THERE is a land where everlasting suns
Shed everlasting brightness; where the soul
Drinks from the living streams of love that roll
By God's high throne: myriads of glorious ones
Bring their accepted off'ring: O how blest
To look from this dark prison to that shrine-
T'inhale one breath of paradise divine,

And enter into that eternal rest
Which waits the sons of God!

ALMIGHTY GOD, with whom do live the spirits of them that depart hence in the Lord, and with whom the souls of the faithful, after they are delivered from the burden of the flesh, are in joy and felicity; we give thee hearty thanks for those that it hath pleased thee to deliver out of the miseries of this sinful world; beseeching thee that it may please thee, of thy gracious goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom; that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith of thy holy name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in thy eternal and everlasting glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

8.

THE FAMILY ROD.

BONAR.

SICKNESS prostrates us; it cuts into the very centre of our carnal nature; it exposes in all their deformity, "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life." What vanity is seen in these upon a sick-bed! These are our three idols; and these, sickness dashes down into the dust.

Sickness takes us aside, and sets us alone with God. We are taken into his private chamber, and there he converses with us face to face. The world is far off, our relish for it is gone, and we are alone with God. Many are the words of grace and truth which he then speaks to us. All our former props are struck away, and we must now lean on God alone. The things of earth are felt to be vanity; man's help useless. Man's praise and man's sympathy desert us; we are cast wholly upon God, that we may learn that his praise and his sympathy are enough. "If it was not for pain,” says one," I should spend less time with God. If I had not been kept awake with pain, I should have lost one of the sweetest experiences I ever had in my life. The disorder of my body is the very help I want from God; and if it does its work before it lays me in the dust, it will raise me up to heaven." It was thus that Job was "chastened upon his bed with pain, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain," that after being tried, he might "come forth as gold."

Sickness teaches us, that activity of service is not the only way in which God is glorified. "They also serve

who only stand and wait." Active duty is that which man judges most acceptable; but God shows us that in bearing and suffering he is also glorified. Perhaps we were pursuing a path of our own, and required to be arrested. Perhaps we were too much harrassed by a bustling world, and needed retirement, yet could find no way of obtaining it, till God laid us down, and drew us aside into a desert place, because of the multitude pressing upon us.

No one of the family rods is more in use than this; sometimes falling lightly on us, at other times more heavily. Let us kiss the rod, seeking so to profit by each bodily ailment, slight or severe, that it may bring forth in us the peaceful fruits of righteousness. "I know," says one, "of no greater blessing than health, except pain and sickness."

WHEN I can trust my all with God,
In trial's fearful hour,
Bow, all resigned beneath his rod,
And bless his sparing power;
A joy springs up amid distress,
A fountain in the wilderness.

Oh! to be brought to Jesus' feet,
Though sorrows fix me there,
Is still a privilege; and sweet

The energies of prayer,

Though sighs and tears its language be,
If Christ be nigh, and smile on me.

Oh! blessed be the hand that gave;

Still blessed when it takes;
Blessed be he who smites to save,

Who heals the heart he breaks.
Perfect and true are all his ways,
Whom heaven adores and death obeys.

HEAR my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble: incline thine ear unto me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily. For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. My heart is smitten, and withered like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread, because of thine indignation and thy wrath; for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. Thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. There is no soundness in my flesh, because of thine anger: neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over my head; as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. But I will declare mine iniquity, I will be sorry for my sin. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight. Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother

conceive me and I have gone astray from the womb speaking lies. But thou, Lord, who art ready to forgive, hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me. Let the blood of Jesus Christ thy Son cleanse me from all my sins, and let the spirit of thy grace sanctify me wholly for His name's sake. Amen.

HEAR us, Almighty and most merciful God and Saviour; extend thy accustomed goodness to this thy servant who is grieved with sickness. Sanctify, we beseech thee, this thy fatherly correction to him; that the sense of his weakness may add strength to his faith, and seriousness to his repentance: that, if it shall be thy good pleasure to restore him to his former health, he may lead the residue of his life in thy fear, and to thy glory: or else, give him grace so to take thy visitation, that, after this painful life be ended, he may dwell with thee in life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.