*2.36 THE WORLD TO costE. " Let this silence thy murmuring thoughts, O my soul; let this dry up thy tears which are ready to overflow on such an occasion.- Dare not pronounce it a stroke of anger from the hand. of God, who divided them from the tempting or distressing scenes of this world, and kindly removed them out,of the way of danger. This was the wisest method of his love to guard them from many a folly and many a sorrow, which he foresaw just at the door. Will the wounded and complaining heart go on to groan and murmur still, " But my son was carried off in the prime of life, or my daughter in her blooming years ; they stood flourishing in the vigour of their nature, and it was my delight to behold their growing'appearances of virtue and good- ness, and that in the midst of ease and plenty, and prospects of happiness, so far as this world can afford it ?" But could you look through the nest year to the end of it ? Could you pene- trate into future events, and survey the scenes of seven years to come ? Could your heart assure itself of the real possession of this imaginary view of happiness and peace ? Perhaps the blessed God saw the clouds gathering afar off, and at a great distance of time, and in much kindness he housed your favourite from un- known trials, dangers and sorrows. So a prudent gardener, who is acquainted with the sky, and skilful in the signs of the seasons, even in the month of May, forsees a heavy tempest rising in the hedge of the horizon, while a vulgar eye observes nothing but sunshine ; and he who knows the worth and the ten- derness of some special plants in his garden, houses them ïn haste, lest they be exposed and demolished by the sweeping rain or hail. You say, " These children were in the bloom of life, and in the most desirable appearance of joy and satisfaction: " But is not that also usually the most dangerous season of life, and the hour of most powerful temptation I Was not that the time when their passions might have been too hard for them, and the deluding pleasures of life stood round them with a most perilous assault ? And what if God, out of pure compassion, saw it ne- cessary to hide them from an army of perils at once, and to carry them off the stage of life with more purity and honour?. Surely when the great God has appointed it, when the blessed Jesus bas done it, we would not rise up in opposition and say, " But I would have had them live longer here at all adventures: I Wish they were alive again, let the consequence be what it will." This is not the voice of faith or patience ; this is not the language of holy submission and love to God, nor can our souls approve of such irregular storms of ungoverned affection, which oppose 'themselves to the divine will; and ruffle the soul with criminal disquietude." There are many, even of the children of God, who had left
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