,,catharine4  ,,by ,,the ,,author ,,of  
,,agnes ,,and ,,the ,,little ,,key4     
,transcriber's ,note3 ,nehemiah ,adams  
,,third ,,thousand4   ,,boston3 ,j4,e4  
,,tilton ,,and ,,company4 ,,london4     
,,knight ,,and ,,son4 #ahei4  ,entered1 
according to ,act of ,congress1 in the  
year #ahei1 by ,j4,e4 ,,tilton and ,co41
 ,in the ,clerk's ,office of the        
,district ,comm4 of the ,district of    
,massachusetts4  ,,printed ,,by ,,george
 ,o4 ,,rand  ,,avery4  ,,electrotyped   
,,at ,,the ,,boston ,,stereotype        
,,foundry4     ,,to ,,the ,,young       
,,ladies ,,of ,,my ,,congregation1      
,,friends ,,and ,,acquaintances ,of     
,,catharine1 ,,and ,,to ,,every         
,,father1 ,,having ,a ,,daughter ,,in   
,,heaven1 ,these ,pages ,,are           
,,affectionately ,,inscribed4           
,,contents4  ,i4  ,,more ,,than         
,,conqueror1                #i  ,,ii4   
,,the ,,fear ,,of ,,death ,,alleviated1 
#eh  ,,iii4  ,,the ,,search ,,for ,,the 
,,departed1       #hi  ,,iv4  ,,the     

,,silence ,,of ,,the ,,dead1            
#aai  ,v4  ,,the ,,redemption ,,of ,,the
 ,,body1       #add      ,,catharine    
,i4  ,,more ,,than ,,conqueror4      ,is
 that a death-bed where the ,christian  
lies8     ,yes1--but not his3 ',tis     
death itself there dies4  ,,coleridge4  
,she was not an infant--an unconscious  
subject of grace4 ,but the ,saviour has 
led through a long sickness1 and through
 death1 a daughter of nineteen years1   
and has made her1 and those who loved   
and watched her1 say1 ,we are more than 
conquerors4 ,to speak of ,him1 and not  
to gratify the fondness of parental     
love1 to commend the ,saviour of my     
child to other hearts1 and to obtain for
 ,him the affections of those to whom   
,he is able and willing to be all which 
,he was to her1 is the sole object of   
these pages4 ,listen1 then1 not to a    
parent's partial tale concerning his    
child1 nor concerning mental nor bodily 
suffering1 but to the words of one who  
has seen how the presence of ,christ1   

and love to ,him1 can fill the dying    
hours with the sweetest peace1 and even 
beauty1 and the hearts of survivors with
 joy4  ,wishing to dwell chiefly on the 
last scenes of this dear child's life1  
the reader will not be delayed by any   
biographical sketch4 ,nine years before 
her death1 when she was between ten and 
eleven years of age1 she gave the       
clearest evidence that she was renewed  
by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,we had since that
 time been made happy by the growing    
power of ,christian principle in her    
conduct1 the clearness and steadfastness
 of her faith1 her systematic endeavors 
to live a holy life1 her deep regret    
when she had erred1 and her resolute    
efforts to improve in every part of her 
character4  ,through a long sickness1   
with consumption1 for two years and     
three months1 she felt the soothing     
power of unfaltering ,christian hope1   
which was evidently derived from a very 
clear perception of the way to be saved 
through ,christ1 and complete trust in  

the promises made to simple faith in    
him4  ,he who gave me this child1 and   
crowned my hopes and wishes by the      
manifest signs of his love towards her1 
merits from me a tribute of gratitude   
and praise to which ,i desire and expect
 that eternity itself may bear witness4 
,they who read the story1 which ,i am   
about to relate1 of her last few days1  
and think what it must be for a father  
to see his child made competent to meet 
so intelligently and deliberately1 and  
to overcome1 the last enemy1 and1 in    
doing so1 helping to sustain and to     
comfort those who loved her1 will       
perceive that it is a gift from ,god    
whose value nothing can increase4       
,bereavement and separation take nothing
 from it1 but1 on the contrary1 they    
illustrate and enforce our obligations4 
,for since we must needs die1 and are as
 water that is spilled upon the ground1 
which cannot be gathered up again1 such 
a death as this amounts to positive     
happiness by the side of a contrasted   

experience in the joyless1 hopeless     
death of a child1 or friend4 ,but       
without further preface1 ,i proceed to  
the narrative4         99       99      
99       99       99  ,never before had 
it fallen to my lot to bear that message
 to one who was sick1 ,the ,master is   
come1 and calleth for thee4 ,in previous
 cases of deep1 personal interest1 this 
has been unnecessary4 ,but in the       
present case there was a resolute       
purpose1 and an expectation1 of         
recovery1 till within a week of         
dissolution1 and1 on our part1 a belief 
that life might still be lengthened4    
,such cases involve nice questions of   
duty4 ,where the patient has evidently  
made timely preparation to die1 it is   
needless to dispel that half illusion   
which seems to be one feature of        
consumption--an illusion which is so    
thin that we feel persuaded the patient 
sees through it1 while1 nevertheless1 it
 serves all the purposes of hope4 ,to   
take away that hope where no beneficial 

end is to be secured1 is cruel4 ,a      
mistaken1 and somewhat morbid1 sense of 
duty to tell the whole truth1 and a     
conscientious but unenlightened fear of 
practising deception1 sometimes lead    
friends to remove1 from a sick person1  
that power which hope gives in          
sustaining the sickness1 in prolonging  
comfort1 and in helping the gradual     
descent into the grave4 ,when a sick    
person is resolute and hopeful1 it is   
surprising to see how many annoyances of
 sickness are prevented or easily borne1
 and how life1 and even cheerfulness1   
may be indefinitely extended4 ,but when 
hope is taken away1 or1 rather1 when1   
instead of looking towards life with    
that instinctive love of it which ,god  
has implanted1 we turn from the warm    
precincts of the cheerful day1 and look 
into the grave1 it is affecting to see  
how the disease takes advantage of it1  
and sufferings ensue which would have   
been prevented by keeping up even the   
ambiguous thoughts of recovery4 ,sick   

people have reflections and feelings    
which exert an influence upon them      
beyond our discernment1 and which       
frequently need not our literal         
interpretations of symptoms1 and our    
exhortations1 to make them more         
effectual4 ,but where there is evidently
 no preparedness for death1 and the     
patient1 we fear1 is deceiving himself1 
no one who has suitable views of        
,christian duty will fail to impress him
 with the necessity of attending to the 
things which belong to his peace1 even  
at considerable risk of abridging life4 
,waiting1 therefore1 for medical        
discernment to signify when the last    
possible effort to lengthen out the days
 of the sufferer had been made1 one     
morning ,i received the intimation that 
those days would1 in all probability1 be
 but very few4 ,after the physician had 
left the house1 and ,i had sought help  
and strength from ,god1 ,i lost no time1
 but took my place at the dear patient's
 side1 to make the announcement4  ,god  

help those on whom he lays such duty4   
,the hour had virtually come in which   
father and child must part1 and the     
father was to break that message to his 
child4 ,but how could mortal strength   
endure the effort8  ,before ,i left my  
room for hers1 there came to my mind    
these words--,but now1 thus saith the   
,lord that created thee1 ,o ,jacob1 and 
he that formed thee1 ,o ,israel1 ,fear  
not1 for ,i have redeemed thee2 ,i have 
called thee by thy name2 thou art mine4 
,when thou passest through the waters1  
,i will be with thee2 and through the   
rivers1 they shall not overflow thee2   
when thou walkest through the fire1 thou
 shalt not be burned1 neither shall the 
flame kindle upon thee4 ,trusting in    
that promise1 ,i sat down1 as it were1  
over against the sepulchre1 to prepare  
my child for her entrance into it1--nay1
 for her departure into heaven4  ,the   
gradual arrival of the truth to her     
apprehension1 through questions which   
she began to ask1 and my answers to     

them1 finally led her to inquire if ,i  
supposed she could not live long4 ,i    
told her that the physician thought that
 she was extremely weak1 and that we    
must not be surprised at any sudden     
event in her case4 ,she said1 without   
any change of countenance1 ,why1 father1
 you surprise me2 ,i thought that ,i    
might get well2 is it possible that ,i  
cannot live long8 ,i have thought of    
recovering much more than of dying444   
,it seems a long space to pass over     
between this and heaven1 in so short a  
time4 ,i wonder how ,i can so suddenly  
obtain all the feelings which ,i need   
for such a change4 ,these expressions ,i
 wrote down immediately after the       
interview4 ,i told her1 in reply1 that  
she had been living at peace with ,god  
through his ,son2 that it had hitherto  
been her duty to live1 and to strive for
 it2 but now ,god had indicated his will
 concerning her1 and she might be sure  
that ,god will always give us feelings  
suited to every condition in which he   

sees fit to place us4  ,on seeing her   
again towards evening1 ,i found that the
 expression of her sick face--the weary1
 exhausted look of one grappling with a 
stronger power--had passed away1 and1 in
 exchange1 there was peace1 and even    
happiness4 ,she began herself to say1   
,when you told me this forenoon that ,i 
could not live1 it surprised me2 but ,i 
have come to it now1 and it is all      
right4 ,every thing is settled4 ,i have 
nothing to do--no fear1 no anxiety about
 any thing4 ,more passages of ,scripture
 and verses of hymns have come to my    
mind to-day1 than in all my sickness    
hitherto4 ,wishes respecting some family
 arrangements were then expressed1      
particularly with reference to the      
younger children1 and these wishes were 
uttered in about the same tone and      
manner as though we were parting for a  
temporary absence from each other4 ,the 
mother of my youngest child had1 at her 
death1 given her in special charge to   
this daughter1 and she wished to live   

that she might educate her4 ,she made   
the transfer of her little trust with   
calmness1 and then her ,good night was  
uttered with a gentle playfulness1 like 
that of her early days4  ,nor was her   
frame of mind an excitement1 or a       
fictitious experience1 to end with      
sleep4 ,the next forenoon she renewed   
the conversation4 ,she said1 ,in the    
night ,i awoke many times1 and always   
with this thought--,i am not going to   
live4 ,instead of fear and dread1 peace 
came with it4 ,names of ,christ flowed  
in upon my mind2 and once ,i awoke with 
these words in my thoughts--',and there 
shall be no night there4' ,now ,i know  
that ,i am to die1 ,i feel less nervous4
 ,i have a calm1 unruffled feeling4 ,she
 expressed some natural apprehensions1  
only1 about the possibility of          
dissolution not having occurred when we 
should suppose that she was no more4 ,i 
told her how kindly ,god had ordered it 
that we do not all die together1 but one
 by one1 the survivors doing all that   

the departed would desire--which        
satisfied her1 and removed her only     
fear4  ,she asked leave to make a       
request respecting her grave2 that1 if  
any device were placed upon the stone1  
it might be of flowers1 which had been  
such a joy and consolation to her in her
 sickness4 ,she named the               
lily-of-the-valley and rose buds4 ,i    
love the white flowers1 said she4 ,if   
you think best1 let them be represented 
in some simple way444 ,one great desire 
which ,i have had was to assort some    
leaves of flowers into forms for you4   
,as my bouquets fell to pieces2 ,i      
gathered the best petals1 and leaves1   
and sprigs1 and ,i have them in a book2 
which1 at her request1 ,i then reached  
for her4 ,i turned the pages4 ,the book 
was full of beautiful relics from tokens
 of remembrance which kind friends had  
sent to her1 and among them were some   
curiously mottled1 green and            
rose-colored1 petals1 which she had     
designed for a wreath1 on the first page

 of the little herbarium1 which it was  
her intention to prepare2 and then1 with
 great hesitancy1 and protesting their  
unworthiness1 she repeated these simple 
lines1 which she had composed for an    
inscription within the wreath4 ,i wrote 
them down from her lips3   ,,to ,,my    
,,father4      ,these flowers1 which    
gave me such comfort and hope1       ,i 
pressed1 in my sickness1 for you2       
,accept them1 though faded2 they never  
will droop2       ,and believe that my  
heart is there too4  ,they who showered 
these tokens of their regard upon her1  
will be pleased to know that their gifts
 did not wholly perish1 but that they   
will constitute an abiding memorial of  
her friends1 as well as of her4  ,i     
know1 she continued1 that ,i am a great 
sinner2 but ,i also believe that my sins
 are washed away by the blood of        
,christ4 ,the way of justification by   
faith was clear to her mind4 ,she knew  
whom she believed1 and was persuaded    
that he was able to keep that which she 

had committed to him against that day4  
,in her whispering voice1 which disease 
had for some time so nearly hushed1 she 
said1 ,i shall sing in heaven4 ,her     
voice had been the charm of many a      
pleasant circle4 ,but she added1 ,i     
shall no more sing--      ',i'm a       
pilgrim1 and ,i'm a stranger2     ,i can
 tarry1 ,i can tarry but a night4'  ,and
 in a moment she added1--      ,of that 
country to which ,i am going1     ,my   
,redeemer1 my ,redeemer is the light4   
,some people1 she said1 wish to die in  
order to get rid of pain4 ,what a       
motive6 ,i am afraid that sometimes they
 get rid of it only to renew it4 ,there 
was-- ,and here she checked herself1    
saying1 ,but ,i will not mention any    
name1 a feeling of charitableness and   
tenderness coming over her1 as though   
she might be thought to have judged a   
dying person harshly4  ,the day before  
she died1 as ,i was spending the        
,sabbath forenoon by her1 she breathed  
out these words3--      ,o1 how soft    

that bed must be1     ,made in sickness1
 ,lord1 by thee6     ,and that rest1 how
 soft and sweet1     ,where ,jesus and  
the sufferer meet6  ,in almost the same 
breath1 she said1 ,o1 see that beautiful
 yellow1--directing my attention to a   
sprig of acacia in a bunch of flowers2  
all showing that her religious feelings 
were not raptures1 but flowed along upon
 a level with her natural delight at    
beautiful objects4 ,to illustrate this1 
,i have mentioned several of the        
incidents already related4  ,she spoke  
of a young friend1 who has much that the
 world gives its votaries to enhance her
 prospects in this life4 ,i said1 ,would
 you exchange conditions with her8 ,not 
for ten thousand worlds1 was her        
energetic reply4 ,no6 she added2 ,i fear
 she has not chosen the good part4      
,sabbath afternoon1 the mortal conflict 
was upon her4 ,the restlessness of      
death1 the craving for some change of   
posture1 the cold sweats1 the labored   
respiration1 all had the effect merely  

to make her ask1 ,how long do you think 
,i must suffer8 ,that labored breathing 
tired her2 she wished that ,i could     
regulate it for her4 ,how long1 said    
she1 will it probably continue8  ,i told
 her that heaven was a free gift at the 
last as well as at first2 that we could 
not pass within the gate at will1 but   
must wait ,god's time2 that there were  
sufferings yet necessary to her complete
 preparation for heaven1 of which she   
would see the use hereafter1 but not    
now4 ,this made her wholly quiet2 and   
after that she rode at anchor many      
hours1 hard by the inner lighthouse1    
waiting for the ,pilot4  ,the last words
 which she uttered to me1 an hour before
 she died1 were1 ,i am going to get my  
crown4 ,i wondered at her in my         
thoughts1 7,o1 help my unbelief67 to    
hear a dying sinner so confident4 ,i    
said to myself1 ,o woman1 great is thy  
faith4 ,she knew that her crown was a   
free gift1 purchased at infinite        
expense2 a crown1 instead of deserved   

chains1 under darkness4 ,all unmerited1 
and more than forfeited1 yet she spoke  
of her crown1 because she believed with 
a simple faith1 taking ,christ at his   
word1 and being willing to receive      
rewards and honors from him without     
projecting her own sense of unworthiness
 to stay the overflowings of infinite   
love and grace towards her4 ,so that1 in
 her own esteem as undeserving as the   
chief of sinners1 thinking as little as 
possible of her own righteousness1 and  
being among the last to claim any thing 
of ,god1 she could say with one who     
would not admit that any sinner was     
chief above him1 ,henceforth there is   
laid up for me a crown of righteousness1
 which the ,lord1 the righteous ,judge1 
shall give me at that day2 and not to me
 only1 but unto all them also that love 
his appearing4  ,between two and three  
o'clock on ,monday afternoon1 ,january  
#ai1 she was quietly receiving some food
 from the nurse1 when suddenly she said1
 ,the room seems dark4 ,she then made a 

surprising effort1 such as she had been 
incapable of for some time1 and reached 
forward from her pillow1 saying1 ,who is
 that at the door8 ,the nurse was with  
her alone1 and at her side1 the family  
being at the table4 ,coming to her room1
 we found that she was apparently       
sinking into a deep sleep1 as though it 
were only a sleep1 profound and quiet4  
,i asked her if she knew me4  ,she made 
no answer4  ,i said1 ,you know ,jesus4  
,a smile played about her mouth4 ,we    
rejoiced1 and wept for joy4  ,i then    
said1 ,if you know father1 press my     
hand4 ,she gave me no sign--that smile  
being her last intelligent act4--,and so
 she passed within the veil4  ,i was    
able to relate all this from my pulpit  
the ,sabbath after her decease1 not     
merely because the period of the        
greatest suffering under bereavement had
 not come1 but chiefly because the      
consolations of the trying scene1 and   
hopes full of immortality1 had not lost 
their new power4 ,i was therefore like  

those who1 on the first ,christian      
,sabbath morning1 departed quickly from 
the sepulchre with fear and great joy1  
and did run to bring his disciples word4
  ,it is intimated above that the       
greatest suffering at the death of a    
friend does not occur immediately upon  
the event4 ,it comes when the world have
 forgotten that you have cause to weep2 
for when the eyes are dry1 the heart is 
often bleeding4 ,there are hours1--no1  
they are more concentrated than         
hours1--there are moments1 when the     
thought of a lost and loved one1 who has
 perished out of your family circle1    
suspends all interest in every thing    
else2 when the memory of the departed   
floats over you like a wandering        
perfume1 and recollections come in      
throngs with it1 flooding the soul with 
grief4 ,the name1 of necessity or       
accidentally spoken1 sets all your soul 
ajar2 and your sense of loss1 utter     
loss1 for all time1 brings more sorrow  
with it by far than the parting scene4  

99       99       99       99       99  
,she who was the sweet singer of my     
little ,israel is no more4 ,the child   
whose sense of beauty made her the      
swiftest herald to me of every fair     
discovery and new household joy1 will   
never greet me again with her surprises 
of gladness4 ,she who1 leaning upon my  
arm as we walked1 silently conveyed to  
me such a sense of evenness1 firmness1  
dignity2 she whose child-like love was  
turning into the womanly affection for a
 father2 she who was complete in        
herself1 as every good child is1 not    
suggesting to your thoughts what you    
would have a child be1 but filling out  
the orb of your ideal beauty1 still     
partly in outline2 her seat1 her place  
at the table1 at prayers1 at the piano1 
at church2 the sight of her going out   
and coming in2 her tones of speech1 her 
helpful spirit and hands1 and all the   
unfinished creations of her skill1 every
 thing that made her that which the     
growing associations with her name had  

built up in our hearts1--all is gone1   
for this life2 it is removed like a     
tree2 it is departed like a shepherd's  
tent4  ,and all this1 too1 is saved4 ,it
 survives1 or ,i would not1 ,i could    
not1 write thus4 ,there comes to my     
sorrowing heart some such message as the
 sons of ,jacob brought to their father1
 when they said1 ,joseph is yet alive1  
and he is governor over all the land of 
,egypt4  ,jesus of ,nazareth has been in
 my dwelling1 and has done a great work 
of healing4 ,he has saved my child2     
saved her to be a happy spirit2 forever 
saved her for himself1 to employ her    
powers of mind and heart in his blissful
 service2 saved her for the joyful      
welcome and embraces of her mother1 and 
of a second mother1 who laid deep and   
strong foundations in her character for 
goodness and knowledge4 ,he has saved   
her for me1 through all eternity4 ,she  
will be my sweet singer again2 she will 
have in store for me all the wonderful  
discoveries which her intense love of   

beauty will have made her treasure up1  
to impart1 when the child becomes1 as it
 were1 parent1 for a little while1 to   
the soul of the parent in heaven1       
new-born4 ,i said to her1 a day or two  
before she died1 ,those mothers will    
show you things in heaven2 for we read1 
',and he shewed me a pure river of water
 of life1 clear as crystal1 proceeding  
out of the throne of ,god and the       
,lamb4'  ,but ,john mistook this        
heavenly saint for an angel1 so glorious
 was his appearance1 and he fell down to
 worship him1 but was told1 ,see thou do
 it not2 for ,i am thy fellow-servant1  
and of thy brethren the prophets1 and of
 them which keep the sayings of this    
book4 ,then what will she herself be1   
when these eyes behold her again8 ,and  
what will she have treasured up to tell 
me8 she1 who always brought rare things 
for me from the woods and the shore1    
surpassing those of her companions4 ,if 
,he who redeemed her1 and has presented 
her faultless before the presence of his

 glory with exceeding joy1 will bestow  
that nurture and culture upon her which 
are implied in leading her to living    
fountains of waters1 what will she be8  
and how good it will seem that she left 
earth so early1 since it was the will of
 ,god1 to enter upon such a career of   
bliss6  ,a few years ago1 ,i            
appropriated a wedding gift from a      
friend to the purchase of a guitar for  
her1 as a birthday gift in her early    
sickness4 ,to assist her in learning to 
play upon it1 ,i first gained some      
knowledge of the instrument4 ,we kept it
 in its case in my study2 and sometimes1
 on coming home1 and feeling in the mood
 of it1 ,i wished to handle it1 and     
instead of unlocking the case to see if 
the instrument were there1 ,i would     
knock upon it2 and straightway what     
turbulence of harmonies rang from all   
the strings4 ,now1 it is so with every  
thing connected with her memory2 every  
thing associated with her1 even though  
outwardly sombre and dreary1 like those 

black cases for musical instruments1    
being appealed to1 or accidentally      
encountered1 sings of her still1 with a 
troubled and a pathetic1 pleasing music4
  ,in her very early childhood1 she and 
two of the children were sick with a    
children's epidemic4 ,the crisis had    
passed2 an anxious day with regard to   
one of the children had been followed by
 entire relief from our fears4 ,as we   
sat at table that evening1 we heard     
music from the chambers of the sick     
children2 we opened the door and        
listened4 ,this daughter was singing1   
and the chorus of her little school song
 was1 ,all are here1 all are here4 ,she 
did not think of the signification which
 those words had to our hearts4 ,it was 
one of those household pleasures which  
have so much of heaven in them4 ,i can  
sometimes hear her singing to me now1   
from those upper skies1 in the name of  
the four who have gone there from my    
dwelling1 ,all are here1 all are here4  
,she bequeathed her guitar1 but her     

