Glimpses of the Past: Or, The Museum

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Published by Jdin S.Taylor
145 Nassau St .

0LUPSE8 OF THE PAST,

OE

THE MUSEUM.

CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH.

■ AH thy worki than prate thee, O Lord ; and thy taints shall
bleat thee."— Psalm cxlv. 10.

FROM THK FOURTH LONDON EDITION.

NEW YORK.

PUBLISHED BY JOHN 8. TAYLOR,

BRICK CHURCH CHAPEL, 145 NASSAU ST.

! 1841.

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8. W. BENEDICT, PRINTS*, 128 FULTON 8TRIKT.

THE MUSEUM.

CHAPTER I.

" "What a treatwe shall hare !" said Ed-
ward, rubbing his hands, when he had brush-
ed his hat and laid it on the table beside him.
" I really don't know what I shall do, with
so many nice things to admire. We must
run here and there, as the butterflies fidget
among the flowers ; just alight for a minute
on one and then away to another."

" Ah !" replied Jane, " that might be plea-
sant enough to a butterfly ; but we had bet-
ter be bees, and bring home something pro-
fitable to lay up. Knowledge is a valuable
thing ; and I would rather get well acquaint-
ed with one interesting object, than just look
at fifty, and learn nothing."

"You are right, sister," said Edward:
" and, as Mamma will be with us, the fault
must be our own if we gain no instruction

4 THE MUSEUM.

from what we see in the Museum. I will
change my plan, and keep close to her, that
I may hear what answers you get to your
questions ; for I know you will ask plenty."

" To be sure, brother. What would be
the use of having such parents to instruct us,
if we did not listen to their teaching ?"

Mrs. Cleveland now entered ; and, finding
the children quite ready, they all set out
together to visit a very good Museuin of na-
tural curiosities, and rare things brought from
other countries. Having entered a very large
room, they looked round ; and both Edward
and his sister felt a little confused at first, see-
ing so many new and strange objects on all
sides, not knowing where to begin admiring
them. There were cases all round the room,
with glass fronts, filled with stuffed animals
and birds,— bottles containing reptiles, pre-
served in spirits,— and other curiosities that
quite puzzled the young people. Tables were
also set out, covered with glass frames ; and
on these were arranged a number of beautiful
shells, corals, stones, and different kinds of
ore. Beyond this was another room ; and
the children would have liked to pass on to it

THE MUSEUM. D

at once, but their Mamma advised them first
to walk round and examine what was already
before them.

" All these things, my dear, belong to na-
tural history ; and here you may see speci-
mens of a very small part of the wonderful
works of God in creation."

" Oh, those beautiful birds !" cried Jane ;
" what shapes and colors they have ! and
how very, very small some of them are !—
hardly as big as large butterflies."

" Those are humming-birds," remarkedher
brother, " and very pretty creatures too ; but
these are better worth looking at. See, here
are noble birds, — owls, falcons, and eagles."

" Owls are stupid creatures," said Jane.

Mrs. Cleveland replied, " It is customary
to call them so ; and a bad name once given
to any one is not easily got rid of. This
ought to make us careful how we take up a
reproach against our neighbor. But as to
the owl, I confess he seems to me the reverse
of stupid. The moon is made to shine, and
the owl to live by night : both are seen to
great disadvantage under the brightness of
day. We will say nothing against the owl,

6 THE MUSEUM.

until we have had opportunity of observing
him at the fit time, and in his proper employ-
ment In the meanwhile, let us admire the
beauty of his plumage* which, though far
from gay, is marked with great delicacy and
exactness ; and consider how well this horny
beak, and these powerful talons, are adapt-
ed for his purposes as a bird of prey."

" Oh, if beaks and talons are to be ad-
mired," said Edward, "just come and look
at this eagle."

Jane looked, and turned away, saying, " I
cannot bear the sight of the cruel creature,
with that innocent white hare, bleeding, in
his claws."

"Yet," observed her brother, " if the inno-
cent hare was skinned and roasted, we should
have no objection to eat a slice from it."

"Edward is certainly right," said Mrs.
Cleveland. " Man does from choice, what
the eagle does from necessity ; and Will even
be so wantonly cruel as to hunt the poor
hare for his diversion, when, if the herds,
and flocks, and poultry, could not satisfy his
palate, he might at least put it to an easier
death. We must not quarrel with those of

THE MUSEUM. 7

the animal race, who, like ourselves, feed
upon flesh, and like us, make use of superior
strength or cunning to provide themselves
with it Let us do justice to the eagle, as
the noblest in appearance among the feather-
ed race, and interesting from being so fre-
quently brought under our notice in the word
of God. Can Edward furnish us with an
instance of this ?"

Edward immediately repeated, from the
fortieth chapter of Isaiah, " Even the youths
shall faint and be weary, and the young men
shall utterly fall ; but they that wait upon the
Lord shall renew their strength ; they shall
mount up with wings as eagles ; they shall
run, and not be weary ; and they shall walk
and not faint."

" Observe the solid strength of that bird's
pinions," said Mrs. Cleveland, "and you
may partly judge of the force of the compa-
rison : yet, unless you saw him rising from
his native rocks, soaring upwards through the
rough wind, and seeming to despise the storm
that howls around him, you can form but a
poor idea of the exquisite fitness of God's
work to illustrate his word."

8 THE MUSEUM.

" I can repeat something also," said Jane,
who seemed to have forgiven the noble bird
the slaughter of his prey. She went on to
quote from that sublime chapter, the thirty-
second of Deuteronomy — " As an eagle stir-
reth up her nest, fluttereth over her young,
spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them,
beareth them on her wings; so the Lord
alone did lead him, and there was no strange
god with him."

"We often find," said Mrs. Cleveland,
" the same simile used to denote the dealings
of our God towards his church, and the pri-
vileges bestowed on that church through faith
in him. Thus with the eagle, in these two
passages which my children have repeated.
The quotation from Isaiah serves to remind
us that the believer does indeed partake in
all the fullness of Christ ; for, whalrvLT 11*5
was, whatever he did, ]
the flesh, all was for t
stand eompleM
beautitulj
etl]

THE MUSEUM. 9

" The eagle, my dears, when her young
ones are fully fledged for flight, cannot give
them their first lessons as we see the smaller
birds do to their little progeny, teaching them
to hop from twig to twig, and by short flights
to gain the ground. The eagle's nest is gene-
rally in the cleft of some lofty rock, often per-
pendicular ; so that, on leaving it, nothing
appears to break the descent, — no friendly
tree extending its branches, — no hedge or
sloping bank,-— but a vast depth beneath, ter-
minating in a foundation of hard rock ; or,
not nnfrequently, in the sea, whose boiste-
rous waves dash against it. This is a sad
prospect for the young eagles, on first trying
their tender pinions, and quitting the shelter
of a warm nest. They are loth to make the
attempt ; and the parent bird proceeds as you
find it described in that passage. First she
* stirreth up her nest :' she rouses the young
ones, and obliges them to climb to the verge
of their dwellings, where they stand trembling
at the wide expanse before them, until the
mother, by a push, sends them tumbling from
the height ; when they are of course obliged

10 THE MUSEUM.

to expand their wings, and to do their best
in the way of flying."

"The poor little dears !" exclaimed the
children, " their wings must soon fail them,
and down they would drop."

" No : for the watchful mother « fluttered
over her young,' and, with a powerful effort
of her strong pinions, sweeps down below
them. She then * spreadeth abroad her
wings,' so as to catch them thereon, — « taketh
them 9 as upon a safe resting place, with only
a little fluttering on their part to keep them
steady, — « she beareth them on her wings,*
sailing through the air, amorig the rocks,
over the billows, until they get accustomed to
these objects, and emboldened to shift for
themselves."

" Oh, how wonderful !" said Jane, " and
how beautiful !"

" And how exactly it answers to the text
of Scripture !" added her brother.

" Yes, my children ; it is both wonderful
and beautiful, and becomes more so, the more
deeply we consider it. For the Lord doubt-
less thus formed, and endowed the eagle with
so peculiar an instinct, to be a type of His

THE MUSEUM. 11

. own dealings with his family ; and the eagle
is one among his many witnesses, his count-
less messengers to heedless man. Consider a
little the fitness of the comparison. When
the child of God, raised from the death of
trespasses and sins, and born anew of the Spi-
rit, looks out upon that world through which
lies his passage to eternal happiness, he sees
little before him but dangers, enemies, and
difficulties of various sorts. He must no
longer remain in the dark and narrow cell of
his natural state, but go forth to do the work
of his heavenly Father, and press onward to
the kingdom ; and this he has no strength nor
courage to attempt, until God, in his good
providence sets him forward on the way,
with the cheering promise, ' I will never leave
thee nor forsake thee.' Then, the same power
which had called him into a new and better
existence, watches over, him carefully : and
when his heart fails through fear, and his
flesh through weariness, he finds the Lord a
very present help, able and willing to bear
the burden which faith casts upon Him. Thus
the believer gains confidence from finding
every prayer answered, and every want sup-

12 THB MUSEUM.

plied ; he no longer fears the enemies that
surround him, for he knows the Lord to be
his helper ; he shrinks from nothing to which
duty calls him, because faith tells him he can
do all things through Christ who strengthen-
ed him ;* and thus he attains by degrees to
the blessed state mentioned in Edward's quo-
tation, — where, continually waiting on the
Lord, he becomes like that powerful bird in
its full growth, imd mounts upward towards
heaven. We will now take leave of the
eagle, thankful that our view of him has not
been unprofitable."

" Let me look a minute longer, Mamma,"
said Edward. " See, his head is turned up-
ward, and his eye seems to be measuring the
distance through which he has to ascend— a
very great way, no doubt, from that spot to
his lofty eyry, — his nest in the top of a rock.
It is not for himself, surely, that he has seized
that prey, but for his mate and hungry little
ones, who wait for a supply of their wants.
Oh ! it still reminds me of the Lord Jesus,
who when, he ascended up on high,t leading

♦ PhiLiv. 13. tPmlmlxviii.18.

THE MUSEUM. 13

eaptivity captive, did so that he might bestow
gifts on men, even the rebellions. Is it not
so, Mamma?"

" Indeed, my dear boy, you have drawn an
apt comparison: and if every object here
prove as interesting as the eagle, we shall
not soon get through the survey."

Jane proceeded to gaze upon a collection
of birds, the colors of whose plumage were
most brilliant " Now see if this does not
put all painting to shame. Could any artist
in the world shade like this? Stand where I
will, there is some new and beautiful tint to
admire ; and they melt so, one into another,
that nobody can say where this ends, or where
that begins. And then their shapes — how
elegant and graceful ! and some with long,
long feathers, sweeping down in such a
beautiful curve ! I could stand here all day,
Mamma, to look at them."

"I believe you could, my dear; for cer-
tainly there is enough to admire in the plu-
mage alone : but when we come to examine
the difference that distinguishes each part of
the species from the one next to it, — when
we mark the very slight, yet decisive, varie-
2

14 THE MUSEUM.

ties of form and color, even within the very
narrow space of this single shelf, — we may
well be lost in wondering contemplation, and
wish that time were ours to examine every
portion of God's amazing works. But, alas !
my children, sin has entered into this glori-
ous creation, casting a veil over our minds ;
so that we cannot comprehend either the
Author or his work aright ; and bringing a
curse upon the earth, and filling us so full of
all corruption, that the little span of our
shortened lives is barely sufficient to acquaint
us with what we need to know of our own
state before God, and to seek the salvation
of those within our reach. Adam, when holy
and happy, was set to dress the garden of
Eden, and to keep it ; and no doubt it was a
book to him, wherein to read the glory, and
the beauty, and the goodness of him whose
hand made all these things, of which we can
but now and then take a hasty and imperfect
glance. We go mourning over a ruined
world, and waiting for ' new heavens and a
new earth, wherein dwelleth righteous-
ness.' "•

• 1 Pater iii. IS.

THE MUSEUM. 15

Jane sighed, as slie left the beautiful birds ;
and next stopped before a row of those glass
bottles which have been mentioned,

" What an odd fancy," said Edward, " to
pickle snakes, and worms, and frogs ! and,
after all, they are very ugly to look upon."

"I cannot agree with you," replied his
mother. " This pickling, as you call it, is
the only mode of preserving such specimens,
as the birds are preserved by stuffing : but
surely there is much beauty in the skin of a
snake, the graceful form of a lizard, the
speckled coat of a frog, and the small but
regular markings on a caterpillar. Look
nearer, and you 'must admit it"

"I never can fancy them," said Jane.
" The prettiest snake or worm in the world
is always ugly in my eyes."

** Indeed," remarked her mother, " there
seems to be a sort of natural aversion against
those creatures in most minds. The threat,
' I will put enmity between thee and the wo-
man, between thy seed and her seed,'* though
addressed to the great adversary of mankind,

• Gen. iii. 15.

16 THE MUSEUM.

and pointing especially to- Jesus Christ as the
seed of the woman who should bruise the ser-
pent's head, still seems to receive an addi-
tional fulfilment in the shrinking sensation
with which we usually behold the serpent
tribe. Happy would it be for us if sin, in
any shape, was equally unwelcome !"

" Then as to the worms," added Edward,
" I rather think that our dislike to them is
owing to the expectation of their one day
eating us."

" It may be so, my dear : the destruction
of our bodies is a subject that we seldom like
to dwell upon ; and when the creature which
is destined to prey upon us after death bears
the form chosen by Satan wherein to bring
death into the world, no wonder if we feel
uneasiness in looking upon it."

Jane had passed on to a table, and was
looking through the glass cover at some curi-
ous specimens of the insect tribe, which she
called on her brother to admire, exclaiming,
" Only see, Edward, what a variety of flies ;
from that magnificent creature of a butterfly,
down to this very, yery little gnat, with its
gossamer wings, hardly to be discovered on

THE MUSEUM. 1?

the paper ; and how richly some of them are
colored ! Here is loveliness indeed, and
nothing to frighten or disgust any body —
who would look at worms, with these ele-
gant creatures just beside them ?"

" And yet," said her mother, " it would be
difficult to point out one among these elegant
creatures which has not existed in the form of
a worm ; and the ugliest of the pickled cater-
pillars, from which you turned away, would,
if not cut short in its little span of life, hare
become, probably, a splendid butterfly. We
are blind judges indeed ! A person, fancying
that he could improve and beautify the visible
creation, would perhaps begin by destroying
what, if left to fulfil its appointed course, will
most richly adorn the earth. And here let
us take a lesson, also, to • judge nothing be-
fore the time,'* but patiently await the un-
folding of those wise decrees wtiich we cannot
comprehend until the work is finished. The*
most disagreeable, the most mischievous and
evil characters,— such as we would wish re-
moved far out of our neighborhood,— may

• 1 Cor. iv. 5.
2*

18 THE MUSEUM.

yet, by the powfer of divine grace, be so
changed as to become blessings to all around
them. This should encourage us to do our
utmost towards bringing them within the
hearing of what may do good to their souls.
Here, I see, are some specimens also of the
crysalis, or the worm in its passage to a new
state of existence. Now, Jane, supposing
that the principle of life was not extinct in
these creatures, if you laid one of them by,
you would soon behold the dark and shape-
less shell burst asunder, and a lively winged
insect break forth. Such a change, but far
greater and more lovely, takes place when the
sinner b enabled to * put off the old man,'* —
the evil and rebellious nature, — and to * put
on the new man 9 of faith, and humility, and
zeal, and love. No more crawling then in
search of earthly enjoyments, buried in the
miry ways of an unholy world ; but a new life
of activity, and power to rise above what en-
chained us before, and to rejoice in the beams
of the Sun of Righteousness. My dear chil-
dren, let us not leave this part of the interest-

* Col. iii. 9, 10.

THE MUSEUM. 19

ing scene around us, without solemnly ask-
ing ourselves whether we are groveling with
the worm, cleaving to the dust, and minding
earthly things ; or whether, with the butter-
fly, we are accustomed to soar aloft, — our
ways weaned from the world, and our con-
versation in heaven.'.'

The children paid great attention to their
dear Mamma's remarks, and went on in si-
lence for a little while, looking in as they
passed the cases where various things belong-
ing to the insect race were deposited. At
length they arrived at another department,
and saw a most tasteful collection of shells,
and other submarine productions, arranged
before them.

" Now Jane will be happy," observed her
brother.

And Jane looked happy indeed ; for she
particularly delighted in shells, and was not
ignorant of their history and classification.
Some were of enormous size— others scarcely
larger than the head of a pin ; but, from the
least to the greatest, all were beautiful in the
eyes of one who could attentively consider
their form and colors, and their great fitness
for the uses to which they were designed.

20 THE MUSEUM.

" What a pity," remarked Edward, " that
such neat and pretty houses should hare
lost all their tenants !"

"Their late tenants," said his mother, smil-
ing, "would hare found the warm atmosphere,
which agrees so well with you, a very uncom-
fortable element to live in. Their abode was
at the base of those rocks on whose summit
our noble friend the eagle pitched his eyry,
and perhaps furnished a feast to the gull and
the cormorant, whose inanimate bodies are
perched yonder, never more to spread wing
over the bounding billows in quest of such
prey. ' But what is my little Jane thinking
of all this while?"

- " Indeed, Mamma, I hardly know what is
uppermost in my thoughts ; but certainly the
billows of which you speak, and the living
sea-gulls and cormorants, and the shore scat-
tered with shells and weeds, were all an my
mind. I do love the sea, Mamma ; I never
can tire of it ; and I delight in every thing
that brings it to my recollection. Oh ! what
pleasant hours we passed, brother, on the
bright hard sands, watching the waves which
rolled to our feet, and then ran back again,
as if afraid of us !"

THE MUSEUM. 21

Mrs. Cleveland repeated the sublime words
from Job — " When I made the cloud the gar-
ment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling-
, band for it, and brake up for it my decreed
place, and set bars and doors, and said, hith-
erto shalt thou come, but no further, and
here shall thy proud waves be stayed."*
, " And then," rejoined Edward, " to stand
and watch, on a very rough day, when a big
wave came rolling towards the «hore, like a
mountain of water, so that you must fancy
the whole coast would be overflowed ; but no
sooner did it reach the appointed place, than
it rose up, as if in anger to be so stopped,
curled its great foaming head, dashed down
with the noise of thunder upon the beach,
and rolled away^ack to its own deep home."
•* Ah !" said Jane, " and well I remember,
at such a time, when you could hardly be
heard for the noise of the waters, how I was
struck by your repeating that grand verse in
Jeremiah, so suitable to the scene — 4 Fear ye
nt)t me ? saith the Lord : will ye not tremble
at my presence, which have placed the sand
for the bound of the sea by a perpetual de-
ft Job. xxxviii. 9"— 11.

22 TUB MUSEUM.

cree, that it cannot pass it ; and though the
wares thereof toss themselves, yet can they
not prevail ; though they roar, yet can they
not pass over it'* O, Mamma, what would
all the glories of this wonderful creation be
worth to us, if we had not the Bible, the pre-
cious, beautiful Bible, to explain and improve
them !»

" And yet," remarked Edward, " 1 have
heard people pitied for being so fond of their
Bibles, and called melancholy enthusiasts for
taking them out to read/' •

" And I, brother, actually heard one mise-
rable man deny that there was any truth in
what the Bible tells us concerning the crea-
tion — doubting whether God made it at all ;
and he stood on the sea-side, too !"

" Yes," observed Mrs. Cleveland, pointing
to a very fine specimen of delicate sea-weed,
spread out on card-paper — " yes ; and per-
haps, while he uttered his blasphemous folly,
the wave cast at his feet such a piece of the
Divine workmanship as that, to prove that
even in the depths of the dark ocean God had
engraven as it were his name, by calling so

* Jer. v. 22.

THE MUSEUM. 23

beautiful a vegetable into being there. ' O
Lord, how manifold are thy works ! in wis-
dom hast thou made them all : the earth is
full of thy riches. So is this great and wide
sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable,
both small and great beasts.'* Our little
island, my dears, is girt around by the sea,
which the Lord has blessed to be our defence
against many foes. May we render to Him
the praise so justly due, and in which the
very waves that we talk of are represented
as joining us. ( Let the sea roar, and the
fulness thereof ; the world, and they that
dwell therein ; let the floods clap their hands,
let the hills be joyful together before the
Lord.' »t

" There is no poetry like that," observed
Edward,

" And is there any painting like this, bro-
ther?" asked Jane, pointing to a shell most
exquisitely marked in brilliant colors.

" No, indeed, I think not, sister, unless it
be found in a flower-garden."

"Ah, that is true; but then, Edward, it

• Pwdmciv.34,35. t P«lm wvliL 7-9.

24 THE MUSEUM.

is by the same hand and the same pencil, and
none other can do like Him."
. After admiring some rich pieces of branch-
ing coral, and being told by their Mamma
that on such a substance, the work of a very
small insect, great rocks and tracts of land
are founded, they passed on to where the
minerals were arranged. Here were gems,
both in the, natural state and highly polished :
also many ores, marbles, and spars. These
were very interesting* as displaying the won-
de ful variety and abundance of earth's rich-
es ; and that wonder was > greatly increased,
on calculating that the utmost art and enter-
prise of man had never penetrated much
lower than the thirty-thousandth part of the
earth's diameter ; while every step of their
progress* downward disclosed new Wonders,
new beauties, new treasures. While looking
upon the different specimens, they paused a
little while over each, to consider its various
properties, the dangers to be braved, and the
difficulties to be overcome, before it could
even be submitted to the long and toilsome
operations of those who were to prepare it
for use.

THE MUSEUM. 25

'♦Sin," observed Mrs. Cleveland, "has
placed a barrier between tfs and those things
which were originally formed for our use ;
and the sentence pronounced upon guilty man,
'In the sweat of thy face, shalt thou eat
bread,* is fulfilled not only in regard to the
labor by which alone the earth can be culti
vated, the harvest gathered in, and our food
prepared, but also in every other respect. By
the fall of man, climates were made unhealthy
and severe,, so that shelter became needful,
and our bodies must be clad accordingly. See
what art and effort are necessary, before an
article of clothing can he prepared for our use,
or a house built for us to dwell in ! It is true
that man in a savage state, does not take this
trouble ; but nothing that we call decency,
much less comfort, can be enjoyed without it
We are truly strangers, as \vell as pilgrims
here : all around us is matter of wonder and
perplexity. Our faculties, darkened by sin,
are unable to comprehend the works of God ;
and we pass over the earth's surface, just bor-
rowing for a while the use of that little which

♦ Gen.iii. 19.

26 THE MUSEUM.

we can grasp, and go out of this life nearly
as ignorant as when we entered it. Some
men devote their whole thought, and time,
and labor to studying one or another part of
creation ; but too. generally such persons ne-
glect the more important study of themselves,
and of God's .will, as revealed to us in the
gospel. They write books, perhaps, upon the
courses of the stars, or the formation of rocks,
or the arrangement of minerals ; they number
up, and class, and describe the different spe-
cies of animals, of birds, fishes, insects ; they
travel to distant lands, in quest of new varie-
ties among the flowery and vegetable tribes :
but, alas ! what avail all the knowledge thus
gleaned, and the admiration won from their
more ign6rant fellow-creatures, if they con-
tinue dead in trespasses and sins, and prove
unprofitable servants unto God ! It is a very
beautiful and instructive study, to trace the
hand of the great Creator in all that he has
formed ; but Satan is constantly on the watch
to ensnare us by means of those things that
we most incline to ; and we may destroy our
souls by laying up treasures for ourselves, not

THX MUSEUM. 27

only in money and goods, but in art and sci-
ence, and worldly wisdom ; while, being not
rich towards God, we suffer the inner man to
perish for lack of knowledge."

"And yet, Mamma," said Edward, "I
often hear such men spoken of as those whom
we ought most to admire, and to imitate, be-
cause they spent their whole lives in study."
, " Do you not know, my . dear, that it is
written, 'That which is highly esteemed
among men is abomination in the sight of
God V* You must judge no man uncharita-
bly ; but when you hear of a person devoting
his whole life to the pursuit of any thing
which has not the glory of God in view,
never take that man for your pattern. On
the other hand, how beautiful is true science,
when sanctified by pure and practical Chris-
tianity ! Of this I can mention an instance,
in our countryman, the Hon. Robert Boyle.
He excelled greatly in many branches of hu-
man learning, particularly in chimistry, where
he made such discoveries as have rendered
him famous ; but, instead of delighting in th6

♦ Luke xri. 15.

28 THE MUSEUM.

admiration and applause of his fellow-men,
this truly wise and learned philosopher would
go daily to his Bible; with all 'the meekness
and teachableness of a little child. He was a
follower of Christ, and faithfully served him :
among other things/it was his great anxiety
to give that blessed Bible to the poor Irish-
speaking natives of the country, in their own
language, which they so dearly love* For
this he prayed and labored, — sparing neither
time, pains, nor money, to promote the
work of mercy."

"What a sweet character !" said Jane.

"I hope I shall be the better for hearing
about this good Mr. Boyle," remarked her
brother; "for I was beginning to think it
must be safer to remain a dunce, if know-
ledge be so dangerous ?"

" No, Edward," replied his Mamma, " ig-
norance is no security against sin. Whatever
station you are in, and whatever may be your
employment, — whether engaged in the deep-
est studies, or following a plow, — you will
find the same enemies always at work — a
busy tempter laying snares in your path, and
an evil heart always disposing you to fall into

THE MUSEUM. 5ft*

those snares. Never fancy that such dangers
are confined to any particular rank or em-
ployment ; although, indeed, the poor and
unlearned cottager has fewer temptations
around him than the man of wealth and learn-
ing, yet within him he has the same hindran-
ces to the service of God. And besides, the
man who has studied most carefully the works
of creation, will be the best able to exalt the
Creator's glory, if grace be given him to use
his talents aright. Consider that most of these
things, that are furnishing us with so many
pleasant and profitable reflections, would be
but a heap of unintelligible objects to us, only
for the labors of learned men, who have ex-
amined into their properties, and communi-
cated to us by their books what we should
have had neither time, nor skill, nor oppor-
tunity to discover for ourselves. You might,
for instance, have looked long enough at that
dark lump of ore, with its few specks and
streaks of dingy yellow, before you could
have known, or I either, that it contains the
precious metal, gold, — the innumerable
grains of which, thinly scattered, are collect-
ed, and purified, and beaten out, until it be-
3*

30 THE MUSEUM.

comes of costly value, and one of the great-
est blessings or greatest, curses that man can
possess, according as he devotes it to the ser->
vice of his God, or the gratification of his
selfish appetites. Then again, that black and
dirty-looking substance you would easily
hare pronounced to be coal, because you see
it every day ; hut without the help of books,
we, who live far from the mines,, could not
understand by what extraordinary skill and
labor it is brought from the depths of the
earth, and prepared for our use. Those spars
are very bright to the eye ; but hopv much is
the pleasure increased, and the thoughts led up
to the Almighty Architect of this globe, when
we can talk of the vast and magnificent caverns,
whose walls and roofs are one' mighty mass
of such materials ; and where men stand as
grasshoppers,in size, beneath the lofty vault-
ed roofs, while the light of their torches is re-
flected from tens of thousands of polished
surfaces on every side, producing the most
brilliant colors, and making the palace of the
mightiest monarch appear as a child's toy in
comparison with its splendor ; while the re-
port of a pistol, if discharged within the ca-

THE MUSEUM. 31

vern,is repeated perhaps a hundred times, like
the sound of many cannon. These are a
small, a very small part of those works of
God of which man catches now and then a
very imperfect glimpse ; and they ought to
humble our little pride, and to lift our hearts
in grateful adoration to Him, who, amidst all
the wonders of his vast creation, yet deigns to
think on us, and to watch over our path, and
to order the events of every day and hour ac-
cording to his infinite wisdom, and loving-
kindness, and tender mercies in Christ Jesus."

