nothing better than the vain rashness of human pride. That decision can only be made by Him who can at once look through our whole course; and both 'reason and duty require that we should leave the hour to Him, and never rebel against his decrees by a single impatient wish. This view is the only one which will lead us in peace through life, and prove a true support through all its vicissitudes.

The first and most important thing in life is to learn to master ourselves, and to throw ourselves with peaceful confidence on Him, who never changes; looking on every situation, whether pleasant or otherwise, as a source from which our interior existence and individual character may draw increasing strength; and hence springs that entire submission which few attain to, although all fancy they feel it. Almost all set a certain bound to their submission, and think, when this point is overpast, or appears to them to be so, the duty ceases. True resignation, which always brings with it the confidence that unchangeable Goodness will make even the disappointment of our hopes, and the contradictions of life, conducive to some benefit, casts a grave but tranquil light over the prospect of even a toilsome and troubled life. In order to attain, or to create within ourselves this tranquillity, we should seek only those things which are dependent on our own will. This disposition cannot always be quite attained, nor can we feel it at all moments. It can

not be compelled. It must spring up in the soul itself: but it is not long in doing so, when the soil is properly prepared; and this preparation consists principally in a reasonable, quiet frame of mind, free from all selfishness. This we have in our own

power, if we will but use our understanding and power of will; and the exercise of them with a determined purpose, will give it.

58

The Future Life.

WHOм the Lord loves, he chastens.

But when a

sufferer is chastened toward the end of life, and, indeed, till the very end of his mortal life, it is because God loves him immortally. It must be, and it cannot be otherwise. No! it cannot be any other way than that. So that my pain, what little I have, my pain shall be counted all joy. And I will reckon it so. And cannot I easily? I ought to do so, if I only recollect myself a little. Why should I ever have been so impatient for happiness? Why should I wish for more than I have now? Am I afraid of my share being given away? Cannot I wait awhile? Thousands of years I had to wait before being born; so that to wait a short while before being blessed is a very little thing, very. Ay, ages on ages the stars had been twinkling by night, and the sun shining by day, before my reason was lighted up. And as yet, I have it only in an earthen vessel, a lamp of crumbling dust, that is wearing away fast. Well, let it wear away. For when the flame in it escapes, it will become fire before the Lord; and it will be like a light set in a golden candlestick forever; and it will be mine, mine everlastingly. And it will nowhere be eclipsed,

from God it will glory of its own. is, and yet it is

-no! not among the radiances of the angels; for it will have from my life a color of its own; and have a beauty of its own, and a Wonderful, very wonderful this certain that, from among all the inhabitants of this earth, no two minds are similar altogether. And at the end of the world, of all the souls native to it, there will be no two alike. Every one of us will have a character of his own; and every saint will have a glory of his own. And myself, what I am to be, I am becoming. Yes, what I am to be everlastingly, I am growing to be now, now, in this present time so little thought of,

this time which the sun rises and sets in, and the clock strikes in, and I wake and sleep in. Courage, then! For what goes on in my spirit now, will show itself ages hence. They could never be to another person my pains and thoughts-what they are to me-not exactly. What I shall be in eternity, I shall be by endurance now and by hopefulness. My trials I might bear with murmurs, and so I should get to doubt God; or by hardening my heart against the feeling of them, and so I should become a stoic; or by fiercely defying fate, and so I should grow atheistical. But I endeavor to suffer Christianly. What I am to be hereafter, I must be becoming now; and so I am, indeed. For, day by day, I am growing fixedly into the attitude which I my sorrows in; and from under them, my look

bear

heavenwards, whatever it is, is becoming eternal with me. And then it is not as though my trouble could be spared me, and I not be other than what I am to be. Oh my destiny! God keep me growing toward it! my crown of glory! Lord, make me worthy of it!

My soul, my soul! be thou faithful in judgment, and thou shalt grow up to the companionship of King Alfred, and St. Louis, and George Washington:

And thou shalt walk in soft, white light, with kings and priests

abroad,

And thou shalt summer high in bliss upon the hills of God.