voice and hand now join with the voice  
of harpers harping with their harps4    
,we sometimes think that they miss great
 good who depart from us in early years2
 that one who has arrived at the        
entrance to the world's great feast must
 be sadly disappointed to be led away1  
never to go in4 ,now1 it is true that we
 must not shrink from the battle of     
life2 we must take upon ourselves1 if   
,god ordains it1 the great jeopardy of  
disappointment and sorrow1 and the      
chance of life's joys2 we must each     
stand in his lot2 we must send children 
forth into the harvest of the earth for 
sheaves1 and whether they faint and die 
under their load1 or deck themselves    
with garlands1--still1 let them be      
laborers together with ,god1 and let us 
not seek exemption for them4 ,but if    
,god ordains their early translation to 
heaven1 what can earth afford them in   
the way of pleasure1 granting the cup to
 be full and unalloyed1 to be compared  
with fulness of joy8 ,fair maidens in   

heaven1--and ,o1 how many of them has   
consumption gathered in6--fair maidens  
there are like the white flowers1 which 
are sacred to peculiar times and scenes4
 ,how goodly must be their array6 ,what 
a perpetual spring tide of vivacious joy
 and delight do they create in heaven4  
,it is pleasant to have a child among   
them4  ,it has been my privilege to see1
 in this child1 an example of true      
preparation for death1 which begins     
before the expectation of dying brings  
the least discredit1 or breath of       
suspicion1 upon our motives in attending
 to the subject of religion4            
,preparation for death consists in      
justification by faith1 extending its   
influence into the whole character1 to  
bring us under the rule of ,christ4 ,the
 fruit of this is friendship with ,god1 
the confidence of love1 knowing whom we 
have believed1 with the persuasion of   
our having committed to him an infinite 
trust1 and that he will keep it with    
covenant faithfulness4 ,so when death   

comes and knocks at the door1 it is true
 the heart beats quicker1 as it is apt  
to do whoever knocks there2 for1 to give
 up one's hold on life1 to turn and look
 eternal things full in the face1 to    
think of meeting ,god1 and of having    
your endless condition fixed1 summons   
the whole of natural and acquired       
fortitude2 and only they who have an    
unseen arm to lean upon at such a time1 
endure in that trial4 ,then past        
experience comes in with her powerful   
aid3 ,i have fought a good fight2 the   
wise took oil in their vessels with     
their lamps2 remember1 ,o ,lord1 how ,i 
have walked before thee4 ,thus there is 
something to make you feel that your    
justification1 by free grace1 has the   
evidence afforded by its fruits2 and the
 preparation to die may be likened to   
that of which the ,saviour speaks when  
he says1 ,he that is washed needeth not 
save to wash his feet1 but is clean     
every whit4 ,i have seen it1 have       
watched it1 have studied it1 in the     

dying scenes of this child4 ,hers was   
not the experience of the sinner1 pulled
 suddenly from the waves by a hand which
 he had for a long time1 nay1 always1   
spurned2 but her dying was an arrival at
 the end of a voyage1 the coming home of
 a good child to long-expecting hearts  
and arms4 ,we said one to another around
 her dying bed1--yes1 we had composure  
to say1 as we watched that parting      
scene1 that fading cloud1 that sinking  
gale1 that dying wave1 that shutting eye
 of day1--,think of such a poor1        
helpless1 dying creature1 if1 in the    
sense intended by those words1 she      
should 'fall into the hands of the      
living ,god4' ,and we glorified ,god in 
her4 ,never did ,i see and feel more    
deeply1 by contrast1 the folly of       
trusting to a death-bed repentance1 to  
repair the errors of a wasted life4 ,it 
is a deliberate attempt at fraud upon   
the ,most ,high2 it is folly2 for the   
risk is fearful1 and could we obtain    
salvation1 how mercenarily6--and what a 

memorial would it be in heaven of loss1 
instead of being a crown of             
righteousness6 ,they who are all their  
lifetime ignorant1 being unfortunately  
deprived of opportunity for religious   
instruction1 may with wonder and joy    
accept the surprising news of pardon1   
through ,christ1 on a dying bed1 and    
soar to the same heights with apostles  
in their praises of redeeming love4 ,but
 if we hear of salvation by ,christ all 
our life long1 and know our duty1 but   
prefer the pleasures of sin for a       
season1 and think that in the swellings 
of ,jordan we shall find peace and      
safety1 our conduct deserves all the    
opprobrious names which are heaped upon 
it by inspired tongues and pens4 ,we who
 are parents must teach our children    
that religion does not consist merely in
 being pardoned1 and1 if pardoned1 no   
matter whether early or late2 but that  
it is the first1 the constant1 the      
all-pervading rule of life1 ,god and his
 service the chief end of man1 and that 

the pleasures of religion are the       
sweetest pleasures1 hallowing all others
 which are innocent1 and leading us to  
reject those1 and only those1 which     
would be unsuitable or injurious1 even  
if religious custom did not forbid them4
 ,we must know this1 and practise upon  
it1 ourselves2 else1 how can we expect  
the children to believe it8  ,the       
exceeding relief which a timely         
preparation for death by an early       
consecration of herself to ,god1        
imparted to this child and to us1 was   
felt in this1 that she and we had no    
distressing thoughts at her total       
inability1 for a long time1 to join in  
prayer with others1 or to be conversed  
with in any way that excited much       
feeling4 ,the diseased throat1 where1 as
 we all know1 our emotions1 even in     
health and strength1 make such          
interference with our comfort1 prevented
 her from joining in any religious      
exercises1 because she would then be    
liable to the excitement of feelings    

which1 in the way just intimated1 would 
have injured her4 ,with such affections 
of the bronchial passages1 efforts of   
mind which are not spontaneous are      
sometimes agony4 ,connected endeavors to
 follow conversation and prayer were    
impossible1 and she told me1 on saying  
this1 that she took great comfort from a
 remark1 in a book1 addressed to a sick 
person--,do not think1 but pray4 ,she   
prayed much herself2 her thoughts1 too1 
were prayers1 in certain cases4 ,now1 in
 that weakened condition1 what could she
 have done1 and what would have been her
 father's feelings1 had she not1 in     
health and strength1 arrived at such a  
state of religious knowledge and        
experience as to remove anxiety for her 
spiritual welfare1 and to make us feel  
that she had ,christ in her1 the hope of
 glory8 ,when the cry was made1 ,behold1
 the bridegroom cometh1 she arose and   
trimmed her lamp1 and had oil in her    
vessel with her lamp4 ,wealth could not 
purchase the relief and satisfaction    

which this gave to her friends2--so     
truly is religion called the pearl of   
great price2 so literally true are the  
,saviour's words1 ,but one thing is     
needful4 ,it is the greatest blessing   
which a young person can bestow on      
,christian parents1 to be a ,christian2 
and what its value is to surviving      
parents1 ask those who sorrow as they   
that have no hope4 ,when a young        
,christian comes to die1 he testifies   
that he lost nothing1 but gained every  
thing1 with eternal life1 by being a    
,christian in his early years4 ,i can   
imagine what this child would say to one
 and another of her young friends who   
may read these pages1 and how she would 
seek to persuade them1 as the first     
great duty of their existence1 and for  
their best good here1 and for their     
everlasting peace1 to choose the good   
part1 which will never be taken away    
from them4  ,her funeral was a scene    
from which many went away rejoicing in  
,god2 and not a few date new progress in

 the ,christian life from it1 by means  
of the new and striking illustration    
which they there had of the ,saviour's  
power and love4 ,the ,choir struck the  
key note of heaven in their opening     
strains1 by chanting1 ,worthy is the    
,lamb that was slain1 to receive power1 
and riches1 and wisdom1 and strength1   
and honor1 and glory1 and blessing4     
,they gave us1 too1 her favorite song1  
by which she was remembered in several  
circles1 at home and abroad1 before she 
was sick1 and the words of which1 now1  
seem to have had a prophetic meaning    
from her lips3--      ,i'm a pilgrim1   
and ,i'm a stranger2     ,i can tarry1  
,i can tarry but a night2--  which was  
sung at the funeral with a sweetness    
which added much to the associations    
with it in our minds2 and in the closing
 hymn1 how strange it seemed1 at a      
funeral1 to hear the singers1 though by 
our own request and though in accordance
 with all which had passed1 bid us      
,proclaim abroad his name1     ,tell of 

his matchless fame1       ,what wonders 
done6     ,shout through hell's dark    
profound1     ,let the whole earth      
resound1     ,till the high heavens     
rebound1       ,the victory's won2--    
and to hear them1 as they cried one to  
another1 saying1--      ,all hail the   
glorious day1     ,when1 through the    
heavenly way1       ,lo1 ,he shall come2
     ,while they who pierced him wail2  
,his promise shall not fail2            
,saints1 see your ,king prevail2        
,come1 dear ,lord1 come4  ,for those    
ministrations of love and tenderness in 
the last1 sad offices to the dead1 which
 no wealth could buy1 repeated now by   
some of the same hands several times in 
my dwelling1 there are no words of      
gratitude adequate to the great debt of 
love4 ,the mothers of my church1 who met
 weekly with her mother for prayer1     
remembered her child1 and provided      
nurses for her1 to her own unspeakable  
comfort and our great relief4 ,friends  
and strangers1 touched with her         

protracted sickness1 poured blessings   
around her couch2 fruits1 in their      
season1 and when out of their season1 of
 what almost unearthly beauty6 and      
flowers which1 with the fruits1 made    
that sick room seem like the garden     
which the ,lord planted in ,eden4 ,such 
have been the alleviations of pain and  
suffering1 the comforts1 and even the   
pleasures1 and above all the rich       
spiritual consolations and joys1 and the
 more than conquering faith of the dying
 hour1--such a union in all this of     
,jesus and his friends1--that ,i have   
made the case of the ruler of the       
synagogue mine1 of whom1 as he went to  
his afflicted house1 it is said1 ,and   
,jesus arose and followed him1 and so   
did his disciples4 ,they will go        
wherever ,jesus leads the way2 and he   
will lead the way wherever there is a   
lamb to be folded in his bosom4  ,there 
were not wanting those who lent me their
 sepulchre1 in the city1 for a season--a
 kindness always peculiar and affecting1

 but also needful in this instance1     
because of the great snows which made   
the roads to ,mount ,auburn impassable  
for several days4 ,nor can ,i forget    
that1 when ,saturday evening closed upon
 us1 words and tokens of kindness came  
from the younger members of my          
congregation1 who had provided for the  
last earthly things which the precious  
dust of their young friend required2 and
 so they seemed to bid me rest from all 
care and thoughtfulness1 upon the       
,sabbath day1 according to the          
commandment4 ,all which should increase 
my feelings of sympathy and kindness for
 the sick1 and especially for the sick  
poor1 whose rooms1 and whose dying      
hours1 and whose griefs1 are oftentimes 
in such contrast to those into which    
divine and human loving kindness seem   
striving to pour their abundant         
consolations4 ,as the family retired    
from the dying scene1 and were weeping  
together1 a father came to my door1 in  
that great snow-storm1 to say that his  

son1 the young man1 not a member of my  
congregation1 whom ,i had several times 
visited1 was near his end1 and would    
like to see me4 ,stranger comparatively 
though he was1 and impassable as the    
streets were by any vehicle1 and almost 
by foot passengers1 my gratitude for the
 sweet and peaceful end of my own dear  
child1 and for her undoubted admission  
to the realms of bliss1 was such1 that1 
within an hour or two1 ,i forced my way 
to a distant part of the city1 to assist
 another departing spirit for its       
flight4 ,this heart has no more         
fortitude1 nor has it less of natural   
affection and sensibility1 than         
ordinarily falls to the lot of men2     
hence those consolations must have been 
great1 that support and strength equal  
to the day1 that hope concerning my     
child an anchor sure and steadfast1     
which enabled me thus to go from her    
clay1 just cold1 to aid a passing spirit
 in obtaining like precious faith with  
hers1 and the same inheritance4 ,my     

motive in thus lifting a little of the  
veil1 or in placing a light behind the  
transparency1 of my private feelings1 ,i
 trust will be seen to be1 that ,i may  
comfort others with the comfort         
wherewith ,i was comforted of ,god4     
,but there awaits me a blessing1 with a 
joy1 surpassing all that has gone       
before4 ,my daughter is even now dead2  
but come and lay thy hand upon her1 and 
she shall live4 ,from her grave1 which  
was soon made by the side of kindred    
dust1 ,jesus will raise her up at the   
last day2 her voice will come to that   
body2 her youthful beauty will be       
reestablished by her likeness to        
,christ's own glorious body2 she will   
lean upon my arm again2 the separation  
and absence will enhance the joy of     
meeting2 we shall say1 ,how like a      
hand-breadth was the separation6 ,we    
shall see reasons full of wisdom and    
love for the sickness and the early     
death4 ,we shall part no more4 ,all this
 has more than once made me say1 and    

sing1--      ,o1 for this love1 let     
rocks and hills       ,their lasting    
silence break1     ,and all harmonious  
human tongues       ,the ,saviour's     
praises speak4  ,young friend1 you will 
need him as the great ,physician1 the   
,friend in sorrow1 the ,forerunner in   
the dark passages of life1 the          
,conqueror of death1 the ,lord our      
,righteousness1 and1 all endearing names
 in one1 ,immanuel1 ,god with us4       
,parents1 you will need him for your    
children4 ,children1 you will need him  
when father and mother1 one or both1    
have forsaken you1 or1 if alive1 can    
only make you feel how little their fond
 love can do for you4 ,when the name of 
father1 cannot rouse you1 nor your cold 
hand return the pressure of your        
father's hand1 you will need a nearer1  
dearer friend1 in the person of ,him who
 loved you1 and gave himself for you4   
,it has been one of the richest joys of 
my pastoral life1 that ,i have sent to  
her mother in heaven her child1 whom    

,god had prepared for so early a        
departure out of this world4 ,this      
ministry of reconciliation has been     
blessed to the salvation of my child4   
,it should make me love the children of 
my pastoral charge more than ever1 seek 
to gather them into the fold of ,christ1
 that whole families1 each like a       
constellation1 may rise together in the 
firmament of heaven2 and1 in the mean   
time1 that the members of every         
household1 as they desert us one by one1
 may call back to us1 and say1 for the  
departed1 ,all are here4  ,god takes a  
family here and there1 in a circle of   
acquaintances and friends1 and greatly  
afflicts them2 and thus he teaches      
others4 ,as we look1 therefore1 upon the
 afflicted1 we ought to say1--      ,for
 us they languish1 and for us they die2 
,and shall they languish1 shall they    
die1 in vain8  ,god is the same when he 
takes away the child1 as when he laid   
that gift in our hands4 ,perhaps1       
indeed1 the removal is really a greater 

exercise of love than the gift4 ,it must
 seem good and acceptable in the sight  
of ,god1 if1 when we are bereaved1 we   
employ ourselves occasionally in        
rehearsing before him the circumstances 
in his past goodness1 which1 at the     
time1 made it exceedingly sweet and     
precious4 ,our debt of obligation for it
 is not yet fully paid2 nor is it       
diminished at all by the removal of the 
blessing4 ,instead of abandoning        
ourselves to grief1 we do well if we    
commune with ,god more frequently       
respecting his signal acts of favor in  
connection with the lost blessing4  ,but
 the memory of lost joys is always apt  
to depress the mind inordinately4 ,we   
question whether it is really better to 
have          loved and lost     ,than  
never to have loved at all4  ,taking a  
future life into the account1 surely no 
doubt can remain as to that question2   
but one who has really loved1 will not  
be long in coming to the same           
conclusion1 irrespective of the future4 

,must ,god abstain from making us       
exceedingly happy1 because1 forsooth1 we
 shall be so unhappy when1 in the       
exercise of the same goodness and wisdom
 which dictated the gift1 he sees it    
best to take it away8 ,if we love him   
more than we love his gifts1 then the   
removal of them will make us love him   
more than ever4      ,though now ,he    
frowns1 ,i'll praise the ,almighty's    
name1     ,and bless the source whence  
past enjoyments came4  ,we often hear it
 said1 that every thing which happens to
 us is for our good1 even in this       
world4--,many things happen to men1 even
 to ,christians1 which are plainly not  
for their good in this life1 though all 
things will1 eventually1 work together  
for good to them that love ,god4 ,some  
things1 then1 even here1 are intended to
 be life-long sorrows and trials4 ,their
 object is reproof and constant         
admonition4 ,we need another state of   
existence to explain the present4 ,if   
that future state does not prove that   

earthly discipline has had its designed 
effect1 the sorrows of this life show   
that ,god can bear to see us suffer1    
even when he foresees that no good will 
result to the sufferer4 ,for while men  
suffer excruciatingly under             
bereavements1 these sufferings often    
fail to make them better4 ,god foresees 
all this4 ,hence ,god is able to look   
upon suffering which he sees will not be
 for the good of the afflicted4  ,if1   
now1 his design in our trials 7which    
pierced his heart before they reached   
ours7 is utterly frustrated by our sins1
 the question will arise1 whether the   
,god who can bear to see us suffer for  
our good1 which1 nevertheless1 he       
foresees will not be effected1 will not 
be able to see us suffer as the fruit of
 our sins1 and of our resistance to his 
designs4 ,one who has endured much      
mental suffering cannot have failed to  
see1 that ,god's parental relation to us
 is not analogous to that of parent and 
child among men4 ,it terminates in the  

relations of governor and of judge2     
being1 indeed1 from the first1 included 
in those relations4 ,this is not so in  
our earthly relationship4 ,god sees men 
suffer as no earthly parent could2 he   
inflicts pain as no earthly parent      
should4 ,all is for our profit2 but if  
that object fails through our           
perverseness1 we are instructed1 by our 
experience1 that if ,god can look on    
mental anguish and not relieve it1      
because he seeks an ulterior good1 the  
punishment of sin1 the natural and just 
consequences of disobedience to the     
great laws of the universe1 may be1 in  
their extended impression1 another      
ulterior good1 which will warrant the   
same mental sufferings after death1 and 
forever4  ,could ,i be permitted1       
therefore1 ,i would take by the hand    
every bereaved father whom so great an  
affliction as the death of a child has  
not succeeded in bringing into a state  
of preparation for heaven1 and kindly   
ask how he expects to bear a final and  

endless separation4 ,if thou hast run   
with the footmen1 and they have wearied 
thee1 then how canst thou contend with  
horses8 and if in the land of peace1    
wherein thou trustedst1 they wearied    
thee1 then how wilt thou do in the      
swelling of ,jordan8 ,god describes to  
his ancient people one of the great     
sorrows which will happen to them1 if   
they forsake him1 in their separations1 
by captivity1 from their children3 ,thy 
sons and thy daughters shall be given   
unto another people1 and thine eyes     
shall look1 and fail with longing1 for  
them all the day long2 and there shall  
be no might in thy hand4 ,pains of      
absence1 sudden convulsions of feeling  
at the remembered looks1 form1 words1   
and motions of a loved one1 sometimes   
are as when men feel the earth quaking  
under them2 and then1 again1 they       
entirely prostrate us1 for the moment1  
like a tornado4 ,homesickness in a      
foreign land1--an ocean stretching      
between us and the objects of our       

love--is an admonition to us with       
respect to future1 endless separations4 
,the hopeless death of a child has      
sometimes had the effect to change the  
long-established faith of a parent with 
regard to future retribution2 all the   
acknowledged principles of              
interpretation1 all the results of      
meditation and prayer1 the theory of the
 divine government which has been built 
up in the soul1 till it became          
identified with personal consciousness1 
the whole analogy of faith1--all1 have  
been swept away by the overmastering    
power of parental love for one who1 when
 he died1 left his friends to sorrow as 
they that have no hope4 ,now1 supposing 
a parent to fail of heaven1 and to      
retain his instinctive parental         
feelings1 the endless separation between
 him and his family will be a source of 
sorrow which needs only to be kept up1  
by an ever-living memory1 to constitute 
all which is pictured in the boldest    
metaphors of inspired tongues and pens4 