They now proceeded to the last part of
of this collection, which consisted of some
very curious forms in stones, resembling, as
Edward remarked, serpents, and shells, and
other things belonging to the animal king-
dom, set in frames of stone.

" It is more than a resemblance, 1 ' said his
mother. " That which you are now observ-
ing is actually the shell of a fish from the sea,
and was found, probably, many miles from
the coast, and many hundred yards above the
level of the highest tides, having been left
there, with thousands more, by the waves."

" Nay, but, Mamma, surely how that is
impossible."

32 THB MUSEUM.

" It is certainly true, my dear. How could
such vast numbers of things that belong only
to the depths of the sea, — shells, and coral,
and bones of fishes, — be conveyed to the tops
of mountains, and down into the. clefts and
chasms of rocks,and scattered thick and deep
upon the surface of the earth, except by
means of the water leaving them there ? Can
you account for that !"

" No, Mamma ; but it is just as hard to
account for the water being oh the heights
of mountains, as to say how the shells and
fish-bones could get there with them. Be-
sides, how did they find their way into the
middle of these stones, and become so hard
themselves ?"

"Stone grows, though not after the man-
ner of rooted vegetables ; and it hardens, as
well as enlarges, by time : these two circum-
stances prove what a very long while the
substances of which we speak have been
bedded in stone; and if you think a little,
you will probably be able to account for
what seems so strange."

" Oh ! now I have it," cried Jane — ** the
flood must have carried them up over the

THK MTTSEiriC. 33

mountain tops ; for you know it is written,
that ' all the fountains of the. great deep were
broken up ;'* and also that • the waters pre-
vailed exceedingly upon the earth ; and all
the high hills that were under the whole
heaven were covered,' "t

" Yes," rejoined her brother ; " and that
being more than four thousand years ago,
there would be plenty of time for the hard-
ening of these things, and the growth of the
stone about them. Is it not so, Mamma ?"

" It is, my dear," answered Mrs. Cleve-
land ; " and there is no possible way of ac-
counting for what you now see, but by believ-
ing that the earth has been so completely
overflowed with billows, as to destroy for
a time all distinction between land and sea :
and if we could examine the dark abyss of
ocean, we should doubtless find that God has
not left himself without witness there also,
but has lodged in its caves and gulfs many a
wreck of that world x>ver which his wrath
sent the wild waves, to sweep away a guilty
race of unbelieving rebels."

• G«n. vii. 11. ' t Gen. vii. 19.

34 THE MUSEUM.

" I never look upon a specimen of these
* organic remains/ as they are called, without
feeling my mind interested and affected most
powerfully. Our Lord told the. unbelieving
Pharisees, who wanted to silence the hosan-
nas of His little followers, * I tell you, that if
these should hold their peace, the stones
would immediately cry out.'* Earth must,
and earth shall acknowledge the presence of
her Creator, and bear testimony to the eter-
nal truth *bf his written word. Men were
mostly silent, but young children cried aloud,
rejoicing in the coming of the promised Mes-
siah, when, in the majesty of his voluntary
humiliation, Zion beheld her meek and lowly-
King riding upon an ass's colt. And since it
was His will, ^recorded by the prophet, that
Zion should then rejoice, f He would have
put speech into the very stones of the street,
rather than that his word should fail. Even
so,were there not found one voice to proclaim
among men at this day the truth of God's
revelation, these stones would bear a testi-
mony. They are found in every part of the

* Lake xix. 40. t Zech. ix. 9.

THE MtJSETJM, 35

world, and in such places as make it utterly
impossible that any art or contrivance of man
should have lodged them there. In vain do
we try to account for what we cannot deny ;
and no infidel ever did, or ever can give a
satisfactory explanation of it But turn to
the blessed Bible, and even the lew words
quoted by Jane at once clear up the difficulty.
Again, the sight of these objects fills me with
an awful sense of God's hatred against sin,
and the certainty of his taking vengeance ori
them that obey not the gospel.* Long and
patiently did the Lord wait, and many a
warning he gave by the lips of Noah ; but
men scoffed at the message, and set at nought
the threatenings of Him who will not be
mocked. The day of grace which they de-
spised, at length passed away ; and, oh, what
a scene followed ! The windows of heaven
were opened, and torrents poured down from
above— the fountains beneath were broken
up, and waters gushed, and rose, and rolled
onward to the tops of the hills. I can fancy,
as I look on these siihple but striking mon-
uments of that day of wrath — I can fancy

+ 2 These, i. 8.

86 THE MTJ8EUM.

some terrified mother, who had never taught
Jier children to glorify God in the hour of
peace and safety, at length overtaken by his
judgment, vainly trying to save them from
destruction — climbing from height to height,
dragging her wretched offspring after her,
and perhaps obliged to abandon some in the
fond hope of saving the rest. I can imagine
her at last on the highest summit of a neigh-
boring hill, sinking down among her. help-
less family, while the waters from above beat
on their heads, and the waters from beneath
rose higher and higher, and the word of
warning which she had despised, while Noah
preached of coming wrath, sounded in her
ear, as a bitter reproach, till the waves reach- .
ed her resting-place, and drowned alike the
voice of conscience,* and the screams of de*
spair."

" What a sad, sad thought, Mamma !" said
Jai^e, with tears in hgr eyes ; " but may we
not hope that some souls found mercy in that
terrible time?".

" Surely, my dear, we may confidently be-
lieve that many, many thousands of helpless
little children, who had never ' sinned after

THE MUSEUM. 8?

the similitude of Adam's transgression,* by
wilfhHy offending the Lord, but who suffered
the penalty of bodily death, because born of
Adam's sinful race, were received into glory
—carried there in a chariot of water, as Eli*
ah was in a chariot of fire. As to the people
who were of age to know good and evil, and
so had willingly offended, we cannot say, be-
cause the Bible does not tell us, whether any
souk were saved. But this we know, that,
as the babe of a day could never enter heaven
except through the atoning blood of Christ, so
the oldest and most hardened sinner, who ia
true penitence and faith calls upon that Sa-
vior, finds him able to save to the uttermost
We have much told us in Scripture concerning
the great wickedness of that generation, wht
refused to be forgiven when God spake to
them by Noah; but not one word is there
said of any individual having turned to the
Lord when their calamity was upon them*
Let this sink deep into our hearts, as a cau-
tion not to trifle with the means of grace now
granted to us ; for it is possible to harden om

* Rom. v. 1*.

38 THE U178EUM.

own hearts, until we provoke the Lord to
exclude us from his rest. He willeth not the
death of a sinner, we know; but if a man
will not turn, He hath made ready the wea-
pons of destruction. You know it is written,
' He that being often reproved hardeneth his
neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that
without remedy.'* We are daily reproved
by the Bible, by our faithful teachers, by the
Lord's voice within us, and his providences
around us ; and while the very ground on
which we walk bears such proofs of the terri-
ble judgments that he executeth, let us not
delay to seek grace that we may be numbered
among his children, and safe hidden in the
ark of Christ's church, when the storm of
wrath is let loose upon a guilty world."

Having now looked over all that was con-
tained in the first room, the little party left -
it, proceeding to the next, which surprised
Jane and Edward a good deal on entering it.
There were a great many dresses, such as
they never had seen, — some formed of coarse
matting,— others of fine cloth, curiously orna-

• Ptov. xxix. l.

THE MUSEUM. 39

mented with beads ; and some were made of
the most bright and lovely feathers, laid one
over another like scales of a fish, completely
covering the whole garment. " These," said
Mrs. Cleveland, " are the various ways in
which men have contrived to clothe them-
selves, where our arts are unknown. Here
you see how the coarse fibres of trees, and
the pliant rushes and grasses are woven, with-
out any attempt at ornament. Again, we
have dresses of cloth, the thread of which has
been prepared with great care, from more de-
licate fibres, and other vegetable substances,
with ornaments of shell and bead, strung to-
gether both tastefully and with great strength :
these last belonged chiefly to the Indians of
North America. Those garments of gay fea-
thers, which Jane appears so much pleased
with, are from the Sandwich Islands, and give
rise to a feeling of great thankfulness while I
view them, recollecting how signally the
Lord has made himself known to the inhabi-
tants of those distant isles, causing his great
name to be acknowledged and glorified where
nothing was before practised but the grossest
idolatry, and most terrible cruelty, wicked-
ness, and crime of every sort."

40 THE MUSEUM.

" Wash not among those islands, Mamma,
that the people threw their idols into the sea ?"

"Yes, Jane. When the Missionaries
reached those islands, the first word of intel-
ligence that reached their vessel was, that the
Pagan King of O whyhee, unbidden and unin-
structed, had in a day east off all the false,
gods of his people, and by a single stroke of
boldness overthrown a superstition which, for
ages, had held a degraded race in the bondage
of fear. This is a fact without a parallel in
the history of the world, and can only bo
accounted for by the immediate agency of that
Almighty Being who holds the hearts of all
men in his hands, and turneth them to fulfil
the counsel of his . own will. The way being
thus cleared, the islanders gladly, submitted
themselves to the spiritual direction of those
pious Missionaries who, by going among
them, had hazarded their Hves, and who now
hailed in them a guardian band of brothers,
willing to shed their blood in defence of these
faithful teachers. But let us go a step far-
ther, and examine what has caught Edward's
eye."

" Indeed, Mamma, 9 ' said Edward,.* 1 1 was

THE MUSEUM. 41

wondering what could make the people put
such silly toys, and ridiculous masks, and
ugly nonsensical things, among objects so
interesting as those dresses and weapons."

" Then what will you think when I tell
you thfit the contemptible, the frightful
things which have disgusted you, are called
gods by the poor heathen, and are actually
worshipped as such V 9

"That is surely impossible, Mamma —
why they are like nothing upon earth."

" No, they are most hideous ; and yet it is
no less true than awfully shocking, hat be-
fore every one of those unmeaning shapes
some wretched child of Adam has fallen down,
and cried to it, « Deliver me, for thou art my
god !' These are really and indeed what the
heathen pray to ; and to these they offer sa-
crifices, often slaying their prisoners before
them, and even their own people as an ac-
ceptable offering to appease the wrath, and
gain the favor of these senseless idols !"

The children looked at each other, as if at

a loss to comprehend how it could be so.

There was something at once so horrid and

so foolish in the very form of these things,

4*

42 THE KUftEUM.

that they wondered how any person could
ever invent them, or bear to look at them :
but to worship them ! — that seemed altogeth-
er beyond belief. Their Mamma observed
their silent amazement, and went on to in*
struct them from what they beheld, — secret*
ly praying the Lord to bless her words to
their souls' profit. " I need not tell you my.
dear children, that nothing degrades the mind
of man like sin : we find it often called in the
Bible by the name of folly, and what foolish-
ness is so great as that which prefers evil to
good, bitter to sweet, death to life, the curse
to the blessing ? This is the choice of every
one who commits sin; and the farther man de-
parts from God the more he loses himself.
Satan loves to mock those who yield them-
selves servants to him, and to make them lay
aside their very reason. We have already
spoken of those who, professing to be wise
in this world's matters, become fools in what
is of far greater importance, by wasting their
time, money, opportunities, and all other ta-
lents, upon studies that cannot profit their
souls. Such are like travelers, who, having
only a short day before them, and the cer-

THE MUSEUM. 43

tainty of being torn to pieces by wild beasts
if they do not reach a safe shelter before
nightfall, should be seen sitting down by the
road, side to count the leaves on the trees, or
to number the pebbles under their feet, while
the only refuge was still far distant, and the
roar of savage beasts already heard around
them. Such is the blind folly of those who
are taken in the snare of false wisdom ; and
if we look beyond these, how sad a scene do
we behold among the slaves to sin ! Some
will wantonly destroy their own reason by
drunkenness, and appear in a state more de-
graded than that of the natural brute beasts,
defying the Scripture, which says that drunk-
ards shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Others will utter curses and blasphemous lan-
guage, as if to proclaim to all the world that
their tongues are ' set on fire of hell.** Some
will prefer thieving to honest gain, knowing
at the same time that God has expressly said,
* Thou shalt not steal,' and knowing also that
the laws of man will condemn them to the
gibbet if detected. Others will give place to

* * James iiL 6.

44 TBS MUSEUM.

the devil continually, by telling untruths, not
only when they think to serve themselves by
it, but for the sake of any idle and silly boast,
as if they were daily striving to secure their,
portion in the lake which burneth with fire
and brimstone, where all liars are to be cast.*
In every one of these cases, and many more
which I have not named, we see the exces-
sive foolishness of sin ; and this may help us
to account for the wretched delusion of the
heathen, in making these unmeaning things
as objects of worship, under the direction of
Satan, whose captives they are."

"But, Mamma, 9 ' said Jane, "how can
they form such a notion of Him who made
the world ? Only fancy a heathen man go-
ing out on a beautiful star-light night, seeing
all the heavens declaring the glpry of God,
and the firmament shewing his handy-work, f
observing every star in its own place, all
moving on, none out of its course ; and the
moon changing so regularly oh ! Mam-
ma, he could not believe that this frightful
imapp made them !"

* Rev. xxi. 8. t Psalm %ix. 1.

THE MUSEUM. 46

A gentleman, who was standing near, heard
Jane's remark ; for she spoke rather loudly,
through earnestness, not being able to bear
the thought of such dishonor being put on
the Creator of heaven and earth by his crea-
tures. The gentleman looked at her with
much kindness, and said, " It is not easy to
understand how such folly can exist in the
human mind.; but indeed, my young friend,
your Mamma has told you truth ; for I have
myself seen the poor heathen worshiping
and sacrificing before such forms as these."

" What, with your own eyes, Sir ?" asked
Edward, drawing Hearer to the stranger.

"Yes, frequently: I went among them,
not exactly as a Missionary, but with the
hope of doing some good to their souls; and
have seen enough to make m& confess how
awfully the god of this world has blinded
the minds of them that believe not"*

" I never heard of any thing so mad as
this," observed Edward.

" No ?" rejoined his new acquaintance,
taking out a pocket Bible — " I can show you

• 9 Cor. iv. 4.

46 THE MUSEUM.

as great an instance, if not greater, of human
folly and wickedness in the very same way.
Tell me, what were God's dealings with the
people of Israel, when Moses was raised up
to be a deliverer V 9

Both the children looked delighted at being
questioned thus, and Edward replied, " Why,
Sir, the Lord wrought many great, wonders,
sending terrible plagues on the Egyptians,
until they let the Israelites go free, after
holding them in bondage many years."

" Did not the Israelites make their way
out by force of arms, being a great body of
people?"

" Oh, no : for the Egyptians were a mighty
nation, with horses and chariots, and great
armies ; and the Israelites, though there were
six hundred thousand men, were poor help-
less slaves, with their women and children,
and flocks, and herds ; so that, when Pharaoh
and his host pursued them, they never
thought of defending themselves, but were
in great terror."

" Who led them ?"

" Moses led them ; but he would not have
known where to go himself, only for the

THE MUSEUM. 4?

goodness of God in sending a pillar of a
cloud before them all the day, and a pillar
of fire by night, and they followed it"

44 How did they escape from the Egyptian
king?"

41 By the greatest miracle, Sir: God di-
vided the sea in two parts, and brought them
through as on dry land ; but when Pharaoh
and his army tried to follow them, the waters
closed again, and they were all drowned."

" Right, my dear boy : and how was this
great multitude fed on the journey?"

" By miracle too, Sir : for the Lord rained
manna out of heaven upon the earth, every
day except the Sabbath, — sending twice the
quantity on the day before, that the Sabbath
might be kept holy. He also caused water to
flow from a hard rock, and it followed them
•fcrough the desert, and they all drank of it"

" And what happened when they came to
Mount Sinai t"

" Then, Sir, they received the Law. God
came down, and the mountain burned with
fire and smoke, and there were such thunder-
ings and lightnings, and voices, that the peo-
ple were ready to die with terror. God spake

46 TIIB MTTSBUM.

to them out of the midst of the fire, but it
was too terrible for them to bear ; so, because
they could not endure it, Moses went up the
mount, to receive God's commandments,
written upon two tables of stone."

" You have answered very satisfactorily/'
said the gentleman, and we will go on with
the story. Moses being on the mountain, the
people remained under the care of Aaron ;
and becoming tired of waiting, they desired
Aaron to make them gods to go before them.
Finding them determined upbn it, he took
their golden ear-rings, — melted them in a fur-
nace into one lump,-^-then shaped the gold
with a graving tool ' into the likeness of 9
calf which eafeth hay,' and presented it to the
people, who exclaimed, * These be thy gods,
O Israel, which brought thee up out of the
land of Egypt !' # After this, can we wonder
at the heathen who never heard of God?
These Israelites not only had the starry hea-
vens, and all the glorious works of creation
about them, but that creation had been made
to serve them by the miraculous power of

" * Exod. zzzii. 4.

THS MVSXUM. 40

God, in a way never beard or thought of
before. They had seen all the plagues sent
on Egypt, and escaped them; the sea had
opened to give, diem a passage ; meat had
been showered upon their camp ; they had
breakfasted that very morning upon bread
which fell from the sky, and quenched their
thirst with water from the stony rock ; the
cloudy pillar stood over them, and the mount
where God had so lately spoken out of the
fire yet smoked before them ;. and they took a
molten image— the image of a senseless brute
—made of the trinkets that had dangled from
theirown ears, — and paid honor to it, calling
it the gods that had led them out of Egypt !
It is true that the worship which they paid
was addressed to Jehovah ; but the calf was
honored as the symbol of the Divine Being,
and the act was one of gross idolatry."
- " After this, we ought not to wonder at
any thing," observed Jane.

« Yes, sister," said Edward, " we must
wonder at God's patience in not destroying
such a world, — full of wicked creatures as
we are."

" Most true," said Us mother ; " and we
5

50 THS MUSEUM.

are greatly obliged to you,' Sir, for bringing
forward this striking instance of what we
need to be daily reminded of — the corruption
of our hearts, and the very great power of
that evil one from whom we pray to be de-
livered. Having been-among the heathen,'
you will perhaps kindly give us some- farther
explanation of what we are now looking at/ 9

"Most willingly, Madam: I should not
have intruded on your notice, but for the ob-
servations which I heard from you. Happy
would it be for youthful visiters, if in every
place of this kind the Bible were taken for a
guide, and the glory of God promoted among
his wonderful works !

"These ugly forms, which the heathen
worship, are not intended generally to repre-
sent the Creator of the world, but a great
number of unknown beings, of whom the
most are supposed to be very cruel and ma-
lignant ; and they are honored by the poor
ignorant creatures, to prevent their injuring
them in their persons or goods. It has
struck me as very remarkable, that fear and
hatred, not love and gratitude, prompt the
religious services of the savage : he knows

THE MU0BUM. 61

nothing of a God of mercy, but tries to ap-
pease the. vengeance of the idol to which he
bows down* by cruel sacrifices, sometimes
of his fellow-men, sometimes of his offspring,
and even of his own life. This shows that
the law written upon his heart convicts him
of sin; and, seeing no mediator between
him and the unknown Deity, he devises
means to make atonement, and goes on to
sin and to sacrifice to the end of his days."

"How can any person think so hardly of
God," said Jape, " when every thing that he
has made is so beautiful, and, as David
says, * His tender mercies are over all his
works ?'"*

" The reason, my dear, is that the heart of
man is evil; 'The carnal mind is enmity
against God,' f and refuses to acknowledge
him in the gifts of his bounty. * He left not
himself without witness, in that he did good,
and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful
seasons, filling our hearts with food and glad-
ness; J but man does not see God in tljese
mercies : he takes them all as his due, with-
out inquiring from whence they come, and is

* P«alm cxlv. 9. t Rom. viii. 7. t Acts xiv. 17.

flft IB KOTBUK.

unthankful. It is when the clear sky isover-
east, and the storm rends his habitation,—
when the drought destroys his crops, or the
flood sweeps away his flocks,— when disaster
crosses his path, or pestilence enters his
dwelling-place, that he confesses an invisible
Power, and offers'what he-can to appease one
whose anger he fears, because he cannot
escape from U, but whose loving-kindness,
never won an accent of praise from his lips*
There is something in the mind of man, — a
voice that cannot be silenced,— telling him
that he is immortal, and that he must give an
account p( himself to one far above his reach
and out of his sight Satan takes advantage*
of such thoughts, and fills the mind with
gloomy, frightful images, which the wretched
sinner tries to describe by such horrid repre-
sentations as you see ; and then worships the
work of his own hands, made after the evil
imaginations of his own heart I have met
with some who owned that all the good which
they received was the gift of a loving and
merciful Spirit, to whom they would not pay
any honor, because there was no fear of hie
hurting them ; but they also confessed the

the mrsEtJM. 63

existence of the devil, as the author of all
mischief and cruelty, and him they adored,
building temples to him, and giving him con*
slant service, in order that he might not be
provoked to injure them. $ome of those
figures are intended to represent the father
of lies, and prince of darkness ; and are held
sacred by his miserable bond-slaves."

•• I will not look at them any longer,*' said
Edward ; " it is too horrid to think of."

" I would, however, wish you to think 01
it whenever you kneel down to pray," ob-
served Mrs. Cleveland, " that you may be-
seech the Lord to destroy these works of the
devil ; and also when you open your Bible,
that you may be more thankful for that most
precious gift. Neither forget it, when you
have opportunity to help in any way the
cause of Missions among the poor sinful hea-
then, who know not that God sent his own
Son into the world, to work that deliverance
from the wrath to come, which all their sacri-
fices and vain efforts can never accomplish.
We are too ready to turn away from the suf-
ferings of others, either in body or soul, to
spare our own feelings, instead of considering
5*

84 THft MUSEUM.

whether, by some means, we cannot assist to
relieve them."

" I folly agree with yon, Madam," answer-
ed the stranger, u and the sight of these idols,
in this place., is in some measure an encour-
agement ; for several of them have been given
up willingly to those who taught their owner*
the way of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ ;
and some of those people obtained copies ot
the Scriptures in their own tongues, in plate
of these degrading objects, which had long
been the supposed protectors of their dwell-

fogs." . "

Edward said in a low voice to his sister,
" What a mercy it is, Jane, that we were not
born heathen children !"

" I was thinking of that too, brother ; and
also that I am too much like the heathen now ;
for I do not pray to God nor praise him half
so heartily when all is comfortable about me,
as when I am afraid of sickness or any mis-
fortune. And then how willingly the poor
savage's gave up their idols, when they heard
of Jesus Christ ! but I am not so willing to
give up many things that I know God does
not approve of, though I hear of the Lord
Jesus every day, and call him my Savior. *

THF MV8S0M. 56

" That is like me," observed her brother ;
" so let us both prajf a great deal more, to
be made obedient and loving children of our
heavenly Father."

They now advanced to the next collection,
the gentleman still accompanying them ; and
this consisted, of various weapons, bows and
arrows, spears, hatchets, knives, and shields
with curious belts of skin and metal.

" Here," said their new friend, " are more
tokens of Satan's triumph over man. In
every state we find him willing to destroy his
fellow; and while x the savage of the wood
contrives so to prepare and fix a piece of flint
into its rude handle, as to draw the life-blood
whenever it is thrown,— or tips a pointed reed
with vegetable poison, until it carries instant
death through the skin, — we may behold the
civilized race of mankind, even those calling
themselves Christians, proud of their superi-
or skill in the art of destroying, busily en-
gaged in preparing engines by which to sweep
whole rank* into eternity, and send a host of
follow-sinners headlong to the judgment-seat.
The poor savage thinks himself happy in dis-
patching his single foe *, but armies must meet,

56 thi Musttrif.

and thousands must perish, when Satan stir?
up ' wars and fightings' among nations who
profess to serve the same God, through the
same Savior. Surely we have cause to send
up, with every breath, the prayer which must
be granted before these abominations will
cease — 'Thy kingdom come; thy wUl be
done in earth as it is in heaven !' "

Mrs. Cleaveland remarked, " {low awful,
yet how just, is the character given of the
natural man — ' hateful and hating one ano-
ther !' "*

" Yes," replied the stranger, " love to God
is the only possible bond of union between
man and his fellow ; and how soon hatred and
murder follow on rebellion, we see in the
history of Cain. He was the first infant born
into the world, and he brought with him the
sinful nature of his guilty parents, who had
lost the. image of God from their souls, and
forfeited his blessing. Cain's heart never was
changed ; he continued to bear the carnal
mind, and seeing in Abel the grace of God
working a renewal of the divine image, he

• Titu» tii. 3.

TB£ MffSBUM. 67

hated his brother, and slew him. N* doubt
they would both have hated each other, if
both had been left in their sinful state ; but,
as Abel was approved of God, through the
faith by which ( he offered unto God a more
acceptable sacrifice than Cain,'* we see the
fruits of the Spirit in him ; for it does not
appear that he gave his brother a harsh word,
or resisted the cruel hand lifted up to kill him.
O, my dear young friends, pray to have your
hearts filled with the love of God, and then
you will be kind and tender-hearted to one
another for Christ's sake. You cannot really
lovo God until you know -his Jove to you, in
'not sparing bis own Son, but delivering him
up for us all : then, seeing the curse removed,
and God's anger turned away, and hearing
his gracious invitation, you can draw near
with joy and confidence, saying, with the
apostle, « Herein is love, not that we loved
God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins.'t ' We
love him, because He first loved us.' ' And
this commandment have we from him^that
he which lovethGod, loves his brother also.' "

• * Heb. ri. 4. t 1 John iv. 10, 80, 91.

68 TH* MUSKUM.

By this time the party had finished theii
survey of the second room, hut another yet
remained, which, their new friend informed
them, contained some very curious antiqui-
ties, or things of great age, brought from
other lands. " I wish that I could accom-
pany you/' continued this kind gentleman,
" for I have been among those Eastern lands
from which many of them were brought;
but an engagement to visit a sick friend now
obliges me to leave you."

44 Oh, Sir," said Edward, " if you are com-
ing here again, I would ask my Mamma to
put off seeing the rest of the collection until
you can accompany us ; for I would rather
wait, and see them when we can have them
explained by one who has been In the coun-
tries from which they came."

" So would I, indeed," added Jane.

"And I," said Mrs. Cleveland, "would
gladly second the proposal, did I not fear
that we encroach upon time too valuable to
be bestowed upon inquisitive children."

" I wish that all children were equally in-
quisitive upon subjects so instructive !" re-
marked the gentleman ; "but if my services

TH» MUSEUM. 59

can be of any use to my young friends, and
their Mamma has no objection, I will with
great pleasure meet them here at eleven
o'clock to-morrow, and assist to explore the
treasures in the next room."

