treasures, now receive their glorious reward. To these, dearly beloved brethren, let us hasten with strong desire, and ardently wish soon to be with them, and with CHRIST.”

Coming down to the times of the Reformers, we find that LUTHER, and MELANCTHON, and CALVIN, and the other distinguished men of that period, held fast to this doctrine and rejoiced in its comfort. "There," says ZWINGLIUS, "you may hope to see the society, the assembly, and the dwelling together of all the holy, wise, faithful, heroic, firm, and virtuous who have lived since the beginning of the world. There you shall see the two ADAMS, the saved, and the Saviour. There you will see ABEL, ENOCH, NOAH, ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB, JUDAH, MOSES, JOSHUA, GIDEON, SAMUEL, PHINEAS, ELIJAH, ELISHA, ISAIAH, and the mother of GOD whom he has prophesied. There you will see DAVID, HEZEKIAH, JOSIAH, JOHN the Baptist, PETER, PAUL. There you will see yours who have gone before you, and all your forefathers who have departed this life in the faith. In a word, no virtuous person, no holy mind, no believing soul, has lived from the beginning of the world, or shall yet live, that you shall not there meet with GOD." At a later period we have the testimony of JOHN BUnyan. As his friends stood by his death-bed weeping, he said to them, "Weep not for me but for yourselves. I go to the Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, who will no doubt receive me, though a sinner, through the medium of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. There I hope we shall ere long meet, to sing the new song and remain happy for ever, in a world without end." These extracts may close with the words of Archbishop FENELON, one of the most eminent men of the Romish Communion,-indeed, of the universal church:-"If we are sorrowing under a misfortune of which this world affords no alleviation,-the death of those most dear

to us, let us humbly offer to our GOD the beloved whom we have lost. And what, after all, have we lost? The remaining days of a being, whom we indeed loved, but whose happiness we do not consider in our regret; who, perhaps, was not happy here, but who certainly must be much happier with GOD; and whom we shall meet again, not in this dark and sorrowful scene, but in the bright regions of eternal day, and partake in the inexpressible happiness of eternity. He has placed the friends whom He has taken from us in safety, to restore them to us in eternity. He has deprived us of them, that He may teach us to love them with a pure love,—a love that we may enjoy in His presence for ever; He confers a greater blessing than we were capable of desiring. Very soon they who are separated will be reunited, and then will appear no trace of the separation."

We hold communion with the departed now. A fellowship of souls prevails between saints in glory and ourselves. But a closer fellowship awaits us. A touching story, fragrant with this faith, lingers in the valleys and on the mountain slopes of Switzerland. Just where the Rhone pours its muddy waters into the blue Lake of Geneva, there stood a thousand years ago or more, so runs the legend, a monastery, to which the only son of a mother fled, to spend his days in penance and prayer and work and praise. As morning and evening brought round matins and vespers, the mother used to go and listen to his voice, as he praised GOD in the choir; and though she could not see his face, her quick ear could distinguish his voice, and she was content. But he died; and her joy died with him, for she could hear his voice no more. Heaven, however, had mercy on her; and, in answer to her prayer, granted her the echo of his song. Though he appeared no more in the choir, his voice was still heard in the chant; and the mother listened and was content. So

we still hear, oftentimes, the voices of our beloved ones singing the new song. Though absent, they are still here. One day we shall see them again, never to be parted.

The thought of seeing our dead again mitigates our grief. There will be no exact continuance of earthly ties; yet there will be a continuation of affection. Together with universal love, particular friendships will remain. Dearest friends will continue dearest friends. Private friendships will not be swallowed up in universal charity. Our love for all mankind does not lessen our love for personal friends now, neither will it then.

"And so, before the judgment seat,

Though changed and glorified each face,
Not unremembered we shall meet,

In endless ages to embrace."

Yes, we shall meet and embrace our friends in heaven. Friends in heaven! This is a strange thing to record of those who so short a time ago were with us here. They are strange words to use of those who have walked with us hand in hand; whose tenderness has been daily about us, unforgetting as the morning sun, unfailing as the evening shadows; whose presence and companionship have filled the places that are now so forsaken and desolate. Friends in heaven! They are not lost to us. By their being there we are doubly blest. No great gulf is fixed between us; as they are higher and purer, so are they nearer and dearer. They were ours here. They are ours there. Let us rejoice in them as ours for ever. To every friend we have in heaven, we may address the words of TENNYSON to his departed friend HALLAM:

"Dear friend, far off, my lost desire,
So far, so near in woe and weal;
O loved the most, when most I feel
There is a lower and a higher;

"Known and unknown; human, divine; Sweet human hand and lips and eye; Dear heavenly friend that canst not die, Mine, mine, for ever, ever mine;

"Strange friend, past, present, and to be;
Loved deeplier, darklier understood;
Behold, I dream a dream of good,
And mingle all the world with thee.

"Far off thou art, but ever nigh;

I have thee still, and I rejoice;
I prosper, circled with thy voice;
I shall not lose thee tho' I die."

CHAPTER XI.

SEASONS OF REST.

"Night's deepest gloom is but a calm,
That soothes the wearied mind;
The labour'd day's restoring balm,
The comfort of mankind."-HUNT.

blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it He rom all the work which GOD created and made."-MOSES.

"Up! up! my friend, and quit your books,

Or surely you'll grow double;

Up! up! my friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble?"-WORDSWORTH.

ork at either extreme of life is out of place.

You must labour in

of noon, but the evening should be quiet and cool."-Dr. ARNOLD.

"Take me, Mother Earth, to thy cold breast,

And fold me there in everlasting rest!"-Mrs. JAMESON.

ise, O Paradise, who doth not crave for rest?

uld not seek the happy land, where they that loved are blest? oyal hearts, and true, stand ever in the light,

ure through and through, in GoD's most holy sight."-FABER.

nature has a capacity for rest as well as for etion, and seems to demand rest; so that s much as activity is a law of universal extent ation. The stormy winds and restless waters eir seasons of quiet, when they are calm as a infant.

"Sweet is the leisure of the bird;

She craves no time for work deferred;
Her wings are not to aching stirred,
Providing for her helpless ones.