug fountains there. '< ■ ' " ' ' " '' > 
 
 • 1,^, ^ ., |, And no soil of nature's evil, * . - ! 'rl ,'!,i,;.. 
 
 .' No rude touch of man's frail hand ". , , 
 
 • i ' ' ••■'•^ .'■Ml. Can e'er mar the loveliness "" • i ^ •' . tM" 
 
 ,:;,,:, jjj. , [ Of that bright— that happy land. .- .,; ^ i* .»: i;-' 
 
 ;r;-.' • ' That inheritance is lasting. 
 
 -j,. y ^/ . It can never be defiled, ';;'.o ,.'»'* , 
 
 ' ' ' Neither can it be corrupted ' " >'■ 
 
 ! . ' ■ i> ! ti li -• By earth's travellers rude and wild- » i ' 
 
 . f ](i,' That inheritance, God gave it — 
 Gave it to His only Son ; 
 ' ■ .1 And His children now are joint heirs, 
 
 Those the Savior's will have done. 
 
 0, the charms that woo the senses ; '"k' 
 
 Glimpses of that far off homo ; , y 
 
 They revive our drooping spirits 
 With sweet hopes of joy to come. 
 
 And the echo of that music ,-. 
 
 As it floats upon the air 
 
 Tells us of a loving Savior '■'' 
 
 In that blissful home O'er There. ^ 
 
 -? 
 
 And the language of God's children 
 
 Gliding through His sacred word, 
 They come ringing down the ages 
 
 Giving praise to God adored. 
 Praise 'Qixa. for His matchless wisdom 
 
 In preparing a home above ; 
 Praise Him for that rich inheritance 
 
 In that land of light and love. 
 
 '.,. i *. 
 
 •w-' 
 
 'V-i'i 
 
 V'ii 
 
 \v M^r 
 
 i> li-i 
 
 /*,■• 
 
 MI-.^lrM 
 
 '.', '^' " 
 
 *[ ■ 
 
 
 ■,iiU. 
 
 ■JfJl; 
 
 l-=» ' 
 
 
lOd ' UOLtNE^S VNTofTaE! tOftb. 
 
 ^'• 
 
 0, what joy, what light is beaming 
 
 Issuing from Him who's the Sun— 
 Who has promised Hfe and riches 
 
 To those whom the race have run. 
 And we know that if we're faithful 
 
 Crowns of victory we shall bear. 
 And we'll dwell with Christ forever 
 
 Free from sorrow, pain and care. 
 
 HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 
 
 It is quite probable there is nothing more elevating in its nature 
 than Holiness unto the Lord •£ Hosts. The prophet Zacbariah ap- 
 peal's to hare caught a glimpse of future glory in the golden age of 
 humanity. Isaiah the Prophet who more than once tuned his harp 
 to celebrate th« praises of Jehovah, also predicted that her merchan- 
 dise and her hii'e shall be holiness unto the Lord ; it shall not be 
 treasured or laid up for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell 
 before the Lord to eat sufficient and for durable clothing. " And 
 still further, " And an highway shall be there and a way, and it 
 shall be called th^ way ofhoUneaa ; the unclean shall not pass over it, 
 but it shall be for those, the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not 
 err therein." We are also told by our Savior that " straight is the 
 gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life." We are still 
 further informed by the Kevelator, John, tha^ there shall in no 
 wise enter into it anything that defileth ; neither whatsoever 
 worketh abomination, or maketh a lie ; but they which are written 
 in the Lamb's book of life." 
 
 But the prediction of Zachariah appears to have special reference 
 to a |)eriod in the history of our race when light and knowledge will 
 be spread from pole to pole, and from the rivers to the ends of the 
 earth. The power of Satan is so strong ; his fascinating allurements 
 so great, hb rule so despotic, that spirital things are shut out in a 
 great measure, and darkness spreads his gloomy covering over every 
 tribe of earth. Go where you will amid the high, or the low, the 
 lich or the poor, and universal darkness reigns to a greater or less 
 extent. Just notice for a short time the condition of those that in- 
 habit the wilds of North America, and take a circuitous route down 
 through the United States, Mexico, Brazil, and on down through to 
 the wilds of Patagonia. Follow then to the isles of the sea. For a 
 
HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD. 191 
 
 moiuect loolc at poor deluded and injured Africa, whose sons have 
 been for long centuries the slaves of the world, and whose piteous 
 cries have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbaoth. Then 
 notice Australia who boasts of superior civilization. Come around 
 then to Japan, and China, long, long secluded from the eyes of the 
 world. Millions there bow down to, and worahip the works of their 
 own hands. But stop not here. Go on through Asia and visit the 
 Holy Land, the cradle of the human race. What emotions fill our 
 bosoms as we linger around where our Sa. ior was wont to dwell, 
 and now behold that land which once flowed with milk and honey, 
 enshrouded in darkness. But stop hot and tarry no longer here — • 
 cross the Red Sea — ponder agai n oxm' poor Africa, having looked 
 with longing regret upon the tent of the poor Hindoo and the 
 dwelling of the poor Arab. Yes bid adieu to that land which one 
 day possessed saints of whom the world was not worthy. Such men 
 as Isaiah who was sawn asunder and a host of ancient worthies who 
 wandered in dens and caves of the earth. Yes, and take a longing 
 look at the sons of Ham, cross the cold Mediterranean, a sea which 
 the ancients sup)X>sed to be in tho middle of the world, and enter 
 Greece, lovely Greece, beautiful with pleasant valleys and laurel 
 groves ; immortalized in song and eloquence of unrivalled richness 
 and sublimity. A land that gave birth to Demosthenes and other 
 orators whose fame is as wide as the world and imperishable as the 
 stars. And then pass on to Turkey, and examine the harem of the 
 Turk. Darkness, darkness broods over these people like that of 
 Greece. Onward then through Bussia, Norway and Sweden, down 
 through Holland, and Belgium, and Austria, and Prussia, and 
 France, and Spain, and we are led to exclaim wich the prophet on 
 beholding the waste places of Zion, " O, that the Lord would arise 
 upon thee, and His glory be seen upon thee that the nations might 
 come to thy light and kings to the brightness of thy risiog." But bid- 
 ding adieu we hasten on to Italy, land of departed fame ! whose 
 classic hills and laurel groves have echoed immortal strains ; whose 
 soil has given a birth place to bards, chieftaius and monarchs of 
 giant powers ; and whose sovereign masters of the pencil amd the 
 chisel have maile ihc canvass breathe and the marble speak, presents 
 a sad monun:entof uiontl desolation. We linger a short time around 
 the Eternal City and then pass on to Old England whose flag has 
 braved a thousand years the battle and the breeze. But proud as Eng- 
 
192 HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD. 
 
 land is, her territory erroans with thousnnds of poor starving humanity. 
 It 18 truly a land of suffering — a land of wickedness, but incomparably 
 ahead of the other countries of the East. Indeed, where the light of 
 the Bible has gone and homage is paid to the Supreme Being, " man 
 stands forth as he should be," the noblest work of God. But a bet- 
 tor time is coming. 
 
 The Prophet Zachariah looics beyond Satan's fearful sway — beyond 
 his corrupting influence — beyond his fearful I'eign, when his scepter 
 shall depart, and he shall be bound and be kept to receive his just 
 i-eward. The sun of truth will then burst through every clime— 
 into every dark corner of the globe. It will ftive light to those that 
 sit in dai'kness, and in the shadow of death. Its genial and vivify- 
 ing rays will illuminate the soul, cause all ignorance to depart and 
 error and darkness to flee away. Then will there be liberty — un- 
 bounded liberty, and freedom — unbounded freedom to the mind, 
 which will enable it to soar away and hold converse with a thousand 
 worlds. Nothing will retard the progress of the soul. Day by day 
 it will be marching onward from height to height of moi-al expansion, 
 and from one eminence of glory to an eminence brighter still. It 
 will be a time of general spirituality. Holiness unto the Lord will 
 fill the whole earth. The kingdom of God will then be over all 
 earth's inhabitants. Earthly pursuits will have all passed away, 
 ambition and pride will be ended, and strife and contention will be 
 heard of no moi-e. The scepter of oppression will be broken, and 
 nothing will occur to mar earth's felicity, which will fit it for a 
 higher state of worship and a service purer and more exalted than 
 our vile earth ever saw. 
 
 Zachariah even pi'edicts that " in that day shall there be upon the 
 bells of the horses, holiness unto the liOrd." Tliis prediction is truly 
 broad in its meaning and application. Everything will then le 
 made subservient to the will of the Lord. Then will the world 
 breathe a spiritual atmosphere, and holiness unto the Lord will 
 surround the earth like a great belt and embrace the globe with 
 unmingleil gladness. On every corner of tlie street, in every work- 
 shop, man in his transaction with his fellow man, in the marts of 
 busit^ess, in legislative halls and in short everywhere will the song 
 of joy 1)0 heard, " Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. 
 " Holiness unto the liord." 
 
 Job and Diiiie! ton looked forwaid and Imlield the Ancient of 
 
HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD. 103 
 
 days when the angels and all the seraphs of light would exclaim, 
 " Holiness unto the Lord," " Holiness unto the Lord." O for the 
 joys of those halcyon days ! Holiness unto the Lord will then 
 dwell frum the rivers to the ends of the earth ; and all shall know 
 the Lord from the least to the gi-eatest — songs of ecstacy and joy 
 will roll on forever. Oh ! what a joyful meeting. Heaven and 
 earth will join together and help to swell the mighty chorus : 
 '* Hallelujah, for the Lord, God, Omnipotent reigneth !" What a 
 scene ! The sorrows of earth will pass away and the joys of eternity 
 will be ushered in. 
 
 Awake I O Christian ! awake to nobler deeds! Arouse; strive 
 to be holy to be prepared for the j^reat rising day. God will not 
 look upon sin with any allowance. He says, " Be ye holy tor I 
 am holy." He requires us to be pure ; otherwise we would be un- 
 fit for the society of Heaven. Are we then laboring to this end ? 
 Let us pause a moment, and see what we are doing to increase our 
 happiness hero and that too beyond the grave. Ponder over the 
 past, and resolve to be more faithful. A time is coming, 'twill not 
 be long. Soon our pilgrimage will be ended ; and as a tree falls so 
 it lies. He that is unjust let him be unjust still ; ho that is polluted 
 will be polluted still ; he that is righteous will be righteous still ; 
 and he that is holy will be holy still. After daath comes the judg- 
 ment. What a solemn thought ! we must all stand before the 
 judgment seat of Christ. Oh ! that you and I may not be of that 
 number thatshall call for the rocks and themountains to fall upon them 
 and hide them from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and 
 from the w?ath of the Lamb." God only knows how long before we 
 shall be in the eternal world — perhaps before the close of the present 
 year. What are we about 1 Are we laying up treasures in those 
 heavenly mansions ? Are we livinga life of holiness 1 Do we realize 
 our immortal destiny 1 Listen ! yes listen to the sweet voice of the 
 dear Savior gliding through the smooth whispers of His revelation. 
 Hearken to His claims. Think of them by day and by night, grow 
 in grace, increase in holiness, and in the end God will give you the 
 victory. 
 
194 THAT MKKTING I'LACE. 
 
 ■..O/ .1* 
 
 THAT MEETING PLACE 
 
 Wlion shall wo moot no more to part, 
 
 And I'liil our earthly rac(! '.' 
 Wlicro wcfirv mortnlH, tired and faint, ' 
 
 May Hud a resting place ? 
 
 A voice rcBpouds up yonder, there — 
 
 Where l^looms perennial flowerK ; 
 Where they Hhall never fade uor die 
 
 Jlid Eden's lovely bowers. 
 
 Tlie sun it never scorclies there, . ■ ,, 
 
 No star beam ever chills ; 
 No tempest sweeps o'er those bright plains. 
 
 Nor echoes o'er the hills, 
 
 i ' ' 
 
 No darkness reiftns, no night is there ; 'i ■ . •' 
 
 It is perpetual day ; ; 
 
 The Raviov is the light thereof, 
 
 To honor and obey. - •!• >.■ I' > • 
 
 li\s\A\n\.^\sico, that meeting place 
 
 Which Clod designs to give •' ■ fi^vuifj-ii. 
 
 To earth's tired trav'lers here below, , ,. , ; . , .^ , 
 
 That they may rest and live. 
 
 In that fair land, no parting's there ,- •, • i ,■.■,'; 
 
 To sever friends so true ; 
 No claspings, sobbings, meanings o'er, ■ '1' 
 
 No tender, sad adieu. , ; , , j 
 
 No heavy hearts, no midnight walks ; 
 
 No twilight weeping there ; 
 No heavy loads mid noontide hours. 
 
 No sickness, pain nor care, 
 
 i.'tl 
 All sighing there sliall flee away ; 
 
 And sorrow will be o'er ; 
 For death can never reacli that land 
 
 To tread the Golden Shore. 
 
 There shall the ransomed ones return, 
 
 (For this the Lord has said ;) , 
 
 With everlasting songs of praise, ' '"'' 
 ., And joys upon their hoaid. 
 
 The mom shall wake in splendor thcro 
 
 It is that longed for day ; 
 The dawning of that bettia- world, 
 
 Where all the good shall stay. 
 
 It is that place, that meeting place 
 
 For those who loved the Lord ; 
 Who walked the narrow way on earth 
 
 And learned to obey His word. 
 
 .: it 
 
 -..»' *' ' 
 
 ►'rt ^'. 
 
 li!'! i 
 
 "'111 ' 
 
 ■ ,.,::•, • 
 
 ■'.•! " 
 
 •,.'■{ < »fl! 
 
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 .ti: V 
 
 .:;<■■ .: Ml 
 
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 MU i"*- 
 
 • ,> . 
 
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 (•«■ 
 
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? 196 
 
 It is that place which God has said, 
 
 He'd KJve His chihlicn dear ; 
 It is that place, liomc of the blest, • . ■ : , 
 
 lu yonder glorious sphere. 
 
 -.J ■ ■ ' 
 
 There pilgrims may we meet at last • u' , ' 
 Meet nevermore to part, 
 
 '•»',V .-I ,tj.:>' Where rest and peace and joy a jound, '" ' 
 
 Filliuf,' with joy the Heuii,. , ' . . ■ , 
 
 ; I 
 
 ; t! 
 
 '1 
 
 t!'i.,f - 
 
 ' '. 
 
 ^ ) 
 
 >if Si 
 
 U ' 
 
 
 •1 'I '■ ■ ■■',■■ It is that place, that meeting pkce, 
 ,,-!*(- t* •". 1 The Zion God hiia given ; _•( 
 
 The saints sweet rest, that blest abode, 
 •ijj . 1 tu>ii The saints sweet liomo in licavcn. 
 
 .•• Mi.,., Acts II. Chapter, XXXVII. Verse 
 
 t 1 
 
 •I. 1 
 
 WHAT MUST I DO 70 BE SAVED ? 
 
 This is one of the most important questions that coiiUl be pi'o- 
 pouncled ; and the answer should be given cautiously, and in the 
 fear of the Lord. Yet it is not our object to answer this question, 
 because the Bible has definitely answered it many centuries ago, and 
 that is sufficient. 
 
 It should be remembered that the answer is nowhere given save 
 in the Acts of the Apostles ; and even there it is only given thi'oo 
 times. The first is given by the Apostle Peter on the day of Pente- 
 cost. " Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts 
 and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the Apostles, men and brethren 
 what shall we do ? Then Peter said unto them repent and be Bap- 
 tized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission 
 of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Paul asked 
 the second question, and he tremblingly and astonishingly said, 
 " Lord what wilt thou have me to do T Ananias answered it and 
 said, "Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the 
 name of the Lord." Paul and Silas answered the third question. 
 '' And brought them out and said, Sirs what must I do to be saved ? 
 And they said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be 
 saved and thy house." 
 
 Now, we have given all the answers that were ever given by the 
 Apostles ; and surely these are quite sufficient to satisfy every 
 anxious inquirer. Yet, probably some of you may say that baptism is 
 unnecessary because it is not found in the answer given by Paul and 
 
19G WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED 1 
 
 Silas. We then, with equally as much logic, might say that belief 
 is non essential because it is not found in the answers given by Peter 
 and Ananias. You will please observe that Peter requires only 
 Repentance and Baptism. Ananias requires nothing but to be bap- 
 tised. And Paul and Silas only asked the jailer to believe and he 
 should be saved. Now, in order to Salvation, they all recjuire Faith, 
 Repentance and Baptism. 
 
 The apparent discrepancy in the answers given is doubtless owing 
 to the different circumstances under which the question was asked. 
 And when these circumstances are taken into consideration the an- 
 swers perfectly harmonize. It was not necessary for the Apostle 
 Peter on the day of Pentecost to tell the inquiring Jews to believe, 
 for they already believed. Saul was not told to believe or repent 
 for the circumstances showed that he had done both. But the jailer 
 was only told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he should be 
 saved. He being a Pagan, and asking Paul and Silas before they 
 had taught him, their answer was certainly in harmony with the 
 others, for we learn after they had spake unto him and to all that 
 were in his house they were taken the same hour of the night and 
 were baptized, he and all his straightway. Acta XVI., XXXII. 
 and XXXIII. In view of this who can doubt that Faith, Repent- 
 ance and Baptism are all necessary for the remission of sins. How 
 very important it is that we should be safe in these matters. 
 
 When we have complied with the requirements of the Lord, we 
 have the testimony that our sins are pardoned. These requirements 
 are belief, repentance and baptism. Now any person compos mentis 
 knows when he has performed these and consequently complied with 
 the requirements of the Lord. 
 
 1. To Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is to take him at His 
 word. Surely there is not the slightest doubt as to its meaning. 
 We are to believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of all those 
 that diligently seek him. Paul tells us that faith is the substance of 
 things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Or in other words, 
 faith is the belief of testimony. Every peraon knows whether they 
 believe the Gospel — whether they believe with all their heart that • 
 Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God. 
 
 2. Repentance comes next, and means a change in ones mode of 
 thinking, feeling and acting — an amendment of life. Most assuredly '^ ' 
 all know when they obey the dear Savior from their heart and turn ^'' 
 
WHAT MUST I DO TO KE SAVED? 197 
 
 to Hiin and live. The word rejyentance comes from the Greek, and 
 means to turn , it is turning from sin to serve the living and true 
 God. Baptism is an action in which believers are buried in order 
 that they may arise to walk in newness of life. The Greek Lexi- 
 cons agree with the Bible on this point. All men noted for learning 
 and erudition agree that an immersion in water in the name of the 
 Father, Son and Holy Spirit is Christian baptism. Spiinkling and 
 pouring are extremely doubtful but immersion nobody doubts, there- 
 fore if you would be sure of pardon — of being saved, believe, repent 
 and be baptized, and your adoption is as sui-e as God can make it. 
 And if you continue faithful through life, you will be privileged to 
 enjoy a glorious eternity. 
 