Mrs. Cleveland cordially thanked him ;
and the children extended their hands for a
parting shake, with looks of gratitude and
joy. The stranger took out a card, saying
that perhaps they might wish to know the
name of their intended guide, and with a
friendly smile departed.

60 tbb Mtrsira.

CHAPTER 1 II. v

Returning home, Jane and Edward dis-
coursed very pleasantly on what they had
seen, — the latter observing that he was not
willing to pay the Museum another visit
until Mr. Peele could join the party, as he
had fevored them with such nice explana-
tions of what they saw. ^

" Indeed he is a very well-informed and
entertaining person," replied his mother;
" but I should hot have encouraged you to
get acquainted with a stranger in a public
place, had it not been clearly seen that he
was one who sought to glorify God in his
words and works. We will try to persuade
your Papa to accompany us in the morning;
for I rather think that he will be then at
leisure."

This promise greatly rejoiced the children,
who watched from the window with more
than ordinary anxiety, until they saw their
dear Papa approaching the house ; and they
jumped with delight, when running to meet

THB MUBBUlt. 61

Mm at the door ; while the two little ones,
of whom the elder could hardly speak plain,
and the younger Was just able to run alone,
joined in their hearty welcome— each seiz-
ing a leg of their dear father, and shouting
to the utmost' pitch of their little voices.

" How now, ladies and gentlemen ?" said
Mr. Cleveland. " What grand affair has put
you all in motion, to block up my road to
the dinner table ?"

" Oh, we have had such a delightful morn-
ing !" ^ried Jane — " such a beautiful collec-
tion !"

" Such a nice gentleman to explain it !"
exclaimed Edward.

" Me got a new ball !" shouted little Tho-
mas ; and the baby bawled out, " Pa ! — Pa !
—Pa !" to fill up the chorus.

" Well, I am glad to see you so happy ;
and when I am less hungry, we will have the'
history of all your discoveries."

As soon as the cloth was removed, Mr.

Cleveland called upon Edward and Jane to

tell him what they had seen ; and listened

with much pleasure to their account Whan

6

62 THE MUSEUM.

mentioning the stranger, Edward polled oat
his card, and shewed it to his Papa.

" Peeled—said Mr. Cleveland— « Monta-
gue Peele — you have indeed been favored, if
he was your companion. I knew him some
years since, and esteemed him very highly
indeed ; much fQr his talent, more for the
zeal with which he always used it hi his
Master's service. I really wish I had been
of your party."

Mrs. Cleveland told her husband of his
kind promise ty meet them on the morrow,
at which he expressed much pleasure, and
readily consented to accompany them, — add-
ing, " We must bring him home to dinner,
and make him feel that he is among old
friends. I cannot tell you what I owe to this
Montague Peele, in whose company I once
made a voyage; and found cause to be thank-
ful for it every day of my life since."

"Has he traveled much!" asked Mrs.
Cleveland.

" A great deal : at first only for pleasure
and information, as a worldly man of Jaste
and learning : but when he felt in his own
soul the power of the gospel of Christ he

THE MUSEUM. . 03

resumed his travels with a far higher and
nobler object in view than that of collecting
curiosities from among distant nations. He
took out boxes full of Bibles in various lan-
guages, and visited, I believe, many interest*
ing countries, particularly those mentioned
in Scripture ; and no doubt the seed of God's
word, plentifully scattered among them, will
be found at the great day to have brought
forth fruit an hundred-fold. I assure you that
he is very highly respected, as a traveler and
man of science, by many who do not under-
stand the true beauty .of his character; so
that he is sought after and welcomed where?*
er he goes : but I have been told that his bold
and faithful way of reproving sin, and his de«
termined separation from an ungodly world,
have offended many ; while some have been
awakened by it to a sense of their own god-
less condition, and led to seek and to find the
precious gift of salvation."

" 1 should not have been so free with him,"
said Edward, " if I had known that he was a
person of so much consequence."

" And pray what do you mean by conse-
quence ?"

64 THE MUSEUM.

" Why, Papa, from what you say, I sup-
pose he is much thought of among people of
rank and learning ; so that he is used to be
treated with great respect, I suppose."

" Did you treat him with any disrespect ?"
asked Mr. Cleveland.

41 Oh, no, no, Papa," said Jane, eagerly,
" Edward behaved very nicely indeed ; but
he means that we could not have expected a
person like Mr. Peele to take such notice of
two young ignorant children."

"Now, in my opinion, Jane, you might
have judged from my account that Mr. Peele
was just the sort of man to take delight in
encouraging the young, and instructing the
ignorant. I would have you remember the
command to ' honor all men,'* and always
pay to superior rank the respect which is due
to it ; but beware of paying too much atten-
tion to these distinctions, because it may lead
you on the one hand to shrink from seeking
useful information from those above you, and
on the other to despise or overlook those
whom you call your inferiors. Mind, I am

* 1 Pet. ii. 17.

THE MUSEUM. 65

speaking of Christians in both cases : as for
those who are not religions, the less you have
to do with them the better, except in the way
of instructing those who are willing to let
you speak to them of Christ."

"I should have liked," said Jane, " to have
peeped into the other room; but Edward
persuaded me to wait till we could . have the
profit with the pleasure."

** And he was right," replied her Papa.
" We are in general very anxious to lay hold
of whatever is agreeable so soon as it comes
within our reach, when by a little patience
and self-denial we might gain much more than
we could lose. Edward perhaps remem-
bers the lesson which he got from the goose-
berry tree, nearly two years since."

" Indeed I do, Papa," said Edward, " and
I should be sorry to forget it. As the tree
was my own, I thought I might do what I
Hked with the fruit ; and though you warned
me not to eat any until it should be ripe, and
promised us a little feast if we kept it till
then, I could not prevail on myself to let it
alone, but ate nearly all the gooseberries
when they were not half softened. I suffered
6*

66 ihb vvsEtnf.

pain enough after it to make me recollect it
as long as I live ; and when the day came,
and Jane and my cousins brought their dish-
es of fruit to your table, and had what they
liked of yours, how foolish I looked with my
two or three gooseberries, and not half the
allowance which the others got from, you,
because I brought so little !"

" There are few events of our lives," said
Mrs. Cleveland, " that may not be made very
useful to us, if we endeavor to draw instruction
from them. Even the most painful are often
the most profitable : for we may learn by
them to watch and avoid what will be likely
to bring sorrow upon us. Self-indulgence is
a bad habit, and contrary to what the Lord*
Jesus commands, when he says, « If any man
will come after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross daily, and follow me.' "*

" But, Mamma, should we always be doing
just the contrary to what we like best?"
Jane asked.

" If we be renewed in the spirit of our
minds, my dear, it will be our delight to do

• Luke ii. 23.

THE MUSBUM. 6?

the will of God ; the ways of wisdom will
then be found ways of pleasantness, and we
shall have grace given to choose them rather
than the ways of sin, after the pattern of our
blessed Master, who could say, ' My meat it
to do the will of Him that sent me.'* Bat
the carnal mind, — the nature that we are born
with, — is enmity against God ; and so much
of that nature as remains unhanged in us,
will be always struggling to get the better of
the new heart, and persuading .us to spare
ourselves, and to please ourselves rather than
God. Against this we must strive ; and this
is what the Scripture calls crucifying the old
man."

44 1 understand something of it," said Ed*
ward : " for on a cold morning, and indeed
many times when it is not cold, I often wish
to lie longer in my comfortable little bed,
although I know that, by doing so, I shall
not have time to pray as I ought. If I in*
dulge myself, I must rob God of his worship,
and every thing seems to go wrong with me
all the day ; but if I deny myself, and get up,

•Johniv. 34.

68 THE MU8KVM.

and pray to the Lord, and study the Bible,
there is no Baying what a difference it makes.
Is that like what you mean, Mamma?"

" It is, my dear boy ; and I am very glad
that you are able so far to see and to watch
against a great snare, which has ruined many
a soul. God ought to have the first-fruits of
all that he gives you, Edward — the first of
your thoughts, and the first of your actions, —
the morning of each day, and the morning of
your life. This is the sure way to bring a
blessing on what remains."

" And, moreover," added Mr. Cleveland,
"•we know by experience, that what we do
not give to God, Satan will take for himself.
The heart which is not lifted to the Lord at
early day, will presently be filled with idle
and mischievous imaginations, or pierced with
sorrows against which it has no defence ;
while a careful and early seeking for the bless-
ing of God defends the soul from sin, and
cheers it under grief. It has been very well
remarked by a pious man, that if a sack be
filled with wheat, there will be no room to
put in chaff: so, if the heart be full of
God and holiness, the devil will find little

THE MUSEUM. 09

opportunity to introduce his crafty de-
vices."

" And now let me hear what you have to
say of the different things which you have
seen this morning. I mean, what you have
gathered of useful information and valuable
instruction.' 9

Jane and Edward looked much delighted
at this proposal ; for a great part of their en-
joyment in every thing was the repeating of
it all to their dear parents, whose instructive
remarks they always tried to remember.

Jane began — " The first thing, Papa, that
struck me, was the wonderful way that they
manage to preserve the animals and birds in,
making them look so like life, that it quite
deceived me at first." *

" It is very curious," replied her father,
" and very useful to those who study closely
what is called natural history* I could do it
pretty well, when a young lad ; but having
seen one of my friends brought very near the
grave by the practice, I took rather a dislike
to it, and left it off for something more use-
ful, and less dangerous."

44 What danger can there be in stuffing a

?0 TlfE* JTUSEUM.

dead creature?" asked Edward. "lean
suppose there may be danger enough in hunt-
ing a wild beast, or even in shooting birds ;
bat when they are dead, what harm can they
do you V 9

"More harm than when alive, in most
cases ; for as soon as the carcase begins to
corrupt, skinning it becomes a very unsafe
operation. You know, I suppose, that what
you have seen were merely the skins, with
the hair or feathers on ; this must be very
carefully separated from the body, in doing
which a sharp knife is used. Now, if there
be the least degree of putrefaction in the ani-
mal, and the person cuts but the tip of his
finger with the knife, or even scratches it,
*' there is danger of sudden death, very often
to be avoided in no other way than by having
the hand or arm taken quite off."

"Oh how terrible<!" cried both the children*
" Yes, this body of ours is so truly a body
of death* that it catches in a moment the taint
of actual corruption from another, and dies of
it You know, many disorders are contagious,
or catching, as it is called. Some are taken
by breathing the same air with a diseased per-

TUB MUSEUM. 71

son, — others by eating or drinking from the.
same vessel, — others by merely touching the
clothes of one who has been sitting by the
sick. The small scars above your elbows
show that you were inoculated, or vaccinated,
to give you a light disorder, by way of pre-
venting one much more severe; and, you
remember, the same thing was done for little
Mary a few months ago, by just pricking the.
skin of her arm with a lancet that had been
put into the arm of another baby, and it gave
her the complaint immediately."

" It only made her arm look red and fes-
tered for a little while," said Jane.

" True ; but had the lancet been first ap-
plied to a person with the small-pox, instead
of the cow-pox, Mary would have been cov-
ered from head to foot with dreadful sores,
and become such an object as you could hard-
ly have borne to see; and if it had just
pierced the putrid body of any animal, our
little Mary would most probably have died.'*

The children looked at their young sister*
who lay in a soft and smiling sleep on her
Mamma's lap : while Mrs. Cleveland gently
kissed the rosy face, silently putting up «

W THE MUSEUM.

prayer and thanksgiving to Him who had
preserved, and blessed her babe with health.

Mr. Cleveland went on. " How liable oar
bodies are to catch any taint from others, I
have explained to yon ; and our minds are, if
possible, still more ready to take the far
worse infection of sin. God ha s mercifully
cautioned us to watch against this danger,
by pronouncing that man blessed who will not
stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat
of the scornful.* Again, He says, ' My son,
if sinners entice thee, consent thou not ;'t
and, ' Enter not into the path of the wicked,
and go not in the way of evil men ; avoid it,
pass not by it,.turn from it, and pass away.'!
Now, if such advice were given us, respecting
a place where we should be sure to catch a
fever or other dangerous bodily disease, we
should thank the person who cautioned us,
and follow his good counsel : but, alas ! how
few attend to these solemn warnings in what
is infinitely of more consequence than the
health or life of the body ! We are not half
so much afraid of sin as of sickness : we do
not fully believe that one sin is enough to

• Pttlm i. 1. t ProT. i, 10. Prov. ir. 14, 15.

THE MUSEUM. IB

•hut a soul out of heaven ; and that to con-
tinue sinning because we know that Jesus
died to save us, and lives to plead for us, is
the greatest insult that we- can offer to God.
My dear children, remember how a scratch
from a tainted knife often brings death into
the most healthful body, and turns it present-
ly to corruption ; remember also that a sinful
action committed, a sinful word spoken, or
even a sinful thought indulged in, may in
like manner bring such disease into the soul
as shall end in eternal death ? God has won-
derfully ordered all his works, so as to give
us lessons every day and hour, if we will but
learn to read them rightly ; and this is cer-
tainly a most instructive one. May it be so
to us all!" .

. «* Thank you, dear Papa," said Jarie.
" Now, when I see a stuffed bird or animal,
I hope it will remind me to watch against
sin."

" And me too," said Edward, " though I
never thought to find such a lesson among
them."

" Did your friend who was hurt lose hi«
arm, Papa f

7

74 THE MUSKtTM.

" No ; it was mercifully spared. He had
a great wish to stuff a very fine specimen of
the hawk species, though the person who
brought it to him owned thjat it had been
killed too long to be a safe subject My
friend had great confidence in his own skill,
and went very nicely to work ; but, notwith-
standing his care, the knife slipped and cut
his finger. He suffered dreadful pain for two
months ; and all the bad matter gathered into
a very large abscess under his arm, where it
broke, after much torture ; and by that means
his life and limb were saved."

" I ehall be content to look at stuffed crea-
tures, without trying my hand at preparing
them," said Edward.

" You will do wisely in that," answered
his father. "We <raght not to run into any
needless peril, particularly in gratifying our.
own idle fancies ; neither ought any danger
to check us, when we are clearly following
the word, and doing the will of God. You
know it was one of Satan's wiles, to draw our
Lord into endangering himself presumptu-
ously ; and he was defeated by the Savior
with that word, * It is written, thou shalt not

THE OTSBUX. 75

tempt the Lord thy Ged :'* but when the
blessed Jesus was encouraging his followers
to endure persecution for the truth's sake, he
said, ' He that findeth his life shall lose it ;
and he that loseth his life for my sake shall
find it't Always bear this in mind, that we
are not our own, but are bought with a
price ; X and that thought will, by God's grace,
both keep you out of needless dangers, and
support you through every peril that you are
called to meet for Christ's sake."

" Thank you, Papa," said Edward—** I
hope I shall not forget that good rule. The
Bible never seemed so beautiful to me as
to-day, when dear Mamma was constantly
showing us how it helped to explain all that
we saw, and made everything ten times more
interesting : and I must tell you, Papa, that I
was as much pleased with the stones as Jane
with the birds. I could have stopped all day
to look at them."

" Were there any precious stones?"
•* Oh, yes, Papa ; there were most lovely
gems, such as rubies, redder than any thing

• Matt iv. 7. t Matt. x. 39. t 1 Cor. vL 19, 90.

96 THE MUSEUM.

I could fancy ; and emeralds of such a deep
rich green, that it would do good to inflamed
eyes to look on the cool color ; and there
were many more which I forget: but the
most precious stones to me were the stones
that prove my precious Bible to be true,
Papa." /

" He means the organic remains," said
Mrs. Cleveland.

" Oh, then I understand you," observed
Edward's Papa, " and most heartily agree in
your estimate of a precious stone. My dear
boy, God's word is the key and the index to
all his works ; it throws light upon them too,
and such a light as increases their beauty
tenfold. I am glad that you saw the inte-
resting proofs of the deluge : but how sad
that man should need a proof, where God
has spoken, and declared that so it was !
Did Mr. Peele explain them to you ?"

" No," replied Mrs. Cleveland, smiling, " I
was the show-woman, and was in great re-
quest until this favorite Mr. Peele came for-
ward, after we left that room, and I was glad
to become a listener in turn."

" Oh, Mamma," said Edward, " don't think

THE MUSEUM. TT

that we liked any one 5 a teaching better than
yours. We would not have" left you for
twenty Mr. Pedes, only that he had seen
what none of us had, and could describe it
to us."

" It was quite right, my love ; and I was
nearly as much in need of information in that
room as you were."

" Did you see any curious shells among the
4 precious stones,' Edward ?" asked his father.

" Some very curious, Papa ; and so per-
fect, that I could have easily opened them
with my knife, only they were under a glass,
and out of my reach.".

u You would have broken all the knives
in the town first, Edward," observed his
Papa, smiling. Every one of those substan-
ces is itself petrified, or turned to stone ; and
if you broke one with a hammer you would
find nothing but the outside form to distin-
guish it — all the rest is hard, solid, and like
any other stone." »

" But what became of the fish, Papa t"

u It died, of course, and corrupted ; and
the shell being filled with some soft substance,
that found entrance through the openings
7*

78 THE MUSEtTte.

and pores, all hardened together. It is won-
derful how the most delicate have been pre.
served, with every line and every mark as
distinct as when the sea left them there, at
least four thousand years ago. I have often
picked them up in my walks, and felt their
value as I am glad to see that you do, both
as wonders among God's works, and witness-
es to his word."

" Do they lie deep in the earth, Papa ?"
" So deep, that no mine has gone beyond
where some kinds are to be found. The
earth, as far as man's art has reached, is
formed of different beds, or rows, called
strata, consisting of every sort of clay, stone,
and mineral. Remains are to be met with
among them all, and sometimes the skeletons,
horns, and teeth of animals unknown to us ;
some of such immense size, and so extraor-
dinary a shape, that all the learned are puz-
lied to find out names for them."

" I know what I would like to be," said
Edward.

" A miner, perhaps !"

" Something of that sort, Papa."

"You would find a vast and wonderfiri

TJtt MUSEUM. 79

store of most interesting objects buried deep
beneath the surface of the earth ; but I doubt
whether you would like to remain long in
those dark damp places, shut out from the
cheerful light of day, and far removed from
the beauties of our upper world — the green
grass, the shady trees, the fragrant and beau*
tiful flowers, and the glories of the firmament.
Neither sun, moqn, nor stars, shine into thos*
deep dungeons, but glaring torches, or pale
lamps, give what light there is ; while the
clang of hammer, axe, and mattock, take
place of singing birds, and the cheerful
voices of friends."

" I wonder how any body can be a real
working miner," said Jane ; " and yet I am
told there are hundreds and thousands down
among the coal and other pits. What a
wretched life they must lead !"

" I think so too," replied her father ; " but
we must not quarrel with their choice. If
men were not found willing to go down into,
these dismal depths, we should be at a great
loss for firing ; and must pay an extravagant
price for the most common metals, buying
them all from other nations, who compel

80 . THE MUSEUM.

their slaves, and criminals, and other cap*
tives, to work in mines, while our free people
gq readily for reasonable wages."

" It is a wonder how coals were found out
to be so useful," remarked Edward.

44 Say, rather," replied his father, 44 how
wonderful the mercy of God in laying up, in
such vast storehouses, these treasures for the
use of man. So long as the world was thinly
peopled, the wood upon its surface must have
supplied plenty of firing, as at this day most
of the uncultivated parts of the globe bear
immense forests. But as men multiply on
any land, they consume the wood for build-
ing and other works, as well as for fuel, and
clear the ground for corn and other vegeta-
bles ; and then they must be utterly at a loss,
only for the good Providence of God disco-
vering to them, that, by digging deep into
the earth, they may find such supplies as
cannot be exhausted.

44 After all," said Jane, 44 a poor miner is
not so much to be pitied, as he has such op-
portunities of observing all this, and being
made wise by it."

44 We are not made wise by our opportuni-

THE MUSEUM. 81

ties, Jane," said her Mamma,' " but by the
grace that enables us to improve them."

" True,? observed Mr. Cleveland ; " and
the poor miner is sadly shut out from the ap-
pointed means of seeking that grace. While
others are being instructed by good books, or
the discourse of pious friends, the miner is
far, far beyond the reach of either, exposed to
hourly peril of a dreadful death, and to all the
snares of Satan, assisted by his own wicked
- heart, and companions as evil. Sunday being
his only season of day-light and freedom, it is
too often passed in riot and revellings, and
utter neglect of God. Can you suppose that
men of this character find any other profit in
their employment, than the daily wages
which they earn by venturing into the bow-
els of the earth?"

"And does nobody care for their souls,
Papa?"

" Yes, many excellent ministers have taken
a very great interest about them, and have
descended into the mines, to preach the gos-
pel of salvation even there ; but when I am
enjoying the comforts of a good coal fire, I
do wish that the poor fellows who dug that

82 THE, MUSEUM*.

useful mineral from the pit were more fre-
quently thought of among religious people,
and greater efforts were made to instruct
them. Only see what a deal of brass, iron,
lead, tin, we are constantly using ; and aH
this, like the coal, must he brought by min-
ers to the surface of the earth, before it can
be made at all serviceable to us."

" All this is very new to me, 9 ' said Ed-
ward ; " and though I may never go down
into a mine myself, if ever I am able, I will
be a friend to the poor miners."

" Very right," said his father ; " and now
I will tell you a history that may help to
keep in your memory what you have just
resolved on."

" Some years ago, I was on a visit to a
friend who lived very near a large colliery,
or cluster of coal mines, whef e a great num-
ber of workmen were constantly employed.
They had been very much neglected, having
no church within a reasonable distance, and
except when some pious man came among
them, they scarcely heard the name of the
Lord otherwise than in the blasphemies which
were too frequently uttered by themselves.

THE KUStUK. 83

My friend had been a very abort time in that
neighborhood ; and, feeling for their misera-
ble condition, he had taken the greatest pains
since his arrival to do them good : but he was
often treated very rudely ; for their way of
life* and absence from all that can soften the
character of man, most, as you may suppose,
make them very rough in their manners. My
friend, however, was one who knew how to
make allowance, and would not be discoura-
ged by the ill-behavfbr of a few from seek*
ing the salvation of all.

" One morning he received a parcel from a
distant town, and told me that it contained
some Bibles which he had sent for, as two or
three of the miners had expressed a willing-
ness to subscribe for the word of God ; and
that he hoped that the good effect would be
seen, and that the Holy Spirit would cause
the truth to take root and to flourish among
them. He added, " There is one poor fellow,
who is so anxious for his book, that I must
take it to him at once ; for he wants to read
it at his resting hours. Will you come with
me, and visit what I can truly eall regions of
darkness, and of the shadow of death ?"

84 THE MVSSUH.

" I had never been into a mine, and wished
to see one ; and I hope that a better feeling
than curiosity led me to agree so readily to
his proposal : he put a few Bibles into a small
bag, and. we set forth on our journey. Now,
I see, you are all attention and eagerness to
hear the rest ; and I promise you my story is
worth listening to.

" Dressed in our most ordinary clothes, we
proceeded to the colliery where Tom Willis
was at work ; and having reached the shaft,
or opening, my friend desired the men to let
us down,-r-which they did, by making us, in
turn, seat ourselves in a large basket, lower-
ing it by ropes to the bottom. My friend
went first : and, wondering at the length of
rope 'that they continued to unwind, I asked
how far it was to the bottom. ^ * A good leap,
Master, 9 answered one, with rather a mis-
chievous grin,—' about three hundred feet
or so.'

'* I had observed the sort of look with which
these men had regarded the bag so carefully
carried by my friend ; and as the form of the
books could be easily seen, I could not doubt
that their ill-will was excited by them. So

THE MUSEUM. 85

sad is the enmity of the carnal mind against
God* so unwelcome the message of love, and
peape, and reconciliation !

" Committing myself to the care of the
Lord, I got into the basket as soon as it was
drawn up : and very giddy I felt while swing-
ing from side to side, and losing rapidly the
cheerful light of day. It certainly appeared
a long journey ; but I found myself on my
feet at last, and on solid ground, and taking
the arm of my friend, we went on by the
light of a lantern, which was carried by the
guide : and after walking down a very slant*
ing place, we got to the top of another, but
much shallower shaft, and on reaching the
bottom had but a little way to walk before we
came to the party among whom Tom Willis
was at work. There might be sis: or seven
employed in breaking the masses of coal from
the sides of the pit, and the noise was terri-
ble.; so indeed was the appearance of the
place, illuminated by candles stuck here and
there in lanterns or lamps, and throwing a
feeble light on the coarse black faces of the
men close by them, while the farther part of
the cavern was tost in -total darkness.
8

86 THE MUSEUM.

" We had chosen the time When the men
would leave off to get their -noon-tide meal ;
and the clang of their iron implements soon
ceased : they trimmed their lamps, got their
baskets of provisions, and sat down, each by
his own heap of coal, to refresh themselves.
My friend saluted them, and was civilly an-
swered by all ; and Willir expressed great
delight on seeing him, and hearing what he
had brought. Nothing, he said, could be
more welcome ; for he found the word of God
so precious, whenever he. could get to hear it
above ' ground, that he longed to possess it
down in the pit, to read it at resting times,
and to think on it when at work.

" • Do you then think much of what you
hear, or read of that book? 9 said I.

" ' Indeed, Sir,' he answered, * I've been
used to think of very different things ; but
since I saw my own state made out so plainly
in the Bible, I can't but think the whole book
concerns me ; and therefore I cannot tire of it.*

" * And do you pray over itt* said my
friend.

" 4 It's poor praying, Sir, in the midst of
such a clatter as we are obliged to keep up ;

THE MUSEUM. 87

but I do lift my heart to God, through Christ,
as well as I can : and at night, when above
ground, 1 think I can say that I don't neglect
to pray.'

" He took the Bible most thankfully ; and
my friend, showing the rest, asked if any
man wished to secure one. Most of them
gave a civilanswer, declining it ; but one, in
a very surly way, said he did not pass all his
days in that black hole of a place to earn a
little money, and then lay it out upon books.
, " * Upon Bibles, you mean, 9 said one of
his companions; «for you've an odd six-
pence any day, when a song-book or jest-
book comes across you.'

" * And what then V said the surly miner ;
' if it please myself, who's to contradict me P
and other things he uttered, to the same pur-
pose, showing his contempt for God's word,
his defiance of God's laws, and his determina-
tion to live in sin. We tried to reason with
him, but it was to no purpose : some of the
rest, however, appeared to listen attentively ;
and on a remark being made that their lives
were exposed to more dangers than most
men's, one of these said to the stubborn sin-

88 THE MU8EUM.

ner, * You may mark that, Dick ; for you arc
always taking your candle out in the damps,
and will be blown up some day or other.*

" * I'll trust my luck for that,' answered
the bold transgressor-7-* Til lay a wager on it
that I live the longest of ye all.'

" The conversation ended by Willis's say-
ing to him, * Believe me, Dick Jones, you
will be forced yet to give up trusting in luck,
and glad to throw yourself on the mercy of
the Savior whom you despise!' We added
a few words on the power and love of that .
Savior, to whom every knee shall bow,
' either in willing duty, or in helpless despair,
and left the mine, rejoicing to have carried
thither the word of life, and praying that we
might not have spoken altogether in vain to
the poor thoughtless creatures there. Of
Tom Willis we agreed in thinking most fa-
vorably, as of. one who had indeed found
rest in Christ, and who was bearing a faithful
testimony among his ungodly companions.

