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When night, with wings of storming gloom,
O'ershadows all the earth and skies,

Like some dark beauteous bird, whose plume
Is sparkling with a thousand eyes;

That sacred gloom, those fires divine,
So grand, so countless, Lord, are thine.
When youthful spring around us breathes,
Thy spirit warms her fragrant sigh;
And every flower the summer breathes
Is from beneath that kindling eye.

Where'er we turn, thy glories shine,

And all things fair and bright are thine."

Such were the inspirations of John, for Christ was "all in all" to him.

On our Lord having performed this first institution of the law of Christianity, we find Satan stepping in, (which is customary with him,) to tempt the Lord; for he was ignorant that he was God. Our Lord, by the direction of the Spirit, went to the wilderness, where he fasted forty days and forty nights, during which time he was tempted of the devil. During this period he ate nothing, so that he experienced hunger: at this moment the devil said unto him: "If thou be the Son of God, com mand this stone that it be made bread." Thus you perceive the low cunning of this fallen angel. Thus he tempts us, my love, when we are first brought to God: he throws doubts into our mind,

such as-If there was a God, why should we be afflicted, why poor? why should some men be rich, and live at ease; and others poor, and have to labour? If God can prevent, why should he allow of wickedness? and all such thoughts.

I have often thought, Mamma, why God should allow men who are good to be poor.

I have already described to you, my love, the cause of wickedness in the world; and that God, by this holy system of redemption, instead of allowing it, by his gracious mercy has made the greatest sacrifice to remove it, even to that of giving his only begotten Son as a free will offering; even to the taking upon himself the sufferings, sins, labour, and sorrow of the world, to fulfil the law, that was broken by disobedient, ungrateful man, and to satisfy the holiness of justice; to redeem man from sin to righteousness. He became poor to make us rich. Indeed, I fully believe, my dear child, the poor are best off in this wicked world. They have none of the temptations of wealth and pride, which is too often of themselves the very things which keep men from seeking God. I have often myself, my dear child, seen more real happiness in a poor man's cottage than in the drawing-rooms of the rich: and there are many who would not change that station

in life for the palaces of kings. Wisdom and talent

often emerge from the cottage.

"Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid

Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire,
Hands that the rod of empire might have sway'd,
Or wak'd to ecstacy the living lyre.

Full many a gem of purest ray serene

The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear;
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,

And waste its sweetness in the desert air."

But all things are in the wise direction of our beloved Lord. It is a wise saying of Solomon's, my love," Riches profit not in the day of wrath ;" and perhaps you are not aware, my child, that the riches of this world are given to men, that they should administer, with other comforts, to the poor; and those who misuse their riches in foolish pleasure, and unnecessary vanities and expenses, are accountable to God at the last day. The wealth given to man, is for the poor and indigent. There are many females, my love, who break the commandments of God in this respect; who lay out hundreds of pounds in useless trinkets and jewels, the interest of which might save many poor families from great distress, but which interest is shut up in a trinket box. These empty ornaments are strictly forbidden by the apostle Paul, in his letter to Timothy. He recommends

all women to "adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety: not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works."

Our beloved Lord thus spake respecting the things of this world, with respect to man's hoarding up for himself.

"The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do; I will pull down my barns, and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods; and I will say to my soul, Thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool! this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.".

So you perceive, my child, thus does God treat with the rich, who give not to the poor: at the moment they think they have satisfied their avaricious hearts, God sends the sting of death, and they die. So what has been the use of their riches to them? But he that shareth with those that are needy, they

are rich to God. The Lord exhibits the wealthy under the parable of the Lord's steward; he gives them wealth to be the instruments of God's bounty, not for lavish expenditure, neither for the gratification of their own covetousness. He declared in those words: "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required."

So you perceive, my dear child, a poor man has not nigh the responsibility of the rich: the latter is the Lord's banker on earth, from whom he will have a faithful account at his coming.

Our beloved Jesus, my love, related another beautiful instance of a rich and poor man. "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine line, and fared sumptuously every day; and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried, and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am tormented

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