GOING HOME. I'm going! yes: I'm going now to be dissolved in death! Farewell, the spirits of the just are waiting now for me; Thus sweetly sang the placid saint; but, ere to bliss she flew, Again she smiled; and then she said, "I go to do as angels do." THE THE author of the above lines I found in a quiet cottage in one of our aristocratic metropolitan suburban districts. A choice spirit, one that lives with the LORD, and labours with her pen to utter some of the sweet praises with which her heart is filled. Her volume, entitled "The Fruits of the Valley," contains some of the purest and sweetest poetical spices we have ever met with of recent production, and her forthcoming" Thoughts on the Miracles" will be an acceptable and useful testimony to the power and value of our SAVIOUR's life on earth. I wish her good success in all her efforts to serve the LORD, her living Head; and as she is not, (at least, I hope she is not) yet"Going Home”—a few stanzas from the fast-flowing pen of "A. E. L." may often cheer the hearts of those who read my CHEERING WORDS;" and, it is quite needful I should ask every friend to "CHEERING WORDS" to try and increase their circulation. If to any of earth's weary children these words come with a heavenly cheerfulness, lighting up the valley even but for one moment, then to such I say, think and act that these almost forgotten little words may be read by thousands; for soon we shall be "GOING HOME!" Of late, I have been more of a "Sick Visitor" than "VILLAGE PREACHER:" and some visits I have made, I would not soon forget. Near to me there has long lived a good minister of Jesus Christ, but for four years heavy afflictions have hindered him from preaching the glorious gospel of the ever blessed Gon. I had often thought I should like to speak with him; but I could not muster courage enough, for I am naturally considered a trembling little coward. And many heavy trials have made me often all but melancholy, so that if I meet a gentleman, as I sometimes do the Incumbent of our district, and if he looks at me with a sort of scowl as though he said, "What little dog are you?" I shrink into nothing and, sighing out my sorrows, look to the LORD for help and peace. One evening, the kind and devoted wife of the afflicted minister I have referred to, called, and asked me to visit him; and, oh! how sweet the moments were! He told me he had often read the promises; much had he thought of the promises; frequently had he used them for the benefit of others; but now, in this deep and long affliction, he could say he had proved and realized them. Indeed, I found he knew what that scripture meant, "Underneath are the everlasting arms." One answer he made me was written powerfully on my heart. I was saying, how mysterious thus to be laid aside from his loved employ; and that no physician, no doctor, no remedy could be found to heal him. "No!" said he, "this affliction says to me,' He is in one mind, and who can turn him ?'" Looking very tenderly at me, he said, "When God makes up his mind to put one of his servants in the furnace, nothing can make him alter his mind, until the end is answered for which he placed him there." That sentence threw a flood of light, both on the scripture itself and on the path I have had to travel. That evening I preached from the words, "He is in one mind, and who can turn him; and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth." Some day I may give you a few outlines of that sermon. After some sweet fellowship, I bent my knees beside my neighbour's bed, and was helped to call upon the name of the LORD. If I live I may relate a few more visits made to saints when in sick chambers they are found. And now I am almost always reading, or thinking, or writing, or preaching, or trying to pray; but my reading is not often very profitable, but when my soul is faint and low sunken, if I have a penny in my pocket, I go into Chapter House Court, and purchase one of Mr. Wells's Sermons. The other Saturday evening, before I went to my studies I read that Sermon "The Best Rejoicing." And it was a help to me. One sentence in it was very nice to me. He said, "I have a strong impression upon my mind I shall die exceedingly happy!" Upon what foundation does that impression lie? Ah! my reader, that is certainly a solemn question. Thousands presume they shall die happy, but they have no solid foundation for it. I will give you Mr. Wells's testimony on this point. He is on the believer rejoicing in Christ. He does not go into the subject exactly as Mr. Parks, of Openshaw, does, but the following are Mr. Wells' own words, I hope I can say it is my most solemn of all payers; I know not a petition that I can pour out before the Lord with more earnestness than I do this, that I may go on rejoicing in Christ. For you may depend upon it, unless