" But how shall I tell you what followed !
That very evening, while I was sitting con-
vering with my friend, admiring the beauti-
ful appearance of the sky at sunset, and pray-

THE MUSEUM. 89

ing that the San of Righteousness might arise
to shine upon those who were shut out from
the golden beams of day, a terrible noise was
suddenly heard, followed by shouts, and cries,
and the running of people from all quarters
to the spot whence the sound had proceeded.
I asked my (riend what it could be; and
neyer shall I forget his pale and solemn
countenance, as he faintly answered, 'An
explosion of fire-damp,' " %

"What is fire-damp, Papa?" asked £d-*
ward, who had got close to his father's knee,
in anxious interest.

" It is a vapor which often gathers In the
coal pits, and is so inflammable, that it will
go off like gun-powder, when touched by
fire ; and many a life is lost by it, through the
carelessness of the men, who expose their
candles to this combustible air.

" The noise, which was. like the firingof
great cannon, came from the very place that
we had visited in the morning ; and on hur-
rying thither, we found the people gathered
about that same shaft. Alas ! it was upon
the very party whom we had so lately warned
that the awful visitation had fallen ; taking
8*

90 THE MUSEUM.

Willis with his Bible, Jones with his jest-
book, and their companions just as. the hour
found them— all, all were dead. I saw the
mangled remains, when they had been dug
out? and I saw the long, sad train of 'weeping
followers, widows, and orphans, childless pa-
rents, and mourning sisters—Mvhich attended
them to their- common grave on the next
Sunday. • My friend wept too 5 but there
wasjoy in his tears, when he looked Ym the
coffin of Tom Willis ;, and reflected that his
last day had been marked by a faithful con-
fession of Christ, as his only Savior.**

" Was he not glad, Papa, that he took the
Bible down!" '

" Glad beyond' all that you can fancy : he
thanked the Lord for pressing on his mind
in the morning the importance of that text,
— « Whatsoever thy hand ffrideth to do, do H
with all thy might* "*

" And I will tell you another text, Papa,
that might have gladdened him;' « In the
morning sow thy seed, and in the evening
withhold not thy hand, for thou knowest not

• Ecclet. ix. 10.

TUB MUSEUM, 91

whether shall prosper, either this or that, or
whether they shall be both alike good.'*—
Perhaps, Papa, what you and your friend said
to the other poor men, was the means of
bringing them to look to Christ, before they
were taken away."

" I hope so, my dear : and my friend after-
wards wrote, to assure me that the* event had
been blessed to many of their companions. —
Among the rest, the man who let us down
the shaft seemed much affected by it ; and
there was a great demand for the Bibles
afterwards. But Lmust now go to my books,
or I shall not have leisure to accompany you
to-morrow. Pray over what you have seen
and heard this day, my dear children ; for
prayer is Hke the skill by which the bee stores
up in a hive, the sweets that she has been ga-
thering from among the works of God — mak- t
ing a continual feast of it, , for the dreary
season."

The children followed their dear father's
good counsel ; and on the next morning they
were very early at their tasks, resolved not

* Ecclei, xi« 6.

92 THB MUSEUM.

to make their parent's kindness an excuse for
idleness. The hours passed swiftly, which
would have seemed very slow, had they been
doing nothing* I Often think, that when peo-
ple are looking forward to any particular
time, and wishing it to arrive, they seem to
forget that the moments which pass before it
come, are just as important as any other pari
of their lives, and as much to be accounted
for. I see them fidgetting, and looking at the
clock, or from the window, and taking up
some idle book to lay it down again. This
is a great evil, which should be guarded
against, and care taken always to find some
useful employment to the last. Or, if so it
can be managed, we might go and pray that
the expected event may be blessed to our own
profit, and that of all concerned in it No
, Christian will enter into any things on which
he cannot ask God's blessing.

THE JKTSEITM* 9$

CHAPTER III.

The time came; and Jane and Edward
again found, themselves on the way to the
museum of curiosities, with the additional
pleasure of having their Papa of the party. —
Theytalked away very merrily* and asked if
he would not like to see the first rooms be-
fore they went on. to the others: but he
kindly told them that he would not detain
them there. So they passed quickly through,
and looked round the apartment, where they
had met Mr. Peele : he was not there, but
followed them almost immediately.

Jane and her brother hastened to meethim,
and he began to say, " My dear young friends,
I hope I" have not kept you waiting," when
seeing their father, he suddenly went fop-
ward, and took his hand most cordially, ex-
claiming, " Cleveland ! how rejoiced I am to
meet you again."

<*AndI, dear Peele, am more rejoiced;
since I find my children already under obliga*

94 THE MUSEUM*

tions |o one who knew not that they belong-
ed to his old friend. I thank you most
heartily for your kindness to them."

Some more conversation passed, and men
they proceeded to the farther room, where -a
great many strange things seemed to be col-
lected. Mr. Peele remarked, " Here are an-
tiquities of Chaldea, Egypt, Greece and Rome,
of Herculaneum, and a few other very re-
markable places. The great difficulty here
is not to stay too long, or to say too. much,
for the subjects are most interesting ; " and
our best gtiide^' taking out his little Bible,
" will assist its through all."

44 Where shall we begin?" asked Edward.

•* As we find them," answered his friend.
" Here are some few relics from Greece, but
not of the highest order, according to the ge-
neral taste. Those two or three busts, and
small figures were the work of the most cele-
brated artists that the world ever saw : men
who lived long before the Christian era, and
who have returned to dust these many hun-
dred years, yet are at this day admired in
their works, and as the world calls it, im-
mortalized by them."

TH£ MUSBtfflf. 95

" Why, are not all people immortal ?"—
asked Jane.

44 Yes, but men's names perish with them,
or soon after, unless they do some great thing
to keep them in remembrance ; and, you see,
the sculptors who chiselled out these beauti-
ful forms, are talked of, as much at the end
of two thousand years, as if they had died
last week. Is not that a very great matter!"

" Not to them* I should think, Sir," an-
swered ^Edward : "far if they be in heaven,
they do not care what people talk about in
this poor world : and if they be in torment,
what comfort can they have in the praises of
men, while the wrath of God is upon them ?"

" Then you do not think it any honor at
all to have done great things upon earth !"
said Mr* Cleveland.

" Yes, Papa, I do, when it is none for the ,
glory of God. I think it a great honor to
Noah to have built the ark, because he did it in
faith and obedience. . It was a great thing too
for the Mother of Moses to make that little
ark of bulrushes, because she shewed her trust
in God. And Solomon raising such a noble
temple for the worship of the Lord* — and' —

96 T£B MUSEUM.

Jane went on, as her brother paused, " And
the people who unroofed the house, to let
down the man sick of the palsy, at Jesus'
feet ! J would rather have had a hand in
that work, Papa, than have cut all the stone
in the world into figures."

"My dear children, you judge rightly:
and now, I will tell you, that most of the
sculptures' which the world prizes so highly,
were made for the very same purpose as the
ugly idols in the next room, to be~ venerated
as gods, and sacrificed to, and trusted in."

" What a shame," said Edward, " that
such clever people should know no better
than the pbor savages !"

Mr. Peele went on : "The Greeks were, as
you have heard, the wisest and most accom-
plished people in the wbrld. St Paul says,
' The Greeks seek after wisdom/ and he pre-
sently adds, that the preaching of the cross
was ' to the Greeks foolishness.' The same
apostle tells us, that ' the world by wisdom
knew not God, ,# and you will find that the
learned pride of Grecian sages was as great a

« 1 Cor. xxi. 22, 23.

THE MXT8BT71L 9V

satire to them, as the gross ignorance of the
savftge is to him. These images, Edward,
which are bo highly prized among us, are the
very things that the early- Christians refused
to worship. They were required to burn in-
cense on their altars, and because they would
not do so, they were put to the most cruel
deaths that could be invented. It was of
these idols that the apostle wrote, when he
said, * The things that the Gentiles sacrifice,
they sacrifice to devils, not to God.'* Not
that the Greeks and Romans really intended
to do so ; but they made to themselves gods,
bjrpaying adoration to the very works of the
devil. For instance, one of their false deities
was called the god of wine, represented as
being always drunk, and presiding over
drunkards. Another was the god of thieves, •
another the king of the infernal regions, that
is, of hell : and to all these, and many more
such, they built temples, and paid the highest
honors. This, certainly, was serving Satan
instead of God."

" Poor, miserable Grecians !" cried Jane*.

M Cor. i. 29.
9

06 TPS MUSEUM.

44 Yet there are pleasant things related con-
cerning some of them*" continued Mr. Peele,
44 for yon know that Paul made a journey
among them, and formed churches in radons
places, and wrote epistles to them. , Greece
was once the mistress of the known world,
and was represented in the image of Nebu-
chadnezzar's dream, by a body of brass. It
gave way before the rising, empire of Rome ;
and afterwards was, for many centuries, a
mere province of Turkey ; in our day it has
risen again with some independence ; but its
great glory and power have for ever passed
away. These are some of the poor remains
of its ancient pride/'

" AndMessons to other lands," remarked
Mr. Cleveland, " to shew the nothingness of
all that has not God for its strength."

44 Here," said Mr. Peele, " are some things
from the ruins of Herculaneum."

" Where is that, Sir ?" asked Edward.?*

44 Very deep under ground,"-

" How can that be ?"

44 It was a city in Italy, and by the sud-
den bursting of a volcano, it was in one
moment buried in the earth. Look, here is a

THE' MUSEUM; 99

bit of lata, which flows in & liquid state, blaz-
ing as it runs down the sides of the volcanic
mountain, and afterwards cools and hardens,
as you see. Villages are sometimes destroyed
by these fiery streams suddenly breaking
out ; and the appearance of the mountain at
suck a time is most awful. Herculaneum
and Pompeii were thus destroyed, or rather
buried so deep, that all trace of them was
lost : but the ruins have- been dug into, and
the houses entered, and every thing that has
been found, shows how their destruction came
upon them in an instant. It is sad, to see
the altars on which the foolish people had
been sacrificing to their senseless idols, and
the idols themselves all broken and mutilated,
which never could deliver, nor hear, nor see
their stupid worshipers. Here are a pair of
scales, hanging with the weight in one, while
the hand which was putting into the other the
goods to be weighed, was struck with instant
death. There is something, to me, very af-
fecting in these simple articles of domestic
use, beeause they bring before the mind the
family party of parents, and children, friends
and servants, and shew how dreadful are the

100 THE MUSEUM.

judgments of the Lord, when once His hand
is stretched forth to smite a people. Consi-
der, my dear children, that as the burning
lava burst upon the inhabitants of these cities,
overwhelming them in instant ruin, so, in a
day and hour most unexpected, will the Lord
be revealed from heaven with His mighty an-
gels, inflaming Are, taking vengeance oh them
that know not God, and that bbey not. the
Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.* And,
though you may not live to see that day with
your mortal eyes, yet He may come upon you
as suddenly, by some unforeseen visitation,
and take you away to judgement without a
moment's time to cry for mercy !"

The party all looked very serious ; and
some time passed before any thing more was
said. They went a little, further, and .Mr.
Peele stopped short before a very fine '
medallion, cut in bronze, and bearing round
the edge a Latin inscription, " This," said
he, "is the first that we will examine of
those objects which are brought here as relics
of the once mighty mistress of the earth,

• 2 The», i. 7, 8.

THE MVSE41M. 101

imperial Rome. This is the head of Caesar
Augustus."

Jane and Edward both pressed forward,
eager to look at it : their father asked them
what madfe it so much more interesting to
them, tyan the beautiful heads of Greece.—
44 Oh, Papa! how can you ask that!" ex-
claimed Jane, " What happened in the days
of Augustus Caesar, Papa?" said Edward, —
44 Oh, there never, since the world began, was
a sovereign so honored as Augustus Caesar !"

44 Was he more honored than King Solo-
mon 1" asked Mr. Peele.

44 Oh yes, he was indeed, lis a king. In
the dominions of Augustus Caesar, there was
a poor stable, where some of his subjects took
shelter ; and, Sir, a greater than Solomon
was there among them."

44 You speak most truly, my dear, dear
boy," replied his kind friend ; and may the
Lord enable you always thus to judge be-
tween worldly greatness, and true glory ! —
Yes, Augustus Caesar was indeed honored
above all monarchs, in that the King of kings
deigned to be born into the world under his
government: but, alas, it availed him no-
- 9*

109 TH£. MUSEUM. -

thing as a man, since he knew not the St*
vior, whom the shepherds worshiped in the
stable of Bethlehem.' 4

" The Romans," said Jane, " were Very
proud and cruel ; were they not, Sir ?" .

"^lan, in his (alien state, is naturally both
cruel and proud, my dear ; but, he has not
always opportunities of showing htm proud
and cruel he can be. The Romans w.ere
possessed of great might, as a nation ; their
armies were victorious every where, and
what, they got by force, they often kept by
oppression."

. " Some of the Romans were converted,
though," said Edward.

44 Yes, a great many. See how St .Paul
addressed them in his beautiful epistle ; and,
remember what a blessing came to Cornelius ;
and, what a friend the persecuted apostle
found in Claudius Lysias, who saved him
from the lying-in-wait of the wicked Jews,
after rescuing him from, their violence.* —
Young people are often taught to think very
highly of the Roman character, but, though

* Actoxxiu.

THE MUSEUM. 108

among men, its rough honesty may be looked
on as more respectable than the .degraded
weakness of the Grecians, who lived in lux-
ury, and were full of deceit, yet, I confess, I
never could be an admirer of tyranny, cruelty
and self-murder, which are among the great
deeds of Roman heroism, with which we are
called upon to be so much charmed."

" t am glad that the Bible has been my
first book," said Edward ; " for, now I think,
that I shall not be so apt to take example by
mjen who never knew God. I suppose any
of those great heroes whom they talk so
much about, if he had been in Pontius Pilate's
place, would have done just the same."

"I fear so, 94 said Mr. Cleveland, "for
Rome was the place, where, during many
years of cruel persecution, the followers of
our Lord were continually brought to be
murdered, for the amusement of the people,
because they would not deny their crucified
piaster, or do homage to the disgusting idols
of the land. They were burnt, beheaded,
scourged to death, torn by wild beasts, and.
made to suffer every thing that cruelty and
malice could contrive. Paul was a prisoner

lOt THB MUSEUM.

there, you know, but as God sent him to
preach the Gospel to the inhabitants, their
power was restrained, so that they did not
touch his life : but, innocent and holy as he
was, they put a chain upon him,* and com-
pelled him to bear that fetter, as a mark of
disgrace. Do you remember what he says
of Onesiphorus ?"

Edward repeated, "The Lord give mercy
to the house of Onesiphorus, for he oft re-
freshed me, and was not ashamed of my
$hain."t

" Here are several fine medals, 9 ' said Mr.
Peele, " which were struck in honor of Ro-
man emperors, and great captains, and which
remain very perfect to this d*y>; but I think
We are all agreed, that the hospitable and
pious Greek, Onesiphorus, and the devout
Roman soldier, Cornelius, have obtained afar
higher distinction, by being mentioned in the
word of God, among the despised followers
of the Lamb* They are now kings and
priests unto Him in his heavenly kingdom,
and may we be with them there throughout
eternity !"

* Actaxxviii.20. f 2 Tim. l 16.

THE MUSEUM* 105

44 But now, we hare a more ancient period
of history to enter upon : behold here, Ed-
ward, a brick, brought from the ruin of the
mighty Babylon, ' the beauty of the Chat-
dees' excellency,"* which was the terror of
the whole earth !"

44 There is a great deal about Babylon in
the Scriptures," said Jane : 44 1 think Isaiah,
and Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, were always
writing of it.'*

. «« It was a very great city, I know," said
Edward : " for I have read about it in some
of my books ; and the account of its walls
was quite surprising."
- " The walls," Mr, Peele answered, " were
of amazing size, and strength, and extent :-—
they were three hundred feet high,and eighty-
seven feet in breadth ; and measured in circuit
from forty-eight to fifty miles. The city was
guarded by one hundred gates of brass, im-
mensely large and strong ; while the Euphra-
tes flowed beside the walls, deep and impas-
sable. Near it was aq artificial lake, thirty
miles across, in every part ; the temple of

* Inith xiii. 19.

105 THE MUSEtfM.

Belns the idol of the Chaldeans, measured
half a mile round, and was a furlongin height :
and, in erery respect the grandeur of great
Babylon was unequalled throughout the
world. Now, Edward, take my Bible, and
read the prophecy which was written when
the glory of Babylon was at its height, and
a hundred and sixty years before it began to
fall into thejeast decay."

Edward read from the places pointed out
by his friend, the following passages. " Ba-
bylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of
the Chaldees r excellency, shall be as when
God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It
shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be
dwelt in from generation to generation. Nei-
ther shall the Arabian pitch tent there;, nei-
ther shall the shepherds make their folds
there. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie
there ; and their houses shall be full of doleful
creatures, and owls shall dwell there, and
satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts
of theislands shall cryin their desolate houses,
and dragons in their 1 pleasant palaces."* " I

• Ismk xiii. 13— 22.

THE MUSEUM. 107

will cut off from Babylon the name and rem-
nant, and Aon and nephew, saith. the Lord. —
I will also make it a posession for the bit*
tern, and pools of water, and I will sweep it
with die besom of destruction."* It " shall
be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.—
Because of the wrath of the Lord, it shall not
be inhabited ; it shall be wholly desolate ;
every one that goeth by Babylon shall be as*
tonished." " Cut off the sower from Baby-
lon, and him that handleth the sickle in the
time of harvest." " How is the hammer of
the whole earth cut asunder and broken ! how
is Babylon become a desolation among the
nations ?" " The wild beasts of the desert,
with the wild beasts of the islands, shall dwell
there, and the owls shall dwell therein."—
<* Cast her up as heaps and destroy her ut-
terly— let nothing of her be left"t " Thou
shalt be desolate forever. And the land shall
tremble and sorrow, for every purpose of the
Lord shall be performed against Babylon, to
make the land of Babylon a desolation, with-
out an inhabitant." " The sea is come up

♦ lstaah »▼. 33^$. t Jet. i. 12. IS, 16, 23, 26, 39.

MB THS MUSEUM.

upon Babylon, she is covered with themulti-
tade of the waves thereof. A land wherin
no man dwelleth, neither doth the son of man
pass thereby.***

44 Now, let ns consider," said Mr. Peele,
"ihat the great city of Babylon stood in the
vale of Shinar, a very wide, level plain, one
of the most rich and fruitful places in the
world, watered by a noble river, and having
a lovely climate. We may suppose, that the
buildings, vast as they were, might have been
overthrown by war, and time ; and that the
power of the empire might be broken, and
pass into other hands, as that of die Persians,
Greeks, and Romans, had done : but even
though it had been so, yet the fine country
remaining would, have been cultivated, and
some dwelling-places formed out of the im-
mense ruins : for you see how strong the
bricks and other materials must have been.—
But such a thing could have never entered the
head of any man, as to suppose that a place
Kke that, should become so totally desolate,
as not to shelter a human being — not to allow

• Jer.K.36,», 4*43.

THE MOSBU*. 109

a teat to be pitched, nor a spot of land to be
cultivated, but to defy all that man might at*
tempt to do, and remain to the end of the
world in such a state, as to astonish all that
pass by. Shall I tell you how all this is ful-
filled!"

" Oh, pray do, Sir,' 9 cried both the chil-
dren ; " we shall like so very much to hear it."

" Well, I will tell you nothing, but what
has been declared by people who have tra-
veled to see it, some of whom I know ; and
have read the books of others. It is very
remarkable, that some of those who have de-
scribed the present state of Babylon, did not
believe, or care about, the truth of the Bible.

" Now, to begin : the prophecy says, that
Babylon shall never be dwelt in ; but wild
beasts, and owls, and . dragons, that is, ser*
pents, shall cry in the desolate houses, by
which, it wouldappear, that the houses should
in some way retnain. -We know not how
$abylon was last visited, in order to bring it
to its present condition ; but I will describe
its appearance to you. There are long lines
of what seem to be hills or mounds, in every
part, looking as like natural hills as possible,
10

110 THE MUSEUM.

but formed of earth, rubbish, broken tiles,
and stone ; these are the houses, palaces and
temples of that great city ; and no doubt, they
have been burnt at some time, as the black,
and baked appearance, plainly shews.' 9

44 People should dig into them," said Ed-
ward ; " and then they might find some curi-
ous things, the same as at Herculaneum."

44 Aye, but you forget the prophecy about
the serpents, and other things. The walls of
Babylon still remained, though in a very bro-
ken condition, about fifteen hundred years
ago : and one of the Persian kings had them
repaired, that wild beasts might be enclosed '
there, for the monarchs of the country to
hunt, when they pleased, just as our great
people keep foxes, and deer, to be turned out
and hunted. The wild beasts soon made
themselves at home in the ruined buildings,
scratching their way through the rubbish ;
and then they became very numerous. At
length, the great walls all fell by degrees, but
the beasts had lived so long there, that they
did not give it up ; and to this day the place
is full of dens, at the mouths of which lie
great heaps of bones, shewing what the lions,

THE MUSEUM. Ill

tigers* jackalls, and other savage creatures,
have been preying on. Should you like to
dig into these, Edward?"

44 No, indeed, Sir, I should not wish to go
near them. What next shall we examine in
the prophecy V 9

44 If you please* Sir," said Jane, " explain
to us, how it can be both a dry land, and
pools of water. That looks like contradic-
tion^

44 You know, my dear," replied Mr. Peele,
44 that I told you the great river Euphrates
runs by the place. On the farthest side there
are still high banks, confining the river ; but on
the side next the city, all the bank is broken
down, and the river has quite overflowed, and
come up over the plain, and made much of it
a marsh, besides filling many cavities with
water, in pools, where the bittern and the
cormorant, and other birds that frequent the
water side, are seen in great numbers. 'This
explains what is meant by the multitude of
waves coming up, for the Euphrates looks
like a sea there, overspreading the plain. I
have already told you what a burnt appearance
the great mounds of rubbish exhibit : nothing

lH THE MtTSElTM.

can be more dry than the other parts of Ba-
bylon ; and when you consider that the walls
were nearly fifty miles round, yon will see
that both parts of the prophecy may be, and
are, wonderfully fulfilled in the same spot —
the ruin of ancient Babylon. Did you ob-
serve the expression, ' cast her up as heaps V
When a city is destroyed, it is generally by
casting down every thing, and the ground is
soon cleared ; but here, we find, the destruc-
tion of Babylon is seen in casting up heaps of
ruins and rubbish ; and it is by this very thing
that we are able to point out where once it
stood. The Temple of Bel us is an immense
heap of twohundred and thirty-five feet high ;
and some have lately ventured upon it, during
the bright hours of day, when the wild beasts
do not shew themselves, and front its height
have looked around on all the desolate coun-
try. It is from these heaps that the bricks,
of which you see one, are brought ; and when
I look upon it, I think of haughty Nebuchad-
nezzar in his pride admiring the magnificent
palace of which this very brick mi ght possibly
have formed a part, and saying, ' Is not this
great Babylon that I have built for the house

THE MUSEUM. 113

of the kingdom, by the migty of my power,
and for the honor of my majesty V* God
visited the monarch with present humiliation:
and now how is his city, Babel, .' the hammer
of the whole earth,' broken !"

" Why is it called a hammer, Sir !" said
Jane.

" We are told in the fourteenth chapter of
Isaiah, that the Babylonian power 'smote
the people in wrath, with a continual stroke. 9
It is one of the beautiful and impressive em-
blems of the most beautiful of all books, the
Bible."

"Was the tower of Babel built at Baby-
lon ?" Edward asked.

44 It is generally supposed to have been so,"
replied Mr. Peele. " One of the. ancient his-
torians, Herodotus, mention* that the Temple
of Belus, of which we were speaking, con-
sisted of eight towers, placed one above ano-
ther, the lowest of them being a furlong in
height. It is certain that the ruins of the
city of Babylon stand on the plain of Shinar,
which is mentioned in Scripture as the place,
where that foolish and wicked attempt was
* Dan. iv. 30.
10*

114 THE MtTSEUX.

made;* and we therefore behold in these
days the awful monument of an offence com-
mitted above four thousand years ago. The
word Babel signifies confusion, and the place
was so called from the confusion that the Lord
brought upon them by making them speak in
different tongues, so that a man could no
longer understand his neighbor. The cha-
racter of confusion remains at this day ; for
a more confused heap of ruins it is not pos-
sible to imagine, than those of Babylon : and
its history, from first to last, seems to be a
commentary upon those impressive words,
4 Be not high-minded, but fear.' "t

•* I begin to think that broken brick the
most interesting thing that we have yet
seen,** said Edward.

Mrs. Cleveland remarked that every thing
appeared the more interesting according to its
connection with the Bible ; and that it was
wonderful how those persons who did not
study the Scriptures could take pleasure in
looking upon such objects. Mr. Cleveland
said that the great difficulty of bringing

• Gta. *i. - t Aom. si. 90.

THE MUSEUM. 11&

away any thing from such a place as the ruins
of Babylon, might give it a sort of value
in the eyes of idle persons ; but that it was
not possible they should feel the delight of
those who, by the Lord's mercy, were taught
to trace his hand in every fragment of those
mighty ruins.

44 We will now go on," said Mr, Peele ;
94 and here are some broken pieces of marble,
which once belonged to immense statues:
here also are some most curious specimens of
the ancient Way of writing, called hierogly-
phics, or the representation of ideas by means
of figures, instead of words. My dear child*
ren, these things came from a place not less
famous than Babylon — from Egypt."

44 Oh, let me look !" cried Jane — " I should
to like to see any thing from Egypt ; that is,
any thing very old, as old as the things from
Babylon."

44 These may be much older," said Mr.
Cleveland ; " for some of them were taken
from the Pyramids, those wonderful buildings
which are supposed by many to have been
part of the work given to the poor oppressed
people of Israel to perform*"

116 THE MUSBffM.

** Ay," rejoined Mr. Peele, " the very
marble on which I lean may have been
moistened with the tears, of those afflicted
Israelites, whose task-masters laid heavy
burdens on them : ' and the children of Iff*
rael sighed, by reason of their bondage, and
they cried ; and their cry came up to God
by reason of the bondage.' "*

Edward went on—" And then, when God
had called to Moses out of the burning bush,
He said, ' I have surely seen the affliction of
my people which are in Egypt, and have
heard their cry, by reason of their task-mas-
ters ; for I know their sorrows.' "t

44 And with what a mighty hand, and
stretched-out arm, He wrought their deliver-
ance !" said Mr. Cleveland. 44 What do you
learn from the recollection of these things,
Edward?"

44 1 think, Papa, that I learn to hope ill
the I<ord ; and to feel sure that he sees me
when in trouble, and can deliver me ; and
also that he sees me when in sin, and wttl
punish me. He thinks of me, when I. am
not thinking of him."

+ Exod. ii. 23. t Exod. iv. 7.