,a father in disgrace1 or under         
ignominy1 suffers intensely when he sees
 or thinks of his children1 provided his
 natural sensibilities are not          
destroyed4 ,a father punished1          
hereafter1 by his ,redeemer and ,judge1 
a father banished from the company of   
heaven1 knowing that his family are     
there1 and that if his influence had had
 its full effect1 they would all have   
perished with him1--or a father with a  
part of his children with him in        
perdition1 the wife and mother with one 
or more of the children in heaven1--is a
 picture of woe which nothing but timely
 repentance and faith in ,christ may    
prevent from being a reality in the     
experience of some who read these lines4
 ,can it be true1 as ,bishop ,hall says1
 that to be happy is not so sweet a     
state as it is miserable to have been   
happy8 ,o man1 if you have a child in   
heaven1 think that1 among the sweet     
influences of divine love1 there        
probably is no more powerful motive to  

draw your affections towards ,god1 than 
that glimpse which you sometimes seem to
 have of this child's face1 on which    
heaven has traced its lineaments of     
peace and bliss2 or that sudden whisper 
of a gentle1 child-like voice1 now and  
then heard by the ear of fancy1         
persuading you to be a ,christian4 ,do  
not let the world1 or shame1 or         
procrastination1 lead you to resist such
 efforts of almighty love to save you4  
,he who has had a child saved by        
,christ1 and will not be himself a      
,christian1--what more can ,god do to   
save him8  ,the breaking up of our homes
 is one of the mysteries of ,god's      
providence4 ,the last thing1 perhaps1   
which we might suppose would be allowed1
 is1 the removal of a mother from a     
family of young children4 ,this being so
 frequent1 we cease to wonder at any    
other dispensations2 we conclude that   
separations are to be made1 regardless  
of any and every seeming necessity and  
endearment4 ,sirs1 ,i perceive that this

 voyage will be with hurt and much      
damage1 not only of the lading and ship1
 but also of our lives4 ,the conviction 
is forced upon us that there is another 
world1 for which we must make all our   
calculations4 ,there is a better world1 
said the distinguished ,william ,wirt1  
after the death of his daughter1 in     
#ahca1--there is a better world1 of     
which ,i have thought too little4 ,to   
that world she has gone1 and thither my 
affections have followed her4 ,this was 
,heaven's design4 ,i see and feel it as 
distinctly as if an angel had revealed  
it4 ,i often imagine that ,i can see her
 beckoning me to the happy world to     
which she has gone4 ,she was my         
companion1 my office companion1 my      
librarian1 my clerk4 ,my papers now bear
 her indorsement4 ,she pursued her      
studies in my office1 by my side1 sat   
with me1 walked with me1 was my         
inexpressibly sweet and inseparable     
companion1--never left me but to go and 
sit with her mother4 ,we knew all her   

intelligence1 all her pure and delicate 
sensibility1 the quickness and power of 
her perceptions1 her seraphic love4 ,she
 was all love1 and loved all ,god's     
creation1 even the animals1 trees1 and  
plants4 ,she loved her ,god and ,saviour
 with an angel's love1 and died like a  
saint4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,kennedy's ,life
 of ,william ,wirt--letter to ,judge    
,carr4  ,about the same time1 he writes 
to his wife1--  ,i want only my blessed 
,saviour's assurance of pardon and      
acceptance to be at peace4 ,i wish to   
find no rest short of rest in him1--,let
 us both look up to that heaven--where  
our ,saviour dwells1 and from which he  
is showing us the attractive face of our
 blessed and happy child1 and bidding us
 prepare to come to her1 since she can  
no more visibly come to us4 ,i have no  
taste now for worldly business4 ,i go to
 it reluctantly4 ,i would keep company  
only with my ,saviour and his holy book4
 ,i dread the world1 the strife1 and    
contention1 and emulation of the bar2   

yet ,i will do my duty--this is part of 
my religion4  ,in ,december1 #ahcc1     
another daughter died2 but he writes1-- 
,i look upon life as a drama1 bearing   
the same sort1 though not the same      
degree1 of relation to eternity1 as an  
hour spent at the theatre1 and the      
fictions there exhibited 444 do to the  
whole of real life4 ,nor is there any   
thing in this passing pageant worth the 
sorrow that we lavish on it4 ,now1 when 
my children or friends leave me1 or when
 ,i shall be called to leave them1 ,i   
consider it as merely parting for the   
present visit1 to meet under happier    
circumstances1 when we shall part no    
more4,b  ,footnote ,b3 ,kennedy's ,life 
of ,william ,wirt--letter to ,judge     
,cabell4         99       99       99   
99       99  ,all my children1 said the 
venerable ,john ,eliot1 of ,roxbury1 are
 either with ,christ or in ,christ4     
,happy1 happy man6 ,the little ones1    
blighted soon by the touch of death1    
surely are with ,christ2 for of such is 

the kingdom of ,god4 ,the cherub boy1   
and the blooming1 broken flower1 the    
young daughter1--the young man in his   
strength1 the young maiden in her       
beauty1--are there4 ,as we commune      
together1 in the pages which follow1 on 
themes touching this subject1 ,god grant
 that every one who has not yet         
gladdened the heart of parent1 and      
pastor1 nay1 of that infinite ,friend1  
our ,saviour1 by the surrender of the   
heart to ,god1 and every father and     
mother who is yet unprepared to join the
 growing circle of the family in        
heaven1--7'how grows in ,paradise their 
store6'7--may1 as we reach the last     
page1 find that with cords of a man1    
with bands of love1 ,he who made        
,pleiades1 and ,arcturus and his sons1  
has united them in eternal fellowship   
with their departed loved ones1 through 
faith in ,christ4 ,this1 while it       
hallows the remainder of life with the  
rich1 mellowed beauty of the changing   
leaf1 and ripening grain1 and shortening

 days1 lays the foundation of that      
perfect happiness for which our homes   
are intended to prepare us2 their joys  
alluring1 their separations pointing1 us
 to heaven4     ,,ii4  ,,the ,,fear ,,of
 ,,death ,,alleviated4      ,yea1 and   
moreover this full well know ,i3     ,he
 that's at any time afraid to die       
,is in weak case1 and 7whatsoe'er he    
saith7     ,hath but a wavering and a   
feeble faith4  ,,george ,,wither4       
,unless we know the customs of the      
wandering shepherds with their flocks1  
one verse in the twenty-third ,psalm1 so
 often quoted in view of death1 appears 
abrupt1 but otherwise appropriate and   
very beautiful4 ,one of a flock is      
expressing his confidence in ,god1 his  
,shepherd3 ,when ,i have satisfied my   
hunger from the green pastures1 he makes
 me to lie down in them2 and the still1 
clear streams are my drink4 ,then a     
thought occurs which appears as though a
 dying man were speaking1 and not a     
sheep3 but it is still the language of a

 sheep4 ,keeping this in mind1 let it be
 remembered that the shepherds wandered 
from place to place to find pasture4 ,in
 doing so1 they were sometimes obliged  
to pass through dark1 lonely valleys4   
,wild beasts1 and creatures less        
formidable1 but of hateful sight1 and   
with doleful voices1 made it difficult  
for the flocks to be led through such   
passages4 ,there was frequently no other
 way from one pasturage to another but  
through these places of death-shade1 or 
valleys of the shadow of death1--which  
was a term to express any dark and      
dismal place4  ,now1 let us imagine a   
flock reposing in a green pasture1 and  
by the side of still waters1 conversing 
about their shepherd1 their pastures1   
and streams4 ,one of them says1 ,in the 
midst of all this peace and contentment1
 there is a thought which spoils my     
comfort4 ,we cannot stay here forever2  
we are to go1 presently1 beyond the     
mountains2 they say that there are      
valleys1 in those regions1 full of      

dangers4 ,my expectation is1 that we    
shall be torn to pieces4 ,my enjoyment  
of these pastures and waters is nearly  
destroyed by my forebodings about those 
valleys4  ,another of the flock replies1
 ,have we not an able1 faithful1        
experienced shepherd8 ,have we not seen 
his ability to defend us in past        
dangers8 ,is he not as much concerned   
for our defence and safety as ourselves8
 ,while he is my shepherd1 ,i shall not 
want4--,yea1 though ,i walk through     
those valleys of death-shade1 ,i will   
fear no evil2 for he is with me2 his rod
 and his staff they comfort me4  ,the   
shepherd carried with him two           
instruments--the staff1 for his own     
support1 and to attack a beast or       
robber2 and the crook1 or rod4 ,by this 
crook1 the shepherd guided a sheep in a 
dangerous pass1 placing the crook under 
the sheep's neck1 to hold him up and    
assist his steps4 ,when a sheep was     
disposed to stray1 the shepherd could   
hold him back with his crook4 ,when the 

sheep had fallen into the power of a    
beast1 the crook assisted in drawing him
 away4 ,a good sheep loved the crook as 
much as the staff1--to be guided1 as    
well as to be defended4 ,both of the    
shepherd's instruments were a great     
comfort to the sheep1 while passing     
through a frightful and dangerous       
valley4  ,the interpretation usually    
given to the words1 thy rod and thy     
staff--as though they meant thy gentle  
reproofs and thy severe rebukes--is     
erroneous4 ,a sheep would hardly tell   
his shepherd that his chastising rod1   
and the heavy blows of his staff1       
comforted him4 ,the meaning is1 ,it is a
 comfort to me to feel the crook of thy 
rod helping me in trouble1 and to know  
that thy staff is my defence against    
wild beasts4         99       99        
99       99       99  ,through fear of  
death1 many who are truly the followers 
of ,christ1 are1 nevertheless1 all their
 lifetime subject to bondage4 ,on       
whatever mountains1 into whatever       

pastures1 and by whatever streams1 their
 ,shepherd leads them1 they know that   
there is a valley into which they must  
go down1 and the imagined darkness and  
horrors of the place make them          
continually afraid4  ,a fear of death1  
without doubt1 is frequently permitted1 
as a means of religious restraint4      
,some1 who have wondered at this trial  
all their life long1 find that its      
influence is great in keeping them near 
to the ,shepherd and ,bishop of their   
souls4 ,if a flock could reason1 no     
doubt the shepherd would make use of the
 fears of the sheep1 in many instances1 
to keep them from going astray4 ,if one 
of them were inclined to wander1 it     
would be natural for the shepherd to    
caution that sheep against the dark     
valley1 warning him of its terrors1 and 
making him feel how necessary it would  
be to have a shepherd there1 with his   
crook and staff4 ,it may be that        
apprehensions with regard to death are  
the most powerful means1 with some1 of  

keeping them from going astray1 and of  
holding their minds to the contemplation
 of spiritual things4  ,it has often    
been observed that those ,christians    
whose fears of death were very great for
 a large part of their life1 frequently 
die with triumph4 ,the reality is not   
such as they feared2 they found support 
and consolation which they did not      
anticipate4  ,one of the most trying    
anticipations with regard to death1 in  
the minds of many1 long before the event
 arrives1 is1 separation from those whom
 we love4 ,and yet1 there is probably   
nothing in human experience more        
remarkable1 than the singular           
resignation1 and even cheerfulness1 with
 which some1 who have had every thing to
 make life desirable1 have left all and 
followed ,christ when he came to lead   
them through the valley4 ,the young wife
 and mother1 in her dying hours1 becomes
 the comforter of her husband2 she turns
 and looks at the infant who is held up 
to receive her farewell1 and the mother 

alone is calm1 sheds no tear1 gives the 
farewell kiss with composure4 ,thy rod  
is supporting her2 thy staff is keeping 
at bay the passions and fears of the    
natural heart4 ,so a widowed mother     
leaves a large family of young children1
 with a peace which passes all          
understanding4 ,and the father of a     
dependent family1 which never could1 in 
a greater measure1 need a father's      
presence1 looks upon them from his dying
 bed1 and says to them1 with the        
serenity of the patriarch1 ,behold1 ,i  
die2 but ,god shall be with you4        
,nothing is more true than this1 that   
dying grace is for a dying hour2 that   
is1 we cannot1 in health and strength1  
have the feelings which belong to the   
hour of parting2 but as any and every   
scene and condition1 into which ,god    
brings his children1 has its peculiar   
frames of mind fitted to the necessity  
of each case1 we need not make the      
useless effort to practise all the      
resignation1 and experience all the     

comforts1 which come only when they are 
actually needed4 ,we do not often hear  
the first part of the following passage 
quoted2 but in such rocky and thorny    
paths as we are often made to pass      
through1 how good it is to read3 ,thy   
shoes shall be iron and brass2 and as   
thy days1 so shall thy strength be4 ,if 
,god is our ,shepherd1 he will cause us 
to pass1 one by one1 through the valley 
which is before us1 leaving some most   
dear to us on the hither side4 ,suppose 
that when a shepherd is employed in     
removing his flock from one mountain to 
another1 through a valley1 one of the   
flock should mourn his separation from  
companions1 or from its young4 ,the     
shepherd would say1 ,you cannot all pass
 together2 leave your companions and the
 young to me2 ,i will restore them to   
you on the other side4 ,he might also   
remonstrate and say1 ,am ,i not1 as     
their shepherd1 interested in protecting
 and removing them8 ,you can add nothing
 to my strength and wisdom2 let me take 

you safety through the valley1 and trust
 me to do the same for them4  ,the      
ancient shepherd was specially careful  
of the lambs2 he carried them in his    
arms1 and sometimes folded them beneath 
his shepherd's coat4 ,we can imagine the
 feelings of some of a flock when1      
leaving them at a short distance1 but   
within sight1 the shepherd would take a 
lamb1 carry it down into the valley1 and
 disappear with it for a little while4  
,with all their confidence in their     
shepherd1 some of the flock would       
manifest uneasiness at the separation1  
especially if the valley looked dark and
 dangerous4 ,if it were the only lamb of
 its mother1 it was natural for that    
mother to be distressed1 and to lament4 
,though the young creature had gone     
safely to the other side1 and was at    
play in the new pasture1 and the mother 
believed it1 this could not always quiet
 her4 ,the good ,shepherd has taken some
 of our lambs through the valley4 ,they 
are safe upon the other side4 ,they have

 joined the flock of ,christ4 ,let us   
give our lambs to the ,shepherd's care1 
to bear them through the valley1        
whenever he sees fit that they should be
 removed4 ,we must all pass through that
 valley4 ,if1 from special love to our  
young1 he will see them safely on the   
other side before he calls for us1 we   
will intrust them to ,him who claims our
 confidence by saying to us1 ,i am the  
,good ,shepherd4 ,one of the prophecies 
concerning ,christ reveals that tender  
love and care1 on his part1 for         
children1 which characterized him while 
on earth3 ,he shall gather the lambs    
with his arm1 and carry them in his     
bosom4  ,the fear of death is owing1 in 
many cases1 to the dread of dissolution4
  ,the previous sickness prepares the   
soul and the body for their separation1 
so that1 in very many cases1 it is the  
greatest relief to die4 ,we are1        
perhaps1 mistaken if we suppose that    
those ,christians who are in great      
bodily pain in their last hours1 suffer 

in mind4 ,the effects of death on the   
frame do not necessarily disturb the    
tranquillity of the soul4 ,the body may 
be in spasms while the soul is at peace2
 and the reverse is true2--as in        
nightmare1 when the mind is distressed  
while the body sleeps4 ,a ,christian has
 nothing to fear in this respect4 ,to   
die will not be--as in full health we   
suppose it is--a violent rending asunder
 of the soul from the unyielding grasp  
of the body2 but the preparation of the 
mortal frame for dissolution1 by the    
sickness1 however rapid1 also fits the  
mind for the event4 ,even in cases of   
death by accidents1 this appears to be  
true4         99       99       99      
99       99  ,but many feel that to die 
is to be transferred suddenly1 and with 
violence1 into strange scenes1 which    
must overwhelm and distract the senses4 
,it seems to them that it must be like  
being whirled instantly into a distant1 
unknown city1 and waking up amidst the  
confusion and strangeness of that place4

 ,we cannot believe that such is the    
experience of dying ,christians4 ,it    
would rather seem that there is1 at     
first1 a perception of spiritual forms1 
of ministering spirits1 whispering peace
 to the soul1 and assuring it of safety1
 and bidding it fear not4 ,it is said of
 angels1 ,are they not all ministering  
spirits1 sent forth to minister for them
 who shall be heirs of salvation8 ,when 
can we need their ministry more1 than in
 the passage from this world to the     
world of spirits8 ,perhaps the          
disclosure is made of some departed     
friends2 and the fancy of those who     
thought that they saw beloved ones      
beckoning them away1 may have had its   
foundation in truth4 ,there is much of  
probability in that well-known piece1   
,the dying ,christian's address to his  
soul2--and no part of it is more        
probable than this3--      ,hark6 they  
whisper2 angels say1     ,sister spirit1
 come away4  ,it is not improbable--it  
seems accordant with divine             

goodness--that such methods should be   
employed to relieve the anxiety of the  
departing spirit4 ,sometimes the dying  
,christian has declared that he heard   
enrapturing music4 ,it is possible that 
voices were employed to soothe him to   
sleep1 and to soften the transition1    
from the full consciousness of life1 to 
the revelations of the heavenly world4  
,perhaps the effect of disease upon the 
organs of hearing was such as to produce
 something like sounds1 which1 in a     
joyous state of mind1 were pleasurable4 
,during the siege of ,jerusalem in      
#ahcf1 the wife of an ,american         
missionary sung while dissolution was   
actually taking place4 ,the tones of her
 voice1 they said1 seemingly more than  
mortal1 were far different from any     
thing which they had ever heard1 even   
from her4 ,god is often pleased to use  
these natural effects of dissolution on 
the body1 to comfort the passing spirit 
of his child4 ,whether visions or real  
voices are actually seen or heard1 is of

 no consequence1 so long as the soul has
 a rational and assured hope4 ,some     
means are unquestionably used in every  
case to make the dying believer feel    
that he is safe4 ,he is not compelled to
 wait in uncertainty and fear for a     
moment4 ,his fears are anticipated2 he  
is among other friends1 the moment that 
he grows insensible to those who watch  
his departing breath4 ,neither are we to
 suppose that heaven breaks upon the    
senses of the spirit with such an       
overpowering brightness1 as to excite   
confusion and pain4 ,no doubt the       
revelation is gradual and most pleasant4
 ,perhaps the celestial city appears at 
first in the distance1 having the glory 
of ,god most precious2 the approach to  
it is gradual2 voices are heard afar    
off1 and from the convoy of ministering 
spirits1 such information and           
instructions are received as prepare it 
for the full vision of heaven4 ,every   
thing is calm and serene2 the light is  
attempered to its new and feeble vision4

 ,he who makes the sun to rise by slow  
degrees1 and does not pour straight1    
fierce rays upon the waking eyes even of
 sinful men1 certainly will not torment 
the soul of his child with any such     
revelations of unseen things as will    
give pain4 ,the same care which has     
redeemed and saved him1 will order all  
these things in covenanted love4  ,some 
of the preceding thoughts are well      
expressed in the following anonymous    
lines1 written on seeing ,mr4           
,greenough's group of the ,angel and    
,child ascending to ,heaven3--          
,,child4  ,whither now wilt thou        
proceed8   ,,angel4    ,come up hither2 
,i will show thee4           ,follow me 
with joyful speed2             ,leave   
thy native earth below thee4   ,,child4 
,stop6 mine eyes cannot contain         
,such a wondrous flood of light4        
,,angel4  ,come up hither4 ,thou shall  
gain1             ,as thou risest1      
stronger sight4   ,,child4  ,lost in    
wonder without end1             ,joyful1

 fearful1 longing1 shrinking1           
,lead me1 ,o thou heavenly friend2      
,keep a trembling child from sinking4   
,o1 ,i cannot bear this glory6          
,angel brother6 how canst thou8         
,,angel4  ,i will tell thee all my      
story2             ,i was once as thou  
art now4   ,,child4  ,when some sorrow  
did befall me1             ,or ,i felt  
some strange alarms1           ,then my 
mother's voice would call me1           
,to the shelter of her arms4            
,now what bids my heart rejoice1        
,clasped in arms ,i cannot see8         
,hark1 ,i hear a soothing voice         
,sweetly whispering1 ,come to me4       
,,angel4  ,yes1 it calls thee from on   
high2             ,come to ,god's most  
holy mountain2           ,thou hast     
drunk the stream of life2--             
,i will lead thee to the fountain4      
,some dread the thought of being out of 
the body and finding themselves spirits4
 ,this is wholly without reason4 ,the   
soul will not suffer from losing this   

body of sin and death2 it will have as  
perfect a consciousness1 it will know   
where it is1 and what is passing before 
it1 as seems to be the case in a vivid  
dream when the bodily senses are locked 
in slumber4  ,as to the natural         
repugnance which we have to the thoughts
 of burial and the grave1 it is probable
 that the soul of a redeemed spirit     
thinks and cares as little concerning   
these things1 so far as painful         
sensations are concerned1 as we do about
 our garments when we are falling       
asleep4 ,the vesture which we formerly  
wore gives us no solicitude4 ,it is     
wonderful to hear the sick1 long before 
they die1 give directions1 or express   
desires1 respecting their burial4 ,so   
far from thinking of the grave as a     
melancholy place1 no doubt the departed 
spirit will often think of it in the    
separate state with pleasure1 as the    
place where it is hereafter to receive a
 form like ,christ's2 and the thought of
 resurrection adds greatly to the joys  

of heaven4         99       99       99 
99       99  ,there is something still  
which affects the minds of many         
,christians with fear as they think of  
dying2 and that is1 their appearing     
before ,god4 ,they cannot imagine the   
possibility of seeing him without       
distraction2 his infinite majesty1 and  
their own sense of unworthiness1 make   
them afraid4  ,but who is ,god8 ,is he  
the ,christian's enemy8 ,will he sit    
like a king on his throne1 and see his  
subject come trembling into his         
presence8 ,is this the ,god who loved   
him8 ,is this the ,saviour that died for
 him8 ,is this the ,holy ,spirit who    
awakened1 converted1 sanctified1        
comforted him1 and promised to present  
him faultless before the presence of his
 glory with exceeding joy8 ,god will not
 have done so much to bring him to      
heaven1 and1 when he comes there1 make  
his appearance before his throne a      
matter of fear and uncertainty4 ,he who 
fell on the neck of the returning       

prodigal and kissed him1 will not keep  
him at a distance when1 with the best   
robe1 and the ring1 and the shoes1 he   
comes into his father's house4 ,our     
first apprehensions of ,god will be     
happy beyond our present comprehension4 
,what an image have we1 in these words1 
of a man helping a child1 by the hand1  
through a dangerous or dark way3 ,for ,i
 the ,lord thy ,god will hold thy right 
hand1 saying unto thee1 ,fear not2 ,i   
will help thee4 ,if ,i will be with     
thee1 is the reason1 which he himself   
assigns why we should not be afraid1 why
 should we fear to come into his        
presence8  ,as to a consciousness of    
guilt1 there is no doubt that he who    
falls asleep in ,jesus1 with reliance on
 his blood and righteousness1 will      
immediately1 at death1 receive such a   
consciousness of being purified from all
 taint of sin1 as now is beyond our     
conception4 ,in the language of         
,scripture1 we shall be presented       
faultless before the presence of his    

glory with exceeding joy4 ,for the sake 
of ,christ1 in whom we trust1 we shall  
be received and treated as though we had
 never sinned2 we shall say1 in the full
 assurance of pardon1 righteousness1 and
 peace with ,god1 without waiting for   
the question to be asked in our behalf1 
,who is he that condemneth8 ,it is      
,christ that died4  ,and if this be so1 
as it surely is1 why may not ,christians
 in this world before they die1 nay1    
from the first hour of justification by 
faith in ,christ1 triumph thus in him8  
,why should their remaining sinfulness1 
their poor1 frail1 erring nature1 which 
they must carry with them to the grave1 
prevent them from having the same joy in
 ,god through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 
by whom also we have received the       
atonement8 ,every true believer in      
,jesus ,christ is warranted in having   
the same consciousness of pardon and    
peace with ,god1 now1 as after death2   
the justifying righteousness of ,christ 
is as powerful now as it will be then4  

,some tell us1 ,live a sinless life1 and
 you may have this perfect peace4 ,that 
is self-righteousness4 ,it will not be a
 sinless life which1 in the moment after
 death1 will make us to be openly       
acknowledged and acquitted2 it will be  
the righteousness of ,jesus ,christ     
which is by faith2 and he who has faith 
in that righteousness may1 living as    
well as dying1 here as well as in       
heaven1 say1 ',there is1 therefore1 now 
no condemnation to them which are in    
,christ ,jesus1 who walk not after the  
flesh1 but after the spirit4'  ,there   
are several things which may reconcile  
us to the thought of dying3         99  
99       99       99       99  ,all the 
people of ,god since the creation1 with 
two exceptions1 have died4 ,of the two  
who were excepted1 neither of them was  
his only begotten ,son4 ,those whom ,god
 has loved peculiarly have not been     
exempted from the stroke of death4      
,shall we ask exemption from that which1
 all the good and great have suffered8  