 Now each of us have an important work to perform. And we 
 are exhorted by the Apostle Paul to do our own business. What 
 an excellent exhortation. Who htm not been perplexed and even 
 injured by having others frequently minding our business, thus 
 doing the work that belonged to us instead of their own. It would 
 appear oftentimes as though many individuals did not know what 
 belonged to their own work, for if they did, as a matter of course 
 they virould attend to it, instead of attending to the work of others. 
 But methinks I hear the question asked. What is my work 1 In 
 answering this, permit me to be curious enough, to do so by asking 
 you a few questions. Is it not your work to live soberly, righteously 
 and godly, and daily lay up treasures that can never be corrupted ? 
 Is it not likewise your work to bring forth the fruits of the spirit — 
 pray without ceasing — in everything give th8.nk8, and thus con- 
 tinually make preparation for heaven ? Most certainly it is, 
 inasmuch as you are only pilgrims, having no abiding place here. 
 We beseech you then with tenderness and love, not to put oflf your 
 work even for a day. No, no, for soon the evil days will com* and 
 the door will be shut. Oh ! God forbid that this should be the fate 
 of any of us, who are capable of enjoying that inheritance promised 
 to the redeemed. It is evident that if we ever enjoy that inheri- 
 tance, we must be full of good works — daily abounding in the work 
 of the Lord. If, on the other hand, we fail to do our own work, 
 the work which God has assigned us, the gloom of hell must cue 
 day settle over our lost and burning spirits. Oh, how can it be 
 that amid warnings and threatenings, commands and promises, w« 
 fail to do the work which God has required at our hands. It ap- 
 
198 WHAT MUST I DO TO HE SAVED 1 
 
 pears strange, but it is so, and it goes very far to show the depravity 
 of the human heart. But the Lord is mercifnl. On him we must 
 rely ; for He will reward uj according to oixr v/orks. 
 
 We desire to exhort you earnestly because Satan is in earnest to 
 ensnare you ; the world is in earnest to allure you ; God is in earnest 
 to save you ; Christ was indeed in earnest when he died that you 
 might live ; the Holy Spirit, too, is in earnest when He reproves 
 you ; angels also are in earnest when they wait your final choice ; 
 Saints likewise are in earnest as they beseech you to turn and live. 
 A re you careless ? Are you secure 1 Will you neglect such mighty 
 interests 1 O, sinner, will you be lost ? You think of the heavenly ' * 
 glory ; will you lose it 1 You intend seeking the Savior ; but now, 
 when lie is seeking you, will you spurn his mercy and his love t 
 The Good Shepherd is seeking you, but ho seeks in vain, and if you 
 reject him, do not think that yoNr seeking Hira will be effectual 
 when the Day of Jiidgment comes." ' '" «"• ' ' '" """ ' 
 
 Do you contemplate that day ] Do you ever think that sometimes 
 in such an hour as you think not, in the midst of all earth's carnal 
 slumber, when men ai-e putting danger far away, when all are secure 
 as Sodom, or thoughtless a«i in the days of Noah, that awful day will 
 burst upon the world ? When that day comes where will you be 
 found 1 Here you are gay and light hearted ; will you then sink 
 hopeless in despair 1 Here you may lift up the voice of song — shall 
 it be singing there, beside the crystal streams, or shall it be weeping 
 and wailing amid the last moments of expiring hope and fleeting 
 
 life." Mir., .^i.WM> . . vi../ ... .,'■■'" ""*" V ■ 
 
 The day of separation will come. The Judge standeth before the 
 door. Soon shall he call us to His presence. He shall come in His 
 glory with all His holy angels. Around His throne shall congregate 
 the assembled hosts of earth. He shall seperate them as the shep- 
 herd divideth the sheep from the goats. Some shall take the right 
 hand ; they are saved with an eternal salvation. Some shall stand 
 upon the left. They are lost. One company comoth at the bidding 
 of the Judge to inherit a crown, a kingdom, dominion and glory. 
 They are saved. The othera shall depart. Ah ! God save us from 
 their destiny I They are lost ! Lost amid the agonies of the second 
 death. Lost in the fierceness of eternal fire." 
 
 And who shall make up that countless army of the lost 1 Will 
 you be among them 1 Will there be among them your friends, your 
 
SAVIOR WE AllE COMINO. 109 
 
 companion, your children, your lovocl onos? If saved yourself will 
 yau be saved alone t Will yon, while standing amid the joys of 
 heavenly bliss be led to exclaim. Oh that my friends, my father, my 
 mother, my husband, my wife or my children were here to share all 
 this ! but they are lost — lost without « warning, an invitation, an 
 entreaty or a prayer from me ?" 
 
 Dear friends shall you and I meet there 1 Shall we bo among 
 the saved 1 My heart yearns for your salvation. Strangers though 
 wo may be hero we shall become friends in the bright, eternal world. 
 Oh ! shall we not bo saved t Shall we not bo among that company 
 that celebi-ate the joys of heaven and eternity. May God grant that 
 each of us may be among that number that will exult in the songs 
 of rejoicing that will echo and ring over those bright plains of Par- 
 adise forever. Would to God that such might bo our final destiny. 
 
 SAVm WE ARE COMING. 
 
 Doaiost Savior, wo nro comi .g, 
 
 To that happy land we come ; 
 And our hearts with raptnro swelling 
 
 When we think of home, sweet home. 
 this world is ever changing — 
 
 Changing always— day by day ; 
 Those wc early loved are passing — 
 
 Passing down the stream away. 
 
 Earth 'tis true, it has its weeping, 
 All its labor and its care ; . ^.j;, ^,| , 
 
 '■' '•''■■ '' But then they who would bo grieving 
 
 ,.iii*»i| j! ...'—> <- Have far more than they can bear. ' » Inr.. 
 
 And oft when the dews of feeling. ^ 
 
 (Tather round the aching heart ; 
 And in the eyes are glistening ' "..1. :i'.. 
 
 ' . .', Like the diamonds when v/e part. .., , , ,.,. ,.; 
 
 ■iv*'^ti'""r' J^ii • • •' '*+ 
 
 •)} .*j'Ml'>«i;'lA Vv'f' When wo lay those of oiirnnmber, • "^ 
 
 .. ' - ' Down beneath the sodded mould ; 
 
 For to leave them there to slumber 
 bcj. ' ' ' '• In the dreary ground so cold. 
 
 'Tis of Heaven, then we're thinking— r 
 1"' '■ Thinking of our loved ones tlicre, 
 
 wjj,f, , Where there'll bo a joyful greeting 
 
 V In that blissful liome so fair. 
 
 .s • 
 
 Dear Savior we are watching. 
 
 Looking oft beyond the grave ; 
 Longing for that happy meeting 
 
 Just across death's raging wave. 
 
 « !>. 
 
200 REMEMnEK MK. 
 
 Day by day wo still arc comiiiR — 
 ,, CotniDK with ail anxious honrt ; 
 
 Looking for thy blost appearing 
 k' * Wlien we nevermore Bhall part. 
 
 For long yoars wo liave boon Railing — 
 Sailing for that Better Land ; 
 
 Hoping, praying, watching, longing, . 
 To cast anchor on the Strand. 
 
 how long wo have been coming — • 
 _ ' Marching onward to the fray, * 
 
 And tliough sometimoH wo are drooping. 
 Savior! wo will Thco obey. 
 
 Yes Dear Savior, we are coming — 
 • ' ' Coming to the Sunny Land ; 
 
 ilj ,, 1; And wo now are only lingering 
 With a Christian pilgrim band. 
 ' ' < ' Still we know that thoii art pleading 
 
 Ar we rido upon the wave ; 
 And Thou knowest we are coming 
 Through the cold and dreary grave. 
 
 But the shadows now are length'niug 
 
 As we daily onward glide ; 
 • And though faint, ycfc still pursuing 
 
 Passing to the other side. 
 To the morning land we're going. 
 
 To that home beyond the tide ; 
 Dearest Savior, wo are coming 
 
 On the wings of Time we ride. 
 
 REMEMBER ME. 
 
 The dear Savior has given His disciples an ordinance called the 
 Lord's Supper, as a memc ^ of His undying love for fallen human- 
 ity. It points to the most a£fecting and important matter connected 
 with the mission of Jesus. He gave it to His disciples and said, 
 " As oft as ye do it, do it in remembrance of me." And whenever 
 we partake of this ordinance it silently but eloquently whispers in 
 our ears, " Remember me." 
 
 We remember the many kind acts performed by our friends, and 
 why should we not also remember our Savior's ardent aifection for 
 us, which was truly unparallelled in its nature, intense in its ardor, 
 immense in its extent, and glorious in its issues and purposes. It 
 is very evident that His regard and love for man finds no example 
 in the history of our race, from the days of Adam till the present 
 time. Consider hig sufferings on Calvary-^His words of coraforti 
 
ukmi:mi!KU mk. 201 
 
 to the dying thief — the multitiulo firounil Him — and the slumeful 
 disgrace of His death. Not even to look on that ])allid face and 
 flowing blood could one get any conception of the stifiering of the 
 victim. The gloom and terror that began to gatlier round tlio soul, 
 as every aid, human and divine, withdrew itself, and it stood alone 
 in the deserted, darkened universe, and shuddered, was all unseen 
 by mortal eye. Yet even in this dreadful hour his benevolent hear^ 
 did not forget its friends. Looking down from the cross lie be- 
 held His mother gazing in tears ujton His face, and turning to John 
 the Apostle, He says, " Son behold thy mother." Afterwards turn- 
 in({ to his mother, He said, " Behold thy son," His business with 
 earthly things was now over, and he summoned his energies to meet 
 ihe last most terrible blow, before which nature was to give way. 
 He had hitherto endured all without a comidaint ; thu mocking, the 
 spitting upon, the cross, the nails and the agony, — but now came a 
 woo that broke His heart. His Father's — His own Father's frown 
 began to darken upon Him. Oh I who can tell the anguish 
 oi that loving, trusting, abandtmed heart at the sight. It was too 
 much, and there arose a cry so piercing and shrill and wild that the 
 universe shivered before it, and as the accents, " My God, my God, 
 why hast thou iorsaken me 1 " fell on the eara of astonished mortals, 
 and filled heaven with alarm, the earth gave a groan, as if she too 
 was about to expire ; the sun died in the heavens ; an earthquake 
 thundered on to complete the dismay ; and the dead could no longer 
 slsiip ; but burst their ghastly cerements, and came forth to look 
 upon the scene. This was the gloomiest wave that ever broke over 
 the soul of the Savior and he fell before it, Christ was dead. 
 
 How Heaven regarded this disaster, and how the universe felt at 
 the sight we cannot tell. We know not but that tears fell like rain- 
 drops from angelic eyes when they saw Christ spit upon, struck and 
 nailed to the shameful cross. We know not but there was silence 
 on high for more than " half an hour " when the scene of the cruci- 
 fixion was transpiring — a silence unbroken, save by the solitary 
 sound of some harp-string on which unconsciously fell the agitated, 
 trembling fingers of a seraph. We know not but all the radiant 
 ranks on high, and even Gab»-iel himself, turned with the deepest 
 solicitude to the Father's face, to see if he was calm and untroubled 
 amid it all. We know not but that His composed countenance 
 and serene majesty were all that restrained Heaven from one uni- 
 
L'Ol' UEMEMUER MK. 
 
 voi'Hol slirluk of horror when they heard the dyiag groans on 
 (jrtlvary. We know not but that they thought Clod had " given hia 
 glory to unothor ;" but one thing we do know — that when they r-aw 
 tlirough llie vast design, comprehended the stupendous scheme, the 
 hills ofCiod shook to a shout that had never before rung over their 
 bright tops, and the crystal sea trembled to a song that' hud never 
 before stirred its bright depths, and the " Glory to God in tho 
 highest," was a sevenfold chorus of Hallelujahs and harping sjin- 
 phonicH. 
 
 We know not of two words in tho wide range of our langungo 
 wlilili I'oiiibino to exproHH more tondor emotions, more of fond re- 
 collection, than tho tender acd loving phrase, " liomember mc." 
 It forms a golden chain of love and memory that connects the 
 present to tho unforgotten past, along whose shining links is con- 
 veyed all that we have ever known or felt, or enjoyed in life's 
 toilsome journey. How dear to every heart are the scones in inno- 
 cent childhood ! With what pleasing delights do we recall them 
 through the vista of by-gone yearsj and store them up in memory's 
 jewelled casket, as hallowed reminiscences of the loved past ! 
 
 How the happy days of life's early mom will haunt us in after 
 years, when with all their sacred associations they come stealing 
 over tho heart with a gentle influence that robs life of half its 
 sorrows ! The home of our younger years and all the familiar scenes 
 associated with it, and more than all, the loved ones that were all 
 the greao world to us then, all echo back that sweet, silvery toned 
 voice frona the past, " Remember me." 
 
 The Patriarch Job wished to be remembered after he had passed 
 from earth ; and it would even appear that God had implanted this 
 desire in the soul. It is not then to be wondered at that Christ 
 should have said Remember Me. His love and regard for humanity 
 is pi'ecminently distinguished from that of all others ; and if we re- 
 member the loving kindness of our friends, how much more ought 
 we to remember Him who died to redeem us and has reconciled us 
 to God. It is quite evident that Christ knew how much our happiness 
 depended upon the remembrance of this great and important event. 
 The whole of His labors and sudlerings, His doctrine and miracles, 
 are remembered without distinction in this great and solemn ordi- 
 nance, " As oft as ye do it," He says " do it in remembrance of Me." 
 
 Oh 1 what a volume of tender recollections are crowded into lliose 
 
RRMEMBER ME. 20." 
 
 Bweot woihIh. All the life and the thousand hallowed usHOcintionH 
 
 connected with it are aHSuciated, remembered and recorded in that 
 
 beautiful phrase, "Remember Me." Ah ! Christians think of those 
 
 hallowed words that express more than tongue can 8i)eak — think of 
 
 your persecuted, suffering, dying Savior, who was brought as a Lamb 
 
 to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb so Ho 
 
 opened not His mouth. Now, when we partake of this ordinance wo 
 
 should remember the love of Jesus Christ, His life and all the events 
 
 connected with His death, resurrection and ascension, furnishing, as 
 
 it does, food for our thought and a perfect example for our imitation. 
 
 We think of Him as 
 
 . . " Tlic Man that was crowned with thorns ; 
 
 ,-,. :>,,>., I ' Tlio Man that on Calvary (lied ; , . 
 
 The Man that bore scourging and Hcorns : 
 Whom sinners agreed to deride." 
 
 And this is not all, for we think of Him as the One that will come 
 again, and consequently realize our nothingness and need of the 
 Savior. Our faith , before strong, becomes still stronger, while our 
 reverence, before deep and abiding, is still made more proibund. We 
 then see Him, know Him and feast upon Him. He then dwells 
 with us and we with Him ; and without remembering Him, it is 
 impossible to be His followers. Now when we remember the sins 
 which we have committed, we are burdened with a sense of guilt, 
 and the memory of our unworthiness fills us with shame. But the 
 remembrance of the blessed Savior furnishes consolation to the 
 weary soul, and is always a safe and sure antidote ; continually en- 
 abling us to look heavenword. It is quite probable, yea certain, 
 that Christ knew the remembrance of Him would unfold the mys- 
 teries of a kind Providence and reconcile us to them. It gives us 
 the hope which the Apostle Paul says is an anchor of the soul. It 
 removes all our doubts, enlightens all the future, and blurts the 
 thorns of sorrow and disappointment which environ our path- 
 way. He will come again and His presence will make amends for 
 all our tribulations here below, " Till I come again, do this," said 
 Jesus, " I leave it with ycu, not only as a remembrance of the past, 
 but as a token of my return." What a pleasing remembrance ! 
 When we partake of the Supper we stand as it were upon the 
 Sacred Mount beholding both the cross and the crown. It is truly 
 a monument. Its top pierces the highest heaven, while its base is 
 deeply laid in the mansions of the dead. We look back to the time 
 
L'()4 UkMemdeu Mfi. 
 
 of its origin and think of that body that was broken for us, and 
 that blood which was shed on Calvary. Herein is love, greater 
 love hath no man than this. We think too of the time when the 
 innumerable multitude will join in the chorus and swell the anthem, 
 " Worthy the Jjamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us by his 
 blood." When we surround the Lord's table we should also 
 remember the mighty hosts about the throne crying, " Worthy 
 the Lamb, that was slain to receive power, and riches, and 
 wisdom, and strength, and glory, and honor and blessings, for He 
 hath redeemed us out of every kindred and tongue, and people and 
 nation, and hath made us kings and ]n-iests unto God, even his 
 Father, to whom be glory and dominion forever and eyer. Amen." 
 This is truly the highest act of worship, and should fill the soul with 
 filial fear and reverential awe which is due \into Him, who has done 
 so much for us, everything for our happiness here and our eternal 
 enjoyment beyond the grave. Then let us never forget to remember 
 Him. No never. 
 
 " Eememler Me " falls from the lips of those we love when we 
 bid them adieu. Nay it is one of the sweetest thoughts to know 
 that we will be remembered. We desire our friends to remember 
 us in their prayers. Oh ! how sad to think of the expressive 
 lines — ■ 
 
 " Just to l)c known, nml then forgot." 
 
 When far away from the home of our childhood, how oft we re- 
 call to memor/ the companions of our eai'ly years. We think of that 
 dear mother that watched over us by day and by night. We re- 
 member that kind father that labored for our daily sustenance, who 
 was the guide and support of our tender years ; and of our brothers 
 and sisters, with whom we skipped o'er the green earth or reclined 
 beneath the shade of the wild wood. And when upon beds of 
 sickness and disease, how soothing the thought, we are remembered. 
 Is it at all strange then that Jesus should have said, " Remember 
 Me." It is indeed the chief object of a great portion of the human 
 family to leave something behind them to lie remembered when 
 their earthly tabernacles shall be mouldering back to dust. Monu- 
 ments are erected over the mortal remains of the great men of earth, 
 to perpetuate their memory. And they are not confined to the 
 great men, but are placed to the graves of those who lived in humb- 
 ler walks of life. But the Prince of Life needs not these to 
 
sLandeu. 205 
 
 perpetuate his fame. No, no, a more etuliiriiig monument Las been 
 instituted to his memory. It will never perish. The lapse of time 
 has no effect wpon it, for it is as enduring as the throne of God. 
 How important then that we shouUl remember Him, inasmuch as 
 he will remember us when all others have forgotten us ; and not a 
 solitary taper be kept in the memory of those that shall live after 
 us to lighten on the pleading apologies and forgotten praise of our 
 helpless dus\ In the morning of the resurrection. He will not for" 
 get us. Happy, O, happy thought i His all-seeing eye is ever upon 
 us ; He is the King of kings. He conquered Death, Hell and the 
 Grave. Then, ' 
 
 " Live forever wondrous King, 
 
 Born to redeem and strong to save ; 
 
 Then ask the Monster where's thj' sting 
 And wliere's tliy victory hoastuig Grave. 
 