THE MUSHUJL 117

*That is true," said Mr. Peele, *? and we
see it in the history of the Israelites : for it
does not appear that they cried to God, whom,
indeed they did not know aright, until he
revealed himself to them by Moses. They
cried and groaned through their suffering, but
did not apply for help to the God of their fa-
thers. Their sin in making the calf, to wor-
ship, proves ihat they had learnt the idola-
trous ways of the Egyptians, who held that
animal sacred. But God dealt not with them
after their sins ; he remembered his covenant
with Abraham, and had mercy on them. * O
thai men would praise the Lord for his good-
ness, and for his wonderful works to the
children of men.' "*

" Egypt is not destroyed like Babylon, is
it, Sir t" said Jane.

" No ; but its glory has passed away, as
was, predicted by the prophets of the Lord ;
and it has been for a long while merely a pro-
vince of the Turkish Empire. No people
were so learned as the Egyptians ; they were
great astronomers, and had many arts among

* Psalm cvii. 8»

118 the hitsiuk.

them ; and there is nothing in the world to
be compared, among the works of men, with
those Pyramids, which are even now quite
perfect and uninjured, standing like great
mountains, and to he seen from a distance of
many miles. No kingdom upon earth is so
ancient as that of Egypt— no nation, perhaps,
had so many rich and populous cities, such
power, and wealth, and influence. Such was
its state when the prophecies were written,
the fulfilment of which we will consider as
we have done that of Babylon."

" Mr. Peele then showed them in the Bible
these passages : " They shall be a base king-
dom. . It shall be the basest of kingdoms.
Neither shall it exalt itself any more among
the nations : for I will diminish them, that
they shall no more rule over the nations."*
*« The pride of her power shall come down."
" And they shall be desolate in the midst of
the countries that are desolate, and her cities
shall be in the midst of the cities that are
wasted." " I will make the land of Egypt
desolate, and the country shall be desolate of

* Exok. x*ix. 14, 15.

THE MUSEUM. 119

that whereof it was full." " I will sell the
land into the hand of the wicked. I will make
the land waste, and all that is therein, by the
hand of strangers : I the Lord have spoken
it." " And there shall he no more a prince
of the land of Egypt."* " The sceptre of
Egypt shall depart away."t

" Let us now see," said Mr. Peele, " how
the prophecy has-been fulfilled ; and here I
can speak boldly, haying myself traveled
over a part of that most celebrated, yet now
most wretched kingdom. It was declared that
Egypt should become the basest of kingdoms,
her cities desolate and waste. I can assure
you, that of all the grand palaces, temples,
and splendid buildings, I saw only ruined frag-
ments ; while the present habitations of the
people are cottages with walls of mud. For
the'last two thousand and nearly two hundred
years, the country has been subject to foreign
powers, — first to the Persians, then to the
Romans, next the Saracens, the Mamelukes,
and lastly the Turks. But the most wonder-
ful thing of all is to see in what manner it bas

♦ Esek. ux. 6, 7, 12, 13. t Zech. z. 11,

120 THE MUSEUM.

been ' sold into the hand of the wicked/ 'laid
waste by the hand of strangers,' and neYer
ruled by a prince of its own. For many cen-
turies, and until within a few years, the Beys
or chiefs, whom the Turks deputed to rule
over Egypt, were chosen from among the
Mamelukes, who were slaves to the Turks :
these were never succeeded by their sons, but
by other slaves, again selected for that pur-
pose ; and, as bribes were given .to the Turks
to procure the appointment, Egypt was ' sold
into the hand of the wicked' continually.
Again, as the ruler must make up the money
by cruelly oppressing his subjects, and rob-
bing them, you see how it has been 'laid
waste by the hand of strangers' still."

" I never heard of such a thing as that,"
said Edward."

" Nor any one else," replied his father*
" Such a way of governing a country was ne-
ver thought of elsewhere ; and therefore
Egypt, being thus governed, is certainly * the
basest of all kingdoms.' "

" Ah, Papa," said Jane, " if you were to
tell all this to the poor miserable people who
do not believe the Bible, it would convince
them at once of its being true."

THE MUSEUM. 121

" My dear child,, the most particular ac-
counts that we have of these very things, con-
cerning Egypt, were written by two men who
were of that unhappy sort of people, and
would not take the Bible as God's word.
The state of Egypt is a miracle, but no mira-
cle will convince the despiser of the Bible.
You know it is written, * If they believe not
Moses and the prophets, neither will they be
persuaded though one rose from the dead. 9 "*

Jane said, " Somebody told me the Gip-
sies were from Egypt."

" Perhaps so," said Mr. Peele ; " for there
is another prophecy, — 'I will scatter the
Egyptians among the nations, and disperse
them throughout the countries.'! In this
they resemble the Jews ; for the people called
Gipsies are met with in almost every land :
but only mark how the character follows them
of being 'base,' that is, low and despised.
The Jews are often possessed of very great
wealth, and held in some respect ; they are
merchants and tradesmen in most lands ; and,
by concealing their religion, they sometimes

* Lake xvi. 31. t Exck. zzx. 86.

122 THE MB6EUJI.

get into places of power. In many cities of
Europe, you may find Jews living in elegant
houses, with carriages and servants at com-
mand ; but the wretched Gipsies are every
where the same ; and wander about in gangs,
carrying their children on their backs, or in
baskets strung across a- donkey. Their houses
are of wood, and put upon wheels, looking
exactly like the caravans in which wild beasts
are taken about for a show. They never re-
main long in one place, but live for a while on
some open common, or in a grove, robbing all
the farmers and others around them — cooking
their food, over a fire of sticks on the ground,
in a kettle hung from the point where three
stakes meet, the other end of the stakes being
driven into the earth. They are dirty, ragged,
and most impudent, — pretending to tell for-
tunes, and so cheating poor ignorant people
who believe in such sinful folly, both out of
! their money, and into a great offence against
God. When a gang of Gipsies encamps, as
they call it, in any place, all the houses round
are better guarded than before — the cattle
watched, the fowls locked tip at night, and
every thing done to avoid being robbed by

THE MUSEUM. 19S

these basest among the people. Some kind
Christians hare taken great compassion on
them, and have given them tracts, and read
the Scriptures to them ; and, as they cer-
tainly bear the mark of God's severe judg-
ment, and appear to be another living proof
of the truth of prophecy, I wish all would do
the same. A poor wicked Gipsey, being once
brought to believe in Jesus Christ, causes as
much joy among the angels of God, and will
be as welcome to heaven, and as happy there,
as any other converted sinner can be."
, After this, the party went a little farther,
and Mr. -Peele pointed out t<f them a very
curious sword, with some characters engraven
on it which they could not read. There was
with it a pistol also, and some articles of
house furniture, with others that seemed to
be intended for household use, particularly a
curious bowl, made of the shell of a large nut.
Edward observed that they ought, to have
been in the other room, where the dresses and
weapons of different nations were arranged ;
but Mr. Peele said that they deserved to have
a place among the most valuable antiquities,
as things well fitted to lead the mind to the

134 THE MUSEUM.

wonders of God's word. " These," he said,
" belonged to a people whose history and cha-
racter are not one bit less astonishing than
those of the Jews or the Egyptians — I mean,
the Arab tribes, who have kept for three
thousand years' the same condition among
men which the Lord decreed to them in the
days of Abraham."

He then again took his Bible, and showed
Edward the prophecy concerning Ishmael, as
spoken to his mother Hagar, so short, yet so
remarkable. " I will multiply thy seed ex*
ceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for
multitude." R And he (Ishmael) will be a
wild man ; his hand will be against every
man, and every man's hand against him ; and
he shall dwell in the presence of all his
brethren."*

" Here," said Mr. Peele, " we have four
things plainly declared. First, the race of
Ishmael was to be extremely numerous— not
to be counted ; secondly, they were to live a
wild or unsettled life ; thirdly, they were to
be at war with all other people ; and, fourth-

' » Gen* xvi. 10, 12.

THE MUSEUM. 125

lyy they were to remain — not to be driven
away or brought into subjection, as all the
nations around them have been, but to dwell
in the presence of the others — before their
faces — independent and distinct. If I can
prove to you that all these things have been
fulfilled exactly, and that the present state of
the children of Ishmael is altogether what I
have described, will you not own that the
proper place for these curiosities is with
those of Babylon and Egypt ?"
« *tYes, indeed, Sir," answered the child-
ren : " pray tell us all about the descendants

of Ishmael."

«

Mr* Peele answered, "The Arabians or
Arabs are the posterity of Ishmael ; and on
the whole earth there is not found a people
so wild, so given to fighting and plundering,
or so unconquered. In former days, they
overran and subdued more countries than
even the great Empire of Rome ever pos-
sessed, and made themselves masters of a
large part of Europe, as well as of Asia and
Africa ; and from this you may judge whe-
ther they must not have been as numerous
as the prophecy describes. Next, they al-
io*

126 thx annwmtv

ways continued to be a wild people ; and even
when they had' conquered great and polished
nations, and might have been expected to
settle and to become like them, the Arab
race could not change. Wild, fierce, rest-
less, they still went on-r^plundering, and then
departing to seek new conquests. At . this
day they overspread a very large territory,
which has always been their own, and from
whence none of the great conquerors, «ithei
Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, or Roman,
could ever drive them, nor bring them into
bondage. They live in the desert now, and
dwell in tents— -moving from place to place,
— all their habits and character being a* wild
as you can imagine any thing to be. They
subsist on simple food, and drink goat's
milk ; and that rare and beautiful breed of
horses, of which you may have seen some,
called Arabian, with flowing manes, long
tails, and full of spirit, are reared by them.
The wild Arab makes his horse the compa-
nion of his family, gives him of his own food*
and lets him sleep in his tent : these are the
Arabs of the desert. The other rape is
. called the Bedouin Arabs, who are chiefly

THB MUSKJJM. 12?

merchants, and considered very thievish too ;
they travel in immense bodies, pitch their
tents in some fertile spot near a large city,
and often cause a famine, by consuming 'so
much of the corn and provisions. Many of
them have their houses in the most steep
and rugged rocks, where they hollow out
chambers, and secure the approach so that
there is no fear of any invader. Now tell
me, may not these people be really and truly
called wild men V 9

" Wild indeed !" said Edward. " Pray go
on, Sir ; for I like to hear about the Arabs,
even better than of the rest— it is so strange.' 9

"We are naturally fond of hearing strange
and wonderful things," said Mr. Peele. " How
comes it then that so few care to listen, when
the greatest wonder that ever did or could
take place is spoken of ? Why do people
give bo little heed when we tell them that the
Lord, the Creator of the world, left the throne
of glory in heaven to become a mortal babe—
to be born in a stable, and to die on across,
that they should not perish everlastingly?
Oh what power the devil has over our wicked
hearts, that any strange history can move us
more than this miracle of Almighty love ! ,

138 THE XVSIUlIf

** We will now go on, my dear children, to
the third point concerning the Ishmaelites —
4 His hand will be against «very man, and
every man's hand against him. 9 This has al-
ways been the case with the Arabians : as I
♦old you, they made vast conquests, going
against other nations ; but we never read in
history of their forming an alliance with any*
Plunder being their business, they know no
difference of Mend or foe, but set upon all
alike ; and when they meet with any travel-
ers whose appearance makes them suppose
that they are persons of consequence, the
Arabs take them prisoners, carry them off to
their camp, and then send to demand a ransom
for them — often asking large sums of money*
When parties pass the great deserts, going
from one place to another, they are obliged
to join, forming very numerous companies,
called caravans — guarded by a body of armed
men, and having their property carried on
camels, over which they keep a most anxious
watch. But, in spite of all their care, the
daring Arabs will often come galloping on,
mounted on their powerful, fleet horses-
brandishing such scy meters, or long curved

THS HUSKTOt. 189

swords, as that before you,-4heir belts stuck
with pistols ; and with the speed and fury of
a tempest they fall upon the caravan, killing
die guards, overpowering all resistance, and
taking away with them the richly-laden ca-
mels, as also such of the travelers as they
expect to have ransomed at a high price.
This, you will allow, is having their hand
against every man ; and you may be sure that
every man's hand is against such a race of
unmerciful plunderers, whom it is every
body's interest to root out from the earth :
yet, as I told you, none have ever been able
to conquer them, even to this day ; and what
do you suppose is their protection ?"

"I dare say," said Edward, "it is their
fleet horses, and sharp swords, and the houses
in the rocks that you told us of."

Jane said, " I think it is the prophecy that
protects them."

41 Exactly so," answered her Papa. u The
Scriptures cannot be broken ; and while there .
is a nation upon earth, it must needs be that
Ishmael's children shall dwell in the pres-
ence of all their brethren. Goon, dear Peele,
to show us how that is»'~

190 THE KV8BUX.

" Yon are every way as well able to do it
as I am," answered Mr. Peele ; " but, since
you wish it, I will. My young friends were
both right, only that Edward mentioned the
means, and Jane the cause of the wonderful
preservation that we speak of The brethren
in whose presence the Arabs dwell, may be
taken to mean the nations that surround them
—the Turks, the Persians, and others. These,
however powerful or numerous, cannot sub-
due the wild Arabs, nor even put the least
check on them, except by paying them large
sums of money to purchase their own safety
or that of their caravans* Travelers may ob-
tain both protection and guidance from them,
by the same means : but the tribes of Arabs
are so independent of each other, that those
who have undertaken the safe conduct of a
stranger must sometimes fight to secure their
charge from their own plundering brethren*
No one thinks of going regularly to war with
the Arabs : no one dares to provoke them.
They fear none, but are feared, and hated,
and courted by all who have anything to lose.
Their protection is bargained for, to a certain
day, or as far as sortie particular place, and

THE MUSEUM. 131

then it ceases. No people on earth are so
independent as the Arabs ; and their history
I think you will allow to be most wonderful.' 9

" There is no end to the wonders that we
have seen and heard here," said Edward ;
" and how very good it is of you, Sir, to take
so much trouble in giving us all this nice in-
struction !"

"Ah, yes," said Jane; "we never can
thank you enough, Sir ; and I hope that we
shall be much benefited by it."

' My dear children," answered the kind
gentleman, " I am well repaid by finding that
you listen with a real desire for information.
Nothing is so encouraging to a teacher, as to
see his pupils anxious to learn ; and nothing
more distressing than to behold them care*
less and inattentive when he endeavors to
instruct them. I have been quite sorry to
see some young people, and some older ones
also, just cast their eyes over such interest-
ing collections as this, and go out again, hav-
ing got nothing, by their visit, as I should
fear, but just an excuse for saying that they
had been to see the curiosities."

Edward said, "That is what I talked of

138 THE MUSEUM.

doing before I came here : but my sister con-
vinced me it would be foolish to play the
butterfly when we might imitate the bee.
She was right ; and I am very glad that I
followed her good example. 9 '

44 And what can be more delightful to me,"
said hi* Papa, " than to see my dear children
setting a good example to each other ? We
may all lead our companions right or wrong,
more than we are aware ; and this should
keep us ever praying for grace to ' shew out
Of a good conversation our works with meek-
ness of wisdom.'* I am myself glad that I
did not lose the sight of these Arabian spoils ;
for indeed they interest me more and more,
every time I compare the prophecy with its
most wonderful and exact fulfilment."

Mrs. Cleveland said, 44 1 think the wonder
is not in the fulfilment of prophecy, for what
God has said must and shall come to pass ;
but it is truly wonderful that, when people
see such changes as those of Egypt and
Babylon, or such an unchanged state as that
of the Arabs, they will puzzle themselves to

• James iiL 13.

TBft BXU8JB9K. 13S

£nd out causes which never could account
for them to any body's satisfaction, instead
of following the prophet's advice, * Seek ye
out of the book of the Lord, and read.'*
Men do not like to be reminded of God's
unchangeable truth, because they know that
his word is full of threatenings against im-
penitent sinners ; and therefore it tells them
that, except they repent, they must perish ;
and that it will be more tolerable in the day
of judgment for Tyre and Sidon, than for
those who have the gospel, and yet will not
•bey it"

" Is there any thing here from Tyre and
Sidon ?" said Jane* " I shall be glad if there
is, as I wish to hear about them."

Mr. Peele smiled, and replied, " You may
hear of them, my dear, without having any
other thing from thence to look at than the
friend now before you ; for I have been there,
and in Jerusalem too."

"In Jerusalem !" cried out both children
together — "and have you been at Bethle-
hem ?" Jane asked ; " And on Calvary?" said

« baiah xxxiv. 16.
IS

134 THE MUSEUM.

Edward, both looking at him with greater
eagerness than ever.

" Yes ; I have trod the plains of Bethle-
hem, where shepherds kept watch over their
flocks by night ; and the angel of the Lord
came to tell them that in a stable was born
unto them a Savior, even Christ the Lord.
And I have been on Calvary, where that Sa-
viour, nailed to the shameful cross, cried out,
4 It is finished,' and bowed his head, and gave
up the ghost."

A deep awe came over the children : they
looked down, and all the party remained in
solemn silence for a minute. Then Mr. Peele
went on :

"I have also been at Damascus, where
Paul went as a persecutor, and remained as
a preacher; and I have visited the seven
churches of Asia, admonished so strikingly
in the second and third chapters of the Reve-
lation. Your kind Papa promises to take
me home to dinner ; and then, if the Lord
permit, you shall hear something of my tra-
vels, in the course of which I have had more
than one meeting with the unconquered and
unconquerable race of Ishmael."

THE MUSEUM, 135

Edward and Jane did not know how to
express their delight at hearing this. They
thanked Mr. Peele over and over, in which
their Papa and Mamma joined.

After looking a little longer at the curiosi-
ties around them, Mr. Peele said, " Now I
hare to conduct you to one more room,
which 9 though the smallest, and containing
but a solitary object, is perhaps the most in-
teresting of all, and the fullest of instruction."

It may be supposed that Jane and her bro-
ther were anxious enough to know what this
could be ; so they gladly accompanied their
friend, who, taking a hand of each, led them
into a very small room, where, in a niche or
recess, there stood something which perplex-
ed them to guess what it might be. In shape,
it was much like a coffin, set on the smallest
end ; but the upper part was in the form of a
head. All, from top to bottom, was covered
with some substance like paper, with painting
and gilding, in strange figures, on every part.
This covering was rigged in some places ; but
under it they could see more of the same sort,
only softer, and not so much ornamented.

After looking at it a long while, Edward
said, "Now do tell us what it is, Sir."

190 TUB MUftBim*

" It isahuman being/' answered Mr. Peele.

" Oh ! is it a man — a dead man ?" cried
Jane, shrinking back.

" Do not run away," said her Papa. "I
heard you once say that you should like to
see an Egyptian mummy, and now you hare
your wish."

Jane was surprised. " Is that a mummy ?
It is curious indeed : I did not know ttyat a
mummy was so large."

" It is a very fine one," said Mr. Peele ;
" and itis wonderful to consider that it cannot
have been in that state less than between two
and three thousand years. How much longer,
no one can tell. It came from one of the
catacombs of Egypt, where it had lain em-
balmed, until the curiosity of man brought it
from its resting-place, for the idle to gaze at,
and for the serious to meditate upon.

" That is really such a body as ours, though
you cannot see the limbs : for the arms are
bound down, and the legs and body all toge-
ther wrapped up in the many coatings of linen,
and papyrus, and other compositions, for
which we now have no name. Great art
must have been used in preserving corrupti-
ble clay so perfectly ; and no doubt the form

THE MUSEUM* TS7

before lis was that of some great noble, or
king, from the vast care and expense used in
his interment. Oh ! what a lesson to human
pride, when the very means taken to keep
that body from mixing with its kindred dust;
have only occasioned it to be brought here,
an unburied corpse, to be gazed and won-
dered at by the humblest who choose to ap-
proach it !"

" I am sure," said Edward, who seemed
half crying, " I would rather be put into the
grave, and return to dust, as God decreed,
than be made such a show of!"

" But," added Jane, " though I think so
too, yet, after all, what does it signify where
our poor bodies go to, if our souls be safe
with the Lord Jesus in heaven ? That is the
great thing to care about. Is that person's
soul in heaven; Sir ? do you think it is ?"

Edward said, " I am afraid not."

"Why do you suppose so ?" asked his Papa.

44 Because he was an Egyptian, Papa ; and
I think those people are always mentioned
as God's enemies."

" Yes," replied his father, " the Egyptians,
as a nation, are so spoken of. They were the
12*

138 THE MVSSUM.

oppressors of the Lord's people, who, how-
ever, at times sought their alliance against
other enemies ; and for so doing they were
severely reproved, as yon may see in the
thirtieth chapter of Isaiah, where the prophet
threatens, * Woe to the rebellious children,
saith the Lord'— 4 that walk to go down into
Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth, to
strengthen themselves in the strength of Pha-
raoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt !
Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be
your shame, and the trust in the shadow of
Egypt your confusion. 9 Observe, theeause
of God and of his people is one : Christ is the
Head — his church the body ; the enemies of
his church areJiis enemies, and the persecu*
tors of his people persecute him. When,
therefore, the followers of the Lord seek to
strengthen themselves by forming alliance
with those who despise Him, they greatly
dishonor their Master — making it appear as
though the might of his glorious arm was not
enough to defend, and to give them the vic-
tory. The least service from the humblest
believer is readily and graciously received by
our Almighty King ; but he seeks not to be

THE MUSEUM. 188

helped by his adversaries. You know that a
damsel possessed with a spirit of divination
-—an evil spirit — used to follow Paul, in the
city of Thyatira, when he and his companions
were preaching the gospel ; and she constant-
ly cried out, ' These men are the servants
of the most high God, which shew unto us
the way of salvation.'* What she said was
true ; but the Lord would not accept the wit-
ness of an evil spirit, and therefore enabled
Paul ta silence the girl, by casting out the
devil. We must be very cautious, as to
where and how we seek help, remembering
that God would not suffer Israel to receive
assistance from. Egypt, though it was against
the powerful and cruel Assyrians.

" But, to return to what you said, Edward,
we must not be sure that no good thing could
come out of Egypt. You remember Natha-
niel, who, on being told by his brother Philip
that they had ( found Him of whom Moses in
the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus of
Nazareth, the son of Joseph,' doubted, ask*
ing* * Can there any good thing come out of

* Acta zvi. 16, 17.

140 THE MUSEUM.

Nazareth?'* Even in the days of the cruel
tyrant who oppressed the children of Israel so
dreadfully, we find the daughter of Pharaoh
herself acting a most tender and merciful part
towards the forlorn Hebrew babe whom she
discovered amid the bulrushes. We read
also, that when the people of Israel went out
of Egypt, a mixed multitude followed them :
and of these we may suppose that some at
least were induced to do so from having seen
that God was with them, and, becoming obe-
dient to the law, as given to Abraham and to
Moses, were received among the true wor-
shipers. We must beware of judging too has-
tily, and of condemning individuals because
of their place of birth, or other matters not
depending on themselves : you know that, in
some parts of the world, a black skin is con*
sidered excuse enough for making our fellow-
men slaves, and treating them far worse than
beasts of burden are treated among us. God
cannot approve of such distinctions, even put-
ting the dreadful wickedness of oppressing
our brethren out of the question. He tells
us, by the- mouth of his apostle, that He * hath
> ♦ John i. 45,46.

X TSE MUSEUM. Hi

made of one blopd all natipns of men, for to
dwell on all the face of the earth'* — that
4 the grace of God, which bringeth salvation,
hath appeared unto all men.'t By hi* pro-
phet He invites them, ' Look unto me, and
be ye saved, all the ends of the earth :' J and,
to show that no nation is cut off from his pro-
mises^ we are told by St. John, in his sublime
and glorious Revelation, that he beheld, * and
lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and
people, and tongues, stood before the throne,
and before the Lamb, clothed with white
robes, and palms in thpir hands ; and cried
with a loud voice, saying, salvation to our
God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto
the Lamb.'$ We know that an immortal
soul once dwelt in that body now before us ;
but whether it is, at this day, with Christ in
blessedness, or with the rebellious spirits re-
served under chains and darkness to the pub-
lic and awful judgment of the last day, it is
not for us to decide. One thing alone we
are sure of— that is, that our own portion

♦ Acta rvii. 26. t Titus ii. 11. t I«. xlv. »
§ Rev. vii. 9, 10.

142 THE MV8SVK.

must be eternal and unchangeable in heaven
or in hell, according as we are in Christ or
out of him."

" Tell me, Papa," said Jane, " will that
very same body which we now see come to
life again at the day of judgment V 1 '

"It will be substantially the same, my
dear. That we shaH all arise with our own
bodies, is clear from many passages of Scrip-
ture ; but they must be greatly changed. —
We know that ' flesh and blood cannot in-
herit the kingdom of heaven;'* neither
could it remain unconsumed in the fires of
hell* We also know that, while of innume-
rable millions of bodies scarcely one is pre-
served like this before us, the greater number
are soon turned into dust, and many have been
burnt to ashes, or devoured by wild beasts
and fishes! When the dust is blowninto my
face on a windy day, and I turn from the dis-
agreeable annoyance, I often think how pro-
bable it is that the little particles have, some
time, formed part of a human being like my-
self—perhaps of some proud child of wealth,
who would have disdained to walk upon the

. * 1 Cor. xv. 50.

THE MUSEUM. 143

ground with which he is now mingled ; and
who was as much admired and envied in the
shape of man, as he is now disliked and de-
spised in that of a handftil of dust Such
thoughts help, at times, to keep me mindful
of my state. The Lord, in mercy and com-
passion, 'remembereth that we are hut dust :' *
we ought also to remember it in humility and
sorrow, because it is for our sin that we are
condemned to return to the ground from
whence we were taken.'t

7 Mr. Peele.said, " The apostle Paul, in the
fifteenth chapter of his first Epistle to the Co^
rinthians, has told us all that we need to
know, while he reproves the proud curiosity,
or worse unbelief, of those who wish to be wise
above what is written. Let us read his words,
commencing at the thirty-fifth verse. ' But
some man will say, how are the dead raised
up, and with what body do they come ? Thou
fool, that which thou so west is not quickened,
except it die ; and that which thou so west*
thou sowest not. that body that shall be, but
hare grain ; it may chance of wheat, or of

* IValm ciii. 14: t Gen. iu. 19.

144 THE II 06 B UK.

some other grain : but God giveth it a body as
itbath pleased him, and to every seed his own
body. 9 This is a very beautiful comparison,
and may help us to understand as much as
God sees fit for us to know of this great and
glorious mystery. We put a grain of wheat
in the ground ; there it swells, and corrupts,
and dies ; yet from it springs a plant, which
could not have grown except the seed had
been so buried. The blade of wheat is not
the grain, nor does it resemble it; the green
stalk is not the grain ; neither is the full ear
Of corn the' grain that was sown ; yet we
know, and are sure, that they are all of that
particular grain, and of no other."

