heaven had their habitation. It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong."*

You will find the same metaphor in the thirty-first of Ezekiel, only there it is carried through the chapter, and forms a sustained and splendid allegory.

Lord Byron's "Darkness," and Campbell's "Last Man," striking as they are; even Shakspeare's description of the "cloud-capt towers, and gorgeous palaces," passing away "like the baseless fabric of a vision," may bring to mind, but cannot for one moment compare with the following passages, for lonely desolate grandeur: "I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and lo, there was no man; and all the birds of the heaven were fled. I beheld, and lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness; and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger." "And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her

*

Daniel iv. 21, 29.

† Jeremiah iv. 23–27.

untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb."* But I must check myself: to notice every similarity, still more every scriptural beauty, would swell my letter to a volume.

If the hints I have thrown out, give you a new motive to read with increased interest and attention, you will discover beauties for yourself, and in that discovery find a rich reward. Do not suppose I wish to chill the ardent admiration which all, but especially young minds, feel for the productions of human genius-admire the Scriptures first, last, most, and then admire other works how you will. Neither do I wish to make

you affect criticism, or delight in theories, or consider the devotion of sentiment more than the devotion of principle; or confound a religious taste, with a taste for true religion. My simple desire is, that you should not be a literary Persian, adoring the orb of human genius, whilst forgetful of Him who bids it shine; but a Christian, one who fears God before he honors man. To this end, I entreat you to drink reverentially, deeply, constantly, at that unsealed fountain of glory, wisdom, beauty, and power, the eternal Word of God. Then, I will trust you to wander at will amongst the writings of mere mortals; for you will then bear about with you a talisman of truth, an armor of strength, a new sense for enjoyment, which will reveal to you their errors, defend you from their assaults, enhance and purify their worth. Trying all principles by scripture principles, elevating that one book as the moral standard by which all others are to be judged as the sun, from their proximity to which, they can alone derive their gloryyou will read nothing without profit.*

His

* Of course this assertion is not made of works decidedly immoral or frivolous.

tory, poetry, narrative, all will speak to you of God. Evil men and evil deeds will confirm and elucidate his descriptions of the heart by nature; whilst such as are "lovely and of good report," will be referred to their true source, even "the riches of the glory of his grace, by whom are all things, and without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy." Characters and qualities opposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ, will gradually lose their lustre, and cease to attract admiration or excite sympathy. You will learn that no plant of intellectual renown can long flourish in the soil of moral depravity;-your mind's vision will be purified to discern the analogy which subsists between the principles which give permanence to genius, and those which ennoble and invigorate the soul. As you take a religious, you will take a refined view of intellectual creations; glaring qualities, you will no longer mistake for great oñes, nor be reconciled to what is shallow, merely because it may chance to be sparkling. You will regard the materials of which character is composed, more than the endowments that may gild and embroider its surface. The

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storms of passion, the wild beatings of ungoverned sensibility, and the reckless energies of impulse, will be recognized as what they really are-attractions of a second-rate and vulgar cast. They will shrink before "the greatness of principle," and appear poor and low, compared with the magnanimity of virtue." I say not that the intellectual study of the Scriptures will, of itself, induce this calm and sober, yet withal, this lofty temperament; but if combined with their devotional use, and that, as the habit of a heart, the desire of a soul, seeking after truth that the truth may make it free-then the results I have described are not exaggerated.

Oh! dearest, when I think of you, in this sweet season of youth, my heart yearns over you with the tender solicitude of one who can be young as you no more. Shall it be in vain? Will you give your affections, yet unmarked by a scar, to a world that will only wither them with its pleasures, or crush them beneath its cares? that pretends not to offer a blessing or a joy able to endure the touch of time, or shield the soul from sorrow? that has no heritage beyond the ever-changing