 SLANDER. 
 
 In all probability there is no tribulation more ditRcult to bear 
 than slander. Yet, nothwithstanding, we all have to endure it; 
 and consequently, we should prepare ourselves to bear it calmly and 
 patiently. To have our best motives misconstrued, our words per- 
 verted, and our deeds turned into ridicule, ofttimes crushes the 
 tender sensibilities of our nature. Tlien, when those turn against 
 us and treat us with bitterness and rage, for whom we had the 
 warmest friendship, and had always entertained fond and tender 
 wishes for their welfare, even the very thought produces a pang of 
 sorrow which leaps upon the imagination like armed warriors 
 from the Spirit Land. 
 
 It is quite evident that no one in this life is exempt from the foul 
 tongue of the slanderer. It matters not how good they are, or how 
 amiable and . .Lrtuous, it will not shield them from the dreaded foe. 
 It has been remarked by a fervent writer that " the best way 
 to check and kill a falsehood, is to despise it and leave itquietly alone." 
 When we put forth an attempt to refute it, ofttimes it will outrun 
 us and lead us into a labyrinth of difhculties. Oh ! who has not 
 often prayed to God to be delivered from the polluting and venom- 
 ous tongue of the slanderer, who is, indeed, closely allied to the very 
 arch-fiend of bell — the demon of the bottoiiless pit. In the well 
 
2(Jtl .SL'I.UEU. 
 
 chosen words of ISfr. IkOot, " Ijnder the guise of friendship he 
 worms himself into vouv confidence, and after getting your story 
 hurries off to scatter it broadcast." " Tlie words of his mouth are 
 smoother than butter, but war is in his hear*;. His words are 
 softer than oil, but they are drawn swords." Pretending to pity 
 he hates, feigning friendship he slabs. It was a cowardly thing 
 for Joab to sUib Abner under the cloak of affection, but how 
 much worse is it to murder another's character under the guise of 
 friendship. " A hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor." 
 
 Having sometimes litUe to do, they sit at home concocting tales ; 
 and then tell abroad as facts what arc the imaginations of their own bad 
 hearts. If something be told them they are not content with telling 
 it but must add to it. And always what they add makes the thing 
 worse. A very common practice is for these slanderers to take the very 
 words you have uttered and give them a bad meaning. For instance 
 you go into a friend's house, are astonished to find everything nicer 
 than you imagined. You give expressions to that surprise and say, 
 " I had no idea you had everything so very nice." This innocent 
 remark is at once seized by the slanderer and after you have left he 
 says, " Did you bear what he said ?" " Yes 1" •' Do you know what 
 he means'?" " No !" "Why that you were not rich enough, or had 
 not enough good taste to have such a nicely furnished house." Thus 
 your very words are wrested, and a meaning given them you never 
 imagined. 
 
 You may do a hundred good d'^^'ds and not one of them will these 
 scandalizers divulge ; but make one slip only, and they rejoice 
 over it as a mother over her child, or a miser over gold. It is im- 
 possible to escape their malevolence, for your good they will call evil. 
 Whcu John tlie Baptist came with liis stern call to repentance, mix- 
 ing little with men, at home among the wilds of the wilderness, 
 wearing not the common garb of men, he diesscd in a raiment of camels' 
 hair, eating not the common food, but the wild honey he found in the 
 trees, and the locust that hopped in his path, m«.n said, " lie hath 
 a devil." But Jesus Christ came in a contrary fa hion. He wore 
 common clothes and did eat and drink with men. II t went to their 
 marriage festivals and joined in domestic feasts. B /j was to be 
 found in the streets, in tlie markets, in the synagogue, everywhere 
 where crowds assembled. IJiit still these fault finders were n'^t 
 satisfied. They (juaiTelletl with John because he did not n»ix wiih 
 
SLAXDKK. 207 
 
 them, they quarrelled with Christ because he did. " Behold a glut- 
 tonous man and a ■wine bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners." 
 'Tis, indeed, impossible to satisfy the scandalizei-s ; they will not be 
 pleased ; no virtue is too strong for them to assail, no life too pure to 
 larnish. And, as I said, they delijijlit in the bad, they have no good 
 
 word for ar,y. If you should say, " Mv. ia very amiable." 
 
 " Yes," they reply, sorry to aduiit it, and then in a nio;e sj)rif!;htly 
 tone, '• but he drinks very heavily '' ; or if you hazard the remark, 
 ''Mr. H. is very energetic and business like" — "Perhaps" doubt- 
 fully, and then in a cheerful voice, " lint he is frightfully 
 mean." Tl.us they blast every reputation, and cast reproach on all. 
 "They search out iniquities, thoy make diligent soarc'i." ''Tlioy whet 
 th.eir tonguts like a sword, and aim their arrows, even bitter words." 
 
 The slanderers are truly cowards. After blasting a reputation, 
 after defaming their friends, after slandering the innocent, after 
 heaping reproach against their neighbors, they turn round and say, 
 " Don't mention my name, I have no wish to be mixed up with it." 
 The mean cowardly hound.s, after hunting a neighbor to death, they 
 •wish to slink off unseen. If Dai win's theory be true, vultures that 
 f»-ed on carion and garbage must be the ancestors of slanderers. 
 But I am inclined to think that they are relations of the false 
 witnesses who accused Clirist, and the descendants of Judas Iscariot 
 who betrayed his Lord with a kiss. 
 
 We will now notice the cjutjcquences of slandering. These are 
 
 many and manifold. Families divided, friendship broken, neighbors 
 
 set at variance, and a whole community upset. In a small place, 
 
 one tale-bearer, (which is only another name for the slanderer), is 
 
 sufficient to set every one by the ears, and sow suspicion in every 
 
 heart. Friends grow cool, char.xcters are ruined, as mutual distrust 
 
 takes the place of confidence. It often takes years of patient living 
 
 to live down a foul scandal. And even then the echo may follow 
 
 an innocent man to the grave and Vjo even heard after his death. 
 
 In fact, a slanderer is worse than a thief, for the latter steals what 
 
 can be replaced, but who can replace a destroyed reputation ] 
 
 , ,. " Crooil imnio in uiiiii luul womtiu 
 
 1m the iiiimi'diiitc jewel of their souls. 
 
 Wlio ste.i!^ my puvso, Bteals trash ; 'tis Ronicthiiif;, nothing ; 
 
 'Twiis mine, 'tis his and lins been slaves to tliuusniids. 
 
 But ho that filches from mo my pood name. 
 
 HoiuiH mo of that wliich not '•iirichcs him, . 
 
 Aa<l makes me poor indeed.' 
 
208 SLANDKK. 
 
 TIjfX'o is one consolution, liowever, the slanderer is punivhed. 
 Sooner or later he is bound to be discovered, and then woe to him ; he 
 is avoided as the plague ; as soon as he appears conversation ceases — 
 the crv, " Mr. Tell tale is coming," is enough to seal every lip. 
 Everyone feels as David : " I will keep my mouth with a bridle 
 while the wicked is before mo." Just as when thieves are about, 
 we lock our doors an<I make our windows fast, so when these thieves 
 of reputation are near we i)rotect ourselves by the precaution of 
 silence, as they have sown distrust, so now they gather the same ; 
 they have sown the whirlwind and they reap the storm, •' So shall 
 they make their own tongue fall upon themselves, all that see them 
 shall flee away." 
 
 We will now notice the causes of slander ; and undoubtedly one 
 of the principal causes is ignorance. A scandal- monger is seldom 
 an educated person, aud having no store of information laid up ia 
 his memory, he is compelled, as it were, to make gossip the staple of 
 his talk, and if an excuse be possible for him, we cxn say, " poor fol- 
 low, he knows no better." 
 
 Envy is another cause. The slanderer is a jealous peraon. lie 
 cannot bear to see others above him ; it is gall and wormwood to 
 hear others praised, so he slanders where he cannot equal. The 
 j)oet catching the idea, as it wert, from Solomon, is lead to exclaimi 
 
 " Envy, thou child of hell." 
 
 Solomon tells us that "jealousy is cruel as the grave ; the coals 
 thereof are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame." For 
 my own part T am just as much afraid of the slanderer as I would 
 be of Satan coming forth from the bottomless pit. And my earnest 
 prayer will ever be to be delivered from the foul tongue of the slan- 
 derer. The higher one's position in life the more of a target he is 
 for the cruel darts of the devil. Such people claim to be indepen- 
 dent, and therefore claim that their tongue is their own. They can 
 also curse and swear because it is their province to do so. They suffer 
 not the loss of reputation, inasmuch as they have none to lose. 
 Again the rich are often slandered by the poor for the very reason 
 that the poor a'-e at liberty to make false accusations and lose noth- 
 ing by it, whereas the same words spoken by the rich might cost 
 them thousands of dollars. But this principle of jealousy is not 
 confined to any one class, but pervades all society. The churches, 
 too, are indeed, full of it. One preacher is jealous of ano'her, one 
 
SLANDER. -01) 
 
 class-leader becomes jealous of another, one church member gets 
 jealous of another. Now this arises from the fear that the other is 
 more respected than himself. The results are whisperings, backbit- 
 ings, refusing to take part in worship. Why, I remember once in 
 York State, one preacher pouting all through the services. Now it 
 is very evident that each claas of slanderers think that by pulling 
 others down they are building themselves up — that in proportion to 
 the character they destroy they are raised in public esteem. " We 
 are told of a savage tribe that believes that the virtue of an enemy 
 becomes the property of his destroyer, so that if a coward kills a 
 brave man, or a fool a wise man, the coward becomes brave, the fool 
 full of wisdom. 
 
 But we are not blameless in this matter ; talc boarors would not 
 bo so flourishing but for our readiness to receive scandal. This is a 
 strange and painful feature in human nature, shewing itself in many 
 ways. It in a large company you say, " Have you heard about 
 Mr. L." instantly all is attention. " What is it 1 is eagerly asked." 
 " One wet day as Mr. L. was walking up the street, he met a poor 
 fellow shivering in the rain, so ho took off his overcoat and gave it 
 to him." Instantly all interest dies from the faces of the listeners, 
 a look of disappointment succeeds, blank silence follows, broken by 
 the remark, " Oh ! is that all !" Now instead of this you had ssid 
 Mr. L. was drunk, or beat his wife, or was bankrupt, the result 
 would have been very different ; eyes would have brightened, and 
 tongues been loosened. And it is this propensity in human nature 
 which too often encourages the abominable slanderers. 
 
 In conclusion, I would say to the slanderer try to gain more self- 
 knowledge. Look at your own feelings as keenly as your neighbors. 
 Bemember that just as long as you hunt carion, you will find it. 
 Nay, and more, for the offensive odour will follow you. Try then 
 and examine your own actions as closely as you do those of others, 
 and you will soon cease to slander. " The time you employ in dis- 
 cussing the mote in your neighbor's eye, will be better spent in 
 detecting the beam in your own. Be as diligent to correct your own 
 faults as you are to discover others, and you will soon cease to get 
 up and down as tale-bearera, and " he that is without sin let him 
 first cast the stone." Try to think of others as you wish them to 
 think of you ; speak of them as you desire them to speak of you ; 
 think the best of them, Jesus Christ acted in the belief that in the 
 
210 SLANDER. 
 
 very worst and abandoned thera was a spark of goodness. His con- ' 
 stant aim was to get at this, so that by love and sympathy he might 
 cherish and make it grow. To this ead he became a friend to pub- 
 licans and sinners. He pitied those whom society cast out, and 
 in His arms of love all the penitent outcasts found refuge. Will 
 you try and imitate Him whom some of you profess to follow ; seek 
 after the good in them as diligently as you have sought after the 
 evil ; you will find the occupation much pleaaanter and the reward 
 sweeter ; the world will be a nicer world, and you will be 
 astonished at the amount of good in it ; you will be happier and 
 your neighbors will love you as tbey have never done ; and let us 
 every one discourage scandal. " As the north wind driveth away 
 rain, so doth angry countenance a backbiting tongue." If there 
 were no tale-hearers there would be no tale-bearers. The receiver 
 of stolen goods is as guilty as the thief, and he who lUtena to scandal 
 is encouraipng it. Show your dislike of it and the defamer of his 
 neighbors will not trouble you. Before publishing a report or be- 
 lieving it, go straight to the person concerned and tell him what you 
 have heard. Let us be like Him " who spoke no slander ; no, nor 
 listened to it," and we shall do much to abate the evil. Let us re- 
 member the love and patience of Christ— how He has borne with 
 and perhaps forgiven some of us, and then we shall have no disposi- 
 tion to blame, no satisfaction in another's fall. Let us pray, " Set 
 a watch Lord, before ray mouth, keep the door of my lips," and if 
 any of you have suffered by malicious woi*ds, prove falsity by your 
 life. 
 
 ^ Should envious tonguos some malice frame, 
 ■ To soil and tarnish your good name : 
 I' Live it down. 
 
 ■ ' Grow not disheartened, 'tia the lot 
 
 • :• Of all men whether good or not : •<^l 
 
 Live it down. 
 
 fi : Rail not in answer, but bo calm ; 
 
 For silence yields a rapid balm, 
 
 Live it down. 
 
 Go not among j'our friends and say. 
 Evil hath fallen on my way ; 
 Far better thus yourself alone 
 To suffer, than with friends bemoan, 
 The trouble that ia all your own. 
 
 Live it down. 
 
 » >"< i.y' 
 
HOME ACiAIX. 21 I 
 
 What though men, ovil call your good, 
 
 So Christ liimself, misunderstood, 
 
 Was nailed unto a cross of wood ; 
 
 And now shall you for lesser pain, 
 
 Your inmost soul forever stain, ,_ 
 
 For ronderinf? evil back again ! 
 
 Live it down. 
 
 " Commit thy way unto the Lord, and he shall bring fortli thy 
 righteousnesn as the light, and thy judgement as the noonday." 
 
 
 •1") 
 
 I 
 
 '!l'.f/ 
 
 ■J ». 
 
 !•'■ ■..:■.■•- ■ ■ I.' ' •■ , ", ••. V 
 
 HOME AGAIN. 
 
 \ ;,> ,"rM Sweet is the hoiu tliat brings lis home, i] 
 When cares and trials cease ; 
 why should we thus longer roam, '■'' • 
 
 And find no lasting i>eaoe. T i "u i 
 
 <: I ^ ' > J- ! 
 
 '' "^ 'Tis sweet to turn from life's rough Ituck, ^' ' ''' ' 
 And seek a sheltering nook ; , y.-yfiMi .■ 
 
 To find a gentle welcome back 
 A calm and quiet look. ' " 
 
 'Tis sweet to think when years have fled. 
 
 When iorrowa here are o'er ; ^'*' • ^'; 
 
 (, When all that can die shall be dead, .; ', j j; ^j 
 
 That we'll huive home no more. 
 
 ' There on that lovely golden plain. 
 
 We'll dwell forevermore ; 
 Thoi"e friends will never part again, 
 •■•y-'xiw: » And sorrows all are o'er. ,i-,;{ ^., 
 
 "* what a happy day 'twill be, 
 
 When we shiUl reach that home ; 
 And there the King of (iloiy see, 
 No longer here to roam. 
 
 , God speed that happy, joyful day 
 
 hiXu ■%«•*/ When Cliristians here, below. 
 
 Will on this earth no longer stay. 
 But home to glory go. 
 
 There sweetest eongg our tongues employ, 
 
 Glory to Jesus given ; 
 While every heart will thrill with joy 
 
 In tliat blest home in Heaven. 
 
 • rit 
 
 . I, 
 
312 MAN TUB IMAGE OF GOD, 
 
 MAN THE IMAGE OF GOD. 
 
 This is aa august and sublime declaration, indicating the noble 
 
 origin of our race, our high calling and glorious destiny. He alone 
 
 was created in the image of God, and is truly " the beauty of the 
 
 world, the paragon of animals." Of no other beings is it said that 
 
 they were created in the image of God. Now the manner in which 
 
 he was created, is a question not very easily answered. True 
 
 we learn from Genesis his origii, and after all the rest of the things 
 
 were created God said, " Let us make man in our image, after our 
 
 likeness." " So God created man in his own image, in the imago oi 
 
 God created him, male and female created He them." Thus 
 
 we have a very strong declaration of the fact that man was created 
 
 in the image of God. Now it is quite evident that notwithstanding 
 
 man has fallen, he still retains in a measure the image of God, 
 
 and bears, in his person, the lineaments of the Creator, the likeness 
 
 of his God and Father. 
 
 Whatever may be the rank of those intelligences which people 
 other spheres we know not, but of them it is not said that they 
 were made after the Divine model. In reasoning from analogy, we 
 may conclude that the other worlds are inhabited, but we have no 
 well authenticated facts to prove the assertion. 
 
 But the question now arises. In what respect does man bear a re- 
 semblance to the Creator 1 Many suppose, and hence take the 
 position that the body of the Lord is like the body of a man. It is 
 true, there can be no doubt but what man was created in the image 
 of God. But in what respect this image consists has been a subject 
 of much controversy. Yet notwithstanding the apostasy of our race, 
 the Divine image is seen in some measure in all men. Sin, it would 
 appear, has not wholly defaced or obliterated it. Its traces are dis- 
 tinctly seen now and then everywhere. But more especially in 
 infancy and childhood, before they have been drawn away and 
 enticed by sin. 
 
 There is first the poetical idea, which has formed the basis of 
 many a song and beautiful stanza, that the " image " is wholly or 
 chiefly in the outer man. This is the .Esthetic form of the question 
 — the beau-ideal of all that is beautiful and imposing in the face and 
 
MAK THK IMAGE OF (;0D. 21.1 
 
 form of humanity. With head erect and radiant with beauty ; and 
 with body and limbs, stately and kindly. This is the stereotype 
 ideal of all the romance writers of the past and present. It is 
 eminently nensous, anlme.1; earthly, and cannot be confided in as the 
 true conception of the image. Relative, comparative, counter-part 
 truth, should not be mistaken for absolnta truth. The law had 
 in it the form of knowledge and of the truth, but not the 
 reality. It was the outer semblance of the inner truth, found alone 
 in the Gospel. 
 