" I can understand something of this," ob-
served Jane ; " for last autumn Edward pick*
ed up an acorn, and put it in the ground, in a
corner of the garden : in the spring* young
plant grew up, and that got larger ; and Ed-
ward is quite fond of it, and says, * See, sis*
ter, this is the acorn that I sowed last year:
how nicely it grows !' The young tree is
mot a bit like the acorn ; but Edward speaks
true for all that' 9

44 You have helped us out very satisfac-

«E HMMSUM. MS

torlly," said Mr. Peek ; "and bow merrifui ts
the Lord, bo to order what we call the works
of nature, as tq give us a better understand*
ing of the' nobler works of grace? If our
hearts were right with Him, every spot that
we see, — the garden, the corn-field, the sheep-
fold,— 'the river and the ocean,' — the starry
heavens above,' and the small blade of grass
under our feet, — all, all would speak to. us of
Him — would tell us of his creating power,
of his providential government, andW the un-
searchable riches of his redeeming love. We
know not what delight we lose by suffering
Satan to fill oar minds with idle fancies, and
with worldly thoughts, when the great works
of the Jffost High are spread before us, and
he invites us to meditate on them in our
hearts, and to let our lips show forth hie
praise. 91

Edward, after a little while, said, "I can-
not help thinking, when I look at this strange
figure— of Lot's wife, who was turned into a
pillar of salt."

" I am glad," replied his Mamma, " thai
your thought is of so profitable a kind ; for
13

146 1HS XU1B9X.

we are commanded to * remember Lot's
wife.'* Do you' recollect # why she was so
awfully set up as a monument I"

" Yea, yes, Mamma, I do ; and I was con-
sidering, too, that, like her, the Israelites
would hare gone hack to the place from which
God had delivered them ; for they hankered
after the flesh-pots of Egypt, you. know.
And this rich Egyptian, whose friends could
afford to preserve his poor body in this won-
derful way* what is he the better now* Mam-
ma, for his flesh-pots? If he be in heaven
his riches never brought him there ; and. if
not, ah ! what good can the remembrance of
them do him ?"

Poor Egyptian man!" said Jane — "it
makes me sad to look upon him, because I
have not much hope that he belonged to
Christ. But will you tell me, Sir, how they
can contrive to keep a person in this way for
so many hundred years ?"

"I cannot exactly tell you, my dear," <an«
swered Mr. Peele ; " for the art of embalming
so perfectly, is lost, with many other wonder-

+ Lukexrii. 39L

THB KUSEU*. 1.4?

fhl arts, which were known to the ancient
Egyptians. What yon see is not, in fact, the
body, but the outermost of a very great num-
ber of wrappers, in which it is tightly bound
up. These are prepared so as to prevent the
least degree of air or moistureirom reaching,
the corpse within ; and where all is so perfectly
dry, corruption * does not easily take place.
The body was opened after death, and filled
with many strong spices and other things, to
prevent decay there. This was practised in
most Eastern countries, and is still done, for
kings and great men, though not with die
perfection of art that we see here. Do you
not remember that the pious women were
going to have the same thing done for the
body of our blessed Lord Jesus V 9

44 Yes, Sir ; they wound it in linen clothes,
with the spices that Nichodemus brought-fc-a
hundred pounds weight of myrrh and aloes."*

Edward said, " And on the first day of the
week, the women came with spices and oint-
ments which they had prepared on the night
of the crucifixion ; bnt the Lord had risen
from the dead before they arrived."

* John six. 39, 40.

I4B thk mvkuv*

" Yes," said Mr. Peek ; " and do you not
see the hand of God very remarkably in all
this ! Oof Lord being crucified on the day
before the Sabbath, was not taken down from
the cross until towards night ; and as the Jews
reckoned the Sabbath from sunset on the pre-
ceding day, it would not have been lawful to
have done What could not be called necessary
work, after their Sabbath had begun. The
winding of the body with spices was to keep
it fresh until the day of rest should have
passed away ; and by this means, the sacred
body of our Lord was preserved from any
other wound than those inflicted by the nails
and the spear. We are told that, baring pre*
pared the spices and ointments, they rested
on the Sabbath day according to the com*
mandment.* O children, what a Sabbath
was that ! God rested from his work of ere*
ation on the first seventh day, and from hea-
ven beheld all that he had made, and called it
good: but what words can we use, when
speaking of the awful Sabbath on which the
Lord of glory rested in the darkness of a ae-

• Luke xxiii. 56.

THJK MCS&Ulf. 140

pulchre ! Six days had seen the* fast work of »
creatipn completed : thirty-three years pf sor-
row and suffering were numbered by the Boa
of God, before he could say, ' It is finished, 9
and rest from the yet more mighty and amaz-
ing work of redemption. Can we know these
things, my young friends, and yet be cold and*
careless towards that Savior who for our
sakes stooped even to the tomb? Alas!
what a lesson we have before our eyes at this
moment ! We may talk of the love of Christ,
of his Almighty power, and perfect willing-
ness to save : but here is one ofuur sinful race
who cannot profit by ityr-a mortal body from
which the spirit has long flown, and taken its
station either before the throne of the Lamb,
or in the place where is wailing and gnashing
of teeth. He was a heathen by birth, no
doubt : and we cannot tell whether he was
ever joined to the people of the God of Abra-
ham, who were saved by faith in a coming
Savior. He died before that Savior came
in the flesh. Let^us lay to heart what con-
cerns us, and ask, how shall we escape if we
neglect so great salvation, which is every day
spoken in our hearing, or engraved before our
13 #

180 THE KUSltfM.

eyes in the pages of our blessed Bible* ! I
long traveled about the world, pleasing my
fancy with such things as you have seen col-
lected here, but under no concern. about the
things that are not seen, though the first are
temporal and perishiug-r-the last sternal and
unchangeable.. It pleased the Lord, at length,
to shew me a sight which I never had desired
to see — the sinfulness of my own heart ; and
many a sorrowful hour I have spent in regret*
ting days and years thrown away in idleness,
while so much work was to be done for my
heavenly Master. Dear children ! pray that
He will early impress your young minds, as
indeed I trust he doesywith a sense of what
you owe to Him who.giveth you richly all
things to enjoy; and beseech him to bestow
on you grace to be his faithful servants, and
to show forth his glory among men, ere yott
become like this, a lump of stenseless, help-
less, immoveable clay."

Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland were very thankful
to hear their friend give sojnueh good coun-
sel to their dear boy and girl. Pious parents
are often much disappointed, when visiters
who are well able to speak of the Savior,
and to direct young people to him, do not

THE MUSSVM. 161

take the opportunity of instructing the child-
ren of the family on that subject, but merely
question them about their other studies, and
their amusements. Children, too, are seldom
found so anxious as they ought to be for pro-
fitable conversation with those who love God.
It is not good for young people to put them-
selves forward, and to interrupt the discourse
of their elders' ; but if, when a pious friend is
so kind as to notice them, they would mo-
destly ask such questions as might show a de-
sire for spiritual instruction, they would often
have cause to be very glad that they did so.
Let them remember the holy child Jesus, who
was found sitting among the doctors (or
teachers) in the temple, " both hearing them,
and asking them questions." 1 * No young boy
or girl need be afraid to follow that example,
so long as it is done with the meek and lowly
spirit of the blessed Jesus ; without pride, or
pertness, or affectation of being wiser than
-other little folios. Nothing can be more
teasing than the silly questions of an idle
child ; but the serious inquiries of one who
really wishes to be taught it is very delight-
ful to answer.

* Luke ii. 46.

|M THfi MTTSBOTf*

CHAPTER IV. >

HatIng now seen all that was interesting
in the collection, the ptfrty turnecf towards
home Jane and Edward not a little anxious
to learn from Mr. Peele the particulars of his
travels in a country so very dear to every
person who loves the Bible. However, they
did not trouble him with any questions ; but,
while their Papa was talking with him before
dinner, they quietly went to their maps, and
looked at that of Asia y.ery carefully, in order
that, when Mr. Peele should mention any
place, they might know whereabouts it was.
This, and talking over what they had seen,
employed them pleasantly, until they were
called to the dinner-table, where they heard
a good deal of instructive conversation be-
tween their parents and Mr.Peele.

At the removal of the cloth, some fruit was
brought in ; and among thereat, some very
fine grapes. Mr. Peele pointed to them, and

THE MUSEUM. 163

asked Edward what they reminded him of. .
Edward answered that he was then thinking
of the grapes of Eschol, which the spies
brought to Moses from the land of Canaan,
to prove what a good and fruitful country it
was.*

" And what has Jane ta say," asked their
kind friend.

Jane replied, " I was not thinking about
them, Sir, till you asked my brother ; but
they often remind me of what the Lord Jesus
said, * As the branch eanno t bear fruit of itself
except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, *
except ye abide in me :' for He had said, ' I
am the vine ;< ye are the branches*' "f

"And how do you understand that passage,
Jane?"

" I think, Sir, when I look at a bunch of
grapes,* how sure I am that the branch where
they grew was really a part of the vine ; for
if it had been cut off, no fruit could have
come of it. Then I remember that, if I do
not belong to Christ as much as the branch
belongs to the vine, I can nomore do anything
to please God, than a dead stick can bear fruit.' 9

» Num. iiii. 23. John xv. 1, 2.

164 The hubbub.

" Very right," said Mr. Peek : " and y«m
know what St Paul says about luring through
Christ only. ' I am crucified with Christ : ne-
vertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me : and the life that I now live in the flesh,
I live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave himself for me.'* Let us
hear what Edward can make of that passage."

Edward considered a long time ; and Mr.
Peele handed his Bible .over to him, bidding
him not hurry, but try to find out the exact
meaning. At last Edward said, "I think I
understand it well ; but it is not easy to- put
my thoughts into proper words."

44 Do the best you can, my boy ; and we
shall be well content"

44 Then, Sir, I am thinking that, when a
man leaves the wicked, ungodly world, he is
like a little branch cut off from a tree."

" Very well : go on."

44 1 suppose that is what the apostle means
by being crucified with Christ, because our
Lord says that, if a man will follow him, he
must leave all that he has, and take up his
cross."

♦ Gd.ti.20.

ras * usbum. 156

"Right."

" Then, Sir, the little branch is not able to
live by itself; but if you graft it into another
tsee, and settle it nicely, it will grow and
bear fruit."

" Proceed, Edward."

"Is not that the way with the believer,
Sir ? He is grafted into the Vine, and he
lives, but not of himself: it is the life of the.
Vioe that makes him live. The sap comes to
the grafted branch, to nourish it; and so
Christ makes his branches to grow. If. they
were cut off from him, they could not live
any longer."

"I am much pleased with your explana-
tion, Edward/* said Mr. Peele ; " and I hope
your Papa is so likewise*" . *

" I am," said'Mr. Cleveland. « But, Ed-
ward, what made you think about the graft-
ing r\

•'Partly, Papa, what St. Paul says about
the olive-tree, in the eleventh chapter of the
Romans, which Mamma explained to us last
spring, when we were seeing the gardener
graft- the pear-tree."

" It is a great encouragement to me, Ed*

156 THE MTOKOTt.

ward," said Mrs. Cleveland, " to find that
yon remember the instruction given. And
here, again, take notice how the Lord has
ordered his. wonderful works, so as to explain
his blessed word."

" Now," said Mr. Peele, "though I cannot,
alas ! give you of the grapes of Eschol — no
longer fruitful as in the days of Moses — yet
I will fulfil my promise, and let you hear
something of that country, so long the rest
of God's chosen people, and now, because of
that people's. sin, trodden underfoot of the
Gentiles, and made little better than a barren
wilderness, compared with what it formerly
was."

Nothing could be more delightful to the
children than this beginning ; nor were Mr.
and Mrs. Cleveland less desirous of hearing
what could not but be very interesting to
them. Mr. Peele could not have wished for
more attention than he saw on the counte-
nances of the little party .around him.

" After passing some short time in Egypt,
I proceeded to visit the land of Canaan ; and
I need not tell you that it was with very great
interest I approached the country where <God

THE ftUSEUM. 15?

manifest in die flesh' had dwelt among men—
the country, too, chosen and prepared by the
Lord to be the earthly resting-place of his
own people, whom He had brought out of the
Egyptian house of bondage ; and the type of
that heavenly rest where his redeemed ones
should dwell forever, when safely delivered
out of the sorrows of this sinful world. You
know how beautiful and how wonderfully
fertile the land of Judea was — ' A good land,
a land of brooks of .water', of fountains and
depths tha<t spring out of valleys and hills ; a.
land of wheat, and barley, and vines* andiig-
trees, and pomegranates ; a land of oil olive
and honey.'* This, and many other passages,
show us the richness of the country in what
are called its natural productions ; and when
you consider that the twelve tribes were set-
tled within its borders, with all their wealth,
and all their power, employed in making it a
place of commerce and of strength, you may
suppose what a vast number of noble and
populous pities it contained, even if the Bible
did not constantly make mention of them.
Indeed* so great was the traffic, and so con-

* Dent, vin. 7, 8.
14

166 THE MUSEUM.

slant the pasting of large Companies to and
from- Jerusalem, and from city to city, that
we know there were no fewer than forty-two
large fend convenient high roads through the
land — with the greatest abundance of car-
riages, to bring the Jews up to the temple on
their solemn feast-days. Then, the multitude
ot the people being so great, not * spot of
ground was left waste, but up to their highest
top's the very rocks were cut into terraces,
rising one above and behind another, like a
flight of stairs ; and every one covered deep
with fine rich mould or clay, in which they
planted their vines, and their corn, and the
great number of fruitful roots, herbs, and trees
which that soil nourished. The plains were
covered with noble cities, broad roads, splen-
did gardens and vineyards, fountains, lakes,
and rivers ; the art of man formed -fine aque-
ducts, by which the water was conveyed to
those places where it did not naturally flow ;
and, altogether, the glory, and beauty, and
riches of that land seemed to be unbounded.
You know that the Lord promised temporal
blessings and prosperity to the Jewish nation,
if they would walk in his ways, and do hie

THE MUSEUM. . 160

commandments. Every man must give ac-
count of himself, alone, to God ; and he will
be happy or miserable in eternity, according
as he has served the Lord, ornot : but nations
are not so judged, because they are no longer
nations, but separate persons, after death ;
and therefore we see the Lord blessing or
punishing a country, according As they do
good or evil. Pharaoh king of Egypt was
very wicked — so were his subjects ; and you
know that, when they oppressed God's peo-
ple, and refused to deliver them, He sent
plagues throughout all the land, still preserv-
ing the place called Goshen, where the Israel-
ites dwelt, from these terrible" visitatidns. Can
my young friends tell me of any passage in
the Scriptures, where the Lord is represent-
ed as thus dealing with countries according
to the conduct of their inhabitants ?"

Edward repeated, from the hundred and
seventh Psalm, " He turneth rivers into a
wilderness, and the water-springs into dry
ground ; a fruitful land into barrenness, for
the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
He turneth the wilderness into a standing
water, and dry ground into water-springs,

160 THE MUSEUM.

and there He maketh the hungry .to dwell,
that they may prepare a city for habitation ;
and sow the fields, and plant vineyards,
which may yield fruits of increase."

"There are many such striking and beau-
tiful descriptions in the Bible," said Mr.
Peele ; " and most terrible threatening^ against
those nations who, knowing God, forsake him
and break his laws. We have been con-
sidering the state of* Judea during the time
when God was owned as their King : now
let us look at the prophecy which particular-
ly describes the judgments that should be
brought upon it when the people had filled
up the measure of their iniquities."

The first passage to which they turned was
the twenty-first chapter of Leviticus, in which
the Lord makes known what shall be the
dreadful consequences of departing from. his
laws. In that chapter they read — " I will
make your cities waste, and bring your sanc-
tuaries into desolation, and v I will bring die
land into desolation, and your enemies which
dwell therein shall be astonished at it: and £
will scatter you among the heathen, and will
draw out a sword after you : and your land

THE MUSEUM. 161

•hall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then
shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it
lieth desolate; and ye be in your enemies 9
land ; even then shalTthe land rest, and enjoy
her sabbaths. As long a» it lieth desolate, it
shall rest; because it did not rest in your
sabbaths when y% dwelt upon it."

Jane was reading this ; and paused as if
she wished to speak,* then -said, " May I ask
a question ?"

" Certainly," replied Mri Peele.

" Then, Sir, please to explain to me what
is meant by the land enjoying her sabbaths!"

Mr. Peele answered, " It was one* of the
strict commandments given to the Jews, that,
as every seventh day was a day of rest to
themselves, so every seventh year should be.
a sabbath to the land. Turn to the twenty-
filth chapter of Leviticus, and see what is
there written"? ' Six years shalt thou sow thy
field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vine-
yard, and gather in the fruit thereof; but in
the seventh year snail be a sabbath of rest
unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord ; thou
•halt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy
vineyard. That which groweth of its own
14*

102 THE MUSEUM.

accord of thy harvest, thou shall not reap,
neither gather the grapes of thy Tine un-
dressed; for it is a year of rest unto. the
land.'" • •

The children seemed surprised at this, and
Edward inquired whether all the corn and
fruit that grew of itself was to perish on the
ground in that year.

" Oh, no," answered Mr* Peele : ** for if
you proceed you will find it written, ' And the
sabbath of the land shall be meat for you ; for
thee, and fpr thy servant, and for thy maid,
and for thy hired servant, atad for thy stran-
ger that sojourneth with^ thee, and for thy
cattle, and for the beasts that are in thy land,
shall all the increase thereof be meat' "

" I should like to understand the reason of
all this," said Edward.

44 God's ways and thoughts are far above
ours," replied Mr. Peele ; " and it . is also
written, 4 He giveth. nd account of any of his
matters ;'* so that, in reading the Bible, we
must beware; not to search too far into the
counsel of the Lord ; but in this case we may

* Job. xxxiii. 13*

.THE MUSEUM. 163

perceive many beautiful and instructive les-
sons conveyed in Mfhat you appear to think so
strange. First, it is the Lord who gives us '
all that we enjoy ; and he will be acknowl-
edged as our great Benefactor in every thing :
but this land of Judea, or Canaan, was in a
very particular manner prepared of God for
his chosen people, and given them in such a
way as to make them feel that they were to
possess it only so long as the Lord should ac-
knowledge them for his own. Now, consider-
ing how anxious people always are to make
the most of their property, nothing "could be
better fitted to keep the Jews mindful of their
dependence on God, than this command to let
their land lie waste once in every seven years.
Next, we are to remember that covetousness
is a propensity very hateful indeed to the
Lord 1 — so much so that the Scripture calls it
idolatry ; and it was a great check on the
covetousness of man's mind, to be thus forbid-
den even to gather into his own barns and
storehouses what might grow of itself upon
his own land, and commanded' to let his ser-
vants and his neighbors, the traveler, and the
%|iy beasts, of the field, regale themselves up-

164 THS MU8EUM V

on his corn, his grapes and olives, and many
precious fruits of the earth. It also shews the
tender mercy of our God over those whom
we are too apt to neglect and forget, and
teaches us that what i» given to the poor, the
destitute, and the hungry, is given to the
Lord. We are further taught how far better
it is to look to the divine blessing than to any
wisdom, skill, or forethought of our own : for
as the manna which fell on the sixth day was
made sufficient for the seventh also, to the
obedient Israelite, so was the sixth year's
produce enough to support the holder of the
land through the sabbatical year. And, lastly,
wha( a proof it is of the wonderful richness
and fertility of the soil which we are speaking
of, tbat it could supply *uch an immense
multitude of inhabitants in this way; whereas
our own country, which is a very good and
fruitful one, would be suffering from one end
to the Other, if there were only one year of
very bad crops. Are my young friends sa-
tisfied now ?"

" Oh yes, Sir," answered both the children;
and Edward said, " There is no end to the
beautiful proofs of God's wisdojn and love.£

THE MUSEUM. 165

** No end indeed; .my dear boy ; and it will
be the blessedness of happy souls throughout
eternity, that there is no end to them. St.
Paul saw a^ part of this, and exclaims, * O
the depth of the riches both of the wisdom
and knowledge of God ! how unsearchable
are his judgments, and his ways past finding
out !' The more we search, the more we shall
be convinced that there is no end, nor meas-
ure, nor limit to the glories of our God, as
the Maker and the Governor of this world ;
and, oh ! what shall we say when we view Mm
rfs- the Redeemer of sinful, ungrateful man,
stooping from his glorious high throne in
the heavens, that he might raise such beg-
gars from the dunghill to set them with
his princes ! We . cannot love, we cantLot
praise Him as we ought to do : our hearts
are too hard, our feelings are too cold/our
affections too much set on the things of
this vain world ; and if we had no other sin
to answer for, our ingratitude would alone
be sufficient to condemn us. Who can me-
ditate upon His works, and net long to
be praising him in the heaven where He
dwells !"

166 THE MU8B0M.

Mr. Cleveland repeated the two last veraes
of a beautiful hymn :

«« Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought ;

But when 1 see thee as thou art,
I'll praise thee as I onght.

" Till then I would thy love proclaim,

With jBvery fleeting breath ;
And may the music of thy name

Refresh my soul in death !"

. •'That will be a blessed sfebbath indeed,' 9
observed Mr. Peele ; " and how happy are
they whose weekly day of rest is spent in
earnest preparation for that sabbath which
shall never end ! We will now return to the
subject from which -we have wandered itfto
one even more pleasant and profitable; We
have seen that the Israelites were very strictly
commanded to observe this seventh year as a
sabbath of their land ; but, alas ! that stiff-
necked and rebellious people continually de-
parted from the law of their merciful God.
He reproves them, as you know, by the mouths
of his prophets, for 'polluting his sab-
baths. 9 They regarded not the seventh day

THE MUSEUM. Wt

aright,, to keep it holjr to the Lord ; neither
did they observe the sabbath of years ; and
for this sin the Lord declared that he would
chastise them by giving the land a very long
sabbath, so that it should lie desolate and un-
cultivated while the people Were scattered
abroad ; and most awfully is it fulfilled at this
very day. The first threat in the passage
which we read is, ' I will make your cities
waste, and bring your sanctuaries into deso-
lation.' We have already observed how nu-
merous the cities were ; and every city had
its synagogue or place of worship, according
to the number of inhabitants. I cannot teH
you how awfully the threat is fulfilled. I&
passing through the land, I saw in every place
the ruins of large and beautiful towna-*-the
foundations of stately palaces and sanctua-
ries, with fragments of broken columns.
Chorazm, and Bethsaida, and Capernaum,
are but great heaps of rubbish. Jericho, and
Sarepta, and the city of Tiberias, are perfect
ruins ; while Cana, and Emmaus, and Nain,
continue but in the form of little hamlets,
mere groups of cottages. One very grand
remnant of ancient magnificence there is, in

168 THE MUSEUM.

the city of Gerasa ; but it consists only of
ruins more fine and perfect than any other,
so that we could trace the streets, with double
rows of noble, columns on each side, and
show where stood the temples, the theatres,
the- bridges, and other stately buildings of
fine marble, with a cemetery,- or burying*
ptyce, and many costly monuments of art and
wealth. . It would seem that so much was
allowed to remain, just to show us the gene-
ral character of what has been destroyed.

' The city of Arimathea must have been ex*
'tremely large and populous, if we may judge
from the present ex tent of its ruins ; but not a
house remains habitable within its boundaries.
I .could name to you a great many more,
which you would love- to hear of, because
they are so often on your lips when reading *
the blessed. Jtihle ; but what I have told you is
enough to prove that the cities are desolate."
" It is indeed," said Mr. Cleveland, " and
reminds me of the prophetical lament of Moses
— ' O that they were wise, that they under-
stood this, that they would consider their lat-

, ter end ! How should one chase a thousand,
and two put ten thousand to flight, except

THE MUSEUM. • 169

their Rockhad sold them, and the Lard had
shut them up!' But proceed, and tell us
what is the appearance of the once fertile
land, whose cities thus lie overthrown upon
the plains."

Mr. Peele went on. " We will first turn
to some other descriptive prophecies, to shew
in what manner the Lord declared that he
would afflict the land ; and then I will bring
proofs to convince you that they have been
literally fulfilled. We will take the thirty-
second of Isaiah, and see what is there pre-
dicted. * Many days and years shall ye be
troubled, ye careless women ; for the vintage
shall fail, the gathering shall not come. They
shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant
fields, for the fruitful vine. Upon the land of
my people shall come up thorns and briers ;
yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous
city.' And in the next chapter we read, * The
highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceas-
eth — the earth mourneth and languisheth ;
Lebanon is ashamed and hewn- down ; Sharon
is like a wilderness, and Bashan andCarmel
shake off their fruits.' In this way we find
the prophets describing what was to be the
15

170 THE MU«BUM.

state of that land in its desolation; and who
could believe that a soil so wonderfully fruit-
ful should become thus barren, if the mouth
of the Lord had not spoken it ? The plains
are choked up by the rubbish of the crumbled
ruins of stately cities ; a,nd what once was rich
gardens and cultivated land upon them, is so
ruined by the tyranny of the Turks, and so
constantly trodden down and laid waste by
the. rbving Arabs, that it. is exactly what was
predicted — a joy of wild asses — a pasture for
the flocks and cattle of those Arab plunderers.
The mountains, as I told you, were made
wonderfully fruitful by the way in which they
. were formed into terraces, and planted ; but
these are now all gone, except on a part joi
Lebanon, where they remain, to prove to us
what was once the condition of those lovely
hills. The soil has been washed away by
rains, and no man has attempted to restore
it ; so that you would see nothing but barren
rock, or moss, or thorny.shr^bs, where once
the cedara waved, and the olive. trees bent
under their loads of fruit, and the rich grapes
.ripened on the vine under that bright and
sunny aky. The land is unpiowed and un»

TH£ MUSEVM.. 171

sown; the feet of cruel strangers tread it
down ; and it lieth desolate in a long sad
sabbath of comfortless rest, while the race of
Abraham, to* whom that beautiful land was
given, wander throughout the world, arid find
no home." w

'^Most wonderful," said Mrs. Cleveland,
" it is to observe how the country seems to
mourn for. the absence of its ancient inhabi-
tants; while they, in turn, lament. all over
the world their exile from the land ef their
fathers. I have heard that, the Jews in Eu-
rope, and. other places, sometimes save up
all their money for the sole purpose of going,
in old age, to be buried near the walls of
Jerusalem, which themselves, and perhaps
their families, for many generations, had ne-
ver seen." .

- " It is indeed true," answered Mr. Peele ;
" and most affecting is the sight of those
weeping pilgrims, who come with pain and
toil to look upon the barren rocks that en-
compass Jerusalem, and there to lie down
and die."

" Oh, Sir," said Jane,' " when will you tell
us about Jerusalem itself?"

112 THE MUSEUM.

" I can tell you bat a sad tale my dear.
Jerusalem is trodden under foot of the Gen-
tiles, as our Lord declared it should be ; and
where the splendid temple once stood, a
mosque is built — that is, a place of worship
for the followers of Mahomet, who hate alike
the Jews and the Christians, and profess a re-
ligion as different from that of the true God
as darkness is from light, or evil from good.
Yet, even in this particular race who are now
masters' of the land, and have been so for
many hundred years, we see a very remark-
able fulfilment of n passage, which says,
'they shall not drink wine with a song —
strong drink shall be bitter to them that
drink it' The Turks are the gravest, the
most melancholy people possible, — loving to
sit with their legs crossed, smoking, all the
day long ; and taking drugs to make them
stupid : and it is one of the most strict laws
given by their false prophet, Mahomet, that
they never taste wine. If any break this
command, they are obliged to do it secretly,
or they would be cast out by their brethren.
And thus, in this country, where the grapes
of Eshcol grew, where * vineyards covered

fj&E MUSEUM. 173

the ground, and spread to the very hill tops,
— * the vine ianguisheth ;' it does not answer
to cultivate it ; and what is made is so ex*
tremely bad, that it may truly be called
bitter to those who are obliged *to drink it.
Is it not wonderful to see the least particulars
relating to Judea, and her present inhabitants,
thus made to agree with the exact prophecy
given when the land was in its richness, and
the chosen people made fat upon its abund-
ant delicacies ?"