,let me die the death of the righteous4 
,if he must find the grave1 there will  
,i be buried4 ,we would not go to heaven
 but in the way which prophets1         
apostles1 martyrs trod4 ,the footsteps  
of the flock lead through the valley2 we
 will seek no other1 no easier1 way4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,surely we should be willing to follow  
our great ,forerunner4 ,he tasted death 
for every man2 and he could enter into  
his triumph only by dying4 ,we should be
 more than resigned to follow our       
blessed ,lord into the tomb4 ,christ    
conquered death by dying2 we shall be   
more than conquerors in the same way4   
,if we suffer great pain1 we cannot     
suffer more than ,christ suffered on our
 account4 ,sufferings borne in the      
spirit of ,christ are counted as        
sufferings borne for ,christ4 ,if we    
suffer1 we shall also reign with him4   
,if so be that we suffer with him1 that 
we may be also glorified together4      
99       99       99       99       99  

,death is a part of the penalty of sin4 
,we should1 therefore1 submit to it1    
giving up our bodies to be destroyed1 in
 fulfilment of that sentence which we   
have so justly incurred--and unto dust  
shalt thou return4 ,he who hates sin1   
and condemns himself for it1 and is     
willing to have fellowship with ,christ 
in his sufferings for it1 as it is most 
graciously represented that we may1 will
 bear the execution of ,god's righteous 
sentence with a willing mind4         99
       99       99       99       99    
,death is the perfecting of our         
redemption4 ,it is the last act of      
redeeming grace4 ,when the ,saviour1 who
 says1 ,i have the keys of--death1      
7i4e41 no one can die but at the time   
and manner prescribed by me17 takes us  
out of the world1 it is to finish the   
work of our personal salvation4 ,all the
 circumstances attending it will be as  
deliberately appointed1 and as carefully
 watched and directed1 as the first     
great act of grace towards us in our    

regeneration4 ,he1 too1 who has provided
 such pastures and streams for us here1 
in removing us to living pastures and to
 living streams1 will1 of course1 see   
that we go safely through the valley    
which must be passed to reach them4 ,it 
will not be a new thing to ,christ to   
see us die4 ,he has watched the dying   
beds of millions of his friends1 he has 
had great experience as a ,shepherd in  
bringing them through the valley4       
99       99       99       99       99  
,see that chamber in yonder mansion1    
where all the comforts1 and some of the 
luxuries1 of life1 have contributed to  
prepare for some mysterious event4 ,the 
garden of ,eden failed to possess such  
joys as are there in anticipation1 and  
are soon to be made perfect4 ,every     
thing seems waiting1 with silent but    
thrilling interest1 for the arrival of  
an unknown occupant4 ,and there is      
raiment of needle-work1 and of fine     
twined linen1 and gifts of cunning      
device1 from the looms of the old world1

 and from graceful fingers and loving   
hearts here1 every want being           
anticipated1 and some wants imagined1 to
 gratify the love of satisfying them4   
,and now ,god breathes the breath of    
life1 and a living soul begins its      
deathless career1 amidst joys and       
thanksgivings1 which swell through the  
wide circles of kindred and             
acquaintanceship4 ,the ,holy ,spirit1 in
 the process of time1 renews and        
sanctifies the soul through the blood of
 the everlasting covenant2 and having1  
through life1 walked with ,god1 the day 
arrives when the spirit must return to  
,god who gave it4 ,you saw how it was   
received here1 at its entrance into the 
world4 ,you have seen what the          
atonement1 and regeneration1 and        
sanctification1 and providence1 and     
grace1 have done for it1 and with what  
accumulated love the ,father of         
,spirits1 and ,redeemer1 and            
,sanctifier1 must regard it4 ,and now do
 we suppose that the shroud1 and coffin1

 and the funeral1 and the narrow house1 
and the darkness1 and the solitude and  
corruption1 and the whole dreary and    
terrible train of death and the grave1  
are symbols of its reception into       
heaven1 the proper pageantry of its     
arrival and resting place within the    
veil8 ,believe it not6 ,if ,god prepared
 in our hearts such a welcome for the   
infant stranger1 that even its helpless 
feet were thought of and cared for1     
surely when those feet1 wearied in the  
pilgrimage of the strait and narrow way1
 arrive at heaven's gate1 it must be1 it
 is1 amidst rejoicings and ministrations
 of love to which earth has no parallel4
 ,let kings and queens prepare a royal  
room for the new-born prince3 ,in my    
,father's house are many mansions3 if it
 were not so1 ,i would have told you4 ,i
 go to prepare a place for you4 ,and if 
,i go and prepare a place for you1 ,i   
will come again1 and receive you unto   
myself2 that where ,i am1 there ye may  
be also4  ,could we look into that      

place1 as it stands waiting for its     
occupant from earth1 we should behold   
sights which would instantly clothe even
 death with beauty1 and make it seem    
now1 as it will seem then1 a blessed    
thing to die4         99       99       
99       99       99  ,to miss of dying 
would no doubt be a calamity4 ,dying    
will be an experience to the believer   
which will be fraught with inestimably  
good things2 that is1 the act of dying1 
and not merely the being dead4 ,it is no
 doubt as necessary to the nature of the
 soul1 to its psychology1 its soul-life1
 as the changes of the worm1 chrysalis1 
and butterfly1 are to the insect4 ,and  
thus1 as in all other things1 where sin 
abounded1 grace much more abounds1 and  
even death1 like a cross1 is turned into
 a ministration of infinite blessing4   
,it is not unsuitable for a dying       
,christian to consider1 that he is      
compassed about with a great cloud of   
witnesses1 who themselves have died1 and
 who are watching his departure4 ,we    

ought to die with such faith in ,jesus1 
such confidence in ,god1 such confident 
expectation and hope1 that they will    
rejoice to see us conquer death4 ,our   
last conflict should be fought in a     
manner worthy of the company and scenes 
into which we are immediately to pass4  
,we should not anxiously seek to remove 
entirely from any one1 in the course of 
his life1 his fears with regard to      
death1 except as we may substitute faith
 for those fears4 ,god probably intends 
them now for the increase of faith4     
,moreover1 when the event of death      
happens1 it will be mingled with so much
 mercy as to make the ,christian smile  
at his fears4 ,the exhortation of the   
apostle in view of his great discourse  
of death and resurrection is noticeable3
 ,therefore1 my beloved brethren1 be ye 
steadfast1 unmovable1 always abounding  
in the work of the ,lord2 forasmuch as  
ye know that your labor is not in vain  
in the ,lord4  ,there are cases in which
 the clouded faculties1 or delirium1    

prevent the full enjoyment of a         
peaceful1 happy death4 ,such cases seem 
painful to friends1 but the ,shepherd   
knows when it is best to hide the face  
of a sheep which he carries through the 
valley1 and that it is sometimes better 
for the sheep to pass the valley in the 
black and dark night1 than when         
daylight1 by revealing the horrors of   
the place1 would excite fear4 ,all this 
may safely be left to those hands which 
spoiled death of his sting1 and to that 
love which is stronger than death4      
,wherever1 and whenever1 and in whatever
 manner we may die1 it will be under the
 care and direction of ,him who will no 
more see us in the power of the enemy1  
than a strong and faithful shepherd     
would suffer a beloved member of his    
flock to fall into the power of the     
lion4  ,the last lines of a hymn by     
,doddridge--      ,then speechless clasp
 thee in my arms1     ,the antidote of  
death--  are altered1 by some compilers1
 who substitute the word conqueror for  

antidote4 ,but the author saw the       
truthfulness of his own chosen language1
 though the word in question be not     
convenient for musical expression4 ,when
 we are already stung by a poisonous    
creature1 we take something which proves
 an antidote to the effect of the sting4
 ,this medicine is not so much a        
conqueror1 as an antidote2 for the      
poison is not developed4 ,but the sting 
is inflicted1 and before the poisonous  
injury is felt1 the antidote prevents   
it4 ,these words of ,christ correspond  
to this3 ,verily1 verily ,i say unto    
you1 ,if a man keep my saying1 he shall 
never see death4 ,how often we behold   
this verified6 ,the spectators see      
death1 in his approach1 in his effects2 
they weep and tremble1 while the dear   
patient does not see it2 for something  
else absorbs his thoughts1 fixes his    
attention2 he is stung1 indeed1 by the  
monster2 but ,christ is an antidote to  
death1 causes it to pass by without     
inflicting pain upon the mind1 or in any

 way hurting its victim4 ,dr4 ,watts    
illustrates and confirms all this3--    
,jesus1 the vision of thy face          
,hath overpowering charms2     ,scarce  
shall ,i feel death's cold embrace1     
,if ,christ be in my arms4         99   
99       99       99       99  ,the     
piece of paper which would suffice to   
write the twenty-third ,psalm upon it1  
would not be large enough for a common  
title deed2 and yet that ,psalm1 if it  
expresses our experience1 is worth      
infinitely more than is conveyed1 or    
secured1 by all the registries of deeds 
under the sun4 ,we are each of us to see
 a time when we shall feel the truth of 
this4 ,if but these first few words of  
the ,psalm are true in my case1 if the  
,lord is my ,shepherd1 all the rest of  
the ,psalm is a record1 a promise1 a    
pledge1 of past1 present1 and future    
good4  ,there are six things declared by
 ,christ to be characteristic of the    
relation which he and his people sustain
 to each other1 as ,shepherd and the    

sheep3  #a4 ,my sheep hear my voice2    
#b4 ,and ,i know them2  #c4 ,and they   
follow me2  #d4 ,and ,i give unto them  
eternal life2  #e4 ,and they shall never
 perish2  #f4 ,neither shall any pluck  
them out of my hand4  ,here we find     
directions to duty1 as well as promises 
of future good4  ,since it is more      
important how we live than how we die1  
and since death is merely the arrival at
 the end of a journey1 the beginning1   
progress1 and history of the journey    
determining what the arrival is to be1  
we shall do well to dismiss our borrowed
 trouble with regard to the manner of   
our departure out of the world1 and be  
solicitous only with regard to the right
 discharge of present duty4 ,we read1   
,precious in the sight of the ,lord is  
the death of his saints4 ,the death of  
every child of his is1 with ,god1 an    
object of unspeakable interest2 his own 
honor is concerned in it2 its influence 
on survivors is of great importance2 it 
will be among the means by which ,god   

accomplishes several1 it may be many1   
purposes of providence1 but especially  
of his grace4 ,no man dieth to himself4 
,great interests are involved in his    
death1 beyond his own personal welfare4 
,now1 if we have lived for ,god1 he will
 make our death the object of his       
especial care1 and will honor it by its 
being the means of promoting his glory4 
,instead1 therefore1 of gloomy          
apprehensions as to dying1 we should    
cherish the noble wish and aim that     
,christ may be magnified in our body1   
whether it be by life or by death4 ,if  
our life has been a walking with ,god1  
,,thou ,,art ,,with ,,me will be a      
perfect warrant1 now1 and in death1 to  
,,fear ,,no ,,evil4     ,,iii4  ,,the   
,,search ,,for ,,the ,,departed4        
,no bliss mid worldly crowds is bred1   
,like musing on the sainted dead4       
,,bishop ,,mant4   ,we seek in vain1 on 
earth1 for one who has gone to heaven4  
,though better informed as to the       
objects of our love than they who       

lingered about the deserted tomb of the 
,saviour1 and were asked1 ,why seek ye  
the living among the dead1 we           
nevertheless find ourselves1 in our     
thoughts1 searching for them2 so        
difficult is it at once to feel that    
they are wholly and forever departed4   
,there is an affecting and beautifully  
simple illustration of our thoughts and 
feelings1 in this respect1 in the search
 which was made for ,elijah after his   
translation4 ,fifty men of the sons of  
the prophets went and stood to view afar
 off1 when ,elijah and ,elisha stood by 
the ,jordan4 ,elisha returned alone1 and
 these men could not feel reconciled to 
the loss of their great master4 ,they   
were not persuaded that he had gone to  
heaven1 no more to return2 they sought  
leave to seek him1 and to recover him3  
,peradventure1 they said1 the ,spirit of
 the ,lord hath taken him up and cast   
him upon some mountain1 or into some    
valley4 ,elisha peremptorily refused to 
grant them leave4 ,they were            

importunate2 and when1 at last1 it      
would1 perhaps1 seem like obstinacy in  
him1 or like jealousy of their superior 
love for ,elijah1 to forbid the search1 
which at the worst would only be        
fruitless1 he yielded4 ,three days they 
explored the valleys1 ransacked the     
thickets1 groped in the caves1 traversed
 hills1 followed imaginary trails and   
footprints1 but found him not4 ,when    
they came again to ,elisha1 he said unto
 them1 ,did ,i not say unto you1 ,go    
not8  ,we cannot become accustomed at   
once1 nor for a long time1 to the       
absence of our friend4 ,if his death was
 sudden1 or if it took place away from  
home1 or during our absence1 we expect  
to see him again2 if a vehicle stops at 
the door1 the heart beats with an       
instantaneous hope which dies with its  
first breath1 bringing over us a deeper 
and stronger refluence of sorrow4 ,we   
catch a sight of articles familiarly    
used by a departed friend2 they are     
identified with little passages in his  

history1 or with his daily life3 is it  
possible that he is altogether and      
forever disconnected from them8 ,they   
are the same2 those perishable things1  
those comparatively worthless things1   
having no value at all except as his use
 of them made them precious1 retain     
their shapes and places2 but where is   
he8 and must not he return and abide1   
like them8  ,no1 he is gone to heaven4  
,the places which knew him shall know   
him no more forever4 ,those things1     
which have an imperishable value in     
being associated with his memory1 are1  
to him1 like the leaves of a past autumn
 to a tree now filled with blossoms4    
,the mention of every valued possession 
once indescribably dear to him1 would   
awaken but slight emotions2 even the    
recent history of the dwelling which he 
built and furnished1 would be no more to
 him than the rehearsal to a grown      
person of that which had happened to a  
block house1 or card figure1 which      
amused his childhood4 ,we walk and sit  

in the places identified with our last  
remembrances of the departed2 but he is 
not there2 we hallow the anniversaries  
of his birth and death2 but he gives us 
no recognition2 we read his letters2    
they make him seem alive2 his voice1 his
 smile1 his love are there2 and when we 
have finished1 nature1 exhausted with   
its weeping1 sighs1 ,and where is he8   
,he is gone to heaven4 ,even the earthly
 house of his tabernacle is dissolved2  
that part of him which was all of which 
we were cognizant by our senses1 is no  
more4 ,we could not recognize it2 to the
 earth1 out of which it was taken1 it   
has1 by slow degrees1 returned1--as     
though every thing earthly1 belonging to
 him1 'must needs die1 and be as water  
spilt on the ground1 which cannot be    
gathered up again4' ,we travel to his   
birthplace2 there is the house where he 
was born2 we meet those who grew with   
him side by side2 we are among the      
scenes which were most familiar to him2 
he planted those trees2 he collected    

those pictures2 there is his portrait1  
he rested here1 he studied1 he worked1  
he rejoiced1 he wept1 in these          
consecrated places2 but did we go       
thinking to find him there8 ,did ,i not 
say unto you1 ,go not8  ,we shall surely
 make him real to our thoughts1 if not  
to our senses1 where he lies buried4    
,but we may as well stand upon the sea  
shore1 where we had the last look of a  
sea-faring friend1 and think that those 
waters1 and those sands1 and that       
horizon1 will restore him4 ,they only   
serve to open farther the path of his   
departure2 they lead our thoughts away  
to dwell upon him where we imagine him  
to be4 ,nowhere does heaven seem more   
real than at the grave of a friend2 for 
we know that he has not perished1 and as
 we stand on that verge of all our      
fruitless search and expectation1 we are
 compelled to fix him somewhere in our  
thoughts2 but as he is nowhere behind   
us1 we look onward and upward4  ,our    
desire for departed friends1 however    

natural and innocent1 if it resulted as 
we sometimes would have it1 would prove 
to be unwise4  ,suppose that those fifty
 strong men had found ,elijah1 or in any
 way could have prevented his           
translation to heaven4 ,with exultation1
 they would have led him back across the
 ,jordan to the company of their        
friends1 amidst the thanksgivings of the
 people4 ,but1 alas6 for the prophet    
himself1 this would have been his loss1 
even had it proved to be their gain4    
,the opening ,jordan1 cleft in twain by 
his rapt spirit1 pressing its way to the
 skies1 had returned to its course2 and 
now the fords of the river1 with its    
rocky bed1 would have required his      
laboring feet to grope their way back to
 his toil2 or the arms of men1 instead  
of the chariots of fire and horses of   
fire1 would have borne him again to the 
dull realities of life2 and there1      
rebuking ,ahab1 and fleeing from        
,jezebel1 punishing the prophets of     
,baal1 and upbraiding the people of ,god

 in their idolatries1 fasting and faint 
under junipers1 or covering his face    
with his mantle at the still small voice
 of the ,lord his ,god1 he would again  
have prayed1 ,o ,lord ,god1 take away my
 life1 for ,i am no better than my      
fathers4 ',let me not wait longer for my
 promised translation2 let me die as my 
fathers did2 for wherein am ,i better   
than they8' ,so weary had he grown of   
life4 ,blind and weak do these fifty    
strong men seem to us1 in searching for 
this ascended prophet1 this traveller   
over the ,king's road in royal state1   
one of the only two who might not taste 
of death2 the companion1 in heaven1 of  
,enoch1 with a body which fills all the 
ransomed spirits there with joyful      
expectation1 because it is a pledge and 
earnest of the adoption1 to wit1 the    
redemption of their bodies4 ,if1 amid   
the new wonders and raptures of the     
heavenly world1 he had had one moment to
 look down upon those fifty strong men1 
as they searched for him1 he might well 

have used1 in cheerful irony1 something 
like his old upbraidings of the priests 
near ,baal's altar3 ,search deeper1 ye  
'strong men1' in the thickets and caves2
 peradventure ,i sleep in the brakes1   
and must be awaked2 call1 with your     
fifty voices together1 that ,i may be   
startled from my trance2 will ye give   
over till ye bring me back to ,jericho8 
,will ye search but three days8 ,shall  
,i lose the remnant of my life on earth8
  ,and while they grew weary and        
discouraged1 and concluded that1 if he  
should be found1 it might be in the far 
distant hills of ,moab1 or the wilds of 
,philistia1 or they knew not where1 and 
went back with hearts unsatisfied1 and  
debating whether he were yet a wanderer 
upon earth1 or whether so impossible a  
thing as they deemed his translation to 
heaven1 without dying1 had taken place1 
the glorified ,elijah was with ,abraham1
 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 with ,moses1       
,joshua1 ,samuel1 and ,david4 ,but even 
,solomon1 in all his glory1 was not     

arrayed like him4 ,there1 with a body   
like unto ,christ's own future glorious 
body1 he sat1 with but one              
compeer--,enoch1 and he1 transcending   
all the hosts of the redeemed in the    
foretasted glories of the resurrection4 
,adam1 by whom came death1 sees in him  
that which he himself is to share1 when 
by one ,man1 also1 shall come the       
resurrection from the dead4 ,abel1 whose
 feet first trod the dark1 cold stream1 
leaving his murdered body behind him1   
beholds with love and wonder him who    
passed the river of death 7that ancient 
river67 without dying4 ,even the ,word  
beholds in him an earnest of his own    
incarnation1 resurrection1 and ascension
 from ,olivet4 ,to-day1 our loved ones  
in heaven look upon him1 and say1 as    
,peter did at this prophet's visit on   
,tabor1 7when he spoke of tabernacles   
there--one for ,elias17 ,master1 it is  
good for us to be here4 ,but we1 like   
the fifty strong men1 would find them   
and bring them back2 and1 like ,peter1  

would build tabernacles to retain them4 
,the family circle is gathered together 
at some birthday or festival1 and1      
perhaps1 we long for the departed1 and  
think that they long for us2 and we     
would bring them back1 and place them in
 their deserted chairs4 ,we are strong  
men in the power of grief1 and in our   
wishes2 but the search for ,elijah is   
the counterpart of our vain desires and 
most unreasonable sorrow4  ,when our    
friends have gone to heaven1 it is not  
apt to be heaven1 so much as earthly    
sorrow1 which fills our minds4 ,happily1
 we have been taught to believe1 and we 
do generally believe1 that the souls of 
the righteous enter immediately into    
glory2 that their happiness is perfect1 
though not completed2 they are as happy 
as disembodied spirits can be2          
unspeakably happier than they were here1
 but still not in full possession of    
those sources of pleasure which they    
will receive when their bodies are      
raised1 and their whole natures are made

 complete4 ,but to die is gain2 it is to
 depart and to be with ,christ1 which is
 far better2 it is entering into the joy
 of their ,lord4 ,that dreary thought of
 sleeping after death till the day of   
judgment2 the idea that ,abraham1       
,isaac1 and ,jacob1 became insensible at
 death1 and that the last thing which   
,jacob1 for example1 knew1 was ,joseph's
 kiss1 and the next thing which he will 
know will be the archangel's trump1 the 
interval of many thousands of years     
being a perfect blank in his existence1 
is so unlike the benevolent order of    
,god's providence in nature and grace1  
that it cannot gain much credence with  
believers in the simple representations 
of the ,bible4 ,what a mockery ,elijah's
 translation seems1 upon that theory6   
,whither was he translated8 ,did the    
chariots of fire1 and the horses of     
fire1 convey him to a dreamless sleep of
 thousands of years8 ,was that pomp1    
that emblazonry1 all that fiery pageant1
 a deception signifying nothing but that

 the greatest of prophets was to begin a
 stupid slumber1 which1 this day1 under 
a heaven with not one redeemed soul in  
it1 and in a world where there is every 
thing to be done for ,god and men1 holds
 him1 and every other dead saint1 in a  
useless suspension of his consciousness1
 and1 indeed1 for so many ages1         
annihilation8 ,poor economy in the      
dispensation of overflowing love to     
intelligent beings1--we say it with     
submission1--does this seem to be2 nor  
can we think that1 in the case of       
,elijah1 it was this which was heralded 
by horses and chariots of fire4         
,chariots and horses are emblems of     
flight2 but if sleep were descending    
upon the hero of the prophetic age1     
twilight would more appropriately have  
drawn her soft veil over nature1 birds  
would have begun their vespers1 clouds  
would have put on their changing1       
pensive colors1 while cadences of music1
 breathed by the winds1 would have shed 
lethargic influences into the scene4    