 Though in, accommodation to human weakness, God is represented 
 in scripture as having the body and attributes of man, we are not 
 to degrade the Creator into the image or likeness of the creature — 
 especially in relation to the house " we live in." 
 
 Whatever resemblance in some respects may be, between the 
 " thing formed, and He who formed it," we should continually bear 
 in mind that God is Spirit. This is his essential nature. Not a 
 spirit, but Spirit. Just as our Savior said, of his Father ; " God 
 alone is good." Not simply a good being, nor yet the good Being, 
 but wholly, truly, eternally "good !" Al' relative and comparative 
 ideas concerning the essential nature of the only wise God, seem 
 tame, in view of these positive affirmations, as thus expressed by 
 Him who alone knew the Father." The same form of expreseion is 
 found in the writings of the beloved John : " God is love ;" not 
 simply a being who has loved us, and loves all his works ; but His 
 essential nature is " love." In the same sense, "God is Spirit." In 
 this absolute sense, we suppose, that God has no likeness. It was 
 after the Prophet Isaiah had asked the question, "Who hath directed 
 the Spirit of God, or, being His councilor, hath taught him 1" that 
 he adds, " To whom then will ye liken God ? or what likeness will 
 ye compare unto him T It is also expressly forbidden in the scrij)- 
 tures for any one to personify God, or to m«ke any supposed simili- 
 tude of Him. "tie dwelleth not in temples made with hands." 
 Idols df wood and stone, the work of man's hands, are but the em- 
 bodiment of some ideal god within the mind of the infatuated 
 aevotee, and, in the sight of Him who is "Spirit," an abomination. 
 Insomuch as God is Spirit, and not a spirit, it follows that He has 
 neither flesh nor bones ; and, in this sense, it is quite probable, He 
 has no likenesli. Man is created in the image of Got, not physically, 
 but only as his will is like the will of the Creator. The only differ- 
 
2U MAN THE IMACR 01' <iOI>. 
 
 ence is — man'8 will is governed, or, is finite, while God's is not, but 
 is infinite. 
 
 But our objoct is not at present to prove that man has a spirit, nor 
 on the othsr hand, to refute the various theories about his composi- 
 tion in regarding him simply flesh and blood — mere organized matter 
 — but to show iu what respect he is like unto his Maker. Oh, how 
 insipid, disgusting and absurd, are the conclusions of those who base 
 their reasonings and arguments upon the fictions of their own im. 
 aginations. Vain and delusive the philosophy which attempts to 
 supersede the inspired volume. That the body of man is beautiful, 
 no one can deny. The casket that enshrines the spirit is exceed- 
 ingly fine, both in tho materials of which it is composed (or formed), 
 and the skill displayed in its organization. " What a piece of work 
 is man ! How noble in reason ! How infinite in faculties ! In 
 form and moving, how express and admirable ! In action how like 
 an angel ! In apprehension, hew like a God !" 
 
 We before observed that man is not like God in his physical 
 organization, notwithstanding he is so fearfully and wonderfully 
 made, being lord of creation, the beauty of the world — the noblest 
 work of God." But it is folly in the extreme to suppose that God 
 has bodily organs, and all the essential characteriatios of a human 
 being. Now, the body of man is simply the tabernacle or casket, 
 which contains the spirit. " God is Spirit," "He alone is good " 
 said our blessed Savior. Hence, you will observe that he is the 
 Spirit, and the one that is eternally good. Now man has a 
 Spirit, and is good in proportion as His will ia like that of the Crea- 
 tor. From this it follows that the nearer we live to God the more 
 we are like Him. Oar actions are in harmony with His statutes, 
 and we are moulded into His ways, which are truly and wholly per- 
 fect. 
 
 All gross and infidel ideas of the spirit of man h<t8 its origin from 
 the same fount which produced the idolatrous worship of the 
 heathens in all ages. But as man is created in the image of God, 
 how important that he should realize his responsibility as an intelli- 
 gent being endowed with reasoning faculties. It is these reasoning 
 faculties that raises man above the brute creation, allies him to 
 angels, and brings him near to God, who "dwelleth not in temples 
 made with hands^" Our imaginations are incapable of forming any 
 just conception concerning the body of our Heavenly Father. " To 
 
WE ALL LEAN Ul'ON EACH OTHER. 215 
 
 whom will ye liken God," exclaimed the Prophet Isaiah, "or what 
 likenesis will ye compare unto Him 1" The heathens changed the 
 glory of God into the likeness of mortal man, of fowls, of four-footed 
 beasts and creeping things." So has materialism changed the glory 
 of the spirit of man — God's likeness — into organized matter, nerves 
 and tissues, the cerebrum and cerebellum of the crowning head. 
 
 How man degrades himself when he refuses to hearken to the 
 claims of the Creator, and continues to wander in the pathway of 
 sin, a poor, forlorn pilgrim, without hope and God in the world. Is 
 it not lamentable to reflect upon man's depravity, who changed the 
 glory of the immortal God into things terrestrial. Man, in a great 
 measure, has lost the image stamped upon him by his Maker when 
 he received the breath of life and became a living soul. But God 
 sent His only Son to earth to save man, and thus restore that which 
 was lost. Afay God enable poor fallen humanity, then, to appreciate 
 his unbounded goodness, by complying with his requirements, and 
 thereby be enabled to enjoy that happiness which only arises by 
 being in possession of the image of God. 
 
 " Oh ! sinner, sinner ; except you be converted and become as a 
 little child, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of God !" The 
 touches of a divine pencil, dipped in celestial colore, may be clearly 
 traced in the little child, and, therefore, in the renewal of man in 
 the image of God, the child has become the eartMy model. Strive 
 then, to be molded again into the image of God, by submitting to 
 His re(|uirements, !5ind livinj' as becometh the redeemed of the Lord. 
 
 WE ALL LEAN UPON EACH OTHER. 
 
 Wc all lean upon each other, 
 And we help each other on ; 
 
 No one here is iudei)endeut, 
 In tlie race course that we run. 
 
 God has plnocHl us liere as helpmatcB ; 
 
 Upon titlii'rs we must loan ; 
 This is what the Lord requires, 
 
 And it shows our need of Him. 
 
 Riches will not always make us 
 Independent here, you know ; 
 
 True, it gives us strength and courage, 
 But oftimcs we lean, you know. 
 
210 OUR MEETKSU IN WAINKLEET. 
 
 ;i,. 
 
 Yes, wo loan upon each other, ., .) > 'r, •».• '.,.», ... ',,• 
 
 For to buihl up and to plon ; ~ ' ' . ' , 
 
 Tims tho Lord has wisely Hcattorod, 
 , . .,^^-, BlcBaings lor Ilia crcatuio — mau, 
 
 ,:;' 0(//? MEET/m IN WAINFLEET. ' ' ' ' 
 
 I.', . I 
 
 Zorrf'« /)ay, J/ay 7th, 1876. 
 
 t ■ 
 
 ' 1 1. ■,.'.._ 1 
 
 The morning was romarkably calm and beautiful, and there was 
 a delightful softness in the air as it whispered the joyous melody of 
 spring time. All nature appeared to be holding high holy day, and 
 ten thousand voices were engaged in the melodious slirains, echoing 
 the song cf unmingled gladness, sweet as the voice of harpers. Far 
 o'er the green hills and plains the full orbed sun showered his 
 splendors, while among the trees merry birds were singing, and on 
 the flowers busy bees their nectar draughts were sipping, and all 
 the insect tribes were humming. And, in view of all God's good- 
 ness, and the many and repeated acts of kindness conferred upon 
 us, we could but exclaim, in heroic mood. 
 
 Tho world is bright to the faithful soul ; . ■ i 
 
 It bean the stamp of tho Builder. .i.,.) • 
 
 , . Tho gold-hued skiei, and tho kingly hills ; , ! 1 
 
 '' ' ''' Own God their maker and gilder ! ' 
 
 His hand is present in all His works ; 
 
 His seal is on all the nations ; 
 He has set his over-living power, - . t 
 
 ilVJ A watch o'er the earth's foundations! ivl 
 
 We convened at the church at an early hour and participated in 
 one of those meetings the memory of which always affords us 
 pleasure, and in fancy's pleasing revery we enjoy it over and over 
 again. Our congregation was large and attentive, and we dis- 
 coursed to them on the subject of love. It appeared to us that no 
 theme could be more fitting for the occasion, for it is the divine 
 essence of our being — the very essence of Christianity. It is the 
 weapon which God reserved to conquer the world when all the rest 
 had failed. And it is very evident thc^t we all need more love — 
 love to God and humanity — for it 
 
t«r'T«>% ■' •■ ■• ^.M-^li^fi-* 
 
 OUR MBETINO IN WAIKFLEET. 217 
 
 " — Ii the goldon chain that bindi, ' "' - ■ ' 
 
 The happy aouU above : t i > ;i:. 
 
 And He'M an hoir to ^eavon that finda, ^ ., -— \.,^- 
 " Mia bosom 4;low with love." - '' '^" "^ " 
 
 The melting beams of love have soothed and buoypd up in hours 
 of sorrow the weary saint. A kind word, a pleasant look, one 
 gentle pressure of the hand, a simple good night, and a parting Ood 
 bless you. oft have cheered the care-worn pilgrim along life's devious 
 way. We should always remember that it is the sun whose bright 
 light and warm sunshine melts the ice to running streams and 
 covers the crags and cliffs with blossoms, — that it can never be done 
 by hard knocks or by any mechanical force. So it is with man : his 
 soul is never melted in love by harsh means ; but let the warm 
 genial rays of kindness, as it emanates from the sun of righteous- 
 ness, pour in its holy influence, and the hardest heart nill become, 
 in a great measure, softened and subdued. From this we conclude 
 that of love no less can be said than her seat is in the bosom of 
 God and her voice the harmony of the world. And if we were all 
 filled with love, what a paradise we then might enjoy here below. 
 How gentle and affable wo would be to each other ; how mild in 
 our demeanor, ever ready to oblige and willing to be obliged by 
 others. We would then continually breathe habitual kindness 
 towards friends, courtesy to strangers, and long-suffering to those 
 who iujure us. We would not then eagerly contend about trifles, 
 as our Saviour remarked to the Jews, and leave the more weigl\ty 
 matters, but wo would be slow to contradict, and still slower to 
 blame, and always prompt t j maintain peace. 
 
 " Oh ! for that peace tliat flo^reth as a river. 
 Making life's desert places bloom and smile ; 
 Oh ! for that loot to grasp the glad Forever, 
 Amid the shadows of earth's little while !" 
 
 In the afternoon we journeyed to Lake Erie, near Sugar Loaf, a 
 distance of ten miles, to attend to the very impressive ordinance of 
 christian baptism. The interest manifested on the occasion was 
 somewhat extraordinary, and a procession, consisting of twenty-six 
 caiTiages, was formed on the way ^ the water. As the day wore 
 on a breeze sprang up, blowing strongly from the south, lashing the 
 waves into foaming billows. The scene was rendered still more 
 beautiful by a peculiar brightness on the Lake which attracted our 
 attention. After a while we perceived that it was produced by 
 
 *.«^ 
 
218 OUR MEETING IN WAINFLEET. 
 
 masses of ice, like floating islets, which were tossing wildly and 
 sparkling like diamonds. They were on the way to form that 
 wonderful bridge of ice over the thundering, foaming billows of 
 Niagara, — to go down over the rocks and shelving stones where the 
 giant cables that hold Suspension Bridge are fastened to the cliffs, 
 and where the evergreen and shrubbery droop low, with their 
 branches over the rocks amid the breakers. 
 
 . V. . . Through the tossing, seething cauldron; ;(■( ;.' 
 Where the white sprays hiss and roar — 
 •■■'-■ !• ■• -■ .:•' Wliere the wastes of inland waters, •' ' '•' * 
 
 ,. ^ ..) , ., , O'er the rocks, in torrents pour. ,■ . ,,•. ■ '■ 
 
 Plashing, toiling, hissing, boiling, 
 ^ ' '• ■' -' 'Twixt the cliffs on either shore, ■■>*:-•. i-- 
 
 1 
 
 We endeavored to address the congregation as we stood along the 
 lake, but our voice was soon hushed by the deafening roar of rush- 
 ing waters, and our bosom heaved violently with emotions which 
 thrilled the heart from center to circumference. Into the restless * 
 waves we passed, and all were as solemn as the grave itself. The 
 landscape was shaded for a time by the fleecy clouds flying through 
 the heavens like bands of angels. Oh, how we longed for that land, 
 where the painter with his brush of divine art, dipped in colors 
 native, well sketches the sublime scenery of Heaven, where deathless 
 flowers bloom forever, amid glad rivers of delight. There were then 
 five very interesting individuals (among the first families in Wain- 
 fleet) came forward, one after the other, and were planted together 
 into the likeness of Christ's death, that they might, also, be in the 
 likeness of His resurrection. ^^ ^.^ ..^,^^^ ^.^^^^ ;^ [^ j, „^,_^^ , 
 
 *• For as Christ our Savior rose, ;^, 
 So all His followers must," 
 
 A prayer was then offered up, and the blessings of the God of 
 Heaven invoked upon all ; and very soon the white, glittering shore, 
 gradually faded from our view, as we went on our way rejoicing, 
 
 singing :— 
 
 v-> '■= •' Yes, we will gather at the river, 
 
 , : ■ ., Where bright angels feet have trod. 
 
 With the crystal tide forever. 
 
 Flowing by the throne of God." 
 
 In the evening we again repaired to tho church. The rising moon 
 had floodei tho whole landscai)e with radiant beauty, and the white 
 glitter of the stars set the sky all a glowing. 
 
OUR MEETING IX WAINFLEET. — IS' MEMORIAM. 219 
 
 Night ! 0, lovely uight ! 
 
 There's uo despair for the ehilil of Hopp — 
 Hope, born of spirit celestial ! 
 
 Tlie lamp of Faith burns ever clear, 
 As the taper of virgin vestal, . -/i 
 
 The glory formed o'er Heaven's lakes. ." 
 
 Are ever fresh on the vision ; ' . 
 
 And through the vnil of the clear blue sky, , 
 
 Sliiues aglow of the Land Elysian. 
 
 Our congregation in the evening filled the house to overflowing, 
 and at the close of the services one in the bright, gay and happy 
 morn of manhood came forward and confessed the Saviour. He 
 was afterwards followed by a young lady, who, together with him, 
 ■were baptized the following Thursday morning in a branch of the 
 Welland River. May God's manifold blessings ever rest upon them 
 and save them in the day of eternity. 
 
 'I * 
 
 IN MEMORIAM. '"" 
 
 Inscbibed to the Memoey of Mrs. Israei, Bubtch, of Jordan, Ont. 
 
 The sweetest flowers how soon they die, 
 
 And dearest loved ones pass away ; 
 They go down to the grave to lie, 
 
 As sinks the sun at close of day. 
 
 The richest fruit that autumn yields, , < ■ - , 
 
 To make the worthy farmer glail ; 
 Comes with the sere and yellow loaf, ./ 
 
 And makes his cheerful spirit Bad. ..;. 
 
 Tke lovely brooks and sparkling streams 
 That ran so nc^ir thy shiuly homo ; 
 ■'■. • And cheered so many youthful hearts. 
 
 Will cheer no more in days to come. 
 
 Wliat mournful thoughts of other years 
 
 Are tilling memory's hall with gloom ; 
 Thoughts of loved ones that passed away, 
 
 That are now sleeping in tlio tomb. 
 
 And with them also, thou art gone. 
 
 Thy cares and sorrows hero are o'er j 
 Thou has thrown olT thy mortr' coil, 
 
 Bound for that bright, cternv.i sliore. 
 
220 IN MEMORIAM. 
 
 Dear Mother, Sister, thou art free — 
 Free from all earthly care and woe ; 
 
 Thou'rt loosed from prison and from clay, 
 No more to suiler here below. 
 
 Thy years are in the changeless past, 
 And all thy work on earth is done ; 
 
 Night after night thy tent was pitched, 
 And now thy journey here is run. 
 
 How oft I've prayed when thou wert here, 
 That God would keep thee in His love ; 
 
 Tliat thou in heaven might behold 
 The loved and cherished ones above. 
 
 And then I've prayed that Qod would make 
 
 Thy dying bed both soft and sweet ; 
 And thy freed spirit safely take, 
 ; ,( Where dearest friends again would meet. 
 
 And when thy last brief hour should come, 
 And angel spirits round thee wait, 
 
 That thou couldst sing I'm going home, 
 I'm going through the pearly gate. 
 
 Lend, lend thy wings, ye cherubs bright t 
 O Lamb of God, I come I I come 1 
 
 Dear Savior, bear me safely on. 
 And take mo to that heavenly home. 
 
 Lend, lend thine aid, ye seraphs fair. 
 Dear Saviour, 0, 1 rise 1 I fly I 
 
 On snowy wings I soar away 
 To that celestial by-aud-by. 
 
 Thus mother, thou hast passed from earth. 
 Passed safely to that far off land ; 
 
 Where Christians robed in white shall dwell 
 A peaceful, joyous, happy band. 
 
 And though we'll often miss thee here, 
 And long for thy return again ; 
 
 Yet still we dare not wish thee back 
 Into this world of care and pain. 
 
 Oh God I let now thy blessings rest- 
 Best sweetly on the loved ones left ; 
 
 May they to thee for refuge flee. 
 For thou wilt comfort the bereft. 
 
 Adieu 1 dear mother, sister, friend. 
 Till we on yonder shore shall greet ; 
 
 Wliere farewells are no longer heard. 
 There, mother, we again shall meet. 
 
TO MR. E. E. SHEPPARD. 221 
 
 1,1... 
 
 TO MR. E. E. SHEPPARD, 
 
 KlNGSMILL, OnT. 
 
 •<<■ S I I 
 
 Jjeloved Brol/ier : It is with emotions of gratitude to the Giver of 
 all good that I avail myself of the present opportunity of writing 
 you previous to my departure for Jordan. I am now seated at the 
 writing-desk of my friend, Mr. M. S. Bradt, with whom I must part 
 this afternoon, notwithstanding the many pressing invitations to 
 remain till on the morrow. vi . 
 
 Parting with you yesterday at Kingsmill, I soon found myself 
 pleasantly seated in a railway coach and after a tedious ride through 
 pleasant lands and gloomy primeval forests found myself safely at 
 my destination. The only scene that I saw which particularly 
 interested me was a Young Orange Briton picnic company at 
 Hagersville. 
 
