and his life here is the beginning of his eternal beatitude hereafter.

What higher end can be conceived than that of God; what more beautiful life can be imagined than that of God; what more blissful can be thought of, than the happiness of God ?

Say not that in making God "the limit where all our wishes end," we isolate man from nature and humanity? Is not God in nature? in humanity ? in all things? If so, then to see God is to see and know all things eminently ;-to love God and be one with him, is to love and be one with all things most intimately;-to do God's will, is to do every thing and serve all things most effectually. With God and one with God, man, like God, embraces all, and is eminently practical; without God, he is incomplete and his actions ineffectual.

We may be told that this is all poetry, rhapsody, moonshine, smoke, and will, like

"Yon wavering column, perish ! "*

* Schiller.

To some these thoughts may appear so; the world is wide, and leaving such by the way, we say this is

"A truth too vast for spirits lost in sloth,
By self-indulgence marr'd of noble growth,
Who bear about, in impotence and shame,
Their human reason's visionary name." *

But to those who feel within their hearts the strivings of a noble enterprise, we have a word of hope. Ye, whose thoughts make the world a solitude, and who feel a bliss by you not understood, we have a word of hope. Ye, to whom God has given generous views of life and courage to act for Eternity; to you we have a word of hope, and, with assurance, say :

"These are not dreams for laughter.
Now but shoots, these trees hereafter
Shall with fruit refresh us."†

IV.

Special Destiny.

"Could I find a path to follow,

Ah, how glad I were, and blest!"

SCHILLER.

AN not only has a destiny, but each in

MAN

dividual of the race has a special destiny, a definite work to do; and this work is a great, an important, a divine work. For, whatever God appoints, is great, great in its purpose, imgreat,-great

portant in its accomplishment, divine in its results. At the same time that God gave to each soul a definite work to do, and marked out for it a special path in life, which, following faithfully, it will attain its beatitude, he gave also to the soul the strength, courage, talent, grace to do

the work well; and more, to do it with a certain degree of facility and pleasure.

Moments come to every soul when the iron hand of its destiny is laid upon it with an irresistible power. A higher power directs it,

and it is an awful moment when the soul feels, for the first time, that it is under an influence that it cannot control, and all before it is dark:

"My will is bondsman to the dark,
I sit within a helmless bark."*

When the world loses all its charms, the sweet ties of human friendship are snapped asunder; the heart's affections are torn up by their roots with a ruthless hand, and the soul, in throes of agony, cries out to its invisible antagonist, ""Tis o'er."

One thing it knows amidst its darkness, and that is, that to resist the power that leads it on, would be its death. One thing it is sure of, amidst its uncertainties, that the path in which it has entered will terminate in a plenitude of life; and exclaims,

* Tennyson.

"How strangely Fate my feet is leading;

And, ah! I feel it soon or late,

Much more awaits me, all unheeding.” *

Yielding at length with confidence to its invisible guide, it says;

"Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!

The night is dark, and I am far from home-
Lead Thou me on!

Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene,-one step enough for me.

"I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on.

I loved to choose and see my path, but now
Lead Thou me on!

I loved the garish day, and spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will: remember not past years.

"So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on,

O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone;

And with the morn those angel faces smile

Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile. †