See! there is gold! that Providence has sent : His foul a tempest-storms around him rife; But mark the contrast! Patience, much at ease, But what is more, Th' intricate cord unravels by degrees. A placid lake-whose waters are at reft. Two very different characters are here presented to our view: Paffion, storming, wild with rage-Patience, calm and tranquil. For fome time Paffion has been endeavouring to unravel a hank of entangled twine or cord. In his great hurry, he entangles it more and more. It is full of knots; he grows hot with rage; his face is miscreated; he wears the aspect of a fury. Stamping with anger, he tramples upon some toys that lay near him, and breaks them into pieces. A bag of gold is seen standing at his fide. This only feeds his pride; it makes him more outrageous to think that he should have such work assigned him. A tempest is seen to arise behind him; the clouds gather blackness; thunders roll; fearful lightnings glare around. This is to show the state of his mind-wild, fiery, and tempestuous. He is also fully represented by the troubled sea, seen in the back ground. Tumultuous, it tosses its foaming billows; its restless water cafts up mire and dirt. So his troubled spirit, agitated by the tumult of his paffions, gives utterance to oaths, blafphemies, and imprecations. Miserable youth! The fire of hell is enkindled within him! Patience, on the other hand, fits with unruffled composure. He too has had the same work affigned him. He has the knotted cord to unravel; but he goes about it in the spirit of duty; patiently he unties knot after knot, overcomes difficulty after difficulty, until the whole is cleared. He has finished his task; he is seen looking upward, to show that he seeks help and counsel from on high. A heavenly light descends and sheds its luftre round about him. Help is afforded. In the back ground is seen a placid lake; this denotes the composure of his mind. Not a wave of perplexity dashes across his peaceful breast. He has not riches; no gold is seen shining by his fide; he is, however, contented with his condition; nor is he without hope of future good. The Bow of Promise, glittering in the distant sky, intimates to us that he looks forward to a future recompense. Passion represents a man of the world; one who has his portion in this life. The Almighty Father has appointed a work to all men; yea, everything living, moving, creeping, swimming, flying, has its work to do. Duty is incumbent upon all. It is a condition of existence; it is also a condition of happiness. Man is under this univerfal law. The man of the world, lacking the proper qualifications for duty, fails in difcharging it aright. He works from wrong motives, and for wrong ends: he does all to the glory of self. No wonder he makes such bungling work of it. By the knotted cord, may be understood those difficult passages of life through which man, as such, has to pass-afflictions, disappointments, &c. These are more than the worldly-minded man can bear. The reason seems clear enough. He has fet his heart upon earthly objects; hence the removal of these objects from him affects him very sensibly. These are thy gods, O man of the world! When trouble comes, of course he does not look upward; he has no business there. He looks "He leans to down-down-continually. his own understanding," instead of waiting for further developments. He becomes impatient, fretful, peevish, angry, and paffionate. He would curse God and die, if he was not afraid to die. He is "Instantly, with wild demoniac rage, Providence may have lavished wealth upon him; he spurns the giver, he abuses his gifts. His pride becomes more inflamed; his table becomes a snare unto him; his riches add to his discontent. What he needs, though he may not know it, is a hope beyond the grave. He has title-deeds enough on parchment, but none to the kingdom of heaven-houses and lands, but no "hidingplace" in which to enter when the great day of His wrath shall come. He has no anchor to enable his vessel to ride out the gales of adversity. Clouds and darkness surround him; a tempest is in his path; he is a cloud carried with the tempest, to whom is reserved the mist of darkness for ever; a troubled sea, which cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. Patience represents the man of God-him who has chofen God and the world to come for his portion. In this world, he, too, has presented to him the knotted cord-trials, perplexities, and afflictions. Man is born to trouble. He endures all things as seeing him who is invisible; in patience he possesseth his soul. He looks at the difficulty calmly; he confiders what is best to be done, and which is the best way to do it. If it is beyond his power or skill, he looks to God for assistance. The composed state of his mind gives him a great advantage over the impatient one; but if he finds his own arm too short, he is intimate with One who is mighty to save, and who is a very present help in times of trouble. Soon the knot is untied, the difficulty is overcome, and the victory is gained. Hence a holy calm pervades him; he knows that all things are working together for his good. His foul is like a placid lake, reflecting the rosy light of heaven. Earth to him may be a tempestuous ocean; but the eye of faith ever fees the beacon of truth gleaming across its dark blue wave, pointing him to the haven of repose. Therefore, though caft down, he is not destroyed-perplexed, yet never in despair. He reckons that his light afflictions will work for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. He looks not at the things which are seen, but at those that are not seen. He has no gold-he is poor; but the bow of promise spans for him its glorious arch. "He is joyful in hope." He is reminded of his inheritance above. There he has a throne at the right hand of the King of Glory-a mansion in the skies-a bower in Paradise-a rest in Abraham's bosom-a shelter from the storm-a city which has foundations. No wonder that he fets his affections on things that are above. There is his portion fair-there, too, is his heart-there is his eternal dwelling place. He would rather have the lot of Lazarus here, and his portion hereafter, than fare sumptuously every day with Dives, and be perplexed with him at last in the hell of torment. As he walks through the vale of poverty and distress, the heavenly light shines around him, and awakens the voice of fong : "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, I will joy in the God of my Salvation." How greatly is Patience to be preferred before U |