 To-day the storm god has visited us and is raging furiously. He 
 has thrown his curtain across the sky, and we would be almost led 
 to believe that " the melancholy days have come." The awful 
 thunder muttered in the heavens above, and the vivid flashes of 
 lightning shot athwart the gathering darkness, and at times the 
 very earth trembled as though it was about to fall to pieces. 
 
 Just at this moment the omnibus arrives and I hasten to bid 
 farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Bradt, to reach the Welland train in time. 
 While waiting at the station I saw two young men in trouble, which 
 very much impressed me with the fact that people generally, amid 
 severe trials, call upon the Ministers of the Oos^jel to render assist^ 
 ance. One of them says to me : •' Are you a theologian 1" " Yes, 
 sir," I replied. " Are you a Methodist or a Presbyterian ]" " I am 
 a Disciple," was the response. " I see," said he, " you have the 
 clerical robe, (meaning the appearance of a Minister) and I respect 
 you. My father was the late Rev. C. B. Fleming, of Port Hope. 
 He was an associate of Archdeacon Bethune, of Toronto. But, O !" 
 continued he, " I am such a bad man — such a sinner, and I want 
 
 to know what I must do to reach that land beyond " Here he 
 
 paused. Tears trickled down his cheeks. He then resumed his 
 narrative. "I am a printer. I worked at it in Buffiilo. My 
 brother died and called me to his dying bed, and asked me to 
 
222 TO MR. E, E. SIIEPPAKD. 
 
 meet him in heaven. I told him I would. And now, 8ometimef.» 
 when I lie down I fear that if I should die I should go to hell. 
 Oh ! I want to meet my dear father and brother." Our conversa- 
 tion lasted for a half hour. He was just recovering from a fit of 
 intoxication and I endeavored to point him to the Saviour who was 
 strong to deliver and mighty to redeem. How strange, thought I, 
 that every class should seek conscdation and aid from those who 
 devote their time and lives to the good of humanity. The other 
 young man, who had just been liberated from prison, asked for a 
 Methodist and Episcopalian Minister. Oh ! how many bring upon 
 themselves degredation, misery and woe by living such reckless 
 lives as would make the heart to sicken and the sympathetic tear 
 to flow. 
 
 I reached Jordan, via Merriton, just as the shadows of evening 
 were falling. 0, what a disagreeable, noisy company were aboard 
 the cars from Hamilton. It was a picnic excursion and many were 
 drinking and carousing on the train. 
 
 Within I enclose three dollars for yourself. You will please 
 accq)t it for the discourse you preached for me in Clinton. I trust 
 you will receive it in the spirit in which it is given as a small token 
 of appreciation and esteem. I shall doubtless long remember your 
 dear father, one who has borne up amid many a bitter trial. When 
 I thus think of him my heart sends forth a generous throb, and 
 thrills strike through the soul which I cannot here find words to 
 describe. My imagination voluntarily recognized in him a resem- 
 blance to pious Jacob of old. And your dear mother, may heaven's 
 richest blessings rest upon her. If there is a favored spot in the 
 realms above truly she will there be remembered. And while I 
 trace these lines I pause — utterance fails — the heart cannot con. 
 ceive. " It doth not yet appear what we shall be," says the Apostl* 
 John, but we know tliat when he shall appear we shall be like him, 
 for we shall see him as he is. Thank God. 
 
 tf 
 
 li;M .' i> We fall before Hia foot, 
 
 And silence heigbtouH licavcn," 
 
 On this theme I feel myself growing dull, or rather sorrowful. A 
 melancholy sensation creeps over the soul as I think of my own loved 
 home, name always dear to me, and now I am operated upon by 
 it almost to a momentary melancholy. But I check myself, and 
 
TO MK. E. E. SIIEPPARD. 883 
 
 liaston on to finish my letter. 
 
 Thanks to you, my dear brotiicr, again aud again, and may tlio 
 incarnate Immanuel be your stay and support, your constant abiding 
 friend. Be strong in the faitlj of our Lord Jesus Christ, hold fast 
 that which you have already attained, that when you fail on earth 
 you may be received into everlasting habitations. Amen. 
 
 To accomplish this it requires energy and perseverence. And I 
 fondly trust, hope and pray, that your pathway through life's devious 
 way may be one of joy and bliss. May God hold you as a star in 
 His right hand by which He may some day illuminate the churches. 
 True, you will have trials to encounter, but, trusting in God, heaven 
 will in mercy uphold and guide you. Never, dear brother, cower 
 at the dark troop of difficulties which may form in your pathway. 
 Never despair. Let your motto bo nil desperandum ; and panoplied 
 with the anuor of God, you can bid defiance to the arch foe of 
 humanity. Then onward ! Catch up the watchword never fait, but 
 march onward in advance and lead on to victory. Never falter on 
 the way. Don't give up the old ship of Zion. Though the billows 
 roll high God is at the helm. Don't leave it, youthful pilgrim, as Paul 
 said to those with him at the time they were shipwrecked. The 
 dying words of Captain Lawrence were, " Don't give up the ship !" 
 And when Commodore Perry afterwards was about to engage in 
 deadly combat, he placed the dying words of Lawrence upon the 
 flag which waved over the vessel, " Don't give up the ship." This 
 inspired the crew with greater energy, and after a hard contest he 
 despatched to General Harrison, " We have met the enemy and they 
 are ours." You, too, fired with the same energetic spirit may 
 reach the goal at last to which you now are journeying. 
 
 God has, indeed, given us the assurance that all things work 
 together for good to them that love Him. Ho has laid down the 
 most certain rules to guide us from the cradle to the grave. And 
 we should not seek merely to please ourselves, and live unto our- 
 selves, but unto Him who died for us and rose again to save us from 
 everlasting misery and woe. Let us then be patient in toil, con- 
 tinuing in well-doing, seeking for glory and honor and immortality 
 that we may ultimately enjoy eternal life after the heavens and the 
 earth have flod awuy. This will certainly lift life's commonalty up 
 into royalty. Such will be crowned as more heroic than earth's 
 carnal warriors and mighty chieftians, far greater than poets, and 
 
234 BPRINU IS WAKIKG. 
 
 nobler than princes. '" 
 
 But wealth and fame allure the noble youth as he steps for the 
 first time on the world's great platform. Fame's glittering crown 
 has taken many a bright and happy heart to an untimely grave. 
 But such will not be your lot, I trust. And now, in conclusion, one 
 simple boon I crave when far away, that you will send, perchance, 
 a withering thought o'er the distant land, and remember me. May 
 
 all blessings be thine, 
 
 .':, . . tT '1. : ■ t.'i,. -.,',.-.,,■' 
 , Kind friends to love tlicc dearly, , . ,, 
 
 ' And honest ones to chide ; ' 
 
 Ani a dear Jriend io cling to thee, - < 
 Whatever may betide. 
 
 Youre, most affectionately and fraternally. 
 Welland, Ont, Sept. 16th, '75. ,,^ , ^ . , . ,. 
 
 
 SPRING IS WAKING. * 
 
 Spring is waking, — spring is wailing,^. 
 
 what music fills the air ; 
 On eaoh gale glad anthems floating 
 
 Tell of coming days so fair. 
 Heaven above is sweetly ringing, 
 
 Earth is joining in the song ; ♦ 
 Nature, with her prospects teeming, 
 
 Will the notes of joy prolong. 
 
 f -n-' 
 
 her- 
 
 
 Lambs arc bleating, cattle lowing, > 
 
 Frogs are croaking in the spring ; 
 While the insect tribes are humming, : '' '. . 
 
 Warbling forth glad strains they sing. *, ■ <' . > 
 O'er the earth the buds are filling, ■ a 
 
 And the leaves are bursting forth ; ' « •^^ ' ; JiJ:p I 
 They adorn the earth's awakening, ; 
 
 Tell us of her noblest worth. 
 
 Softly stealing, comes a feeling, ; ; . 
 
 With the morning, fresh and bright. 
 O'er the earth and ocean gleaming, 
 
 Sending forth her rills of light. 
 They cheer np with joy each dwelling 
 
 In sweet tides of melody ; 
 While far o'er the earth is echoing 
 
 Notes of one giand jubilee. 
 
 Gently gleaming, spring is waking. 
 Oh ! what joys her coming bring ; 
 
SPUIXO IS WAKING. — TO WILLIAM BURR, ESQ. 225 
 
 Merrily the birds are warbling, 
 
 Making hills and valleys ring. 
 Showers and snnshino mark her coming, 
 
 Bloominf fields and flowering treee 
 Tell lis of tne joys she's bringing, 
 
 Wafted forth upon the breeze. 
 
 Joyous greeting, — pleasant meeting, — 
 
 Welcoming the vernal spring ; 
 Beautiful beyond words telling 
 
 Are the joys her presence bring. 
 On her thoughts are daily dwelling, 
 
 Wand'ring in the breezes flight ; 
 Catching glory, sweetly falling 
 
 In a shower of sunny light. 
 
 Morning breaking, — crows are cawing, — 
 
 Feathered songsters on the wing ; , 
 
 Noohtide glory o'er earth shining 
 
 Does sweet joy and comfort bring. 
 O'er the sky the clouds are floating. 
 
 Joyously they seem to glide ; 
 In the West the sun is sinklug, 
 
 Passing to the other side. 
 
 Moon is shining,— sweetly looking,— 
 
 In the silvery twilight hour ; 
 Tells of glorious days that's coming, , . 
 
 While t'ie birds sing in the bower. 
 Stars ore out and gently wading 
 
 In tlie arched domes above ; 
 While earth's travellers are resting 
 
 In the arms of faith and love. 
 
 TO WILL/AM BURR, ESQ. 
 
 HiLLIER, OnT. 
 
 Dear FatJier : — Fancy with a soul-lit look often wanders in the 
 halls of memory, back to the home of our early days, and more 
 especially to when silence holds her spell — like reign and darkneu 
 spreads her gloomy mantel over our dwelling. 'Tis then from out the 
 mystic past, scenes of other days in panoramic view pais befor* us 
 in the glimtaering light of thought, and in unseen communion spirit 
 doth with spirit blend. To night I sit in the shade of time, won- 
 dering as I gently watch the dying day, how you all are at home, 
 knowing that the infirmities of years are beginning to weigh heavily 
 upon you. It is natural far us all to desire to be remembered. 
 The grave of forgetfulness is deeper and darker than that which 
 
220 TO WILLIAM BLRB, ESQ. 
 
 shall close over our mortal remains ; and it is a thought that 
 oftimes fills the soul with sadness, when Me contemplate the solemn 
 fact that the sea of life will loose so soon ull trace of our voyaging ; 
 that thoughtless feet will so soon press the grass growing green by 
 our decay, as we lie mouldering in the tomb. 
 
 When we turn our thoughts in upon ourselves it causes us to re- 
 flect upon the history of the past, which brings to our mind sad 
 reraembrhnces of the things that have changed, and loved ones 
 that have passed away. Mutation and death are indelibly stamped 
 upon everything beneath the sun, which gives to us so otten a feel- 
 ing of sadness. But notwithstanding all this, there is a stream of 
 joy flowing from afar, as wo paint the animating picture of the 
 wondrous scenes which are beyond this world of bitter anguish. 
 
 Dear Fatuer, 
 
 Why should wo weep though ouo by one 
 
 Our brightest visions fade ; 
 Or be repining over hopes, 
 
 Of earthly joys decayed ? 
 
 The brightest sun of Autumn shows tardy clouds floating lazily 
 their rugged edges across its shining disc. The earth at times may 
 even mourn and groan in agony, laboring as it docs under the curae, 
 but the bright blue sky will be seen again. Look then Dear Father 
 away from the storms and afllictions of life ; for beyond the 
 dark clouds of earth rolls the great ocean of light. Faith and hope 
 inspire us onward to that land of undying blessedness, where the 
 sunlight falls so softly throughout that long eternity. 
 
 I often think of you, and in the stillness of the night I dream of 
 you as when in the days of childhood, I prattled around your knee. 
 Methinks I see you now. You are sitting with book in hand, 
 reading God's Holy Word ; or perchance you aro looking over the 
 pages of the " Bible Index," to learn something of the one who is 
 now tracinj; these lines, and whose form may nevermore responsive 
 meet the eye of [My Dear Father.] 
 
 Note. — Before the foregoing letter was even finished, a messenger 
 came with a telegram, " Father died last rdght." 
 
 Tears now bedew our cheeks, and we mourn and sigh ; but we 
 
 expect to meet again, and enjoy the celestial light of the Eternal 
 
 Home. 
 
 Till Uien Dear Father, 
 
 Farewell ! 
 Beaiwsville, Ont., March 21st, 1877- 
 
THE NEW noRN iMfillT. — TO " THE CHRISTAIN STANDARP. 
 
 THE NEW BORN LIGHT. 
 
 ( 
 
 Li^lit to the wise mon of the East, 
 
 To bear their gifts of goUl ; ' ' 
 
 Light to the shepherds then by night, 
 
 To gilil their midnight fold. 
 
 '■.■••' 
 
 Light, to a world of sin and grief, , . 
 
 Throughout the patli of life ; 
 Light to cheer up, find bring relief, ' .■***■' 
 
 Mid bitter scones of strife. ' « ' 
 
 Light, to giiide to that blissful liome, ■ A . » *^ , • 
 When all around is gloom ; v ^ 
 
 Liglit to direct where'er we roam, . ., 
 
 E'en passing through tlie tomb. : 1 ••. n, • 
 
 liight, to pass on to heav'n above, 
 
 Where saints in glory reign ; 
 Light forever there to move, - .^, »« . I ' 
 
 O'er all the golden plain. 
 
 TO THE EDITOR OF "THE CHRISTIAN STANDARD," 
 
 CiNciNATTi, Ohio. 
 
 Bro, Erreil, I design giving you a description of our meeting held 
 on the beautiful shores of Liike Erie some three weeks ago. The 
 scene at its waters, which are generally fierce and Atlantic-like, was 
 rendered peculiarly sublime by the rain clouds lowering and the 
 waters falling in torrents. We had met at the lake to duly observe 
 the institution of clu'istian baptism ; and there amid the a'orra our 
 hearts with one accord ascended up to God in prayer, while the 
 emotion of holy rapture thrilled the soul, j jV. \ VU 
 
 To rise and stretch its wings 
 Its better portion trace ; 
 . , To rise from transitory things I 
 
 To Heaven its native place. 
 
 Then the audience sang one of the sweet songs of Zion, commen- 
 cing, 
 
 " Alas and did my Savior bleed 
 And did my Sovereign die ; ' 
 
228 TO THE EDITOR OF THE "CHRISTIAN STANDARD." 
 
 after which we attended to the baptizing, and like the Eunich they 
 went on their way rejoicing. Indeed we all doubtlesa realized that 
 notwithstanding the heavens were black and portentious there was 
 brightneu still beyond. Purer thoughts and more heavenly aspira- 
 tions filled the soul as the light of the setting sun burst forth from 
 beyond the dark cloud, and the gorgeous rainbow rested over the 
 lake and a halo of glory encompassed the landscape. How much of 
 the imagery which reveals to \\n the loveliness of celestial things, is 
 painted of these earthly colors. The glittering rainbow tints bring 
 down the hope of a higher life into our hearts and fill them with jey 
 and peace, spanning the grave, which encloses the ashes of loved 
 ones with the glorious light of immortality. Yes, the rainbow 
 formed o'ei Erie Laks, is ever fresh on the vision j 
 
 And through the vail of the clear blue slcy 
 Shines a glow of tho land clysian. 
 
 Just receding backward and planting our foot upon the olden 
 time> how the soul brightened and we in silence uttered, 
 
 '* First the dark and after that the bright, 
 
 First the thick cloud and then the rainbow's arch 
 First the dark grave then resurrection light. 
 
 ^ The day of reappearing ! how it speeds I • ' 
 
 He, who is faithful speaks the Word 
 Then shall we ever be, with those we love, 
 Then shall we be forever with the Lord. 
 
 Short death and darkness ; endless Ufe and light, 
 • Short dimming, endless shining in you sphere, 
 Where all is inoorniptiblo and pure. 
 ' ' The joy without the pain, the smile without the tear. 
 
 Yours in the one hope. 
 Brewerton, N. Y., August 20th, 1876. .. ., , . 
 
 TO THE EDITOR OF "THE CHRISTIAN STANDARD." 
 
 CiNCiNATTi, Ohio. 
 
 Elder , Isaac Errett, Beloved Brolher :— I am now on a tour 
 through the State of New York, and concluded to send you a des- 
 cription of our last meeting in Canada, held the Idth inst., on thg 
 shores of Lake Ontario. 
 
 The lamps of Heaven were shining 
 Amid the gloom of night, 
 
Hj 
 
 TO THE EDITOR OF THE •' CHRISTIAN STANDARD." 229 
 
 The scono was more enchanting 
 
 Thau in the blaze of light ; 
 No sound save sighing breezes 
 
 And murmurs of the wave, 
 But then we broke the silence 
 
 'Though solemn as the grave. 
 
 The services of the church had closed, and now we' stood on the 
 shore to attend to the impressive ordinance of baptism,now rendered 
 still more impressive by the nature of the surroundings and the war 
 among the elements. The wind blew rather roughlj,spending upon 
 us a little of its fury, while the waters rushed and hissed and gur- 
 gled as the waves ran high in wild commotion. Far ahead of us lay 
 the vast and seemingly illimitable waters of Ontario, while the black 
 shore stretched out a great dark arm and lost itself in the gloom. 
 But the twinkling of the stars and the soft mellow light of the 
 glimmering lamp enabled us to drink in the sublimity of the scene. 
 Slowly and awe-stricken we passed down the ravine into the raging 
 flood 'f the angry froth, restlessly and ceaselessly, changing form on the 
 surface, it did indeed seem as though we were actually in mid ocean. 
 There were then two young men in the bloom of health and strength 
 who put on Christ in baptism. Both times the sweeping rush of 
 
 '^ the wares passed over me and I received a " fresh baptism." Every. 
 
 '^ thing combined to make this evening in Lake Ontario a never-to-be. 
 forgotten one, for my soul was overwhelmed in the rapture of the 
 hour. A prayer was offered up and the procession moved quietly 
 away. On leaving I rode along the shore for some two miles, with 
 a company of others, and enjoyed one of the most romantic rides of 
 my life. Now and then some beautiful song, soft and sweet, would 
 break forth on the balmy summer air and mingle with the hum of 
 conversatioD, then die away over the waters. May Qod bless those 
 dear young brethren that have just started in the Christian path. 
 May they never falter in the march. 
 
