Yea, saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labours."

In the days of our Christian brethrens' earthly pilgrimage they often had to lament the absence of every thing like the consolations of the Holy Ghost; but once arrived in heaven, they ever behold the tabernacle of God in the midst of themselves, and of all the happy inhabitants of that kingdom,-a kingdom where there is no more exclaiming, "Oh! that I knew where I might find him:" no more enquiry, "Where does my beloved make his flock to rest at noon?" No; for there that Beloved dwells with them, and they are his people, and the Eternal Jehovah is with them, as their visible God, in the person of Emmanuel. On earth they sometimes drank deep from the cup of tribulation; in heaven they drink joy from the fountain of the river of life. While sojourners on earth, they ofttimes watered their couch with their tears; but in heaven, He who sits on the throne wipes all tears from their eyes, and makes it known from one side of his blessed kingdom to the other, that there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither any more pain; for their former things are passed away; and all things are henceforward made new. O! the joyful sound of these words," Behold I make all things new!" Poverty shall thenceforth no more

distress their circumstances; pain and sickness shall no more torture their bodies; disappointments shall no more vex their minds. No more shall doubts and fears becloud their soul; nor coldness steal into their hearts, nor wanderings carry away their attention from the object of their prayers and devotions. In that blessed kingdom the eye cannot be tempted to behold vanity, nor the heart to conceive one improper desire. There, religion and pious characters will meet with no more reproach or persecution. Dear friends are no more torn asunder. The light of God's countenance is no more withdrawn. In one word, sorrow and trouble of every kind are done away; and pure, unmingled, increasing felicity is the everlasting portion of all the redeemed.

These things often employed the thoughts of the Christian mariner while he was far from the worshipping assemblies of the Lord's people on shore; and often did his ardent spirit exclaim, "O Zion! when I think on Thee,

I long for pinions like the dove,

And mourn to think that I should be

So distant from the land I love."

Well, he has now obtained his heart's desire; he has ceased to be a wayfaring pilgrim;-the Captain of his salvation has clothed him with white raiment, has placed the palm of

victory in his hand, and a crown of glory on his head. In the company of his dearest departed Christian friends, in the society of angels and archangels, and in the immediate smiles of his glorified Redeemer, he forgets all his former toils, and sorrows, and temptations, or only remembers, and talks of them to increase his present and eternal felicity; for there

"All is tranquil and serene,

Calm and undisturb'd repose,

There no cloud can intervene,
There no angry tempest blows.

"Every tear is wiped away,

Sighs no more shall heave his breast;
Night is lost in endless day-

Sorrow-in eternal rest."

No. XVIII.

THE UNEXPECTED HAPPY MEETING.

"YE NOW HAVE SORROW; BUT I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN, AND YOUR HEART SHALL REJOICE, AND YOUR JOY NO MAN TAKETH FROM YOU."

John, xvi. 22.

WHOEVER among the readers of these pages has honoured the "Retrospect" with a perusal, will, in the very opening of that work, have learnt some particulars of the writer's first shipwreck in the North Seas, and of his and the greater part of his comrades' escape, over the surrounding fields of ice, from the wreck to the little island of N-; from whence, he will recollect, all that were not sick or maimed by the frost, were obliged to force a dismal passage to the main-land, in consequence of the insufficiency of provisions on the island for the few inhabitants and their numerous distressed visitors. But whether the reader is acquainted with these particulars, as there related, or not, it may not be unacceptable to introduce the account of a circumstance, which, though closely connected with that shipwreck, is not

related in the " Retrospect;" especially as it is capable of an important spiritual improvement.

When the perilous journey to the main had been effected by the writer and seventy or eighty others of the crew, a considerable party of seamen, officers, and marines were left behind, most of whom were unable, as yet, to attempt the passage. From these we occasionally heard, whenever the islanders were enabled to pass from thence to us and back again. For several days nothing of importance transpired; but, by and by, the melancholy information was brought us, that the master, surgeon, a midshipman, and two or three seamen were lost. The wreck of our favourite frigate had been left on its broadside, amidst the ice and snow, on a sand bank, some six or seven miles from the cottages on the island; but as there were many valuables on board, those of our comrades who remained behind, were anxious, as soon as they had a little recovered, to get on board, and, if possible, save some of them. Of this we at C had information, and after a week or two we learnt, that on two or three occasions, little parties of the most able and determined of our companions had succeeded in getting on board and saving some papers and other light articles of value. But we were now given to understand, that these excursions had