118 THE SPIRIT'S ECHO. THE SPIRIT'S ECHO. MRS. JULIA NORTON. AN echo! hush! "Tis from the spirit land! Then through the gloom they soared as doth the lark; The echo still! Can it a message bear? Still, still the note! How sweet, how low, how clear! It breathes of love; it murmurs; list! 'tis near. ECHO. "Where the waters of time and eternity meet, Thou didst stand on the shore when dark sorrow beat Sea-like, and dashing those whom she would wreck- DETACHED THOUGHTS. CECIL. THOUGH We may endure much affliction, and pass through many deep waters, yet this is our honor and comfort, the Lord is with us! and then what is dif ficulty? what is tribulation?-what is death? Death to a Christian is but an entrance into the city of God; it is but joining a more blessed company, and singing in a more exalted strain, than he can in this world. What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know. hereafter is the unwearied language of God, in his providence. He will have CREDIT every step. He will not assign reasons, because he will exercise faith. LEIGHTON. LET this be our way, when we cannot find ease among men, to seek it in God. He knows the lan 120 DETACHED THOUGHTS. guage of his children, and will not mistake it; yea, where there may be somewhat weakness and distempers, he will bear with it. In all your distresses, in all your moanings, go to him, pour out your tears to him. Not only fire, but even water, where it wants a vent, will break upward. These tears drop not in our own lap, but they fall on his, and he hath a bottle to put them in; if ye empty them, there they shall return in wine of strong consolation. FENELON. Noth Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. ing is done here, any more than in heaven, but by the will or permission of God; but men do not always love that will, because it is often opposite to their desires. If we sincerely loved this will of God, and only this, we should change our earth into a heaven. We should thank God for every thing, for evil as well as good, because evil would become good from his hand. We should not then murmur at the guidance of providence, but approve and adore it. MOLINOS. Be silent and believe. Hold thy peace, and let thyself be guided by the hand of God. Suffer in patience, and walk on in strong faith; and though it seems to thee, that thou dost nothing, and art idle, being so dumb and resigned, yet it is of infinite fruit. JEAN PAUL RICHTER. MAN has two minutes and a half to live-one to smile, one to sigh, and a half to love-for in the middle of this he dies! But the grave is not deepit is the shining tread of an angel that seeks us. When the unknown hand throws the fatal dart at the end of man, then boweth he his head, and the dart only lifts the crown of thorns from his wounds. Be one sorrow alone forgiven thee, or made good to thee the sorrow for thy dead ones; for this sweet sorrow for the lost is itself but another form of consolation. When the heart is full of longing for them, it is but another mode of continuing to love them; and we shed tears as well when we think of their departure, as when we picture to ourselves our joyful reunion—and the tears, methinks, differ not. H. BONAR. How fast we learn in the day of sorrow! Scripture shines out in new effulgence; every verse seems to contain a sunbeam, every promise stands out in illuminated splendor; things hard to be understood become in a moment plain. REV. THOMAS BROOKS. SURELY these afflictions are but the Lord's pruning knives, by which he will bleed my sins and prune my 122 DETACHED THOUGHTS. heart, and make it more fruitful; they are but the Lord's potion, by which he will clear me, and rid me of those spiritual diseases and maladies which are most deadly and dangerous to my soul. O. WINSLOW. It is our wisdom to know that no pure, unmixed sorrow ever befalls the Christian sufferer. Our Lord Jesus flung the curse and the sin to such an infinite distance from the church, that could his faith but discern it, the believer would see nothing but love painting the darkest cloud that ever threw its shadow upon his spirit. ANONYMOUS. ONE, on being asked how he bore affliction so well, answered, "It lightens the stroke to draw near to Him who handles the rod." SIR WM. TEMPLE. I KNOW no duty in religion more generally agreed on, nor more justly required by God Almighty, than a perfect submission to his will in all things; nor do I think any disposition of mind can either please him more, or become us better, than that of being satisfied with all he gives, and contented with all he takes away. None, I am sure, can be of more honor to God, nor of more ease to ourselves. For, if we consider him as our Maker, we cannot contend with him; if as |