" It makes me feel very sorrowful," said
Edward; '.< I don't know why it is so ; but
when you tell me these things about Judea
and Jerusalem, they seem to trouble me
mere than all that I heard concerning Baby-
lon and Egypt, and the other places."

** I do not wonder at it," observed his
Papa; for you are daily reading about that
country in the precious Bible ; and the place
where the Lord Jesus was born, and where
he lived and suffered, cannot but te nearer to
the hearts of his people than- other countries,
of which we know comparatively very little."

"What sort of a place is Mount Calvary,
Sir?" said Jane/ "I often think how I
16*

174 THE MVUMM.

should like to stand upon that hill, and look
round me upon the very places that were be-
fore the eyes of the blessed Lord Jesus when
he hung upon the cross, ' bearing our sins in
his own body on the tree.' "

"You would be disappointed in. visiting
that place, Jane," replied her -friend ; u and
not only disappointed, but shocked, and
grieved, and disgusted, more than by all that
has been done by the Turks and the Arabs."
" Oh, Sir, how could that be ?"
44 1 will -tell you, my dear: on die spot
where it is supposed that our blessed Lord
was crucified, a large chapel is built, taking
in also the place of his burial, as nearly as
they can judge of it ; and this church is in the
hands of poor Greeks and Roman Catholics,
who pay theTurks a very large sum of money
for being allowed to possess it. Here the de-
luded people worship the Virgin Mary and
the saints,' together with a representation of
the cross. Here they have * changed the
glory of the incorruptible God into an image
made like unto corruptible man.'* They

•Rom.i. 23.

fa* mused*. 176

make a great deal of profit, not merely by
shewing these places, but by persuading sin*
aers that they may obtain the pardon and the
peace of God by visiting them ; and that one
prayer offered up in this chapel is of more
avail than a great many in another place.*
And, to give 4hem an appearance of miracu-
lous power, the Greeks contrive a sort of
show, particularly at Easter, when fire is
made to appear in the sepulchre, by means of
persons concealed within it ; and the poor
deceived people, who come sometimes thou-
sands of miles to worship there, are persuad-
ed to believe that it is tire from heaven."

" And do the Turks see all this ?" asked
jane. ->

"If they do," .said Edward, "tarn sure
they must think very ill of Christianity. At
least, if I were a Turk, and saw such tricks
played on the people, I should hardly wish to
change my religion for theirs. 9 '

"The Turks," said Mr. Peele, "are al-
was keeping watch there, to prevent any
deceit in paying them the money, which is all
that they care about i but I perfectly agree
with you, Edward, that it must make the

170 the mmuu.

Christian name contemptible among them, as
indeed it does: they seldom bestow on *
Christian any title more respectful than
'dog :' and, as they know of no other sort of
worship among the professed followers of Je-
sus, than this sad mockery of holy things, yon
may suppose how they look down upon us alL
# But, it is even more sad, to reflect what must'
be the impression .made on the poor Jews,
who always are found scattered about, gene-
rally in extreme poverty and wretchedness,*
in this the land of their fathers. Suppose a'
Christian Missionary goes and tells* them,
that for crucifying Jesus of Nazareth, all these
calamities came upon them and their country:
and that, it is only by believing on Him, that
their souls can be saved from eternal death :
the, Jew may, and does, point to the open-
worshiping of images and saints among the
Roman Catholics, and then to those awful
commands of God, which positively forbid
every thing. of the kind. He tells us, that,
for the sin of idolatry the Jewish people were
once before given into the hands of their en-
emies, their beautiful and glorious temple de-
stroyed, and with it the ark of the covenant,

m

of which you so often read in the Old Testa*
meat: that the nation was carried away into
Babylon, and remained for: seventy years in
cruel captivity, until the Lord had pity upon
them, and put it into the heart of their con-
querors to permit the rebuilding of the tem-
ple, and to restore them* to* their own land.—
The Jew will relate all this, and say too, that
since, the Babylonish captivity, his people
have never fallen into their old sin of idolatry;
and that it is a mockery to invite them to wor*
ship the wooden representation of Him whom
their fathers crucified. The poorest and most
depraved Jew looks down with scorn and con-
tempt on such a religion : and thus it is a most
fearful stumbling-block in the way of God's
outcast and sinful Israel, who never can be
restored to His love, or enjoy his peace, until
they look ' on Him whom they have pierced, *
and mourn for the unbelief which has sepa-
rated between them and their God."

" But, why don't the Missionaries tell all
this to the ignorant Roman Catholics ?" said
Edward.

>" They do so, and to the Greeks too,* and
prove to them out of the Bible, that their

178 THE MUSEUM.

religion is as fir from the truth of the Gospel*
as that of the Turk or Jew ; and some few,
by the Divine blessing, have been convinced,
and converted: have thrown their idols to
the moles, and the bats, and received grace
to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.
But the poor people who belong to the
Romish Church are so enslaved, that they
are not allowed to study the Bible for them-
selves, but taught to believe that their own
priests are able to save their souls, — that
they have no need of any. other guide or in*
struction, — and that, so long as they obey
all the directions of their clergy, they are
sure to be in the path to heaven. This*
sort of religion is so agreeable to the heart
of man, tfrat the people "are very willing
to be deceived by it ; for, among them, con*
fession of sin to a fellow-creature, and obe-
dience to his commands, stand instead of re*
pentance towards God, and faith in our
Lord Jesus Christ. So you see, Edward,
that in preaching the true gospel to a Roman
Catholic there are very great difficulties to be
encountered: for he is confident of his own
safety, and unwilling to believe that, instead

THE JC9SBUX, 179

of trusting the whole matter of his salvation
to a creature as ignorant' and sinful as himself
he must work out his own salvation with fear
and trembling, by seeking to discover the real
will of God, and acting according to the
knowledge which he gets from the Bible."

44 1 should not like to visit Mount Calvary
to witness such abominations as these," said
Jane. " I thought it was an open hill, on the
outside of Jerusalem ; and that there I should
see the rocks which rent when, the Lord Jesus
died, and the sepulchre where they laid Him
in the midst of a garden ; and every thing so
still and solemn."

Mr. Cleveland remarked, " To the true
Christian these things must be as grievous,
as the desolation of Judea to the descendants
of Abraham."

*• Indeed," replied Mr. Peele, " it is no
small jpart of that desolation to see the souls
of men lying waste as the country which they
inhabit. It is not possible to be' happy in
that once holy land, except as the Christian
knows that his own soul is safe with God ;
for whether we look to the Turk or the Arab,
to the Jew or theJttomanCatholic^alliadark

180 res mrsBP*.

and sad, hopeless and depraved. I passed
through the streets of Jerusalem, pondering
not only on the privileges of her more ancient
days, when the visible glory of the Lord
rested upon her towers, and the cloud .of his
presence filled Solomon's Temple : not only
on the far , greater glory that shone in the
second Temple, when ' God manifest in the.
flesh' walked and taught within its porches ;
but also on the yet later period, when the
Christian church dwelt there, and Stephen,
and James, and many other of the Lord's be-
loved people, sealed with their blood the tes-
timony which they bore. Most true indeed
it is, so far as any right feeling abides in a
man's mind, that, in the land of Judea, ' all
the merry-hearted dp sigh.' "

" I can believe that," said Jane, " for it
makes me quite sorrowful to think about it."

" Then, my dear child, let your sorrow be
made known to God, in earnest prayer that
he will again have mercy on the rebellious
race, and pity his people, and remember the
land. We have many sure promises that thus
it shall be in the latter day ; and we are com-
manded to pray and to labor earnestly for

THE MUSEin*. 181

the horning of th^t expected time. The
twentyjfourth chapter of Isaiah gives' a moist
awfully true picture of the present state of
that land one?* so good, and of the nation so
long beloved and favored! abdve all others ;
but read also the twenty-fifth, and you will
find sweet encouragement to expect greater
glories and*richer blessings than ever yet the
world knew. Pray continually that the time
may shortly arrive, when all the kingdoms oi
the world shall become the kingdoms of our
God and of his Christ, and the earth be filled
with the knowledge of his glory, even as the
waters cover the sea."

" I hope that I shall pray for this more than
ever I did," said Edward, " after hearing all
these things. But, Sir, you said that you
had seen the seven churches of Asia : 'and we
have been reading those two chapters ih the
Revelation of St f John where ojir Lord sends
the messages to the .angels of the churches.
Please to tell us what y6u saw there."

" My dear boy, in the passage that you

speak of, ' angel' signifies a pastor of a church.

The word angel, in the Greek language*

in which the Holy Ghost caused the New

16

16B ths museum^

Testament to be written* means * a messen-
ger,' and it is therefore fitly applied to min-
isters of the Gospel, who are Christ's mes-
sengers,* sent to publish the glad tidings of
salvation to guilty man. The places named in
the second and third chapters of the Revelation
bad all of them the gospel established among
the people, through the labors of. the apos-
tles and their followers ; and the Lord saw
good to send them those remarkable messa-
ges, both as, a warning to them and an ex-
• ample to us. You will observe, there is
prophecy mingled in each message ; and what
I have to tell you is the wonderful fulfilment
of those predictions at the present day* par-
ticularly those relating to Philadelphia (now
called Allah-Shehr, the city of God,) Sardis,
and Laodicea. The other four have some of
them a few remains of their Christian name,
being still the abode of a few fatpilies call-
ing themselves Christians ; but these belong
chiefly to the Greek Church, whjch is
hardly more enlightened, in many respects,
than the Church of Rome. Smyrna, and

♦ 2 Cor. v. 18-^20.

- TRft ttVaWK. 18$

TTiyatira,* and Pergaraos, have little congre-
gations who confess the name- of Christ, and
most interesting it is to witness even these
poor remains of what was planted by the hands
of the apostles : but observe what is said con-
cerning the other four, that we may the bet-
ter perceive how the Lord has dealt with them
according to his word. To the church at
Ephesus, who had left their first love — that
is, had ceased to look to the Lord with all
the zealous devdtioh that they shewed when
first they received the Gospel, — He threatens
to remove their candlestick out of its place,
except they repent ; and as by a candlestick
is meant the church, we. might expect to find
•no appearance of a Christian congregation.
When I visited* it, there was in all the place
but one person who professed Christianity ;
and the whole of that magnificent city is a
heap of ruins."

"What a visitation," said Mr. Cleveland,
'* on a place once so honored and blessed—

* Mr. Hartley say*, "The Greefcf occupy 900
noun* and the Armenians 30— each of them have a
church."

1M Turn uwrnvm.

so dew U> the heart of God's faithful servant
Paul* as his beautiful Epistle 4o the Ephe-
sians testifies, where he says that for their
faith in the I^ord Jesus, and love unto all die
saints, he could not^cease to give thanks for
them ! The warning is. awful to those- who
are becoming cold and careless in praydr—
a sure sign that they are~]ps|ng their first,
earnest love for God. But in the morning
of the resurrection, how numerous a company
of faithful Christians shall, arise from the dust
of Ephesus, to partake in the fulness of that
joy which the apostle delighted to set before
them, as the sure portion of God's children.
But what .of Safdis ? for our Lord threatened
that church, if they became not more watch-
ful* that he would come upon •them as a thief;
unexpectedly ; and from that I should sup-
pose them to be severely visited."

" It is even so," answered Mr. Peeje ; " for
scarcely a single Christian was to be found
there ; and that most splendid city is reduced
to a mass of ruins, with only a few misera-
ble cabins, inhabited by Turkish peasants,
throughput its spacious extent. I could nd£
look on Sardis without remembering how

THE MtTSETTM. 186

awful it is to bear the namd of Christ with-
out having his Spirit within us. Of what
avail is it to have our heads full of knowledge,
and our mouths of religious talk, when He
who searches all hearts' can say to us, * I
• know thy works : that thdu hast a name that
. thou litest, and art dead. 9 A corpse has still
the form and features, and name, and nature
of man ; but who would therefore bring a
dead -tody, and place it at his table, among
living guests ? Much less will the Lord en-
dure that a soul dead in trespasses and sins,
while still claiming the title of a child of
God, shall appear, and occupy a place among
his holy and happy family in heaven.

" But, sad as is the present state of Sardis,
that of Laodicea is even worse. You know
that our Lord used the strongest expression
possible to show how utterly he would reject
that church, even as men cast from their
mouths something very nauseous and disgust-
ing that they cannot bear to swallow. From
this threat we might expect a more total over-
throw of all that was great, all that was or
appeared to be holy, in Laodicea, than any
where else ; and this I found to be the case.
16*

186 THE HBSEVtt.

Thar* is not only a total absence of the very-
name of Christianity in that place, but not
even a Turk makes it his dwelling. It
would be as totally without inhabitant as the
mined Babylon, only for a few tents which a
wandering Arab tribe sometimes pitch there
for a season. • The place is known, and the
broken remains of its once-magnificent build-
ings are tenanted by wolves and other wild
.beasts ; while the most striking thing around
it is the great number of sarcophagi, or places
wh&te the dead were deposited, as if to re-
mind us of those who, by their sin, brought
the wrath of the Lamb upon that proud and
lukewarm church."

" Please to tell me, Sir,' 9 said Jane, " what
is meant by a church being neither cold nor
hot, bat lukewarm; for the Lord says to
Laodicea, ' I know thy works, that thou art.
neither colli nor hot: I would thou wert
. cold or hot' I don't ^quite understand it"

" Then I will try to explain it, my dear,"
said Mr. Peele ; " for it is of great conse-
quence to us to consider it When wc aay
that a person's heart is warm, towards us, we
mean that ho has a real affection for us^-that

TH& M08BON. tW

he lores our company, and would delight to
do us any service. Every body, I suppose,
likes to see this character in a friend. But
one who is cold towards us would not care
if we neyer met, is ready to turn away when
we do meet, takes no notice of us ox our con-
cerns, and goes o#«sif we never had >een
born. Now, Jane, supposing you felt kindly
towards two people of these, very opposite
characters, how would you behave*to them ?"

" Oh \ I should take care to let the warm
friend know that I valued his love," said Jane,
looking very kindly at her brother as she
spoke ; "and I would try to return all his kind-
ness, and avoid doing any thing to lose it*"

'* Right ; and what of the cold person, who
cared nothing about you ?"

." Why, Sir, I would watch for an oppor-
tunity of doing him some very great kind-
ness, which he could not expect from me;
and then, perhaps, he would change, and be
kind in return to me."

" You would act properly in so doing : but
now, suppose there was a third person of
your acquaintance who did not care in the
least for you, did not take any interest in your

186 THS M0BHJM.

comfort, who could not rejoice in your joy,
nor feel grieved for your, severest distresses,
— who would not speak a good word for yon
' if he heard you slandered, nor go a stej> out
of his way to afford you the greatest gratifi-
cation— -suppose, too, that instead of shewing
this disregard, he came to call upon you every
day, with a long talk about his esteem for you,
and thought all the while that, by so doing, he
pnt you under a great obligation, and Re-
served aH the benefits that you could confer
upon him — I say, Jane, in such a case, what
would you do, 4o make such a person really
your friend ?"

Jane looked puzzled, and considered for
some time — then* aid, " Really I don't know
how I could make any thing of such a strange ,
character ; for, as he did not in his heart care
about me, it would not signify to him if I
seemed ever so affectionate : and as to doing
him a service, I should, because it is my duty
to be kind to all ; but I could expect no re*
turn for it, as he would think it no more than
he deserved for his long visits and civil talk. '
I am afraid that I should never get fond of
such a character." - ■

* «« Well, Jane," said her father, " Mr. Peel*
has described to you the difference between a
warm friend, a cold stranger, and a lukewarm
acquaintance ; and you seem ready to prefer
either the first or the second to the last."

" Indeed I do, Papa ; because the warm
one is a friend already ; the. cold one might
t*e made a friend by some kind action that he
did, not .expect; but I think the lukewarm
acquaintance would be little better than a
trouble* with not much hope of his becoming
any thing else.". v . , .

" Then you may partly understand," said
Mr* Peeje, "how very hateful must be the
outward forms and unmeaning prayers of
lukewarm worshipers to Him who at one?
looks into the heart, and sees that it is far
from him. We are able to judge of men's
feelings only by their actions, and may often
he mistaken in our opinion; but the Lord
searcheth and trieth the spirit, and cannot be '
deceived. „The Laodiceans, to whom he
spoke were this sort of worshipers : they
attended h;s house, said their prayers, ob-
served all outward ceremonies, p$rbaps*»and
could talk an well as others of their devotion

190 TIIE HUSKUM.

to the Savior ; and because of this, they
thought themselves among the very best of
Christians, — that they were, in respect of re-
ligion, 'rich, and increased with goods, and
had need of nothing.* They did not ask for
faith, humility, love, zeal, or any other grace,
because they thought their formal 'services
quite sufficient, and knew not, while depend-
ing on their own works, * that they were,
wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind,
and naked. 9 They did not, therefore, pray for
the riches of that grace which the Lord Jesus
alone can bestow : they did not ask him to
remove their blindness by giving them true
wisdom, iiOr to cover their naked souls with
the glorious 'garment of his righteousness.
Vfe could not love such hypocrisy in a fellow-
creature, if we suspected it ; how much less
will the King of kings endure such mockery
from a rebellious servant ! Let us often think
of Laodicea, and examine ourselves,- lest
such sinful lukewarm ness be found in us, and
wc share the same awful rejection. God sends
his gospel to the cold dark heathen, who never
heard of him ; they receive It, wonder at his
unlooked-for mercy, and love Him who firjrt

THB MTOBBM. 19)

loved them. He sends it to his faithful peo-
ple : .and it is ever new delight to them to
hear of his love, and io^ render back the
praises of their lips, and the service of their
hearts and lives* But the gospel itself is lost '
on those who trust in themselves that they
are righteous, and who take as a reward for
their works what is a free and most unmerited
gift to sinful man. They do not feel con-
cerned for the glory of the Lord Jesus ; they
do not give him their .hearts; they do not
study to walk in his ways, nor earnestly pray
for the help of the Holy Spirit, without which
we cannot stand one hour, or one moment in
safety. I had many solemn thoughts when
looking on the ruins of Laodieea, and hearing
the growl of savage animals where the voice
of prayer and praise once so loudly arose.
May the page of Scripture which tells the sin,
and threatens the fall of that lukewarm
church, be ever blessed to the quickening of
every soul among us !"

" It is indeed a subject for deep reflection,"
said Mrs. Cleveland, " and shews how need-
ful was the apostle's injunction * to walk cir-
cumspectly,' seeing how liable we all are to

19& Tlf*-MUS*0M

fall into temptation, and through temptation
into open sin, and to find too late that the
wages of sin is death. Surely pride is that
sin to which we are most continually inclin-
ed, and against which we must never cease
to watch and to pray."

44 We will now turn to the last and most
interesting of ,the seven churches," said Mr.
Peeje — " last, I mean, in my account : and
most interesting as shewing how, in spite of
every disadvantage and seaming impossibili-
ty, the Lord makes good no less his promises
than his threats. To the angel ef the church
of Philadelphia he said, * Behold, I have set
before thee an open door, and no man can
shut it/ 'Because thou hast kept the word
of my patience, I also will keep thee from
the hour of temptation, which shall come upon
all the world, to try them that dwell upon
the earth,' This would lead us to expect
some particular mark of the Lord'a favora-
ble remembrance being still seen in Philadel-
phia ; and it is wonderful, when wet5dnsi4er
the state of all the rest, and the situation of
the place in the midst of what is now, alas ! a
heathen land — it is .wonderful, I say, to be-

TH* OTSBUM. 193

hold no less than twenty*five churches, all
proclaiming the Christian name, within the
boundaries of the ancient Philadelphia. No
man has been able to shut the door which the
Lord opened ; nor could the temptations and
changes of nearly eighteen hundred years
take that little spot out of the safe keeping ot
Him who is faithful, him who is holy, him
who. is true. While we pause with trembling
over Laodicea, — fearing lest by any means
we also should become castaways,— let the
remenibrance of Philadelphia be to us a
strengthening cqrdial,encouraging us to trust,
and not be afraid. The commendation of that
chureh is very remarkable : * Thou hast a lit-
tle strength, and has kept my word, and hast
not denied my name.' The Lord graciously
acknowledges in us those gifts which his hand
alone bestowed. In ourselves we are totally
4 without strength,'* and whatever we possess
of it is from God. Our character by nature
is, that we forget God ; and he must first give
us his word, find then enable us to keep it.
Naturally we dread the cross, and fly from it,

* Rom. ▼. 6.
17

191 THE HUSBUM.

and wduld not have the world brand nd with
the name of taints, though the Holy Ghost
has so often used that name, in speaking of
Crod's dear children. But when the Lord has
made known to us' the preciousness of his
own name, we are enabled by him to rejoice in
it, and to bless him for the privilege of being
numbered among his people, though it be by
some title of mockery which pride would fain
reject Philadelphia had nothing to glory in,
•aye in the Lord her Righteousness ; and the
name which that church did not deny, none
has been able to deprive her of. ' Oh ! that
we may all have grace to make a like con-
fession- of our Redeemer before men, — as-
sured that he will also confess us before (he
angels in heaven !"

"Sir," said Edward, "I have been think-
ing of something that is like what you have
said about die Lord giving us his name to
keep." v

" What is ft, my dear boy ?"

"Why, Sir, some time ago, I was at a
farm-house,and I saw* a flock of sheep marked.
The way was this ; the men drove one sheep
at a time into a small room* or shed, where

THE MUSEUM. 196

another man stood with an iron in his hand,
dipped in some red eolor. When the sheep
eame4n, he caught it, and pressed the iron
on its side, which left the letters of the mas*
ter's name quite plain. 'Now, I was thinking
thai, if a great many flocks of sheep all got
mixed together, the master could point out
one after another, and say, ' This is mine,'
and ' that is mine/ and all because his own
name was upon them. But the sheep, poor
tilings, could not have marked themselves ;
and indeed it took a great deal of trouble
and patience to drive them into the shed,
and to catch them when they were there."

" Well," said Jane, " I never should have
thought of that, though I saw it also ; but it
seems a good thought. For, now I remem-
ber, theXord Jesus says, * 1 know my sheep,
and am known of mine.' It i» no great won-
der if the sheep know the one shepherd who
takes care of them ; but the shepherd would
not know every single sheep of his, unless he
had marked them."

" Yes," said Edward, " God knows every
creature that he has made, and all about it.
You know, Jane, it is written, * He teiieth

196 THK MUSEUM.

the number of the stars, and csJfath them aH
by their names. 9 "

"I know that, brother dear: but I am
speaking of the Lord Jesus knowing his own
people who follow him as their shepherd. N I
•cannot exactly tell what text k is that explains
what I mean, but there is one."

Mr. Peele repeated, " But now thus saith
the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he
that formed thee, O Israel, fear not; for I
hare redeemed thee, I have called thee by
thy name ; thou art mine."*

"That is it!" exclaimed Jane; "that k
the very thing, indeed.' 9

" And a very precious thing it is," said her
Papa. "The Lord, in compassion to ov
great weakness, expresses himself so aa we
may best understand . the meaning, by com-
paring it with things that pass around us
every day. In the passage which our dear
friend has just repeated, there is a great deal
of beauty and comfort. Israel is put to re*
present the church of Christ : you know that
when Jacob had passed the whole night

* Iwuah xliiL 1. .

THE MUSEUM* , 19?

wrestling with God — a type of earnest and
persevering prayer:— he prevailed to obtain
the blessing which he sought, and received at
the same time the name of Israel in memory
of it. So, when God reminds fcim that he
has called him by his name, it is meant as the
highest encouragement not to fear : for, ' if
God be for us, who can be, against us V And
this falls in very sweetly with Edward's
comparison of the sheep ; for it is the good
Shepherd's part first to put the name upon
them, and then by that name to own them,
arid to watch over them, and to bring them
at last to his. heavenly fold. But, in order
to judge whether we rightly understand each
other tell me, Edward, what particular
thing do you mean by the putting of the
Lord's name upon his pepple— is it their
being called by any distinguishing title ?"

* Why, not exactly, I think, Papa," said
Edward. " There are a great many people
called Christians, whom I fear the Lord
lesus will not own among his sheep."

"If it be not really a name, what is it
then ! w

Edwar4 was not able to answer directly.

109 the museum.

People often find it difficult to' pot their
thoughts into words ; and then the beet thing
that they can do is, to take time ; to consider*
and not to be in a hurry. When Moses
wanted to be excused from delivering God's
message to the Isiaelites, he complained that
he was not eloquent : the Lord answered by
asking him, who made man's mouth? and
when we want power to express ourselves
aright, for the benefit of others, we should
ask ourselves the same question* It will, or
at least it ought to lead us to pray to Him
who gave us the faculty of speaking, that he
may help us to use the gift aright. We
must hope that otir young friend Edward did
tins, while delaying to answer Ins father's
question. At last he did speak, and spoke
very well too.

"Papa," he said, " you know it is written
that ' the Lord seeth not as man seeth ; for
man looketh on the outward appearance, but
the Lord looketh on the heart.'* Now, I
suppose that, if people have only the name
of Christians, it goes for nothing in God's

* 1 8am. svi. 7.

TRJS MU8E0M. 199

right ; .so I would say that having his name,
rightly, is being made Christians in their
hearts. And then, you know, when the
Lord looks into their hearts, and sees his
own name there, he owns them for his sheep/ 9

" Oh, brother !" said Jane, " I am sure '
that is true: because it is said in the Bible,
4 1 will put my law into their hearts, and up-
on their minds will I write them.' Is it not
so, Sir ? 'Is not Edward right, Papa ?"

Mr. Cleveland looked pleased ; and a nod
and asmile from him were always understood
and valued by his affectionate, happy children.
Happy indeed those children are, and very
thankful they should be*, whose parents or
friends delight to instruct them in the paths
of truth. Mr. Peele too was very glad that
his little acquaintance had given sq much of
their early thoughts to the word of God, not
merely reading it dver, as some children do,
but meditating upon it, and considering how
one part of the blessed Bible is made to ex-
plain another. Some say it is a difficult book
to understand : and so it is, in the way that
they set about studying it. My good reader,
what would you think of a person who should

200 fHE MtJSKUM.

open a book in a dark room, and complain
that he could not make out the different let-
ters, — when, by lighting a candle, he might
read it without any trouble ? Just so foolish
and unreasonable is he who sets about study-
ing the Bible without beseeching the Lord to
enlighten his dark understanding with the
beams of the Holy Spirit, that the gospel may
be clearly discovered to him. If people would
but believe God, they would find themselves
much wiser. He has expressly said, " The
natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto
him : neither can he know mem, because they
are spiritually discerned,*** Now, we are all
in the state of the natural man, until the grace
of God makes us spiritual; and therefore, if
we believed this truth, we should never find
fault with the difficulties of the Bible; but
with our own blind hearts ; and never cease
praying, until God ' opens the eyes of our
mind.