we delight in Christ we shall not seek yery earnestly after him; unless we delight in Christ we shall not much prize his way. We do need delight of some kind; we cannot be content to be always mourning, nor to be always in bondage, nor to be always cast down, nor to be always sorry; it wears out the mind, and it leads us to desperation, and we are ready to turn round and run away somewhere or another, after something that will support us better. But if we see such excellency in him, and can see that he is the chief of ten thousand, and altogether lovely, then, delighting in him, glorying in him, and saying with the apostle, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of Christ," oh! how this does make us love the habitation of God's house, the place where his honour dwelleth! how this will make us run in his way! how this will enable us to lose sight of other things, and run with patience the race set before us, looking unto Jesus!" And I therein do rejoice;" and then the prospect, "and will rejoice." Will the period ever There I come when I shall not rejoice in Christ? Never, never. have before me a life of joy. And when I come to a dying hour, I hope I shall not be disappointed in that. I have a strong impression upon my mind I shall die exceedingly happy, because my soul does, with an indescribable intensity of love to God and of love to Christ, love to the truth, at times so glory therein that I feel as though I wanted to be out of the body, to give full expansion to the powers of my soul, and drink in more largely of God's everlasting love. It is a good sign, you may depend upon it, to be kept close to him. So, then, the apostle thus rejoiced that Christ was preached. I rejoice now; yea, and I will rejoice." Let sin say what it may, let the world say what it may, let Satan say what he may, let circumstances say what they may, let creatures say what they may, let afflictions say what they may, let death say what it may, let error say what it may, and here it is, I will rejoice, for here is everlasting joy, sorrow and sighing shall flee away. There is the Christian's ground of rejoicing indeed. Thus to live, and thus to die, is to be blest indeed. I add one more testimony. A good man, named Welton, died not long since. His son says, A week previous to my father's death, my youngest brother went to see him, as we all did at different periods; and when about to leave, he said, Father, what shall I pray for?" The reply was, "Pray that I may soon pass over Jordan, that the Lord will help and sustain me through, that my feet may be firm on the Rock, and that if we meet no more on earth we may meet in heaven above." In the night of Sept. 10th, he said to dear mother, "Sing a heavenly song;" she replied, "I cannot sing, dear, do you;" he then tried, but said, "I cannot pitch the tune; sing one verse, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.'" He then bade all in the room farewell. To his son Edgar, he said, "God bless you!" and to his daughter Sarah," Fast on the Rock! glory! glory! glory!" "Are you happy," she asked. "Yes, bless the Lord!" You will soon be with Jesus." "Yes, the Lord will soon say, Come up hither." Though at a distance from home, yet several kind friends visited him; amongst them were some of Christ's ministers. His pastor was one, to whom he expressed his faith in Jesus, the peace of mind he enjoyed, and his earnest desire that peace and prosperity might abound in the church at Horham. To another of the Lord's servants he said, "Satan has been telling me I do not know even the plan of salvation, but I told him I did, for I knew of the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, and I needed no other plan; at which the tempter withdrew." On Sept. 12th, the day of his death (Saturday morning), he raised both his hands and said, "Hear! they are coming" meaning the angels; and repeatedly exclaimed, “Hark! cannot you hear it ?" referring I suppose to heavenly music. The last words which he uttered so as to be understood, were, "It is for me that Christ died." When unable to speak, and in the agonies of death, he looked at dear mother with a heavenly smile, and his face shone-expressive of the sweet peace of his mind though in the swellings of Jordan, which in a few hours he safely passed through, aged sixty-six years. "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." "On harps of gold they praise his name, His face they always view; Then let us followers be of them, A retired Christian whose " Thoughts on the Miracles" are now in our publisher's hands, sends us the following heaven-ascending stanzas which well befit our thoughts on Going Home." "The time of my departure is at hand." 2 Timothy iv, 6. Hammersmith. I'm nearing the beautiful City; I'm going to Jesus the King; Lord Jesus, and speak my release. A. E. L. |