THE BEAUTIFUL GARMENT.

CHAPTER I.

"I find that holy writ, in many places,
Hath semblance with this method, where the cases
Do call for one thing to set forth another:
Use it I may then, and yet nothing smother
Truth's golden beams: nay, by this method may
Make it cast forth its rays as light as day."

BUNYAN.

THE ALLEGORY OPENED, AND SHEWING HOW THE BEAUTIFUL GARMENT WAS LOST.

ONE evening I had been reading, as my custom is, a good old book of wisdom, when my chance was to light on the words, "I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on ?”* Ah, thought I, this thing is an allegory, there is more here than there seems to be: and after much musing, I was led into a certain track, along which my thoughts ran swifter than light can travel, to the time when the first father of the world, having lost his robe of inno

Canticles v. 3.

B

cence-a most beautiful garment-stood naked and guilty before his Maker. He had put off this robe; how could he put it on?

But, in order to explain myself, I must go back a little further in the history of our world, and of its first progenitor.

And even before I do this, should we not cast a humble and reverential glance towards Hiм, who, before the mountains were brought forth, or ever he had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, is God over all and BLESSED FOR EVER! The first lesson we are taught is to hallow his name.

"Harps of Eternity! begin the song,
Redeemed and angel-harps! begin to God,
Begin the anthem ever sweet and new,
While I extol Him, holy, just, and good.
Life, beauty, light, intelligence, and love
Eternal, uncreated, infinite!

Unsearchable Jehovah! God of truth!
Maker, upholder, governor of all!
Thyself unmade, ungoverned, unupheld!
Omnipotent, unchangeable, great God!
Exhaustless fulness, giving unimpaired!
Bounding immensity, unspread, unbound!
Highest and best! beginning, middle, end!
All-seeing eye! all-seeing and unseen!

earing unheard! all-knowing and unknown!

Above all praise! above all height of thought!
Proprietor of immortality!

Glory ineffable! bliss underived!

Of old Thou built'st Thy throne on righteousness,
Before the morning stars their song began,

Or silence heard the voice of praise. Thou laid'st
Eternity's foundation stone, and saw'st

Life and existence out of Thee begin.
Mysterious more the more displayed, where still
Upon Thy glorious throne Thou sit'st alone,
Hast sat alone, and shalt for ever sit
Alone, invisible, immortal One!

Behind essential brightness unbeheld.
Incomprehensible! what weight shall weigh,

What measure measure Thee! What know we more
Of Thee, what need to know, than Thou hast taught,
And bid'st us still repeat at morn and even?

God! everlasting Father! holy One!

Our God, our Father! our eternal All !"*

"Possessed of perfect excellence, contemplating with infinite complacency his glorious attributes, and containing in himself a boundless sufficiency for the accomplishment of every thing great and desirable, he saw that it was becoming his character to unfold his perfections, and communicate his goodness, to an endless and innumerable race of beings. From an infinite height, he took a survey of the immeasurable vast of possible beings; and,

* Pollok.

in an expansion without limits, but desolate and wild, where nothing was, called into existence with a word, the countless multitude of worlds, with all their various furniture. With his own hand he lighted up at once innumerable suns, and rolled around them innumerable worlds. All these he so dispersed and arranged, as that all received light, and warmth, and life, and comfort; and all, at the same time, he stored and adorned with a rich and unceasing variety of beauty and magnificence, and with the most suitable means of virtue and happiness. Throughout his vast empire he surrounded his throne with intelligent creatures, to fill the immense and perfect scheme of being, which originally existed with infinite splendour in his own incomprehensible mind."*

"In the progress of the Divine works and government, there arrived a period, in which this earth was to be called into existence. When the signal moment was come, the Deity arose in his might; and with a word created the world. What an illustrious moment was that, when, from nonexistence, there sprang at once into being, this mighty globe, on which so many millions of creatures now dwell!-No preparatory measures

* Dwight.

were required. No long circuit of means was employed. 'He spake; and it was done: He commanded; and it stood fast. The earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.' The Almighty surveyed the dark abyss; and fixed bounds to the several divisions of nature. He said, 'Let there be light; and there was light.' Then appeared the sea, and the dry land. The mountains rose; and the rivers flowed. The sun and moon began their course in the skies. Herbs and plants clothed the ground. The air, the earth, and the waters, were stored with their respective inhabitants. The Almighty beheld his work when it was finished; and pronounced it GOOD. Superior beings saw with wonder this new accession to existence. 'The morning stars sang together; and all the sons of God shouted for joy.""*

"All dead and silent was the earth,

In deepest night it lay,

The ETERNAL spoke Creation's word,

And called to being, Day.

It stream'd from on high, all reddening and bright
And angel's songs welcomed the new-born light.

God spake: the murmuring waters fled,

They left their deep repose,

* Blair.