,inspiration does not trifle with us by 
really meaning such a preparation for a 
sleep of ages1 and yet informing us1 in 
so many words1 that the ,lord would take
 up ,elijah into heaven by a whirlwind4 
,no2 going to heaven is not going to    
sleep1 and going to sleep is not going  
to heaven4 ,sleep and death are used    
figuratively for each other1 according  
to the laws of language1 which describes
 appearances without regard to          
scientific truth1 as in speaking of the 
sun's rising1 for example1 and the going
 down of the sun2 but to fall asleep in 
,jesus is to awake in heaven2 to be     
absent from the body is to be present   
with the ,lord4 ,this we all believe2   
and may we never be moved away from this
 cheering1 animating hope4 ,yet how     
little power has this belief and hope   
upon our feelings and conduct6 for our  
,christian graces partake of the same   
imperfection which characterizes our    
whole nature2 the soil is poor in which 
they grow2 the seasons are short1 the   

climate cold2 they do not reach         
maturity4 ,it is instructive to notice  
how men who have had the very best      
advantages1 and the greatest knowledge1 
are1 nevertheless1 prone to unbelief4   
,christ appeared to his disciples1 and  
upbraided them because they believed not
 them which said he was risen4 ,their   
incredulity strikes us as marvellous4   
,they were not the first1 nor the last1 
whose want of faith is a marvel4 ,these 
sons of the prophets in ,elisha's day   
were equally slow to believe4 ,they     
themselves had said to him1 ,knowest    
thou that the ,lord will take away thy  
master from thy head to-day8 ,elisha    
came back to them from the scene of the 
translation4 ,of course he told them    
what had happened1 describing minutely  
the whole of that preternatural scene2  
he probably related the conversation    
which ,elijah had with him as they      
walked2 and this inspired companion of  
the departed prophet1 having himself no 
doubt that ,elijah had gone to heaven1  

so instructed these sons of the         
prophets4 ,but how hard it is for the   
things which are unseen and eternal to  
seize and hold our minds6 how readily we
 yield to surmises1 rather than admit   
the clear disclosures of spiritual      
things6 ,straightway these sons of the  
prophets1 who should have retired each  
to his secret place1 for contemplation  
and prayer1 and1 in the solemn assembly1
 should have directed the thoughts of   
each other and of the people to the     
instructive lessons suggested by the    
departure of ,elijah to heaven1 were    
making up an exploring party1 to prove  
that their illustrious chief had met    
with some disaster in being left forlorn
 upon some mountain1 or in a valley2    
that the spirit of ,god had entranced   
him1 and that his weary feet1 instead of
 treading the pavement of heaven1 were  
ensnared in some dark place2 and so1 in 
pity for him1 and with filial love1 they
 would seek him1 and bring him back to  
,jericho6  ,if we had clear and strong  

faith1 our joy at the thought of a      
glorified spirit1 however necessary its 
presence to us here1 would transcend all
 our sorrows2 the streaming beams of    
sunshine would irradiate our weeping2 we
 should think more of his happiness than
 of our discomfort4 ,instead of departed
 spirits falling asleep1 it is we who   
have a spirit of slumber4 ,o that we    
might walk by faith with glorified      
spirits before the throne1 instead of   
remanding them1--as it seems we         
sometimes would do1 if we could1--to the
 ignorance and infirmity of our         
condition4  ,our feelings towards the   
departed are the same as towards other  
prohibited things4 ,many are continually
 seeking for pleasures which ,god has   
taken away1 or is purposely withholding 
from them4 ,let any one look at the     
history of his feelings1 and see if his 
state of mind be not one of perpetual   
expectation of some form of happiness   
yet to arrive2 an ideal of bliss1 some  
prefigured condition1 in which          

contentment and peace are to abide2     
while the discovery that he is not to   
have it1 would make him inconsolably    
miserable4 ,our search for lost joys1 or
 for those which ,god is not prepared1  
or not disposed1 to give us1 and the    
happiness which he desires rather to    
give us1 and to have us seek1 are       
severally represented to us by this     
search for ,elijah1 and by ,elijah      
himself1 who is1 meanwhile1 at ,god's   
right hand4 ,at his right hand are      
pleasures forever-more2 but some1 in the
 ardor and strength of their affections1
 are seeking for that which they will   
never obtain1 and that is1 happiness    
independent of ,god4 ,some tell us that 
they mean to make the most of life1 and 
to be happy while they live2 therefore1 
begone1 reflection6 religion is not for 
the spring-tide of youth2 mirth and     
merry days are for the young2 soberness 
and the russet garb of autumn belong to 
the decline of life1 which certainly to 
them1 they think1 is far off2--as though

 every material necessary for their     
last1 long sleep1 may not at this moment
 be in the warerooms and shops2 as      
though they could boast themselves even 
of one to-morrow1 and knew what the     
to-morrows of many years would bring    
forth4 ,the ,bible is against their way 
of thinking and manner of life2 and to  
push aside the ,bible in our search     
after any thing1 is a certain sign of   
being in the wrong4 ,and all this with  
the mistaken belief that to love ,god1  
and to be loved of him1 is not the      
greatest1 the only satisfying good1--the
 ,god that framed the voice for that    
music which charms a circle of friends1 
and made those curious fingers1 and gave
 them all that cunning skill which sheds
 delight on others1 and empowered that  
heart to swell with such conceptions of 
earthly pleasure2--and that to love him1
 and be loved by him1 is the direst     
necessity of our being1 to be postponed 
as long as possible1 and then to be     
accepted as a last resort and the less  

of two evils4 ,where is the ,lord ,god  
of ,elijah1 the ,god of all power and   
might1 the ,god of all grace and        
consolation1 the ,god of our life1 and  
the length of our days8 ,banished from  
the world which these friends have made 
for themselves2 an intruder into the    
charmed circle in which the wand of     
fancy has enclosed them2 a dreaded power
 standing over them1 to snatch away the 
only bliss which they ever expect to    
enjoy4 ,o gilded butterflies1 made for a
 few days of sunshine1 and doomed to    
perish at the first touch of frost6 had 
they no souls2 were there no hereafter1 
no heaven1 no hell2 if it would not be  
as desirable to be happy millions of    
years from to-day1 as now2 if they were 
not including all their hopes and       
efforts to be happy within a handbreadth
 of time1 and liable to lose even       
that1--the wise man might stop with     
saying1 ,rejoice1 ,o young man1 in thy  
youth2 and let thy heart cheer thee in  
the days of thy youth1 and walk in the  

ways of thine heart1 and in the sight of
 thine eyes2 but the infinite future    
compels him to add1 but know thou1 that 
for all these things ,god will bring    
thee into judgment4 ,such are the       
motives by which1 in their present      
condition1 and with their present views1
 they are most likely to be affected2   
yet some of them1 we are glad to say1 in
 their best moods1 are also affected and
 influenced aright when we tell them    
that1 even if our existence terminated  
at death1 the joys which are now to be  
found in loving and serving ,god1 are   
better than the pleasures of sin for a  
season4  ,there is not one of us who has
 not lost a friend1 a schoolmate1 a     
companion of early life1 one who has    
disappeared from our side1 a frequent   
associate in the business of life1 or   
one whom we have been accustomed to see 
in the places of business2 and perhaps a
 member of our family circle4  ,now1 it 
is profitable to consider that the same 
thoughts which we have of them1 others  

will ere long have concerning us4 ,what 
would make us satisfied and happy to    
know respecting them8 ,what are we glad 
to say of their preparation for an      
eternal state8 ,what would we have had  
that preparation be8 ,in what respects  
better or different8 ,where do we love  
to assign them their places8 ,and what  
is it pleasant to believe are their     
thoughts of us1 of earth1 of eternity1  
of the gospel1 of this life as a season 
of preparation for heaven8 ,we shall    
soon be the subjects of the same        
contemplations in the minds of others4  
,the hosts of that long procession1 of  
which we are the part now passing over  
the stage1 are urging and pressing us   
from behind1 and we must go down1 as    
others have before us1--our love1 our   
envy1 our hatred perish1--and we no more
 have any portion in all that is done   
under the sun4  ,we must give up        
happiness as the great aim and end of   
existence1 and1 instead of it1 take this
 for our supreme endeavor and chief     

end--the conscientious performance of   
our duty to ,god1 and to others4 ,we are
 never really happy till we cease to    
expect happiness from the things of this
 world4 ,as soon as we begin to be      
satisfied with ,god1 and find that to   
think of ,god1 to love him1 to trust in 
him1 to serve him1 is happiness enough1 
we attain to solid peace2 and then1     
turning and following the sun1 all      
desirable pleasure pursues us and       
solicits us1 like our shadows1 the more 
eagerly and steadily the more that we   
flee from them1 and the less that we    
turn ourselves to them4 ,we never can be
 happy by searching for happiness2 but  
when we give up this search1 and duty   
becomes the motto of life1 we are       
inevitably happy4 ,god must satisfy     
us--his personal love to us1 communion  
with him1 the contemplation of his      
character1 ways1 and works2 in short1   
the consciousness of having him for a   
personal friend1 disclosing all our     
thoughts to him1 looking to him and     

waiting for him in all things1 and1 as  
the ,bible expresses it1 walking with   
him4 ,then he makes our wants his care2 
and while he leads us through strange   
paths which we should not have chosen1  
it is to bring us1 at the last1 into a  
condition which will make us happy      
chiefly from the reflection that ,god   
himself appointed it4 ,disappointments1 
of which we were forewarned1 and which  
we had every reason to expect1 embitter 
that life whose only sources of         
happiness are confined to this world1   
and do not relate to ,god4 ,making him  
the supreme source of our happiness1 we 
give up undue sorrow for departed       
friends1 feeling that they are removed  
from all need of our commiseration1 and 
all power to afford us comfort and help1
 any further than their example and     
remembered words instruct us4 ,we shall 
then be chiefly concerned to know and to
 do the will of ,god1 to watch over the 
interests of our souls1 preparing for   
life1 with its important duties1 and    

storing up those recollections which are
 to occupy our thoughts in the review of
 life beyond the grave4 ,we shall bear  
in mind that we1 too1 are to have       
survivors1 to whom it will be the       
greatest favor if we leave a good       
assurance1 based upon their remembrance 
of our piety1 that we are happy1 thus   
constraining them to follow us to       
heaven4 ,we shall do well if we         
habitually say1 as ,elijah said to      
,elisha1 ,the ,lord hath sent me to     
,jordan2 and that we are one day to be  
taken up and conveyed to that same      
heaven whither ,elijah went1 and from   
which he came to meet ,christ1 and to   
speak with him of his decease1 which he 
should accomplish at ,jerusalem4 ,what  
if we knew that some day1 not far       
distant1 flaming chariots and horses1   
over our dwelling1 would wait to bring  
us home to ,god8 ,the ministering       
spirits are already designated who are  
to perform this office for those who are
 heirs of salvation4 ,what1 then1 are we

 searching for among the dark1 gloomy   
valleys of sorrow1 or on the hills of   
earthly vision8 ,if our friends are with
 ,christ1 we must be prepared to be with
 him1 or lose their society2 and that   
loss will be worse than the first4      
,sometimes we feel as though we were    
sailing away from our departed friends1 
leaving them behind us4 ,not so2 we are 
sailing towards them2 they went forward1
 and we are nearer to them now than     
yesterday2 and the night is far spent2  
the day is at hand4 ,if life1 or any    
undue portion1 be spent in grief which  
unfits us for duty1 we shall see1 in    
heaven1 how much better it would have   
been had we had more faith1 and had     
lived more as then we should desire our 
surviving friends to live1 quickened and
 strengthened by the assured hope of our
 being in heaven1 and by the expectation
 of meeting us there4  ,but there is one
 kind of sorrow and desire for departed 
friends which1 in its consequences1 is  
greatly to be deplored4 ,some refuse to 

become decided ,christians1 because     
their friends1 they think1 were not     
believers in the faith which these      
surviving friends are now persuaded is  
the truth4 ,to embrace this truth1 as   
essential to salvation1 it is felt1 will
 be to condemn these departed friends2  
and some have1 in so many words1        
declared that they preferred to share   
the fate of their companions1 or        
children1 who gave no evidence of having
 accepted the gospel1 as it is now      
viewed by these survivors4  ,how sad    
would be such a catastrophe as this3    
,the departed friend1 in the secret     
exercises of his mind1 and by the good  
,spirit of ,god1 may have been1 at the  
last hour1 prevailed upon to accept the 
offers of salvation by a crucified      
,redeemer4 ,he gave no intimation of    
this1 owing1 perhaps1 to bodily         
weakness1 or to fear and distrust2 but1 
through infinite mercy1 he was saved by 
faith in the ,lamb of ,god4 ,the        
surviving friend1 persuaded of the      

truth1 refuses to comply with it1 and   
loves the departed friend more than     
,christ1 or truth and duty2 and then1   
dying1 finds that the departed friend is
 saved1 through that very faith1 which  
the other refused from idolatrous       
attachment to the departed2 and now they
 are separated2 whereas1 had the        
survivor forsaken all for ,christ and   
the truth1 he would have had a hundred  
fold in this world1 and1 in the world to
 come1 would have found that friend whom
 he would1 as it were1 have forsaken for
 ,christ's sake and the gospel's4 ,it is
 safe1 it is best1 for each of us to do 
his duty1 to walk by the light afforded 
us1 and not to make a creature our      
standard1 nor our chief good4  ,if we   
meet certain of our friends at the end  
of their search after pleasure1 having  
forgotten their ,god and ,saviour1 and  
see them disappointed1 and utterly      
destitute of any thing to make them     
happy forever1 and all because they     
would not forego their chase after      

unsatisfying pleasure1--there is many a 
faithful ,christian friend1 whose       
example and advice they disregarded1 who
 could then reply1 ,did ,i not say unto 
you1 ,go not8  ,in the name of some     
unspeakably dear to you1 we say1 ,we are
 journeying unto the place of which the 
,lord said1 ,i will give it you2 come   
thou with us1 and we will do thee good2 
for the ,lord hath spoken good          
concerning ,israel4  ,our friends1 who  
have gone to heaven1 ought not to be    
invested1 in our thoughts1 with such    
melancholy associations as we are prone 
to connect with them4 ,to die is gain4  
,trouble1 and sorrow1 and the dark      
river1 interpose between us and heaven2 
but in the prospect which has opened    
before the eye of the redeemed spirit1  
there is nothing but widening and       
brightening glory4 ,we must not seek for
 consolation at their departure by      
bringing them back1 in our thoughts1 to 
our dwellings1 but by going forward1 in 
faith1 ourselves1 to their dwelling4    

,there is much to encourage and help us 
in doing so1 in the following lines1    
which may be read with profit upon each 
anniversary of a friend's departure to  
heaven1 until surviving friends read    
them at the returning anniversaries of  
our own entrance into the joy of our    
,lord3--      ,a ,,year ,,in ,,heaven4  
,a ,,year ,,uncalendared2 for what      
,hast thou to do with mortal time8      
,its dole of moments entereth not       
,that circle1 mystic and sublime1       
,whose unreached centre is the throne   
,of ,him1 before whose awful brow1      
,meeting eternities are known       ,as 
but an everlasting now4     ,the thought
 removes thee far away1--       ,too    
far1--beyond my love and tears2     ,ah1
 let me hold thee1 as ,i may2       ,and
 count thy time by earthly years4       
,a ,,year ,,of ,,blessedness2 wherein   
,not one dim cloud hath crossed thy     
soul2     ,no sigh of grief1 no touch of
 sin1       ,no frail mortality's       
control2     ,nor once hath             

disappointment stung1       ,nor care1  
world-weary1 made thee pine2     ,but   
rapture1 such as human tongue           
,hath found no language for1 is thine4  
,made perfect at thy passing1 who       
,can sum thy added glory now8     ,as   
on1 and onward1 upward1 through         
,the angel ranks that lowly bow1        
,ascending still from height to height  
,unfaltering1 where rapt spirits trod1  
,nor pausing 'mid their circles bright1 
,thou tendest inward unto ,god4      ,a 
,,year ,,of ,,progress1 in the love     
,that's only learned in heaven2 thy mind
     ,unclogged of clay1 and free to    
soar1       ,hath left the realms of    
doubt behind1     ,and wondrous things  
which finite thought       ,in vain     
essayed to solve1 appear     ,to thy    
untasked inquiries1 fraught       ,with 
explanation strangely clear4     ,thy   
reason owns no forced control1       ,as
 held it here in needful thrall2        
,god's mysteries court thy questioning  
soul1       ,and thou may'st search and 

know them all4      ,a ,,year ,,of      
,,love2 thy yearning heart       ,was   
always tender1 e'en to tears1     ,with 
sympathies1 whose sacred art       ,made
 holy all thy cherished years2     ,but 
love1 whose speechless ecstasy          
,had overborne the finite1 now          
,throbs through thy being1 pure and     
free1       ,and burns upon thy radiant 
brow4     ,for thou those hands' dear   
clasp hast felt1       ,where still the 
nail-prints are displayed2     ,and thou
 before that face hast knelt1           
,which wears the scars the thorns have  
made4      ,a ,,year ,,without ,,thee2  
,i had thought       ,my orphaned heart 
would break and die1     ,ere time had  
meek quiescence brought1     ,or soothed
 the tears it could not dry2     ,and   
yet ,i live1 to faint and quail         
,before the human grief ,i bear2     ,to
 miss thee so1 then drown the wail      
,that trembles on my lips in prayer4    
,thou praising1 while ,i vainly thrill2 
,thou glorying1 while ,i weakly pine2   

,and thus between thy heart and mine    
,the distance ever widening still4      
,a ,,year ,,of ,,tears ,,to ,,me2 to    
thee       ,the end of thy probation's  
strife1     ,the archway to eternity1   
,the portal of immortal life2     ,to me
 the pall1 the bier1 the sod2       ,to 
thee the palm of victory given4         
,enough1 my heart2 thank ,god6 thank    
,god6       ,that thou hast been a year 
in heaven4     ,,iv4  ,,the ,,silence   
,,of ,,the ,,dead4      ,dear1 beauteous
 ,death1 the jewel of the just4         
,shining nowhere but in the dark1       
,what mysteries do lie beyond thy dust1 
,could men outlook that mark6     ,he   
that hath found some fledged bird's     
nest1 may know1       ,at first sight1  
if the bird be flown2     ,but what fair
 field1 or grove1 he sings in now1      
,that is to him unknown4  ,,henry       
,,vaughan4   ,the silence of the dead is
 one of the most impressive and         
affecting things connected with the     
separate state of the soul4 ,we hear the

 voice of a dying friend1 in some last  
wish1 or charge1 or prayer1 or farewell1
 or in some exclamation of joy or hope2 
and though years are multiplied over the
 dead1 that voice returns no more in any
 moment of day or night1 of joy or      
sorrow1 of labor or rest1 in life or in 
death4  ,the voices of creation return  
to us at periodical seasons4 ,the early 
spring bird startles us with her        
unexpected note2 the winter is over and 
gone4 ,but no periodical change brings  
back the voices of departed friends4 ,a 
member of the family embarks on a long  
voyage2 but1 be it ever so long1 if life
 is spared1 the letter is received1 in  
which the written words1 so             
characteristic of him1 recall his looks 
and the tones of his voice4 ,years pass 
away1 and the sound of his footsteps is 
at the door again1 and his voice is     
heard in the dwelling4 ,but of the dead 
there comes no news2 from the grave no  
voice1 from the separate state no       
message4 ,with our desire to speak once 

more to the departed1 and to hear them  
speak1 we feel that they must have an   
intense desire to speak to us4 ,we      
wonder why they do not break the        
silence4 ,there is so much of which they
 could inform us2 it would be such a    
relief1 we think1 to have one word from 
them1 assuring us that they arrived     
safely1 and are happy1 and1 above all   
things1 granting us their forgiveness   
for the sins which now have awakened    
sorrow4 ,but we wait1 and look1 and     
wonder1 in vain4  ,when we think of the 
number of the dead1 this silence appears
 impressive4 ,their number far exceeds  
that of the living4 ,could they be      
assembled together1 and could those now 
alive be set over against them1 upon an 
immense plain1 to a spectator from above
 we should be a small company in        
comparison with them4 ,should they lift 
up their voices together1 ours could not
 be heard4 ,yet from that vast multitude
 we never hear a voice1--not even a     
whisper1--nor see a sign4 ,standing in a

 cemetery a few miles distant from the  
great city1 you hear the low1 muffled   
roar from the streets and bridges1      
reminding you of the living tide which  
is coursing along those highways4 ,but  
with eight thousand of the dead around  
you in that cemetery1 and a world of    
spirits1 which no man can number1 just  
within the veil1 you hear nothing from  
them4 ,no one comes back to tell us of  
his experience2 no warning1 nor comfort1
 nor counsel1 ever reaches our ears4    
,whatever our trouble1 or our joy may   
be1 our need or prosperity2 however long
 and painful the absence of the departed
 may have been2 however lonely we may   
feel1 wishing for some word of          
remembrance and love2 and though we     
visit the grave day by day1 and call on 
the name of the departed1 and use every 
art of endearment to pierce the veil    
between us1--there is the same          
determined1 cold1 lasting silence4 ,to  
go down into silence is a scriptural    
phrase for the state of the dead4  ,our 

feelings seek relief from those vague1  
uncertain thoughts respecting the dead  
which we find occasioned by the gentle  
manner in which death most frequently   
occurs4 ,the breath is shorter and      
shorter1 and finally ceases1 yet so     
imperceptibly1 that1 for a moment1 it is
 uncertain whether the last breath has  
expired4 ,there is no visible trace of  
the outgoing of the soul4 ,could we see 
the spirit leave the body1 we should    
feel that one of the mysteries of death 
is solved4 ,could we trace its flight   
into the air1 could we watch its form as
 it disappeared among the clouds1 or    
melted away in a distance greater than  
the eye can comprehend1 we should not1  
perhaps1 ask for a word to assure us    
respecting the state of the soul4 ,but  
there is no more perfect delineation of 
the appearances which death presents to 
us1 than in the following inspired      
description3 ,as the waters fail from   
the sea1 and the flood decayeth and     
drieth up1 so man lieth down and riseth 

not2 till the heavens be no more1 they  
shall not awake1 nor be raised out of   
their sleep4 ,we see the lying down1 the
 fixedness of the posture1 the utter    
disregard1 in the cold remains1 of every
 thing which passes before them2 and    
these remains are like the channels of a
 river1 or the flats of the sea1 when   
the tide has utterly forsaken them4 ,the
 soul is like those vanished waters1 as 
to any manifestation that it continues  
to exist4  ,we miss the departed from   
his accustomed places2 we expect to meet
 him at certain hours of the day2 those 
hours return1 and he is not there2 we   
start as we look upon his vacant place  
at the table1 or around the evening     
lamp1 or in the circle at prayers4 ,no  
tongue can describe that blank1 that    
chasm1 which is made by death in the    
family circle1 or the variations in the 
tones of sorrow and desire with which   
those words are secretly repeated1 day  
after day1 and night after night3 ,and  
where is he8         99       99        