Many young people, when reading this lit*
tie book, may think that Jane and Edward

* 1 Cor. ii. 14

THE MUSEUM. SOI

*eem to know a great deal more about the
Bible than children usually do ; but when
children pray with all their hearts, and study
every day over the pages of that blessed vo-
lume, it is delightful to see how much they
are able to learn from it God loves to in-
struct the humble spirit of a pious child. You
know what is related of our blessed Lord,
when his poor and unlearned disciples re*
turned to tell him how powerfully they had
been able to work through his name alone*.
46 At that hour, Jesus rejoiced in spirit, «nd
said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of hea-
ven and earth, that thou hast hid these things
from the wise and prudent, and revealed them
unto babes." This .ought to be a very sweet
encouragement to the young and the ignorant,
to seek for the teaching which God is so ready
to bestow. Timothy not only read, but knew
the Scriptures from a child ; and we may easily
perceive from St. Paul's beautiful Epistles to
him, what fruit that knowledge produced.

We will, however, return to Edward and
his friends. Mr. Cleveland, as we have said,
gave his son a nod and a smile of approval ;
and Mr. Peek said that 1ft was quite right in

30ft TBS V0SSTTX,

supposing that something more than an
ward name was necessary to be the mark of
ChrUt's sheep. "I will tell you," be went
on, " a little circumstance that I witnessed
myself, quite to the point of what we are say*
big. I once passed a flock of sheep on the
road, which were marked with the letters J.
B. The drover was taking them to a large
town, not for oft where a great cattle fair
was held that day : flocks* and herds, and
beasts of all sorts, were coming from different
directions. A butcher had taken a fancy to
one of these sheep, which was not in such
good condition as the real ; he was trying to
get it cheap, and as the men~stood bargaining,
up came another flock ; while, along a cross-
road, I saw a drove of cattle approaching,
followed by a dozen or so of sheep, under the
care of the same person. Now, this cress-
road happened to be very narrow, and a poet*
chaise was driving along at a smart pace :
the postboy hallooed, and cracked his whip
pretty loud, to hasten the animals which
blocked up the road before him ; and this
either frightened or affronted a frolicksome
young bullock, wbt immediately put down

THE MB&SUM. 90S

hb horns, kicked up hie heels and with, a
loud bellow ran on. You may have perceived
how very ready the animals usually are to
follow any other who is pleased to offer him*
self for a leader : one runaway horse* ox,
sheep or dog, may take his whole company
with him. So it proved in this case ; for no
sooner did the young bull begin to gallop,
than all the herd put themselves to their
•peed, shaking their fat sides, lashing their
long tails, and plunging through the mud.
The sheep would not be left behind their old
comrades, so kept close to their heels ; and
the united party plumped upon us, just as the
butcher had completed his purchase, and the
poor sheep was being secured. Nor was this
all ; for the other and more extensive flock
were then close by ; and the horn of a mail
coach sounding behind, with the clattering of
hoofs and rattling of wheels, made them also
quicken their pace, — the whole three parties
becoming so completely mixed up together,
that when they separated for the mail to pass
through, I suppose there was one half of each
company on either side of the road.

« Then followed a great deal of shouting,

Mi -% THE MUSEUM.

smd scolding, and bawling on the part of the
different drovers, whose noisy attempts to
separate the flocks only made them mix to-
gether more completely, until the butcher
cried out to let them alone, and they might be
presently parted ; for that they were all mark-
ed and could be divided in a quiet way. ' True
enough,' said the drover who came up last ;
• for mine are all branded in red, and the rest
in black. 7 ♦Yes,' added the man who had
been selling the sheep ; * and my master, Far-
mer Bell, has put his own letters on every
fleece of his.' The party from the cross-road
were under the Care, of a respectable-looking
elderly man, who seemed fatigued with his
run ;^and, taking off his hat, wiped his fore-
head, while he Said, ' As sure as my name is
John Brown, you'll find it on all mine in
good lamp-black. 9

" The red-brands were soon collected, and
quietly pursued their way f but Farmer Bell's
dog, who had taken this opportunity to re-
fresh himself with some odd bits in the slaugh-
ter yard, and to lap a little clean water, now
returned. Seeing his master's sheep mixed
up in confusion with others, and conscious, I

THE XUSEtt*. 206

suppose, of having deserted his post, he
dashed in among them very roughly, dis-
pleasing the captious young bullock, who
again began bellowing, while the sheep ran
in ail directions ; and it was judged better to
call off the dag,— each being sure of distin-
guishing his own charge by the proper mark.
But, alas! though James Qell, and John
Brown were different names at full length, it
was found that the same two initials served
for both ; and when branded in the same color,
each on both sides of every sheep, it was no
easy matter to determine which was which.**

The children appeared quite amused with
die description, and Jane asked how they
settled it at last.

" With a great deal of trouble,'* said Mr.
Peek. " First they got the cattle, and shut
them up in a yard ; and then the dog was
called out again, who, without paying any
attention to external marks, knew, by the
wonderful instinct which God has given to
his species, every single sheep of his master's
fold. It was most striking to see him gather
them, one by one, from the confused mass, —
shriving them all off in perfect order, — while I
18

206 TAB MUSEUM.

stood with the drover* and endeavored to
show them what instruction the scene was
calculated to impart I found Farmer Brown
very ready to listen, and seemingly pleased
at my remarks. He told me that he looked
after his cattle himself, and never trusted them
to be driven by servants ; for that, although
he had a right to seller to kill them, he could
not see that he had any right to let them be
tormented by cruel or thoughtless drovers ;
and he was bringing up his little lad in the
same merciful opinions. I gave them some
tracts, which I hoped would lead them to the
Good Shepherd, and then I departed, to re-
flect on what I had seen. It certainly agrees
with Edward's explanation : on the great day
of final separation, it is not a name, nor any
outward mark, that, can prove our right of
being numbered among the flock who have
the Lord Jesus as their shepherd."

" And I hope," said Mr. Cleveland, "that
another consideration will occur to my chil-
dren from what you have kindly told. us. We
are apt to be very glad, and we ought indeed
to be most thankful, when there is in our own
minds any disposition to draw wisdom from

the museum. 307

what passes about us; but how cruel is the
selfishness that rests satisfied with its own
profit, and does not seek the advantage of
those around us; God is giving us daily
opportunities of inviting sinners to come to
him ; and we are not guiltless in his sight, if
we neglect one. All may not be able to speak
to others on the subject; but who is* there
unable to offer a little tract to the passer-by ?
I believe that more good has been done by
means of those cheap and simple publications,
distributed on the highways, than anyone has
ever suspected; and I should be sorry to find
my pocket empty of that sort of treasure,
whatever else may be wanting there."

" You are right," said Mr. Peele ; " and
nothing proves the value of such gifts more
than the very great dislike which our own
proud and cowardly hearts often have to the
work. One rude rejection of a traet has
often tempted me to put up my stock, and not
to expose myself to 'any more affronts ; but
I pray against the temptation, and go on
offering them as far as I can."

Mrs. Cleveland said, " I have also found
the discouragement very great) and, when

906 THE MUSEUM*

mollified, I have almost resolved to give it
up; but a little incident lately, in the coun-
try, gave me fresh courage. I was walking
to church one Sunday morning, with Edward
and the maid servant, when a part of our rp*d
was along the public highway, where we were
sadly grieved to see numbers .of carriages of
every sort, stages, post-chaises, and all kinds
of vans, wagons, and so forth. I had some
tracts in my hand, and had given a few to the
country people who passed on foot, when we
met a postboy riding one tired horse, and
leading another : he looked at my tracts with
so much curiosity, that I desired Sally to hand
him one, which he took very civilly. I sup-
pose that he thought it a profane song-book,
or idle story ; for, on reading the title, which
was, * Christ the only Refuge from the Wrath
to Come,' he turned his head over his shoul-
der, and threw the tract back at us, with a
blasphemous expression of angry disappoint-
ment and contempt. Edward ran to pick it
up, and I heard the maid say to him, ' Q,
Master Edward, that is a wicked bad man,
and God will punish him.' I asked her who
made us to differ — whose grace was leading

THE N&3E17M. 209

us to worship in his temple, while that poor
wretched sinner was going on in the broad
path of destruction, ignorant that without
such refuge as he rejected he must actually
perish under the wrath to come ; and I charged
her rather to pray for him, than to condemn
him in the proud tone which she had used.
I confess that I had begun to slip my tracts
into my bag, to avoid another such insult ;
but my own reproof had reached my con-
science, and, by grace, I resolved to go on
offering the little books. Soon after, we met
a wagon ; the man was riding on the shaft ;
and Edward, taking the tract, went up, ask*
ing him if he could read. - The man called to
his horses to stop, and civilly answered that
he could not, the (worse for him, inquiring
why he put the question. * Because,' said
Edward, < I would have given you this little
book.' * Oh, if that's it, Sir, there are some
passengers inside, that I dare say can fead ;'
he then called to them to inquire, and several
voices answered that they could. On being
told that there was a book for them, the cover
of thfe wagon was put aside, and sundry heads
and hands appeared, eagerly asking for
18*

8)0 1*B. WrtBUK.

books. We gave them three or four, which
they received with great delight Imme*
diately after, another wagon* came up; and
the driver, seeing what Edward wae about,
touched hie hat in a way tftkt made us directly
offer him a tract 'Many thanks to yo«,
young Master, 9 said he ; ' I am walking the
toad beside my horses night and day, back-
wards and forwards, and this will be nice
company for me : 'tis lonesome enough, I
can tell you.' We gave him two more, since
he wa* likely to make so good a use of them ;
and Edward makes it a point now to supply
all the wagons that he meets."

'* Yes, Mamma," said Edward ;• " but you
have not told us what you said to encourage
me. You remarked that we should never be
disheartened, if a tract was even thrown back
in our faces : for, you said, a person standing
en a rock, by the sea-shore, and seeing a
shower of rain fall, might be apt to faney it
fell in vain. The rock could not be softened
by it ; the sand would suck it down, fcnd yield
no fruit ; and the sea did not need more wa-
ter. Butt you said, the same shower would
be falling where some little ield or cottage

THE AlU^SUM. ftll

garden wanted the moisture ; and seed would
spring up there, which otherwise might hare
perished in the parched ground."
" To sum up all," said B^r. Cleveland, " w»
will take the delightful precept and promise ;
• Be not weary in well doing ; for in due sea*
son ye shall reap, if ye faint not' We have
made a long trip to the land of Canaan, and
, hack to our own shores ; and still find some*
thing to profit, wherever we turn. That is
the privilege, of the Christian : God, who ' is
not far from every one of us,'* in his works,
though too often forgotten, is brought ever he-
fore us, when once we have given ourselves to
the study of his word; and by his presence
he sweetens out daily .walk, and sanctifies our
hourly converse. You went to the Museum
yesterday my dear children, like many othors,
full of interest and curiosity; and if it has
proved a more instructive scene, and led to
more lasting benefit to you, than some of
your own age have found in the visit, all
glory, all thanks, are due to Him from whom
eometh every good and perfect gift : and hip

* AoUxrii.35.

218 THE XUSBVtt,

looks to you for a right use of what you have
received, even in these two days' enjoyment.
You have seen a small part of his works, in
the different specimens of beasts, birds, fishes
reptiles, insects, and the inanimate produc-
tions of land and sea. You have traced the
proofs of past judgment on a guilty world, in
the shells from mountain caverns, and in the
ruins of rebellious cities,' overthrown by his
wrath. You have beheld how awfully the
Lord is insulted where idols are worshiped,
in heathen lands ; and heard of the triumphs
of redeeming love, even in the midst of such
abominations. You have-had death itself most
forcibly brought before your view, and have
thereby been solemnly reminded of judgment
to come, while looking upon the lifeless body
of one whose soul has now abode for thou-
sands of years in that separate state where
our spirits likewise must shortly go, to await
their final doom : and you have listened to the
account of Jerusalem's present desolation,
which speaks to us most awfully, in proving
that the greatest outward privileges will not
shield us from the vengeance of the Lord
against those who abuse his gifts, but will

THE WSEUJU 913

rather add to the condemnation. All the«f>
things ought to sink xieep, into your hearts ;
and if you beseech the Holy Spirit to make
them profitable,, you will often have cause to
look back with thankfulness on what you,
perhaps, at first expected to find only an
hour's idle amusement."

* * I have frequently before seen most of the
objects in the Museum," said Mr* Peele, " or
others exactly resembling them, in distant
countries, and at different times, and I found
them always lead to profitable reflection ; but
this has been a day of very great enjoyment
to me, .and to be gratefully remembered. I
cannot tell you, my dear young friends, how
often I was reminded of the mercies that have
followed me all my life, when glancing over
the various things in that collection. Some
the most beautiful, and others the most in-
teresting, made me abnost shudder at the
recollections of great peril,, awakened by
seeing. them. Before I met you yesterday,
had you remarked some beautiful specimens
of white coral?"

" Oh, ye*, Sir," said Jane ; " I wag admir-
ing it greatly, particularly one that branched

214 THE MUSBUM.

and spread like a very fine thick tree. Mam-
ma told us that it was the work of insects ;
and that great rocks, and whole countries,
are sometimes supported by that delicate-
looking coral."

"It is the case/' answered Sir. Peele,
44 The work proceeds very rapidly, and the
circumstance which I am going to relate will
prove it. A long while ago, I made a voyage
to a very distant part of the coast of Asia ; in
one place we discovered, by sounding, that
there was a hard bottom, no doubt, of coral,
at a great depth below where we were sailing.
Two years afterwards, or rather less, we
passed again exactly on the same track ; and
found the coral so wonderfully grown up, that
as we glided along we could distinctly see it.
often within less than three yards of the keel
of our ship. It was extremely beautiful, —
the white coral branching out in most delicate
forms, and shining through the clear green of
tile water; but the danger was most dreadful.
We were watching in anxious alarm, lest in
any part it should have shot up so high as to
strike against the bottom of the vessel; for,
had that been the case, a leak would have

ros museum, 816

been sprung. . Do you know what I mean,
Edward?"

" Yes, Sir : springing a leak is making a
hole in th* ship where the water gets in, is it
not, Sir?"

" It is : and the water coming in makes the
ship too heavy to ,flaat ; and if not presently
got out by means of -the pumps, it sinks the
vessel into the depths of the sea. Now the
eoral reef, as I said, branched out in every
direction, and was most unequal — the ridges
being so sharp and hard, that our ship might
have stuck fast on one of the points, until
beaten to pieces by the sea.- Most merci-
fully, we were favored with a very gentle
wind, and sinooth water ; so that we were
carried steadily and safely .over this perilous
place, but not until we had been for an hour
looking down upon it. Had the weather been
rough, the violent breaking of the waves upon
the reef would have prevented our seeing our
danger, and very probably have dashed the-
vessel upon a part of the rock, and sent us
all into eternity in a moment."

"Many perish in that way," said Mr.
Cleveland. "The ship ^strikes— they go

116 TttB **S»U*.

down, and can 110 more be heardof, nom&re
teen, until the sea give* up the dead that are
mil."

« No doubt," said Mr. Peele. "I have
often thought, when lying down in my cabin
at night, how many perils must be passed,
before I could again behold the bright streak
of the eastern sun upon the billows. And
surely, if ungodliness, can be more hateful in
one person than another, an ungodly mariner
must excite our most painful feelings. David
says, 'They that go down to the sea in ships,
that do business in great waters, these see the
works of the Lord, and his wonders in the
deep.'* Yet, awful to say, there are hun-
dreds and thousands of these men who will
not see, who refuse jto acknowledge the hand
of the Most High in these his most wonder-
ful works— who tremble not at his judgment
when some fellow-sinner is washed away
from their side, and tossed on the billows,
and swallowed up into eternity before their
eyes — who confess not his mercy when their
own preservation appears little short of a
miracle, while winds and storms, fire and wa-

THE HTTflBUtH. Wf

ttv, are all combined against their Uvea, and
are yet restrained from harming them."

" Did not the mariners pray to God, when
you sailed over the coral rock, Sir 1" asked
Xane.

" I hope that some of them did," answered
Mr, Peele; "and that they also gave him
thanks when the danger was past. There
was no public praying, and many looked as
bold and as hardened as ever : others seemed
frightened, as if death was an object that they
did not like to behold so near. Two or three
of the passengers were so taken up in admir-
ing the beauty of it, that they scarcely ap-
peared sensible of the peril ; and others, like
me, hung over the ship's side, watching, and
meditating, but saying very little."

" Did you not preach to them, then V 9 said
Jane, quite surprised.

«• My dear child, I was at that time igno-
rant myself of the only way of salvation ;
and, instead of taking thought for the spiritual
concerns of others, I was trying to find out
what I had done to deserve eternal life, if
that hour should prove my last."

" And did you deserve it 1" asked Jane.
19

318 THE MUSEUM.

"Do you put that question in earnest*
Jane ?" said her father. .

" Not exactly, Papa ; because I know that
nobody can possibly be saved by any works
of his own ; and that we all deserve nothing,
at best, but to be sent away into the place
where the wicked go. But I meant to ask
Mr. Peele whether he found .out any good-
ness in himself to be saved by, when he was
over the coral reef.' 9

44 1 cannot tell you, 9 ' answered Mr. Peele ;
44 for I was very blind to my own state, and
knew nothing of the holiness and justice of
Him with whom I had to do. I did not see
that One mightier than I must help me ; nor
did I understand that the death of the Lord
Jesus on the cross was that in which alone I
could find freedom and peace. It is the recol-
lection of my dark and heathenish state at that
time which affects me so much when I look
on a piece of coral ; and my heart is raised
in thankfulness to the Lord, who spared my
life then, that he might also save my soul."

44 1 shall think of it, too, when I next see
coral," said Edward. " But, Sir, were you
not also in danger among the Arabs f "

THE MUSEUM. 219

** Yes," answered Mr. Peele, " and to that
I also alluded ; but then I had learned to fix
my sole hope on my glorious Redeemer, — a
hope which maketh not ashamed,— and my
feelings were very different you may be
sure."

" Pray tell us about it," cried Jane.

" There is not much to tell : I was travel-
ing to the eastward of Jerusalem, and had
missed a party with whom I meant to go/
Haying made a positive engagement to meet
a Missionary friend at a particular place, and
having a box of Arabic Testaments under my-
charge, which I knew he was anxiously ex-
pecting, I got a firman, or letter of protec-
tion, from the governor of the city, who paid
the Arab sheick, or chief, for not molesting
those who had his firman, and set out with
my own servant and a guide. We got on
well for a while ; but at length in a very de-
solate spot, we were surrounded by the law-
less Arabs and taken captive. It seems that
they were expecting some travelers with rich
merchandize to pass that way ; and my large
box, so carefully secured, was supposed to
contain treasures far less valuable than it real*

226 t*e MtrtBMi.

ly did, but of much greater worth in their eyes.
The language of the Arabs was strange to
me, nor could they comprehend any that I
addresed to them. The guide made his es-
cape evidently with the consent of the rob-
bers, to whom, I was afterwards told, he had
probably betrayed me. Seeing no remedy, I
quietly committed myself to God, exhorted
my servant to do the same, and was conducted
by my new acquaintance to a small camp, at
some distance, where they refreshed us with
camel's milk, and boiled rice. The box was
very carefully guarded, and it soon occurred
to me what the mistake was : I therefore
made signs to have it opened, which they
agreed to. I cannot describe their astonish-
ment and vexation, when they had complete-
ly turned it out and found only books. Some
appeared disposed to revenge their disappoint*
ment on us : but their anger was restrained,
as I afterwards found, by the principal matt
among them, who proposed giving us in ex-
change for some of their own people, lately
captured. Signs were made to me to write
a letter to the place from whence we came ;
and I did so, addressing it to an English geft-

THE MUSEUM. 281

tleman residing there as consul. My letter
was accompanied by one from the chief, and
sent off by a messenger without delay.

" While awaiting the answer I endeavored
to discover whether any of my compan-
ions could read the Arabic Scriptures, but
none seemed to know a letter of them. We
passed the time in prayer, being treated pret-
ty well on the whole, but with the rudeness ot
men in such a savage state as these roving
tribes of the Arab race are generally found
in. After some days, the answer arrived to
our despatch: it was favorable, and our
savage hosts prepared to accompany us to
the place where they were to be met by the
other party, and exchange their prisoners. — .
For a long time they refused to be trou-
bled with the box ; but finding me resolved
not to stir without it, they at length placed it
on a camel, and we commenced the jour-
ney* I had first, however, prevailed on the
chief to accept two copies, which as he told
me by signs, he would take far up the moun-
tains to some who could read them ; and thus
I have the cheering hope that my short cap-
tivity was made instrumental to bringing the
19*

THE MUSEUM.

Gospel where probably its joyful sound had
never before been heard."

" And what sort of people did you find the
Arabs to be V asked Edward.

" Just what the Bible tells us: wild men
—their hand against every man, and erery
man's hand against them ; and dwelling in the
presence of all their brethren most indepen-
dently, as was proved by the bold proceeding
of first stealing us, and then demanding the
liberation of their brother thieves, as the
price of our release. Their dress was
very simple, composed of coarse linen or
woollen garments shaped into a vest, with
loose trowsers, and a sort of mantje thrown
occasionally tfver the shoulder, with a cap
of red cloth. Their abodes were tents
formed of camels' hides, with the hair out-
ermost, appearing so dark, that I could not
but remember the Psalmist's complaint of
being compelled to have his habitation
among the tents of Kedar * Under these,
die Arab with his whole family, including
the horse, dwelt, subsisting on ground
com, rice, milk, and some fermented liquors.

* Kedar signifies blackness— Psalm cxx, 5.

THE MUSEUM. 908

la their manners they were very grave, even
melancholy, — their very songs being accom*»
panied with sighs and lamentations,-- bringing
forcibly to my mind one part of the prophet's
description of those who should possess the
desolated land of Judea — * All the merry-
hearted do sigh.' Of their conversation we
could judge but little ; it appeared to consist
chiefly in repeating stories. The Arabs would
seat themselves in a circle onHhe ground,
while one related a long history to a most
attentive audience, who sometimes seemed to
be greatly interested and excited by what they
heard. At these times I have often looked at
them with a deep feeling of their claim to the
distinction often addressed to the Jews, ' Ye
are my witnesses, saith the Lord:'* and
greatly have I desired to set before them the
story of their father Abraham's faith, that
they, believing in the same Savior, might
find the like acceptance with God. These
children of Hagar were the subjects of a di-
vine prediction, delivered from heaven to
their afflicted parent ; and the Lord himself,

* Isaiah xfiii. 10.

224 THE MUSEUM.

when conversing with Abraham concerning
the promised seed, graciously heard his inter-
cession for Ishmael, of whom He declared
that he would make a great nation ; and not
one word of his good promise hath failed. *'

" Oh, sister," said Edward, *' what a won-
derful deal there is between the two covers of
this small book !" and while he spoke, he
pressed his little Bible to his bosom.

" That book, Edward," said his father, "is,
to those who use it aright, the key to unlock
all treasures. This world must be a scene of
confusion and perplexity to such as look upon
it with the natural eye only ; but take the
Bible for an interpreter, and how glorious it
becomes ! Many a man has puzzled himself
through a long life, in order to discover the
meaning of things which any young child, in-
structed out of the Scriptures, may explain :
and, after thus wearying himself, has died as
ignorant as he was born. Wherefore ? Be-
cause he suffered that book to lie neglected
on the shelf, while turning over the multitude
of books that men have written, not one of
which could even explain to him why thorns
and thistles are brought forth by the ground

THE MUSEUM; 995

without our labor, while it must be tilled to
afford a crop of corn."

"Yes," added Mr. Peele ; "and I have
heard a party of learned travelers debating
for hours on the very subject of the Arab
tribes, describing their undoubted antiquity,
their wild way of life, the defeat of all who
have ever attempted to conquer them, and
their unbroken independence to this time.
Attempting to account for these things, they
have traced them to every cause except the
right one ; and you would smile to hear the
extravagant fancies of some, who undertook
to shew the reason of what human wisdom
never can explain. But when I drew forth
my Bible, and read the prediction, which at
once set the whole matter clear, it seemed to
some a foolish interruption : while others
owned the truth of the passage, but could not
see how it explained what they were speaking
of. That is to say, they acknowledged the
promise of the Lord, but would not yield to
his name the glory of having so astonishing-
ly performed it."

" Let us then be thankful," said Mrs. Cleve-
land, "that from our hearts the veil is so

226 THE MUSEUM.

far removed, as to make the word of God
truly precious, and to give to all his works a
meaning which we can partly understand.
From the glorious sun, shining in yonder
heavens, down to the tiny kernel that Ed-
ward is squeezing out of that grape, He has
made nothing in vain. The whole creation
should he a perpetual feast to our eyes and
minds, and every step that we took would
call forth a song of praise. 9 '

" A sigh of grief too/' said Mr. Cleveland,
44 for the havoc that man's wickedness has
made in such a beautiful world."

" Yes, my friend," said Mr. Peele ; •« and
that sigh of grief would end in a song of yet
louder praise, when we remembered the lov-
ing-kindness of God our Savior in coming
into this ruined creation, in order to buildup
again what man and Satan had united to de-
stroy. What thanks can we render to Him
who took upon himself a body made like unto
ours in all things, sin only excepted, and
walked as man among all the sorrows and dis-
tresses, pains and persecutions, that man has
brought' upon his own race — who came into
this den of unclean beasts, this polluted world,

THE MUSEUM. 227

a Lamb without spot or blemish, holy, harm-
less, undefiled, separate from sinners, and far
removed from their inherent sinfulness as the
heavens are high above the earth, yet daily
enduring every outward assault, and having
his holy, gentle heart pierced with the view
of our unbelief, our ingratitude, our wicked
rebellion against his merciful rule : yea, him-
self afflicted in our afflictions, and weeping
over the hardened opposers whom he desired
to gather under his sheltering wings ! Oh !
how shall we thank him who by dying dis-
armed death of his sting, and by ascending
again led our captivity captive ! Our hearts
cannot conceive, much less can our feeble lips
proclaim his rightful praises ; but he sends
the Holy Ghost, the Spirit which helpeth our
infirmities, to kindle now within us a spark
of that heavenly fire which shall shine through
eternity, and warm us with rapture, when,
with all the heavenly hosts, we shall utter
that glorious song, 'Worthy is the Lamb
that was slain !' "

After this, the party read some chapters in
the Bible, blessing God for giving them that
precious book ; and then they prayed that

838 TRB JCBSSUlE.

the Mine light might shine upon all the lands
now sitting in darkness and the shadow of
death.

Edward and Jane procured some paper,
upon which they put down a list of the things
that had most interested them during those
two pleasant days ; and often did they open
their little memoranda, after their tasks were
done, to talk over the history of the Museum.

" I Iotc the Museum," said Jane, " be-
cause it made me value my Bible more than
ever."

44 And I," said Edward, " love my Bible,
beeause it makes the whole world a Musanra
to me, where I may look about and own
God's handy- work in every thing that I J
hold."

;**

UOi 13 1958

Deacidffied using the Bool
Neutralizing agent: Magi
Treatment Date: M ^

Preservation"!!

A WORLD LEADER IN FA»

111 Thomson P
Cranberry Towd
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