 Ifes, onward, brethren, though the region. 
 
 May at times be drear and lone ; 
 God hath set a gnardian legion 
 
 Very near thee,— -press thou on I , _ . 
 
 Listen, brethren, their Hosanna 
 
 Bolleth o'er thee, God it love. i 
 
 Like the waves amid the waters. 
 
 Like the storm, bat even then 
 Write upon your red oroM banner, 
 
 Upward ever ; heaven's above. 
 
 Yours in hope of heaven> 
 Brewerton, N. Y., August 20th, 76» 
 
t 
 
 230 TO MRS. HIRAM HORN. 
 
 JO MRS, HIRAM HORN, 
 
 ■ Beamsvili.e, Ont. 
 
 ' " ' ■ Ameliasduro, Ont., Nov. Sntl, '77. 
 
 tear Mrs, Horn. — I was very Imppy in having the pleasure, 
 recently, of receiving a letter from yourself ; and more especially, 
 too,as I had expected from the nature of your disease that ere this time 
 you -would be mingling with the glorified throng over yonder. How- 
 ever it is not impossible with God that you may yet be raised up 
 from the gates of the grave. Yet, it is, indeed, a soui'co of great 
 consolation, not only to yourself, but also to your many friends, that 
 you are resigning yourself entirely to the will of God, and casting 
 all your care upon Him. Oh ! how thickly in the dying moments 
 come the dying comforts. It would at times almost appear that for 
 the departing saint the veil is withdrawn which seperates etor. 
 nal things from those of time and sense,and the glories of that bright 
 hereafter burst in upon the enraptured soul. 
 
 Dear sister, after re-perusing your letter, I was, indeed, thankful 
 to witness the hallowed peace and love of God emanating forth from 
 your heart, as you lay upon your weary couch, longing to be set 
 free. Your case reminds me of the feathered songster encaged, fly- 
 ing around in its narrow home, bruising its tender wings, and 
 struggling to be free. Oh ! how I rejoiced in spirit when I read in 
 your communication the following expressive language, so fittingly 
 appropriate for the departing child of God : " If it is the Lord's will 
 to take me I am willing to go ; ' for to live is Christ, and to die is 
 gain.' I am willing to die for the scriptures tell me, ' Blessed are 
 the dead, that die in the Lord'.*' And, doubtless, when the eyes of 
 all around you are dim with weeping, yours will be bright, beaming 
 with hope and courage. In such an hour I trust that the privilege 
 will be vouchsafed to you of witnessing the gathering together on 
 the threshold of heaven, the ministering angels who shall convey 
 your freed spirit to the land of the leal, the home of the redeemed. 
 
 Oh 1 how very kind God is to us in permitting nature to assert 
 her claims, and prepare us so gently and gradually for the pause of 
 life. It is truly very cheering to observe how, like some that have been 
 troubled with storm and tempest but are hushed at last in the still 
 
TO MRS. HIKAM HORN. , 231 
 
 and galden reposo of the sunset hour, so tho lajt llngoring yoars in 
 this mundane sphere scorn Hushed with the bright hopes of a future 
 life. Yes, wearied of tho cares of this worhl wo may pillow our 
 heads upon the bosom of lh)\w, otherwise we have nowhere else to 
 lean and repose in peace. Without tlie hope of immortality, death 
 is an enemy, and to the l)croaved out of tho cold and unsocial grave 
 there is no opening of the everlasting arms of the blessed Haviour. 
 But death is an extinguisher into a dark and narrow home where 
 the highest faculties and noblest feelings and powers of intellect will 
 be crushed forever. In vain do we turn to the writings of the 
 philosophers to fill the aching void in tho human breast, for they 
 never satisfy the longings of the soul. They wake no slumbering 
 echoes in memory's hall. They bring no light from the far distant 
 shore, no healing balm from the Land of Gilead to soothe the weary, 
 aching, broken heart. But we turn to the pages of the Inspired 
 Volume and there learn of Him, who burst the bands of death and 
 gilded the grave with tho light of heaven. Blessed hope ! It will 
 ever cheer you on, thus affording a balm of consolation, pointing to 
 that sweet land of rest in tho bright fields of everlasting life. 
 
 I trust that the mellowing hand of time has in home degree dried 
 up your tears of sorrow. And though, occasionally, you may bo 
 sad, and the dews of feeling gather round the heart and glisten in 
 the eye, darkening for a time your pathway, still be assured that 
 there id brightness beyo''d, tli;it 
 
 " The path ' orrow, and that path alone. ' " 
 
 Leads to the land where sonow is unkuowu." 
 
 Think of the vulture, that noble bird of the heavens, whose match- 
 less eye never scanned the jyath of life ; yet, notwithstanding hia 
 ample wing has passed majestically over the loftiest peak of earth — 
 for he is, indeed, the mountain king of the birds, and has taken his 
 seat upon the cloud encircled throne — he is truly the bird of the 
 cliff's, born for the thunder and the storm, and lives amid the rocks 
 where no mortal man has ever trod. And when the storms arise 
 ho mounts tipward towards the skies, where he can still behold the 
 brightness of the sun. Yes, the lightning may flash and the loud 
 thunder may roar and roll along the heavens,and still he pursues his 
 upward flight free from earth's stormy billovs. So, too, may we 
 soar above the dark clouds of this life, and look beyond this world 
 
232 TO tfR8. HIRAM HORN. 
 
 —look heavenward. May God bless you abundantly, and enable 
 you also to rise above every affliction, knowing that in heaven is a 
 better and an enduring substance. And though tried in the furnace 
 continually put your trust in the Lord, for He will be your stay 
 and support, your solace in affliction, your rock and abiding placn. 
 O, my sister, encourage youraelf in your God, who is all goodness 
 and faithfulness and power. Honor Him with a simple, direct and 
 unshaken reliance on His mercy and fidelity. Let patience have its 
 perfect work that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 
 May God sanctify you wholly ; and may your whole body, soul and 
 spirit be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 Your Divine Master will surely sustain you in the hour of your 
 departure, and an abundant entrance will be ministered unto you 
 abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of Almighty God. And 
 0, think of the bliss and exceeding great joy of joining 
 
 " A world of sr'itB bright, 
 > ' Who taste thb pleasures there ; 
 
 They all aro robed in spotless white, , 
 And conquering palms they bear, 
 
 AdomM by their Redeemer's grace 
 , ^ They close pursue the Lamb ; ; , , , ,■ ; 
 
 And every sblning front display. 
 The unutterable name." / 
 
 Thank God for such a hope ! We shall meet again by and by 
 Yes, notwithstanding we may be separated for a season, I still 
 rejoice that we'll meet again. In my meditative hours I often 
 revert to other days and think of you. Truly .^ : > 
 
 j,; I ;• -f With pleasing sadness I recall • .■ • ■ I 
 
 The happy times I spent with you ; 
 ■ '• And sigh that e'er my lot did fall 
 
 To part with friends so kind and true. 
 
 May the blessing of the true God rest upon you forever ! Once 
 more, farewell ! 
 
TO MR. AND MHS. H. KOXKLE. 233 
 
 TO MR. AND MRS. M. ^OMLE. 
 
 Beamsville, Ont. 
 
 Beloved Brother and Sister : — I have just rtturned fr(»m the grare 
 of my Dear Father. How little did I think when we parted last, 
 that the next time I should see hiro, it would se in the hallowed 
 precincts of the grave. You will doubtless be a little surprised to 
 learn that when I reached Belleville, the funeral services were over 
 and my Beloved Father buried forever from my sight. Oh ! it 
 seemed heartrending to me, and my eyes became a fountain of 
 tears. But this morning kind friends came and removed the earth 
 from over the coffin and I went down into the grave and saw my 
 poor Father lying low in his narrow bed. But then he looked 
 lovely even in death. The flush was still upon his cheek and an 
 angelic smile rested upon his countenance. I think I never saw a 
 person in death look so lifelike. And then he seemed so comfor- 
 table, enjoying such sweet rest in his Charnel House. 0, the grave 
 never appeared to me so beautiful befoi'e. As I knelt over him in 
 Death's Narrow Home, 1 received impressions in regard to the final 
 resting place of the departed, which time can nerer obliterate. 
 
 And why should we fear the cold grave, 
 
 g'uce Jesus our Savior laid there ? 
 
 • 
 
 Parting with you and taking the affectionate and tearful fare- 
 well, I was soon aboard the oars, and after u long and wearisome 
 journey, I reached Belleville about one o'clock the following morn- 
 ing. I then put up at the Anglo American Hotel, and at eight 
 o'clock I got aboard the stage to leave to attend, as I supposed, the 
 Funeral of my Father, when I met my Brothers and my Widowed 
 Mother in her robe of black, bowed in sorrow and draped in mourn- 
 ing ; and also Elder O. Clendenan who was in a great hurry to take 
 the train for Cobourg. I will not attempt to portray the scenes 
 which immediately followed. They are too sacred for detail — too 
 tender to admit of description. 
 
 One by one we pass away. Oh ! how short is the space of human 
 existence. How brief is our journey here on earth. How soon our 
 race is run. A few days — perchance a few years, and then the sad 
 
234 TO MH. J. M. LAWS. 
 
 news will bo borno to our friends that we too are no moi-e. Teare, 
 like rain drops may trickle down the cheeks of the bereaved, and 
 then the gloom of the grave will settle ovor us for all time. 
 Oh I when T view life from this stauJ. point, I am lead to exclaim 
 with }[irz%, " Surely man w.is made in vain ; tortured in life, and 
 swallowed up in death." But in the mid.«t of sorrow I hear the 
 voice of the Savior gliding smoothly through tlio sweet whispers of 
 His revelation, exclaiming, " Blessal arc ilio. 'had that die in the 
 lord." 
 
 A thousand thanks to you fur your m;iny and r po.ited acts of 
 kindness. INIay the smiles of Heaven ovor rest upon you, and may 
 we enjoy a happy reunion not only here in mortality's vale, but also 
 in the world to come. 
 
 Yours with ur.dying affection, 
 
 Ameliasburg, Out., March 26th, 1877. 
 
 TO MR. J. M. LAWS. 
 
 JOHDAN, OnT. 
 
 Dear Brother. — In great haste I am writing on the spur of the 
 moment to despatch it at once on the wings of the mail. I have 
 not time at present to write a lengthy letter, but send this as an ex- 
 pression of affectionate regard, leaving as T did so unexpectedly. I 
 tender you my thanks for the assistance you rendered in sending 
 mo the telegram, bringing so sad a message, announcing the death 
 of my kind and affectionate Fathnr. How mysterious are the dis- 
 pensations of Providence which so often changes our purposes and 
 courge in life. 
 
 My Father died sifddenly without a moments warni'ig,apparontly 
 as cheerful and wtH as usual immediately before his death. His 
 disease was of the heart and consecjuently his death had long been 
 anticipated by my Mother and himself ; but it was no more welcome 
 to those of us that ai-e bereft on that account. We daily mourn his 
 departure, his once familiar face will no more be seen in time. 
 But we expect to see him on some bright day and enjoy a meeting 
 beyond the cold grave. His place is left vacant to bo filled never- 
 
TO MU. J. II. LAWS. 230 
 
 more. His absence will long be felt by us all, and especially by my 
 dear mother — who feels the severe btroke so very much. No more 
 are we to mingle together and listen to the gentle tones of his strong 
 sonorous voice and enjoy pleasant hours in conversation. No, for 
 he is gone. What a sad fact and then what solemn thoughts to con- 
 template. But 1 turn from these reflections to inform you that the 
 funeral services had been held before my arrival and 1 found my 
 Father reposing in the land of shadows where stand the high pale 
 tombs that glitter in the night tim?. But the earth was removed 
 from over hito by the hand of sympathizing friends ; and the light 
 permitted once more to shine in upon the face of my Dear Father. 
 But hiB spirit has flown away to meet his God on high. Yet we 
 trust he has goue to the pearly streams and gushing fountains of 
 life. Gone it is true, while we still remain to behold the transient 
 scenes of a fleeting life. But we are isfreshcd with sweet visfons, 
 •when we look forward to that ITeavenly Land, the home that ehall 
 be ours when we are free. 
 
 Our life appears in a measure to bo made up of exclamations and 
 interrogations. This earth we are a&snrcd is not our home. What 
 means the bitter wails that pierce the air, and is wafted on every 
 breeze ? What means the wikl blasts that sweep over the land 1 
 What means the terriffic earthtpiake as it shakes the earth as if it 
 were agonizing in convulsions. What means too the mighty thun- 
 derinjj as the lightning flashes across the sky, making the arched 
 domes echo and reecho ? What means the groans and agonies of the 
 brute creation, as though they also labored under some fearful 
 curse 1 And then again what means the pain and groans of the 
 dying, and the sorrows and trials of the bereft ? The reason is very 
 o))vious. The Fall 1 O tiik Fall ! It has brought death into the 
 world, and all our woe. But then if we are faithful in this world 
 tho time will come when we shall catch the glory of the gate and 
 enter in, to go no more out forever. 
 
 Present me most afljjtionately to Mrs. Liwa and to all the mem' 
 bers of the family, 
 
 Yours in hope of Jleavon, 
 
 Ameliasburg, Gut., AFaich 3 list, 1877. 
 
236 TO MRS. JACOD SKURE. 
 
 TO MRS. JACOB SNURE. 
 
 Jordan, Oxt. 
 
 Beloved Mother in Israel : — Tidings have just reached us that the 
 companion of your youth has passed over the dark river. I could 
 not but ^ive ezpreEsion to the emotions that crowded around and 
 tilled the recesses of my heart. I thought of him as when last I 
 saw him, sitting in the pulpit at the church at the Lake Shore dur- 
 ing the funeral of the aged Sister Sanns. I thought, too, that his 
 toils had terminated, and his labor now was done. It appears 
 almost like a dream ; but sad to know that it is indeed true, and he 
 is no^ numbered with the dead. In my fancy I see him sleeping 
 in the little cemetry upon the hill amid the moss and shrubs and 
 trees, with naught of his presence to bless you save memories toll- 
 ing, tolling, tolling foi'ever of the past, and hope pluming 
 her wings for the pearly gates. And, again, in motley vision I see 
 him rejoicing in that Grand Cathedral, in that sweet home beyond 
 
 the 
 
 Valca soft Elysiaii 
 Like those in the vision 
 Of Mirza, when dreaming 
 He saw the long, hollow dell, 
 Touched by the prophets spell, 
 Into an ocean swell 
 With its isles teeming. 
 
 jDear aged pilgrim, bowed down in sorrow ; O, look away to a 
 brighter, holier clime than earth. Stop not to think of life's bitter 
 sorrows, for they will soon be at an end. The time will soon arrive 
 — it will not be long — when you will again meet the one for whom 
 you now mourn. O, we oannot here form even a faint conception 
 of the great joy and blessedness occasioned by that sweet re-union 
 when Christ shall oome again. Then your dark clouds— the bitter 
 cloud of grief— will be banished forever. O happy home 1 O bless- 
 ed abode I At the dawn of the great morning the trumpet will 
 sound for the resurrection, and your dear companion will undoubt- 
 edly come forth, and stand in a line of light with the sword of 
 christian conflict gle&ming in the unsetting sun. And you, too, no 
 doubt, "-.^ill stand near his side nevermore to part. Then 
 
TO MR9. JACOB SXUHE. 237 
 
 " Hush sad heart and ccaso rnpiniiig, 
 
 Behind eacli cluiid the sun is Hhiuing." 
 
 • •••••• 
 
 As some tall cliff that lifts its awful form 
 Swells from the vale and midway leaves the storm, 
 Thou(^li round yonr breast the rolling clouds are spread, 
 Eternal sunshine will rest upon your head. 
 
 When we part with loved ones that die in the Lord we have the 
 assurance of meeting them again if we, too, are faithful, into the 
 illimitable ocean of eternity, on the green fields of the River of 
 Light in the Heavenly Edon. Cheer up, then, dear'aged Sister,and 
 think of a fairer land than earth, where the lostarefound and the weary 
 are at rest. Think, too, of that great day when free from sorrow, 
 care and woe you will stand side by side together in the crystal sea 
 of light and joy amid the glories of an eternal world ; and there lift 
 your voices in swelling the glor'ous anthem with which angelic 
 voices fill the corridors of heaven. 
 
 Oh I the blissful future in that home of perfect happiness. It is 
 indeed infinitely more bright and glorious, transcendently more 
 grand and beautiful, than any home we can picture here iu this 
 world. There ie truly a magic charm in the future abode of the 
 saints which enrai)ture3 every thought and entrances every faculty. 
 And though here you may oftimes be lonely , and in pensive sad- 
 ness your thoughts may wander back to him who travelled so long 
 with you amid joys and sunshine, storms and trials, yet you need 
 not wish him here again to battle with life's woe's, for he is now 
 free, indeed, from pain, care and sorrow. When I last saw him, he 
 stood with cane in hand a shattered wreck of almost four- score 
 years. Nearly all of his youthful companions had passed on before 
 him ; and his nerveless frame and age-bedimmed eye indicated that 
 with him the journey of life would soon be ended, the goal almost in 
 view, and a crown awaiting him on the golden coast of immortality, 
 Dear, aged Brotlier, 
 
 He has finished his work 
 IIo has gained the crown ; 
 lie wears the new name, 
 And has learned the new song. 
 
 He haSj indeed, entered the gates of the city, and seen the King in 
 His beauty. And having thus bade adieu to earth, and left all 
 things below, you are consequently left alone, 
 
238 TO iins. JACOB snure. 
 
 Alone ? no, angels are smiling, 
 Smiling that God is near ; 
 And with linked hands they're flying. 
 Hovering o'er yon there. 
 
 You have certainly a strong arm atill to lean upon. It is the dear 
 
 Saviour. He has promised to be a husband to the widow, her 
 
 strong and abiding friend, O, may God richly bless you in your 
 
 widowhood. Truly the consolations of the gospel are yours to cheer 
 
 you on till you, too, are ready to lay your armor by and dwell with 
 
 Christ at homo • 
 
 It will not be long, dear grandma, 
 A few fleeting days of woe ; 
 A few years to face tlio tempest 
 And to journey here below. 
 
 0, press on ! press on dear grandma ! 
 For the Lord will be your stay ; 
 And then when your journey 's ended 
 He will bear you hence away. 
 