99       99       99  ,is there any     
assignable cause for the silence of the 
dead8  ,we cannot1 with certainty1      
assign the reason for it1 and we do not 
know why the dead are not suffered to   
reappear to us4 ,we can1 nevertheless1  
see great wisdom and use in this        
silence1 and in our perfect ignorance   
respecting their state4  ,it is the     
arrangement of divine ,providence that  
faith1 and not sight1 shall influence   
our characters and conduct4--,it would  
be inconsistent with this great law if  
we should see or hear from the dead4    
,the object of ,god1 in his dealings    
with us1 is to exalt the ,bible as our  
instructor4 ,if men were left to visions
 and voices1 in which there is so much  
room for mistake and delusion1 the      
confusion of human affairs would be     
indescribably dreadful4 ,every man would
 have his vision1 or his message1 the   
proof1 or the correctness1 of which     
would necessarily be concealed from     
others1 who might have contrary         

directions1 or impressions2 and human   
affairs would then be like a sea1 in    
which many rivers ran across each other4
  ,it would not be safe for departed    
spirits to be intrusted with the power  
of communicating with the living4       
,though they know far more than we1 yet 
their information is limited2 and1      
especially1 if they should undertake to 
counsel us about the future1 as they    
would do in their earnestness to help   
us1 we can easily see that1 being finite
 as they are1 and unable to look into   
the future1 they might involve us in    
serious mistakes1 either by their       
ignorance1 or by the contrariety of     
their information4 ,far better is it for
 man to look only to ,god1 who sees the 
end from the beginning1 with whom is no 
variableness1 and who is able1 as our   
anxious friends would not be1 to conceal
 from us the future1 or any information 
respecting it1 which it would be an     
injury for us to know4 ,should we be    
informed of certain things which will   

happen to us years hence1 either the    
expectation of them would engross our   
attention1 and hinder our usefulness1 or
 the fear of them would paralyze effort1
 and destroy health1 if not life4       
,borrowed trouble1 even now1 constitutes
 a large part of our unhappiness2 but   
the certain knowledge of a sorrow       
approaching us with unrelenting steps1  
would spread a pall over every thing2   
while prosperity1 far in the prospect1  
would tempt us to forget our dependence 
upon ,god1 and would weaken the motives 
to patient continuance in well doing for
 its own sake4  ,then1 with regard to   
any assurance which the dead would give 
us about truth and duty1 we need not    
their help4 ,for the dead can tell us   
substantially no more than we find      
recorded in the ,bible4 ,they would     
describe heaven to us1 and speak of     
future punishment4 ,but suppose that    
they did4 ,what language would they use 
more graphic1 or more intelligible to   
us1 than the language of the ,bible8    

,whatever they said1 we should feel     
obliged to compare it with the          
,scriptures2 if it should be according  
to them1 we do not need it4 ,besides1   
the appearance to us of departed        
friends1 would1 in many cases1 only     
operate on our fears4 ,but the ,bible   
pleads with us by many gentle motives1  
as well as by warnings and terrific     
descriptions1 and sets before us        
numberless inducements to repent1 which 
the whole world of the dead1 uninspired1
 could not so well furnish4 ,the        
appearance and words of a spirit would  
excite us1 and make us afraid2 we could 
not feel and act as well1 under such    
influences1 as we can under the calm1   
dispassionate1 convincing1 and          
persuasive influences of the ,bible4    
,one of the most intelligent and        
cultivated of women1 the wife of a      
missionary in ,turkey1 in her last      
sickness1 having heard her husband read 
to her several times1 from the          
,pilgrim's ,progress1 respecting the    

,river of ,death and the ,celestial     
,city1 at last said to him1 as he was   
opening the book1 ,read to me out of the
 ,bible2 that soothes me2 ,i can hear it
 for a long time2 but even ,bunyan      
agitates me4  ,as much as we suppose it 
would comfort us to have intercourse    
with the dead1 it is easy to see that   
the great law of the divine government1 
by which faith1 and not sight1 is the   
appointed means of our spiritual good1  
would be violated1 could the dead speak 
with us4 ,we are to trust in the mercy  
and the justice of ,god4 ,this we could 
not so well do1 if we knew things about 
which1 now1 we are obliged to exercise  
faith4 ,the inspired ,word1 the only and
 the all-sufficient rule of faith and   
duty1 is a better guide than the voices 
of the dead4  ,an interesting           
illustration of this is given by one who
 witnessed the appearance of departed   
spirits on a certain most interesting   
occasion4 ,two illustrious men1 of the  
,jewish line1 appeared and spake with   

,christ4 ,the person of the ,saviour    
experienced a remarkable                
transfiguration1 assuring his human soul
 of the joy set before him2 the presence
 of the celestial spirits1 also1        
confirming his assurance respecting the 
separate existence of souls1 and the    
whole transaction being designed to     
strengthen the faith of the disciples1  
and of the world1 in the ,saviour4  ,but
 what comparative value does one of the 
inspired witnesses of this scene give to
 this heavenly communication1 these     
voices of the dead1 and this visit from 
the heavenly world8 ,does he build his  
faith upon it1 as upon a corner stone8  
,no2 but after telling us1 in glowing   
language1 respecting this most wonderful
 and impressive scene1 he says1 ,we have
 also a more sure word of prophecy2     
whereunto ye do well that ye take heed  
as unto a light that shineth in a dark  
place1 until the day dawn1 and the day  
star arise in your hearts4 ,that sure   
word1--more sure than the testimony of  

departed spirits1 or than voices from   
the other world1--is the ,bible2 for he 
immediately adds1 ,for the prophecy came
 not in old time by the will of man1 but
 holy men of ,god spake as they were    
moved by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the         
testimony of departed spirits1 even of  
,moses and ,elijah1 might be1 after all1
 only the will of man2 but in the ,bible
 men have spoken as they were moved by  
the ,holy ,ghost4  ,as to its being a   
comfort1 in any case1 that departed     
friends should speak to us1 it is       
doubtful whether it would prove to be   
so4 ,suppose them to utter words of     
endearment2 this would open the         
fountains of grief in our souls afresh4 
,suppose them to tell us that they are  
safe and happy2 it would be far better  
for us1 in many cases1 to hope          
respecting this1 than to know it2 the   
knowledge of it might make us careless  
and too confident about ourselves2 we   
should be less inclined to shun the     
errors of these friends1 to guard       

against their imperfections1 and to fear
 lest a promise being left us of        
entering into that rest1 any of us      
should seem to come short of it4 ,one of
 the most inconvenient and uneasy states
 of mind1 is that of insatiable         
curiosity--longing to know that which is
 concealed1 dispirited at the delay of  
information1 refusing effort except     
under the spur of absolute assurance4   
,far better and more healthful is that  
state of mind which performs present    
duty1 and leaves the rest to the        
unfolding hand of time2 which disdains  
that prying1 inquisitive disposition    
which is all eye and ear1 which lives on
 excitement1 which has no self-respect1 
nor regard for any thing but to know    
something yet unknown4 ,if ,god suffered
 the dead to speak to us1 we should     
always be on the watch for some sign2 we
 should be unfitted for the common1     
practical duties of life2 we should be  
superstitious1 visionary1 fanatical1    
timorous4 ,as it is1 how eager we are to

 pry into the future1 or into things    
purposely hidden from us6 ,if it were   
certainly known that one had            
communication with the dead1 or if we   
had good reason to expect such          
communications1 labor would be          
neglected1 faith1 prayer1 hope1         
confidence in ,god would decrease1 the  
,bible would be undervalued through a   
superior regard to a different mode of  
revelation1 and we should live1 as it   
were1 among the tombs4 ,a morbid state  
of feeling would pervade our minds1 and 
the world would be full of enchantments1
 necromancy1 and cunning craftiness4    
,blessed be ,god for the silence of the 
dead6 ,we are glad that our weak and    
foolish hearts1 so prone to love the    
creature more than the ,creator1 are    
broken off1 by the impenetrable veil of 
death1 from all connection with the     
departed4 ,the salutary influences of   
death on survivors would be greatly     
lessened1 if our connection and         
communication with them were continued4 

,god is our chief good1 not our friends1
 nor our children2 he shuts them up in  
silence from us1 to see if we can say1  
,whom have ,i in heaven but thee8 ,and  
there is none upon earth that ,i desire 
besides thee4 ,the painful effect upon  
our feelings1 and upon our nervous      
system1 of separations from departed    
friends1 is involuntary and natural2 but
 to cherish our griefs1 to spend much   
time in melancholy moods1 or in poring  
over the memorials of the departed1 so  
as to excite and indulge morbid         
feelings1 is not ,christian nor wise4   
,while this is true1 and there is much  
immoderate and irrational grief1 the    
disposition1 with many1 is to forget the
 dead as soon as possible1 and forever4 
,some need to think far more of the     
deceased4 ,they should remember that the
 dead are alive2 that no doubt they     
think of them2 and that1 instead of     
being separated farther and farther from
 the deceased1 by the lapse of time1    
they are every day coming nearer and    

nearer to them1 and they must meet      
again4  ,it is well for us frequently to
 remember that the silence of the dead  
is no true exponent of their real state4
 ,incoherent and wild as the thoughts   
and feelings sometimes are1 under the   
distracting influence of affliction and 
death1 and all uncertain as we are about
 the departure of the soul1 we are not  
left without sure and most satisfying   
information respecting the separate     
state4  ,there is no annihilation4 ,the 
life of the soul is not extinguished    
like the flame of a lamp4 ,existence is 
not that lingering1 twinkling spark     
which it seems to be in the moments     
preceding death4 ,to be absent from the 
body1 for a ,christian1 is to be present
 with the ,lord2 to die is gain2 to     
depart1 and be with ,christ1 is far     
better4 ,when the dust returns to the   
earth as it was1 the spirit ascends to  
,god1 who gave it4 ,the soul is more    
vigorous and active than when shut up in
 the body1 because a higher form of life

 is required in being with ,god and     
angels4 ,we are told that the pious dead
 are the spirits of just men made       
perfect4 ,all imperfection arising from 
bodily organization1 as well as from our
 fallen state here1 has ceased1 and the 
soul has become a pure spirit1 in a     
spiritual world1 engaged in spiritual   
pursuits4 ,memory is awake2 every       
perceptive faculty is in perfection2 the
 soul that sees far distant places1 in a
 moment1 in sleep1--that holds converse 
with other1 but absent1 minds1 while the
 body is sealed in slumber1--not only   
does not need the present body to make  
it capable of perception1 but when      
escaped from this material condition1   
and from dependence upon these bodily   
senses1 which now are like colored glass
 to the eyes1 it will be far more       
capable than before2 though the         
spiritual body1 at the last1 will       
advance it to a still higher condition4 
,its judgment is sound1 its             
sensibilities are quick1 its thoughts   

are full of unmixed joy4 ,but we        
probably could not understand the nature
 of its employments1 nor its            
discoveries1 nor its sensations1 any    
further than we now do from the word of 
,god4 ,we have no record1 nor tradition1
 of any disclosures made by ,lazarus1 or
 the widow of ,nain's son1 or the dead  
who came out of their graves at the     
crucifixion1 and went into the ,holy    
,city1 and appeared unto many4 ,the only
 way to account for this seems to be1 to
 suppose that they told nothing of what 
they had seen or heard4 ,had they made  
any disclosures of the unseen world1    
those disclosures would never have been 
forgotten4 ,they would have been        
preserved in the memories of men1 to be 
handed down from age to age4 ,paul      
himself had no very distinct            
recollection of what he had heard and   
seen in ,paradise2 for he says that he  
could not tell whether he was in the    
body or out of the body4 ,we think in   
words1 which at the time are            

intelligible1 but we often fail when we 
try to produce them2 so that ,paul's    
expression1 very singular in each part  
of it1--heard unspeakable words1--may   
refer to the impressions made on his own
 mind in his revelations1 as not        
possible to be clothed in speech4 ,it   
may have been with him1 upon his return 
to the body1 and with the risen dead1 as
 it was with ,nebuchadnezzar1 who knew  
that he had dreamed1 and the dream had  
made powerful impressions on his mind1  
but the dream itself had departed from  
him4 ,now1 if the bodily senses1 or the 
soul while in the body1 cannot          
comprehend so as to express what has    
been seen in heaven1 it is doubtful if  
we could understand it if it should be  
revealed by a spirit from heaven4 ,the  
,bible has probably given us as definite
 information about heaven as we could   
possibly understand--certainly as much  
as ,god judges best for our usefulness  
and happiness4 ,but we must probably    
learn an unearthly language1 and1 in    

order to this1 unearthly ideas1 before  
we can understand the things which are  
within the veil4 ,the modes of          
communication in heaven between people  
of strange languages1 whether by a      
common speech1 or by the power given to 
the disciples at the day of ,pentecost1 
or by intuition1 are not made known to  
us2 but this wonderful faculty of       
language1 holding an intermediate place 
between spirit and matter1 has1 of      
course1 a corresponding faculty in the  
world of spirits4 ,it is1 no doubt1 an  
inconceivably pleasurable source of     
enjoyment4 ,this increases the sublimity
 which there is in the silence of the   
dead1 and its impressiveness4 ,for what 
fancy can conceive of the               
communications1 from heart to heart1 in 
that multitude where every new          
acquaintance is the occasion of some new
 joy1 or wakes some thrilling           
recollection1 or leads to some          
interesting discovery1 and gives some   
fresh objects of love and praise6 ,the  

land of silence surely extends no       
farther than to the gates of that       
heavenly city4 ,all is life and activity
 within2 but from that world1 so        
populous with thoughts1 and words1 and  
songs1 no revelation penetrates through 
the dark1 silent land which lies between
 us and them4 ,our friends are there4   
,stars1 so distant from us that their   
light1 which began its travel ages      
since1 has not reached us1 are none the 
less worlds1 performing their           
revolutions1 and occupied by their busy 
population of intelligent spirits1 whose
 history is full of wonders4 ,yet the   
first ray denoting the existence of     
those worlds1 has never met the eye of  
the astronomer in his incessant vigils4 
,the silence of the departed will1 for  
each of us1 soon1 very soon1 be         
interrupted4 ,entering1 among breaking  
shadows and softly unfolding light1 the 
border land1 we shall gradually awake to
 the opening vision of things unseen and
 eternal1 all so kindly revealing       

themselves to our unaccustomed senses as
 to make us say1 ,how beautiful6 and    
instead of exciting fear1 leading us    
almost to hasten the hand which is      
removing the veil4 ,some well-known     
voice1 so long silent1 may be the first 
to utter our name2 we are recognized1 we
 are safe4 ,a face1 a dear1 dear face1  
breaks forth amidst the crayoned lines  
of the dissolving night2 a form--an     
embrace--assures us that faith has not  
deceived us1 but has delivered us up to 
the objects hoped for1 the things not   
seen4 ,o beatific moment6 awaiting every
 follower of them who1 by faith and     
patience1 inherit the promises--dwellers
 there whither the ,forerunner is for us
 entered4         99       99       99  
99       99  ,as we are soon to be      
utterly silent towards surviving        
friends1 and the world in which we now  
live1 we should use our speech as we    
shall wish we had done when we are      
silent in death4 ,any counsels1         
instructions1 records1 explanations1    

communications of any kind1 which we    
would make1 we should be diligent to    
perform4 ,all the loving words1 and     
tokens of affection1 which we may       
suppose we shall hereafter desire to    
communicate1 we shall do well habitually
 to bear in mind1 and let them influence
 our feelings and conduct1 day by day4  
,in times of sickness1 of separation1 of
 absence1 at happy returns1 our feelings
 towards familiar friends and members of
 the family are such as might well be   
the standard1 and pattern1 of our       
general intercourse1 especially when we 
think that the days will come when we   
shall highly prize and long for that    
intercourse1 which now we have such     
opportunity to enrich with sweet and    
fragrant recollections1 occasioning no  
pang of regret1 nor sting4 ,it is well  
to remember that1 one day1 we must part1
 and to let that anticipation intensify 
our love1 and add charms to this daily  
companionship1 which may soon appear to 
be a privilege which we did not         

sufficiently prize4  ,the time will     
come1 when1 to many a beloved survivor1 
a word or sign1 breaking the silence of 
the departed spirit1 and giving some    
assurance that it is happy1 would1      
perhaps1 be the means of dispelling a   
life-long sorrow--would lift a crushing 
burden from the heart4 ,the time to     
prepare that assurance1 so that it shall
 come with most effectual power1 is now1
 in days of health1 when the evidences  
of our piety shall not be attainted by a
 suspicion of constraint and            
insincerity1 arising from late          
repentance and an apparently forced     
submission to ,god4 ,our recollections  
of a departed ,christian friend1 of     
whose salvation his pious life makes us 
perfectly assured1 come over us like the
 soft pulsations of a west wind in      
summer1 laden with the sweets of a      
new-mown field2 or like the clear1      
streaming moonlight in the brief        
interval between the broken clouds2 or  
like remembered music1 which some       

accidental word of a song has startled  
from its place and diffused through the 
soul4 ,thus departed ,christian friends 
are the means of unspeakable happiness  
to survivors2 thus their works do follow
 them2 and we should make large account 
of this when we are weighing the        
question whether we will now1 or in the 
closing hours of life1 so fearfully     
uncertain1 begin to love and serve ,god4
  ,the question which earth asks        
respecting one and another1 ,where is   
he8 is no doubt repeated in heaven3     
,have you met him in any of these       
streets8 ,did you see him on yonder     
hills8 ,angels1 returned from other     
happy worlds1 have you heard of him8    
,where is he8 ,he is conscious1         
intelligent1 receiving sensations from  
objects around him as vividly as ever4  
,but1 ,where is he8  ,of others1 the    
question could be answered by ten       
thousand happy voices1 ,all is well4    
,with regard to many1 the silence of the
 dead1 forbidding our inquiries1 is the 

only thing which1 in any measure1       
composes the grief of friends4 ,but as  
to our ,christian friends1 we have no   
more reason to inquire with solicitude  
respecting them1 than concerning the    
,saviour himself4 ,i go to prepare a    
place for you1--that where ,i am1 there 
ye may be also4 ,the dying ,christian   
may truly say to his friends1 as the    
,saviour did to his3 ,,whither ,i ,,go  
,,ye ,,know1 ,,and ,,the ,,way ,,ye     
,,know4     ,v4  ,,the ,,redemption ,,of
 ,,the ,,body4      ,what though my body
 run to dust8       ,faith cleaves unto 
it1 counting every grain     ,with an   
exact and most particular trust1        
,reserving all for flesh again4         
,,george ,,herbert4   ,it is good to    
think of ,michael1 the archangel1       
disputing with the devil about the body 
of ,moses4 ,the dispute was over a      
grave4 ,the ,most ,high had himself     
performed the funeral rites of his      
servant2 for1 we read1 ,the ,lord buried
 him4 ,we naturally think of the        

archangel as placed in charge of the    
precious dust4  ,some great commission1 
connected with the resurrection of the  
dead1 appears to be held by the chief   
spirit of the angelic world4 ,for the   
,lord himself shall descend from heaven 
with a shout1 with the voice of the     
archangel1 and the trump of ,god4 ,the  
burial of each and every body which is  
destined to the resurrection of the     
just1 is1 therefore1 not improbably an  
object of interest with him who1 under  
the ,god-man1 will have the supervision 
of the last day4 ,with a view to that   
harvest of the earth1 he will now see   
the furrows made1 the seed planted1 the 
hill prepared4 ,he will have a care that
 every thing lies down1 whether by      
seeming accident1 or by violence1 or by 
design1 in just the place from which the
 arranging mind of ,him who is ,lord    
both of the dead and of the living1 has 
appointed it to come forth4 ,every      
circumstance attending that event1 the  
great object of hope in heaven and on   

earth1--our resurrection1--is of        
sufficient importance to be the subject 
of thought and preparation on the part  
of ,christ1 himself the first fruits of 
them that slept4  ,the care of the      
patriarchs concerning their burial      
places is like one of those premonitions
 in an antecedent stratum of geology1 or
 species of animals1 of a coming        
manifestation2--a prophesying germ1 a   
yearning1 created by ,him who1 with     
all-seeing wisdom1 establishes          
anticipations in the moral1 as well as  
in the natural1 world1 concerning things
 with regard to which a thousand years  
are with him as one day4  ,not on earth 
alone1 as it seems1 is an interest felt 
in the death and burial of the          
righteous4  ,for when the leader of     
,israel in the wilderness went up to the
 hill top to die1 the two great angels1 
of heaven and hell1 met and contended   
over his grave4  ,denied the privilege  
of burial in the promised land1 ,moses  
may have appeared to ,satan so evidently

 under the frown of ,god1 as to         
encourage his meddlesome efforts to     
inflict some injury upon him1 through   
dishonor done to his remains4 ,perhaps  
he would convey them back to ,egypt1 a  
gift to the brooding vengeance of the   
,pharaohs1 who would gratify their anger
 by preserving that body in the house of
 their gods2--thus showing their        
spiteful satisfaction at the            
disappointment of the prophet whom      
,jehovah would not permit to enter that 
promised land1 in hope of which the     
great spoiler had led away the bondmen  
of ,egypt4  ,perhaps the devil would    
gratify the desire of some idolatrous   
nation1 craving new objects of worship1 
by leading them to canonize this ,hebrew
 chief2 and thus make of the lawgiver   
and prophet of ,israel a false god4     
,perhaps he could even prevail on some  
of the ,israelites themselves1 if not   
the whole of them1 to worship this      
revered form2 or might he but have the  
designation and the custody of his      

