MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 319 when it is dislodged from this mortal tabernacle ; and why should I not keep my spirit ever near thee, since every moment I am liable to be turned out of this dwelling, and sent a naked stranger into the unknown world of spirits ? It is but a few days and nights more that I can have to do with sun, moon and stars ; a little time will finish all my com- merce with this visible world ; but I have affairs of infinite and everlasting moment to transact with the great God. It is before thy tribunal I must stand as the final Judge of all my+ conduct, from whose decisive sentence there is no appeal ; and yet how fond am I, and wretchedly solicitous, to approve myself rather to creatures, whose opinion and sentence is but empty air. It is by thy judgment that I must stand or fall for ever ; the words of thy lips will be my eternal bliss, or my everlasting woe why then should I, a little insect, or atom of being, be concerned about the smiles or frowns of my fellow insects, my equal atoms ? Can all their applauses, or their reproaches, weigh a grain in the divine balance, that sacred and tremendous balance of justice, in which all my actions and my soul itself must be weighed Let all the creatures above and below frown and scowl upon me ; if my Creator smile, I am happy; nor can all their frownings diminish my complete joy. Forgive, gracious God, forgive the past follies and wander- ings of a sinful worm, from thee the highest and the best of be- ings. -I am even amazed at my own stupidity, that I could live so much absent from thee, when my eternal all depends upon thee. And how much more inexcusable is my forgetfulness of my God, since he has sent his own Son, his fairest image into flesh and blood, to put me in mind of my Maker, and to teach me what my God is ? " He that has seen me, says he, has seen the Father ; i and the Father are one." We happen to be bord in- deed too late for the sight of his face, but we have the transcript of his heart, the true copy of his life, and the very features of his soul, conveyed down to usin his ever - living gospels. There we may read Jesus, there we may learn the Father. O may the little remnant of my days be spent in the presence of my God ;' and when I am constrained to converse with creatures, let me ever remember that I have infinitely more to do with my Crea- tor, and thus shorten my talk and traffic with them, that I may have leisure to converse the longer with thee. Let me see thee in every thing; let me read thy name every where; sounds, shapes, colours, motions and all visible things, let them all teach me an invisible God. Let creatures be nothin ;to me, but as the books which thou hast lent me to instruct me in the lessons of thy power, wisdom and love; above all, let me derive this sci- ence by converse with the blessed Jesus ; and may I be so wise sb2
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