till we possess an entire knowledge of them. It is in the highest degree probable, from what we already know of the wisdom of the adorable Creator, that many a link in the chain of divine providence, rashly deemed useless or injurious, will at last be found to have been of the utmost consequence." "In the fifteenth chapter of the Corinthians, papa, the apostle Paul compares the laying the body in the grave to the sowing of seed." "He does, my dear; and the comparison is instructive. It suggests to us the delightful truth, that spring will one day dawn upon the tomb. Till very lately, all nature had the appearance of death, but now all is life and beauty. So, when we walk in our burying-grounds, all appears wintry and comfortless. Death seems to reign there. But no: 'in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump the dead shall be raised incorruptible.' Those who have died in the faith of Jesus, only sleep: shortly they will be awakened, and raised to thrones of glory. Yes, we shall meet our pious friends with whom we have taken sweet counsel, and walked to the house of God in company." "I lately learnt a fine piece of Beattie's, in which this delightful hope is beautifully expressed. Shall I repeat the last verses? "Do, my dear, though I think I recollect them." EDWIN. 'And darkness and doubt are now flying away, No longer I roam in conjecture forlorn; The bright and the balmy effulgence of morn. See Truth, Love, and Mercy, in triumph descending, And nature all glowing in Eden's first bloom; On the cold cheek of death smiles and roses are blending, And beauty immortal awakes from the tomb.' "Yes, Edwin, there is a world where spring will be eternal. Here the seasons roll on in perpetual succession: spring lasts but for a short period. The very heavens will soon pass away with a great noise, and the elements melt with fervent heat, and the earth, and all that is therein, shall be burnt up. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.' Winter shall never enter that blissful country: no darkness, no coldness, no chilling blasts of affliction, will ever be there." "Oh, what a pleasant land must heaven be!" exclaimed Edwin. "Yes, truly it is. There is a beautiful description of it in the beginning of the 21st chapter of the Revelations. I think you have your little Testament: find it." "Here it is, papa: shall I read it?" "Do, my dear: it always does me good to hear it." "And I saw a new heaven, and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I-John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God, out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold! the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. And he who sat upon the throne, said, Behold! I make all things new." "It is a sublime description," said Mr. Howard; "but it is more than time for us to hasten homewards. Happy, indeed, will it be for us, if at last we shall reach the blissful, the eternal home of which we have been speaking. с CHAP. IV. IT was the sabbath. Mr. Howard was careful always to hallow it, and to see that it was hallowed by all who were in his family. There was a marked difference between this and other days in his household. Not that it was a gloomy or melancholy season: by no means. There was indeed a cessation from all works but those of necessity and mercy; and a delightful stillness pervaded the habitation, which was in a high degree favourable to serious thought and the exercises of devotion. Mr. H. was of opinion with Sir Matthew Hale, that if we could ascertain how a man spent his sabbaths, we might easily know how he spent his other days. But his sentiments on this interesting and important subject, he was accustomed to say, were accurately expressed by the late excellent bishop Porteus in his Lectures. "The Lord's day," this valuable prelate observes, "is profaned by selecting it as a day for travelling; by taking long journeys, which might as well be performed at any other time. This is a direct violation of the fourth commandment, which expressly gives the sabbath as a day of rest to our servants and our cattle. Our own laws, as well as the Scriptures, allow works of necessity and charity, but no others. To these, therefore, we ought to confine ourselves as nearly as may be; and with these exceptions, and with these only, consecrate the sabbath as a holy rest unto the Lord. The temporary suspension of labour on the sabbath, the refreshment and relief from incessant toil, is most graciously allowed even to the brute creation, by the great Governor of the universe, whose mercy extends over all his works. It is the boon of Heaven itself. It is a small drop of comfort thrown into their cup of misery; and to wrest from them this only privilege, this sweetest consolation of their wretched existence, is a degree of inhumanity for which there wants a name; and of which few people, I am persuaded, if they could be brought to reflect seriously upon it, would ever be guilty*." It is a painful reflection, that many profess *Lecture on Matthew. |