 Each one of us must some day give up the world with its mingled 
 emotions of hopes and fears. We must enter the portals of another 
 world alone, there to commence a new life that will never, never 
 end. Life was here given that it might be a preparation for a 
 better life beyond— a lifetime with God. Time was given that it 
 might fit and prepare us for a long eternity. May it then be oum 
 BO to live that we mny not fear to die ; so to die that we may live 
 again forever and forever. Then shall we enter where the light 
 will fill all eternity, and with its soul cheering rays dispel all dark- 
 ness and unhappiness. 
 
 I sympathise with you very much in your bereavement, and pray 
 that God may richly bless you, enabling you to remember that 
 sorrows and trials discipline the spirit and educate the soul for a 
 future life. The journey of life is, indeed, short. We have not 
 long to stop here ; for passing away is truly a part of earth. But 
 I well know that you will miss, continually, the one that cheered 
 you on in life for so many years. Yes, you will miss his tender 
 looks and kind words everywliere. Miss him at morning, noon and 
 night. Still it will not be long befors you'll meet again. We 
 mingle our tears of sympathy with yours ; and pray that the 
 remnant of your days may be crowned with happiness, that like as 
 a shock of corn you may be ready to be gathered homp, where fare> 
 wells are never spoken and love can never die. 
 
TO Sins. ISRAEL BURTCH. 
 
 O'lr troubles nml onr trials hero 
 VI' ill only make us riolior thoro, 
 V'hen wo arrive at home. 
 
 0, I jjictnre to myself the hour when you will meet and greet 
 your dear husband on the shining shore, separate! as you are now 
 by the vail which divides that heavenly land from ours. Such sweet 
 anticipation ough(, to call forth songs of praise, and inspire you to 
 bear the cross patiently that on the great day of eternity you may 
 be permitted to wear the crown, and rejoice, singing forever the 
 triumphant song of victory. Your tears and sighs will then bo lost 
 in joy and gladnoss ; and you, being far removed from the scenes of 
 your earthly pilj;riipage, will range forever the elysian fields of glorj', 
 
 " With every longing satisfioJ and full salvation blest." 
 
 My wife and mother also mingle their tears of sympathy and 
 affection, and desire that the strength of Israel's God may be yours 
 in the great loss you have sustained in being bereft of yojr dear 
 husband. Adien ! 
 
 Most affectionately yours. 
 
 TO MRS. ISRAEL BURTCH. 
 
 H.VJiiLTON, OnT. 
 
 Beloved Muther m Israel : — For several weeks past I have been 
 intending to write to you, but amid the busy scenes of life I have 
 deferred ii until to-f'ay. And be assurred from this token of kind 
 remembrunco that I have not forgotten you. Yes, I remember you 
 with a grateful heart and tliink of the pleasant hours we have spent 
 together. 
 
 " Anil how shall I with equal warmth 
 
 The gratitude declare, 
 
 That glows witliiu my r.".vished heart," 
 
 Oft I have thought of you in your chamber of affliction, and remem- 
 bered you whf.'ii howoil in humble reverence at the mcr^y seat. Oh ! 
 that God would be with you now to give you strength in this time 
 pf doep affliction. Thank God you have One above all others that 
 
240 TO Mils. ISUAEL uunTOit. 
 
 can sympathise with you. It is the dear Saviour. Ho Jias loved 
 you with an everlasting love. All along your pilgrimage He has 
 been your undying friend. And even now, you can hoar Him say : 
 " I will never leave you, nor forsake you." You can, indeed, well 
 lay claim to His promises, for through many a long and weary year 
 you have steadily been wending your way to that eternal home. 
 Your early friends, one afier another, have bade you farewell. Far 
 away from the busy throng and active pursuits in which they once 
 took part, even in the silent, voiceless realms of the Silent City, 
 they sleep the sleep of death — that sleep that knows no waking. 
 
 By the great law of change and decay they have passed away, and 
 you, too, are going down the hillside. But O, the soul cheering 
 thought, God will not leave his aged saints to mourn in solitude. 
 He says, " I will not leave you comfortless." Yes, He has promised 
 to be with His followers through the stygian flood, and on to His 
 eternal throne. Blessed, then, be His name forever, Oh ! I love 
 to think upon the joys of immortality—beyond the stream-^beyond 
 the tide of death. And as we now, dear Orarultna, gaze with an 
 eye of faith upon the eternal hills, and view the clear sparkling 
 streams that flow on forever into the ocean's vast expanse, we hear 
 echoed in immortal strains the song of our great immortality. The 
 dying hear it, and it blunts the pangs of death and enables the 
 weary pilgrim to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. 
 And as we survey the stars of heaven among whose azui'e fields of 
 glory your spirit in imagination oft has walked, while you have 
 caught a glimpse of future glory in the Eternal City, we are lost in 
 wonder, love and adoration. 
 
 Our heart swells with gratitude when we take into consideration 
 that Christ has conquered the grave, and the sweet thought comes 
 as bright evangels of love and beautj'. O, it throws a charm over 
 the tomb and causes dissolving nature to rejoice. Then cheer up, 
 notwithstanding you may be careworn and wearied ; tired ot life, 
 and also tired of its fleeting journey. Remember you have a strong 
 arm to lean upon ; 'tis not an arm of flesh. A nd when your trust 
 is in God, your bows shall abide in strength, and every shaft which 
 you send from the string, like the arrow of Acestes of old, will take 
 tire in its flight, shine through the clouds, and v^,nish in the 
 immensity of heaven. And when wrapped in beatific vision, you 
 can be ready to take your upward flight and scale the Hill of Zion. 
 
TO MRS. ISRAEL BURTCH. 241 
 
 Ready, yes, like the summer's sun that sets serene and golden in 
 the West, to close your earthly career. 
 
 My prayer oft has been that God would raise you up and restore 
 you again to health. That your smiles might again light up and 
 cheer with gladness the homes of those with whom you were wont 
 to associate in the days which have passed away, alas ! forever. 
 But should this not be the case, I pray that God may take you 
 liQme. And while I pen this thought I drop the silent tear of 
 sympathy, and cry " God save thine own." Oh ! what thrilling 
 emotions vibrate the heart as, in imagination, I picture to myself 
 the hour when you are free froTi mortal mould. Though your body 
 may be racked with pain you can exclaim, " I'll praise Him while 
 He lends me breath." Yes, for His word is sure. It can never, 
 never fall. And 
 
 "Perish the grass aiuHade the flower, ■ . ; . , 
 
 ?."•■■'"»•" ' If firm the word of God remains." '•-' I'i" > 
 
 You can. Grandma, truly sny, with the poet, ' ' '"' ' '^ 
 
 . -1 - 1-1'. ^ If so poor a worm as / ,il -.it i/..;: ^-^, „i .J 
 
 May to Thy great glory hve, 
 
 ,a. i * ?i^- ,wi>i' , r All my actions sanctify, , Jyi.jp «**, l>n*! 
 
 ;-j :, .... .i'j-., AH my words and thoughts receive ; .^{^ .*»yii«!.i 
 
 ''."'" " Claim me for Thy service ; claim , 
 
 All I have, and all I am ; ^ 
 
 i, Now my God Thine own I am ; 
 
 Now, I give Thee back Thine own ; 
 •;,i:I„-' :.'!.! "'< Freedom, friends, and health and fame, h t'SHn'! 'u r. 
 
 . ^t;;h' :....•, Consecrate to Thee alone, ^y<:,-.:^ iMmt. ,-»>-'.'l 
 
 Thme I hve ; thrice happy / — ■ 
 
 ; .J ,...,! >.. Happier still if Thine to die." •? "'•= 
 
 YeSj trust in the Saviour, who has passed through the stream and 
 has also been received up into glory, having been welcomed home 
 by the angelic throng that makes the arched domes echo with re- 
 sounding praise forever. Thank God it is Jesus, who can make the 
 dying bed as soft as downy pillows are. ..:... 
 
 Dear Grandma, 1 have much that I would like to say, but ray 
 emotions are almost unutterable. I feel that I am writing to one 
 on the very verge of the grave. Often I have endeavored to cheer 
 the weary saint through the last lonely hours of life. I have offered 
 up a prayer for the dying : administered the last balm of consola- 
 tion ; wiped the death damp from the brow, and closed the eyes in 
 sweet and quiet slumber. My heart is mellowed with such scenes 
 of affliction. 
 
342 TO Mns. isuAEL nuRTcn. 
 
 And often hero my soul is sad, 
 . And falls the silent tear, . ; ',,... /i 
 
 There is a world of joy I love 
 And sorrow dwells not there. " ' ' ' 
 
 O, l\oW it cheers us on the way home. By untl by you can truly 
 say, / am home — in that home which can never be broken up. 
 Beyond the sorrow and the sighing you sliall be free. And why 
 should you wish to tarry any longer here below ? You have had 
 enough of the storms of life — enough of its pain enough of its 
 trials. You have laid many a loved one down to rest in the hallow- 
 ed precincts of the grave. And as you heaved a sigh, a bitter 
 moan, you wept and thought of heaven. For some years past you 
 have been trudging, as it were, the journey alone. Alone ! did I 
 say 1 No, not alone. God, who is a husband to the widow, has 
 been your stay and support, and His almighty arm, which is strong 
 to deliver, and mighty to redeem, may it still surround you in the 
 hour of dissolution. Yes, the breathings of my heart continually 
 go out for you, as I trace these linos, and cry again, God save thim 
 ovon. 
 
 It is now near the hour of midnight. All have retired to rest, 
 and are quietly wrapt in the sweet embrace of Morpheus, and I am 
 alone. The lamp is dimly burning. The dogs, too, have been gently 
 housed for the night, save one that quietly lies by the door watching 
 the yards without. And yet my thoughts are on the wing, and for 
 a moment almost annihilate both time and space. I am thinking of 
 home, sweet home, thinking of the loved ones there, and thinking 
 also of you, as you lie upon your weary couch and long to be set 
 , free. Methinks I hear you say, . ,.„>.,,.>.,,, < ,^,,: ,,,7 
 
 iiiikiri iteishjc-i VA" " What is this absorbs mo quite ? ' • ■ W i.if' i«t) 1 
 
 But hark I there U a rustling of angel wings. They are hovering 
 ^ around. Yes, the angels oft are hovering o'er us. They are God's 
 ministering spirits, and the voice still continues, " Lend your wings 
 O Seraphs ! O, Lamb of God, I come ! Farewell, O earth ! I 
 mount ! I fly ! Adieu ! I'm going home and mingle with the 
 ■^' blaze of day. Ye planets, suns and systems a long farewell ! Ye 
 shall not stay my upward flight ; for heaven is my home, farewell !" 
 Thank God there is a home prepared for you, and for all the faithful 
 ones that have washed their robes and madcs them whit« in the 
 blood of the Lamb. 
 
243 TO MR. AMD MRS. WM. nrRR. 
 
 AnJ this liomc is just across the stream 
 
 where no sorrow nor aadncHs 
 
 J j-i.'fi 
 
 a Can dim for a moment the %lit of tUo skies, 
 
 , where the deep tones of gladness 
 
 No er melt into tears, nor are echoed in sighs ; 
 ,; Where music, sweet music, forever is flowing. 
 
 And flowers ever blooming waft fragrance around. 
 And zephyr's soft wing, for no rough winds are blowing, 
 
 Are laden with sweets from the balm-breathing ground. ;!' ,t 
 No eye hath e'er seen its bright sp'.endors, excelling 
 The visions of fancy, the dreams of the soul. 
 , I ; No thought can o'er soar where heaven's anthem is swelling, . ' 
 Ear hath not heard its avract m3lodie3 roll ; 
 ■ ' Death, with the touch of his cold icy finger, ' " 
 
 I . No more can alarm for his triumphs are o'er, i,rn fr >: 
 
 And time cannot breathe on its glories nor linger , 
 
 Amid the fair scenes of ^AaHieavcnly shore. ' '' ' 
 
 Oh ! then who would not wish to ba there, and bid farewell to 
 this vain world of sorrow ] Yes, to ba clad with the spotless robes 
 of the saints, wearing the habiliments of immortality forever 1 Then 
 we shall see the dear Saviour, see him as he is, not with the simple 
 eye of faith, but in acta il and sensible enjoyment to revel in the 
 refulgence of light and glory. For in the presence of God there is 
 fulness of joy. At His right hand thare are pleasures forevermore. 
 May Qod, in His infinite mercy, grant that you may at last enjoy 
 those pleasures untold in. the sweet by-and-by is my earnest, my 
 fervent prayer. I fondly hope to meet you again in time, but if 
 not in time I trust we'll meet in heaven. May God be with you ! 
 Adieu till the morn shall break ! , ,,•. , . 
 
 Yours in hope of immortality. 
 
 « « # 
 
 Beamsville, Ont., Aug. 2, 75. ,, , , y^ ., ^, 
 
 n''i; 
 
 VUi'-- 
 
 TO MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM BURR. 
 
 IIiLLiER, Ont. 
 
 Behoved Parents :— Our whole life is made up of lights and shades, 
 calms and storms, smiles and teai-s. The joys of the morning are 
 tears by night, alas ! too oft. The future is unknown. It is veiled 
 from our sight, and as it comes we record the events transpiring 
 daily as time glides swiftly by us like the wind. It is well that we 
 
244 To MH. AND Mns. WM. hikr. 
 
 have not an eyo like the Omnipotent to pierce the covered up tablets 
 of the future and read its mystic lore. 
 
 Oft Dear Parents in fancy's ideal your forms come back to me as 
 in a dream. They come in the night time when Silence holds her 
 spell-like reign, and in sweet fellowship wo mingle again together. 
 And now in the tranquil hour of evanishing day, I send you a few 
 feelings from the chamber of the soul — the vestibule of the heart- 
 made tangible in the form of words. What matters it though the 
 time passes away, and the forms decay, and the eye grows dim, and 
 the cheeks wither and become wrinkled with age, and the teeth fall, 
 and the forms droop and with faltering steps and palsied limbs they 
 are laid away to rest In their Charnal Home and moulder back to 
 dust 1 There is life beyond. And we are certain that, 
 
 " It is not all of life to live, 
 Nor all of death to die." 
 
 When in the fitful pauses of busy life our feet wander back to the 
 old homestead and as we stand once more in the room hallowed by 
 your presence, how the feeling of childish glee and innocence comes 
 stealing o'er us and we almost wish that we were a child again. 
 
 Another year Dear Parents has sped by like the arrow from the 
 archer's quiver. It has passed on downy wings to the ocean of 
 eternity, leaving its record ; and in the book of remembrance the 
 recording angel has marked how we have improved the days which 
 have passed so swiftly away. It has been a year of victories, and 
 they have been inscribed in the annals of eternity. We rejoice 
 that the Church has made strides upward in the highway of holiness 
 but there remains much yet to be done. 
 
 And now as the year has fled, how melancholy the thought that 
 it is gone forever. Would that it could return again to us and we 
 return to it. But such can never take place. We are pa33ing,daily 
 passing away. Parents, 
 
 " Yon know you are nearing the holy ranks 
 
 Of friends and kindred dear ; 
 You brush the dew of Jordan's banks 
 
 The crossing must be near." 
 
 May God bless you Bear Parents day by day, and may kind 
 Heaven smile on you continually till you join that bright throng of 
 the redeemed and sweetly rest, in that home Over Yonder. 
 
 Yours with undying affection. 
 
 # # # 
 
 Beamsville, Ont., Dec. 31st. '75. 
 
TO MH. AND MRS. M. KONKLE, JR. 245 
 
 TO MR, AND MftS, M. KONKLE, JR. 
 
 Of Beamsville, Ont. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Konkle, Friends : 
 
 How oft I've thought of you 
 Thought of your many kindly nets, 
 
 Since last I said adieu I 
 
 Your note with pleasure I received, 
 And though it gave me pain ; 
 
 I prized it as a treasure, rare. 
 And hoped we'd meet again. 
 
 My mem'ry still is lingering, 
 
 O'er scenes I loved to see ; 
 Wlien you and I were travelling 
 
 O'er lande endeared to me. 
 
 You too are thinking I presume. 
 
 What happy times we had ; 
 When in your carriage we did ride, 
 
 O'er roads both good and bad. 
 
 how oft I've thought of Clinton, 
 Those that dwell 'long the shore ; 
 
 Of all our joys inHam'lton, 
 Told oftimes o'er and o'er. 
 
 I'll Bpeak of scenes just one by one, 
 Our meetings here and there ; 
 
 The many times we went and come, 
 Eejoicing everywhere. 
 
 Among them I will mention first. 
 The Queenston Battlo Ground ; 
 
 So many things demands our view, 
 Where peace and joy abound. 
 
 It seems to me, I yet can sec. 
 The gath'ring throng that day ; 
 
 So full of pleasure and of glee, 
 Coming from every way. 
 
 The colonel speaking comically. 
 
 The Yankees cut his ear ; 
 And men and women waltzing there 
 
 On gro nd once lone and drear. 
 
 The flowers and twigs we picked with care 
 On Heights and 'long the way ; 
 
 And then the pleasure we enjoyed 
 Throughout the live-long day. 
 
246 TO MR. AND MRS. M. KONKLE, JR. 
 
 How joyously we ate and drank, 
 <a\ Seated upon the green ; j 
 
 Not tbiuking of those men whoso rank, 
 Wore honored by the Queen. 
 
 And then our journey to Welland, 
 O'er hills, through vales and plain ; 
 
 When music of the picnic band 
 Revived our hearts again. 
 
 How many times they beat with joy, 
 When of that day we talked ; 
 
 How merrily we marched along, 
 When to the grove we walked. 
 
 And 0, with what delight and joy 
 
 We went to Central Fair; 
 The day was then so calm and bright, 
 
 While music filled the air. 
 
 During our stay what pleasure there 
 Filled every heart with joy ; 
 
 The Palace with its treasures rare, 
 Long did our tongues employ. 
 
 The Methodist Camp Meeting too, 
 Where oft we went to hear — 
 
 To hear the Scriptures there explained, 
 And music loud and clear. 
 
 I still remember th£ preaching. 
 And then that scream you know ; 
 
 When getting better it did ring 
 Like some strange noise below. 
 
 Our meeting too at Snures's Bridge, 
 We hurried 'cross the vale ; 
 
 Wlien riding round the comer there. 
 So late, we did bewail. 
 
 And then our ride to the pic-nic. 
 Held on the Camp Ground Park ; 
 ^ Which gave us so much happiness. 
 That we remained till daik. 
 
 I fancy I'm still journeying. 
 Along your pleasant shore ; 
 
 And riding in that omnibus, 
 When homeward bound once more. 
 
 f , - Yes, homeward bound where we dispersed. 
 