grave1 he would1 perhaps1 fix it where  
it would be most convenient for the     
nation to assemble1 at stated times1 for
 some idolatrous rites4  ,but the great 
vicegerent of the resurrection was      
there4 ,to him the body of a saint is   
suggestive of the last day2 it is a     
special assignment by ,christ1 an       
official trust1 to the archangel4       
,bodies of saints are1 therefore1 most  
precious to him4 ,particles of the      
precious metal are not more precious to 
the miner1 pearls to the diver1 ivory to
 the ,coast-merchant1 and the shell-fish
 to the maker of ,tyrian purple4 ,the   
body of each saint is an unfinished     
history of redemption2 a destiny of     
indescribable interest and importance   
belongs to it4 ,any subaltern angel may 
have charge of winds and seas1 of day   
and night1 of summer and winter2 but    
only the archangel is counted meet to   
have charge1 and to keep watch and ward1
 over the bodies of saints as they sleep
 in ,jesus4  ,he disputed about the body

 of ,moses4 ,it was a dispute           
characterized on the part of the        
archangel more by act than word4 ,words 
are hushed in great encounters4 ,debate 
with a pirate1 a body-snatcher1 would be
 folly2 no arguments1 therefore1 were   
wasted1 on the top of ,nebo1 by         
,michael1 over the grave of ,moses4 ,the
 ,lord rebuke thee1 was his retort2 his 
heavenly form stopping the way1 his     
baffling right arm hindering the        
accursed design1 were the invincible    
logic of that dispute4  ,o prince of    
angels1 watchman1 herald1 master of the 
guard1 at the resurrection of the       
just1--comptroller1 now1 of that        
treasury which receives and keeps their 
precious forms1--from whose lips that   
signal is to come which millions on     
millions are to hear1 and live1--what   
images of glory and terror fill thy mind
 in the anticipation of that moment when
 thy dread commission is to be          
fulfilled6 ,is not that trumpet         
sometimes taken into thy hand8 ,dost    

thou not place it to thy lips1 but      
quickly lay it aside1 and patiently and 
joyfully watch the swelling number of   
the graves of saints8 ,funerals of those
 who fall asleep in ,jesus1 to thee are 
pleasant scenes2 they are spring-work1  
planting times1 for thy harvest1 ,o     
chief reaper6 ,while1 with bursting     
hearts1 we turn from the new-made mound1
 one more glorified body1 in            
anticipation1 is added to thy charge4   
,smiling at our sorrow1 in joyful       
thought of the change to be witnessed in
 and around that sepulchre when the     
family circle shall there put on        
incorruption1 thou canst not pity us    
except as we pity the brief sorrows of  
children4 ,if the devil should approach 
that spot1 to work some unknown1 and1 to
 us1 inconceivable1 harm to that        
body1--be it the body of the humblest   
saint1 one of those little ones who     
believe in ,jesus1 or of those infants  
whose angels do always behold the face  
of ,god1--thou1 mighty cherub1 wouldst  

be there1 and1 if need be1 with a band  
of angels1 every one with his sword upon
 his thigh1 because of fear in the      
night2 and ,nebo and its dispute would  
reappear4 ,poor1 dying1 mouldering body6
 hast thou the archangel himself for thy
 keeper8 ,not only so3      ,god1 my    
,redeemer1 lives1       ,and often from 
the skies     ,looks down and watches   
all my dust1       ,till he shall bid it
 rise4   ,nor is it strange1 since we   
read1 ,the body is for the ,lord1 and   
the ,lord for the body4 ,know ye not    
that your body is the temple of the     
,holy ,ghost which is in you8  ,to rise 
from the dead seems to have been        
something more to ,paul than going to   
heaven1 or than being in heaven4 ,he    
knew that he was to spend the interval  
between death and the resurrection in   
heaven2 but beyond even this1 he had a  
joy which he felt was essential to the  
completeness of the heavenly state4     
,see the proof of this in the following 
words3 ,if by any means ,i might attain 

unto the resurrection of the dead4      
,since he was destined1 like all of     
,adam's race1 to come forth from his    
grave1 he needed to make no effort      
whatever merely to rise from the dead2  
that was inevitable1 and irrespective of
 character4 ,besides1 he represents this
 object for which he strove as something
 which required effort1 which cannot be 
said of merely rising from the grave4   
,paul had been permitted to know1 by    
personal observation1 what the rising   
from the dead implies4 ,caught up into  
,paradise1 we may suppose that he had   
seen the patriarch ,enoch1 and the      
prophet ,elijah1 with their glorified   
bodies2 the presence of which in heaven1
 we may imagine1 has ever served to     
enhance the happiness of that world1 by 
holding forth1 before the eyes of the   
redeemed1 the sign and pledge of their  
future experience when they shall       
receive their bodies4 ,for it is not    
presumptuous to suppose that the sight  
of ,enoch and ,elijah has been1 and will

 be1 till the last trumpet sounds1 a    
source of joyful expectation to the     
inhabitants of heaven1 leading them to  
anticipate the final day with intense   
interest1 as the time when they will be 
invested1 like those honored saints1    
with all the capacities of their        
completed nature1 which nature1 while   
the body lies buried1 is in a dissevered
 state4 ,if ,paul1 when in heaven1 saw  
and felt the power of this expectation  
in the minds of glorified saints1 no    
wonder that the resurrection of the body
 seemed to him1 ever after1 to be the   
crown of ,christian expectation and     
hope4  ,more than all1 he had seen the  
man ,christ ,jesus1 in his glorified    
body2 who on earth had said1 ,i am the  
resurrection and the life--himself an   
illustration of it1 whom alone the grave
 has yielded up to die no more4 ,he is1 
therefore1 to saints in heaven1 a far   
more interesting object than ,enoch and 
,elijah1 who never died4 ,for now is    
,christ risen from the dead1 and is     

become the first fruits of them that    
slept4 ,this sight1 of ,christ in       
heaven1 must have had unutterable       
interest for ,paul1 from the assurance  
that ,christ will change our vile body1 
that it may be fashioned like unto his  
glorious body2 for we know that when he 
shall appear1 ,paul himself tells us1 we
 shall be like him2 for we shall see him
 as he is4 ,this knowledge1 obtained in 
the heavenly world1 may have led the    
apostle to think of the resurrection as 
the crown of all his expectations and   
hopes4  ,it is noticeable that the      
writers of the ,new ,testament1 and     
,jesus himself1 refer chiefly to the    
resurrection and the last day as sources
 of comfort1 and also of warning4 ,now  
this is made a principal ground of      
belief1 with many1 that there is either 
no consciousness between death and the  
resurrection2 or1 that none have gone to
 heaven1 nor to hell1 but to            
intermediate places1 seeing that final  
rewards and punishments are1 in so many 

instances1 wholly predicated of the last
 day4  ,but those who believe that the  
souls of the righteous are1 at their    
death1 made perfect in holiness1 and do 
immediately pass into glory1 see proof1 
in all this prominence which is given to
 the last day1 and to the resurrection1 
that the sacred writers regarded the    
resurrection and final judgment as the  
great consummation1 towards which souls1
 in heaven and in hell1 would be looking
 forward with intense expectation and   
interest2 that neither will the joys of 
heaven nor the pains of hell be         
complete1 till the account of our whole 
influence upon the world1 extending to  
the end of time1 is made up1 and the    
body is added to the soul4 ,when ,paul  
comforts the mourners of ,thessalonica1 
he bids them to sorrow not as they that 
have no hope2 for1 7and now he does not 
speak of heaven1 and of souls being     
already there1 as the source of         
consolation1 but7 if we believe that    
,jesus died and rose again1 even so     

them1 also1 that sleep in ,jesus will   
,god bring with him2 and he proceeds to 
speak of the resurrection1--not of the  
speedy reunion of friends after death1  
but of the departed as coming with      
,christ at the last day4 ,this1 instead 
of being an argument against the        
immediate departure of souls to heaven1 
arises from the desire to employ the    
strongest possible proof that the pious 
dead are not only safe1 but are greatly 
honored4 ,resurrection was an abounding 
subject of thought1 argument1 and       
illustration in those days2 the state of
 the dead between death and the last    
day1 is comparatively disregarded by the
 apostles1 while their minds were full  
of the great question of the age--the   
,resurrection4 ,this fullness of thought
 and constant occupation of mind about  
the resurrection1 as the cardinal       
doctrine of ,christian hope1 explains   
the apparent belief of the apostles1 in 
some passages1 that the final day was   
near4 ,this the apostle ,paul expressly 

denies1 in the second chapter of the    
,second ,epistle to the ,thessalonians4 
,but a greater event1 looked at in the  
same line of vision with an intermediate
 and smaller object1 will1 of course1   
have the prominent place in our         
thoughts4 ,the less will be held        
subordinate to the greater2 perhaps we  
shall seem to underrate the less1 in our
 exalted conceptions of that which rises
 beyond and above4 ,we shall see1 as we 
proceed1 why the expectation of the last
 day seemed to occupy the thoughts of   
apostles as the paramount object of     
expectation4  ,it is perfectly obvious  
that1 at the resurrection1 the bodies of
 the just will be endued with wonderful 
susceptibilities and powers4 ,this is   
rendered certain by the great mystery of
 godliness1--,god manifest in the flesh4
 ,the greatest honor which could be     
conferred upon our nature1 and the      
greatest testimony to its intrinsic     
dignity1 and to its being1 in its       
unfallen state1 in the image of ,god1 is

 bestowed upon it by the incarnation of 
the ,word4 ,true1 there was a necessity 
that the ,redeemer should be made like  
unto us1 however inferior human nature  
might be in the scale of creation2      
still1 unless there had been such       
intrinsic dignity and excellence in our 
sinless nature1 as to make it compatible
 for the second ,person in the ,godhead 
to be united with it1 we cannot suppose 
that this union would have been         
permanent2 it would have fulfilled a    
temporary purpose1 and then have ceased4
  ,perhaps we slightly err if we think  
of ,christ's assumption of human nature 
as1 in any respect1 an incongruous act  
of humiliation4 ,for man was made in the
 image of ,god2 so that when ,christ was
 made flesh1 without sin1 he took upon  
himself that which1 in some sense1 was  
congruous with his divine nature4 ,his  
humiliation consisted1 in part1 in his  
doing this2 but more especially in his  
doing this for such a purpose--for      
sinners2 in his being born1 and that in 

a low condition1 made under the law1    
undergoing the miseries of this life1   
the wrath of ,god1 and the cursed death 
of the cross1 in being buried and       
continuing under the power of death for 
a time4 ,had there been no inherent     
congruity between our nature and the    
divine1 the human nature of ,christ1    
having accomplished its purpose of      
suffering and death1 would have been    
left in the grave4 ,but now is ,christ  
risen from the dead2 the body and the   
human soul1 which were disunited when he
 hung upon the cross1 now constitute the
 same man1 ,christ ,jesus4 ,the only    
,redeemer of ,god's elect is the ,lord  
,jesus ,christ1 who1 being the eternal  
,son of ,god1 became man1 and so was1   
and continues to be1 ,god and man1 in   
two distinct natures and one person1    
forever4 ,the latter part of this answer
 of the ,assembly's ,shorter ,catechism 
is thus substantiated by the ,new       
,testament3 ,when he shall appear1 we   
shall be like him2 for we shall see him 

as he is4 ,in other words1 he will be1  
when he appears1 that which he now      
is--will remain the same until his      
second coming4 ,after that1 he will     
remain as he was before3 ,jesus ,christ1
 the same yesterday1 to-day1 and        
forever4 ,he is represented as holding  
an eternal relation to the redeemed in  
his glorified nature3 ,the ,lamb which  
is in the midst of the throne shall feed
 them1 and shall lead them unto living  
fountains of waters4 ,we might1 indeed1 
suppose that the man ,christ ,jesus     
would have an eternal recompense for his
 sufferings and death in an everlasting 
union with the ,godhead2 nor can any one
 think1 with satisfaction1 of a         
severance between his two natures1 and  
of a consequent humiliation1 or         
deposition1 of that human nature1 which1
 at the great day1 will1 for so long a  
time1 have sustained such a connection  
with the divine nature4 ,for our present
 purpose1 however1 which is to show the 
intrinsic dignity of the human nature1  

it would be enough that it has been in  
such connection with the ,godhead1 and  
has passed through such scenes1 and     
sustained such vast responsibilities4   
,this is sufficient to prove that human 
nature is intrinsically capable and     
great2 and1 indeed1 it reveals to us as 
nothing else does1 the real dignity of  
our nature4 ,some1 who have rejected the
 doctrine of ,christ's two natures1 have
 written much and eloquently with regard
 to man's greatness in creation4 ,they1 
however1 missed the very thing which    
chiefly proves it2 for all who believe  
in the ,deity of ,christ have a proof   
and illustration of this great theme    
which trancend all others4  ,this idea1 
of future capability and exaltation for 
human nature1 as proved by the          
,saviour's incarnation1 is brought to   
view in the second chapter of the       
,epistle to the ,hebrews4 ,the second   
,psalm is there quoted as speaking of   
man3 ,thou hast put all things under his
 feet4 ,but now1 the apostle says1 we   

see not yet all things put under him2   
man1 as a race1 has not reached his full
 destiny of glory and honor2 but1 in the
 person of ,christ1 human nature has    
taken possession of its future          
inheritance4 ,we see not yet all things 
put under man1 as a race2 but we see    
,jesus1 who was made a little lower than
 the angels for the suffering of death1 
crowned with glory and honor2--a sign   
and pledge of our destiny4  ,to the mind
 of ,paul1 the sight1 in heaven1 of what
 he was to become1 set forth by the     
glorified person of the ,son of ,god1   
his ,saviour and infinite ,friend1 no   
doubt made the resumption of the body1  
at the last day1 the most desirable     
experience of which it was possible for 
him to conceive4 ,paradise1 with all its
 social pleasures1 gates of pearl1      
streets of gold1 every thing1 in short1 
external to him1 must have seemed1 to   
the apostle1 not worthy to be compared  
with the glory which was to be revealed 
in him4 ,an intelligent man is far more 

interested in his own personal          
endowments1 than in the accidental      
circumstances of his situation4 ,every  
one1 who is not degraded in his         
feelings1 would prefer to be enriched   
with natural1 moral1 and intellectual   
powers1 rather than be the richest of   
men1 or an hereditary monarch1 with     
inferior talents and worth4 ,to such a  
man as ,paul1 the possession of his     
complete1 glorified nature1 at the      
resurrection1 must1 for this reason1    
have seemed far better than all the     
pleasures or honors of the heavenly     
world4 ,that completed nature would     
constitute him a being wholly perfected1
 invest him with a likeness to the ,son 
of ,god1 bring him into still nearer    
union with that adorable ,redeemer1 who1
 ,paul says1 loved him and gave himself 
for him1 and for whom1 he says1 he had  
suffered the loss of all things4 ,the   
sight of the man ,christ ,jesus wearing 
,paul's nature in a glorified state1 no 
doubt lived and glowed in his memory    

after his return to earth1 and made him 
think of the resurrection as the event1 
in his personal history1 to which every 
thing else was subordinate4 ,he shows   
the interest which he felt in this      
event1 when1 writing to the ,romans1 he 
says1 ,and not only they1--that is1 the 
creatures1 or creation1--but ourselves1 
also1 which have the first fruits of the
 ,spirit1 even we ourselves groan within
 ourselves1 waiting for the adoption1 to
 wit1 the redemption1 of our body4 ,in  
his address1 at ,jerusalem1 before his  
accusers and the people1 he cried out1  
,of the hope and resurrection of the    
dead ,i am called in question4 ,it was  
uniformly a prominent topic of his      
thoughts4  ,it is by no means           
impossible1 nor improbable1 judging from
 analogy1 that there may be1 in the     
human soul1 faculties which are         
slumbering1 until a glorified body      
assists in their development4 ,persons  
born blind have the dormant faculty of  
seeing2 the gift of the eye would bring 

it into exercise4 ,so of the other      
senses1 and their related mental        
faculties4 ,with a glorified body1 then1
 truly it doth not yet appear what we   
shall be2 but the thought itself is     
rapture1 that our souls at present may  
be as disproportioned to their future   
expansion1 as the acorn is to the oak of
 a century's growth1 which is infolded  
now1 and dormant1 in the seed4  ,the    
addition of a body to the glorified     
spirit will1 therefore1 be a help1 and  
not an encumbrance4 ,for we are not to  
suppose that the soul1 after having been
 for centuries in a state superior to   
its present condition1 would retrograde1
 in returning to the body4 ,a common    
idea respecting a body is1 that it is   
necessarily a clog4 ,true1 by reason of 
sin and its effects1 it is now a vile   
body2 and ,paul speaks of it as the body
 of this death4 ,but1 even while we are 
in this world1 a body is an             
indispensable help to the soul4 ,the    
disembodied spirit1 probably1 is not    

capable of sustaining a full1 active    
relation to a world of matter2 a        
material form is necessary to make its  
powers serviceable here4 ,this being so1
 there is certainly reason1 from        
analogy1 to suppose that the addition of
 a spiritual body to the glorified soul 
will not necessarily work any           
deterioration to the spirit4 ,at all    
events1 we cannot suppose that the bliss
 of heaven will be suffered to diminish1
 by remanding the emancipated spirit    
into connection with any thing which    
will subtract from the state to which it
 will have arrived4 ,there is a law of  
progress in the divine government1 by   
which the intelligent universe will be  
forever advancing4 ,we are to be changed
 from glory to glory2 not from a greater
 glory to a less1 but into the same     
image with ,christ4  ,it is the opinion 
of some that every created being has a  
corporeal part1 and that ,god alone is  
perfectly a spirit4 ,however this may   
be1 it is evident that the souls of     

believers after death1 though advanced  
far beyond their present earthly        
condition1 and though they are with     
,christ1 and though to die is gain1 and 
though they are in the heaven of heavens
 with ,christ1 7which is where the      
penitent thief went1 and where ,paul had
 his revelation1 and where ,christ went 
when he died2--for ,paul uses the words 
third heavens1 and ,paradise1           
interchangeably17 are1 nevertheless1    
incomplete as to their natures1 waiting 
for the adoption1 to wit1 the redemption
 of our body4 ,where in the ,bible are  
we led to suppose that they are detained
 in an inferior region1 or that there   
are1 at most1 only two redeemed human   
beings now in heaven1 viz41 ,enoch and  
,elijah1 or probably not even they8 ,but
 a corporeal part1 we may suppose1 is   
necessary to the fullest participation  
in the employments and enjoyments of the
 spiritual world4 ,light requires       
atmosphere to modify it for the human   
eye1 which otherwise could not endure   

its brightness4 ,so it may be that a    
corporeal part is necessary to modify   
many of the things which are unseen and 
eternal1 that they may be apprehended by
 the soul4 ,let no one say that matter  
must obstruct or dim the senses of the  
soul2 that a body must act as a veil to 
the spirit1 and shut out much knowledge4
 ,it is not so here4 ,matter helps us in
 the acquisition of knowledge1 as1 for  
example1 glass in optical instruments4  
,the telescope1 with its lenses1 gives  
the eye vast compass2 the microscope    
gives it a power1 equally wonderful1 of 
minute vision4 ,true1 in these cases it 
is matter helping matter--glass         
assisting the eye2 the analogy is not   
perfect between this and the aid which  
the spiritual body may afford the soul4 
,but1 if we remember that there is to be
 progression in the powers and faculties
 of our nature1 and that if a body is   
added to the glorified spirit1 it must  
be to assist it1 to put it forward in   
its acquisitions and enjoyments1 we     

cannot resist the belief that the       
addition of the new body to the soul    
will be a vast accession of power and   
capability4 ,if the eye and the mind can
 receive such aid from the telescope    
here1 who knows that the eye of the     
glorified body may not be itself a      
telescope1 increasing in its capability 
with the progress of its being4  ,we may
 have some view of what the glorified   
body must necessarily be1 in thinking of
 it as a fit companion to the glorified 
spirit4 ,the soul having been in heaven 
for ages1 and having grown in all       
spiritual excellence1 the body1 to be a 
help to such a spirit1 to be an occasion
 of joy1 and not of regret1 must1 of    
course1 be in advance of our present    
corporeal nature4 ,what must the body of
 ,isaiah1 and of ,david1 be1 at the     
resurrection1 to correspond with the    
vast powers and attainments of those    
glorified spirits8 ,we could not        
believe1 certainly we could not see1 how
 these bodies of ours could be made     

capable of such union1 were it not that1
 in the man ,christ ,jesus1 we see our  
corporeal nature capable of such        
transformation as to make it compatible 
for his human mind1 and indwelling      
,deity1 to receive it into their        
ineffable union4  ,all this being so1 we
 may1 in some measure1 conceive of the  
feelings with which the souls in heaven 
anticipate the resurrection2 and we     
cease to wonder why ,paul speaks of his 
resurrection as the great object of his 
desire--not merely to be in heaven1 but1
 being in heaven1 with ,christ1 to be in
 possession of a completed nature1 like 
,christ's4  ,from the grave where it was
 sown in corruption1 it will come forth 
in incorruption2 sown in dishonor1 it   
will be raised in glory2 sown in        
weakness1 it will be raised in power2   
sown a natural body1 it will be raised a
 spiritual body4 ,it was bare grain when
 it fell into the earth2 but the corn1  
with its stalk1 and leaves1 and the     
curious ear1 with its silk1 and its     

wrappings1 the multiplication of the    
bare grain into such a product1 are an  
illustration of the apostle's           
words1--,thou sowest not that body that 
shall be2 hence1 he argues1 say not1    
incredulously1 ,how are the dead raised1
 and with what body do they come8 ,god  
giveth the grain a body as it hath      
pleased him2 he can do the same with    
regard to that part of man's nature     
which is committed for a while to the   
earth4 ,let not the natural difficulties
 connected with this subject make us    
sceptical4 ,there are no more           
difficulties connected with a grave than
 with a grape vine4 ,those distant      
twigs1 on that dry vine1 begin to bud   
and blossom2 grapes form upon them2 it  
is filled with clusters4 ,is there any  
thing in the resurrection more strange  
than this8 ,twice1 inspiration says to a
 man1 ,thou fool6--once1 to a godless1  
rich man1 and1 once1 to him who is      
sceptical about the resurrection of the 
body4  ,when the glorified spirit and   

