and soft that even the most fair and delicately pencilled flower is not injured but refreshed by it. A difficulty has presented itself to some minds, how light, which is now so dependent on the sun, could have existed without it. But, my dear children, this is only one of the many things that are hidden from us for a time, but in its season, if we would but wait, the Lord, either here or hereafter, will explain. And indeed within the last few years, it has been proved, both in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, that light can exist separate from the sun; but even if we did not know how it was, yet God's The glow-worm of our own country, the fire-fly of South America, and those marine animalculæ, which are seen in the ocean, are striking proofs of the existence of light apart from the sun. The former is known to every one. And you doubtless remember how often you have come to me with the happy tidings that you have seen one like a bright star glittering at your feet. Now, with three or four of these in your hand, you might tell the time by your watch, and, indeed, some have said, that you can read small print by this light. The fire-fly I do not remember myself to have seen in South America, but travellers have given the most beautiful account of it: they describe it thus:-"The fire-fly of South America is about an inch long, and one third of an inch broad; when on the wing it appears adorned with four brilliant gems of the most beautiful golden-blue lustre; in fact the whole body is said to be full of luminous matter, which shines forth between the rings of the abdomen when stretched. The light, which proceeds from the two spots on the thorax, placed immediately behind the head, is said to be sufficient for a person to see to read the smallest print, by moving one of these insects, when placed between the fingers with the light downwards, along the line; and when several are put together in a glass, or any other transparent tube, the light will be sufficiently great for writing by it." The latter, i. e., the animalculæ, I have witnessed, night after night, as our vessel glided along the coast of Jamaica, in untold millions around us: indeed the whole ocean seemed sparkling with innumerable gems of light. word simply tells us, that it was so, and to the mind that bows to God's word, this is enough. GOD SAYS IT, and what I cannot now comprehend, I shall here or hereafter, and this to me is sufficient. Light did exist the first day, and did illumine the waste of waters, and, on the fourth day, the Lord gathered it into its bright and glorious tabernacle, and the sun and light became inseparable. Had we not certain facts to ascertain it by, we should think it past belief, the amazing velocity with which light travels. Sound comes to us quickly, but sound creeps when compared with the darting volition of light. You remember the other day when we saw a ship at sea fire a gun, it was some moments after we saw the flash that we heard the sound; to the man who fired it, the light and the sound set off on their journey the same moment; but the rapidity of light left sound as a wearied traveller in bis course. But I will illustrate this by an example more familiar to you :-standing a few days since on the North Malvern Hills, we saw a man in the valley at his work, but his mattock was partly in the air again before the sound telling us that it had struck the earth came to our ears. Watching the eclipses of the satellites of Jupiter with the earth, in the nearest and The plant Rhiramorpha is also a striking example of light existing separate from the sun: "In the coal mines near Dresden it gives those places the air of an enchanted castle; the roofs-walls-pillars are covered with them— their bright and beautiful light almost dazzles the eye."-Ed. Phil. Journal, xiv. page 178. most remote part of her orbit (which will come under our observation when contemplating the starry heavens, on the fourth day), one gets to a demonstration the rapidity with which light travels, i.e., at the rate of 190,000 miles in a second, while sound only comes on at the slow and tardy rate of 13 miles a minute. The difference between the velocity of sound and light is also witnessed in a thunder-storm : if an interval elapses between the lightning and the thunder-clap, every one at the table says, "now the storm is at some distance," but if the flash instantly be followed by that fearful and terrible peal, then paleness steals on the countenance and the next shock is waited for in awful expectancy. Happy, my beloved children, is it to be at peace with God, and then, though it was the fire going before Him, and the whole atmosphere very tempestuous round about him, yet should the word be full of consolation from the lips of a Father:-" Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” (Is. xxvi. 20, 21). But though the Lord shall indeed come forth in indignation, and be revealed in fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ; yet not so to His people; no, in them, even His saints, as the next verse is, "He shall come to be glorified, and admired in all them that believe." How beautiful is the word of that hymn you so well remember, 'Jesus, thy blood and righteousness, But as the fourth day's creation will afford us a more ample field for the contemplation of light, I will now close this long letter; and in my next, ere I leave this subject, I hope to bring before you some of those beautiful passages from the Scriptures where the Spirit of God sets forth divine truth by the gracious emblem of light. Ever believe me, My beloved Children, Your affectionate Father. LETTER II. I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.-JOHN viii. 12. My dear Children, I HAVE Sometimes imagined the dismay and terror that would strike all things living, if, suddenly, at noon day, a total darkness were to cover the whole earth; or if, instead of the sun rising, a darkness deeper than that of night were to spread over all things. Such, doubtless, was that of Egypt (Exod. x. 21), which lasted three days-a darkness that might be felt; and such also the awful darkness that was over the whole land (Matt. xvii. 45) when our blessed Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree, died the Just for the unjust, under the curse of God. But the darkness of Egypt, in God's mercy, had an end; for He is longsuffering and the darkness of Calvary had an end; because the sufferer paid to the full the amazing debt of death, and satisfied divine justice. (Gal. iii. 13.) But there is a darkness hastening on; and oh, the terrors of that darkness that shall be eternal! It is called emphatically "the outer darkness,"-and who may : |