 When we from meeting rode ; 
 ■ Along the lake where we immersed 
 
 >. , That awful night, God 1 
 
 W^ords are toe weak to express the thoughts 
 That thrill the very heart, 
 
 With memories that throng the mind, 
 Since we that time did part. 
 
TO MRS. W. K. BURR. 
 
 And my thoughts still wander o'er, 
 
 !i t. ' ., .-'< Those happy scenes away ; ' *■'• '"' ■ ' 
 
 y tfc'.ic ' '• '• Those scenes to be enjoyed no more, ,i <-,,r. V, 
 
 'Less at some distant day. 
 
 »; 
 
 Years may pass by us like the wind, ,, }j;iti,f 
 Loved ones go homo above ; 
 
 >? !•' : ' / i' Yet mem'ry oft will bring to mind :' »Ni • ./\i' 
 
 ,-v I .'1 M ^) il Your many acts of love. , , , . , '.ij,,.»)t ) 
 
 .'''"'■''■ '■'wKi Bnt I must hasten on to toll ' ' ' ' i* i'i. .-. t ' • 
 
 Of other scenes and times ; 
 Things that you do not know so well, 
 Before I close these lines. 
 
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 Oswegatchic, Lewis Co., N. Y 
 
 Of late I've boon day ofter day 
 
 Engaged in Harrisville ; 
 To save the church and people there, < , ir, ;• | 
 
 I labored with a will. 
 
 And also I've been journeying ,.:;; . ■ .. ,, i , /'' 
 
 O'er mountain hill and plain ; ^. , 
 
 O'er lake and river sailing down — • ''"•" ' ' '* 
 Down to the pleasant main. .i »>i ' "' . 
 
 God has, indeed, our labor blessed, "iMUt..,,. 
 
 And crowned it with success ; , f ,j,'; - J i , 
 Therefore Jll press towards yonder port, . ,y, . 
 
 And there those palms possess. :-•■ » 
 
 But I've not time to speak of all 
 
 The scenes through which I've passed, 
 While at the great Centennial, ■;:, '•»,' ■''{ 
 
 Which is now closed at last. . , , 
 
 Therefore 111 pause for I am done, /•/ ii j 
 
 And trust we'll meet again ; 
 Where we will talk and journey on, 
 
 Our labor 's not in vain, .<. 
 
 May God be with you evermore, '^ ■' ' 
 
 Dear friends so kind and true ; *''i; i-l'it ' '= 
 
 My best regards to one and all, . i 
 
 Adieu ! once more adieu ! i- >, • . • s. . . , 
 
 J ■:\{'y: r-f ( 
 
 TO MRS. W. K. BURR. 
 
 AsirLiASBURG, Ont. 
 
 My Dear Wife : — Leaving Jordan Thursday afternoon iu company 
 with Mr. and Mrs. Af. Konkle, we journeyed with private convey- 
 ance to the residence of Mrs. George Bradt, in Felham, a distance 
 
248 TO MRS. W. K. BURR. 
 
 of some fourteen miles. The country along the way was poor and 
 evidently showed that the people inhabiting it, were by no means 
 enterprising. 
 
 About one mile east of Jordan we called to see our aged siste.- 
 Mrs. Burtch, and read the last chapter in Paul's first letter to the 
 Thessalonians and engaged in prayer and then left for Pelham. 
 After a ride of three miles, and in the meantime having ascended 
 the Mountain, we reached the old Presbyterian Church, This Church 
 has seen good days, but the congregation have nearly all been 
 scattei'cd and the old church edifice now shows strong mai'ks of 
 decay. 
 
 The night was spent in the kind house of Mrs. Bradt, and in the 
 morning accompanied by our hostess and her daughter we left for 
 Welland village, a distance of six miles. This is truly a beautiful 
 part of the country, very unlike what we passed through yesterday. 
 A ride of a mile brought us to Fenwick, a pleasant little village con- 
 taining one church belonging to the New Connexion Methodists. A 
 mile farther on brings us to the former home of the late Elder J. 
 B. Benedict. His beautiful orchard being loaded with fruit, but he. 
 Dear Old Mauy sleeps in the tomb. Peace bo to his memory ! 
 
 The Dutch have a church near llidgeville about two miles from 
 Fenwick, and about half way stands the Episcopal Methodist 
 Church. I was informed that the Dutch Church did their own 
 preaching in a manner similar to the Friends , and from surround- 
 ing appearances I should think that they were prospering. The in- 
 scription on the Church was in German, but they belong to a new 
 sect, calling themselves. Evangelists. 
 
 The Hicksite Quaker Church after journeying another mile is 
 presented to our view. And here you would be almost led to con- 
 clude from the appearance of its surroirndings that it was the abode 
 of ghosts and owls, and that in very early times in the settlement 
 of the country they had come to find a quiet and comfortable home. 
 This society is rapidly dying out. After riding another mile the 
 Orthodox Quaker Church is reached and presents quite a cheerful 
 appearance. It is not large although it has three chimneys. They 
 had a revival in the winter and introduced singing in their wor- 
 ship. We reached Welland village about noon, and had the pleasure 
 of meeting and dining with Mr. Marshal S. Bradt and family at 
 their own home. He was the first gentleman that I baptized ir. 
 
TO MUS. W. K. IJLUR. 249 
 
 Jordan, which you witnessed in June last, and is a young man of 
 amiable qualities, and one I am quite sure will remain evermore in 
 the path of duty. I met him for the first time in Williamavillo 
 where he was attending the Classical lustitute, in the winter of 
 'Gl and '62, on my way back from Ohio, where I had been attend- 
 ing the Hiram Eclectic Institute. We visited togother in the home 
 of the old gentleman J. Flick, and at midnight there was an alarm 
 given ; The Paper Mill's on fire : O, what a change since that night I 
 That paper mill, though the fire was then extinguished, is now in 
 ashes. Yes, and the kind and aged Flick has passed through the 
 cold flood, and his form will never more responsive meet my 
 own. And the beautiful and amiable boy, then in his teens, with 
 whom I thea pillowed my head i's now vipon the stage of action, 
 battling with the stern realities of life. The curly hair that hung 
 upon his head in former years is also gone — but othei" cuvls have 
 taken their place, and time l>as carved his lines upon his vision. I 
 loved the boy then — I love him still I and hope when we shall cease 
 to live in this vale of tears, that we may meet at last beyond the 
 river. 
 
 After dinner we went to the Giove a few rods from the village to 
 attend the monster lie form pic-nic. It was the largest gathering of 
 the kind I ever witnessed. I presume not less than five thousand 
 persons were in attendance. The grove was by no means beautiful, 
 but 1 supposed as good as they could got in the vicinity of WelLind. 
 
 In the afternoon the Hon. Mr. JNIowat, I'remier of Oitaiio, Mr 
 Edgar, who run for M. P. P., in the County of Mouck,and the Hon. 
 Mr. Hodgins of West Elgin, addressed a large concourse of people 
 But they bad not the lung power sufticient for the Occasion, and I 
 presume not more than one thousand heard what they said. Their 
 speeches were very good, but nothing extra. Mr. Edgar in re- 
 ferring to Sacred History told us that Moses was a good /i"/ormer, 
 and Phariioh, who rnfiiaod to let Israel go, was a good fori/. 
 
 Several bands were present, tmd gave us considorfiblo music. 
 There was also dancing on the ground. Tu another part of the 
 Grove I saw a machine swing, and wooden liorses for children to 
 ride, which assisted in entertaining each class admirably. I observed 
 also, in the crowd, quite a large number of Ministers, and men of 
 learning and eruidition. They closed their platform exercises by 
 calling upon the band to phiy " God yuvo the t^ueeii." 
 
250 TO MUS. WILLIAM liLllR. 
 
 Wollanil is situatotl on the Welland llivor, that used "to be called 
 the Chippewa Creek. The Welland Canal, also, passes through, and 
 it helps to increase the size of the village very much. We left 
 about six o'clock for Clinton, taking leave of our party and the kind 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bradt whose hospitality w<i had enjoyed. We had a 
 pleasant evening's ride, passing through some fine country. But 
 the chief object of interest was the observatory, which is probably 
 S3venty-tive feet in height, and from which miy bo seen Lake 
 Ontario on the north and Ijake Erie on the south. It is situated 
 on a mound, being the highest elevation on the niountiiin, about six 
 or eight miles north-west of Welland, and is as yet in an unfinished 
 condition. When we reached the Fifteen Mile Creek, about four 
 miles south-east of Jordan, we stopped awhile and took a view of 
 Adams' Falls. The scenery around is romantic and the falls are 
 jn-obably 80 or 90 feet. It was down this fearful chasm that the 
 young Mr. Fralick, with a team of horses, was precipitated last 
 spring. The horses were killed instantly, but he lived a few hours 
 and then expired in the agonies of death. 
 
 At Mr. Burtch's, near Jordan, on our way back we remained 
 another hour to visit with his mother-in-law, Mrs. Emily Burtch, 
 and again read and prayed with her, and committed her into t!ie 
 hands of Hira who doeth all things well. A few more days will, 
 doubtless, end her pilgrimage here below. We arrived safely at Mr. 
 Ivonkle's, in Clinton, about 10:30, and did not retire till near the 
 hour of midnight. And now, as I am about to lay down my pen fur 
 the week which in a few hours will be no more, I send my love and 
 kind regards to you and the children, and all enquiring friends. 
 
 Yours, &c., 
 
 i:- vf ■# 
 
 . Clinton, Out., Aug. 21, .'75. 
 
 * 
 
 TO MRS. WILL/AM BURR. 
 
 niLLlER, ONT. 
 
 Dear Mother : -I am now thinking of home and Mot,i.er. My 
 purest affections always have been and evermore are yours. Could 
 I go with the ficctncSs of thought, or with the swiftncKs nf the w:nil, 
 
I'O .MKS. WII.I.IANr lil KK. •_'■)! 
 
 I would gladly rest awhile amid the shadows of the old home circle, 
 now broken up alas ! forever. In the silent watch of the night 
 when dreams possess my thonghts, you come to me as in days of 
 yore, and again in my childish glee I fancy I am sporting over the 
 same ground I tread with other boys many, many years aijo. Where 
 are they now Mother ] where have they roamed ? Are they laboring 
 on the field of action, manning important posts { or has the grave 
 swallowed them np with wild dismay 1 Amid such meditations my 
 heart turns in upon itself and yearns within me, which causes the 
 impearled dews of feeling to gather rotind the heart, and the un- 
 bidden tenr to flow. 
 
 Dear IMothcr many have been the times we have parted, and youj* 
 parting words are sacredly stored away in Meinorys storehouse. T 
 remember too your prayers and tears for they are safely locked in 
 the recess of my heart. But you have grown gray Mother ; you are 
 "etting old ; one more wrinkle now than a short time ago. A mel- 
 ancholy sadnesB at times rests, too iipon your countenance ; still your 
 aflection is always new. Yes, Mother, you have loved me with un- 
 dying tenderness and love, which is a sort of a spirit-robe, inire as the 
 br«ath of prayer. Your form is clothed with the grace of age and upon 
 your head rests the frost of sixty winters, glittering with the hope 
 of immortality. 
 
 And new at evening's holy deep hushed hour the soul wanders 
 back over other scenes anc. all my thoughts and feelings are chased 
 homeward by the many thronging incidents of by gone sunny days. 
 O the svreet memories that cluster one by one around the dear old 
 home of childhood. 
 
 The sun has just set behind the mountain, and the moon rose 
 over the hills, and the stars are coming out smiling through tke 
 clouds like bands of angels with linked hands flying through the 
 heavens. The damps of night are gently falling ; the dew is freez- 
 ing on the bare branches of the trees, and the leaves, once green, are 
 all dry and withered on the ground. The pale, soft, mellow rays 
 of the moon are gladdening the face of nature, and are faintly rest- 
 ing among the waving boughs in the yard, and the shadows fall 
 lovingly around our dwelling, giving it the mystic air of an 
 enchanted spot- Wonder not, then, mother, in such an hour, if I 
 Should be thinkiui? of the loved ones far away over the blue Ontario- 
 No ! for I often imagine yon rauat be ninar, ami turn to hear you 
 
202 TO Mils. WILLIAM liUUH. 
 
 speak, and say " Mother I" " Mother I" but no mother there. Yet, 
 he not startleil, mother, in such an hour if I tell you tliat inelan- 
 eholy creeps over my wearied frame. Perchance you, too, mother, 
 are even now thinking of the one imaged on your lieart long, long ago. 
 I aVmost fancy I see you now, quietly knelt with hands clasped in 
 prayer a id heart uplifted to Him who sits enthroned in the abodes 
 of Ikj^ht and love. Do you then remember me, mother ? O, yes, I 
 know you think of me not only then, but also when the morning 
 breaks, and the noon is bright, and the day declines, and you faintly 
 utter, in tones sweet and pure as angel's whisper, " We'll meet at 
 last in Heaven." 
 
 But hush 1 am I lost, deai' mother, in fancy's pleasing reverie 1 
 Or is it a vision of th« night, a dream that ends and never, never 
 awakens 1 No 1 no, mother. My spirit loves to wander far and 
 wide over the scenes of childhood, where my eyes first opened to 
 this beautiful w^vld ; and when tired «f earth, its storms and its 
 trials, to soar away beyond the starry sky and bathe in the holy 
 light and plant my feat upon the rock of ages. Then if storms 
 arise and ocean's roll, we can look forward to and enjoy the peaceful 
 calm of an eternal day. And as I survey the far off fields where 
 " Deity georaebrizee," and nebular world's are springing into new life 
 and beauty, and look over those wide, extended plains where flows 
 the Jasper Sea, and where stands the tree of life, I find myself into 
 the Spirit Land, where all are blessed and lost in present joys, sing- 
 ing the seven-fold chorus of hallelujahs. Tell me, mother, is this a 
 dream 1 Methinks I hear your mellow voice as you wipe away the 
 rolling tear as it trickles down your furrowed cheek ; and you stand 
 gazing with eyes uplifted from the lowest flower that unfolds its 
 petal to the sunbeams up to the cloud capped mountain, to the region 
 beyonil, and almost lost in thought you tremblingly respond : 
 
 "We'll walk through the valley in peace, 
 We'll walk through the valley in peace, 
 If .T(\8U8 himself be our guide through the gloom 
 We'll walk through the valley in peace." 
 
 You linger awhile, as the angels seem to come and go wandering 
 by joy's welling fountain and rivers of delight. But, 0, tell me, 
 mother, answer these questions which throng and gather round the 
 heart ' 
 
TO MKS. WILLIAM BI.KK 253 
 
 Am I lost in plensing drrftms '.' 
 
 'Mid tlie glory of tlio light ? 
 'Mid the b(!iiutii'H of the moon ? 
 
 'Mid the snnctity of night \> 
 
 Oh ! chule me not Dear Mother as I press the question home. 
 Oh unchain your soul of song and break the magic spell. Cover 
 all your thoughts with gladness, with warm rays of celestial birth 
 emanating from- that land where holy songs of rapture ever swell 
 with melody the air, and wheif sorrow and tears are unknown save 
 such as pitying angels weep. But Dear Mother words are not feel- 
 ings and tongue can never express the strange sensation which 
 nestles o'er and fills the swellings of my heart. I fancy Mother 
 you are now enraptured with the sweet and loving words falling 
 from the lips of a seraph or a cherub, and you listen and you hear 
 in tender accents so soft, so sweet, 
 
 " The angels will keep you by night." 
 
 Soon the dark world will pass away and morn will open wide her 
 emerald gates and the enrapturing song of the multitude, Glory to 
 God in the highest will be heard rolling along the heavens lull of 
 harping symphonies. Say, Mother, say, will you and I be tltere to 
 part nevermore, neivr, nevermore ? 
 
 Yours with undying affection, 
 lx)utli, Ont. Jan. 7th. '7G. * * * 
 
 THERE IS BRIGHTNESS BEYOND. 
 
 ADDREB3BP TO MR. AKD MRS. M. KONKLE, JR., OF BKAUSTILLK, ONT. 
 
 See how fast the rain clouds gather, 
 O'er the bright and lovely sky ; 
 
 Still the wild birds sing as cheerful, 
 And rejoicing onward fly. 
 
 They care not for wind nor tempest, 
 Never heed the storms of earth, 
 
 And their notes are clear and joyous, 
 Full of pleasure and of mirth. 
 
 Do they know the power of tempest ? 
 Do they think of snow and ram ? 
 
254 THEUK IS BRIGHTNESS nUYOXD. 
 
 This tlioy know and that will cheer them, 
 That the sun will Bhino again. 
 
 YcH, the sun will shine e'en brighter, 
 When tlie clouds have passed away ; 
 
 Well they know that this has cheered them, 
 Onward to a lovely day. 
 
 From the wild birds of the forests, 
 Learn a lesson full of joy ; 
 
 It will soothe your hours of sorrow. 
 While before the cross you bow, 
 
 God will scatter rays of sunsliine. 
 All tilings work for good you know. 
 
 Cheer up then and Ciod will aid you, 
 He will bless you as you go. 
 
 As you go to Zion singing, 
 Let earth's shadows flee away ; 
 
 Never for a moment ponder 
 O'er the sorrows of to-day, 
 
ooxcLUSiox. '-55 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 When our first article was handed to the printer we had not the 
 slightest idea of publishing a book ; but our object was to publish 
 a monthly magazine. Circumstances, however, over which we had 
 no control, turned the current of events. In looking over the pages 
 of this work we now notice a number of typographical errors. This 
 we certainly regret. We had not always the opportunity of reading 
 the proof, and unleHs a work i« stereotyped it is next to an impossi- 
 bility to avoid the occurrence of an occassional mistake. A few 
 articles, also, have been printed twice, an oversight of the printer, 
 which was not possible for us to prevent. 
 
 We have, however, no further apology to offer, but hope and 
 trust that the reading of the preceding pages have been both a source 
 of pleasure and of profit. Tho poems here presented, many of them 
 have been published in Canada and the United States, and re-pub- 
 lished in England. The essays have been read at public gathei'ings 
 on different occasions and we Lave frequently been asked for copies 
 of the same. A goodly number of them have been published in 
 magazines and newspapers in both this and other lands. But very 
 few, however, have been written expressly for this work, and, in 
 writing our valadiotory, we trust that we shall not lay our pen 
 down forever, but 
 
 The time draws cigb. we now must part, 
 
 And we for a time must sever ; 
 But no, 0, no ! it cannot bo, 
 
 "NVo shall not part forever. 
 
 Oh I no ! tho Saviour now is jjon© 
 
 A mansion to prepare ; 
 We Rhitll not part forever, 
 
 For we'll meet each other there. 
 
 -^is^