the glorified body meet1 the moment when
 the investiture of the soul with its   
spiritual form takes place1 and the     
forcible divorce of the soul and body is
 terminated by new1 strange nuptials1   
there must be an experience which now   
defies all power of imagination4 ,we may
 have known1 in this world1 all the     
thrilling experiences of which our      
natures here are capable2 we shall also 
have seen and felt what it is to awake  
in heaven1 satisfied with ,christ's     
likeness2 and all the new-born joys of  
heavenly sensations will have seemed to 
leave us nothing to be experienced which
 can bring a new rapture to the heart2  
yet when the body is raised1 and the    
triumphant spirit comes to put it on    
afresh1 it will be an addition to all   
the past joys of the heavenly state4 ,as
 we look on one another1 and see1 in    
each other's beauty and glory1 an image 
of our own2 as we remember how we       
visited the graves of loved ones1 and   
what thoughts and feelings we had there1

 and then see those graves yielding     
forms like ,christ's2 as we see the     
,saviour's person mirrored in ours on   
every side1 and behold the living       
changed in a moment1 in the twinkling of
 an eye1 there will be an exceeding     
great joy1 such1 perhaps1 as the        
universe had never before known4 ,but to
 each of us the most perfect joy will be
 his own consciousness1 existence being 
then a rapture such as we never         
experienced4 ,then the bird is winged1  
the jewel is set in gold1 the flower    
blooms1 the harp receives all her       
strings1 the heir is crowned4 ,no wonder
 that ,paul said1 looking through and   
beyond heaven1 ,if by any means ,i might
 attain unto the resurrection of the    
dead4  ,perhaps we now think of the last
 day with dread1 as a day of            
consternation4 ,it is not always that we
 can think of the heavens on fire1 the  
earth dissolved1 the dead arising1 and  
the judgment proceeding1 without some   
feeling of dismay4 ,but in heaven1 we   

shall long have anticipated that day as 
the day of our complete triumph4 ,the   
grave will1 till that time1 have        
imprisoned one part of our nature4 ,the 
curse of the law will not have passed   
away entirely1 and in every respect1    
till all which belongs to us is redeemed
 from every natural1 as well as moral1  
consequence of sin4 ,it will be an      
expectation of unmingled joy to see this
 accomplished4 ,the approach of the day 
will fill us with more pleasure than the
 arrival of any other wished-for moment4
 ,we shall come with ,christ to         
judgment4 ,them that sleep in ,jesus    
will ,god bring with him4 ,we shall have
 a part in the glory of ,christ1 and be 
associated with him2 for1 ,do ye not    
know that the saints shall judge the    
world8 ,know ye not that we shall judge 
angels8 ,what curious interest there    
will be to receive back from the dust of
 the earth the dishonored1 corrupted1   
mouldered1 wasted1 perished body4 ,in   
the ,saviour1 even1 we shall not have   

seen all the wonders of the resurrection
 from the dead2 for1 ,he whom ,god      
raised saw no corruption2 but we shall  
be raised from corruption4 ,to be       
clothed upon with that house which is   
from heaven1 to be a completed1         
perfected human being1 will be1 up to   
that time1 the greatest possible        
manifestation to us of divine wisdom and
 power4  ,the new body will bring with  
it sources of enjoyment which will be a 
vast addition to the previous happiness 
of heaven4 ,there will be perfect       
satisfaction in every one with his own  
body--no consciousness of defects1 of   
deformity1 of weakness4 ,comparisons of 
ourselves with others will not excite   
dissatisfaction and envy2 every one will
 be perfect of his kind1 and will differ
 in some things from every other1 and   
will be an object of love and admiration
 with all4 ,we are astonished here with 
the intellectual1 oratorical1 vocal     
powers of others1 with their knowledge1 
their talent1 their skill2 but there we 

shall no doubt be filled also with      
astonishment at our own powers and      
acquisitions1 and thus we shall be more 
capable of appreciating and enjoying the
 endowments of others4 ,god is pleased  
to raise up one and another1 from time  
to time1 with great powers to charm     
their fellow-creatures2 and thus he     
would lure us on to heaven1 teaching us 
how much we can enjoy1 and how much we  
shall lose if we are not saved4 ,those  
who are deprived of very many           
intellectual and social pleasures here1 
which they could appreciate as well as  
their more favored friends1 will soon   
have it made up to them4 ,by the        
likeness of their glorified nature to   
the human nature of ,christ1 they are to
 be intimately associated with him      
forever4 ,this1 of itself1 is an        
assurance and pledge1 that their        
heavenly happiness will not be measured 
by their relative inferiority to their  
brethren in this world4 ,to a benevolent
 mind it is a great joy to think of good

 people1 who are deprived1 in this      
world1 of education and culture1        
entering upon a career of boundless     
knowledge1 rising to the highest pitch  
of mental development1 and enjoying it  
all the more for their former           
disadvantages in their probationary     
state4 ,and1 behold1 there are last     
which shall be first4 ,distinctions made
 here by knowledge will be transient1   
like gifts of prophecy1 and tongues2 for
 it is in this sense that it is said1   
whether there be knowledge1 it shall    
vanish away4 ,and when we look upon     
those dear children of ,god who have    
long suffered under bodily deformity1   
and have borne1 and have had patience1  
and have not fainted1 we love to think  
of their glorified bodies1 and of that  
rich zest in the possession of them     
which will be both the natural          
consequence1 and the gracious reward1 of
 their patience2 nay1 we love to think  
that some special1 personal beauty1 some
 peculiar grace and glory1 may be given 

them by ,him who so delights in         
compensatory acts in nature1 in         
providence1 and in grace4  ,was it not  
the object of the transfiguration1 in   
part1 to give the human soul of ,christ 
such an idea of his future glory in     
heaven1 as to strengthen him for his    
agony and death8 ,yes2 for the heavenly 
visitants spake of his decease which he 
should accomplish at ,jerusalem4 ,that  
anticipation of his glorified nature was
 a part of the joy set before him4 ,let 
,christ on ,tabor1 and faith1 do for us1
 with regard to present bodily sorrows  
and sufferings1 that which the          
transfiguration did for ,jesus in the   
days of his humiliation4 ,who shall     
change our vile body1 that it may be    
fashioned like unto his glorious body1  
according to the working whereby he is  
able even to subdue all things unto     
himself4  ,through the long interval of 
death and the separate state1 the       
anticipation of the last day and of the 
resurrection will1 no doubt1 be to the  

wicked a predominant source of terror4  
,while the joyful anticipations of it1  
in heaven1 will be like the advancing   
steps of morning1 when there begin to be
 signs1 in the tabernacle for the sun1  
of that bridegroom coming out of his    
chamber1 and of that strong man         
rejoicing to run a race1 and every thing
 will be astir with the notes of        
preparation for that day1 for which all 
other days were made1 the approach of it
 will be1 to the lost1 a deepening      
gloom1 its arrival the settling down of 
interminable night4 ,instead of entering
 into their bodies with transport1 as   
the righteous do1 they will each be like
 a prisoner removed from one jail to    
another with new bars and bolts4 ,if it 
be not unreasonable to suppose that the 
appearance of the body will conform to  
the character1 and if the bodies of     
,isaiah1 and ,paul1 and ,john must be   
seraphic1 to correspond with their      
experience and attainments1 what must   
the bodies of the wicked be6 ,they will 

have spent centuries in sinning1 and    
suffering1 debased in every part1 the   
image of ,god supplanted by the image of
 him whose service they preferred to    
that of a holy ,god and ,saviour4 ,what 
a moment will that be1 when the sinner's
 grave is opened by the last trumpet1   
and a hideous form rises to receive a   
frantic spirit6 ,the harvest is the end 
of the world1 and the reapers are the   
angels4 ,as1 therefore1 the tares are   
gathered and burned in the fire1 so     
shall it be in the end of this world4   
,the ,son of man shall send forth his   
angels1 and they shall gather out of his
 kingdom all things that offend1 and    
them which do iniquity1 and shall cast  
them into a furnace of fire2 there shall
 be wailing and gnashing of teeth4 ,and 
many of them that sleep in the dust of  
the earth shall awake1 some to          
everlasting life1 and some to shame and 
everlasting contempt4 ,there will be    
separations at the graves of those who  
lay side by side in death2 many a tomb  

will yield up subjects both for heaven  
and for hell2 the differences in        
character1 between the regenerate and   
unregenerate1 will there be made        
conspicuous in the correspondence of the
 risen body to the soul1 according as   
the soul shall have arrived at the grave
 from a state of joy or of woe4 ,arrests
 will be made1 there will be forcible   
detentions1 overpowering strength1      
disregard of entreaties1 remorseless    
rendings asunder of families1 unclasping
 of embraces1 and an indiscriminate     
mixture of all classes among the wicked1
 indicated by the command1 ,bind ye the 
tares together1 in bundles1 to be       
burned4 ,nor will this be worse for holy
 angels to witness1 than it was to see  
those sinners turn their backs on the   
,lord's supper1 year after year4 ,they  
could treat their ,saviour's dying      
agonies1 and his blood1 with perfect    
neglect and contempt1 through their love
 of the world and sin2 now they eat the 
fruit of their own way1 and are filled  

with their own devices4 ,our treatment  
of the ,saviour will return upon our own
 heads4 ,what a change will be made in  
the ideas which many sentimentalists had
 of holy angels1 when they see them     
executing the terrible orders of their  
,king6 and what an illustration it will 
give of the severity of justice1--the   
rigors of its execution being compatible
 with the pure benevolence of holy      
angels1 because of ,god4 ,we are        
constantly admonished that the          
punishment of the wicked will be a great
 part of the proceedings on that day4   
,it is called the day of judgment and   
perdition of ungodly men4 ,behold1 the  
,lord cometh1 with ten thousands of his 
saints1 to execute judgment4         99 
99       99       99       99  ,all this
 serves to invest the death of a dear   
,christian friend1 in our thoughts1 with
 inexpressible peace and comfort4 ,he1  
with his ,redeemer1 can say1 ,my flesh1 
also1 shall rest in hope4 ,if we are    
confident that a friend is gone to be   

with ,christ1 death is1 even now1       
swallowed up of life2 and now the       
thought of what the soul is to inherit1 
both before and after the resurrection1 
and its contrast with the experience of 
the lost1 should make us joyful in      
tribulation4 ,true1 we cannot1 by any   
artifice or illusion1 make death itself 
cease to be a curse4 ,full of beauty and
 consolation as it may be1--nay1 we will
 call it triumphant1--yet nothing       
saddens the mind1 for the time1 more    
than the sight of true beauty4 ,in      
heaven things beautiful will not make us
 sad2 nor will the remembrance of a past
 joy1 which so inevitably has that      
effect upon us here4 ,we are beholding a
 sunset4 ,day is flinging up all its    
treasures1 as though it were breaking to
 pieces its pavilion forever and        
scattering the fragments2 and now1 when 
all seemed past1 one more flood of glory
 streams over the scene1 but only for a 
moment2 then comes a last touch of      
pathos1 here and there1 like a more     

distant farewell1 a whispered good      
night4 ,have tears never come unbidden1 
do we never feel sad1 at such a time8   
,is not the whole of life1 past1        
present1 and to come1 then tinged with  
sombre hues8 and all because the dying  
day expires with such beauty and peace4 
,not so when a storm suddenly brings in 
night upon us4 ,then we are nerved and  
braced2 we hear no minor key in the     
voice of the departing day4 ,it is      
perfectly natural1 therefore1 to weep   
over our dead1 even when every thing in 
their departure is consolatory and      
beautiful4 ,it is interesting to observe
 that it was even when he was on his way
 to raise the dead body of his friend1  
and thus to comfort the weeping sisters1
 that ,jesus wept4  ,let us more and    
more love the ,christian's grave4       
,angels love it4 ,two of them sat in the
 tomb where the body of ,jesus had      
lain--they loosed the napkin that was   
about his head1 and wrapped it together 
in a place by itself2 and when ,jesus   

had left the place1 instead of following
 him1 they lingered1 to comfort the     
weeping friends on their arrival at the 
sepulchre4 ,can it be ,michael1 guardian
 of the dead ,moses and his grave1 on   
the great stone which has been rolled   
from the door of the sepulchre8 ,is he  
thinking how he will one day hear the   
command1 ,take ye away the stone which  
covers all who sleep in ,jesus8 ,as the 
cross is hallowed by the death of the   
,son of ,god upon it1 the grave is      
hallowed for the believer through the   
,saviour's burial4 ,there are three     
places which must possess intense       
interest for a glorified friend4 ,one is
 his home2 another is his seat in the   
house of ,god2 and another is his grave4
 ,let us cherish it4 ,we do well to     
visit such a spot4 ,sometimes           
approaching it with sadness and fear1 we
 go away with surprising peace2 looking 
back for a last view of the stone1 and  
feeling towards the spot as we do when  
we are leaving little children in the   

dark for the night1 unutterable love1 we
 find1 has cast out fear4 ,those graves 
are treasures which heaven has made     
sure1 sealing the stone1 and setting a  
watch4 ,of those who still live1 we are 
not certain that1 in the providence of  
,god1 they will henceforth be an        
unmingled source of comfort2 but they   
who are in those graves are garnered    
fruits1 are finished works1 are each    
like the rod of ,aaron laid up in the   
ark1 which bloomed blossoms and yielded 
almonds4 ,all else which is dear to us  
on earth may seem changeful1 or changed2
 the property may have disappeared1 the 
home may have been broken tip1 the      
plighted faith and love may have been   
recalled2 the whole condition of life   
may have been altered3 but we visit that
 burial spot1 and there is permanence2  
that fast-anchored isle has defied the  
surges and roaring currents2 the grave  
seems beautifully constant2 it has not  
betrayed our confidence2 it is not weary
 of its precious charge2 it has kindly  

staid behind to permit and encourage our
 griefs when all else may have fled4    
,the winter's snows have fallen1 the    
tempests have beaten1 there2 and now1   
this ,april or ,may morning1 it is as   
steadfast and quiet as when the slumber 
there began4  ,great honor is paid to   
the dead in giving them precedence to   
the living at the last day4 ,the dead in
 ,christ shall rise first1 that is1     
before the living are changed2--they    
shall rise1 and after that1 in a moment1
 in a twinkling of an eye1 at the last  
trumpet1 the living will be transformed2
 for the trumpet shall sound1 and the   
dead shall be raised incorruptible1 and 
we shall be changed4 ,this is said in   
order to comfort those who mourn the    
death of ,christian friends1--intimating
 such care on the part of their         
,redeemer1 that the apostle is directed 
to tell us by the word of the ,lord1    
that we which are alive1 and remain to  
the coming of the ,lord1 shall not have 
precedence of them that are asleep4 ,it 

is declared that the change of the      
living will be effected in a moment1 in 
the twinkling of an eye4 ,this must be a
 matter of pure revelation2 for it could
 not have been foretold1 from any       
apparent probabilities1 whether it would
 happen instantaneously or by degrees4  
,it is suited to impress the mind with  
the power and majesty of ,christ1       
inasmuch as this is to be one of the    
great acts connected with his second    
coming1 and as really an exercise of his
 omnipotence as the raising of the dead4
 ,for he is ,lord both of the dead and  
of the living4  ,and the sea shall give 
up the dead that are in it4 ,many a form
 of a believer is waiting there for the 
redemption of the body4 ,nor has it     
escaped the eye of the great archangel4 
,wrapped in its rude shroud1 or         
decomposed and scattered1 or in whatever
 way seemingly annihilated1 personal    
identity still attaches to it1 and the  
all-seeing eye watches every thing which
 is essential to that identity1 as      

easily as though the body were in the   
grave with kindred dust4 ,that the power
 of ,god in the resurrection may be     
fully illustrated1 and that some may be 
preeminent witnesses in their own       
persons of that mighty power1 perhaps it
 will appear that they were permitted1  
for that purpose1 to be devoured1 or to 
dissolve and to waste away in the sea4  
,if they who came out of great          
tribulation are arrayed in white robes  
among the righteous1 we may look for    
some special sign of glory and joy in   
those who receive their bodies1 not from
 the sheltering grave1 but from the sea1
 and from the very frame of nature1 into
 which their bodily organization will1  
in one way and another1 have been       
incorporated4 ,o the unspeakable wonders
 and raptures connected with the        
resurrection1 both as it relates to our 
own experience1 and to the illustrations
 which the resurrection will afford1 of 
the divine wisdom and power4 ,no wonder1
 we say1 that ,paul esteemed it the     

height of ,christian privilege1 that he1
 as a redeemed human being1 might attain
 unto the resurrection of the dead4  ,it
 is an innocent fancy1 if it be not     
worthy of a better name1 that the great 
attention which has been given of late  
years to new cemeteries1 now in such    
contrast to the old graveyards1 whose   
reckless disorder so perfectly expressed
 abandonment to sorrow and unresisting  
surrender to the last enemy1 is a       
symptomatic token of growing faith in   
the great1 general heart of the         
,christianized part of the race1 with   
regard to that consummation of all      
things1 the resurrection of the dead4   
,as at sea there is1 within certain     
degrees of latitude and longitude1 an   
uphill and a downhill1 made by the      
convexity of the globe1 we1 perhaps1 may
 have reached the meridian of the great 
voyage1 and may have begun to feel the  
inclination which will set us forward   
more swiftly to the end4 ,the power of  
the great consummation will be waxing   

stronger and stronger4 ,men are looking 
to the cemeteries as places where great 
treasures went down1 or were abandoned1 
and they begin to think that some great 
restoration awaits them4 ,these costly  
and beautiful cemeteries1 which men are 
preparing1 are like ,hiram's            
contributions to the building of the    
temple2 they foretell some great thing2 
they have a look not only of            
expectation1 but of design1 not merely  
of faith1 but of hope4 ,with a truly    
liberal regard to the decoration of     
those burial places with costly works of
 general interest1 in the department of 
art1 we shall do well to make provision1
 by statute1 for the perpetual repair   
and preservation of every enclosure1 and
 every grave1 the whole body corporate  
thus pledging itself1 as far as         
possible1 to each incumbent1 that his   
last resting place shall be the care of 
the perpetuated fraternity to the end of
 time4  ,and when the prophecies are    
accomplished1 and the stone cut out of  

the mountain without hands has filled   
the earth1 and the apostasy which is to 
follow the general prevalence of        
religion1 has deluged the world with    
blood1 and ,satan1 loosed a little      
season1 is triumphing in his maddened   
career1 and the graves are full1 and the
 souls under the altar1 with their      
importunate cry1 can no longer wait for 
the avenging arm1--then shall be seen   
the sign of the ,son of man coming in   
the clouds of heaven1 with power and    
great glory4  ,as we commit a ,christian
 friend to the earth1 and as we visit   
his resting place1 let us think that    
now1 the anticipation of the rising from
 the dead is1 to him1 the great object  
of personal expectation and hope4 ,the  
time is not far distant1 when1 in       
heaven1 we1 in like manner1 shall be    
filled with that expectation1 as we look
 down upon the places where our bodies  
await the signal of the resurrection4   
,let not the image of our friends1 as   
sick and in pain1 occupy our thoughts4  

,for the former things are passed away4 
,their language1 as they call back to   
us1 is1 ,as dying1 and behold1 we live4 
,we who have children and friends that  
sleep in ,jesus1 and who expect         
ourselves to be1 with them1 and with one
 another1 children of the resurrection1 
will soon know each other in the        
presence of ,christ4 ,we shall have     
become reunited in the presence of each 
other to our loved and lost ones4 ,the  
great question then will be1 ,how did we
 fulfil ,god's special and benevolent   
designs in our trials8 ,if we revisit   
scenes of deep affliction where death   
and the grave usurped their dread power 
over us for a season1 we shall remember 
our misery as waters that pass away4 ,in
 hope of this1 we will patiently and    
joyfully labor and suffer4 ,the night is
 far spent2 the day is at hand4         
99       99       99       99       99  
,on a pleasant morning in ,april1 three 
months from the time of her decease1 the
 mortal part of the dear child whose    

name gives this book its title1 was     
removed from its temporary resting place
 in the city1 to her grave in the family
 cemetery4 ,as the hands of her father1 
which baptized her1 laid her to rest in 
her sweet and peaceful bed1 and the     
simple stone1 with her chosen lilies of 
the valley and rose buds carved on it1  
was set up1--the gift of one whose      
consanguinity was made by him the       
delicate ground of claim to do this     
touching and abiding act of love1--it   
seemed as though1 in some sense1 there  
had already been brought to pass the    
saying which is written1 ,death is      
swallowed up in victory4  ,but in the   
night1 a gentle ,april shower fell2 and 
as the thoughts were carried by it1     
spellbound1 from the chamber where she  
was born1 to her newly-made grave1--that
 night being the first of her sleeping  
there1--it seemed very plain that1      
though ,death had been conquered1 the   
,grave still kept possession of the     
field4--,christ will be thy destruction1

 ,o ,grave1 as he has been thy plagues1 
,o ,death6 ,the early rain seemed to    
have made good haste in visiting the    
fresh mound and the flower seeds already
 placed there1 conspiring with them to  
cover the grave speedily with emblems of
 the resurrection1 as though1 with      
confident boast and exultation1 they    
would1 beforehand1 say1 ,where is thy   
victory8 ,simple thoughts and fancies1  
which we hardly dare utter1 have        
wonderful power1 in great sorrows1 to   
change the whole current of the         
feelings2 for while that soft shower was
 heard1 falling on the grave1 it seemed 
as if a heavenly watcher was in care of 
the place2 and so1 leaving them         
together1 it was easy and pleasant to   
fall asleep4         99       99        
99       99       99  ,and now1 seeing  
that there is not one experience in this
 volume which is not1 or may not be1    
enjoyed1 and surpassed1 by every dying  
saint1 and by surviving friends1 and as 
the narrative is thus saved from all    

just thought either of ostentation1 or  
of setting forth a discouraging standard
 of experience1 may the book find       
protection from those who1 knowing the  
innocent weaknesses1 and1 at the same   
time1 the blessedness1 of those who     
mourn1 will kindly appreciate the       
motives with which it is written4 ,for  
more than a year the narrative has been 
laid by1 from indefinable reluctance at 
the thought of publication4 ,but this   
affliction1 which was1 at first1 like   
the bulb of the hyacinth with its white1
 pendulous roots in water1--those       
symbols of hope and pledges of          
growth1--has now bloomed and become     
fragrant with such comforts and         
consolations1 that we venture to set the
 plant in our window1 perchance it may  
meet the eye of one and another as they 
walk and are sad4 ,perhaps it may1 here 
and there1 win love and praise for      
,jesus4 ,he hath done all things well4